cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A dictionary of transcription control sequences.

It is very difficult to distinguish control elements in the DNA of higher eukaryotes, since they are mingled with vast amounts of non-functional sequence. In contrast, protein-coding exons are much easier to analyse. Exons are often extensive and compact. Exon regions can be searched for open reading frames and compared with peptide and cDNA sequences. Of control elements, only promoters, in fact only the TATA box and other elements that have defined locations relative to the transcription initiation site, can be characterized by their location.
A Black Theology of Liberation or Legitimation? A Postcolonial Response to Cone's Black Theology and Black Power at Forty

AbstractIn this essay, I posit that the original way in which the concept, heuristic, and signifier "liberation" functioned in U.S. Black Liberation Theology has by both form and content been un/consciously resignified into a discourse of cultural legitimation. The signifier "liberation" has become decontextualized (politically, economically, and culturally) in the second and third iterations of U.S. Black Liberation Theology, causing the discourse to become perpetually oriented towards past, not present or future, alternative dreams of social transformation and sites of struggle informed by the Black Christian radical tradition. In order to accomplish such work, this article employs a postcolonial perspective to the sources and discursive strategies within U.S. Black Liberation Theology. The second section of the article examines the historical and social processes involved in the slippage between liberation and legitimation, probing key moments and issues of class difference that led to (1) the disengag...
On structure and feedback in automata networks

Summary form only given, as follows. It has been demonstrated that even highly constrained automata networks may exhibit complex behavior. The authors used the behaviors observed in cellular automata as the starting point for hypotheses concerning the behavior of less constrained automata. >
Assessment of adenoma detection rate benchmarks in women versus men.

Background Current guidelines suggest screening adenoma detection rates (ADRs) of 15% for average-risk women and 25% for average-risk men. Objective Determine average-risk screening ADRs and the prevalence of adenomas by location, size, shape, and degree of dysplasia in each sex. Design Post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting Academic center, ambulatory center. Patients A total of 864 average-risk patients. Intervention Screening colonoscopy. Main Outcome Measurements By using a prospectively collected colonoscopy database, we determined the ADRs for each sex and compared them to current medical society guidelines. In patients with adenomas detected, we compared the percentage of proximally located, large, and advanced-pathology adenomas between sexes. Results The overall average-risk screening ADR was 33.7% for both sexes combined. Average risks for women and men were significantly higher than guidelines (women: 25.4% vs 15%; P = .0003; men: 41.2% vs 25%; P P P = .003). There was no significant difference between the sexes when age was considered in both advanced-pathology and average-risk ADRs. Limitations Data from the study focused on improving ADRs in an academic setting. Conclusion The ADR in our study was higher than current benchmarks for both sexes. In patients with at least one adenoma, advanced-pathology adenomas were detected equally among men and women. Although the benefits of achieving supra-benchmark ADRs are unknown, high ADRs may lead to more effective colonoscopy.
AOP Maintains an Independent Coordinate System

We argue in this paper that aspect-oriented-programming (AOP) maintains a programmer independent coordinate system and hence supports program correctness proofs. To show this, we revisit Dijkstra's and Knuth's original arguments on structured programming.
Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) p12I Down-Modulates ICAM-1 and -2 and Reduces Adherence of Natural Killer Cells, Thereby Protecting HTLV-1-Infected Primary CD4+ T Cells from Autologous Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity despite the Reduction of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecules on Infected Cells

Although natural killer (NK) cell-mediated control of viral infections is well documented, very little is known about the ability of NK cells to restrain human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. In the current study we show that NK cells are unable to kill HTLV-1-infected primary CD4 + T cells. Exposure of NK cells to interleukin-2 (IL-2) resulted in only a marginal increase in their ability to kill HTLV-1-infected primary CD4 + T cells. This inability of NK cells to kill HTLV-1-infected CD4 + T cells occurred despite the down-modulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, one of the ligands for the major NK cell inhibitory receptor, by HTLV-1 p12 I on CD4 + T cells. One reason for this diminished ability of NK cells to kill HTLV-1-infected cells was the decreased ability of NK cells to adhere to HTLV-1-infected cells because of HTLV-1 p12 I -mediated down-modulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and ICAM-2. We also found that HTLV-1-infected CD4 + T cells did not express ligands for NK cell activating receptors, NCR and NKG2D, although they did express ligands for NK cell coactivating receptors, NTB-A and 2B4. Thus, despite HTLV-1-mediated down-modulation of MHC-I molecules, HTLV-1-infected primary CD4 + T cells avoids NK cell destruction by modulating ICAM expression and shunning the expression of ligands for activating receptors.
Approximate performance models of polling systems using stochastic Petri nets

The performance of a polling system is modeled by stochastic Petri nets and its analysis is done by numerically solving the underlying Markov chain. One key problem in using stochastic Petri nets for real applications is that the size of underlying Markov chain tends to be large, and thus to be computationally intractable. In order to carry out the performance analysis of a large complex system in practice, the authors develop approximation methods at the Petri net level for the finite population, asymmetric polling systems and analyze the error due to the approximation. The mean cycle time and the mean response time of the system are approximated by the folding method and by the fixed-point iteration method. The effect of an increasing number of customers on the polling systems is studied using these approximations. The approximation methods are shown to save more than 95% of computation cost without a concomitant loss in accuracy. The methods perform very well at low offered loads. >
Investigating the role of native propionyl‐CoA and methylmalonyl‐CoA metabolism on heterologous polyketide production in Escherichia coli

6-Deoxyerythronolide B (6dEB) is the macrocyclic aglycone precursor of the antibiotic natural product erythromycin. Heterologous production of 6dEB in Escherichia coli was accomplished, in part, by designed over-expression of a native prpE gene (encoding a propionyl-CoA synthetase) and heterologous pcc genes (encoding a propionyl-CoA carboxylase) to supply the needed propionyl-CoA and (2S)-methylmalonyl-CoA biosynthetic substrates. Separate E. coli metabolism includes three enzymes, Sbm (a methylmalonyl-CoA mutase), YgfG (a methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase), and YgfH (a propionyl-CoA:succinate CoA transferase), also involved in propionyl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA metabolism. In this study, the sbm, ygfG, and ygfH genes were individually deleted and over-expressed to investigate their effect on heterologous 6dEB production. Our results indicate that the deletion and over-expression of sbm did not influence 6dEB production; ygfG over-expression reduced 6dEB production by fourfold while ygfH deletion increased 6dEB titers from 65 to 129 mg/L in shake flask experiments. It was also found that native E. coli metabolism could support 6dEB biosynthesis in the absence of exogenous propionate and the substrate provision pcc genes. Lastly, the effect of the ygfH deletion was tested in batch bioreactor cultures in which 6dEB titers improved from 206 to 527 mg/L.
McConnell Taping Shifts the Patella Inferiorly in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain: A Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background Patellar taping is widely used clinically to treat patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Although patellar taping has been demonstrated to reduce patellofemoral pain in patients with PFPS, the kinematic source for this pain reduction has not been identified. Objective The purpose of this study was to quantify the changes in the 6-degrees-of-freedom patellofemoral kinematics due to taping in patients with PFPS. Design A within-subject design and a sample of convenience were used. Participants Fourteen volunteers (19 knees) who were diagnosed with patellofemoral pain that was present for a year or longer were included. Each knee had to meet at least 1 of the following inclusion criteria: Q-angle of ≥15 degrees, a positive apprehension test, patellar lateral hypermobility (≥10 mm), or a positive “J sign.” Methods Each knee underwent 2 randomly ordered testing conditions (untaped and taped). A full fast-phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance image set was acquired for each condition while the participants volitionally extended and flexed their knee. Three-dimensional displacements and rotations were calculated through integration of the fast-PC velocity data. Statistical comparisons between baseline patellofemoral kinematics and the change in kinematics due to taping were performed using a 2-tailed paired Student t test. Correlations between baseline patellofemoral kinematics and the change in kinematics due to taping also were quantified. Results Patellar taping resulted in a significant patellofemoral inferior shift. The strongest correlation existed between the change in lateral-medial displacement with taping and baseline ( r =−.60). Conclusions The inferior shift in patellar displacement with taping partially explains the previously documented decrease in pain due to increases in contact area. The lack of alteration in 5 of the 6 kinematic variables with taping may have been due to the fact that post-taping kinematic alterations are sensitive to the baseline kinematic values.
Engineering Cytochrome P450 BM3 for Terminal Alkane Hydroxylation

Enzymes that catalyze the terminal hydroxylation of alkanes could be used to produce more valuable chemicals from hydrocarbons. Cytochrome P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium hydroxylates medium-chain fatty acids at subterminal positions at high rates. To engineer BM3 for terminal alkane hydroxylation, we performed saturation mutagenesis at selected active-site residues of a BM3 variant that hydroxylates alkanes. Recombination of beneficial mutations generated a library of BM3 mutants that hydroxylate linear alkanes with a wide range of regioselectivities. Mutant 77-9H exhibits 52% selectivity for the terminal position of octane. This regioselectivity is octane-specific and does not transfer to other substrates, including shorter and longer hydrocarbons or fatty acids. These results show that BM3 can be readily molded for regioselective oxidation.
An Evaluation of the Coping Patterns of Rape Victims: Integration With a Schema-Based Information-Processing Model

The current study sought to provide an expansion of Resick and Schnicke's information-processing model of interpersonal violence response. Their model posits that interpersonal violence threatens victims' schematic beliefs and that victims can resolve this threat through assimilation, accommodation, or overaccommodation. In addition, it is hypothesized that how victims resolve schematic threat affects their coping strategies. To test this hypothesis, a cluster analysis of rape victims' coping patterns was conducted. Victims' coping patterns were related to distress, self-worth, and rape label in ways consistent with predictions. Thus, future research should focus on the implications of how victims integrate trauma with schemas.
Exploring hydrogen peroxide responsive thiazolidinone-based prodrugs

A novel approach for developing prodrugs based on masked carboxylic acids is described. Rather than using conventional esterase-based activation, thiazolidinone protecting groups have been identified that can reveal carboxylic acid groups upon activation by hydrogen peroxide. This may prove valuable in the continuing development of prodrug strategies that rely on reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a trigger.
Enhancing the Energy Resolution of a Singles Photon STJ Spectrometer Using Diffusion Engineering

Diffusion engineering has been proposed as an approach to increase the collected charge and energy resolution of a single-photon superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) spectrometer. We present new experimental results confirming this approach. When a photon of energy E is absorbed in a superconductor with energy gap Delta, it creates N initial quasiparticles, with N ap 0.6(E/Delta). Their charge, upon tunneling, is equal to Q = peN, with p = 1 for single tunneling across the voltage biased STJ. The output charge can be amplified by backtunneling, with p > 1,if the quasiparticles are confined around the junction. This charge multiplication is proportional to the confinement time. Previous work used higher gap superconductors for confinement. In this work, the counterelectrode is terminated by a long, narrow wire made of the same material. We find p > 1 due to the slow out-diffusion of the quasiparticles down the wire. The wire dimensions and diffusion constant were chosen to engineer the backtunneling multiplication. For large backtunneling, the signal-to-noise of our spectrometer is increased.
ATV: display and manipulation of annotated phylogenetic trees

A Tree Viewer (ATV) is a Java tool for the display and manipulation of annotated phylogenetic trees. It can be utilized both as a standalone application and as an applet in a web browser.
Virulence Plasmid (pYV)-Associated Expression of Phenotypic Virulent Determinants in Pathogenic Yersinia Species: A Convenient Method for Monitoring the Presence of pYV under Culture Conditions and Its Application for Isolation/Detection of Yersinia pestis in Food

In Yersinia pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. enterocolitica, phenotypic expression of virulence plasmid (pYV: 70-kb)-associated genetic determinants may include low-calcium response (Lcr, pinpoint colony, size = 0.36 mm), colony morphology (size = 1.13 mm), crystal violet (CV) binding (dark-violet colony), Congo Red (CR) uptake (red pinpoint colony, size = 0.36 mm), autoagglutination (AA = cells agglutinate), and hydrophobicity (HP = clumping of cells). Y. pseudotuberculosis is chromosomally closely related to Y. pestis; whereas, Y. enterocolitica is chromosomally more distantly related to Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis. All three species demonstrate Lcr, CV binding, and CR uptake. The colony morphology/size, AA, and HP characteristics are expressed in both Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica but not in Y. pestis. Congo red uptake in Y. pestis was demonstrated only on calcium-deficient CR magnesium oxalate tryptic soy agar (CR-MOX), whereas this phenotype was expressed on both CR-MOX and low-calcium agarose media in Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica. These phenotypes were detectable at 37°C within 24 h in Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis but did not appear until 48 h in Y. pestis due to its slower growth rate at 37°C. The pYV is unstable (i.e., easily lost under a variety of culture conditions) in all three species but is more unstable in Y. pestis. The specific CR uptake by Y. pestis in CR-MOX and the delayed time interval to express Lcr and CR uptake provide a means to differentiate Y. pestis from Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. These differences in pYV expression in Y. pestis can be used for its isolation and detection in food.
Synthetic ECG-Gated Cardiac Computed Tomography for In Vivo Imaging of the Temporary Total Artificial Heart

To date, there have been >1000 implantations of temporary total artificial hearts (TAH-t). As expected, complications related to the use of the TAH-t can occur.1 A noninvasive imaging modality that would be capable of diagnosing mechanical failure, surgical complications, and thromboembolic phenomena related to the TAH-t is desirable. Echocardiography is not suitable to evaluate a TAH-t because ultrasound cannot penetrate air and the polyurethane components in the TAH-t assembly. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is likewise unsuitable because of the susceptibility to artifacts that the titanium valve components in the TAH-t would create. Conventional computed tomography (CT) is limited by motion artifact.2 Cardiac CT (CCT) can produce motion-artifact–free images of the heart. If performed with retrospective gating, CCT can also be used to acquire time-resolved images. However, CCT requires simultaneous recording of the patient’s ECG, and patients who have a TAH-t do not generate an ECG. Consequently, a variation in technique is necessary to image patients with TAH-t with this modality. Detailed below …
Functional analysis of the Escherichia coli genome for members of the α /β hydrolase family

Background: Database-searching methods based on sequence similarity have become the most commonly used tools for characterizing newly sequenced proteins. Due to the often underestimated functional diversity in protein families and superfamilies, however, it is difficult to make the characterization specific and accurate. In this work, we have extended a method for active-site identification from predicted protein structures. Results: The structural conservation and variation of the active sites of the α / β hydrolases with known structures were studied. The similarities were incorporated into a three-dimensional motif that specifies essential requirements for the enzymatic functions. A threading algorithm was used to align 651 Escherichia coli open reading frames (ORFs) to one of the members of the α / β hydrolase fold family. These ORFs were then screened according to our three-dimensional motif and with an extra requirement that demands conservation of the key active-site residues among the proteins that bear significant sequence similarity to the ORFs. 17 ORFs from E. coli were predicted to have hydrolase activity and their putative active-site residues were identified. Most were in agreement with the experiments and results of other database-searching methods. The study further suggests that YHET_ECOLI, a hypothetical protein classified as a member of the UPF0017 family (an uncharacterized protein family), bears all the hallmarks of the α / β hydrolase family. Conclusions: The novel feature of our method is that it uses three-dimensional structural information for function prediction. The results demonstrate the importance and necessity of such a method to fill the gap between sequence alignment and function prediction; furthermore, the method provides a way to verify the structure predictions, which enables an expansion of the applicable scope of the threading algorithms.
Crime and Chaos: Applying Nonlinear Dynamic Principles to Problems in Criminology

Holism, nonlinear dynamics, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, and selforganization are examined in an effort to determine whether these concepts have applicability to research and theory on crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system. It is concluded that these concepts, all part of a growing science of chaos, show promise of clarifying conflicting empirical findings and resolving important theoretical issues within the general field of criminology. The topics covered in this article include empiricism and the problem of prediction, the reconciliation of polar opposites, reaffirming choice, and learning and socialization. A case example is used to illustrate how a chaotic interpretation of individual criminal behavior and change differs from the traditional positivist, classical, and rehabilitative perspectives.
Public attitudes toward kidney donation by friends and altruistic strangers in the United States.

Background. A severe shortage of organs is one of the major barriers facing transplantation today. One promising approach to this serious problem is to increase the use of genetically unrelated living kidney donors. Because of excellent results and favorable ethical considerations, spousal donation has become a widely accepted practice in the United States. The majority of U.S. transplant centers are now also willing to consider friends as donors, but they seem to be less comfortable about this donor source and most centers are opposed to using strangers. This study was designed to see what the public thinks about these issues. Methods. A telephone survey of 1009 randomly selected adults living in the U.S. was conducted by the Gallup Organization. The survey asked about the acceptability of kidney donation by close friends and altruistic strangers and the willingness of respondents to make such donations themselves. Results. Over 90% of respondents believe that kidney donation by close friends is acceptable and 80% feel the same way about kidney donation by altruistic strangers. Most respondents (76%) would probably donate a kidney to a close friend with renal failure and 24% said they would even donate a kidney to a stranger for free. Conclusion. It seems that the vast majority of American adults believe that living kidney donation by friends and altruistic strangers is an acceptable practice and many would consider making such donations themselves. When considered along with excellent results and favorable ethical arguments, these data suggest that kidney donation by friends and altruistic strangers should be considered as acceptable as is donation by spouses.
Texture analysis and classification with tree-structured wavelet transform

A multiresolution approach based on a modified wavelet transform called the tree-structured wavelet transform or wavelet packets is proposed. The development of this transform is motivated by the observation that a large class of natural textures can be modeled as quasi-periodic signals whose dominant frequencies are located in the middle frequency channels. With the transform, it is possible to zoom into any desired frequency channels for further decomposition. In contrast, the conventional pyramid-structured wavelet transform performs further decomposition in low-frequency channels. A progressive texture classification algorithm which is not only computationally attractive but also has excellent performance is developed. The performance of the present method is compared with that of several other methods. >
WDM - Holy grail of next-generation broadband access

We explain the need to scale next generation broadband access networks with WDM technologies and the implementation requirements.
Thymic epithelial neoplasms in transgenic mice expressing SV40 T antigen under the control of an erythroid‐specific enhancer

The beta-globin locus control region is known to be a powerful erythroid-specific enhancer. In an attempt to produce immortalized erythroid percursor cells, transgenic mice have been generated with the simian virus (SV) 40 T antigen gene under the control of the locus control region. As previously reported, transgenic mice did not develop erythroleukaemia, but rather succumbed to insulinomas and poorly differentiated rhabdomyosarcomas. This paper describes additional mice containing this transgene that developed thymomas of the mixed epithelial/lymphocytic type, in which only the epithelial component expressed the T antigen. Epithelial cell lines have been established from these tumours. This system may be useful in future studies on the pathogenesis of thymomas and the function of thymic epithelial cells.
Lip Pits: An Uncommon Clinical and Histologic Finding Associated with Underlying Genodermatoses and Developmental Anomalies

We describe the clinical and histologic features of lip pits in a patient with Van der Woude syndrome (VdWS; OMIM 119300), an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder characterized by varying combinations of paramedian lip pits, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, cleft palate alone and/or hypodontia. VdWS is the most common single-gene cause of cleft lip and cleft palate. Mutations in the interferon regulatory 6 gene ( IRF6 ) are detectable in over 70% of cases. Lip pits can be seen in other disorders such as the popliteal pterygium syndrome. Pits are usually divided into three categories 1) upper lip 2) lower lip and 3) commissural. Biopsy findings can be subtle and may be overlooked without the provision of relevant historic information. No treatment is needed for mild cases, however, surgical excision is helpful in more severe cases, both to alleviate discomfort and for cosmetic reasons.
Preparing Students for the International Marketplace: Practitioners' Perceptions of Specific Skills and Characteristics Needed for Success

ABSTRACT While universities in the U.S. appear to be addressing international business and marketing curriculum, research emphasizing the input of practitioners to this area has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to further identify the particular skills and characteristics perceived by experienced international business practitioners that MBA students need when embarking on an international business career. Data collection consisted of personal interviews and a survey of a sample of international business practitioners. The results indicate that practitioners would like to see students with more specific skills and characteristics related to actual job experience. The findings from this study can provide insights to international business educators for curriculum development and the importance of internships for international MBA programs.
CC-MODA - Cross Country Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis: Analysing Child Poverty and Deprivation in sub-Saharan Africa

Child poverty is defined as non-fulfilment of children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation, anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. DHS and MICS household survey data is used, taking the child as unit of analysis and applying a life-cycle approach when selecting dimensions and indicators to capture the different deprivations children experience at different stages of their life. The paper goes beyond mere deprivation rates and identifies the depth of child poverty by analysing the extent to which the different deprivations are experienced simultaneously. The analysis is done across thirty countries in sub-Saharan Africa that together represent 78% of the region’s total population. The findings show that 67% of all the children in the thirty countries suffer from two to five deprivations crucial to their survival and development, corresponding to 247 million out of a total of 368 million children below the age of 18 living in these thirty countries.
Affective motives for smoking among early stage smokers.

Background As most smokers initiate smoking during adolescence, assessment of smoking motives that underlie trajectories of dependence is critical for both prevention and cessation efforts. In the current study, we expected participants with higher nicotine dependence would smoke (a) less for positive reinforcement (PR) and (b) more for negative reinforcement (NR) motives. We secondarily assessed the relative contribution of PR to NR motives across levels of dependence. Methods Data were drawn from a study on cue-elicited craving among occasional versus daily adolescent smokers aged 16-20 years (N = 111). Smoking motives were assessed in relation to 3 commonly used measures of nicotine dependence: (a) Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), (b) Autonomy over Smoking Scale (AUTOS), and (c) Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS). Results Compared to occasional smokers, daily smokers had significantly higher scores on each dependence measure and endorsed more prominent NR smoking motives. Each measure of nicotine dependence was strongly associated with NR motives for smoking, although measures differed in their association with PR motives. As expected, the FTND, AUTOS, and NDSS each significantly predicted smoking motive difference score (PR - NR), such that higher dependence was associated with more prominent NR motives for smoking. Conclusions Results are consistent with our understanding of dependence and provide further support for 3 common measures of nicotine dependence among early stage smokers.
Phase Behavior of Poly(4-hydroxystyrene-block-styrene) Synthesized by Living Anionic Polymerization of an Acetal Protected Monomer

We have synthesized a series of poly(4-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)styrene) [P(OTHPSt)] homopolymers by living anionic polymerization of the protected monomer (OTHPSt) in tetrahydrofuran at −78 °C, with excellent control over molecular weight and dispersity. The high Tg of P(OTHPSt) led to facile purification and isolation of the polymer as a powder. Characterization of the POTHPSt homopolymer by nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy confirms the strong preference for the axial position of the relatively sterically demanding alkoxy phenyl group. By sequential monomer addition, a series of low to high molecular weight P(OTHPSt-b-styrene) BCPs with narrow dispersities were synthesized. Quantitative deprotection of the THP groups yielded poly(4-hydroxystyrene-b-styrene) with tunable molecular weights and compositions. The solid-state and melt-phase self-assembly of these diblocks was investigated using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mean-field theory ...
SURVEY OF DISINFECTION SITUATION OF PUBLIC SUPPLIES IN HOTELS

Objective To know the disinfection situation of public supplies and appliances in hotels,and to enhance quality control of sanitatary disinfection.Methods Sampling method was used to examine and assess the efficacy of disinfection of public supplies in hotels of different classes in Pukou district,Nanjing City.Results A total of 54 hotels were investigated,92.6% of them had disinfection facilities,but only 57.41% of the disinfection facilities could operate normally.318 samples were collected,the average eligible rate was 80.50%.Generally,the sanitary condition of star-grade hotels were better than that of small inns.Conclusion As a whole,the sanitary quality of public supplies was not at all bad in hotels of Pukou district,but it is necessary to strengthen control and supervison of small inns by considering their poor sanitary circumstance.
Study on the Mechanism of Langmuir Capacity with Coal Ranks on Different Experimental Conditions

By the calculation and analysis of the interactions of CH 4 with different coal structures,utilizing the knowledges of coal structure chemistry,coal adsorption theory,the varieties and diversities of the Langmuir volume with coal rank on the different conditions of air dried basis and equilibrium moisture isothermal adsorption experiments are explained,and coal molecule structure being the primary factor of the phenomenon of Langmuir volume with coal rank is put forward especially in this paper.
The impact of insurance on charges for dental care

This study assesses the effect of insurance on charges for dental care. It is hypothesized that dental practices with higher percentages of insured patients will have higher average charges for dental visits, all other things being equal. An econometric model and ordinary least squares analysis are used to test the hypothesis, based on data from the American Dental Association's 1985 Survey of Dental Practice. For the sake of homogeneity, the study is confined to solo general practitioners. Within this group, the model is applied to two practice types categorized by whether or not the practice employed a hygienist. In solo general practices with and without hygienists, a positive association between the prevalence of insureds within a practice and charges for dental care visits is shown. Hypothetical cases are used to demonstrate that an additional 18 percent of insureds within a practice results in a 6 percent increase in the average charge for a dental visit. The analysis uncovers associations between other variables and dental charges. Of particular note is the curvilinear relation between a dentist's years of experience and his or her charges for dental care.
Gender classification of running subjects using full-body kinematics

This paper proposes novel automated gender classification of subjects while engaged in running activity. The machine learning techniques include preprocessing steps using principal component analysis followed by classification with linear discriminant analysis, and nonlinear support vector machines, and decision-stump with AdaBoost. The dataset consists of 49 subjects (25 males, 24 females, 2 trials each) all equipped with approximately 80 retroreflective markers. The trials are reflective of the subject’s entire body moving unrestrained through a capture volume at a self-selected running speed, thus producing highly realistic data. The classification accuracy using leave-one-out cross validation for the 49 subjects is improved from 66.33% using linear discriminant analysis to 86.74% using the nonlinear support vector machine. Results are further improved to 87.76% by means of implementing a nonlinear decision stump with AdaBoost classifier. The experimental findings suggest that the linear classification approaches are inadequate in classifying gender for a large dataset with subjects running in a moderately uninhibited environment.
Genetic and Epigenetic Components of Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Aspirin intolerance is a severe and relatively rare asthmatic endotype, with prevalence rates of 10% in the adult asthmatic population and up to 25% in patients with severe, persistent asthma1–4. Consistent with the classification of asthma as a set of individual subtypes of diseases of varying symptoms and severity, Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) is distinguished from other types of severe asthma primarily by its clinical characteristics. The clinical features of AERD include airway obstruction, increased exacerbations, chronic rhinosinusitis, the presence of nasal polyps, eosinophilia, increased need for systemic glucocorticoids and poor response to asthma controller medication, and an increase in urinary leukotrienes (LTs), both in comparison to Aspirin Tolerant Asthma (ATA) and following aspirin challenge and symptom exacerbations5,6. Due to the discovery that increased production of LTs is a characteristic of AERD, the leukotriene and prostaglandin production pathways were among the first to be investigated, and the subsequent identification of polymorphisms in LT-related genes in affected patients suggested a pivotal role for genetic variation in the development of AERD6–8. As a result, variation in patient genetics has received considerable focus as a potential determinant of AERD pathogenesis. The observation that severely asthmatic subjects responded favorably to anti-leukotriene asthma medications contributed further evidence toward a mechanistic role for the LTs, while also providing an opportunity for clinicians to more appropriately tailor treatment to a specific patient group 7,9–12. Subsequent genetic studies revealed considerable evidence for genetic variation in AERD pathophysiology across multiple biological pathways7,13, as well as variation in inter-individual treatment responses to multiple asthma drug classes including leukotriene modifiers and inhibitors14. However, the exact mechanisms by which LT synthesis becomes dysregulated in AERD are still unknown. Due to corresponding alteration of immune molecules (e.g. Th2 cytokines), prostaglandins (e.g. PGE2), and other inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. IL-5, periostin, IgE, ApoA1 and others), multiple interacting pathways and mechanisms likely also contribute. Evidence that AERD has a heritable basis is minimal, and only two studies reported that 1–6% of individuals with AERD had an affected family member4,15. The adult onset of AERD, combined with the low genetic penetrance and inconsistent replication of results from genetic associations point toward involvement of environmental exposures and epigenetic factors in its progression. Achieving a better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic determinants of heterogeneity of AERD through genome-wide and epigenome-wide interrogation is therefore anticipated to improve strategies to develop more precisely tailored therapeutic agents, treatment regimens, and potentially cures, for the disease.
Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy of CdTe/CdS/CdSe quantum dot complexes for photon upconversion

Solution-processed core/multi-shell semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) could be tailored to facilitate the carrier separation and recombination mechanisms necessary to implement photon upconversion. We have synthesized CdTe cores capped with CdS and then CdSe shells. We present steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy measurements of these QDs as a function of varying shell thicknesses. We quantify and report carrier emission energies and lifetimes as a function of shell addition and shell thicknesses. The results provide a framework for understanding how CdS and CdSe shells affect carrier separation and recombination dynamics, and thus inform the design of core/multi-shell QDs for efficient photon upconversion.
Toxicity of nano- and ionic silver to embryonic stem cells: a comparative toxicogenomic study

The widespread application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver-containing products has raised public safety concerns about their adverse effects on human health and the environment. To date, in vitro toxic effects of AgNPs and ionic silver (Ag+) on many somatic cell types are well established. However, no studies have been conducted hitherto to evaluate their effect on cellular transcriptome in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The present study characterized transcriptomic changes induced by 5.0 µg/ml AgNPs during spontaneous differentiation of mouse ESCs, and compared them to those induced by Ag+ under identical conditions. After 24 h exposure, 101 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in AgNP-treated cells, whereas 400 genes responded to Ag+. Despite the large differences in the numbers of DEGs, functional annotation and pathway analysis of the regulated genes revealed overall similarities between AgNPs and Ag+. In both cases, most of the functions and pathways impacted fell into two major categories, embryonic development and metabolism. Nevertheless, a number of canonical pathways related to cancer were found for Ag+ but not for AgNPs. Conversely, it was noted that several members of the heat shock protein and the metallothionein families were upregulated by AgNPs but not Ag+, suggesting specific oxidative stress effect of AgNPs in ESCs. The effects of AgNPs on oxidative stress and downstream apoptosis were subsequently confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. Taken together, the results presented in the current study demonstrate that both AgNPs and Ag+ caused transcriptomic changes that could potentially exert an adverse effect on development. Although transcriptomic responses to AgNPs and Ag+ were substantially similar, AgNPs exerted specific effects on ESCs due to their nanosized particulate form.
Romantic Ignorance: the hope of nonknowledge

To view a work knowingly gives understanding but not hope … Rorty, “The Necessity of Inspired Reading” I cannot count one. I know not the first letter of the alphabet. Thoreau, Walden
Should We Study the History of Asia

"Apart from the present relation of Asia to our educational, religious, commercial and political problems, there are reasons which Americans will at once recognize to be valid for studying, at least in outline, the record of the Asiatic continent. These reasons may be condensed as follows..."
Lattice allocations: A better way to do cost allocations

Abstract This paper describes a new cost allocation technique that we call “lattice allocation.” The technique uses matrix algebra operations such as in standard spreadsheet software to perform complex cost allocations. To illustrate the power and versatility of the technique, we provide two examples. First, we show how lattice allocations can allocate service department costs to fully recognize mutual services among service departments, similar to the reciprocal method but without the complexity of solving a set of linear equations. Second, we show how lattice allocations can implement two-stage activity-based costing in a single step. The lattice allocation method is easy to apply, requires no special software for small organizations, easily scales up to medium and large organizations, and provides managers better information about the origins of allocated costs. Also, lattice allocations are likely to produce more accurate results than traditional techniques and are well-suited as a pedagogical tool for cost accounting courses. The paper suggests future research topics, including the implications of lattice allocations for Fast Close, Continuous Reporting, and government contractor cost accounting requirements.
Study on Hold-Time Effects in Environmental Fatigue Lifetime of Low-Alloy Steel and Austenitic Stainless Steel in Air and Under Simulated PWR Primary Water Conditions

This paper summarizes the results of a research project on environmental effects on the fatigue lifetime of selected low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels. Results from investigations on the effect of hold times during fatigue in air, as well as under simulated PWR primary water conditions are presented. Strain controlled fatigue tests with low strain rates and low strain amplitudes have been performed in air using a low-alloy RPV steel as well as the stabilized austenitic stainless steel 347 and the non-stabilized austenitic stainless steel 304L. Similar strain controlled tests under simulated PWR primary coolant conditions were performed using the two above mentioned austenitic stainless steels. The fatigue cycling was performed at 240 °C whereas holds were applied at higher temperature (290 °C). The effect of hold periods is compared to reference tests without hold times and to the prediction based on NUREG/CR 6909, Rev. 1.
Assessing and improving conflict resolution in multiparty environmental negotiations

After reviewing the logic and basics of Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR), this article analyzes the praise for and criticisms of ECR. This article acknowledges the initial successes in the 1970s and 1980s that led to a major period of expansion for ECR, and continues today, but argues that it must do a better job of proving itself. That is, proponents must conduct more rigorous assessments of its utility under different conditions and invest in data collection that goes far beyond present efforts. The article concludes by reviewing the challenges and opportunities facing ECR in the twenty-first century. Singled out for attention is the need for scholars and practitioners to understand ECR interventions as targeted at aggregate rather than dyadic relationships, as complex systems embedded in even larger complex systems, as time-extended phenomena, and as ripe for evaluation for their impact on substantive environmental outcomes.
Dynamically Improving Resiliency to Timing Errors for Stream Processing Workloads

Large-scale data processing paradigms, such as stream processing, are widespread in academic and corporate workloads. These environments are commonly subject to real-time requirements, such as latency and throughput, and resiliency requirements to node or network failures. These requirements have generally been approached as separate problems. Intermittent timing delays due to factors such as garbage collection can further complicate the management of the stream processing workload. Insufficient resource allocations can also lead to poor performance. Currently, tuning these applications is done manually. We show that improper configuration can greatly affect performance. It is reported that even 100ms of increased latency in online sales platforms can potentially result in lower sales. In this paper we propose Dynamo, a framework and monitor that implements a methodology for addressing both the performance and timing error problems by increasing the resiliency of stream processing frameworks to timing delays. Dynamo autonomously adjusts the resource allocation by using a performance profile that is generated through application profiling. Dynamo partitions an application’s allocated resources into active and passive partitions that are dynamically adjusted to match an application’s multi-modal behavior. The distribution of resources determines the amount of computation that Dynamo can duplicate and process redundantly, thereby reducing the probability of timing errors that affect a tuple’s total execution time. In our experiments, we observed improvements in the number of tuples with missed deadlines. Our results show that Dynamo is able to consistently improve the resiliency to timing errors over a number of differing occurrence rates. Furthermore, we show that the improvement in the number of missed deadlines increases with the amount of spare resources, with a 71.40% reduction in the best case.
The protein tyrosine phosphatase activity of Eyes Absent contributes to tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth

DNA damage repair capacity is required for cells to survive catastrophic DNA damage and proliferate under conditions of intratumoral stress. The ability of the minor histone protein H2AX to serve as a hub for the assembly of a productive DNA damage repair complex is a necessary step in preventing DNA damage-induced cell death. The Eyes Absent (EYA) proteins dephosphorylate the terminal tyrosine residue of H2AX, thus permitting assembly of a productive DNA repair complex. Here, we use genetic and chemical biology approaches to separately query the roles of host vascular endothelial cell and tumor cell EYA in tumor growth. Deletion of Eya3 in host endothelial cells significantly reduced tumor angiogenesis and limited tumor growth in xenografts. Deletion of Eya3 in tumor cells reduced tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth without affecting tumor angiogenesis. A chemical inhibitor of the EYA tyrosine phosphatase activity inhibited both tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. Simultaneously targeting the tumor vasculature and tumor cells is an attractive therapeutic strategy because it could counter the development of the more aggressive phenotype known to emerge from conventional antiangiogenic agents. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(8); 1659-69. ©2018 AACR.
What Makes a Kinase Promiscuous for Inhibitors

Summary ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors often bind several kinases due to the high conservation of the ATP binding pocket. Through clustering analysis of a large kinome profiling dataset, we found a cluster of eight promiscuous kinases that on average bind more than five times more kinase inhibitors than the other 398 kinases in the dataset. To understand the structural basis of promiscuous inhibitor binding, we determined the co-crystal structure of the receptor tyrosine kinase DDR1 with the type I inhibitors dasatinib and VX-680. Surprisingly, we find that DDR1 binds these type I inhibitors in an inactive conformation typically reserved for type II inhibitors. Our computational and biochemical studies show that DDR1 is unusually stable in this inactive conformation, giving a mechanistic explanation for inhibitor promiscuity. This phenotypic clustering analysis provides a strategy to obtain functional insights not available by sequence comparison alone.