cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium Signaling Mechanisms in T Lymphocytes

Elevation of intracellular free Ca(2+) is one of the key triggering signals for T-cell activation by antigen. A remarkable variety of Ca(2+) signals in T cells, ranging from infrequent spikes to sustained oscillations and plateaus, derives from the interactions of multiple Ca(2+) sources and sinks in the cell. Following engagement of the T cell receptor, intracellular channels (IP3 and ryanodine receptors) release Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, and by depleting the stores trigger prolonged Ca(2+) influx through store-operated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channels in the plasma membrane. The amplitude and dynamics of the Ca(2+) signal are shaped by several mechanisms, including K(+) channels and membrane potential, slow modulation of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase, and mitochondria that buffer Ca(2+) and prevent the inactivation of CRAC channels. Ca(2+) signals have a number of downstream targets occurring on multiple time scales. At short times, Ca(2+) signals help to stabilize contacts between T cells and antigen-presenting cells through changes in motility and cytoskeletal reorganization. Over periods of minutes to hours, the amplitude, duration, and kinetic signature of Ca(2+) signals increase the efficiency and specificity of gene activation events. The complexity of Ca(2+) signals contains a wealth of information that may help to instruct lymphocytes to choose between alternate fates in response to antigenic stimulation.
The impact of symptom dimensions on outcome for exposure and ritual prevention therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. The behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP). This study examined the impact of symptom dimensions on EX/RP outcomes in OCD patients.
The Difficulties Of Hobbes Interpretation

Idiosyncrasies of Hobbes's composition process, together with a paucity of reliable autobiographical materials and the norms of seventeenth-century manuscript production, render interpretation of his political theory particularly difficult and contentious. These difficulties are surveyed here under three headings: (1) the process of “serial” composition (meaning the production of multiple, often expanded, versions of a work), which was common in the period; (2) the relationship between Hobbes's three political-theory texts— the Elements of Law, De Cive, and Leviathan, which is basic to defining the textual embodiment of his theory, and controversial; and (3) his method of writing. I argue that Hobbes's composition process undercut his intention to produce a deductive, logical theory of politics and opened the door to inconsistency and muddle in his arguments.
Discovering Cocaine: An Historical Perspective on Drug Development and Regulation*

Although recent historical work has begun to illuminate the origins of modern drug development, much remains to be investigated. Cocaine, introduced to the United States through the pioneering work of Dr. Carl Koller in 1884, appeared at the threshold of a more recognizably modern system of drug development. Cocaine was among the first drug discoveries to undergo extensive laboratory investigation. Cocaine also benefitted from the emerging capacity of the pharmaceutical industry to conduct research, mass produce, and aggressively promote new remedies. Introduced in a largely unregulated environment, the use and abuse of cocaine encouraged the creation of more formal control of the drug market. The landmarks of modern drug regulation, including the establishment of the American Medical Association's Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry as well as the passage of the federal Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 can partly be attributed to the desire to avoid a repetition of the cocaine experience.
Team promotion in early major league baseball and the origin of the closed sports league

Abstract I argue that a quasi team-promotion system similar to European professional sports leagues once existed in the US, contrary to common perceptions. The first American pro team sport was baseball. From the creation of the first major league in 1876 to the early 1890s, entry was common, occurring primarily by the “promotion” of clubs in operation the previous season. The informal system ended abruptly after an 1892 merger that formed the prototype closed monopoly sports league. Empirical analysis indicates that the cessation of entry reduced competitive balance, and that in their initial year promoted teams outperformed new start-ups. While historians have recognized the elimination of between-league competition as an underlying motive for the monopoly merger, the simultaneous elimination of club entry and competition for league membership has gone virtually unnoticed.
Performance of species richness estimators across assemblage types and survey parameters

Aim: A raw count of the species encountered across surveys usually underestimates species richness. Statistical estimators are often less biased. Nonparametric estimators of species richness are widely considered the least biased, but no particular estimator has consistently performed best. This is partly a function of estimators responding differently to assemblage-level factors and survey design parameters. Our objective was to evaluate the performance of raw counts and nonparametric estimators of species richness across various assemblages and with different survey designs. Location: We used both simulated and published field data. Methods: We evaluated the bias, precision and accuracy of raw counts and 13 nonparametric estimators using simulations that systematically varied assemblage characteristics (number of species, species abundance distribution, total number of individuals, spatial configuration of individuals and species detection probability), sampling effort and survey design. Results informed the development of an estimator selection framework that we evaluated with field data. Results: When averaged across assemblages, most nonparametric estimators were less negatively biased than a raw count. Estimators based on the similarity of repeated subsets of surveys were most accurate and their accumulation curves appeared to reach asymptotes fastest. Number of species, species abundance distribution and effort had the largest effects on performance, ultimately by affecting the proportion of the species pool contained in a sample. Our estimator selection framework showed promising results when applied to field data. Main conclusions: A raw count of the number of species in an area is far from the best estimate of true species richness. Nonparametric estimators are less biased. Newer largely unused, estimators perform better than more well known and longer established counterparts under certain conditions. Given that there is generally a trade-off between bias and precision, we believe that estimator variance, which is often not reported when presenting species richness estimates, should always be included.
The physician workforce crisis: where is the evidence?

ABSTRACT: Barbara Starfield and colleagues present evidence that having more primary care physicians and fewer specialists per capita is associated with lower mortality rates. These analyses stand ...
The objective reality of evidence and the utility of systematic jury selection

Significant relationships between jurors' demographic characteristics, attitudes, and verdicts have stimulated an interest in systematic jury selection. However, critics of this approach argue that verdicts are based on the strength of the evidence presented rather than on the composition of the jury. This analysis of demographic and attitudinal data and the responses to a vignette collected from a jury-eligible sample explores the association between perception of strength of evidence and both case-relevant attitudes and demographic characteristics and then examines the amount of variation in verdict explained by juror characteristics when strength of evidence is already taken into account. The findings point to the inclusion of strength of evidence in systematic jury selection procedures.
No pathogenic mutations identified in the COL8A2 gene or four positional candidate genes in patients with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy.

PURPOSE. To identify the genetic basis of posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) through screening of four positional candidate genes and the COL8A2 gene, in which a presumed pathogenic mutation has previously been identified in affected patients. METHODS. DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and direct sequencing of the COL8A2, BFSP1, CST3, MMP9, and SLPI genes were performed in 14 unrelated, affected patients and in unaffected family members. RESULTS. In the COL8A2 gene, the previously identified, presumed pathogenic mutation (Gln455Lys) was not discovered in any of the affected patients. A missense mutation, Thr502Met, was identified in 2 of the 14 affected probands, although it was not considered to be pathogenic, as it has been identified in unaffected individuals. Although several novel and previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms producing synonymous and missense amino acid substitutions were identified in the COL8A2, BFSP1, CST3, MMP9, and SLPI genes, no presumed pathogenic sequence variants were found. CONCLUSIONS. No pathogenic mutations were identified in the COL8A2 gene or in several positional candidate genes in a series of patients with PPCD, indicating that other genetic factors are involved in the development of this autosomal dominant corneal dystrophy.
Mixture Kalman filter based highway congestion mode and vehicle density estimator and its application

We present our latest results on developing and implementing a traffic congestion mode and vehicle density estimator for a segment of Interstate 210 in Southern California. Using a mixture Kalman filtering (MKF) algorithm on the switching-mode traffic model, the estimator is able to provide estimated vehicle densities at unmeasured locations, as well as the congestion statuses (free-flow or congested), which are not directly observed. The program runs efficiently, thus making it possible to carry out estimation in real time.
Pattern analysis for autonomous vehicles with the region- and feature-based neural network: global self-localization and traffic sign recognition

Autonomous vehicles require that all processes be efficient in time, complexity and data storage. In fact, an ideal system employs multifunctional models where ever possible. This paper presents the region- and feature-based neural network (RFNN) as a viable pattern analysis process engine for solving a variety of problems with a single math model. The RFNN employs receptive fields and weight sharing which compensate for noise, minor phase shifts and occlusions. The RFNN also utilizes greedy adaptive learning rates and mature feature preservation to expedite the overall training process. A novel ad hoc approach called "shocking" is used to solve the instability problem inherent to greedy adaptive learning rates. The basic RFNN "feature" is grounded in computer vision morphology in that the neural network autonomously learns subpatterns unique to various problems. This paper comprehensively describes the flexible RFNN architecture and training process and presents two problems that can be solved by the RFNN: sensor pattern-recognition and traffic sign recognition.
Parallel Computing of Two Numerical Quadratures for an Integral Formulation of Transient Radiation Transport

Parallel computing of the transient radiative transfer process in the three-dimensional homogeneous and nonhomogeneous participating media is studied with an integral equation model. The model can be used for analyzing the ultra-short light pulse propagation within the highly scattering media. Two numerical quadratures are used: the discrete rectangular volume (DRV) method and YIX method. The parallel versions of both methods are developed for one-dimensional and three-dimensional geometries, respectively. Both quadratures achieve good speedup in parallel performance. Because the integral equation model uses very small amount of memory, the parallel computing can take advantage of having each compute node or processor store the full spatial domain information without using the typical domain decomposition parallelism, which will be necessary in other solution methods, e.g., discrete ordinates and finite volume methods, for large scale simulations. The parallel computation is conducted by assigning different portion of the quadrature to different compute node. In DRV method, a variation of the spatial domain decomposition is used. In the case of YIX scheme, the angular quadrature is divided up according to the number of compute nodes, instead of the spatial domain being divided. This parallel scheme minimizes the communications overhead. The only communication needed is at the end of each time step when each node shares the partial integrated result of the current time step with all other compute nodes. The angular quadrature decomposition approach leads to very good parallel efficiency. Two new discrete ordinate sets are used in the YIX angular quadrature and their parallel performances are discussed. One of the discrete ordinates sets, called spherical ring set, is also suitable for use in the conventional discrete ordinates method.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Solder-assembled large MEMS flaps for fluid mixing

We describe surface-micromachined thermal actuator-based micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) flaps with a length scale of 1,000 /spl mu/m. These flaps were developed for the enhancement of fluid mixing in an experimental study of a planar air jet. The scales of the flow physics required the actuators to be much larger than the typical MEMS scales, and the experiment required an array of 10 flaps (1 cm in length) to be soldered onto a ceramic substrate with high precision. These unusual requirements made it difficult to achieve good assembly yields that could provide large deflections. To improve the yields and deflections, we modified the initial flap design by reducing the size of the solder pads, removing sharp corners, changing the number and the width of the actuator's hot arms, and strengthening the support beams. In addition, we developed a controllable assembly process to reflow tin/lead solder on gold pads, and we used numerical simulations extensively in the design process to improve the performance. The experimental measurements corroborated these simulations: the deflection was increased from 6.4 to 11.1 /spl mu/m under a 5 V applied voltage. Flow velocity measurements showed that these MEMS flaps amplified the natural instabilities of the planar jet.
Update in screening of lung cancer

Abstract: In the USA, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Earlier studies of CXR and sputum cytology screening conducted in the 1970s showed no mortality benefit. Accordingly, mass screening for lung cancer was abandoned and is not currently recommended. Recently, interest in lung cancer screening has been revived due to various reports showing an advantage of low-dose CT over CXR in detecting smaller size tumours and at an earlier stage. Although these reports generated much enthusiasm for screening among clinicians and the general public, the effectiveness of low-dose CT in reducing lung cancer-specific mortality rates has not been demonstrated. Large-scale randomized controlled trials are currently in progress to determine the efficacy of CXR and low-dose CT screening. This review highlights the advantages and limitations of current modalities for lung cancer screening. The cases for and against screening with currently available modalities are examined. Additional new screening modalities are also discussed.
ATHENa - Automated Tool for Hardware EvaluatioN: Toward Fair and Comprehensive Benchmarking of Cryptographic Hardware Using FPGAs

A fair comparison of functionally equivalent digital system designs targeting FPGAs is a challenging and time consuming task. The results of the comparison depend on the inherent properties of competing algorithms, as well as on selected hardware architectures, implementation techniques, FPGA families, languages and tools. In this paper, we introduce an open-source environment, called ATHENa for fair, comprehensive, automated, and collaborative hardware benchmarking of algorithms belonging to the same class. As our first goal, we select the benchmarking of algorithms belonging to the area of cryptography. Algorithms from this area have been shown to achieve significant speed-ups and security gains compared to software when implemented in FPGAs. The capabilities of our environment are demonstrated using three examples: two different hardware architectures of the current cryptographic hash function standard, SHA-256, and one architecture of a candidate for the new standard, Fugue. All source codes, testbenches, and configuration files necessary to repeat experiments described in this paper are made available through the project web site.
Effects of inhibition of gastric secretion on antral gastrin and somatostatin gene expression in rats

Antral gastrin and somatostatin mRNA concentrations were measured in rats during gastric neutralization produced either by resection of the acid-secreting portion of the stomach (fundectomy) or by omeprazole treatment. Fundectomy caused increases in gastrin mRNA concentrations to 570% of sham control after 4 days and to 650% after 28 days. Daily administration of omeprazole resulted in significant dose- and time-dependent increases in antral gastrin mRNA concentrations. Four-day treatment with omeprazole caused threefold increased gastrin mRNA. Antral somatostatin mRNA concentrations decreased significantly after fundectomy to 66% of sham control after 4 days and to 23% after 28 days. Omeprazole produced a more profound decrease in somatostatin mRNA to 22% of the vehicle control after 4 days. Antral beta-actin mRNA concentrations did not differ significantly between control and experimental animals. Transcription of gastrin mRNA in isolated antral mucosal nuclei, measured by a nuclear run on technique, was significantly increased after omeprazole treatment in vivo. Increases in plasma and antral gastrin concentrations in response to gastric neutralization were closely associated with increases in gastrin mRNA and were accompanied by reductions in somatostatin mRNA in the antrum. However, fundectomy produced relatively greater increases in gastrin mRNA and lesser reductions in somatostatin mRNA than observed after omeprazole pretreatment.
Characterization of rat parotid and submandibular acinar cell apoptosis in primary culture

Apoptosis is a highly organized cellular process that is critical for maintaining glandular homeostasis. We have used primary rat salivary acinar cells from the parotid and submandibular glands to investigate the critical regulatory events involved in apoptosis. Caspase-3 activity, cleavage of caspase substrates, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation were assayed in cells treated with etoposide, a DNA-damaging agent, or brefeldin A (BFA), a Golgi toxin. Dose-response studies showed that the sensitivity of both cell types to etoposide and BFA was similar, with 150 μM etoposide or 1.5 μM BFA inducing maximal caspace activation. However, BFA induced a more robust activation of caspase and DNA fragmentation in both cell types. Similar results were observed when the caspase cleavage of poly(adenosine 5′-diphosphate ribose) polymerase and protein kinase C delta were analyzed by Western blot. Analysis of the kinetics of apoptosis showed that caspace-3 activation was maximal at 8 h of etoposide or BFA treatment in the parotid cells and at 8–18 h in the submandibular cells. A similar time course was observed when DNA fragmentation was assayed, although maximal DNA fragmentation in BFA-treated cells was two-to threefold higher than that observed in etoposide-treated cells. Despite slight kinetic differences, it would appear that the apoptotic cascade is very similar in both primary parotid and submandibular acinar cells. Although limited in their long-term stability in culture, the use of primary, nonimmortalized salivary acinar cultures will also permit the use of specific transgenic animals to further characterize the molecular events involved in the regulation of salivary gland acinar cell apoptosis.
The Infectious Dose of Variola (Smallpox) Virus

Quantitative estimation of an individual's risk of infection due to airborne pathogens requires knowledge of the pathogen's infectious dose, in addition to estimates of the pathogen's airborne conc...
Replacing synthetic N with clovers or alfalfa in bermudagrass pastures. 2. Herbage nutritive value for growing beef steers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of including alfalfa (ALF, Medicago sativa L.) or a combination of white (Trifolium repens L.) and red (Trifolium pretense L.) clovers (CLVR) inter-seeded into bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) on herbage nutritive value compared with monocultures of bermudagrass fertilised with 0 (0N), 56 (56N), or 112 (112N) kg nitrogen (N)/ha over four grazing seasons. At the end of the fourth year (during the winter), legume plants in ALF and CLVR were killed and the carryover N benefit on bermudagrass nutritive value was evaluated during the fifth year. Pre-grazing herbage of all pastures exceeded the dietary recommendations for growing steers to maintain 0.9 kg/day average daily liveweight gain for crude protein and total digestible nutrients, 118 and 617 g kg/DM, respectively. Post-grazing herbage in ALF was below 600 g/kg total digestible nutrients at all times during the grazing season, post-grazing total digestible nutrients of CLVR was below 600 g/kg during the late summer and autumn. Post-grazing herbage of monoculture bermudagrass pastures fell below 600 g/kg in the middle of summer regardless of N fertilisation. Carryover N benefits of legumes were similar to 112N in the early summer, but were not different than 0N and 56N during the late summer and autumn. Replacing applications of synthetic N in bermudagrass swards with inter-seeding of either clovers or alfalfa produce herbage with equivalent nutritive value to heavily N fertilised monocultures of bermudagrass during the early summer, and similar to moderately N fertilised in the late summer and autumn. The inclusion of legumes in bermudagrass swards can reduce the reliance on synthetic N fertilisation with little overall effect on herbage nutritive quality possibly decreasing environmental impacts of grazing production systems.
Dust and Human Health

It is generally accepted that exposure to fine particulate matter may increase risk for human morbidity and mortality. Until recently, population health related studies examining the effects of particulate matter on human health generally examined anthropogenic (industry and combustion by-products) sources with few studies considering contributions from natural sources. This chapter provides an overview of naturally occurring inorganic mineral dust research and associated human health ailments and some of the challenges in elucidating the etiological mechanisms responsible.
Metal Interlayers in Polymer Films: A Survey of Deposition Processes, Morphology, Patterning Methods and Physical Properties

Metal interlayer deposition comprises a new family of wet-chemical processes by which a dense, electrically continuous metal film can be grown within the bulk of a pre-existing polymer film. The present article reviews three generic forms of the process, namely: electroless, polymer-mediated electrochemical, and carrier-mediated electrochemical deposition. Experimental examples are given with particular emphasis on polyimides as the matrix material. Mechanistic principles which govern the kinetics and morphology of the deposition are described.
Catastrophism, Uniformitarianism, and a Scientific Realism Debate That Makes a Difference

Some scientific realists suggest that scientific communities have improved in their ability to discover alternative theoretical possibilities and that the problem of unconceived alternatives therefore poses a less significant threat to contemporary scientific communities than it did to their historical predecessors. I first argue that the most profound and fundamental historical transformations of the scientific enterprise have actually increased rather than decreased our vulnerability to the problem. I then argue that whether we are troubled by even the prospect of increasing theoretical conservatism in science should depend on the position we occupy in the ongoing debate concerning scientific realism itself.
'Rape Culture' Language and the News Media: Contested Versus Non-Contested Cases (Le Language De La Culture Du Viol Et Les Médias D’Information: Cas Non Contestés vs Cas Contestés)

English Abstract: The American news media has recently reported on several rape and sexual assault cases in various cultural settings, sparking public conversations about rape culture in different cultural contexts. The article is focused as a Critical Discourse Analysis that compares the language use in news articles from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal over a six months period in order to more clearly understand the way the news media uses language in regards to gender and sexual assault and creates a spectrum of valid versus contested reports of sexual assault in different cultural settings.French Abstract: Les medias d’information americains ont recemment raporte plusieurs cas de viols et d’agressions sexuelles dans divers contextes culturels, suscitant des discussions publiques sur « la culture du viol ». L’article se focalise sur une analyse critique du discours comparant le langage utilise dans les articles de presse du New York Times et Wall Street Journal sur une periode de six mois afin de mieux comprendre la facon dont les medias d’information utilisent le langage lie au sexe et aux agression sexuelles, et comment ils creent des affaires d’agression sexuelles non-contestees et contestees dans differents contextes culturels.
Moderating Strain without Sacrificing Reactivity: Design of Fast and Tunable Noncatalyzed Alkyne–Azide Cycloadditions via Stereoelectronically Controlled Transition State Stabilization

Recently, we have identified two strategies for selective transition state (TS) stabilization in catalyst-free azide/alkyne cycloadditions. In particular, the transition states for the formation of both 1,4- and 1,5-isomers can be stabilized via hyperconjugative assistance for the C···N bond formation, whereas the 1,5-TS can be stabilized via C–H···X H-bonding interactions. When the hyperconjugative assistance is maximized by the antiperiplanar arrangement of propargylic σ-acceptors relative to the forming bonds, the combination of these TS-stabilizing effects was predicted to lead to ∼1 million fold acceleration of the cycloaddition with methyl azide. The present work investigated whether hyperconjugative assistance and H-bonding can be combined with strain activation for the design of even more reactive alkynes and whether reactivity can be turned “on demand.” When stereoelectronic amplification is achieved by optimal positioning of σ-acceptors at the endocyclic bonds antiperiplanar to the breaking alky...
Hyperbolic Functions and Proper Time in Relativity

(1995). Hyperbolic Functions and Proper Time in Relativity. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 312-315.
Transmission loss of sound into incubators: implications for voice perception by infants.

OBJECTIVE To assess the transmission of sound into incubators as a function of talker position (i.e., standing or sitting), incubator port position (i.e., opened or closed), and center frequency (i.e., 125 to 10,000 Hz in one-third octave steps). The second objective was to estimate the audibility of the human voice inside the incubator. STUDY DESIGN L(eq) measures of signal transmission loss and motor noise were obtained from two incubators. RESULTS In general, signal transmission loss was greater for the standing-talker position, with front portholes closed, and for high-frequency spectra. Motor noise was greater with both front portholes closed and for lower-frequency spectra. The greatest signal delivery to an infant would be obtained when the speaker is sitting using a raised vocal effort while the incubator ports are opened. CONCLUSION Measured signal transmission loss and motor noise characteristics of two incubators suggest that only mid-frequency speech spectra would be audible to infants and only at a speech-to-noise ratio of approximately 5 to 10 dB with a raised vocal effort.
Relationship of the Effects of Adrenal Cortical Secretion on Lymphoid Tissue and on Antibody Titer.

SummaryAgglutinin titers to sheep erythrocytes are enhanced as a result of adrenal cortical extract injection. Titers were increased within 6 hours after a single injection of adrenal cortical extract into hyper-immunized rabbits. Increased titers produced by a single injection of adrenal cortical hormone return in 24 hours almost to levels existing before hormone administration. Continued hormone injection maintained elevated titers for 2 weeks.
Mycotic Pseudoaneurysm Complicating Stent Placement for Native Aortic Coarctation in a Child.

Mycotic aneurysms of the aorta are uncommon life-threatening lesions. Sporadic cases have been reported in adults after surgical intervention for native and recurrent coarctation of the aorta. We report a case of a rapidly progressive, large mycotic pseudoaneurysm in a 13-year-old boy 3 months after a bare-metal stent was used to treat native coarctation. The boy presented with slurred speech, bacteremia, and systemic septic embolization. During an emergency operation, the pseudoaneurysm was resected, and the infected aorta was replaced with an interposition graft. This rare complication may occur early or late after stent placement for coarctation of the aorta.
Explaining the Arab Middle East Tourism Paradox

This essay investigates the seeming paradox of the rapid expansion of tourism flows across the Arab Middle East in the wake of 9/11, the series of attacks against tourists in the region, and ongoing regional instability caused by the Iraq war. In doing so, it challenges many commonly held views about the vulnerability of tourism economies—especially in the Middle East, with its negative external image—to violence in nearby locations and political instability. The essay explains how the expansion of Middle East tourism since 9/11 has been driven by a range of factors, including increased petrodollars, new patterns of regional travel and consumer tastes, shifting business and tourism development strategies, and the extraordinary success of tourism development in Dubai.
Effect Evaluation on Health Education of Influenza A (H1N1) in Shunyi District of Beijing

[Objective] To understand the changes of knowledge, attitude and behavior related to influenza A (H1N1) among residents in Shunyi district, evaluate the effect of health education, summarize experiences for health education of public health emergency in future.[Methods]The intervention measures were carried out in time during the epidemic period of influenza A (H1N1), that is, various health educations were implemented in whole district. With stratified random sampling method, the residents and occupational population were randomly selected from communities and villages of Shunyi district at the beginning and the end of influenza A (H1N1) prevalence.[Results]After the intervention, the public awareness rate of behaviors which would spread influenza A (H1N1) increased from 32.8% to 78.3%, the awareness rate of effective means for prevention of influenza A (H1N1) increased from 16.4% to 60.2%, and the public satisfaction of epidemic information promulgation increased from 82.1% to 92.4%.[Conclusion]The large scale of health education in the whole society is effective and very necessary in dealing with the public health emergency. The majority of residents satisfied with the information promulgation when public health emergency occurs. In future, related knowledge and measures could be propagandized by the mass media continuously, and the new epidemic trend should be published in time.
Difficult diagnostic and management issues in pediatric dermatology.

This article discusses the evaluation and therapy for four difficult dermatologic problems: port wine stains and other flat vascular lesions, anogenital warts, congenital pigmented nevi, and ash-leaf macules.
Soft Measurement of Sugar Crystallization Process for Chinese Medicine Mixed Solution

This paper deals with the design of model-based soft measurement to improve the process monitoring and control in Chinese medicine sugar crystallization. A model dedicated to Chinese medicine sugar crystallization is designed, without consideration of crystal size distribution. The mass of crystals in the solution, the concentration of dissolved sugar and the purity are important to improve the manufacturing process. As these physicochemical properties are not measurable on-line, a model-based soft measurement is developed. The effectiveness of the soft measurement is demonstrated using real data from a Chinese medicine sugar crystallization process.
Cognitive and Affective Processes in Intergroup Perception: The Developing Interface

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the evolving trends in psychology and their manifestations. During the period of cognitive preeminence, the study of affective factors—emotion, motivation, mood states, arousal, and the like—and their role in social psychological processes continued; however, quietly and without the prominence it had historically enjoyed. Research on these topics may have been a part of the ground, but it surely was not the figure on the social psychological landscape. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in affective processes, including increased study of their role in intergroup contexts. There are probably several reasons for this resurgence. The cognitively focused research of the past decade has, in many regard, transformed the way one thinks about the nature and the functioning of stereotypes. The renewed activity concerning affective processes promises to generate additional insights that the cognitive focus has overlooked. Thus, each of the developments, as a separate approach, is generating new excitement for the social psychology of intergroup relations.
Collective Communication on FPGA Clusters with Static Scheduling

FPGA-centric clouds and clusters provide direct and programmable interconnects with obvious benefits for communication latency and bandwidth. One rarely studied aspect of DPI is that they facilitate application-aware routing: if communication patterns are static and known a priori, as is usually the case, then judicious routing can reduce congestion, latency, and the hardware required. In this study we explore applying the method of offline/static routing to collective operations, in particular, multicast and reduction. An entirely new communication infrastructure is proposed and implemented, including switch design and routing algorithm. A substantial improvement in performance is obtained, especially for multicast. We believe that this is one of the few general offline/static routing solutions for real HPC clusters, and FPGA-centric clusters in particular.
Metaphase Chromosome Preparation from Soybean (Glycine max) Root Tips

This unit presents a highly reliable protocol to produce and screen metaphase chromosome spreads from root tip cell suspensions of soybean (Glycine max), or other legumes. The procedures represent soybean-optimized versions of protocols developed for maize. The use of pressurized nitrous oxide to reliably generate metaphase-arrested chromosomes is crucial to overcoming one of the challenges of working with tiny and numerous soybean chromosomes. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Acute Coronary Syndrome Resulting From Systolic Compression of Left Main Coronary Artery Secondary to Aortic Subvalvular Aneurysm

A 73-year-old man was admitted with acute decompensated heart failure. He had a history of coronary artery bypass graft and aortic valve replacement (AVR) 12 years prior, left anterior descending artery (LAD) stent, and repeat AVR and mitral valve replacement with bioprosthetic valves for
Impact of co-morbidities on resource use and adherence to guidelines among commercially insured adults with new visits for back pain.

Rationale, aims and objectives To assess if co-morbidity is associated with higher use of back-related care and adherence to back pain guidelines. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data from 2007-2011. We included individuals ≥18 years with an index visit for back pain. Co-morbidities were measured 12 months prior to index. Co-morbidity burden was measured using Quan's Co-morbidity Index. Co-morbidities categories were measured using chronic condition indicators from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Total lumbar spine-related resource use for three years was ascertained using procedure codes. A clustering algorithm identified higher long-term utilizer. We identified initial use from day 0-42 for several categories of spine-related care. We used logistic regression to test the association between co-morbidities and resource use. Results Greater co-morbidity burden was associated with higher long-term spine-related resource use. Those with ≥2 on Quan's Co-morbidity Index had 29% higher odds of being a high back-specific resource user compared to those with no co-morbidities [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.29, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.23-1.35]. Greater co-morbidity burden was associated with more frequent initial use of imaging, emergency visits, injections, and opioid fills; and less frequent initial use of medical and physical therapy visits. Co-morbid musculoskeletal conditions had the strongest association with being a high utilizer of long-term back-specific resources (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.50-1.57). Conclusions Co-morbidity burden and the presence of specific chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal conditions, were associated with high long-term use of back-related care and care inconsistent with guidelines.
David Oliver: Unproductive activity and NHS consultants

With constrained public money, a growing focus arises on doctors’ key role in reducing variation in processes and outcomes and improving value in healthcare, especially how money is spent and what it delivers in outcomes that matter to patients and system efficiencies. Earlier this year John Appleby published an analysis in The BMJ comparing current and historical productivity of NHS consultants.1 The headline figures suggest that today’s consultants are less productive than their predecessors in crude terms of “volume of output versus unit of input,” with consultant expansion unmatched by the more slowly rising volume of …
Geographic Variation in the Use of Oral Anticoagulation Therapy in Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation.

Background and Purpose— Underuse of oral anticoagulation in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation is common; however, it remains unknown how it varies geographically. The objective of this study was to evaluate geographic variation in oral anticoagulation use and in the initiation of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Methods— Using 2013 to 2014 claims data from a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries, we identified patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation who initiated NOACs (n=8659), warfarin (n=11 771) or no oral anticoagulation therapy (n=18 226) in 2013 to 2014. Each patient was assigned to 1 of the 306 Dartmouth hospital-referral regions based on his/her zip code. We constructed logistic regressions to calculate the mean adjusted probability of initiating oral anticoagulation and the mean adjusted probability of initiating an NOAC among patients on oral anticoagulation in each hospital-referral region, after adjustment for demographic, clinical, and provider characteristics and type of insurance. Finally, we computed the correlation between 2 probabilities. Results— Higher in the Midwest (0.54) and Northeast (0.54) and lowest in the South (0.47), the mean adjusted probability of initiating oral anticoagulation was 0.51, ranging from 0.32 to 0.72. The mean adjusted probability of being prescribed an NOAC among those on oral anticoagulation was 0.42 and was highest in the South (0.50) and lowest in the Midwest (0.36) and Northeast (0.39). In areas with the lower use of oral anticoagulation, patients on any oral anticoagulation therapy had a higher likelihood of being prescribed an NOAC (correlation coefficient, −0.16; P =0.006). Conclusions— Large geographic variation exists in oral anticoagulation use in atrial fibrillation. The use of oral anticoagulation is lower in the South, where the rates of stroke are unusually high. In the future, it will be important to analyze whether the high rates of stroke in the South can be partially attributed to the underuse of oral anticoagulation in this region.
Application of DEA Method to Evaluate Financial Health of Selected Transport Companies

The paper strives to apply the selected bankruptcy and creditworthy models on the transport companies operating under the conditions common in the Czech Republic. The paper aims to assess credibility of individual classification models which will be consequently verified by the DEA method. The task is to support or refute the hypothesis within the identification of the most effective unit, i.e. a transport company. The result is to determine the ranking of transport companies based on the results of the application of bankruptcy and creditworthy models and the application of the DEA method. Consequently, the hypothesis will be supported or refuted.
Endocrine Resistance and Breast Cancer Stem Cells: The Inflammatory Connection that Could Lead to New and Improved Therapy Outcomes

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women and claims over 40,000 lives each year. Nearly 75% of breast tumors express estrogen receptor (ER) and will be treated with endocrine therapy, such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Interfering with ER action via endocrine therapies has been a mainstay of breast cancer treatment for more than a century. But despite its proven success, the onset of endocrine resistance limits its usefulness. It is estimated that up to 50% of ER+ tumors fail to respond to endocrine therapy and eventually recur as aggressive, metastatic cancers. Therapy failure and aggressive tumor phenotypes have been attributed to the presence of a therapy-resistant population of cells within the tumor called breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). Breast CSCs are a small subpopulation of highly tumorigenic cells with stem-like features that sit at the apex of the hierarchy to drive tumor initiation, growth, and progression. Like their normal counterparts, being able to self-renew and differentiate are two hallmarks of CSCs, which in turn drive tumorigenesis, contribute to heterogeneity, and are the seeds of recurrent tumors and distant metastasis. Thereby, targeting breast CSCs will sensitize resistant, aggressive tumors to therapy, and prevent future recurrence and metastasis. Given that the inflammatory nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathway plays an essential role in regulating breast CSCs, NFκB pathway inhibition can be exploited to eradicate CSCs and potentially overcome endocrine resistance.
The Effect of Mycorrhiza Inoculation and Phosphorus Application on Phosphorus Efficiency of Wheat Plants

ABSTRACTThe effect of indigenous soil and selected mycorrhizal inoculation and phosphorus (P) applications on wheat yield, root infection and nutrient uptake was monitored for two successive years under field conditions. In addition, phosphorus efficiency and inoculation effectiveness (IE) were determined. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants were used as host plants in a Menzilat soil series (Typic Xerofluvents) in the Mediterranean coastal region of Turkey. Three levels of phosphorus were applied with Glomus mosseae to wheat plants over two successive years. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased root colonization. G. mosseae-inoculated plants in both years exhibited a two-fold higher root colonization than the indigenous mycorrhizal colonization. Compared with non-inoculated plants, mycorrhizal inoculation increased wheat yield for both years. In addition, increasing P fertilizer levels enhanced the wheat grain yield. In both years, the inoculum efficiency (IE) decreased with increasing P level...
Excision of Prostatic Utricle

A prostatic utricle is a congenital outpouching of the prostatic urethra. Signs, symptoms, and indications for surgical intervention include hematuria, pseudo-incontinence from urine trapping within the utricle, lower urinary tract symptoms, recurrent urinary tract infections, and stone formation within the pouch. A combined cystoscopic and laparoscopic approach may be employed to safely perform an utriculectomy using standard instrumentation and techniques. Etiologies, indications for surgical intervention, preoperative studies, instrumentation and operative technique, as well as postoperative management are described.
NeuroDOT: an extensible Matlab toolbox for streamlined optical brain mapping (Conference Presentation)

As with the functional magnetic imaging community, multiple challenges exist in standardization of data format and processing pipelines. NeuroDOT is a MATLAB-based toolbox in the style of a conventional MATLAB toolbox. Its functionality is distributed among several pipelines, with extensive functions for data quality analysis and visualization. To aid in end-user support at multiple levels of familiarity and expertise, beyond the basic functionality, NeuroDOT contains data samples, support files, help sections, appendices, and tutorials. Specifically, a set of anonymized and published data samples have been chosen to reflect common experimental paradigms in neuroimaging (e.g., retinotopy and language based tasks), and are provided in both raw and pre-processed versions to aid in troubleshooting and training for the new user. The extensive support files contain geometric information for some of our diffuse optical tomography caps, sensitivity matrices, spectroscopy matrices, and standard atlases. Together with the documentation, these files provide a blueprint for users to create counterparts for their own systems. The toolbox currently supports a wide variety of standard data file formats. Help sections for each function are searchable from the MATLAB command line, with a Help Viewer version as well, each written and formatted in the style of their native MATLAB counterparts for familiarity and ease of use. Several appendices detail data structures, pipelines and their construction, and select visualizations of our pipelines’ results for multiple data samples. Multiple tutorials provide guidance to process data through a given pipeline to help the user harness the power and flexibility of NeuroDOT.
An investigation into the immune response of cultured neural rat cells following Zika virus infection

The most notable effect of prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is severe microcephaly. ZIKV has a selective tropism for neural progenitor cells; however, it is not clear what role the immune cells of the brain, microglia, may have in mitigating or exacerbating neuronal cell death following ZIKV infection. We cultured hippocampal and cortical neural cells from neonatal rat pups and infected them with ZIKV at various multiplicities of infection (MOI). We found that the neuroimmune response to ZIKV infection is composed of both pro-inflammatory and type I interferon responses and is largely dependent upon the viral dose.