cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful closure of a rectovaginal fistula by using an endoscopically placed Resolution clip

Background Rectovaginal fistula (RVF) is an abnormal epithelium-lined communication between the wall of the rectum and the posterior vaginal wall. The incidence of RVFs is low and accounts for about 5% of all anorectal fistulas. Women who suffer from an RVF complain of uncontrollable passage of gas or feces from the vagina. This remains a major contributor to morbidity associated with this condition in terms of social, psychologic, and sexual dysfunction. Objective RVFs may be managed both medically and surgically, with the latter being the preferred option. A number of different surgical techniques that pertain to fistula closure were described in various literature; however, very little has been said of much-less-invasive techniques and alternatives to surgical correction if the patient is a poor candidate or prefers not to have surgery. The purpose of our article is to show our approach in treating an RVF, given the fact that our patient was a poor surgical candidate and, moreover, refused more-invasive techniques for treatment. Design A case report. The patient described in this article is a 77-year-old woman with comorbidities that limited her as a candidate for less-invasive techniques rather than surgery. Setting An inpatient at New York Hospital Queens, Flushing, New York. Patient A 77-year-old woman, with a medical history of 2 myocardial infarctions, congestive heart failure, 2 cardiac stents, multiple urinary-tract infections, and diverticulitis, presented to the hospital with a fever of 38.3°C (101°F) for 2 days. On the second day of admission, the patient complained of passing stool and flatus from the vagina. A subsequent workup and sigmoidoscopy revealed an RVF. Intervention A sigmoidoscopy was performed, and fistula closure was achieved in 2 phases with the use of a Resolution clip. Main Outcome Measurements Complications and resolution of symptoms after the procedure were the primary end points. Results No complications were noted post procedure, and the patient has remained free of any complaints now for 12 months. Limitations The main limitation of the study is that this is a case report limited to a single patient, and outcomes of the procedure were concluded based on this particular patient. The endoscopic technique described here may be limited to readily visualized fistulas at endoscopy that are amenable to this treatment option. Conclusions The technique described, closing an RVF with the use of an endoscopically placed Resolution clip, shows great promise and could be applied to treating uncomplicated fistulas.
Serum neutral alpha-D-glucosidase from patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic pulmonary disease.

Previous studies have indicated that α-D-glucosidase activity is increased and exhibits abnormal properties in tissues from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). In the present investigation serum α-D-glucosidase from patients with CF and from patients with chronic pulmonary disease (e.g. asthma and bronchiectasis) has been studied to determine the specificity of the α-D-glucosidase alteration(s) in CF sera. Both groups of patients have elevated α-D-glucosidase activity levels and similarly abnormal isoelectric focusing profiles with significantly less activity associated with acidic enzymatic forms (i.e. having isoelectric points below 4.8). These results suggest that the abnormalities of CF serum α-D-glucosidase may be secondary to chronic pulmonary disease and emphasize the importance of including appropriate pathological controls in biochemical studies on CF.
Extending software engineering research outside the digital box

Since software is developed to run on computers, there is a tendency to focus computer science and software engineering on how best to get software to run on computers. But, engineering is different from science: the Webster definition of "engineering" is "the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people." Thus, it would follow that the responsibility of software engineering and its research would include the utility to people of the software and the software-reliant artifacts they use, beyond thinking within purely digital boxes. This position paper addresses two perspectives on the future of software engineering when viewed in this broader context.
Grain orientation in sol-gel derived Ln2Ti2O7 ceramics (Ln = La, Nd)

Sol-gel derived La2Ti2O7 and Nd2Ti2O7 exhibited preferential grain orientation on sintering. The extent of orientation is quantified in terms of the Lotgering orientation factor from the XRD intensities of pellets sintered at different temperatures. The microstructural studies indicated extensive orientation with sintering and also a change in morphology of the grains from acicular to large platelets.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ THINKING ABOUT A GOOD MATHEMATICS LESSON

In an effort to gain a better understanding of Chinese classroom teaching culture, this study aimed to examine elementary teachers’ views about a good mathematics lesson in China. Through analyzing 57 teachers’ essays collected from 7 elementary schools in 2 provinces, it is found that Chinese teachers emphasized the most about students and their learning in their descriptions of a good mathematics lesson. However, in describing what it takes to develop a good mathematics lesson, they thought more about teachers and their knowing and understanding of textbooks than about students. The results revealed a picture of Chinese teachers’ thinking about a good mathematics lesson that is different from what has been reported about US teachers’ views. The findings suggest that examining teachers’ thinking about good teaching is valuable for understanding cross-cultural differences in mathematics classroom instruction.
Intraoperative imaging of tumors with indo-cyanine green fluorescence with an endoscope

Surgery is the most effective treatment strategy for solid tumors. Intraoperative imaging of tumors helps detect tumor margins and establish the most appropriate surgical margins. Endoscopic surgery is a standard of care procedure for the resection of tumors, and is applicable for a wide range of solid tumors. While several imaging methodologies can be used for intraoperative imaging, optical imaging is promising for clinical application because it can detect microscopic disease, is minimally invasive, is inexpensive, does not require advance training for surgeons and can provide real-time images. Fluorescence from an injected contrast agent (Indo-cyanine green, ICG) has been effectively used for the identification of tumors in humans. In this study, we adapt a commercially available endoscope for intraoperative imaging of solid tumors. Our instrument utilizes light from a near-infrared 780nm LED to illuminate the surgical field of view and two CCD cameras for imaging the reflected fluorescence as well as the background tissue. We show that our instrument can simultaneously image fluorescence from the tumor as well as the background tissue. We characterize our instrument in tissue simulating phantoms, with tumor simulating ‘targets’.
Host range, RFLP, and antigenic relationships between Rhizobium fredii strains and Rhizobium sp. NGR234

Rhizobium fredii is a nitrogen-fixing symbiont from China that combines broad host range for nodulation of legume species with cultivar specificity for nodulation of soybean. We have compared 10 R. fredii strains with Rhizobium sp. NGR234, a well known broad host range strain from Papua New Guinea. NGR234 nodulated 16 of 18 tested lugume species, and nodules on 14 of the 16 fixed nitrogen. The R. fredii strains were not distinguishable from one another. They nodulated 13 of the legumes, and in only nine cases were nodules effective. All legumes nodulated by R. fredii were included within the host range of NGR234. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were detected with four DNA hybridization probes: the regulatory and common nod genes, nodDABC; the soybean cultivar specificity gene, nolC; the nitrogenase structural genes, nifKDH; and RFRS1, a repetitive sequence from R. fredii USDA257. A fifth locus, corresponding to a second set of soybean cultivar specificity genes, nolBTUVWX, was monomorphic. Using antisera against whole cells of three R. fredii strains and NGR234, we separated the 11 strains into four serogroups. The anti-NGR234 sera reacted with a single R. fredii strain, USDA191. Only one serogroup, which included USDA192, USDA201, USDA217, and USDA257, lacked cross reactivity with any of the others. Although genetic and phenotypic differences among R. fredii strains were as great as those between NGR234 and R. fredii, our results confirm that NGR234 has a distinctly wider host range than R. fredii.
Expansion and Colonization in Early Modern Chinese History

This article surveys Chinese expansion and colonization in the early modern period (c.1400–1900), when China extended its frontiers by both conquest and settlement, including the use of convict labor, and sponsored, coerced or accepted migration into sparsely populated peripheral areas already subject to Beijing's central control.
Drop Simulation and Testing in Computer Peripheral Hardware Development

Drop is one of the most common user scenarios for computer peripherals like wired/wireless keyboards, mice, and webcams. Failures due to such impact events are typical examples of overstress types of failures that occur during the useful life of a product. The ability of computer peripheral devices to survive impact with minimal to no impact to product performance or aesthetics is a goal for the product development teams. Engineers have to choose the proper materials and use different simulation and test methods for creating product designs that will survive multiple drop events. Traditional product development process involves iterations of design-physical test-design modification cycles to meet drop requirements. To reduce iterations, expedite product development and reduce time-to-market, virtual drop simulations are conducted at an early stage in product development without the need for any physical samples. This paper presents case-studies on this approach to product development. Case-studies are presented for a keyboard and a mouse. The case-study shows how drop simulation results were used to inform design decisions and how design improvements in terms of material selection or actual feature changes were made early in the design cycle. The study illustrates the use of a high speed camera to capture movies of product performance in drop tests to further discover weaknesses and correlate actual results with simulations. Using a combination of simulation and capturing deformation information with a high speed camera during actual testing, the product development iterations were minimized in terms of cost and time.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Dielectric films for Ge planar devices

A series of passivating and masking films was developed and evaluated for use in a Ge planar transistor technology. In the search for satisfactory films, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride and multilayer combinations of these films, as well as some doped and mixed-composition films, were studied. The films, formed by pyrolytic deposition or by sputtering, were evaluated and compared with respect to the following properties: etch rate; dopant masking; mechanical stress; oxygen, hydrogen and water permeability; stability with respect to elevated temperature electrical-bias stressing; and Ge-insulator interface electrical condition. The most important results of our experiments are the following: Silicon nitride appears to be the only satisfactory mask for Ga diffusions, although silicon dioxide is adequate for As , P and Sb diffusion masking. The dielectric properties of pyrolytically deposited SiO2 can be made to approach those of thermal SiO2 by high temperature densification. The surface electrical properties of the Ge-SiO2 interface are more stableto thermal annealingt han is any other Ge-insulator combination. However, aluminuomxide has been shown to be much less permeable to oxygen, hydrogen and water vapor than is SiO2. Since the Ge-insulator interface electrical properties are sensitive to these ambient gases, a satisfactory passivating films tructure for Ge consists of an underlayer of SiO2 and an overlayer of Al2O3, silicon nitride or other relatively impermeable film.
Isolated Unilateral Brachial Neuritis of the Phrenic Nerve (Parsonage-Turner Syndrome) in a Marathon Runner With Exertional Dyspnea

Parsonage-Turner syndrome, or acute brachial neuritis/plexitis, is a rare condition that should be included in the differential diagnosis of any athlete who presents with antecedent flulike symptoms, with progression to significant neuropathic pain, followed by profound weakness in the affected upper extremity. In rare cases, the main presenting symptom of this condition may be dyspnea on exertion secondary to an isolated unilateral brachial neuritis of the phrenic nerve.
On Global Finite Energy Solutions of the Camassa-Holm Equation

We consider the Camassa-Holm equation with data in the energy norm H1(R1). Global solutions are constructed by the small viscosity method for the frequency localized equations. The solutions are classical, unique and energy conservative. For finite band data, we show that global solutions for CH exist, satisfy the equation pointwise in time and satisfy the energy conservation law. We show that blow-up for higher Sobolev norms generally occurs in finite time and it might be of power type even for data in H3/2−.
Spin-dependent forces in heavy-quark systems.

The spin-dependent potentials in the formalism of Eichten and Feinberg and of Gromes are generalized. Consistency of the observed spin splittings in the $\frac{J}{\ensuremath{\psi}}$ and $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}$ systems with QCD imposes stringent constraints on the type of nonperturbative spin-dependent forces allowed.
Morally managing medical mistakes.

Mistakes and errors happen in most spheres of human life and activity, including in medicine. A mistake can be as simple and benign as the collection of an extra and unnecessary urine sample. Or a mistake can cause serious but reversible harm, such as an overdose of insulin in a patient with diabetes, resulting in hypoglycemia, seizures, and coma. Or a mistake can result in serious and permanent damage for the patient, such as the failure to consider epiglottitis in an initial differential diagnosis, resulting in a chronic vegetative state for a seven-year-old boy. Or a mistake can be an error in judgment that leads to a patient's death.
Storage reclamation models for Ada programs

Given Ada's semantics regarding dynamically allocated objects, do programmers believe that storage reclamation is impractical? At first glance, it would appear that given these semantics, one cannot derive workable models for reclaiming all unneeded objects. In reality, Ada provides features that allow programmers to define storage reclamation models that operate at close to 100 percent capacity. This paper describes methods by which Ada programs can reclaim objects. Examples of Ada storage reclamation models are presented along with their associated algorithms. A taxonomy of units that perform storage reclamation is also discussed.
Predicting high resolution image edges with a generic, adaptive, 3-D vehicle model

In traffic surveillance applications a good prior model of vehicle shape and appearance is becoming increasingly more important for tracking, shape recovery, and recognition from video. The usefulness of 2-d vehicle models is limited to a fixed viewing direction; 3-d models are nearly always more suitable. Existing 3-d vehicle models are either generic but far too simple to utilize high resolution imagery, or far too complex and limited to specific vehicle instances. This paper presents a deformable vehicle model that spans these two extremes. The model is constructed with a multi-resolution approach to fit various image resolutions. At each resolution, a small number of parameters controls the deformation to accurately represent a wide variety of passenger vehicles. The parameters control both 3-d shape and appearance of parts that deform in the 2-d manifold of the vehicle surface. These parts are regions representing windows, headlights, taillights, etc. The combination of part boundaries and surface occluding contours account for the most consistent edges observed in images of vehicles. It is shown that the model parameters can be recovered by fitting the deformable model to real images of vehicles.
Evolution of Lutropin to Chorionic Gonadotropin Generates a Specific Routing Signal for Apical Release in Vivo

One of the fundamental differences among mammals is the mechanism of maintaining the corpus luteum of pregnancy. Placentation in primates is associated with the production of the glycoprotein hormone chorionic gonadotropin (CG), which is secreted into the maternal serum and stimulates progesterone synthesis from the corpus luteum, which is essential for early development of the embryo. CG together with the pituitary hormones lutropin (LH), follitropin, and thyrotropin constitute the family of glycoprotein hormones comprised of a common α subunit and a hormone-specific β subunit. The LHβ and CGβ subunits share 85% amino acid sequence identity, and functionally LH and CG are interchangeable. CGβ evolved by a recent gene duplication event from the LHβ locus, and despite the close relationship between them, their modes of secretion are quite different. CG release from the placenta is apically directed, whereas LH is released from the basal side of the cell, and the determinant(s) for this redirected trafficking are unknown. Here, using the polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line, we provide evidence for the molecular basis of the different secretory patterns of LH and CGin vivo. The apical targeting of CG is programmed by a carboxyl-terminal sequence, which encodes a novel sorting signal. It is also apparent that the presence of the O-linked oligosaccharides in the CTP sequence contributes to this apical routing. The CTP, which is absent in LH, redirects CG to the maternal serum and permits the unique arrangement for primate placentation. Our data also show that the MDCK cells can distinguish the different secretory pathways for the gonadotropins and will be a valuable model for elucidating the determinants associated with the unique sorting of these functionally related hormones.
Effects of the serotonin synthesis inhibitor p-CPA on the expression of the crossed phrenic phenomenon 4 h following C2 spinal cord hemisection.

Abstract The present study assesses the effects of para-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA), a serotonin-depleting drug, on the recovery of respiratory-related activity in the phrenic nerve induced by asphyxia 4 h following ipsilateral C2 hemisection in young adult rats. HPLC analysis was used to quantify levels of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine, and the 5-HT metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, in the C4 segment of the spinal cord, all of which were significantly lower in p-CPA-treated hemisected rats compared to hemisected controls receiving saline. Hemisection alone was found to significantly increase 5-HT levels and significantly decrease DA levels compared to normal controls. Eight of eight saline-injected rats expressed recovery of respiratory-related activity in the ipsilateral phrenic nerve during asphyxia 4 h following hemisection, while only 4/8 rats in the p-CPA-treated group expressed recovery in the ipsilateral nerve. Quantification of integrated phrenic nerve waveforms indicated that the mean amplitude of respiratory-related activity in the ipsilateral phrenic nerve was significantly lower in p-CPA-treated rats than in saline controls. In addition, saline controls demonstrated significant increases in mean respiratory frequency and mean amplitude of contralateral phrenic nerve activity during asphyxia, compared to normocapnia. However, p-CPA-treated rats did not express significant differences in either mean respiratory frequency or mean amplitude of integrated respiratory waveforms during asphyxia, compared to normocapnia. The results suggest that p-CPA treatment attenuates the recovery of respiratory-related activity in the phrenic nerve 4 h following ipsilateral C2 hemisection and attenuates asphyxia-induced increases in respiratory frequency and respiratory burst amplitude recorded from the contralateral phrenic nerve.
Cotton Fiber Growth in Planta and in Vitro. Models for Plant Cell Elongation and Cell Wall Biogenesis

There are only a few cells in the plant kingdom that are as exaggerated in their size or composition as cotton fibers. It is precisely their highly elongated structure and exceptional chemical make-up that establishes cotton fiber as an ideal model for studies of plant cell elongation and cell wall
Expectations, Goals, and Perceived Effectiveness of Child Health Supervision: A Study of Mothers in a Pediatric Practice

The purpose of the study was to assess parent expectations and goals in child health supervision and variability by socioeconomic status (SES), family size, social support, and pediatrician. Home interviews were conducted with mothers and their pediatricians were surveyed. Two hundred mothers with at least one child age 2-3 years who see one of five pediatricians in a staff model health maintenance organization were asked to participate. Mothers' and pediatricians' goals in the following seven areas of health supervision were assessed: biomedical, development, behavior, family functioning, safety education, and interpersonal and system interaction. Mothers stated physicians were their main source of parenting information. Assurance of physical health and normal development were more important than discussion of behavioral, family, or safety issues. Mothers of low SES were more likely to feel that physical aspects of health should be the focus and were less interested in psychosocial issues. Physicians stressed interpersonal, safety, and behavioral goals more than mothers. Individual physician responses did not predict the responses of mothers in their practice. Our data suggest either that mothers do not feel that psychosocial and safety issues are the highest priorities in health supervision or that physicians are not effectively reaching mothers on these issues.
Does engineering major affect student perception of engineering courses in a common first-year

In the fall of 2000, Michigan Technological University started a common first-year program for all engineering students. In conjunction with the student course evaluations, the students answered ten additional questions and reported their engineering major. These questions were used to evaluate their perception of the first-year engineering courses. The responses were used to assess the students': comfort in using the material and software taught in the courses, experiences in working on a multi-disciplinary team, perceptions of the semester design project, technical communication skills, and perception of time and effort spent on the course. This paper discusses the survey results and investigates how the data changed over time in regard to the relationship between engineering major and student perception of the first-year engineering program
BioMetals: a historical and personal perspective

Understanding of BioMetals developed basically from a starting point about 60 years ago to current mechanistic understanding of the biological behavior of many metal ions from protein structural and functional studies. Figure 1 shows a Biochemical Periodic Table, element by element, with requirements, roles and biochemistry of the specific ions indicated. With few exceptions, the biology is of the ions formed and not of the elemental state of each. Early BioMetals efforts defined nutritional growth needs for animals, plants and microbes for inorganic “macro-nutrients” such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphate and of “micronutrients” such as copper, iron, manganese and zinc. Surprises came early with regard to microbes, for example the finding that Escherichia coli (then and now the standard microbial model) grows happily in the apparent total absence of calcium, sodium, and chloride, which are certainly major animal nutrients. Some elements such as mercury and arsenic are never required by living cells, but are always toxic, often at very low levels. Therefore, the division into nutrient elements and toxic elements came soon. For most inorganic nutrients, excessive amounts can be toxic as well, for example for copper and iron.
Nonlinear, non-stationary analysis of interarea oscillations via Hilbert spectral analysis

Hilbert spectral analysis (HSA) is used to characterize the time evolution of non-stationary power system oscillations following large perturbations. Using an analytical procedure based on the Hilbert-Huang Technique (HHT), data from transient stability simulations are decomposed into a finite number of time-varying oscillating components that can be associated with different time scales. Hilbert analysis is then utilized to characterize the time evolution of critical components giving rise to the observed oscillations. The objectives of this study are to obtain information of a quantitative nature on nonlinear processes in power system oscillatory phenomena and assess the applicability of the developed procedures to track the evolving dynamics of critical system modes. A six-area, 377-machine power system is analyzed to examine the onset of nonlinear, non-stationary behavior. Examples of the developed procedures to detect and quantify the strength of nonlinear interaction in power system behavior and to estimate the distribution of the non-stationarity are provided
In Vivo High-Resolution Retinal Imaging Using Adaptive Optics

Retinal imaging with conventional methods is only able to overcome the lowest order of aberration, defocus and astigmatism. The human eye is fraught with higher order of aberrations. Since we are forced to use the human optical system in retinal imaging, the images are degraded. In addition, all of these distortions are constantly changing due to head/eye movement and change in accommodation. Adaptive optics is a promising technology introduced in the field of ophthalmology to measure and compensate for these aberrations. High-resolution obtained by adaptive optics enables us to view and image the retinal photoreceptors, retina pigment epithelium, and identification of cone subclasses in vivo. In this review we will be discussing the basic technology of adaptive optics and hardware requirement in addition to clinical applications of such technology.
Knockdown of STAT3 expression by RNAi induces apoptosis in astrocytoma cells

Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary central nervous system tumors. They are frequently associated with genetic mutations that deregulate cell cycle and render these tumors resistant to apoptosis. STAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, participates in several human cancers by inducing cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis and is frequently activated in astrocytomas. RNA interference was used to knockdown STAT3 expression in human astrocytes and astrocytoma cell lines. The effect of STAT3 knockdown on apoptosis, cell proliferation, and gene expression was then assessed by standard methods. We have found that STAT3 is constitutively activated in several human astrocytoma cell lines. Knockdown of STAT3 expression by siRNA induces morphologic and biochemical changes consistent with apoptosis in several astrocytoma cell lines, but not in primary human astrocytes. Moreover, STAT3 is required for the expression of the antiapoptotic genes survivin and Bcl-xL in the A172 glioblastoma cell line. These results show that STAT3 is required for the survival of some astrocytomas. These studies suggest STAT3 siRNA could be a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of astrocytomas.
Myocardin--not quite MyoD.

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have evolved to subserve a variety of diverse functions in higher vertebrates, including modulation of arterial tone, regulation of airway resistance, and control of gastrointestinal motility. The diverse functional capacities of SMCs are ultimately determined by the expression of genes encoding SMC-restricted contractile and cytoskeletal proteins, intracellular enzymes, cell surface ligands, and receptors. Several features distinguish the SMC lineage from the skeletal (fast and slow) and cardiac muscle cell lineages. In contrast to skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, SMCs fail to undergo terminal differentiation and permanently exit the cell cycle. In addition, SMCs retain the capacity to reversibly modulate their phenotype during postnatal development in response to a variety of extracellular stimuli including vessel wall injury. As such, the molecular programs underlying SMC differentiation must differ fundamentally from those programs governing skeletal and cardiac myocyte differentiation. See page 1596 Relatively little is currently understood about the molecular mechanisms that regulate SMC lineage specification, differentiation, and modulation of SMC phenotype. This is because, in part, of the complex embryological origins of the SMC lineage, which are derived both from mesodermally-derived lateral mesenchyme as well as ectodermally-derived neural crest. In addition, in contrast to skeletal and cardiac lineages, relatively few definitive markers of the SMC lineage have been identified, and expression of these markers may be undetectable when SMCs modulate their phenotype from contractile to synthetic (for review see Owens1). SM-myosin heavy chain (SMyHC) is generally considered the “definitive” SMC marker because it is expressed exclusively in SMCs and is not expressed in embryonic skeletal or cardiac muscle.2 Other SMC markers including SM-α-actin, calponin-h1, and SM22α are expressed predominantly in SMCs during postnatal development, but they are also transiently expressed in embryonic cardiac and/or skeletal myocytes (and/or other cell lineages).1 Each of these SMC markers …
Tracking Non‐Uniform Mesoscale Transport in LiFePO4 Agglomerates During Electrochemical Cycling

State-of-charge maps of a LiFePO4 electrode in standard nonaqueous electrolyte are recorded in operando with a resolution of tens of nanometers by using hard X-ray spectroscopic microscopy. We observe spatially inhomogeneous charging and discharging of the composite electrode, with predominately Li-rich and Li-poor micron-scale agglomerates. There appears to be no correlation between the agglomerate size and the (de)lithiation pathway. Additionally, we observe that the electrochemical heterogeneity exhibits a “last to delithiate, first to lithiate” behavior, in which the regions that are the last to charge are also the regions that are the first to discharge. These observations suggest that the nanoscale pore structure within the agglomerates dominates lithium-ion transport.
User-oriented smart-cache for the Web: what you seek is what you get!

Standard database approaches to querying information on the Web focus on the source(s) and provide a query language based on a given predefined organization (schema) of the data: this is the source-driven approach. However, can the Web be seen as a standard database? There is no super-user in charge of monitoring the source(s) (the data is constantly updated), there is no homogeneous structure (no common explicit structure thus), the Web itself never stops growing, etc. For these reasons, we believe that the source-driven standard approach is not suitable to the Web.As an alternative, we propose a user-oriented approach based on the idea that the schema is a posteriori expressed by the user's needs when asking a query. Given a user query, AKIRA (Agentive Knowledge-based Information Retrieval Architecture) [6] extracts a target structure (structure expressed in the query) and uses standard information retrieval and filtering techniques to access potentially relevant documents.The user-oriented paradigm means that the structure through which the data is viewed does not come from the source but is extracted from the user query. When a user asks a query, the relevant information is retrieved from the Web and stored as is in a cache. Then the information is extracted from the raw data using computational linguistic techniques. The AKIRA cache (smart-cache) represents these extracted layers of meta-information on top of the raw data. The smart-cache is an object-oriented database whose schema is inferred from the user's target structure. It is designed on demand through a library of concepts that can be assembled together to match concepts and meta-concepts required in the user's query. The smart cache can be seen as a view of the Web.To the best of our knowledge, AKIRA is the only system that uses information retrieval and extraction integrated with database techniques to provide maximum flexibility to the user and offer transparent access to the content of Web documents.
A Multiscale Landscape Approach to Predicting Bird and Moth Rarity Hotspots in a Threatened Pitch Pine–Scrub Oak Community

In the northeastern United States, pitch pine ( Pinus rigida Mill.)-scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia Wang.) communities are increasingly threatened by development and fire suppression, and prioritization of these habitats for conservation is of critical importance. As a basis for local conservation planning in a pitch pine-scrub oak community in southeastern Massachusetts, we developed logistic-regression models based on multiscale landscape and patch variables to predict hotspots of rare and declining bird and moth species. We compared predicted moth distributions with observed species-occurrence records to validate the models. We then quantified the amount of overlap between hotspots to assess the utility of rare birds and moths as indicator taxa. Species representation in hotspots and the current level of hotspot protection were also assessed. Predictive models included variables at all measured scales and resulted in average correct classification rates (optimal cut point) of 85.6% and 89.2% for bird and moth models, respectively. The majority of moth occurrence records were within 100 m of predicted habitat. Only 13% of all bird hotspots and 10% of all moth hotspots overlapped, and only a few small patches in and around Myles Standish State Forest were predicted to be hotspots for both taxa. There was no correlation between the bird and moth species-richness maps across all levels of richness (r =− 0.03, p = 0.62). Species representation in hotspots was high, but most hotspots had limited or no protection. Given the lack of correspondence between bird and moth hotspots, our results suggest that use of species-richness indicators for conservation planning may be ineffective at local scales. Based on these results, we suggest that local-level conservation planning in pitch pine-scrub oak communities be based on multitaxa, multiscale approaches.
FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON A DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTION IN THE GUINEA PIG COLON.

Summary The severity of a chronic delayed hypersensitivity reaction produced in the guinea pig colon by a constant concentration of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene is dependent on the frequency of application of the contactant allergen. The intensity of this reaction can be modified, but not predictably or completely, by azathioprine. The microscopic lesions produced were necrosis of the mucosa, hemorrhagic fibrin deposition, infiltration of small round cells, edema, and perivascular cuffing.
Smoking as dominant risk factor for anastomotic leak after left colon resection

Abstract Background Some risk factors for anastomotic leak have been identified, but the effect of smoking is unknown. Methods This study aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking on clinical leak after left-sided anastomoses. Adult patients who underwent elective left colectomy between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012 were included. Those with stomas and inflammatory bowel diseases were excluded. Primary outcome was anastomotic leak requiring percutaneous drainage or operative intervention within 30 days. Results There were 246 patients included; 56% were female. Most had a diagnosis of diverticular disease (53%) or cancer (37%). Anastomotic leak rate was 6.5% (n = 16). The rate in smokers was 17% versus 5% in nonsmokers ( P = .01). Smokers had over 4 times greater chance of leak (odds ratio 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 13.5, P = .02). Conclusion Smoking is a risk factor for leak after left colectomy. Consideration should be given to delaying elective left colectomy until smoking cessation is achieved.
Spatial heterogeneity of Daphnia genotypes: Vertical migration and habitat partitioning'

Diel vertical migration surveys of a Daphnia pulex population consistently demonstrated significant differences in vertical distribution and migratory activity among electrophoretically distinct genotypes, strongly suggesting a genetic component to vertical migration. These results imply that a population’s pattern of vertical migration can be highly dependent on its genetic composition and that temporal shifts in the overall vertical migration pattern may result from clonal succession as well as from individual clonal variation. Vertical separation of genotypes can also influence the horizontal structure of the population; genotypes residing in deep water become rarer toward the shallow littoral zone.
An Evolutionarily Conserved Pseudokinase Mediates Stem Cell Production in Plants

Sequence comparisons, biochemical experiments, and studies with mutants in transgenic plants show that the Arabidopsis protein CORYNE, currently thought to be a kinase that acts as part of a receptor kinase complex, is likely to be a pseudokinase and not a kinase.
Guidelines, lighthouses, and a toe in the water.

A guideline tells you how to get someplace, whereas a lighthouse keeps you off the rocks; both can shepherd you on a safe journey toward your goal. The American College of Cardiology (ACC), in concert with the American Heart Association (AHA), has been at the forefront of developing guidelines for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).1 In an era in which there are multiple data sets to draw from, guidelines help to sort out optimal from less optimal evidence-based approaches. Application of these guidelines makes intuitive sense as we counsel our individual patients about the risk/benefit ratio of PCI and as we develop treatment strategies for healthcare delivery systems to employ. Article p 2786 Although the guidelines approach makes intuitive sense, there are very limited data about the impact guidelines have had on PCI. The current article by Anderson et al2 is a substantial effort to remedy that shortfall. As the authors point out, the ACC’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry (ACC-NCDR) was developed to apply rigorous methodology to the collection of data about interventional procedures using uniform data entry, written definitions, and data quality checks. It has become a robust tool and, in the present study, provides the results of 463 088 procedures performed from January 1, 2001, to March 31, 2004. Given the large size of the data set, important statistical and clinically meaningful conclusions could be expected, and in fact, some were identified. The majority of non-STEMI procedures are performed for either class …
Dietary melatonin supplementation alters uteroplacental amino acid flux during intrauterine growth restriction in ewes.

Dietary melatonin supplementation during mid- to late-gestation increased umbilical artery blood flow and caused disproportionate fetal growth. This melatonin-induced increase in umbilical artery blood flow may alter nutrient availability to the fetus, which may lead to alterations in fetal size. The objectives of the current experiment were to determine amino acid (AA) and glucose concentrations as well as AA and glucose flux across the uteroplacenta using a mid- to late-gestation model of intrauterine growth restriction supplemented with dietary melatonin as a 2 × 2 factorial design. At day 50 of gestation, 32 ewes were supplemented with 5 mg of melatonin (MEL) or no melatonin (CON) and were allocated to receive 100% (adequate; ADQ) or 60% (restricted; RES) of nutrient requirements. On day 130 of gestation, uterine and umbilical blood flows were determined via Doppler ultrasonography during a non-survival surgery. Blood samples were collected under general anesthesia from the maternal saphenous artery, gravid uterine vein, umbilical artery, and umbilical vein for AA analysis and glucose. Total α-AA concentrations in maternal artery and gravid uterine vein were decreased (P 0.40) across all treatment groups. Fetal venous - arterial difference in total α-AA as well as uteroplacental flux of total α-AA were decreased (P 0.20) in MEL-RES v. CON-ADQ. Maternal concentrations and uterine flux of branched-chain AA (BCAA) were not different across all treatment groups; however, fetal uptake of BCAA was decreased (P 0.20) in MEL-RES v. CON-ADQ. Uterine uptake of glucose was not different (P ⩾ 0.08) across all treatment groups, while uteroplacental uptake of glucose was increased (P ⩽ 0.05) in RES v. ADQ ewes. In conclusion, maternal nutrient restriction increased maternal arterial - venous difference in total α-AA, while total uterine α-AA flux was unaffected by maternal nutrient restriction. Melatonin supplementation did not impact maternal serum concentrations or uterine flux of glucose or AA; however, melatonin did improve fetal BCAA uptake during maternal nutrient restriction.
Mammalian Pathogenesis and Transmission of H7N9 Influenza Viruses from Three Waves, 2013-2015.

UNLABELLED Three waves of human infection with H7N9 influenza viruses have concluded to date, but only viruses within the first wave (isolated between March and September 2013) have been extensively studied in mammalian models. While second- and third-wave viruses remain closely linked phylogenetically and antigenically, even subtle molecular changes can impart critical shifts in mammalian virulence. To determine if H7N9 viruses isolated from humans during 2013 to 2015 have maintained the phenotype first identified among 2013 isolates, we assessed the ability of first-, second-, and third-wave H7N9 viruses isolated from humans to cause disease in mice and ferrets and to transmit among ferrets. Similar to first-wave viruses, H7N9 viruses from 2013 to 2015 were highly infectious in mice, with lethality comparable to that of the well-studied A/Anhui/1/2013 virus. Second- and third-wave viruses caused moderate disease in ferrets, transmitted efficiently to cohoused, naive contact animals, and demonstrated limited transmissibility by respiratory droplets. All H7N9 viruses replicated efficiently in human bronchial epithelial cells, with subtle changes in pH fusion threshold identified between H7N9 viruses examined. Our results indicate that despite increased genetic diversity and geographical distribution since their initial detection in 2013, H7N9 viruses have maintained a pathogenic phenotype in mammals and continue to represent an immediate threat to public health. IMPORTANCE H7N9 influenza viruses, first isolated in 2013, continue to cause human infection and represent an ongoing public health threat. Now entering the fourth wave of human infection, H7N9 viruses continue to exhibit genetic diversity in avian hosts, necessitating continuous efforts to monitor their pandemic potential. However, viruses isolated post-2013 have not been extensively studied, limiting our understanding of potential changes in virus-host adaptation. In order to ensure that current research with first-wave H7N9 viruses still pertains to more recently isolated strains, we compared the relative virulence and transmissibility of H7N9 viruses isolated during the second and third waves, through 2015, in the mouse and ferret models. Our finding that second- and third-wave viruses generally exhibit disease in mammals comparable to that of first-wave viruses strengthens our ability to extrapolate research from the 2013 viruses to current public health efforts. These data further contribute to our understanding of molecular determinants of pathogenicity, transmissibility, and tropism.
Multi-Element Strain Gauge Modules for Soft Sensory Skins

In this paper, we describe the fabrication and testing of a sensory module composed of resistive strain gauges in an elastomer substrate. Each module contains three resistive gauges, providing sufficient information to reconstruct the geometry of the module. The modules are fabricated from two bonded sheets of silicone elastomer. The sensing element is a resistive strain gauge based on room-temperature liquid gallium–indium alloy contained within microchannels in the substrate. We demonstrate the functionality of the module by mechanically stretching it over a template and measuring the change in resistance of the embedded liquid metal strain gauges. Starting with known strains, we calibrate the device and fit a quadratic model. With the model and the measured error distribution, we can predict the uncertainty in the reconstructed position of the corners of the triangular modules, which we refer to as nodes.
High-precision wind power generation model based on actual wind farm

The large-scale integration of wind power plays an increasingly important role in power systems. Accurate and effective modeling and simulation methods of wind power are urgently demanded. This paper studies the actual wind power generation over time, and proposes an electromagnetic transient model of wind power generation. Also, the hybrid transient (electromagnetic transient and electromechanical transient) programs are implemented with the consideration of the electromagnetic networks of wind-farm sides and electromechanical networks of Jilin-Grid sides, respectively. The proposed wind power generation model is verified through real measurement data. The proposed work is promising for the electromagnetic transient wind power integration research.
Citizen Science

In this introduction for the special issue on citizen science, the guest editor describes what is meant by citizen science and crowdsourcing projects as well as what their importance and impacts are. She also introduces some of the projects briefly and provides resources for accessing and learning more about citizen science projects.
Effects of Azadirachtin on Different Strains of German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Technical grade azadirachtin (11.46% [AI]) was tested for its toxicity to insecticide-resistant and -susceptible strains of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), by injection and diet incorporation. The effect of azadirachtin was dose dependent. The LC50 and LC90 for 3 strains ranged between 2.49 and 2.56 μg per insect and 6.49 and 6.92 μg per insect, respectively. Incorporation of Azadirachtin in food pellets resulted in LT50s of 22, 23, and 22 d for Dursban-R, CSMA, and Baygon-R strains, respectively. No significant differences were observed in toxicity of Azadirachtin to either insecticide-resistant or susceptible strains. The body weight of German cockroaches varied with time depending upon the dose administered. The roaches injected with 2 and 3 μg of Azadirachtin showed a continuous weight reduction. The toxicity of Azadirachtin to German cockroaches may be associated with an altered feeding behavior and a disruption of endocrinal events.