cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IR spectroscopy at surfaces with synchrotron radiation

While electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is being developed to higher resolution, we have been developing infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) to lower frequencies using synchrotron radiation as the source. We present a review of these developments to date. Our present limit is 50 cm−1 and our resolution is 1 cm−1 (125 μeV). We can thus study bonding vibrational modes at a sufficiently high resolution to resolve isotope effects easily, and hence study coupling. As an example of the latter, we discuss COCu. Our absolute source has also enabled us to observe dynamics that are not confined to the frequencies of the vibrational modes of the adsorbates, and which in some cases are coupled to dipole-forbidden modes. As examples, we report experiments for CO and HCu and for COPt, which are compared to a theory formulated by Persson in which the dielectric response of the substrate is seen as playing a crucial role.
Regulation of SRC-3 (pCIP/ACTR/AIB-1/RAC-3/TRAM-1) Coactivator Activity by IκB Kinase

In the past few years, many nuclear receptor coactivators have been identified and shown to be an integral part of receptor action. The most frequently studied of these coactivators are members of the steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) family, SRC-1, TIF2/GRIP1/SRC-2, and pCIP/ACTR/AIB-1/RAC-3/TRAM-1/SRC-3. In this report, we describe the biochemical purification of SRC-1 and SRC-3 protein complexes and the subsequent identification of their associated proteins by mass spectrometry. Surprisingly, we found association of SRC-3, but not SRC-1, with the IκB kinase (IKK). IKK is known to be responsible for the degradation of IκB and the subsequent activation of NF-κB. Since NF-κB plays a key role in host immunity and inflammatory responses, we therefore investigated the significance of the SRC-3-IKK complex. We demonstrated that SRC-3 was able to enhance NF-κB-mediated gene expression in concert with IKK. In addition, we showed that SRC-3 was phosphorylated by the IKK complex in vitro. Furthermore, elevated SRC-3 phosphorylation in vivo and translocation of SRC-3 from cytoplasm to nucleus in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha occurred in cells, suggesting control of subcellular localization of SRC-3 by phosphorylation. Finally, the hypothesis that SRC-3 is involved in NF-κB-mediated gene expression is further supported by the reduced expression of interferon regulatory factor 1, a well-known NF-κB target gene, in the spleens of SRC-3 null mutant mice. Taken together, our results not only reveal the IKK-mediated phosphorylation of SRC-3 to be a regulated event that plays an important role but also substantiate the role of SRC-3 in multiple signaling pathways.
Gender differences in criminal intent: examining the mediating influence of anticipated shaming

Research finds males to have a higher likelihood of offending than females. Dominant explanations of the gender/crime relationship tend to invoke strain, learning, and control theories, but we propose that part of the relationship is attributable to differences in anticipated shaming. We test this argument using data collected from a sample of 439 young adults. Results of both Tobit regressions and path analyses support our hypothesis, suggesting that anticipated shaming may actually mediate more of the gender/crime relationship than do variables derived from alternative perspectives. Implications for understanding and controlling crime are discussed.
Anomaly detection using ensembles

We show that using random forests and distance-based outlier partitioning with ensemble voting methods for supervised learning of anomaly detection provide similar accuracy results when compared to the same methods without partitioning. Further, distance-based outlier and one-class support vector machine partitioning and ensemble methods for semi-supervised learning of anomaly detection also compare favorably to the corresponding nonensemble methods. Partitioning and ensemble methods would be required for very large datasets that need distributed computing approaches. ROC curves often show significant improvement from increased true positives in the low false positive range for ensemble methods used on several datasets.
Quantification and Scaling of Infiltration and Percolation from a Constructed Wetland

AbstractEfforts to prevent temperature increases in streams and rivers have led to regulation of the maximum permissible temperature for wastewater discharges. Hyporheic discharge treatment, where warm wastewater is allowed to infiltrate into the soil and percolate toward the stream, has been proposed as an alternative management practice, potentially providing increased streamflow at decreased temperature. To assess the feasibility of such a system, a pilot study was performed in which groundwater level, temperature, and chemistry were monitored to characterize percolation from a 0.15-ha infiltration wetland. The temperature patterns suggested that water seepage rates exceeded 1.6 md−1 near the wetland, while the chemistry data indicated that infiltrated water had laterally percolated more than 100 m during the study period. The water level and temperature measurements were also used to calibrate a software model. Observations and simulations showed that the local water table became directly connected t...
Alterations in Airway Dynamics following Inhalation of Ultrasonic Mist

In three separately designed studies, ultrasonically nebulized mists of distilled water, normal saline and 5 percent saline were administered to normal healthy subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The normal subjects reacted to the inhalation of distilled water and 5 percent die with slight irritative cough but no change was observed in the values of WC, FEVl 0, airway resistance and pulmonary compliance following inhalation of any of the mists. The patients with COPD, however, complained of increased cough and wheezing with died water and 5 percent saline mist. In addition there was slight increase in airway resistance in tbose patients who tolerated the ultrasonic mist poorly, especially when 5 percent saline aerosol was used. These side effects of mist inhalation in the COPD patients were generally of short duration and could be reversed with inhalation of isoproterenol (Isuprel) combined with coughing and raising of sputum. Further, subjective tolerance of inhaled mist by the COPD patients was better and increase in airway obstruction less marked when the ultrasonic mist was inhaled at nebulizer outputs below 3.0 ml/min; at 6.0 ml/min output from the nebulizer, the ultrasonic mist was visually very dense and patients were unable to breathe the same comfortably. It is therefore suggested that patients with COPD receiving ultrasonic mists for any reason be closely monitored and the quantity of the inhaled mist adjusted to a suitable therapeutic level, preferably below 3.0 ml/min nebulizer output, which is comfortable for the patient. ltrasonic mist is commonly used in clinical U practice to increase the humidi6cation of the inspired air. The motive force for nebulization of liquids is the high frequency vibrational energy generated by a piezoelectric crystal, which in turn yields a mist, the volume output of which can be varied between 0.5 ml and 6.0 ml per minute.'s2 While the clinical applicatio~ of ultrasonic mist therapy and its beneficial effects are well recogni~ed,~ more recent studies reported by Cheney and Butlei' and Pflug and co-workers5 showed an increase in airways obstruction following inhalation of ultrasonic mist in patients with chronic obstruc
Effect of body composition on metabolic responses to carbohydrate feeding in males during exposure to 8, 12, and 27°C

The effect of body composition on thermoregulation in response to a feeding regime was evaluated in eight male volunteers (21–27 years of age) during 120 min of exposure at 8, 12, and 27°C. Subjects were divided with respect to body fat [high fat (HF) = 19–28%, N = 4: low fat (LF) = 10–15%, N = 4] and randomly assigned the three air temperature conditions twice to examine the thermogenic effect of a sequential timed feeding regime of either a carbohydrate (CHO) or placebo (PL) beverage during exposure. Tissue insulation ( I ), rectal temperature (T re ), mean skin temperature (T sk ), metabolism (M), and respiratory exchange ratio (R) were examined. T re , T sk , M, and I revealed no significant differences between treatment (PL vs. CHO) at any temperature (8, 12, or 27°C). However, pooled T sk at 27°C, and pooled I at 12°C revealed significant (p .05) differences between the LF and HF groups. In addition, at 8, 12, and 27°C, pooled T re , T sk , and I decreased (p .05) during the length of exposure, whereas pooled M increased (p .05) at 8 and 12°C. Pooled R increased during the length of exposure (p .05) at 8 and 12°C and differed (p .05) between the LF and HF groups at 8°C only. From these data, it appears that whereas substrate utilization differed between dietary treatment (8°C) and across time (8 and 12°C), there was a differential effect between LF and HF groups (T sk at 27°C and I at 12°C) that was not influenced by feeding regime.
Rethinking American Conservatism: Toward a New Narrative

Kim Phillips-Fein provides a model essay in which she assays the current literature, discerns trends, and suggests new areas of research for the field of postwar American conser vatism. By their nature, historiographical essays do not lend themselves to proposing new historical narratives; instead they indicate ways to broaden the existing narrative through further research. Specifically, Phillips-Fein suggests further research in the intellectual roots of American conservatism, asserts the importance of placing conservatism within a larger context that includes American liberalism in the postwar period, and emphasizes the centrality of understanding the actual politics that shaped conservatism as it gained power within the Republican party and the government. Phillips-Fein astutely notes that George H. Nash’s The Conservative Intellectual Tradition since 1945, published nearly thirty-five years ago, remains unchallenged, but recent studies on Ayn Rand, southern agrarians, black conservative intellectuals, neoconservatives, jurisprudence, and supply-side and rational-choice economics reveal the limitations of Nash’s focus and his “fusionist” interpretation. More importantly, she finds that “the most serious problems that historians face today in thinking about the Right have to do with its origins,” and she asks whether conservatism did truly “begin only in the postwar years.” She cites an array of historians who have found strong antiradical, anticommunist, and antistatist activity in the early twentieth century. 1 Transposing contemporary political labels to earlier periods in history presents obvious problems. Indeed, conservatives themselves are divided about whether Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were conservatives. In his 1953 book The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot, Russell Kirk included antebellum apologists for slavery and defenders of states’ rights within the conservative tradition. More recently, Patrick Allitt located Theodore Roosevelt within the conservative camp. Nomenclature can be debatable, but political terms, ideology, and party struggle must be placed historically, and scholars must guard against imposing contemporary labels on past actors or movements. The discovery
Exchange market equilibria with leontief’s utility: freedom of pricing leads to rationality

This paper studies the equilibrium property and algorithmic complexity of the exchange market equilibrium problem with concave piecewise linear functions, which include linear and Leontief's utility functions as special cases. We show that the Fisher model again reduces to the weighted analytic center problem, and the same linear programming complexity bound applies to computing its equilibrium. However, the story for the Arrow-Debreu model with Leontief's utility becomes quite different. We show that, for the first time, solving this class of Leontief exchange economies is equivalent to solving a linear complementarity problem whose algorithmic complexity is finite but not polynomially bounded.
REINFORCEMENT OF ELASTIC STRUCTURES IN THE PRESENCE OF IMPERFECT INTERFACIAL BONDING

The 2D problem of plane strain is considered in the presence of imperfectly bonded elastic reinforcements. A geometric criterion on the shape and size of the elastic reinforcement is found that determines when the effects of imperfect bonding overcome the benefits of the reinforcement. The criterion is given in terms of the surface traction-to-bulk stress quotient. This quantity is defined by an eigenvalue problem posed on the surface of the reinforcement.
AGE restriction in diabetes mellitus: a paradigm shift

Persistently elevated oxidative stress and inflammation precede or occur during the development of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and precipitate devastating complications. Given the rapidly increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus and obesity in the space of a few decades, new genetic mutations are unlikely to be the cause, instead pointing to environmental initiators. A hallmark of contemporary culture is a preference for thermally processed foods, replete with pro-oxidant advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). These molecules are appetite-increasing and, thus, efficient enhancers of overnutrition (which promotes obesity) and oxidant overload (which promotes inflammation). Studies of genetic and nongenetic animal models of diabetes mellitus suggest that suppression of host defenses, under sustained pressure from food-derived AGEs, may potentially shift homeostasis towards a higher basal level of oxidative stress, inflammation and injury of both insulin-producing and insulin-responsive cells. This sequence promotes both types of diabetes mellitus. Reducing basal oxidative stress by AGE restriction in mice, without energy or nutrient change, reinstates host defenses, alleviates inflammation, prevents diabetes mellitus, vascular and renal complications and extends normal lifespan. Studies in healthy humans and in those with diabetes mellitus show that consumption of high amounts of food-related AGEs is a determinant of insulin resistance and inflammation and that AGE restriction improves both. This Review focuses on AGEs as novel initiators of oxidative stress that precedes, rather than results from, diabetes mellitus. Therapeutic gains from AGE restriction constitute a paradigm shift.
Dictyostelium development shows a novel pattern of evolutionary conservation.

von Baer’s law states that early stages of animal development are the most conserved. More recent evidence supports a modified “hourglass” pattern in which an early but somewhat later stage is most conserved. Both patterns have been explained by the relative complexity of either temporal or spatial interactions; the greatest conservation and lowest evolvability occur at the time of the most complex interactions, because these cause larger effects that are harder for selection to alter. This general kind of explanation might apply universally across independent multicellular systems, as supported by the recent finding of the hourglass pattern in plants. We use RNA-seq expression data from the development of the slime mold Dictyostelium to demonstrate that it does not follow either of the two canonical patterns but instead tends to show the strongest conservation and weakest evolvability late in development. We propose that this is consistent with a version of the spatial constraints model, modified for organisms that never achieve a high degree of developmental modularity.
Upwelling along the coasts of Java and Sumatra and its relation to ENSO

Upwelling along the Java-Sumatra Indian Ocean coasts is a response to regional winds associated with the monsoon climate. The upwelling center with low sea surface temperature migrates westward and toward the equator during the southeast monsoon (June to October). The migration path depends on the seasonal evolution of alongshore winds and latitudinal changes in the Coriolis parameter. Upwelling is eventually terminated due to the reversal of winds associated with the onset of the northwest monsoon and impingement of Indian Ocean equatorial Kelvin waves. Significant interannual variability of the Java-Sumatra upwelling is linked to ENSO through the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) and by anomalous easterly wind. During El Nino episodes, the Java-Sumatra upwelling extends in both time (into November) and space (closer to the equator). During El Nino (La Nina), the ITF carries colder (warmer) water shallowing (deepening) thermocline depth and enhancing (reducing) upwelling strength.
Progesterone suppresses the mTOR pathway and promotes generation of induced regulatory T cells with increased stability.

While induced FoxP3(+) T cells (iTreg cells) are promising cellular therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases, a limitation in utilizing iTreg cells prepared in vitro is their low stability in inflammatory conditions. Progesterone (P4) is an immune regulatory nuclear hormone with a potent Treg induction activity. We reasoned that this function of progesterone would be utilized to generate iTreg cells with highly suppressive activity and improved stability in vivo. Here we generated iTreg cells with progesterone in vitro and found that progesterone generates iTreg cells that are highly stable in inflammatory conditions. Moreover, P4-induced iTreg cells highly express latency-associated peptide TGF-β1 and are efficient in regulating inflammation in multiple tissues, whereas control iTreg cells induced with TGF-β1 alone are less stable and ineffective in suppressing inflammation. The function of progesterone in inducing iTreg cells with improved regulatory activity is associated with the function of P4 in suppressing the mTOR pathway. Moreover, the function of progesterone in inducing FoxP3(+) T cells is decreased but not completely abolished on nuclear progesterone receptor-deficient T cells, suggesting that both nuclear and nonnuclear progesterone receptors are involved in mediating the function. We conclude that P4 can be utilized to generate iTreg cells with a high therapeutic potential in treatment of tissue inflammation.
Low-molecular-weight heparins for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome and venous thromboembolism in patients with chronic renal insufficiency

The clinical management of patients with renal insufficiency who develop an acute coronary syndrome or venous thromboembolism is a common clinical scenario that is problematic because of the lack of well-designed randomized trials assessing management strategies in such patients. Impaired renal function is common in patients who develop thromboembolic disorders, particularly in elderly patients in whom renal insufficiency is under-recognized. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs), which are the most widely used anticoagulant for the treatment of patients with an acute coronary syndrome or venous thromboembolism, are eliminated primarily by the kidney and, therefore, pose treatment challenges in patients with impaired renal function. However, there is emerging evidence regarding the use of LMWHs in patients with impaired renal function suggesting that some preparations may be safe in such patients. The objective of this review is to discuss the clinical management of patients with renal insufficiency who develop an acute coronary syndrome or venous thromboembolism, and to explore similarities and differences of LMWHs when used in this clinical setting.
All solutions to the positive real version of the Parrott's problem

In this paper, a new formula for all solutions Q to the matrix inequality problem herm{R+UQV/sup T/}>0 is derived. The derivation does not involve a bilinear sector transformation of the Parrott's theorem, and leads to a parameterization of all solutions Q with only one free matrix as opposed to several matrices given in Gabinet et al. (1994) and Iwasaki et al. (1994). The other favorable property of our result is that the expression for all solutions is computationally less costly due to fewer square root and inverse operations involving lower dimensioned matrices compared to previously reported results.
Who Gets Out? Gender as Structure and the Dissolution of Violent Heterosexual Relationships

This article applies a structuralist perspective on gender to investigate predictors of marital dissolution among men and women who are victimized by partner violence. Using panel data from the first and second waves of the National Survey of Families and Households, the study investigates the question of whether the differential positioning of heterosexual women and men in the structure of gender inequality affects their likelihood of getting out of two types of violent relationships—those characterized by minor/symmetrical violence and those characterized by severe/asymmetrical violence. Results indicate that the odds of leaving a violent relationship are affected by some indicators of structural gender inequality, particularly economic dependency, and that there are differences in the factors that predict dissolution between the two types of violence.
Sequence-specific fragmentation of macronuclear DNA in a holotrichous ciliate

Abstract Macronuclear DNA from the protozoan G. chattoni, a holotrichous ciliate, was analyzed. Most, if not all, of the macronuclear DNA is subchromosomal, ranging in size from above 100 kb down to 2.1 kb, with molecules in the lower molecular weight range being resolvable by gel electrophoresis into reproducible, specific, discrete size classes. A prominent class of linear 9.3 kb molecules consists of single free rRNA genes. Upon denaturation and partial renaturation, a high percentage of total macronuclear DNA was found as single-stranded circles. Sequence analysis showed that a minimum of 38 tandem repeats of the sequence CCCCAA is present in inverted orientation at each end of most or all Glaucoma macronuclear DNA molecules, including the rDNA. This sequence must therefore be recognized during site-specific fragmentation of chromosomes in macronuclear development.
Oestrogen and the sexual dimorphism of pulmonary arterial hypertension: a translational challenge

The striking female predominance in idiopathic and familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been well documented since the publication of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) registry in 1987 [1]. In the majority of PAH registries, females are at least twice as likely to be represented as males, with female to male ratios as high as four to one [2–6]. Notably, these sex differences are not fully explained by a differential distribution of known risk factors for PAH by sex, such as autoimmune disease or anorexigen exposure. Taken together, these epidemiological data suggest that other sex-associated factors, including sex hormones, may influence PAH pathogenesis. Endogenous and exogenous sex hormone exposures represent a biologically plausible potential risk factor for PAH. Sex hormones determine in utero organ development, drive tissue-specific changes in early life and exert an evolving influence across the life span as their absolute and relative concentrations shift [7]. There can be no doubt that sex hormones, with their ability to modulate vascular tone, inflammation and remodelling, play a fundamental role in determining cardiovascular phenotypes [8]. Emerging data on the importance of sex hormones in animal models of pulmonary hypertension provide tantalising evidence that the pulmonary vascular phenotype of an organism is dependent upon these pleiotropic signalling molecules [9, 10]. In this issue of the European Respiratory Journal , Yuan et al. [11] demonstrate that monocrotaline (MCT) creates an oestrogen-deficient state in rats characterised by low plasma oestradiol (E2) and altered pulmonary expression of oestrogen receptors and enzymes responsible for E2 anabolism (reduced) and catabolism (increased). In the absence of sufficient endogenous ( i.e. post-ovariectomy) or exogenous oestradiol, a pro-proliferative, anti-apoptotic and vasoconstrictive phenotype emerges that is mediated in part via reduced nitric oxide and prostacyclin, and increased endothelin. Rescue of the …
Building image-based electronic editions using the edition production technology

We demonstrate the Edition Production Technology (EPT), an integrated development environment for building Image-based Electronic Editions (IBEE). EPT is developed in Java on top of Eclipse platform and benefits from the openness of Eclipse's plugin architecture and its portability (currently EPT runs on Windows XP, Linux, and Mac OS X). EPT provides software support for building image-based digital libraries of historic documents. Starting with high resolution images of manuscripts and transcriptions of them, EPT tools provide support for creating XML encoding of the electronic edition, searching the electronic edition, linking text and images, and publishing the electronic edition (using filters and XSLT).
Social Adjustment of Children Successfully Treated for Cancer

Compared 56 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years to a sample of healthy controls. All cancer patients had been treated between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Children completed the Self-Perception Profile for children and questionnaires assessing social adjustment. Parent and teacher ratings were also obtained. The cancer patients reported greater feelings of isolation than the controls but otherwise few differences were noted. There were few differences between cancer patients and controls in the teacher and parent report. Results are discussed in terms of the need to investigate behavioral sequelae of childhood illness and directions for future research.
Range image registration: A software platform and empirical evaluation

Building 3D models of real-world objects by assembling views taken by a range sensor promises to be a more efficient method than manually producing CAD drawings. In this technique, a series of range images are acquired and then registered or aligned with each other to a high degree of accuracy. Finally, the polygonal meshes corresponding to the range images are merged to form a complete 3D model consisting of a single mesh. Many techniques have been proposed to solve the registration problem; however, little work has been done to date to compare several registration algorithms with the same sets of data. In this paper, we examine a software test-bed built for performing such comparisons. Within this test-bed, we have implemented several common registration algorithm variants to the baseline Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm and tested them on partially overlapping range images taken from four different objects.
Dynamics of polynucleotide transport through nanometre-scale pores

The transport of biopolymers through large membrane channels is a ubiquitous process in biology. It is central to processes such as gene transfer by transduction and RNA transport through nuclear pore complexes. The transport of polymers through nanoscopic channels is also of interest to physicists and chemists studying the effects of steric, hydrodynamic, and electrostatic interactions between polymers and confining walls. Single-channel ion current measurements have been recently used to study the transport of biopolymers, and in particular single-stranded DNA and RNA molecules, through nanometre-size channels. Under the influence of an electric field, the negatively charged polynucleotides can be captured and drawn through the channel in a process termed 'translocation'. During translocation, the ion current flowing through the channel is mostly blocked, indicating the presence of the polymer inside the channel. The current blockades were found to be sensitive to the properties of the biopolymers such as their nucleotide composition, length, and secondary structure, and to physical parameters such as the driving field intensity, temperature, and ionic strength. These blockades are therefore a rich source of information regarding the dynamics of polynucleotides in the pore. The translocation process is separated into its two main steps: (a) polymer 'capture' in which one of the polymer's ends is threaded a small distance through the channel, and (b) polymer sliding through the channel. The experimental and theoretical efforts to elucidate polymer capture and the transport dynamics of biopolymers in nanoscopic pores are reviewed in this article.
Interplay between kinesin-1 and cortical dynein during axonal outgrowth and microtubule organization in Drosophila neurons

In this study, we investigated how microtubule motors organize microtubules in Drosophila neurons. We showed that, during the initial stages of axon outgrowth, microtubules display mixed polarity and minus-end-out microtubules push the tip of the axon, consistent with kinesin-1 driving outgrowth by sliding antiparallel microtubules. At later stages, the microtubule orientation in the axon switches from mixed to uniform polarity with plus-end-out. Dynein knockdown prevents this rearrangement and results in microtubules of mixed orientation in axons and accumulation of microtubule minus-ends at axon tips. Microtubule reorganization requires recruitment of dynein to the actin cortex, as actin depolymerization phenocopies dynein depletion, and direct recruitment of dynein to the membrane bypasses the actin requirement. Our results show that cortical dynein slides 'minus-end-out' microtubules from the axon, generating uniform microtubule arrays. We speculate that differences in microtubule orientation between axons and dendrites could be dictated by differential activity of cortical dynein.
Modeling of Resonant Hole-Burning Spectra in Excitonically Coupled Systems: The Effects of Energy-Transfer Broadening

Resonant hole-burned (HB) spectra provide detailed insight into optical line shapes and single-site absorption spectra. In this work, a new method is presented for modeling low-fluence resonant HB spectra in excitonically coupled systems. Our calculations make use of the line shape theory of Renger and Marcus [J. Chem. Phys. 2002, 116, 9997−10019] to include explicitly the effects of excitonic interactions and energy transfer. We find that an accurate treatment of lifetime broadening is crucial for reproducing resonant hole shapes and zero-phonon action spectra. Representative spectra are calculated for a series of simple dimers, with a description and physical explanation of the main features of the calculated spectra. Qualitatively, the results are in excellent agreement with experimental literature data. It is anticipated that the new method will provide both more detailed insight into the excitonic information encoded in resonant HB spectra and a means of testing theoretical treatments of excitonic op...
Impacts of Geographic Distance on Peritoneal Dialysis Utilization: Refining Models of Treatment Selection.

Objective To examine the relationship between distance to dialysis provider and patient selection of dialysis modality, informed by the absolute distance from a patient's home and relative distance of alternative modalities. Data Sources U.S. Renal Data System. Study Design About 70,131 patients initiating chronic dialysis and 4,795 dialysis facilities in 2006. The primary outcome was patient utilization of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Independent variables included absolute distance between patients' home and the nearest hemodialysis (HD) facility, relative distance between patients' home and nearest PD versus nearest HD facilities, and their interaction. Logistic regression was used to model distance on PD use, controlling for patient and market characteristics. Principal Findings Nine percent of incident dialysis patients used PD in 2006. There was a positive, nonlinear relationship between absolute distance to HD services and PD use (p < .0001), with the magnitude of the effect increasing at greater distances. In terms of relative distance, odds of PD use increased if a PD facility was closer or the same distance as the nearest HD facility (p = .006). Interaction of distance measures to dialysis facilities was not significant. Conclusions Analyses of patient choice between alternative treatments should model distance to reflect all relevant dimensions of geographic access to treatment options.
Long-term Effect Analysis of Different Control Measures of Filariasis

Objective To know long-term effect of different control measures after basic elimination of filariasis.Method A series of measures were conducted including filariasis residual reservoir searching,mass chemotherapy,surveillance to the mass at high risk and investigation of chronic cases of filariasis.Result Nine of 349 persons once detected with the worm in their blood were found positive one years after basic elimination of filariasis in Jiajiang county,and 2 and 15 cases detected positive at the early three year after basic elimination of filariasis,in which 1 and 12 cases were newly identified in Junlian county and Jiajiang county,respectively.Conclusion At the early period after basic elimination of filariasis,the transmission of filariasis remained to some extent.After a series of control measures were conducted,there were no newly-detected native filariasis cases.These results were proved by the followed surveillance activites after complete elimination of filariasis.The results revealed that long-term effect of control measures of filariasis used in this paper was obvious.
Humanism and the Perfection of the Management of Teachers

The management of teachers is the basic job of the school as well as the school authority. It will directly affect the outcome of the school and the quality of schooling. Furthermore, it is the key point of life and death to the school. According to the character of the management of teachers, if we adopt the theory of humanism and follow the administrative mode of depending on teachers, respecting teachers can be mobilized to the utmost. Thus the task of teaching and education can be fulfilled.
Dissemination of evidence-based cancer control interventions among Catholic faith-based organizations: results from the CRUZA randomized trial.

The CRUZA randomized trial tested the efficacy of an organizational-level intervention to increase the capacity of Catholic faith-based organizations (FBOs) serving Latinos to implement evidence-based strategies (EBS) for cancer control. Thirty-one Catholic parishes were enrolled. Twenty were randomized to a “capacity enhancement” (CE) intervention and 11 to a “standard dissemination” (SD) condition. Each received a Program Implementation Manual and Toolkit of materials culturally adapted for FBOs with Latino audiences for five types of EBS recommended by the US Preventive Services Community Guide. CE parishes were offered a menu of capacity-building activities over a 3-month period, while SD parishes were provided a one-time consultation by an Intervention Specialist. Baseline and follow-up surveys compared the number and types of EBS offered. At baseline, only one parish had offered any cancer-related program in the prior year, yet a third (36 %) had offered some other type of health program or service. At post-intervention follow-up, all parishes offered a greater number of EBS. The only statistically significant difference between CE and SD groups was the number of parishes offering small media interventions (90 % in CE, 64 % in SD; p < 0.05). All parishes increased the number of cancer control activities offered to their members. These findings suggest that Catholic parishes may already have capacity to implement EBS if they are appropriately adapted and packaged and may only require low levels of support to carry out programming. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which program offerings continued after the period of grant funding. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01740219 .
Penile Pharmacocavernosography and Cavernosometry in the Evaluation of Impotence

Abstract Within the past few years, veno-occlusion of the corpora cavernosa has become generally recognized as an essential prerequisite for adequate penile erection. Veno-occlusive incompetence is suspected to be a frequent cause of impotence. Our recent experience with cavernosography in two normal volunteers and 36 impotent patients indicates that angiography is reliable in evaluating the competence of the veno-occlusive mechanism only if both pharmacocavernosography (PCG) and pharmacocavernosometry (PCM) are applied. Twenty minutes after intracavernosal (IC) injection of a mixture of 60 mg. papaverine and one mg. phentolamine (regitine), 100 ml. of diluted radiographic contrast medium are infused at the rate of one or two ml./sec. while pressure is recorded, and radiographic films are exposed at the rate of one every eight to 15 seconds. PCM and PCG of the corpora cavernosa indicated the overall degree of competence of the cavernosal veno-occlusive mechanisms, and the sites of veno-occlusive incompetence; non-phar-macologic studies were unreliable in these regards. During non-pharmacologic infusion in normals, pressures rose to 40 to 45 mm. Hg, and free efflux could be visualized from multiple venous systems. After pharmacologic injection in normals, all venous channels closed, and pressures rapidly rose toward or above 200 mm. Hg, at which time the infusion was stopped. Veno-occlusive incompetence was defined angiographically when more than minimal efflux occurred during pharmacocavernosography from any venous system. The incompetence could involve the deep penile system, the deep dorsal system, or the spongiosal system, alone or in combination. Severe veno-occlusive incompetence was considered diagnostic of venogenic impotence, and was defined manometrically when IC pressures failed to exceed 100 mm. Hg during infusion of 100 ml. of fluid at 2 mm./second after IC papaverine and phentolamine injection. We believe these angiographic methods will improve the criteria against which other diagnostic and therapeutic methods can be assessed.
Decontamination of Fluid Milk Containing Bacillus Spores Using Commercial Household Products

Although commercial sanitizers can inactivate bacterial spores in food processing environments, relatively little data exist as to the decontamination of products and surfaces by consumers using commercial household products. Should a large scale bioterrorism incident occur in which consumer food products were contaminated with a pathogenic sporeformer such as Bacillus anthracis, there may be a need to decontaminate these products before disposal as liquid or solid waste. Studies were conducted to test the efficacy of commercial household products for inactivating spores of Bacillus cereus (used as a surrogate for B. anthracis) in vitro and in fluid milk. Validation of the resistance of the B. cereus spores was confirmed with B. anthracis spores. Fifteen commercial products, designed as either disinfectants or sanitizers or as potential sanitizers, were purchased from retail markets. Products selected had one of the following active compounds: NaOCl, HCl, H2O2, acetic acid, quaternary ammonium compounds, ammonium hydroxide, citric acid, isopropanol, NaOH, or pine oil. Compounds were diluted in water (in vitro) or in 2% fat fluid milk, and spores were exposed for up to 6 h. Products containing hypochlorite were most effective against B. cereus spores. Products containing HCl or H2O2 also reduced significant numbers of spores but at a slower rate. The resistance of spores of surrogate B. cereus strains to chlorine-containing compounds was similar to that of B. anthracis spores. Therefore, several household products on the market may be used to decontaminate fluid milk or similar food products contaminated by spores of B. anthracis.
Structural and Functional Characteristics of Human Melanoma

Publisher Summary This chapter presents structural and functional characteristics of human melanoma. Human malignant melanoma provides an excellent model system for studying mechanisms of transformation and tumor progression. The fact that normal melanocytes and cells from different stages of melanoma progression can be cultured under defined conditions has facilitated the determination and, thus, the correlation of their biological characteristics to melanoma progression in vivo . Although melanoma cells produce a variety of growth factors and growth-factor receptors, only basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) appears to have a clear autocrine role. The ability to change the confirmation of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions is another feature of melanoma cells. With increasing tumor progression, melanoma cells gain more competence for extracellular matrix (ECM) protein production and adhesion-molecule expression, allowing interaction with a variety of different ECM compositions. Differential expression of cell-surface structures, like MHC molecules, may enable melanoma cells to circumvent the mechanisms of immune surveillance.
4 - Hypophysial Grafts beneath the Renal Capsule: A Model to Study Endocrine Control Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the preparation of allografts of pituitary tissue beneath the renal capsule of the Golden Syrian hamster, and a synopsis of the utility of the model for studying endocrine control systems. Grafting pituitary tissue into ectopic sites in a variety of hosts is used as a model to study diverse physiological control systems and the genesis of pathological states. The use of pituitary allografts also contributes to the understanding of the development of the adenohypophysis. The results contributed to the understanding of the development of other pituitary cell types. Donor hypophyses removed from neonatal hamsters contain abundant somatotrophs, but are virtually devoid of lactotrophs. Pituitary allografts are used to provide prolactin (PRL) replacement with accompanying minimal amounts of other pituitary hormones in hypophysectomized hosts or to produce hyperprolactinernia in almost any type of host. The majority of studies using pituitary allografts in any species utilize the ability to manipulate circulating PRL levels to study the physiological and pathological roles of PRL. The preponderance of studies dealt with PRL and reproduction. This chapter has culminated in the acceptance of PRL's role in the maintenance of pregnancy, regulation of the mammary gland, regulation of gonadal receptors for gonadotrophins, and controlling gonadotrophin secretion. Thus, the pituitary-grafted animal proves to be quite valuable in studying the many actions of PRL.
A preliminary benchmark of four saliency algorithms on comic art

Predicting the salient regions of a comic book panel has the potential to drive a variety of applications such as segmentation, cropping, effects such as moves on stills, etc. Computational saliency algorithms have been widely tested on a variety of natural images, and extensively benchmarked. We report the performance of four saliency algorithms on a set of comic panels taken from public domain legacy comics. We find that a data-driven method performs highest based on two metrics, Normalized Scanpath Saliency and Area Under the Curve. We discuss possible reasons for this finding based on an exploratory analysis of the similarity between the comic images in our dataset and images used in the dataset of the data driven method.
Bounding the solutions of parametric weakly coupled second‐order semilinear parabolic partial differential equations

Summary In this paper, two novel techniques for bounding the solutions of parametric weakly coupled second-order semilinear parabolic partial differential equations are developed. The first provides a theorem to construct interval bounds, while the second provides a theorem to construct lower bounds convex and upper bounds concave in the parameter. The convex/concave bounds can be significantly tighter than the interval bounds because of the wrapping effect suffered by interval analysis in dynamical systems. Both types of bounds are computationally cheap to construct, requiring solving auxiliary systems twice and four times larger than the original system, respectively. An illustrative numerical example of bound construction and use for deterministic global optimization within a simple serial branch-and-bound algorithm, implemented numerically using interval arithmetic and a generalization of McCormick's relaxation technique, is presented. Problems within the important class of reaction-diffusion systems may be optimized with these tools. © 2016 The Authors. Optimal Control Applications and Methods published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Variability: Dealing with Diversity

In this chapter, you will learn about variability , which may be defined as the extent to which the data values differ from each other (or differ from their average). Other terms that have a similar meaning include diversity, uncertainty, dispersion , and spread . You will see three different ways of summarizing the amount of the variability in a data set, all of which require numerical data: One: The standard deviation is the traditional choice and is the most widely used. It summarizes how far an observation typically is from the average. If you multiply the standard deviation by itself, you find the variance. Two: The range is quick and superficial and is of limited use. It summarizes the extent of the entire data set, using the distance from the smallest to the largest data value. Three: The coefficient of variation is the traditional choice for a relative (as opposed to an absolute) variability measure and is used moderately often. It summarizes how far an observation typically is from the average as a percentage of the average value, using the ratio of standard deviation to average. Finally, you will learn how rescaling the data (eg, converting from Japanese yen to U.S. dollars or from units produced to monetary cost) changes the variability.