cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of arylamine N-acetyltransferase in human intestine

Background —Arylamine N -acetyltransferases in humans (NAT1 and NAT2) catalyse the acetylation of arylamines including food derived heterocyclic arylamine carcinogens. Other substrates include the sulphonamide 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), which is an NAT1 specific substrate; N -acetylation of 5-ASA is a major route of metabolism. NAT1 and NAT2 are both polymorphic. Aims —To investigate NAT expression in apparently healthy human intestines in order to understand the possible role of NAT in colorectal cancer and in the therapeutic response to 5-ASA. Methods —The intestines of four organ donors were divided into eight sections. DNA was prepared for genotyping NAT1 and NAT2 and enzymic activities of NAT1 and NAT2 were determined in cytosols prepared from each section. Tissue was fixed for immunohistochemistry with specific NAT antibodies. Western blotting was carried out on all samples of cytosol and on homogenates of separated muscle and villi after microdissection. Results —NAT1 activity of all cytosols was greater than NAT2 activity. NAT1 and NAT2 activities correlated with the genotypes of NAT1 and NAT2 and with the levels of NAT1 staining determined by western blotting. The ratio of NAT1:NAT2 activities showed interindividual variations from 2 to 70. NAT1 antigenic activity was greater in villi than in muscle. NAT1 was detected along the length of the villi in the small intestine. In colon samples there was less NAT1 at the base of the crypts with intense staining at the tips. Conclusions —The interindividual variation in NAT1 and NAT2 in the colon could affect how individuals respond to exposure to specific NAT substrates including carcinogens and 5-ASA.
Cranial anatomy of the extinct amphisbaenian Rhineura hatcherii (Squamata, Amphisbaenia) based on high-resolution X-ray computed tomography.

The fossilized skull of a small extinct am- phisbaenian referable to Rhineura hatcherii Baur is de- scribed from high-resolution X-ray computed tomographic (HRXCT) imagery of a well-preserved mature specimen from the Brule Formation of Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Marked density contrast between bones and surrounding matrix and at bone-to-bone sutures en- abled the digital disarticulation of individual skull ele- ments. These novel visualizations provide insight into the otherwise inaccessible three-dimensionally complex struc- ture of the bones of the skull and their relationships to one another, and to the internal cavities and passageways that they enclose. This study corrects several previous misidentifications of elements in the rhineurid skull and sheds light on skull construction generally in "shovel- headed" amphisbaenians. The orbitosphenoids in R. hatcherii are paired and entirely enclosed within the braincase by the frontals; this is in contrast to the condi- tion in many extant amphisbaenians, in which a large azygous orbitosphenoid occupies a topologically distinct area of the skull, closing the anterolateral braincase wall. Rhineura hatcherii retains a vestigial jugal and a partially fused squamosal, both of which are absent in many extant species. Sculpturing on the snout of R. hatcherii repre- sents perforating canals conveying sensory innervation; thus, the face of R. hatcherii receives cutaneous innerva- tion to an unprecedented degree. The HRXCT data (avail- able at www.digimorph.org) corroborate and extend pre- vious hypotheses that the mechanical organization of the head in Rhineura is organized to a large degree around its burrowing lifestyle. J. Morphol. 000:000 - 000, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A study of the antifertility effect of intrauterine copper

Abstract The addition of a small quantity of metallic copper to an “inert” intrauterine contraceptive device has been shown by Zipper et al . (1) to enhance greatly the antifertility effect of the device. The two experiments described in this report were planned to elucidate the mechanism of contraceptive action of copper in the rat. In the first experiment, fertilized ova which had shared the intrauterine milieu with a segment of copper wire for 2–4 days and designated as copper-“influenced” blastocysts, were collected on day 5 of pregnancy and transferred into one uterine horn of a normal pseudopregnant recipient rat. Normal non-copper-“influenced” blastocysts were transferred into the other uterine horn which served as the control. The blastocysts in both recipient horns implanted and developed normally. In the second experiment, normal blastocysts were transferred into a uterine horn of a pseudopregnant rat which had contained a segment of copper wire for 3 days prior to the day of blastocyst transfer. The opposite uterine horn had not been “influenced” by copper, and thus served as the control. None of the blastocysts implanted in the copper-“influenced” horns, whereas normal implantation and development occurred in the non-copper-“influenced” contralateral horns. A copper-“influenced” blastocyst can be transferred into a normal uterus where it will implant and develop normally. The antifertility effect of intrauterine copper in the rat seems to be due to a local change in the intrauterine environment such that the blastocyst does not implant.
The Fitting of Straight Lines When both Variables are Subject to Error and the Ranks of the Means are Known

Abstract Two methods, one based upon grouping, are proposed for fltting a regression line to bivariate data when the means of the observations have known order along the line. The two procedures are compared with respect to their limiting distributions and asymptotic efficiency. Criteria are given for choosing one of these procedures to fit the line.
Differences in Characteristics of California Dentists Who Employ Dental Hygienists and Those Who Do Not

ABSTRACT Background Dental hygienists can increase dentists’ productivity, yet nationwide, one-third of dentists do not employ a hygienist. The profession needs more information on the characteristics of these dentists and their reasons for not employing hygienists. Methods The author used a 2003 survey of California dentists and a logistic regression analysis to assess factors independently associated with dentists’ employment of hygienists. These factors included dentists’ personal, practice, population, productivity and patient care characteristics. She also assessed characteristics of dentists who did not employ hygienists and their reasons for not doing so. Results Dentists who worked full time, employed more administrative personnel, had more operatories, had longer appointments, had more income from private payers and had more elderly patients were more likely to employ hygienists than were dentists with alternative characteristics. Graduates of dental schools outside the United States and those with fewer white patients were less likely to employ hygienists. Reasons for not employing hygienists included personal choice, high costs and not having a sufficient volume of work. Conclusions The author's findings suggested that in employing hygienists, dentists consider preferences, practice income and patient demand, among other factors. Further examination of reasons for employing hygienists is warranted. Practice Implications Hiring a hygienist increases a dental practice's patient capacity, yet not all dentists can or choose to do so. Policies aimed at increasing dental workforce capacity must take into account dentists’ characteristics and preferences.
TNFα blockade in human diseases: Mechanisms and future directions

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) antagonists have shown remarkable efficacy in a variety of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Therapeutic scope and limitations of these agents are reviewed in a recently published article in the Journal. In spite of their therapeutic popularity, little is known about their modes of action in vivo and factors that limit their scope of therapeutic use. Intriguingly, while all TNFα antagonists including blocking antibodies and soluble receptors are effective in certain IMIDs, only anti-TNFα antibodies are effective in other IMIDs. Early efforts at understanding how TNFα antagonists act in IMIDs centered on their ability to neutralize soluble TNFα or to block TNF receptors from binding to their ligands. Subsequent studies suggested a role of complement-mediated lysis or antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in their therapeutic effects. More recent models postulate that TNFα blockers may act by affecting intracellular signaling, with the end result being a hastened cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, suppression of cytokine production, or improved Treg cell function. TNFα antagonists can also modulate the functions of myofibroblasts and osteoclasts, which might explain how TNFα antagonists reduce tissue damage in chronic IMIDs. Focusing on the human therapeutic experience, this analytical review will review the biology of mechanisms of action, the limiting factors contributing to disease restriction in therapeutic efficacy, and the mechanism and frequency of treatment-limiting adverse responses of TNFα antagonists. It is hoped that the overview will address the needs of clinicians to decide on optimal use, spur clinical innovation, and incite translational researchers to set priorities for in vivo human investigations.
Neuromuscular blockers and ARDS: Thou shalt not breathe, move, or die!

In patients undergoing mechanical ventilation for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) may improve oxygenation and decrease ventilator-induced lung injury but may also cause muscle weakness.
Optimum torque control of permanent magnet AC machines in the field-weakened region

This paper presents a novel current regulation algorithm for permanent magnet AC machines that provides maximum torque-per-ampere capability in the entire field-weakened region. The algorithm provides robust current regulation with maximum efficiency and torque capability for permanent magnet AC machines despite significant changes in the voltage source and machine parameters. The algorithm identifies when the current regulator starts to saturate and determines the optimum d-axis current command for the machine. The q-axis current command is determined from the torque command and d-axis current feedback. When the voltage angle reaches the maximum angle, the current magnitude is decreased to provide maximum torque-per-ampere. Experimental results from a machine prototype show that the algorithm provides good overall dynamic response and smooth transitions into the field-weakened region with maximum torque-per-ampere capability in all four quadrants of operation.
Staging and survival for sinus cancer in the pediatric population.

Abstract Objective To determine histology, staging, and survival for pediatric sinus cancer. Methods Cases of pediatric sinus cancer (maxillary, ethmoid, and frontal/sphenoid) were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1988–2005). Demographic data were tabulated and non-lymphoid malignancies were staged according to the TNM system. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were conducted for the cohort and individual histologies. Results 63 pediatric sinus cancers were identified (38 maxillary sinus, 19 ethmoid sinus, and 6 frontal/sphenoid sinus) with a mean age at diagnosis of 10.5 years and a 1:1 male to female ratio. After exclusion of 11 lymphomas (17.5%), rhabdomyosarcoma was the most commonly encountered malignancy (52.0%) followed by sarcoma (17.3%) and olfactory neuroblastoma (13.5%). 41.4% and 42.1% of maxillary sinus and ethmoid sinus tumors presented as T4 tumors, respectively. At 47 months of follow-up, cumulative survival was 54.1% with a maximum follow-up of 196 months. Median survival for pediatric sinus rhabdomyosarcoma cases was estimated at 33.0 months. Conclusions Pediatric sinus malignancy commonly presents with advanced stage, and rhabdomyosarcoma is the most commonly encountered histology. Due to the rarity of pediatric sinus cancer, survival estimates are difficult to obtain. The SEER database provides large population-based data, although limitations of such a data set impact the analysis.
Increased sensitivity to error during decision-making in bipolar disorder patients with acute mania

Background: Decision-making is a complex and important function for daily life that can be assessed quantitatively using a simple two-choice prediction task. Bipolar disorder (BD) patients are thought to show altered responsivity to positive and negative feedback. In this study we examined whether BD patients with psychotic mania show altered patterns of decision-making as a function of the frequency of incorrect predictions or error rate. Methods: Fourteen adult DSM-IV-diagnosed BD patients with psychotic mania and 14 normal comparison subjects (NC) were tested with a two-choice prediction task using three error rate conditions (20%, 50%, or 80%). Results: BD patients showed an increased sensitivity to error rate changes and switched more frequently at high error rates than NC subjects. In comparison, there were no differences between BD and NC subjects on the degree to which the response or stimulus during a previous trial predicts the current response. Conclusions: Decision-making in BD patients with psychotic mania appears to be highly sensitive to high error rates. Moreover, the patterns of responses appear distinct from what has been previously observed in acutely and chronically ill schizophrenia patients. The results of this study are informative as to the effects of errors on decision-making strategies in psychotic BD manic patients.
Surely You Must All be Joking: An Outsider's Critique of Quantum Physics

A critique of the state of current quantum theory in physics is presented, based on a perspective outside the normal physics training. From this perspective, the acceptance of quantum nonlocality seems unwarranted, and the fundamental assumptions that give rise to it in the first place seem questionable, based on the current status of the quantum theory of light. The relevant data can instead be accounted for using physically motivated local models, based on detailed properties of the experimental setups. The semiclassical approach, particularly in the form of the fully coupled MaxwellDirac equations with a pure wave ontology, seems to provide a satisfying, local, paradox-free physical model of the quantum world, that appears consistent with known phenomena. It is unclear why this approach is not pursued more vigorously in the field, given its clear potential to resolve all the conundrums that have perplexed generations of physicists.
Parameter domain pruning for improving convergence of synthesis algorithms

This paper presents a parameter domain pruning method. Parameter domain pruning aims to identify parameter sub-domains that are more likely to produce feasible and good design solutions. These parameter sub-domains are found using the proposed simplified affine transforms (SAT) operators. Selected variable sub-domains can then be used as input to exploration-based synthesis tools and help improve the convergence of synthesis algorithms.
SECONDARY CIRCULATION IN GRANULAR FLOW THROUGH NONAXISYMMETRIC HOPPERS

Jenike's radial solution, widely used in the design of materials-handling equipment, is a similarity solution of steady-state continuum equations for the flow under gravity of granular material through an infinite, right-circular cone. In this paper we study how the geometry of the hopper influences this solution. Using perturbation theory, we compute a first-order correction to the (steady-state) velocity resulting from a small change in hopper geometry, either distortion of the cross section or tilting away from vertical. Unlike for the Jenike solution, all three components of the correction velocity are nonzero; i.e., there is secondary circulation in the perturbed flow.
NMR study of LaCl3 solutions in water/methanol mixed solvents

Abstract Concentrated LaCl3 solutions in water, methanol and mixed water/methanol solvents were studied by 139La and 35Cl NMR. As methanol replaces water, an increasing of LaCl inner sphere coordination was found. Results indicate rapid chloride exchange in the inner sphere occurs via displacement reactions.
Unsteady Lift and Radiated Sound Generated by a 2-D Airfoil in a Single Stream Shear Layer

An airfoil subjected to turbulence in the approach stream radiates sound due to the unsteady lift. Prediction of the spectral density of the unsteady lift requires knowledge of the magnitude and correlation length of the chord normal, or upwash, component of velocity. Additionally, a lift function must be specified based on the geometry of the airfoil. The present research experimentally investigated the sound radiated from a thin airfoil placed in a single stream shear layer. The results indicated a substantial level of agreement between the measured and modeled sound spectra with deviations at low frequencies due to anisotropic turbulence. The high frequency magnitudes were found to match the predictions well only if a thickness correction was applied to the unsteady lift function.
Comments on the Commentaries

Adams's suggestion that there must be one really right way of presenting the history of moral philosophy seems implausible to me, so I reject – with additional reasons – his charges against the structure of Invention of Autonomy . Skorupski's way of stating the ‘equal moral abilities’ thesis is not, I argue, very Kantian; a more Kantian version is not open to his objections. I am unconvinced by Schultz's claim that Sidgwick did not really hold that thesis. Deigh raises questions I cannot reply to here, but I do offer some texts that seem to show that Sidgwick is not guilty of the confusion about ‘ought’ with which Deigh charges him.
Color-Producing Genes in White Silkie and White Rose Comb Bantam

Abstract INVESTIGATIONS at the National Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, have shown that considerable diversity in genotypes exists among white varieties of fowls, probably due to intercrossing of white phenotypes. The results obtained in a study of five white varieties (Quinn, 1936) indicated that the history of the development of some of these varieties may not prove a reliable criterion for the heredity of any particular strain or family, and that only by experimental testing can the genetic constitution be definitely determined. Among the white varieties studied were the White Silkie and White Rose Comb Bantam, concerning the origin of which little is known. However, Bateson and Punnett (1908) found strains of White Silkies and White Rose Comb Bantams which were recessive whites and lacked one of the complementary color-producing genes, AAbb, as proposed by Punnett (1923). They were later designated CCoo, crosses of these two white breeds with ccOO white . . .
The weakness of must : In defense of a Mantra

Many semanticists have claimed that must 's meaning is weaker than epistemic necessity, a claim that von Fintel & Gillies (2010) dub "The Mantr". Recently von Fintel & Gillies have argued in an influential paper that the Mantra is false, and that the intuitions that have driven it can be accounted for by appealing to evidential meaning. I show that von Fintel & Gillies do not provide a compelling argument against the Mantra, and that their theory of evidential meaning, while promising in certain respects, also has serious empirical and conceptual problems. In addition, a variety of corpus examples indicate that speakers who assert must p are not always maximally confident in the truth of p . As an alternative, I reimplement on Fintel & Gillies' theory of indirect evidentiality in a probabilistic, Mantra-compatible framework. Ultimately, both sides of the debate are partly right: must is weak in several respects, but it also encodes an indirect evidential meaning.
Adam Smith's Marketplace of Life: Adam Smith's Moral Theory, Part Two: Conscience and Human Nature

Sympathy and the impartial spectator are, for Smith, perhaps the two most important notions to understand if one wishes to understand what gives rise to our moral judgments. Sympathy, or a correspondence between the sentiments of an actor and a spectator, is what one senses or is aware of that prompts a favorable judgment. It is the impartial spectator, however, whose sentiments and judgments correct those of the interested actor and spectator. Indeed, the judgments of the impartial spectator in time assume the role of the ultimate standards of moral judgment, not only for the individual but also for the community at large. The other two main elements of Smith's theory are his explanation of the human phenomenon known as conscience and his conception of human nature. In explaining what the human conscience is and how it develops, Smith puts the rest of his theory to work. Sympathy and the impartial spectator work in concert to create our conscience, and the process of conscience-formation, as well as the natural attraction to sympathy and the impetus to employ the impartial spectator procedure, are all motivated by principles and desires innate in human nature. In this chapter, I begin by looking at Smith's conception of the human conscience, detailing what it is, how it develops, how it functions, and what role it plays in Smith's moral theory. Then I examine the principal elements of Smith's conception of human nature, which undergirds his entire moral theory.
Treatment of advanced inoperable ovarian carcinoma with thio-tepa

Abstract Chemotherapy with thio-tepa has been used in the treatment of 105 patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma. Individual cases have shown striking response to the chemotherapy and more than half the patients have experienced some remission. Significant side effects, such as bone marrow depression, have been noted in almost half the patients. Thio-tepa appears to be an effective, though far from ideal, agent in the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma.
Local Alignment of Gradient Features for Face Sketch Recognition

Automatic recognition of face sketches is a challenging problem. It has application in forensics. An artist drawn sketch based on the descriptions from the witnesses can be used as the test image to recognize a person from the photo database of suspects. In this paper, we propose a novel method for face sketch recognition. We use the edge features of a face sketch and face photo image to create a feature string called ’edge-string’. The edge-strings of the face photo and face sketch are then compared using the Smith-Waterman algorithm for local alignments. The results on CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong) student dataset show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in face sketch recognition.
Letting a Hegemonic Aspirant (further) Rise? Maintenance and Revision of Economic Ties between Incumbent Great Power and Rising Challenger

Why does an incumbent power of international system maintain economic ties with a rising security challenger, allowing political exploitation and facilitating its bid for regional hegemony? Why do we observe a disjuncture between security and economic policies? This essay offers a relative power logic of sustained economic cooperation. It argues an incumbent power maintains cooperative economic relationship with a rising power when it can be worse off than the latter state in terms of relative material capability once existing economic ties are revised. Two factors play critical role in its decisions: existence of alternative economic partner for the rising power and substitutability of the factors of production purchased from that state. If the incumbent power cannot prevent the rising power finding alternative economic partners and substitute the factors of production from that state, its relative power will decrease more than that of the rising challenger once existing economic ties are abandoned. In this case, the incumbent state would choose to maintain those ties to preserve its power. In limited circumstances in which the rising state cannot find other states to cooperate with and the incumbent power can easily substitute the factors of production from the security challenger, imposing security diseconomy can contribute to its relative power and the incumbent state would choose to revise economic ties with the rising power. I test this logic with case studies of the British-German relations before and during World War I, the U.S.’s economic exchanges with the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, and the U.S.'s economic ties with China since the late 2000s.
Genetic incorporation of seven ortho-substituted phenylalanine derivatives.

Seven phenylalanine derivatives with small ortho substitutions were genetically encoded in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells at an amber codon using a previously reported, rationally designed pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase mutant (PylRS(N346A/C348A)) coupled with tRNACUAPyl. Ortho substitutions of the phenylalanine derivatives reported herein include three halides, methyl, methoxy, nitro, and nitrile. These compounds have the potential for use in multiple biochemical and biophysical applications. Specifically, we demonstrated that o-cyano-phenylalanine could be used as a selective sensor to probe the local environment of proteins and applied this to study protein folding/unfolding. For six of these compounds this constitutes the first report of their genetic incorporation in living cells. With these compounds the total number of substrates available for PylRS(N346A/C348A) is increased to nearly 40, which demonstrates that PylRS(N346A/C348A) is able to recognize phenylalanine with a substitution at any side...
Epidemiological features of mumps in Fuzhou City from 2010-2012

[Objective]To analyze the incidence and epidemiological features of mumps in Fuzhou City from 2010-2012,provide scientific reference for making the mumps prevention and control strategies that are suitable for the characteristics of this area. [Methods]The descriptive epidemiological method was applied to statistically analyze the data of mumps in Fuzhou City from 2010-2012 and further discuss the factors that influence the epidemiological features of mumps.[Results]5 879 mumps cases were reported in Fuzhou City from 2010-2012,with the average annual incidence of 29. 46 / lakh,and there was significant difference in annual incidence( χ2= 125. 337,P 0. 05). The peak season was May to July,and the secondary peak occurred from November to January. The top three areas with highest average annual incidence were Cangshan District,Luoyuan County and Jin'an District. Mumps mainly occurred among children aged 4-14 years old,and most of patients were students,scattered children and kindergarten children. The male-to-female ratio was 1. 71∶ 1. A total of 7 outbreaks were reported in three years,involving 179 cases,and there was no death case.[Conclusion]The incidence of mumps is higher in Fuzhou City. It is necessary to continually strengthen the prevention and control measures to implement the immunization program,strengthen the monitoring and management of mumps in primary and childcare institutions,and carry out the emergency response to outbreak,to reduce the incidence of students,scattered children and kindergarten children.
Educational Data Mining: Illuminating Student Learning Pathways in an Online Fraction Game.

This study investigates ways to interpret and utilize the vast amount of log data collected from an educational game called Refraction to understand student fraction learning. Study participants are elementary students enrolled in an online virtual school system who played the game over the course of multiple weeks. Findings suggest that students use a variety of splitting strategies when solving Refraction levels and that these strategies are related to learning gains.
Determination of the Chemical Composition of Urinary Calculi by Computerized Tomography

Abstract The clinical management of renal calculi would be aided if a direct in vivo determination of stone chemical composition could be made. We investigated the possibility of obtaining this information by a quantitative analysis of the computerized tomography scan images of 80 urinary calculi. Our results show that by using an appropriatelycalibrated computerized tomography scanner the differentiation of stone chemical composition can be made on the basis of 3 parameters, namely, absolute computerized tomography value at a single x-ray energy, the difference between computerized tomography values measured at 2 different x-ray energies, and computerized tomography value-frequency histograms (pixel patterns) of the stones. Uric acid stones were differentiated from all other stones at a significance level of p
Beyond Distributed AI, Agent Teamwork in Ubiquitous Computing

Agent teamwork has been widely studied in the fields of Distributed AI. Much success has been achieved in defining agent teamwork theory to explain how agents should act together as a team and in developing programming frameworks to simulate team coordinations in software environment. With the advent of ubiquitous computing technology, agent teamwork research will be pushed to its limit, facing new challenges in an open environment with a higher degree of uncertainty. The objective of this paper is to raise some research issues that need to addressed in order to enable ubiquitous agents to engage in cooperative teamwork activities.
The role of mTOR inhibitors in neuroendocrine tumors

There have been major developments in our understanding of the histopathological classification, genetics, molecular signaling pathways, and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) over the last decade. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a promising target for well-differentiated NETs. The recent success of everolimus, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, is proof of principle that targeting this pathway will lead to improved outcomes in these patients. Novel therapies targeting angiogenesis, such as bevacizumab and sunitinib, are showing promise in NETs by improving progression-free survival alone or in combination with mTOR inhibitors. There are an unprecedented number of ongoing clinical trials of innovative treatments for this disease, and the development of combination therapy will lead to better therapeutic outcomes.
Errors in Thermogravimetric Experiments Resulting from Adsorption on the Counterweight

The sorption behaviour of quartz, glass, aluminum, gold and PTFE was examined with respect to their use as counterweight materials. Using nitrogen, krypton, water, alcohol and neopentane, reversible S-shaped isotherms were observed with a monolayer cover at a relative pressure of about 0.1, and up to eight layers at the saturation pressure. When organic vapours are used chemisorption may occur. Near the saturation pressure condensation effects on porous surfaces and contaminations have to be taken into account.
Different associations of premorbid intelligence vs. current cognition with BMI, insulin and diabetes in the homebound elderly.

Premorbid intelligence does not decline through life even at the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, other cognitive measures such as Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) decline with aging and severely with dementia. In this study, we examine the associations of premorbid intelligence vs. current cognition with body mass index (BMI), insulin and diabetes in elderly adults. Using a cross-sectional, population-based study, we assessed BMI, plasma insulin and the evidence of diabetes in homebound elders. The North American Adult Reading Test (NAART) and MMSE were conducted. Associations were assessed by T-test, linear correlation and multivariate regression analysis. Subjects were divided into four subgroups: 1) BMI 35. Lower verbal IQ, assessed by NAART, was associated with higher BMI (β=-0.28; P<0.01), elevated insulin (β= -0.02, P=0.02), and diabetes (β=- 3.18, P<0.01). Multivariate regression analyses showed that all three clinical conditions - obesity, hyperinsulinaemia and diabetes - were associated with lower premorbid intelligence assessed by verbal IQ, but only diabetes was associated with current cognitive impairment assessed by MMSE. These relationships persisted after adjustment for education. Premorbid intelligence is associated with diabetes precursors - obesity and high insulin - and diabetes itself, but cognitive impairment is related to diabetes only. Understanding the mechanisms that link verbal IQ to diabetes precursors might suggest targeted interventions for the prevention of diabetes and cognitive decline caused by diabetes.
Griddle: Video Gaming for Power System Education

The motivation and training of a proficient and diverse pool of power engineers, system operators, and policymakers is an important challenge for the electric industry. Power system experts are increasingly in demand globally to facilitate transitions to more environmentally friendly energy systems. More generally, citizens with a basic understanding of load balancing and renewable energy sources are more effective partners in increasingly complex power economies and political decisions. To address the need for an accessible general introduction to power systems, we are developing Griddle, an educational video game that introduces secondary school students to the basics of power system design, scheduling, and operation. We describe the design of Griddle's gameplay and underlying simulation, improvements made in response to user feedback, alignment with emerging teaching standards, and a high school classroom evaluation ( n = 178) of Griddle's significant transformative impact, with the goal of validating the game-based learning approach and sharing “lessons learned” with designers of related tools. We find that Griddle is effective at engaging students and presents evidence that it helps students integrate key concepts, and we identify areas where further development and study are needed.
Fast generic model-checking for data-based systems

This paper shows how predicate equation systems (PESs) may be used to solve model-checking problems for systems, such as those involving real-time or value passing, that manipulate data. PESs are first defined and the encoding of model-checking problems described; then generic global and local approaches for solving PESs are given. Real-time model checking is then considered in detail, and a new, efficient on-the-fly technique for real-time model checking based on proof search in PESs is developed and experimentally shown to significantly outperform existing approaches when system specifications or formula specifications contain errors and to be competitive when both are correct.
Managerial Ability and Tax Aggressiveness

We examine the relation between managerial ability and corporate tax avoidance. Using Demerjian et al. (2012) managerial ability measure, we find a negative and significant relation between managerial ability and tax avoidance. Our results are robust to alternative measures of tax avoidance. We further find that the capital market reacts less negatively to tax sheltering news for firms led by higher ability managers than for firms led by lower ability managers. Overall, our results indicate that, given significant costs associated with tax avoidance activities, more able managers who can turnover firm resources into revenue better, spend more effort in normal business operations than in tax avoidance activities.
Aggressive Error Recovery for TCP over wireless links

TCP's congestion control handless packet loss due to congestion in the network. Over wireless links, packet loss may also be due to signal fading. Wireless LAN traffic under High Bit Error rate (BER) suffers great throughput degradation due to the current congestion control mechanism. Our algorithm allows TCP to send as much data as possible within a threshold that optimizes throughput while recovering from a high BER on a wireless LAN link. We will refer to the error recovery mechanism as Aggressive Error Recovery (AER) and call the new TCP version as TCP Noor.
Francesco Ciabattoni. La citazione è sintomo d'amore: Cantautori italiani e memoria letteraria. Carocci, 2016. 164 pp.

Che ognuno di noi faccia tesoro delle proprie letture e un dato di fatto. Cosi come e assodato che a pensieri e parole altrui soliamo ricorrere nelle occasioni piu svariate. Spesso, del resto, anch...
AIRS/CrIS data continuity: evaluation for extreme conditions.

AIRS and CrIS are in very similar 1:30 PM ascending node orbits, with 12 km diameter footprints at nadir. Data from both instruments have have been available for the past 5 years. The level to which AIRS and CrIS observations agree for large area averages is a metric of how well data from different, but nominally equivalent, instruments can be concatenated to create the long time series necessary to reliably characterize climate change. We limit our analysis to 900 cm-1 atmospheric window channels. For random nadir sampled tropical zone data AIRS and CrIS agree within 100 mK, if the nine CrIS detector elements are averaged. Under tropical mean condition the CrIS elements disagree from each other by 0.5K. Under extreme condition the measurements of the nine CrIS elements are between 2K colder to 3 K warmer than AIRS. It is at present unclear why the nine CRIS detector elements disagree with each other by much more than their mean disagrees with the equivalent AIRS result. The observed effect may be decreased or at least more aggressive quality flagged in a future release of the CrIS calibrated radiances. If AIRS and CrIS were not in the same orbit at the same time, one might interpret the observed differences as evidence of a “climate change”.
Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide (nTiO2) Transport in Natural Sediments: Importance of Soil Organic Matter and Fe/Al Oxyhydroxides

Many engineered nanoparticle (ENP) transport experiments use quartz sand as the transport media; however, sediments are complex in nature, with heterogeneous compositions that may influence transport. Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO2) transport in water-saturated columns of quartz sand and variations of a natural sediment was studied, with the objective of understanding the influence of soil organic matter (SOM) and Fe/Al-oxyhydroxides and identifying the underlying mechanisms. Results indicated nTiO2 transport was strongly influenced by pH and sediment composition. When influent pH was 5, nTiO2 transport was low because positively charged nTiO2 was attracted to negatively charged minerals and SOM. nTiO2 transport was slightly enhanced in sediments with sufficient SOM concentrations due to leached dissolved organic matter (DOM), which adsorbed onto the nTiO2 surface, reversing the zeta potential to negative. When influent pH was 9, nTiO2 transport was generally high because negatively charged medium repelled negatively charged nTiO2. However, in sediments with SOM or amorphous Fe/Al oxyhydroxides depleted, transport was low due to pH buffering by the sediments, causing attraction between nTiO2 and crystalline Fe oxyhydroxides. This was counteracted by DOM adsorbing to nTiO2, stabilizing it in suspension. Our research demonstrates the importance of SOM and Fe/Al oxyhydroxides in governing ENP transport in natural sediments.
Duplex Ultrasound Diagnosis of an Arteriovenous Fistula between the Left Subclavian Artery and the Left Internal Jugular Vein after Attempted Central Venous Catheter Placement

Introduction—An arteriovenous fistula between the subclavian artery and the internal jugular vein represents a rare iatrogenic injury that has almost exclusively been described on the right side. W...
A digital approach to energy networks: Allocation and distribution of energy requests

In the current grid, power is available at all times, to all users, indiscriminately. This makes the grid vulnerable to sporadic demands and much effort has been invested to mitigate their effect. We offer here a digital approach to power distribution: an energy-on-demand approach in which the user initiates an energy request to the server of the energy provider before receiving the energy. Considering a micro-grid with a mix of generators (sustainable and other sources), the server optimizes the entire power network before granting the energy requests, fully or partially. The energy is packetized and is routed to the user's address by an array of switches. For example, in an office building, the energy provider may queue energy requests by some air-condition units and grant these requests later. During recovery from a blackout, pockets of instability may be isolated by their unusual energy demands. In its simplest form, this network can be realized by overlaying an auxiliary (control, or, data) network on top of an energy delivery network and coupling the two through an array of addressable digital power switches. In assessing this approach, we are concentrating in this paper on the management of energy requests by using statistical models. An energy network with a limited channel capacity and the optimal path for energy flow in a standard IEEE 39 bus are considered.
5.20 – Metallic Waste Forms

Testing and modeling completed to date indicates that metallic waste forms are preferable options for several existing and anticipated high-level and low-activity radioactive waste streams generated during fuel treatment and recycling operations. Several challenges remain in the development of metallic waste forms in the areas of performance and consistency testing, developing waste form degradation and radionuclide release models, and integrating those models into performance assessment calculations for disposal systems. This chapter identifies the issues being addressed in waste form development and provides an overview of current testing and modeling strategies and key research needs.
Abstract 1386: Inhibition Of Ceramide Biosynthesis Decreases Cardiomyopathy In Lipoprotein Lipase (LpL) Lipotoxicity

Cardiac specific overexpression of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored human LpL (hLpL GPI ) leads to lipid-induced cardiomyopathy. Fatty acid (FA) oxidation was increased and glucose oxidation was decreased in isolated perfused hLpL GPI hearts. We hypothesized that excess FA uptake into the hearts increases ceramide and this alters glucose utilization and increases myocellular apoptosis, and causes dilated cardiomyopathy in hLpL GPI mice. To test this hypothesis, we inhibited cardiac ceramide by two methods: treatment with myriocin, a specific inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) a rate-limiting enzyme in ceramide biosynthesis, and by genetic deletion. Myrioicn treatment reduced cardiac ceramide levels, ANP/BNP mRNA expression, and some, but not all, apoptosis markers. Myriocin-treated LpL GPI mice had improved systolic function and survival compared to untreated hLpL GPI controls, however, survival was still reduced compared to control mice. 2-deoxyglucose, which was increased in lipotoxic hLpL GPI hearts, was normalized by myriocin. Glycogen accumulation in hLpL GPI hearts was reduced. Heterozygous deletion of LCB1, a SPT subunit, reduced cardiac ceramide levels in LpL GPI to the levels in wild type mice and improved systolic function. Our results suggest a critical role for ceramide accumulation in the pathogenesis of the hLpL GPI mouse cardiomyopathy. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis may also improve heart function in other lipid-driven cardiomyopathies.
Negotiating After the Job Is Offered

Negotiate the important issues that lead to success: title, clear definition of ­authority, chances of promotion, office space, and the hiring of the best people , and finally your income. Forget side issues, as conditions constantly change.
Fibrinolysis during liver transplantation in humans: role of tissue-type plasminogen activator

Human liver transplantation is frequently associated with a coagulopathy and bleeding diathesis developing during the anhepatic phase of surgery. The hemostatic defect has been attributed in part to accelerated fibrinolysis. In this study we evaluated changes in specific blood fibrinolytic parameters occurring in eight adult patients undergoing first-time orthotopic liver transplantation. Five of the eight patients experienced moderate to severe systemic fibrinolysis as reflected by alpha 2-antiplasmin consumption and fibrinogen degradation with the concomitant appearance of fibrin(ogen) degradation products. In association with these changes, an increase in tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity and t-PA antigen levels was also observed. Fibrinolysis was most pronounced during the anhepatic phase of surgery and decreased after revascularization of the grafted liver. Three additional patients who underwent the same procedure manifested much less evidence of systemic fibrinolytic activation and had minimal elevation of t-PA antigen levels or activity. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator levels, although elevated in three patients, were disassociated from increased t-PA levels and concomitant systemic fibrinolysis. The operative course of those patients developing t-PA-associated fibrinolysis was characterized by shock, acidosis, generalized bleeding, and a need for substantially greater blood product support during surgery. These findings suggest that the observed fibrinolytic defect is related to increased circulating plasma levels of t-PA, presumably resulting from a combination of increased intravascular release and decreased hepatic clearance of t-PA. These observations may have implications for intraoperative therapy for the transplant-related coagulopathy and its associated bleeding.
Psychometric Evaluation of the USE (Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of use) Questionnaire for Reliability and Validity:

The Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use Questionnaire (USE, Lund, 2001) measures the subjective usability of a product or service. It is a 30-item survey that examines four dimensions of usab...
The influence of individual values on internet use: A multinational study

Abstract Schwartz’s value theory (SVT) is widely used in a number of disciplines but infrequently in information systems (IS) research. The theory was intended to be applied at an individual level, unlike Hofstede’s cultural theory at national level. Schwartz’s ten low-order values (LOVs) can be combined into four high-order values (HOVs): self-enhancement (which includes the LOVs of achievement and power); openness to change (which includes the values of stimulation, self-direction, and hedonism); conservation (which includes security, tradition, and conformity); and self-transcendence (which includes universalism and benevolence). This study investigates the influence of Schwartz’s four HOVs on Internet use (IU) in 25 European nations. After controlling for age, education, income, and gender, we find strong evidence of the influence of Schwartz’s HOVs of openness to change (positive) and conservation (negative) upon IU. There is partial evidence for the influence of self-enhancement and self-transcendence upon IU. The implications of the findings and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.