cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biodegradation of Nitro-Substituted Explosives 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene, Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine, and Octahydro-1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5-Tetrazocine by a Phytosymbiotic Methylobacterium sp. Associated with Poplar Tissues (Populus deltoides × nigra DN34)

A pink-pigmented symbiotic bacterium was isolated from hybrid poplar tissues (Populus deltoides × nigra DN34). The bacterium was identified by 16S and 16S-23S intergenic spacer ribosomal DNA analysis as a Methylobacterium sp. (strain BJ001). The isolated bacterium was able to use methanol as the sole source of carbon and energy, which is a specific attribute of the genus Methylobacterium. The bacterium in pure culture was shown to degrade the toxic explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazene (RDX), and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5-tetrazocine (HMX). [U-ring-14C]TNT (25 mg liter−1) was fully transformed in less than 10 days. Metabolites included the reduction derivatives amino-dinitrotoluenes and diamino-nitrotoluenes. No significant release of 14CO2 was recorded from [14C]TNT. In addition, the isolated methylotroph was shown to transform [U-14C]RDX (20 mg liter−1) and [U-14C]HMX (2.5 mg liter−1) in less than 40 days. After 55 days of incubation, 58.0% of initial [14C]RDX and 61.4% of initial [14C]HMX were mineralized into 14CO2. The radioactivity remaining in solution accounted for 12.8 and 12.7% of initial [14C]RDX and [14C]HMX, respectively. Metabolites detected from RDX transformation included a mononitroso RDX derivative and a polar compound tentatively identified as methylenedinitramine. Since members of the genus Methylobacterium are distributed in a wide diversity of natural environments and are very often associated with plants, Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001 may be involved in natural attenuation or in situ biodegradation (including phytoremediation) of explosive-contaminated sites.
Low event rate for stress-only perfusion imaging in patients evaluated for chest pain

Abstract Objectives We sought to demonstrate the safety of stress-only perfusion imaging among patients with low to medium probability of coronary disease being evaluated for chest pain. Background The need for performing rest in addition to stress perfusion imaging to confirm normalcy is due largely to defects created on the stress images by attenuation artifacts. A low cardiac event rate among patients undergoing stress-only imaging with attenuation correction (AC) would validate the safety of stress-only imaging. Methods Patients with low to medium pretest probability for coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for chest pain evaluation from July 1, 1997 to July 1, 1999, were scheduled for a two-day stress/rest tomographic (single photon emission computerized tomography, or SPECT) perfusion imaging study with Tc-99m sestamibi. Patients were imaged on a variable angle camera with AC using Gd-153 scanning line sources (Vantage ADAC, Milpitas, California). If the stress scan was normal without AC or corrected with AC, the patient did not return for rest scan and was followed. Results Seven hundred twenty-nine patients underwent stress-only imaging, and follow-up was obtained on 652 (89%) of those patients. There were 224 males and 428 females with mean age of 52 ± 13 years. Mean follow-up was 22.3 ± 6.4 months. The mean pretest probability was 37 ± 24%. The non-AC images showed breast and/or diaphragmatic attenuation artifacts severe enough to have required the patient to return for rest imaging in 37% of patients, and all corrected completely with AC. During follow-up, there were two noncardiac deaths and no cardiac deaths. There was one myocardial infarction; three patients with progressive unstable angina underwent diagnostic coronary angiography showing significant CAD. The overall cardiac event rate was 0.6%. Conclusions These results support stress-only imaging in patients with low to medium probability for CAD as a safe, time- and cost-efficient imaging modality.
Evidence that surface fibrils expressed by Haemophilus influenzae type b promote attachment to human epithelial ceils

Summary Hemophilus influenzae type b is a Gram-negative bacillus that initiates infection by colonizing the upper respiratory tract. Previous studies have established that H. influenzae haemagglutinating pili possess adhesive properties and influence the process of colonization. Additional studies suggest the presence of a second H. influenzae adhesin distinct from haemagglulinating pili. In the present study, we examined a non-piliated H. influenzae type b strain by transmission electron microscopy and visualized occasional short, thin, surface fibrils. Subsequently, we isolated a spontaneous mutant that lacked surface fibrils and was deficient in adherence to cultured human epithelial cells. Using a cloning strategy that exploited this mutant, we isolated a fragment of DNA that promotes in vitro adherence to human epithelial cells when expressed in laboratory strains of Escherichia coli. Mutagenesis of this fragment in a series of H. influenzae type b strains resulted in loss of expression of surface fibrils and a marked decrease in attachment. Furthermore, restoration of surface fibril expression was associated with reacquisition of wild-type levels of adherence. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that H. influenzae type b surface fibrils have adhesive capacity. We speculate that these organelles facilitate colonization of the human respiratory tract.
Mathematical algorithm for discovering states of expression from direct genetic comparison by microarrays

Highly specific direct genome-scale expression discovery from two biological samples facilitates functional discovery of molecular systems. Here, expression data from cDNA arrays are ranked and curve-fitted. The algorithm uses filters based on the derivatives (slopes) of the curve fits. The rules are set to (i) filter the largest number of artifactual ratios from same-to-same datasets and (ii) maximize discovery from direct comparisons of different samples. The unsupervised discovery is optimized without lowering specificity. The false discovery rates are significantly lower than other methods. The discovered states of genetic expression facilitate functional discovery and are validated by real-time RT–PCR. Better quality improves sensitivity.
Serotonin and norepinephrine transporters: possible relationship between oligomeric structure and channel modes of conduction

In the past several years there has been significant progress made on the biophysics of neurotransmitter transporters, leading to the proposal of new models of substrate and ion permeation across membranes. Questions arising from these studies are as follows: How are substrate uptake and substrate-induced current related? Where and how does substrate-ion coupling occur? What is the functional significance of the coupled and uncoupled currents? Because of a long-standing interest and collaboration, and because of their importance for normal function and disease, the authors have focused on the properties of human norepinephrine and serotonin transporters, using other clones and mutations as specific needs arise. It has been know for decades that hNETs (human norepinephrine transporters) clear NE+ (norepinephrine) following its release in peripheral sympathetic and central noradrenergic synapses. Neuronal activity influences NE+ uptake, so one is also interested in the acute regulation of hNET. To study these problems, hNET-expressing cells have been developed that are suitable for patch clamp, radioligand uptake, biochemistry, and transiently expressed clones for structure-function analysis, and new protocols have been designed combining patch-clamp, microamperometry, Ca2+ imaging, and native catecholamine transporter preparations to study transporters in whole cells and isolated patches. Using these methods, Na-dependent, NE+-induced hNET currents that are blocked by cocaine and antidepressants, channel modes of NE+ conduction, voltage-dependent uptake coupled to NE+-induced ion channel activity, PKC (phosphokinase C) regulation of NE+ uptake, and transporter modulation by [Ca2+]i have all been discovered. There is also provocative new data on other transporters in this family, such as Li/Na mole fraction experiments in the Drosophila serotonin transporters and sided enkephalin block in proline transporters. These studies have led one to postulate the existence of a narrow pore within transporters through which the substrate (NE+ or serotonin, 5HT+) and other ions (principally Na+) pass. It is hypothesized that the pore resides in an oligomeric structure and that separate gene products of hNET or hSERT (human serotonin transporters) come together to form a channel.
Lacustrine growth of juvenile pink salmon and a comparison with sympatric sockeye salmon

The growth rates of naturally sympatric juvenile pink Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and sockeye Oncorhynchus nerka salmon were compared in a common lacustrine environment in south-west Alsaka, an unusual opportunity given the normal disparity in freshwater residence time of these two species. Fork length (LF) frequency distributions of juvenile pink salmon caught in the lake during the summer in 1991 and 1999–2003 indicated a growth rate of 0·54 mm day−1, 54% greater than the estimated growth rate of juvenile sockeye salmon sampled from 1958 to 2003 (0·35 mm day−1). Examination of daily growth rings on otoliths indicated that pink salmon in Lake Aleknagik grew an average of 1·34 mm day−1 in 2003 but sockeye salmon grew only 0·63 mm day−1(average specific growth rates were 3·0 and 1·8% day−1, respectively). Pink salmon increased from c. 32 mm LF and 0·2 g at emergence to 78 mm LF and 3·0 g within 3–4 weeks. After experiencing these rapid growth rates, the pink salmon appeared to leave the lake by late July in most years. The diets of pink and sockeye salmon in the littoral zone of the lake were very similar; >80% of the stomach contents consisted of adult and pupal insects and the remainder was zooplankton. This high degree of diet overlap suggested that the observed differences in growth rate were not attributable to variation in prey composition.
MMFPh: a maximal motif finder for phosphoproteomics datasets

Motivation: Protein phosphorylation, driven by specific recognition of substrates by kinases and phosphatases, plays central roles in a variety of important cellular processes such as signaling and enzyme activation. Mass spectrometry enables the determination of phosphorylated peptides (and thereby proteins) in scenarios ranging from targeted in vitro studies to in vivo cell lysates under particular conditions. The characterization of commonalities among identified phosphopeptides provides insights into the specificities of the kinases involved in a study. Several algorithms have been developed to uncover linear motifs representing position-specific amino acid patterns in sets of phosphopeptides. To more fully capture the available information, reduce sensitivity to both parameter choices and natural experimental variation, and develop more precise characterizations of kinase specificities, it is necessary to determine all statistically significant motifs represented in a dataset. Results: We have developed MMFPh (Maximal Motif Finder for Phosphoproteomics datasets), which extends the approach of the popular phosphorylation motif software Motif-X (Schwartz and Gygi, 2005) to identify all statistically significant motifs and return the maximal ones (those not subsumed by motifs with more fixed amino acids). In tests with both synthetic and experimental data, we show that MMFPh finds important motifs missed by the greedy approach of Motif-X, while also finding more motifs that are more characteristic of the dataset relative to the background proteome. Thus MMFPh is in some sense both more sensitive and more specific in characterizing the involved kinases. We also show that MMFPh compares favorably to other recent methods for finding phosphorylation motifs. Furthermore, MMFPh is less dependent on parameter choices. We support this powerful new approach with a web interface so that it may become a useful tool for studies of kinase specificity and phosphorylation site prediction. Availability: A web server is at www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~cbk/ Contact: ude.htuomtrad.sc@kbc Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Gender and Leadership Style: A Meta-Analysis

Research comparing the leadership styles of women and men is reviewed, and evidence is found for both the presence and the absence of differences between the sexes. In contrast to the gender-stereotypic expectation that women lead in an interpersonaily oriented style and men in a task-oriented style, female and male leaders did not differ in these two styles in organizational studies. However, these aspects of leadership style were somewhat gender stereotypic in the two other classes of leadership studies investigated, namely (a) laboratory experiments and (b) assessment studies, which were denned as research that assessed the leadership styles of people not selected for occupancy of leadership roles. Consistent with stereotypic expectations about a different aspect of leadership style, the tendency to lead democratically or autocratically, women tended to adopt a more democratic or participative style and a less autocratic or directive style than did men. This sex difference appeared in all three classes of leadership studies, including those conducted in organizations. These and other findings are interpreted in terms of a social role theory of sex differences in social behavior.
Differences in the immune response to long term Aβ vaccination in C57BL/6 and B6D2F1 mice

Abstract The cerebral accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aβ vaccination or anti-Aβ specific antibodies may be a possible therapeutic option for AD. Previously, we demonstrated variation in the humoral response between B6D2F1 and C57BL/6 during short term (14 weeks) Aβ immunization. In the present study, we determined the humoral and cellular immune responses in these same mouse strains to a longer period of Aβ vaccination and further refined the major B cell epitope to As1–7. B6D2F1 mice generated a greater humoral and Th1 immune response versus C57BL/6 mice. Immunization with 25 μg Aβ produced a greater T cell response in B6D2F1 mice compared to 50 or 100 μg Aβ but resulted in comparable humoral immunity. Thus, Aβ vaccination is affected by the genetic background and amount of Aβ peptide used as immunogen. These data may help explain some differences observed in Aβ immunization studies in mice of various genetic backgrounds and aid in the design of Aβ vaccines.
Predatory lending: is The Credit CARD Act enough?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform readers about pervasive “predatory lending” practices in the credit card industry and to explore the limitations of the Congressional response to this problem.Design/methodology/approach – National attention has been focused on illegal and unscrupulous behavior in the mortgage industry, but practices common to the credit card industry have been virtually ignored. This issue is explored through a description of the modus operandi of credit card lenders, details of regulator positions on predatory lending, and the recent Congressional response to this trend via The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009.Findings – “Predatory lending” is a fraudulent practice that presents serious financial risks to consumers. Recent attempts to minimize those risks by Congressional statute may be inadequate. This paper identifies some of the limitations of those regulatory provisions to raise awareness of the issue.Research limitations/i...
Results of a telecollaborative activity involving geographically disparate preservice teachers

This article discusses a telecollaborative activity that combines many strategies of interest in teacher education (i.e., case-based learning, online discussion, cross-university collaboration, and synchronous/asynchronous learning) to create a unique collaborative online learning environment for 36 social studies education students. Findings suggest that this activity fostered the development of knowledge related to general and content-specific teaching issues, helped expand the learning community of geographically disparate educators, provided a bridge between theory and practice, and fostered reflection. Findings also suggest that facilitating interaction in this unique environment requires careful attention to community building, technical preparation, articulation of expectations, and instructor collaboration. Implications for improved practice and further research are discussed.
Triple Stance Phase Displacement Analysis With Redundant and Nonredundant Sensing in a Novel Three-Legged Mobile Robot Using Parallel Kinematics

This paper presents the forward and inverse displacement analysis of a novel three-legged walking robot Self-excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot (STriDER) in its triple stance phase. STriDER utilizes the concept of passive dynamic locomotion to walk, but when all three feet of the robot are on the ground, the kinematic configuration of the robot behaves like an in-parallel manipulator. To plan and control its change in posture, the kinematics of its forward and inverse displacement must be analyzed. First, the concept of this novel walking robot and its unique tripedal gait are discussed, followed by the overall kinematic configuration and definitions of its coordinate frames. When all three feet of the robot are on the ground, by assuming there is no slipping at the feet, each foot contact point is treated as a passive spherical joint. Kinematic analysis methods for in-parallel manipulators are briefly reviewed and adopted for the forward and inverse displacement analysis for this mobile robot. Both loop-closure equations based on geometric constraints and the intersection of the loci of the feet are utilized to solve the forward displacement problem. Analytical solutions are identified and discussed in the cases of redundant sensing with displacement information from nine, eight, and seven joint angle sensors. For the nonredundant sensing case using information from six joint angle sensors, it is shown that analytical solutions can only be obtained when the displacement information is available from unequally distributed joint angle sensors among the three legs. As for the case when joint angle sensors are equally distributed among the three legs, it will result in a 16th-order polynomial with respect to a single variable, and closed-form forward displacement solutions can be obtained. Finally results from the simulations are presented for both inverse displacement analysis and the nonredundant sensing case with equally distributed joint angle sensors. It is found that at most 16 forward displacement solutions exist if displacement information from two joint angle sensors per leg are used and one is not used.
Long-term follow-up of polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stents implanted during percutaneous coronary intervention for management of acute coronary perforation.

Objective: To determine the long-term outcomes for patients receiving polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered stents as definitive therapy, in our institution, for the management of acute coronary perforation. Background: Coronary perforation as a complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Management options included observation only or a combination of several or all of these approaches: reversal of anticoagulation, prolonged balloon inflation, deployment of a standard stent, emergent cardiac surgery, or insertion of a PTFE-covered stent. Methods: With our IRB approval, records of 12,093 consecutive patients who received PCI during a 5-year period from January 2002 to December 2006 were reviewed and 50 patients who had coronary perforation as a complication of PCI were identified. Results: Of the 21 patients who received a PTFE-covered stent to manage coronary perforation, one died secondary to acute thrombosis within the PTFE-covered stent in the first 24 hrs and one required emergent cardiac surgery due to continued contrast extravasation despite PTFE-covered stent deployment. The other 19 patients were followed long term (mean 55 months) and only one survivor had a potentially life-threatening outcome (subacute stent thrombosis) over that time period. Conclusion: Utilization of a PTFE-covered stent may be a reasonable short- and long-term option to manage acute coronary perforation that occurs during PCI. On the basis of this limited experience, successful PTFE-covered stent deployment as the conclusive treatment for coronary perforation is associated with a favorable long-term event-free survival rate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Focalization in the Gulf of Mexico

Matched-field processing (MFP) has been an active area of research in the last decade for estimating the location of a sound source and parameters related to the ocean channel. MFP yields estimates of the unknown parameters by matching the true received acoustic field to the theoretically predicted field calculated for sets of likely values for the unknown parameters. Successful demonstrations of the application of MFP to real data have been limited. Here, MFP is shown to provide both successful localization and focusing of the environment ('focalization') with real data collected in the Gulf of Mexico. The estimation is done by maximizing the correlation between the received and expected signals using simulated annealing.
Trust in and legitimacy of the police among American college students: A preliminary assessment

The purpose of this study is to assess whether police fairness, effectiveness, assistance and fear of crime variables help explain trust in the police among university students. Five hundred questi...
Functional Independence of Layer IV Barrels in Rodent Somatosensory Cortex

Layer IV of rodent primary somatosensory cortex is characterized by an array of whisker-related groups of neurons, known as “barrels.” Neurons within each barrel respond best to a particular whiske...
Clinical Assessment: Interview Methods

The single most common method of assessment in both clinical practice and research is an interview, whereby the clinician speaks directly to a person to obtain a clinical assessment. Additional methods of assessment are often used to supplement a clinical interview, but only under quite special circumstances would a clinician rely solely upon one of these other techniques, whereas clinicians and researchers often rely solely upon a clinical interview. The advantages of clinical interviews are many and for the most part reflect the opportunity for the interviewer to have a substantial impact on the focus, style, and findings of the assessment. However, unstructured clinical interviews have often been shown to be excessively unreliable, idiosyncratic, or biased. Clinical researchers therefore routinely employ semistructured interviews in which a set of specified questions must be administered, the interpretation of the responses to which are guided by an accompanying manual. Semistructured interviews increase substantially the likelihood of obtaining a systematic, comprehensive, objective, and reliable assessment. Semistructured interviews have been developed for the assessment of almost every aspect of psychopathology and may in the future be used more frequently in general clinical practice.
Internationally Inclusive Science Education: Addressing the Needs of Migrants and International Students in the Era of Globalization

The globalization process and its necessary demographic shifts have precipitated two emergent issues in education: (a) the education of immigrant students and (b) the preparation of first-generation immigrants who want to become teachers in US schools. In consonance with the notions of culturally relevant and culturally responsive teaching, which were conceptualized with the advent of multicultural education, globalization’s demographic shifts compel a similar educational response. In this chapter, the concept of internationally inclusive teaching is introduced and discussed, and its concomitant applications for teacher education and classroom teaching are illustrated. Along similar axes as culturally responsive teaching, the concept of internationally inclusive teaching leverages the pedagogical, psychological, and sociocultural issues that are faced by immigrants into pedagogical affordances in order to make learning more appropriate and effective for them. Internationally inclusive pedagogy embraces several considerations, including (a) international, cross-cultural sensitivity, (b) internationally sensitive pedagogy or andragogy, (c) communication sensitivity, and (d) orientation to social, classroom, and educational cultures present in the United States.
The cultural evolution

In The Evolution of Everything, Matt Ridley attempts to demonstrate that the complex systems that define the modern world, including our economies, educational systems, population structures, governments, and religions, emerged on their own and did not arise as a result of purposeful human action. While conceding that we may sometimes give ourselves more credit than we9re due, reviewer Richard Gawne takes issue with Ridley9s repeated accusations of "creationism," and is troubled by the assertion that we should accept the inevitable, especially with regard to climate change.
Planar Hall effect based characterization of spin orbital torques in Ta/CoFeB/MgO structures

The spin orbital torques in Ta/CoFeB/MgO structures are experimentally investigated utilizing the planar Hall effect and magnetoresistance measurement. By angular field characterization of the planar Hall resistance at ±current, the differential resistance which is directly related to the spin orbital torques is derived. Upon curve fitting of the analytical formulas over the experimental results, it is found that the anti-damping torque, also known as spin Hall effect, is sizable while a negligible field-like torque is observed. A spin Hall angle of about 18 ± 0.6% is obtained for the Ta layer. Temperature dependent study of the spin orbital torques is also performed. It is found that temperature does not significantly modify the spin Hall angle. By cooling down the sample down to 100 K, the obtained spin Hall angle has a maximum value of about 20.5 ± 0.43%.
Seasonal Fluctuations in Phytophagous and Predaceous Mite Populations on Stonefruits in California

Two varieties of peach, one of nectarine, and one of plum were sampled periodically over a 3-yr period in the San Joaquin Valley of California to determine the relative seasonal densities of the predaceous and phytophagous mites present on the leaves. Predators collected included the phytoseiid Neoseiulus caudiglans (Schuster), Amblyseius hibisci (Chant), Typhloseiopsis citri (Garman and McGregor), Typhlodromus occidentalis Nesbitt, and a stigmaeid, Zetzellia mali (Ewing). Phytophagous mites included Tetranychus urticae Koch, T. pacificus McGregor, and Panonychus ulmin (Koch) (Tetranychidae), and Aculus cornutus (Banks) and Diptacus gigantorhynchus (Nalepa) (Eriophyidae). Relative densities of these species were not constant, but varied irregularly from year to year. Seasonal trends of each species were generally similar on the different tree hosts.
The Venture Team: A New Concept in Marketing Organization:

An increasing number of large corporations are using venture teams to manage new product innovations from idea conception to full commercialization. A field study of over 100 venture teams has iden...
Nonthermal Microwave Plasma Synthesis of Crystalline Titanium Oxide & Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles

We report the nonthermal synthesis of ultrafine crystalline nanoparticles of titanium oxide and titanium nitride. The nanoparticles are formed by gas phase reactions between precursor gases dissociated in the microwave plasma. For the production of titanium nitride, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and ammonia or nitrogen precursor gases are used. For titanium oxide production TTIP and oxygen are used as precursor gases. In both cases ultrahigh purity argon serves as a carrier gas and diluent.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the titanium nitride powders so formed were either cubic (TiN) or tetragonal (Ti2N) depending on the operational conditions, particularly the relative nitrogen gas flow rates. Ammonia gas was found to be a much more reactive nitrogen source than molecular nitrogen gas. For the titanium oxide growth an excess of oxygen was utilized to achieve TiO2. Powders collected from the gas phase corresponded to the rutile (tetragonal) phase. However, powders collected from the cavity walls corresponded to the high temperature and pressure (orthorhombic) 13-TiO2. There was also evidence of a polytypically modulated phase of TiO2, with the observed c-periodicity double the parent c-periodicity of the rutile phase. Using a low oxygen flow rate during powder formation led to the formation of orthorhombic Ti3O5 “powders”. The powders were easily sinterable by in situ electron beam annealing in the electron microscope, with an estimated temperature of around 550°C. This is much lower than the temperatures normally required to sinter these materials.
Research on Weight Determination Method for the System Comprehensive Assessment Based on Rough Set

This article introduces several weight determination methods and gives their advantages and disadvantages;one kind of new weight determination method,rough set weight method,is discussed by analyzing the characteristics of rough set,such as undistinguished relationship,the upper and lower approximation,attribute reduction,dependent nature of rough set and principles of least-squares and this model removes redundant indicators and more objectively evaluates the importance of the indicators,which provides a new way to determine the weight in the system comprehensive assessment.
Research on Safety and Stability Evaluation and Control Strategy in Qingshan District Power Network

The paper analyzed the influence on the operation characteristics of Qingshan district power network with the commissioning of Qingshan thermal power plant and Qingre substation,and studied the capacity of power input/output,in Qingshan district power network.In order to strengthen the power supply reliability of this area and further enhance the capacity of power grid input/output,the relevant configuration scheme of safety control system was laid down.
Invited - Heterogeneous datacenters: options and opportunities

In this paper we present our ongoing study and deployment efforts for enabling FPGAs in datacenters. An important focus is to provide a quantitative evaluation of a wide range of heterogeneous system designs and integration options, from low-power field-programmable SoCs to server-class computer nodes plus high-capacity FPGAs, with real system prototyping and implementation on real-life applications. In the meantime, we develop a cloud-friendly programming interface and a runtime environment for efficient accelerator deployment, scheduling and transparent resource management for integration of FPGAs for large-scale acceleration across different system integration platforms to enable "write once, execute everywhere".
Imaging of the Patient with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Patients with symptoms from compression of the neurovascular bundle in the thoracic outlet are described as having thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which is best thought of as three conditions classified according to which structures are involved. The purpose of this article is to review the role of imaging in evaluation of patients with TOS, beginning with diagnosis and extending through postoperative management. While diagnosis of TOS still rests on the patient's presenting history and physical examination, imaging examinations are helpful in supporting the diagnosis, delineating abnormal anatomy, determining which structures are compressed, identifying the site of compression, and excluding other diagnoses. Magnetic resonance imaging is the noninvasive imaging modality of choice in evaluating patients with suspected TOS, but computed tomography also plays an important role, particularly in delineating bone anatomy. Evidence of vascular damage is required to make the diagnosis of TOS at imaging. Dynamic compression of the axillosubclavian vessels at the thoracic outlet can be a finding supportive of the diagnosis of TOS but is not a stand-alone diagnostic criterion, as it can be seen in patients without TOS. As diagnosis and treatment of TOS increase, radiologists will increasingly encounter the TOS patient after decompression surgery. Recognition of the expected postoperative appearance of these patients is critical, as is an understanding of the imaging findings of potential short- and long-term complications. (©)RSNA, 2016.
Anesthesia in day surgery in children

The progress of anesthesiology and surgery makes it possible for most of the interventions to be preformed during day surgery. The objective of this study was, by the analysis of patients who had undergone day surgery and with respect of procedure and patients selection criteria, to show that this mode of treatment is efficient, safe and money saving. Retrospective study consisted of 2078 children, aged 6 months to 14 years, ASA I-II, subjected to various interventions at the Day Surgical Department of the University Children's Hospital in Belgrade. The analysis of the results demonstrated that just few patients had postoperative complications, unrelated to applied anesthesia and premedication. No case was reported to be hospitalized due to postoperative complications. Temporary and rare postoperative complications, short separation of children from their parents, and reduced treatment costs indicate that such trend of management should be continued.
Toward Quantitative Modeling of User Performance in Multitasking Environments

Multitasking performance requires the ability to perform multiple tasks in the same time period by switching between individual tasks. To quantify the performance, a quantitative model for user performance in a multitasking environment was proposed in this study. This model was based on Shannon’s information theory and quantified the information produced from each subtask in the multitasking environment. The Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II (MATB-II) was employed as a platform of multitasking. There were two phases of the experiment and ten participants completed the experiment. Results showed an overall improvement in user performance after reassigned task weights according to the proposed approach. Findings also indicated there was an effect of task difficulty on multitasking performance. The proposed model provided an approach to estimate and improve user performance in a multitasking environment.
Preparation of industrial sisal fiber waste derived activated carbon by chemical activation and effects of carbonization parameters on surface characteristics

Abstract This study investigates the use of industrial sisal (agave sisalana) fiber waste in activated carbon preparation via chemical activation and the influence of carbonization conditions on surface properties. Experiments have been conducted to study the effects of different carbonization temperatures (550, 600 and 650 °C) with varied carbonization (hold) time (1 h and 3 h) at different nitrogen flow rates (94.4, 188.8 and 377.6 ml/min). The results showed that carbonization temperature and carbonization time have positive impact on Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area, total pore volume and carbon percentages whereas flow rate has negative impact. The highest BET surface area of activated carbon obtained at 650 °C with carbonization time of 3 h and 94.4 ml/min flow rate was 1297 m2/g where total pore volume and carbon percentages were 0.64 cm3/g and 81%, respectively. In conclusion, high surface area activated carbons could be produced from industrial sisal fiber waste by properly selecting carbonization parameters.
Fact and fiction in global energy policy: 15 contentious questions by Benjamin K. Sovacool, Marilyn A. Brown and Scott V., Valentine, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016, xi + 370 pp., index, $34.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781421418971

Energy challenges and global environmental problems have never been so consequential. Not coincidentally, public discourse and policy decisions about them have never been so polarizing – at least i...
Bilateral Oophorectomy and Accelerated Aging: Cause or Effect?

Background The cause-effect relationship between bilateral oophorectomy and accelerated aging remains controversial. We conducted new analyses to further address this controversy. Methods The Rochester Epidemiology Project records-linkage system was used to identify all premenopausal women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy for a noncancerous condition before age 50 years between 1988 and 2007 in Olmsted County, MN. Each woman was randomly matched to a referent woman born in the same year (±1 year) who had not undergone bilateral oophorectomy. We studied the rate of accumulation of 18 common chronic conditions over a median of approximately 14 years of follow-up (historical cohort study). Analyses were restricted to women free of any of the 18 chronic conditions at the time of oophorectomy (or index date). Results After adjustments for race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, smoking, and age and calendar year at the index date, women who underwent oophorectomy before age 46 years experienced an accelerated rate of accumulation of the 18 chronic conditions considered together (hazard ratio = 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.37; p < .001). The single-year incidence rate of new conditions was most different in the first 6 years after oophorectomy but the difference attenuated thereafter. Findings did not vary by surgical indication for the oophorectomy. Conclusions Bilateral oophorectomy is associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity among women who did not have any of the 18 selected conditions at baseline. The association did not vary by surgical indication for oophorectomy. Our findings suggest that bilateral oophorectomy is causally linked to accelerated aging.
ALTERNATIVE PROTAGONISM AND NARRATIVE DISRUPTION IN BRÁS CUBAS: A RECONSIDERATION OF ROBERTO SCHWARZ'S VOLUBLE NARRATOR

Abstract This article examines the question of narrative form in Bras Cubas by considering the alternative protagonism of intermediary chapters, the majority of them errata and reflexive commentary on the book's composition. It examines the manner in which Roberto Schwarz, in his A Master on the Periphery of Capitalism, lowers the aesthetic value of these sections while constituting them as formally necessary for his notion of the voluble narrator. Ultimately, this article argues that these in-between sections are less formally constitutive of the novel's mimetic intention than they are demonstrative of a little-known side of Bras Cubas, in which he reflects nervously, and at times philosophically, on the question of time.
Association of Lymph Node Count and Overall Survival in Node-Negative Endometrial Cancers.

PurposeTo estimate whether the number of lymph nodes removed during surgery is associated with overall survival among women with endometrial cancer.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of women with node-negative, stage I to IIIB endometrial cancer (n = 152,702) identified from the 1998-2011 National Cancer Database. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression tested for an association of lymph node count with survival. Restricted mean survival and relative hazard curves were plotted for survival as a function of number of removed lymph nodes.ResultsAmong women with node-negative endometrioid endometrial cancer, for each additional five lymph nodes removed, the hazard for death decreased: stage I, the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93 to 0.97; P < .001), stage II, HR was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87 to 0.94; P < .001); and stage IIIA-B, HR was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.88 to 0.96; P < .001). When grouped by grade, each additional five lymph nodes removed was also associated with decreased hazard for ...
Significance of finding benign endometrial cells in women 40-45 versus 46 years or older on Papanicolaou tests and histologic follow-up.

Background: The 2014 Bethesda System recommends reporting the finding of benign-appearing, exfoliated endometrial cells on Papanicolaou (Pap) tests in women aged 45 years and older. We aimed to determine the significance of normal endometrial cells on liquid-based Pap tests in women aged 40 years and older and to correlate this finding with clinical factors and cytologic/histologic follow-up. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified all women aged 40 years and older who had benign endometrial cells (BECs) on Pap tests at our institution during a 6-year period. Histologic follow-up and outcomes were evaluated. Results: Among 18,850 Pap tests during the study period, 255 (1.4%) had findings of BECs and 159 (62.4%) of these women had follow-up Pap tests or subsequent tissue sampling by surgical procedures. Of the 159 cases, only 4 (2.5%) had significant endometrial pathologic processes, all endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (three women had postmenopausal bleeding and 1 was perimenopausal with menorrhagia). No women between ages 40 and 45 years had significant pathologic findings and only one woman between 46 and 50 years (47 years) had an endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (1.5%). Women older than 47 years have higher odds (5.38) of having a significant endometrial lesion (P = 0.029) than those who are ≤47. Conclusion: Clinically significant endometrial lesions occurred predominantly in women older than 50 years (4.6%) and in only one woman between ages 46 and 50 years (1.5%). Therefore, endometrial sampling should be performed in women aged 47 years and older with BECs, especially when additional clinical indicators (e.g., postmenopausal bleeding) are recognized.
The Pedagogical Needs of Children and Adults Living in the Calais Jungle Refugee Camp: Existential Issues and Perspectives of Volunteer Teachers and Workers

This study aimed at examining the pedagogical needs and challenges of children and young adults living in a refugee camp in France known as the Calais Jungle. Through the researchers’ observations and interviews with volunteer teachers and workers at the camp, insights into their perspectives shed light on the pedagogical needs of refugees. Also, utilizing Paulo Freire’s philosophical stance, this study provides a contextual approach to the educational practices and ideological viewpoints represented within unregulated refugee camp settings. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201704011132
Evaluation of meal replacements and a home food environment intervention for long-term weight loss: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Lifestyle change treatments for weight loss produce medically meaningful weight reductions, but lost weight is usually regained. Meal replacements (MRs) represent one avenue for improving long-term weight loss. Another, nutrition-focused approach involves having participants make specific changes in the energy density, composition, and structure of the foods in their personal food environments. Objective Three conditions were compared: behavior therapy (BT), BT plus MRs (BT+MR), and a nutrition-focused treatment aimed at modifying the home food environment (HFE). Design Overweight and obese individuals (n = 262) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 conditions. Treatment occurred in weekly groups for 6 mo and in biweekly groups for 6 mo. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 mo. Multilevel models were used to estimate weight-change trajectories for each participant and to examine the treatment group effect on long-term weight loss. Results A multilevel analysis indicated that all 3 groups showed significant weight loss over 12 mo that was gradually regained to the 36-mo follow-up. Mean ± SD percentages of baseline weight loss at 12 mo for BT, BT+MR, and HFE were 9.41% ± 7.92%, 10.37% ± 7.77%, and 10.97% ± 7.79%, respectively. Comparable percentages at 36 mo were 4.21% ± 8.64%, 3.06% ± 6.93%, and 4.49% ± 7.83%. Those in the HFE condition lost more weight than those receiving BT through the 36-mo assessment (P < 0.01), as reflected in 2 treatment × time interactions. Further analyses showed that HFE produced the largest increases in cognitive restraint and that this increase largely mediated the HFE group's improved weight loss. Conclusion The nutrition-focused intervention studied here produced modestly greater long-term weight loss than BT, an effect that was largely explainable by an unexpected boost in cognitive restraint in this condition. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01065974.
Politics and the Perceived Boundaries of Science: Activism, Sociology, and Scientific Legitimacy:

Research has suggested that public confidence in the scientific community has become politicized, but it is not clear that liberals and conservatives disagree on the more fundamental question of wh...
Development of the immune system in human fetal liver

Fetal liver is a major site of development of the human immune system. Pre-B and B-lymphocytes are present in the human fetal liver at 12 weeks in a random distribution and increase with gestation. Most fetal liver cells are pre-B but mature B-cells are also present. Functional assays and transplantation experiments indicate that these B-cells are functional and can transfer immunologic memory, albeit imperfectly, in fetal liver reconstituted recipients. T-cell development, in contrast, occurs predominantly in the thymus. Progenitors of T-cells are present in fetal liver and can restore T-cell immunity in irradiated recipients. Human fetal liver contains 1–2% mature T-cells; functional assays are likewise negative. NK cells have been detected in human fetal liver at low frequency. Fetal liver also contains non-T, non-B cells capable of suppressing the development of alloantigen reactive T-cells; these have been termed veto cells. In summary, human fetal liver contains progenitors of several types of lymphoid cells and is an important site of immune development. It also may play a role in the induction of self tolerance during maturation of the immune system. These features of fetal liver may have important implications for the success of fetal liver transplantation in man.
The C ̃1Bu ← X ̃1Σg+ Transition of Ethanedinitrile (C2N2): Assignment of the Electronic State Origin and Vibrational Bands

An analysis is presented for the vacuum ultraviolet C2N2 C1Bu ← X1Σg+ transition. Contrary to previous assumptions this is found to be a linear to bent transition with a trans-bent C1Bu excited electronic state. The band origin is at 59 840 cm–1. Vibrational bands between 170 and 145 nm are assigned. Vibrational frequencies for the C1Bu state are found to be ν1 = 2055 ± 20 cm–1 for the symmetric CN stretch, ν2 = 979 ± 20 cm–1 for the symmetric CC stretch, ν3 = 542 ± 10 cm–1 for the trans-bend, ν4 = 131 ± 10 cm–1 for the out-of-plane torsional bend, and ν6 = 141 ± 10 cm–1 for the cis-bend.
Kaposi Sarcoma mimicking pedal osteomyelitis in a patient with HIV

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is an angio-proliferative mesenchymal neoplasm that typically affects the skin. In the setting of AIDS, it is usually disseminated, commonly involving noncutaneous sites like oral cavity, lymph nodes, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems. Musculoskeletal system involvement by KS is rare, and when encountered, it typically involves the axial skeleton (vertebrae, ribs, sternum, and pelvis) and/or maxillofacial bones. This report describes an unusual case of a 44-year old patient with HIV, who presented with a foot ulcer that fit the typical clinical features of osteomyelitis until MRI of the foot demonstrated atypical findings that challenged the original clinical diagnosis. This case highlights the role that advanced diagnostic imaging plays in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal Kaposi Sarcoma and serves as a reminder to radiologists to include Kaposi Sarcoma in the differential of multifocal osteolytic lesions in patients with HIV.