cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Systems Biology of Pulmonary Hypertension

In this issue of Circulation , Parikh and colleagues1 present an elegant study that lies at the intersection of 2 recent major developments in cardiovascular research—the recognition of the role of microRNAs in normal and abnormal cardiovascular biology, and the introduction of computational systems biology approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease. This work provides convincing evidence for the central role of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) generally and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) more specifically, and suggests a potential 2-hit rationale for incomplete penetrance of mutations in BMPR2 in heritable PAH. Article see p 1520 MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA molecules 17 to 23 nucleotides long that bind to target mRNA molecules and repress their translation by cleavage, sequestration, degradation, or ribosomal inhibition. There are >1000 microRNAs in the genome, regulating ≈30% of gene expression.2 Although they were initially discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans in 1993, their role in mammalian cardiovascular biology has been recognized only in the last decade. Global deletion of functional microRNAs in smooth muscle cells in mice leads to impairment of vascular smooth muscle cell development, differentiation, and contraction, abrogated aortic development, extensive hemorrhage, and embryonic lethality.3 Similar deletion of microRNAs in endothelial cells is compatible with life, but leads to impaired angiogenesis.4 Thus, microRNAs are essential for vascular development and function. Further work, some of which is discussed below, has shown that dysregulation of microRNAs is associated with vascular disease. To establish the role of miR-21 in PH, Parikh and colleagues used an innovative approach integrating network analysis of existing genome-wide mRNA expression data, algorithmic prediction of microRNA targets, previously established concepts of biological pathways involved in PH, and in vitro and in vivo experimentation. First, they established a consolidated interactome of molecular interactions known to occur …
TCR ITAM multiplicity is required for the generation of follicular helper T-cells

The T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) complex contains 10 copies of a di-tyrosine Immunoreceptor-Tyrosine-based-Activation-Motif (ITAM) that initiates TCR signalling by recruiting protein tyrosine kinases. ITAM multiplicity amplifies TCR signals, but the importance of this capability for T-cell responses remains undefined. Most TCR ITAMs (6 of 10) are contributed by the CD3ζ subunits. We generated 'knock-in' mice that express non-signalling CD3ζ chains in lieu of wild-type CD3ζ. Here we demonstrate that ITAM multiplicity is important for the development of innate-like T-cells and follicular helper T-cells, events that are known to require strong/sustained TCR-ligand interactions, but is not essential for 'general' T-cell responses including proliferation and cytokine production or for the generation of a diverse antigen-reactive TCR repertoire.
Free-water imaging in Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism

Conventional single tensor diffusion analysis models have provided mixed findings in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease, but recent work using a bi-tensor analysis model has shown more promising results. Using a bi-tensor model, free-water values were found to be increased in the posterior substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease compared with controls at a single site and in a multi-site cohort. Further, free-water increased longitudinally over 1 year in the posterior substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease. Here, we test the hypothesis that other parkinsonian disorders such as multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy have elevated free-water in the substantia nigra. Equally important, however, is whether the bi-tensor diffusion model is able to detect alterations in other brain regions beyond the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy and to accurately distinguish between these diseases. Free-water and free-water-corrected fractional anisotropy maps were compared across 72 individuals in the basal ganglia, midbrain, thalamus, dentate nucleus, cerebellar peduncles, cerebellar vermis and lobules V and VI, and corpus callosum. Compared with controls, free-water was increased in the anterior and posterior substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy. Despite no other changes in Parkinson's disease, we observed elevated free-water in all regions except the dentate nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, and corpus callosum of multiple system atrophy, and in all regions examined for progressive supranuclear palsy. Compared with controls, free-water-corrected fractional anisotropy values were increased for multiple system atrophy in the putamen and caudate, and increased for progressive supranuclear palsy in the putamen, caudate, thalamus, and vermis, and decreased in the superior cerebellar peduncle and corpus callosum. For all disease group comparisons, the support vector machine 10-fold cross-validation area under the curve was between 0.93-1.00 and there was high sensitivity and specificity. The regions and diffusion measures selected by the model varied across comparisons and are consistent with pathological studies. In conclusion, the current study used a novel bi-tensor diffusion analysis model to indicate that all forms of parkinsonism had elevated free-water in the substantia nigra. Beyond the substantia nigra, both multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, but not Parkinson's disease, showed a broad network of elevated free-water and altered free-water corrected fractional anisotropy that included the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. These findings may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian disorders, and thereby facilitate the development and assessment of targeted therapies.
Asymmetric Features Of Human Generated Translation

Distinct properties of translated text have been the subject of research in linguistics for many year (Baker, 1993). In recent years computational methods have been developed to empirically verify the linguistic theories about translated text (Baroni and Bernardini, 2006). While many characteristics of translated text are more apparent in comparison to the original text, most of the prior research has focused on monolingual features of translated and original text. The contribution of this work is introducing bilingual features that are capable of explaining differences in translation direction using localized linguistic phenomena at the phrase or sentence level, rather than using monolingual statistics at the document level. We show that these bilingual features outperform the monolingual features used in prior work (Kurokawa et al., 2009) for the task of classifying translation direction.
THE EFFECT OF OVERSIZING ON THE HEMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

Sizing algorithms for the SAPIEN 3 recommend less oversizing. Whether oversizing of the valve affects hemodynamics of the transcatheter heart valve (THV) is unknown. 63 high surgical risk patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis had transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the
Studies on Pneumococci and Streptococci

The differentiation of the organisms of the pneumococcus-streptococcus group is of importance in the interpretation of blood-culture results, and in the etiologic study of certain infectious diseases, especially endocarditis and rheumatic fever. The separation of pneumococci from streptococci was first made on a morphologic basis. The tendency of the pneumococcus to grow in pairs of lanceolate cocci surrounded by a well-defined capsule, distinguished it from the streptococcus, which grew in longer or shorter chains of ovoid or flattened cocci without a capsule. Special methods for the "detailed study of capsules were devised by Welch, Hiss,25'26 Buerger,8-10'13'14 Wadsworth, Rosenow, Medalia, and others. Buerger found that many streptococci encountered in routine work had capsules. He recognized certain types of capsules which he considered diagnostic for pneumococci and Streptococcus mucosus. A comparative study of the various capsular stains by Baehr and Kantor3 lead to the conclusion that Buerger's method is the most satisfactory and reliable for diagnostic purposes, being succeeded in value by those of Welch and Rosenow.
Corrosion Behavior of Metallic Coatings and Organic Coatings in 5% NaCl Solution

The corrosion behavior of arc-sprayed zinc coating and organic coating in 5 % NaCl solution was evaluated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results show that arc-sprayed Zn coating exhibits self-sealing function, and its corrosion protection is prominent in late phase of immersion, while the organic coatings have better corrosion protection in early stage of immersion. The electrochemical behavior of zinc coatings could be described by the equivalent electric circuit as Rs(RpoCc) (RpCdl). Moreover, the polarization resistance of Zn coating increased with increasing immersion time, while that of the organic coatings decreased therewith.
Epidemiological characteristics of varicella in Shenzhen City from 2008-2012

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella in Shenzhen City from 2008-2012,provide the scientific evidences for developing the control and prevention strategies of varicella in Shenzhen City.[Methods]The epidemic data of varicella in Shenzhen City from 2008-2012 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method.[Results]A total of 21376 varicella cases were reported during this period,and there was no death case. The average annual incidence rate was 44. 64/lakh,and the annual incidence rate was 44. 60/lakh,36. 75/lakh,32. 97/lakh,58. 13/lakh and 49. 46/lakh,respectively. 8 005 cases were reported in Baoan District,accounting for 37. 45% of the total cases. The average reported incidence rate in Yantian District( 149. 98/lakh) was the highest. The peak seasons were May to June and December to next January. The cases mainly occurred in children aged 5-10 years old,and the occupation distribution showed that most cases were students. A total of 193 varicella related public health emergencies were reported during 2008-2012,and all of them occurred in schools and kindergartens. [Conclusion] The incidence rate of varicella shows an increasing trend in Shenzhen City from 2008-2012,and the epidemic situation is serious. It is necessary to strengthen the relevant research,find out the disease burden,and explore the prevention strategies.
Bias in Geodetic Site Velocity due to Annual Signals: Theory and Assessment

Unless accounted for, annual signals in geodetic data can significantly bias estimation of site velocities. For high accuracy applications, annual and semi-annual sinusoidal signals should be estimated simultaneously with site velocity and initial position. Minimum velocity bias is theoretically predicted at integer-plus-half years, as confirmed by tests with real data. Below 2.5 years, the velocity bias can become unacceptably large, and simultaneous estimation does not necessarily improve velocity estimates.
Image of the Month: Emphysematous Gastritis and Necrosis as a Result of Orally Ingested Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate (Kayexalate) in Sorbitol.

Emphysematous Gastritis and Necrosis as a Result of Orally Ingested Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate (Kayexalate) in Sorbitol
Biodegradable biopolymer–graphene nanocomposites

Graphene’s invention has catalyzed many new material applications in different fields. It has been used in combination with different biopolymers to design nanocomposites with improved mechanical, thermal, electrical, as well as, gas-, and water vapor-barrier properties. This review focuses on the chemistry and synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) and sheds some light on the different ecological pathways available for graphene oxide synthesis and reduction. The major pathways for graphene incorporation into biopolymers include (1) solution intercalation, (2) melt intercalation, and (3) in situ polymerization. The fabrication, application, and mechanisms of bonding between biodegradable biopolymers, like poly (lactic acid), cellulose, starch, chitosan, alginates, polyamides, and other biodegradable materials, with different forms of graphene including graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), etc., are the focus of this review. The paper has been organized according to different methods of incorporating graphene derivatives into biopolymers, in order to highlight the mechanisms for chemical bonding-physical changes that biopolymers and graphene nanofillers undergo during the method of preparation and the impact of chemical changes on end use properties. The information has been assembled, so that new conclusions can be drawn from the available data. The mechanism of enhancement of functional properties is evaluated using techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the synergy resulting from the use of different spectroscopic techniques is discussed beyond what the individual authors have been able to interpret often from a few techniques. Effectiveness of solvents used and reaction conditions have also been focused, in order to offer mechanistic understanding for the improvement of mechanical properties. The new observations and findings by comparing all relevant literature will help the reader to look at the whole spectrum of available methods and materials, in addition to focusing on the original biopolymer–graphene work.
The Work Environment: Occupational Health

Second only to the home, the work environment is where most Americans spend a significant portion of their total hours. The variety of activities and potential exposure to hazardous physical, chemical, and biological agents is so extensive that the occupational environment is often considered separately from other environmental health categories (e.g., departments of Environmental and Occupational Health). It also involves a variety of subdisciplines including Occupational Medicine, Occupational Health Nursing, Industrial Hygiene, and Occupational Injury Control.
Variation in the Treatment of Children Hospitalized With Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis in the US.

Objective There are few reports on the treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) in children. This study characterizes the use of cyclophosphamide, rituximab, and plasma exchange in children hospitalized with AAV in the US. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized with AAV from 2004–2014 utilizing an administrative and billing database from 47 tertiary care pediatric hospitals. All patients had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification discharge code of 446.4 and ≥1 charge for glucocorticoids. Treatment receipt was determined using billing data. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with the likelihood of receipt of each of the 3 treatments. Results During the 11-year study period there were 1,290 admissions for 393 children. The median age at index admission was 14.6 years, and 61% were female. Dialysis or mechanical ventilation was required by 16% and 17% of the children, respectively. The median length of stay was 9 days. The percentages of children receiving cyclophosphamide, rituximab, or both were 57%, 21%, and 10%, respectively, and 22% received plasma exchange. Mechanical ventilation was associated with the receipt of cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange, but not rituximab. There was an increasing trend in the use of rituximab over time during the study period (P < 0.05), and a decreasing trend in the use of cyclophosphamide (P < 0.05). Treatment use varied significantly between hospitals, especially for plasma exchange. Conclusion The treatment of children with severe AAV is shifting from cyclophosphamide to rituximab, and their need for dialysis, mechanical ventilation, and prolonged hospitalization remains common. Use of plasma exchange is highly variable.
The error exponent for finite-hypothesis channel identification

We consider the issue of signal selection in hypothesis testing. In particular, we model each hypothesis as a discrete memoryless channel. We first derive the Bayesian error exponent as a function of the limiting empirical distribution of the input sequence. We show that in the case of discriminating between two hypotheses, the asymptotically optimal input sequence consists of always repeating the same input. Finally, we derive an efficient method to evaluate the error exponent as a function of the limiting distribution.
Distributed primal-dual method for multi-agent sharing problem with conic constraints

We consider cooperative multi-agent resource sharing problems over an undirected network of agents, where only those agents connected by an edge can directly communicate. The objective is to minimize the sum of agent-specific composite convex functions subject to a conic constraint that couples agents' decisions. A distributed primal-dual algorithm is proposed to solve the saddle point formulation, which requires to compute a consensus dual price for the coupling constraint. We provide convergence rates in sub-optimality, infeasibility and consensus violation for agents' dual price assessments; examine the effect of underlying network topology on the convergence rates of the proposed decentralized algorithm; and compare our method with Prox-JADMM algorithm on the basis pursuit problem.
Citrullination/Methylation Crosstalk on Histone H3 Regulates ER-Target Gene Transcription.

Posttranslational modifications of histone tails are a key contributor to epigenetic regulation. Histone H3 Arg26 and Lys27 are both modified by multiple enzymes, and their modifications have profound effects on gene expression. Citrullination of H3R26 by PAD2 and methylation of H3K27 by PRC2 have opposing downstream impacts on gene regulation; H3R26 citrullination activates gene expression, and H3K27 methylation represses gene expression. Both of these modifications are drivers of a variety of cancers, and their writer enzymes, PAD2 and EZH2, are the targets of drug therapies. After biochemical and cell-based analysis of these modifications, a negative crosstalk interaction is observed. Methylation of H3K27 slows citrullination of H3R26 30-fold, whereas citrullination of H3R26 slows methylation 30,000-fold. Examination of the mechanism of this crosstalk interaction uncovered a change in structure of the histone tail upon citrullination which prevents methylation by the PRC2 complex. This mechanism of cro...
Contemporary Treatment Patterns and Outcomes for Clinical Stage IS Testicular Cancer.

Abstract Background Controversy exists regarding the optimal management strategy for clinical stage IS seminomatous (SGCT) and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) of the testis. Objective To assess contemporary treatment patterns and outcomes for clinical stage IS testicular cancer. Design, setting, and participants Using the National Cancer Data Base (2004–2012), we identified 1362 patients with clinical stage IS SGCT and NSGCT of the testis, treated with either adjuvant treatment (AT) or observation. Outcome measures and statistical analysis We calculated the annual percent change (APC) to assess treatment trends. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to compare overall survival (OS) between AT and observation groups. Analyses were stratified by histologic type. Results and limitations Overall, there were 581 (43%) and 781 (57%) men with SGCT and NSGCT, respectively. Among men with SGCT, the use of AT decreased over the study period (APC=–2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: –4.4, –1.1, p =0.001). The 5-yr IPTW-adjusted rates of OS were 99% and 97% in the AT and observation groups, respectively (hazard ratio=0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 1.14, p =0.08). Among men with NSGCT, the use of AT remained stable over the study period (APC = +0.8, 95% CI: –0.7, +2.2, p =0.29). The 5-yr IPTW-adjusted rates of OS were 97% and 95% in the AT and observation groups, respectively (HR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.61, p =0.36). Limitations include the lack of full treatment details and cancer-specific survival information. Conclusions Trends in the use of AT significantly decreased over time for SGCT, while it remained stable for NSGCT. Nonetheless, we report 5-yr OS rates of ≥95% for both histologies without any significant benefit with the use of AT. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Patient summary We evaluated treatment trends and outcomes for stage IS testicular cancer. We found that treatment changed over time for seminoma and remained stable for nonseminoma; there was no significant survival benefit in the use of adjuvant treatment versus observation for both seminomatous and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors.
Universality and RG Explanations

I discuss the concept of universality, specifically of physical phenomena, and even more specifically of the behavior of critical phenomena. In the philosophical literature, I believe, this concept...
Nanoscopy of Single Charge Carrier Jumps in a Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticle

We present super-resolution (∼2 nm spatial resolution per frame, 1 ms time resolution) tracking of single charge carriers in nanoparticles of the conjugated polymer PFBT. The motion of the charge carrier is determined from fluctuations in the centroid position of the particle fluorescence spot arising from fluorescence quenching by the polaron. A single polaron is observed to hop between a few sites, consistent with dispersive charge transport in a disordered energy landscape. In some shorter segments of the trajectory, there is repeated hopping between two sites, whereas for longer segments and full trajectories, random walk-like behavior consistent with multiple sites is observed. The hopping times range from a few milliseconds to seconds, following a power law distribution, while the hopping distances range from 2 to 5 nm, roughly following an exponential distribution. From the polaron hopping time distribution, we estimate a barrier height of 430–570 meV, with a nearest-neighbor distribution ranging f...
Hg-1223 Thick Film on Flexible Ni Substrates

Hg-1223 thick films on flexible Ni substrate coated with Cr(Ag,Pd) have been fabricated by a two-step spray/press process. The effect of possible interfacial diffusion between Hg-1223/Ni has also been examined. By properly adjusting the processing parameters, a self-field Jc ∼ 7×104 A/cm2 at 77 K has been achieved inthese Hg-1223 thick-film tapes, comparable to that of the well-known BSCCO tapes prepared by the more complex powder-in-tube technique.
Childhood Obesity and Academic Outcomes in Young Adulthood.

The present study used nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (a.k.a., Add Health) to examine the impact of childhood obesity on young adult educational attainment. In addition to weight status, independent variables included race–ethnicity, immigrant generational status, family socio-economic status (SES), preference for overweight and obese friends in school, school socio-economic and race–ethnic composition, and other important predictors. Educational attainment was measured as a categorical variable with the categories reflecting key educational benchmarks: (1) being a high school graduate; (2) having some college education; and (3) having completed a bachelor’s or higher degree. The results indicate that in general, individuals who were obese as children are less likely to transition from high school to college, and even less likely to obtain a baccalaureate or more advanced degree. In line with the social network hypothesis of the obesity epidemic, we also found that having overweight and obese friends drives down the odds of educational success. Attendance at a higher SES school or a school with a lower percentage of minority students was positively associated with the odds of college attendance and obtaining a baccalaureate. Other important effects included race–ethnicity and immigrant generational status.
Promoting Patient Safety Through Interprofessional Education Simulation

An interprofessional education simulation project was created for Clinical Laboratory Sciences students to promote patient safety skills. Hand hygiene and patient identification were addressed in the scenario. CLS students participated in two IPE SIM experiences spaced six weeks apart. All students were educated by nursing faculty on careful hand hygiene (HH) when entering and exiting a patient9s environment. Students were separated into two groups. The control group had no further education. The intervention group were instructed on the WHO 6-step HH process, and rehearsed on the steps. Students took pre and post-simulation quizzes on knowledge of HH. There was no significant difference in the quiz test scores between the two groups. Students9 actual HH was video recorded prior to entering the patient environment and again as they exited. The intervention group demonstrated a significant and sustained increase in pre-patient HH times compared to the control group. ABBREVIATIONS:IPE SIM- Interprofessional Education Simulation, HH- Hand Hygiene, WHO- World Health Organization, ID- Identification. HAI- Healthcare Acquired Infections, CLS-Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Optimal Path Planning for Unmanned Aircraft Target Observation Through Constrained Urban Environments

The work herein determines the optimal flight path for a small unmanned aircraft system through a constrained urban environment. The implementation of unavoidable keep-out regions is evaluated by f...
Niraparib in metastatic pancreatic cancer after previous chemotherapy (NIRA-PANC): A phase 2 trial.

TPS4168Background: Attempts to improve therapy for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma with traditional chemotherapy have largely failed to meaningfully improve survival. Therefore, there is a ...
Discrete N-Dimensional Random Variables

In this chapter we extend the results of Chapters 5-8 to N-dimensional random variables,which are represented as an N x 1 random vector. Hence, our discussions will apply to the 2 x 1 random vector previously studied. In fact,most of the concepts introduced earlier are trivially extended so that we do not dwell on the conceptualization.
Problem-solvers in the academy and beyond

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we first frame Sprague’s vision in the historical context from which it emerged. From there, we explore some contemporary concerns instructional communication researchers mus...
Dispersive Delay and Comb Filters Using a Modal Structure

High-order dispersive delays are typically implemented as a cascade of second-order allpass sections, making them difficult to modify in real time and prone to numerical issues. Here, such filters are implemented using a modal architecture—a parallel combination of resonant filters tuned to a set of mode frequencies determined by the desired dispersion characteristic. Two configurations are presented, a “dispersive delay filter” in which a single dispersive arrival is produced, and a “dispersive comb filter” in which a series of increasingly dispersive echoes of the input signal are generated. The parallel structure has computational and numerical advantages. Simple, closed-form techniques for designing the needed mode filter frequencies and amplitudes according to the desired dispersion and equalization are presented, and applied to spring reverberator emulation and decorrelation filter design.
IL-7 receptor alpha defines heterogeneity and signature of human effector memory CD8+ T cells in high dimensional analysis

The IL-7 receptor alpha chain (IL-7Rα or CD127) can be differentially expressed in memory CD8+ T cells. Here we investigated whether IL-7Rα could serve as a key molecule in defining a comprehensive landscape of heterogeneity in human effector memory (EM) CD8+ T cells using high-dimensional Cytometry by Time-Of-Flight (CyTOF) and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq). IL-7Rα had diverse, but organized, expressional relationship in EM CD8+ T cells with molecules related to cell function and gene regulation, which rendered an immune landscape defining heterogeneous cell subsets. The differential expression of these molecules likely has biological implications as we found in vivo signatures of transcription factors and homeostasis cytokine receptors, including T-bet and IL-7Rα. Our findings indicate the existence of heterogeneity in human EM CD8+ T cells as defined by distinct but organized expression patterns of multiple molecules in relationship to IL-7Rα and its possible biological significance in modulating downstream events.
Financialisation and Income Inequality in OECD Nations: 1995-2007

This paper attempts to examine the link between financialisation and income inequality in advanced countries from a comparative perspective using data from 20 OECD countries over a period of 13 years (1995-2007). The initial regression results show an overall strong correlation between several of the financialisation indicators and income inequality net of conventional explanations including economic growth rate, unemployment, globalisation, left party power, social spending, union density, female participation in the labour market, and wage bargaining centralisation. The results also show that although financialisation has a positive association with income inequality in nations with strong as well as weak unions, the association is stronger in the latter.
Effect of flue gas purification facilities of coal-fired power plant on mercury emission

Abstract The types and concentration of mercury in flue gas of nine coal-fired units were measured by OH method and the mercury content in desulfuration wastewater, slag, fly ash and gypsum were also measured. The influences of conventional pollutant removal facilities such as SCR denitration facility, dust removal facility, and wet flue gas desulfurization facilities on mercury type and concentration were studied. The results indicate that mercury emission type is mostly gaseous mercury and mercury emission in nine units all meets the standard requirement. SCR denitrification facilities have a great effect on mercury type, promoting oxidation of elemental mercury into oxidized mercury which is easily removed by downstream dust removal facilities and wet desulfurization facilities. Particulate mercury is synergistically removed in dust removal facilities, with mercury removal ratio between 13.5% and 80.6% which depends on particulate mercury proportion. The oxidized mercury is synergistically removed in wet desulfurization facilities, with mercury removal ratio between 9.0% and 72.9%. Mercury is transferred from coal to fly ash and desulfuration gypsum, and mercury stability in the solid by-products needs to be studied.
Federal Arbitration Act Preemption of State Public-Policy-Based Employment Arbitration Doctrine: An Autopsy and an Argument for Federal Agency Oversight

This article examines the negative impact that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence interpreting the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) will have on the ability of states to promote the public interests that ground state employment regulation and argues for a reordering of the relationship between federal arbitration law and state public-policy-based employment arbitration doctrine. The article proceeds in three steps. First, the article demonstrates that the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2011 decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion and 2013 decision in American Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant together extinguish the state effective-vindication and public policy exceptions to FAA application. In doing so, this case law preempts a significant amount of state employment arbitration regulation and, thus, enables employers to use employment arbitration agreements imposed on employees as a condition of employment as a means to evade the strictures of state employment regulation. Second, the article argues that, as a normative matter, the FAA should allow for consideration of the public interest in determining whether an employment arbitration agreement will be enforceable. Thus, in practice, the FAA should allow for consideration of the need for a worker to effectively vindicate her state statutory employment rights and for consideration of her ability to do so in arbitration. Finally, the article suggests a way forward. Specifically, the article proposes that Congress limit the FAA’s preemptive scope by carving out an exception to section 2 of the FAA that would allow states to regulate predispute employment arbitration agreements subject to the approval of the U.S. Department of Labor or a similar body. Pursuant to this reform, a state would be authorized to propose employment arbitration regulations tailored to the specifics of that state’s employment statutes. A federal overseer with expertise in employment law would be charged, however, with evaluating any such proposed employment arbitration regulation by balancing the federal interest in promoting arbitration agreements as written with the state interest in vindicating state statutory employment rights.
Controlling your outsourced application development with ALM

Purpose – This paper examines application lifecycle management (ALM) and how it can benefit the outsourcing of application development.Design/methodology/approach – This is a viewpoint paper.Findings – ALM products address the critical development needs of developers, IT managers, and CIOs by allowing all to function in a cohesive distributed environment with outsourced components.Originality/value – The paper will be of interest to managers involved in the outsourcing of application development.
The Myth of the Short-Haired Lesbian

ABSTRACT A number of myths and misperceptions related to images of lesbian beauty surround hair length. Short hair has become a symbol of being a lesbian, and many lesbians with long hair have felt pressured to cut theirs when they come out. For this essay, seven white lesbians were interviewed regarding their long hair. They describe how, in choosing not to cut their hair, or to grow it long again, they are not recognized or taken seriously as lesbians, both by other lesbians and by heterosexuals. They feel that they are perceived as heterosexual or bisexual, questioning, just coming out, trying to pass as straight, or buying into male-defined standards of female beauty. This is in part because many lesbians have rejected traditionally "feminine" images of beauty,Including long hair, and have placed a higher value on more "masculine" attributes,Including short hair. In doing so, however, lesbians are still reacting to male-defined images and standards, and may be internalizing and perpetuating sexism. As more and more different kinds of women are coming out as lesbian, it becomes necessary to avoid making assumptions based on a woman's hair length. The time has come to create new images of who and what lesbians are and can be, and new standards of lesbian beauty.
A Hybrid Model for Immune Inspired Network Intrusion Detection

This paper introduces a hybrid model for network intrusion detection that combines artificial immune system methods with conventional information security methods. The Network Threat Recognition with Immune Inspired Anomaly Detection, or NetTRIIAD, model incorporates misuse-based intrusion detection and network monitoring applications into an innate immune capability inspired by the immunological Danger Model. Experimentation on a prototype NetTRIIAD implementation demonstrates improved detection accuracy in comparison with misuse-based intrusion detection. Areas for future investigation and improvement to the model are also discussed.
Novel Location Tracking Energy Efficient Model for Robust Routing over Wireless Sensor Networks

Detecting the location of a mobile sensor node using signal strength has developed an area of dynamic research. The major issue in this situation curtails from the difficulty of how signals spread through space, particularly in the presence of hurdles such as people, walls and buildings. From another perspective, sensors are available with limited power capacity and energy resources. The signal strength guides the node to choose the right node for forwarding the data to the base station. In this paper, we propose a novel location tracking energy efficient (LTEE) model for wireless sensor networks. The presented model in this paper tracks the neighbor node based on the signal strength used for forwarding the data to the next-hop node. LTEE reduces energy consumption and prolongs the network lifetime. The simulation results demonstrated that LTEE consumed 8% to 12.5% less power as compared to other protocols.
Trace Gas Emissions

Trace gases are generally defined as those with low concentrations in the normal atmosphere. Many trace gases of interest are biogenic, produced and/or consumed by micro-organisms in soils, sediments, or water columns, or produced by plants and animals. Others are entirely synthetic and are a by-product of industrial activity.
Influence of gastrointestinal site of drug delivery on the absorption characteristics of ranitidine.

The absorption characteristics of ranitidine after delivery to three locations in the gastrointestinal tract were compared in an open-label study of eight healthy males. Subjects received ranitidine HCl (150 mg) for injection via a nasoenteric tube directly into their stomach, jejunum, or cecum sequentially in three separate periods (24 hr apart). Plasma samples were collected at periodic time intervals for 12 hr following each dosing and analyzed for ranitidine concentration by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Mean concentrations following cecal dosing were lower (P jejunal). Mean pharmacokinetic parameters for cecal administration were different (P < 0.05) from either the gastric or the jejunal periods with the exception of Tmax. There was no difference in any pharmacokinetic parameter after gastric or jejunal dosing. The relative bioavailability after cecal administration was less than 15% of that observed after administration into the stomach or jejunum. Additionally, Wagner-Nelson analysis indicated that the rate of ranitidine absorption was much slower following cecal administration than after gastric or jejunal dosing. Two plasma concentration peaks were observed in three of eight subjects after gastric dosing, in eight of eight subjects after jejunal dosing, and in zero of eight subjects after cecal dosing. These data demonstrate that the absorption profile of ranitidine is equivalent, in extent and duration, after delivery to the stomach or jejunum, while absorption from the cecum is significantly less. In addition, the two plasma concentration peaks commonly seen with ranitidine administration are not secondary to variations in gastric emptying as has been hypothesized.
Measurement tools and antidotes for non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants

Thrombosis is ubiquitous in medicine and society. It can either be protective, stemming blood loss following vascular injury (hemostasis) or life-threatening when occurring without good cause. Thrombosis occurring within an artery is the proximate etiology of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, affecting 750,000 and 1 million persons, respectively, each year in the United States. Thrombosis within a vein causes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, with up to 600,000 cases yearly and up to a 30 % case fatality rate if untreated. The burden of thrombosis in health care is the foundation for intense efforts to develop safe, effective and easily manageable alternatives to vitamin K-directed oral anticoagulants. Over the past decade, largescale clinical trials have convincingly documented their ability to prevent and treat venous and arterial thrombosis and to do so safely in appropriately selected patients. This special issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis is dedicated to answering two practical questions being asked by clinicians, hospitals and health care systems around the world. (1) How does one measure the anticoagulant effects of the new or contemporary nonvitamin K oral anticoagulants? and (2) What are the options for reversing the anticoagulant effects of these new drugs when overt bleeding occurs or it is anticipated because of trauma or a need for an invasive procedure? We have assembled a group of highly experienced clinicians and scientific investigators to answer these important questions, emphasizing drug pharmacology, the pathobiology of thrombosis in the context of common diseases, disorders and conditions, regulatory pathways for accelerated drug approval, patient decision-making tools, laboratory medicine, best available evidence and good clinical practice. Our primary objective is to educate and inform those who have dedicated themselves and their life’s’ work to preventing and treating patients with and those at risk for thrombosis.
A framework for enabling patient monitoring via mobile ad hoc network

A critical component of comprehensive patient monitoring is reliability in communication between the patients and the healthcare professionals without any time and location dependencies. Patient monitoring applications largely rely on infrastructure based wireless networks for signal transmission. However, infrastructure based wireless networks till date, suffer from unpredictable network coverage and have thus been attributed to the unpredictable communication reliability of patient monitoring applications. This research investigates an approach based on leveraging mobile ad hoc network to address the challenge of enhancing communication reliability in the context of patient monitoring. Mobile ad hoc network, formed among patient monitoring devices, has the potential of enhancing network coverage and enabling signal transmission from an area which has low or non-existent coverage from infrastructure based networks. In order to utilize mobile ad hoc network in the context of patient monitoring we propose (1) power management protocols that address the challenge of managing the low battery power of patient monitoring devices while maximizing communication reliability and (2) a framework that models the complex decision logic involved in leveraging mobile ad hoc network for diverse patient monitoring scenarios. Analytical evaluation of the proposed approach supports the premise that mobile ad hoc network formed among patient monitoring devices can enhance the reliability of signal transmission thereby improving the quality of patient monitoring applications. Technical and managerial implications of the research findings and the direction of future research are discussed.
Public Administration: Organizations, People, and Public Policy

The article reviews the book “Public Administration: Organizations, People, and Public Policy,” by Samuel J. Bernstein and Patrick O'Hara.
Space, politics and aesthetics

Mustafa Dikec's new book, Space, Politics and Aesthetics, lends momentum to a now frequent accommodation of aesthetics in political–geographical analyses of spaces of politics. To date, the relevan...
Potassium depletion and malignant transformation of villous adenomas of the colon and rectum.

Epidemiologic evidence suggests that a high potassium intake inhibits the development of cancer, and a high sodium intake increases the incidence of gastrointestinal malignancy. Once malignant transformation occurs the sodium/potassium ratio in the cancer cell increases to more than three times that of a normal cell. The ionic redistribution seen in the cancer cell is similar to that seen in the potassium-depleted state. The relationship between potassium depletion and the size at which villous adenomas of the large bowel undergo malignant transformation was examined in 144 patients. Villous adenomas containing invasive carcinoma were 40% smaller in potassium-depleted patients than in normal patients indicating that in the potassium-depleted state earlier malignant transformation had occurred. Cancer 53:1260-1264, 1984.
Effects of grazing and drought on population dynamics of salt desert shrub species on the Desert Experimental Range, Utah

Abstract We examined natality, mortality, and population turnover of dominant salt desert shrub species under different seasons (winter vs. spring) and intensities (light vs. heavy) of grazing during a drought period on the USDA Forest Service Desert Experimental Range in southwestern Utah. Species responses were more predictable from their life history and physiological traits than from past responses to grazing alone. Heavy or spring grazing increased mortality of Artemisia spinescens , a cool-season shrub susceptible to past grazing, and of Sporobolus cryptandrus and Atriplex confertifolia , a C 4 grass and shrub, respectively, that had increased under this grazing regime in the past. Light or winter grazing during this period increased survival and natality of S. cryptandrus , and of Ceratoides lanata , a shrub that had decreased in density but increased in cover under past grazing. Population turnover rates were generally positive for A. spinescens , but were highly negative for A. confertifolia in all but the heavy spring grazing treatment. A. confertifolia had exhibited high mortality during past droughts. C. lanata exhibited little population change reflecting past trends. Generally positive rates of turnover for the two grasses, S. cryptandrus and O. hymenoides , paralleled past trends, except in the spring-heavy treatment which had highly negative turnover rates. In a comparison of grass vs. shrub dominated vegetation types, C. lanata had higher mortality in grass dominated plots; O. hymenoides had higher mortality in shrub dominated plots. Both S. cryptandrus and O. hymenoides exhibited low or negative turnover rates for grazed plots within the shrub dominated type. Overall, light to moderate grazing and the removal of livestock before active physiological growth of cool season species had the least negative effects on population dynamics during a two-year drought period. This grazing regime increased survival or natality of certain species.
Dimensional stability and fluid sorption in porcelain base dentures

The two denture base materials that the dental profession has made the most use of are vulcanite and the acrylic resins. In 1839, Goodyear i discovered the vulcanization process and applied it to denture base construction, This constituted a major break-through in the history of dental materials. Vulcanite enjoyed a century of sucess before it was replaced I)y the acrylic resins. According to Peyton,’ Walter Wright, in 1937, was the first dentist to successfully introduce the use of acrylic resins as a denture base material. The success of acrylic resins is attes:ed to by its wide use. Porcelain, used as a denture base, has a history dating back to the 1700’s. The art of fusing porcelain was carried on in China in the ninth and tenth centuries, but not until 1774 was there a recorded attempt to use it as a denture base material. In that year, Duchateau,3 a French pharmacist, attempted to use porcelain in the construction of a denture base. Duchateau, in co-operation with Nicholas Dubois de Chemant,4 produced the first usable porcelain denture soon after this date. A porcelain denture, constructed by Loomis in 1854, is in the museum at New York University, School of Dentistry.5 In 1890, Charles H. Land, of Detroit, made porcelain dentures with platinum
Flawed Policy Assumptions and HOPE VI

The policy assumption that it is necessary to place middle-income families into lower-income neighborhoods to disrupt a culture of poverty is deeply flawed. To demonstrate this flaw, a HOPE VI redevelopment project located in the Northwest is profiled. Collective efficacy, which includes social capital, social networks and social control, and self-sufficiency, existed in this multiethnic public housing before HOPE VI. The findings demonstrate that these families experienced a sense of place and a strong work ethic with similar societal values as other income groups in this society.