cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of geomorphological heterogeneity on biodiversity. I. A patch-scale perspective.

Landscapes composed of spatially heterogeneous abiotic conditions should provide a greater diver- sity of potential niches for plants and animals than do homogeneous landscapes. We tested this hypothesis in a deciduous forest ecosystem in the northeastern United States. We created an index that summarizes the col- lective variation in terrain and soil properties in 2-ha study plots. We measured woody plant species richness and diversity in 20 study plots that had high geomorphological heterogeneity and 20 plots that had low geo- morphological heterogeneity. The richness and diversity of trees and shrubs were significantly higher in sites with high geomorphological heterogeneity than in sites that exhibited little change in terrain or soil condi- tions. Variation in aspect and soil drainage were especially important predictors of biotic diversity. Our re- sults demonstrate an intimate association between abiotic and biotic diversity and have significant implica- tions for long-term conservation strategies.
Open-loop bilateral teleoperation for stable force tracking

Traditional bilateral teleoperation communicates both motion and force information explicitly between master and slave devices. Any such closed loop architecture trades off performance with potential instability, especially when using force measurements of high inertia slaves contacting stiff environments. More conservatively, open-loop architectures avoid stability issues, transmitting motion commands while allowing any force feedback only via sensory substitution. We propose open-loop bilateral teleoperation as an alternative communicating force information explicitly and restricting motion information to visual feedback. This naturally matches a user's needs, seeing motion and feeling forces. A user study was conducted to compare the novel user interface to three common open loop and bilateral control methods: position control, position control with force feedback, and rate control. The results of this study show that users are able to achieve superior force tracking with little tremor. Position tracking and trial completion time suffered from the lack of direct position connection, but training provides a promising method to restore this performance.
Group Representations and Intergroup Bias: Positive Affect, Similarity, and Group Size

This study examined how social (group size: two, three, or four persons), appearance (similar or dissimilar dress), and affective (positive or neutral mood) factors can influence social categorization and, consequently, intergroup bias. As expected, positive affect increased the extent to which subjects formed inclusive group representations, anticipating that the members of two groups would feel like one, superordinate group. Also as predicted, subjects in dissimilarly dressed groups expected the memberships to feel less like one group. Consistent with the common in-group identity model, stronger superordinate group representations, in turn, predicted more positive out-group evaluations and lower levels of intergroup bias. The conceptual and applied implications of affect and social representations for improving intergroup relations are considered.
Clinical trial of a computer-aided system for orthopaedic shoe upper design

A trial has been conducted to produce the uppers for orthopaedic shoes using an existing commercial computer-aided design system. The aims of the trial were to confirm that a CAD system developed for the volume shoe trade (Shoemaster from Clarks Shoes) could be used for the upper design of orthopaedic shoes and to assess the contribution of professional shoe design on cosmesis and acceptability of these shoes. A small number of adult diabetic patients and children with foot deformities were selected, all of who had previously been prescribed and issued with special shoes. The existing lasts for these patients were digitised, and new styles developed on the CAD system over a 3D image of the last. Pattern pieces were cut automatically and the uppers closed. Lasting was done as normal at the two collaborating orthopaedic companies and the shoes supplied to the patients. The CAD system proved successful in coping with orthopaedic last shapes and shoe requirements. Professional design produced fashionable and cosmetically-pleasing styles within the constraints imposed by the underlying medical conditions.
Meningioma—Viewpoint: Fractionated Radiotherapy

Fractionated radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used in the treatment of intracranial meningioma, either as a primary treatment, or more frequently, as an adjunct therapy. Benign intracranial meningiomas, despite being generally noninvasive and slow-growing, frequently occupy intracranial locations that make surgical interventions potentially morbid or preclude the use of single-fraction radiosurgery because of the proximity to critical neural structures. Fractionated RT permits safe treatment of such lesions with excellent therapeutic outcomes, often with minimal morbidity. Atypical and malignant meningiomas, characterized by their more aggressive clinical course and unfavorable histological features, benefit from the use of adjuvant fractionated therapy to reduce recurrence rates and delay progression of disease. This chapter reviews the role of fractionated RT in the management of intracranial meningioma; the role or radiosurgery is discussed in a separate chapter.
Plasmonic apertures: A scalable plasmonic architecture for enhanced diamond single photon sources

We propose and demonstrate that plasmonic apertures provide a scalable architecture for diamond NV center applications. Our results show that emission rates can be enhanced up to 60 times with collection efficiencies up to %40.
Nonlinear network coding is necessary to combat general Byzantine attacks

We consider the problem of achieving capacity through network coding when some of the nodes act covertly as Byzantine adversaries. For several case-study networks, we investigate rates of reliable communication through network coding and upper bounds on capacity. We show that linear codes are inadequate in general, and a slight augmentation of the class of linear codes can increase throughput. Furthermore, we show that even this nonlinear augmentation may not be enough to achieve capacity. We introduce a new class of codes known as bounded-linear that make use of distributions defined over bounded sets of integers subject to linear constraints using real arithmetic.
Distinguishing the Source of Market Power

Structural models used to measure market power, though widely employed, continue to be criticized. We compare alternative market power tests, including nonparametric and Solow residual-based (SRB) tests. We develop SRB methods that permit nested testing for both monopolistic and monopsonistic market power by the same firm. These tests and a set of nonparametric tests are implemented to examine market power exertion by U.S. cigarette manufacturers from 1977 to 1993. All tests indicate that cigarette manufacturers exerted monopsonistic power in the upstream tobacco market. They are mixed on whether monopolistic power exertion was exerted in the downstream market.
Endovascular repair of blunt extremity arterial injury: case report.

Objective: Surgical revascularization is the standard treatment of complex blunt traumatic extremity vascular injuries. Limb salvage may be improved with minimally invasive endovascular therapies b...
High Performance A-Si:H Thin Film Transistors, TFTs: The Importance of Nitride Dielectrics with no Detectable Si-Si Bonding

This research addresses silicon nitride dielectrics for a-Si:H TFTs. Si-Si bonds in these films detected by AES have been identified as the major factor that degrades the performance of the TFTs. With no detected Si-Si bonds in the silicon nitride and a relatively low concentration of Si-NH bonds, the TFTs show optimized performance.
Therapeutic manipulation of the enteric microflora in inflammatory bowel diseases: antibiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics

Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and pouchitis are caused by overly aggressive immune responses to a subset of commensal (nonpathogenic) enteric bacteria in genetically predisposed individuals. Clinical and experimental studies suggest that the relative balance of aggressive and protective bacterial species is altered in these disorders. Antibiotics can selectively decrease tissue invasion and eliminate aggressive bacterial species or globally decrease luminal and mucosal bacterial concentrations, depending on their spectrum of activity. Alternatively, administration of beneficial bacterial species (probiotics), poorly absorbed dietary oligosaccharides (prebiotics), or combined probiotics and prebiotics (synbiotics) can restore a predominance of beneficial Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Current clinical trials do not fulfill evidence-based criteria for using these agents in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but multiple nonrigorous studies and widespread clinical experience suggest that metronidazole and/or ciprofloxacin can treat Crohn’s colitis and ileocolitis (but not isolated ileal disease), perianal fistulae and pouchitis, whereas selected probiotic preparations prevent relapse of quiescent ulcerative colitis and relapsing pouchitis. These physiologic approaches offer considerable promise for treating IBD, but must be supported by rigorous controlled therapeutic trials that consider clinical disease before their widespread clinical acceptance. These agents likely will become an integral component of treating IBD in combination with traditional anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents.
INTERFERENCE BETWEEN TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE CYLINDERS IN HYPERSONIC RAREFIED-GAS FLOWS

Hypersonic rarefied-gas flows near two side-by- side cylinders have been studied numerically with the direct simulation Monte-Carlo technique under transitional rarefied-gas-flow conditions (Knudsen numbers from 0.0167 to 10). Strong influences of the geometrical factor (ratio of distance between cylinders to cylinder diameter) and the Knudsen number on the flow structure (the shape of shock waves, the stagnation point location), skin friction, pressure distribution, lift and drag have been found. For small geometrical factors, the repulsive lift force becomes significant with a lift-drag ratio of 0.35.
A Comparison of Three Measures of Social Complexity1

Quantitative measures of social complexity derived from three different research endeavors are compared statistically for the same fifty societies. The scales are found to be correlated at a high level of significance; this suggests that the variables used are valid indicators of degree of social complexity and development.
Exploring the Selenium Phytoremediation Potential of Transgenic Indian Mustard Overexpressing ATP Sulfurylase or Cystathionine-γ-Synthase

ABSTRACT Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) plants overexpressing ATP sulfurylase (APS transgenics) were previously shown to have higher shoot selenium (Se) levels and enhanced Se tolerance compared to wild type when supplied with selenate in a hydroponic system. Other transgenic Indian mustard overexpressing cystathionine-γ-synthase (CGS) showed a higher Se volatilization rate, lower shoot Se levels, and higher Se tolerance than wild type, also in hydroponic studies. In the present study, these APS and CGS transgenics were evaluated for their capacity to accumulate Se from soil that is naturally rich in Se. Wild-type Indian mustard and the Se hyperaccumulator Stanleya pinnata were included for comparison. After 10 weeks on Se soil, the APS transgenics contained 2.5-fold higher shoot Se levels than wild-type Indian mustard, similar to those of S. pinnata. The CGS transgenics contained 40% lower shoot Se levels than wild type. Shoot biomass was comparable for all Indian mustard types and higher than that of ...
Phospholipid profile of rat testis, its unique high level of monolysocardiolipin and its lipolytic capabilities in vitro. A chromatographic analysis.

The phospholipid profiles of testes and heart of 1-, 3-, and 6-month-old rats and their in vitro response to the endogenous phospholipases at pH 7.4 and 38°C for 60 min were analyzed by TLC technology and densitometry. A noticeable high level of monolysocardiolipin (MLCL) was shown in rat testes of all samples analyzed (1-, 3-, and 6-month-old), both control and incubated. In contrast, rat heart control samples revealed a high level of CL and no MLCL was detected. MLCL was only produced subsequent to in vitro incubation of whole tissue homogenate at pH 7.4 and 38°C for 60 min, with concurrent reduction of CL. Alkenyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) was the major plasmalogen of rat testes. Following in vitro incubation, (a) a very low level of lyso PE plasmalogen was produced only in 3- and 6-month-old rat testes, (b) ceramide was also produced in all testes analyzed with concurrent reduction of sphingomyelin indicating the action of sphingomyelinase. These data clearly illustrate, for the first time, the presence of high levels of MLCL in all rat testes studied which probably is related to the physiological activity in vivo and requires further investigation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
INTERPRETING THE SEVENTIES, OR, RASHOMON MEETS EDUCATIONAL THEORY

In the Oscar-winning 1951 movie, Rashomon, the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa presented four different accounts of a violent murder committed by a bandit. The philosophical impetus behind the film, no doubt, was to raise issues about the inevitability of subjectivity and the impossibility of objectivity. The articles in the volumes of Educational Theory from 1970 to 1979 — while less dramatic — raise similar thorny issues when a reviewer turns to make a historical assessment. Following Kurosawa’s lead, I shall give a number of different accounts of the philosophy of education of that decade, but I shall depart from his admirable example in one crucial respect: While the four accounts of the crime that he gives are incompatible (hence raising the dilemma of locating the “objective truth”), I shall attempt to finesse the issue by giving accounts that are different but compatible. (Also, the accounts to some degree will be overlapping, for some writings of the period that fit into one account readily could have fitted into others.)
DESTRUCTION OF POROSITY THROUGH PRESSURE SOLUTION

A stressed fluid-filled porous system was modeled by hollow cylinders of St. Peter sandstone subjected to various combinations of pore and confining pressure at 270 degrees to 280 degrees C for up to four weeks. Large reductions in porosity, up to more than 50 percent, were produced purely by pressure solution without grain crushing. Most of the porosity reduction occurred early in the experiments and in samples with the finer of two grain sizes. Experiments with the same pore pressure, but different confining pressures, and experiments with the same effective stress, but different stress magnitudes showed that a simple effective stress law does not hold for pressure solution, and that the amount of porosity reduction depends on pore fluid pressure. However, nonhydrostatic stress appears to be necessary for rapid porosity reduction because experiments with hydrostatic pressure produced very little change in porosity. Also, experiments with the same confining pressure but different pore pressures showed that the amount of porosity loss is dependent on both pore pressure and effective stress. Pore pressure appears to place an upper limit on the rate of porosity reduction, while nonhydrostatic stress appears to be necessary for rapid porosity reduction. A dry control experiment showed that fluid must be present for porosity reduction at the temperatures and pressures in our study.The porosities of many of the samples in this study were determined both gravimetrically and by point counts on cathodoluminescent micrographs. Cathodoluminescence is useful in studying pressure solution because the intergranular relationships and pore spaces are very distinct. However, in examining natural samples caution is required when relying solely on the luminescence to determine pressure solution, because luminescent characteristics change with time.
Bile duct surgery in the treatment of hepatobiliary and gallbladder malignancies: effects of hepatic and vascular resection on outcomes

Background Resection of the bile duct is required for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and is sometimes indicated in resections of liver and gallbladder malignancies. The goal of this retrospective review was to characterize surgical outcomes in patients submitted to bile duct resection for malignancy when additional procedures, specifically hepatic or vascular resections, were performed.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein overexpression in the human colon cancer cell line HT-29 enhances adhesion of the cells to collagen type I

The present experiments examined the potential ability of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) to influence growth of the human colon cancer cell HT-29 and the ability of the cell to adhere to several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins found in normal tissues. Addition of PTHrP analogs, PTHrP (1-34), PTHrP (67-86), or PTHrP (107-139), to HT-29 cells in culture did not influence cell growth or the adhesion of the cells to wells coated with fibronectin, laminin, or collagen type I. Likewise, in HT-29 cells induced to overexpress PTHrP by stable transfection with PTHrP cDNA, compared to vector-transfected control HT-29 cells, no effect on cell growth occurred. However, in the transfected cells, the increased production of PTHrP significantly enhanced cell adhesion to type I collagen but not to fibronectin or laminin. The results raise the possibility that PTHrP might play a role in colon tumor invasion and metastasis by influencing cell adhesion to specific extracellular matrix proteins.
Primary operative management for pediatric empyema: decreases in hospital length of stay and charges in a national sample.

Objective To determine whether primary operative management (decortication within the first 2 days of hospitalization) decreases hospital length of stay (LOS) and total charges in children with empyema. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Nationally representative Kids' Inpatient Database for 2003. Participants Children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years (hereinafter referred to as children) with empyema. Main Outcome Measures Hospital LOS and total charges. Results A total of 1173 children with empyema were identified. Compared with children treated with primary nonoperative management, children treated with primary operative management had a shorter hospital LOS by 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-6.4) days and lower total hospital charges by $21 179.80 (95% CI, −$34 111.12 to −$8248.48) and were less likely to be transferred to another short-term hospital (0% vs 13.3%). In addition, children with primary operative management were less likely to have therapeutic failure (odds ratio, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.04-0.15]). There was no difference in complications between the 2 groups (odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.59-1.74]). Conclusion Primary operative management is associated with decreased LOS, hospital charges, and likelihood of transfer to another short-term hospital, compared with nonoperative management.
A Theory of “Giant Raman Scattering” by Adsorbed Molecules on Metal Surfaces

A large number of recent experiments1 on Raman scattering by adsorbed molecules have shown several unusual features. (1) The scattering intensity is, in some cases, four to six orders of magnitude larger than that expected on the basis of the known scattering cross section and the amount of material at the surface. (2) The ability Of the metal substrate to induce this enhancement, varies greatly from one metal to the other. (3) The excitation spectrum (the scattered Raman intensity, I, as a function of the scattered frequency ωi-ωv) does not follow a well defined law; Jeanmaire and van Duyne1a find I α (ωi-ωv)4, Albrecht and Creighton1b obtain that I is frequency independent, Creighton, Albrecht, Hester and Matthew1c report I α (ωi-ωv)2 while Tsang and Kirtley1d observe a more complicated function. (4) Surface roughness seems to play an important role and induces a change of intensity higher than that expected on the basis of metal surface increase. (5) Finally, a “modest” enhancement (a few orders of magnitude) of the resonant Raman intensity has also been reported.1a Other interesting observations concerning the effect of the electrode potential and anodization have been reviewed recently by Efrima and Metiu.2
What Makes Research Feminist

Abstract Feminists have provided invaluable critiques of traditional research methods. However, there is a difference of opinion in the social sciences as to what constitutes feminist research. Just as there is no one definition of feminism, there is no one definition of feminist research. Yet it is important that research be identified as feminist to advance feminist causes, particularly in a field such as MFT in which feminism has been more influential in clinical practice than research. In this paper, the author argues for broader parameters of feminist research than those offered by Reinharz (1992). The author also summarizes and responds to feminist critiques of traditional research and offer an example of a published research study in the MFT field that the author believes has feminist implications but would not be identified as feminist by a narrow definition of feminist research.
Price evolution in a continuous double auction prediction market with a scoring-rule based market maker

The logarithmic market scoring rule (LMSR), the most common automated market making rule for prediction markets, is typically studied in the framework of dealer markets, where the market maker takes one side of every transaction. The continuous double auction (CDA) is a much more widely used microstructure for general financial markets in practice. In this paper, we study the properties of CDA prediction markets with zero-intelligence traders in which an LMSR-style market maker participates actively. We extend an existing idea of Robin Hanson for integrating LMSR with limit order books in order to provide a new, self-contained market making algorithm that does not need "special" access to the order book and can participate as another trader. We find that, as expected, the presence of the market maker leads to generally lower bid-ask spreads and higher trader surplus (or price improvement), but, surprisingly, does not necessarily improve price discovery and market efficiency; this latter effect is more pronounced when there is higher variability in trader beliefs.
Estimation of intramyocardial pressure and coronary blood flow distribution

To characterize the intramyocardial pressure (IMP) and coronary blood flow distribution in a stenosed coronary circulation, we compared four analog circuits for modeling coronary impedance. The resistor (R)-diode (D) model simulates vascular collapse, and the capacitor (C) simulates compliance effect. Identification of the best model and magnitudes of the endocardial and epicardial IMPs (IMPendo and IMPepi) was done retrospectively using data from studies in 28 anesthetized swine. Performance evaluation was based on comparison of model predicted vs. observed coronary distal pressure (DP) waveforms and endocardial-to-epicardial (endo-epi) flow ratios as determined by radiolabeled microspheres. The R-D-C model gave the best performance at IMPendo = 1.1 times left ventricular pressure (LVP), and IMPepi = 0.1.LVP + 15 mmHg; with good fit to DP (r = 0.98, slope of regression line = 1.0) and estimates of endo-epi flow ratio (r = 0.78, slope = 1.01, P less than 0.02, SEE = 0.21, n = 139). The R-D model gave comparable results even though capacitance was omitted. Although R-C and R models predicted distal coronary pressure well, they failed to predict endo-epi flow ratios (r less than 0.50). The R-D-C and R-D models were applied in seven prospective studies. Both models generated reasonable estimates of endo-epi flow distribution (r = 0.78, n = 50). Thus the R-D-C or R-D models of the stenosed coronary circulation can be used to provide reliable estimates of transmural blood flow distribution.
Diversity in Residential Real Estate Sales Brokerages: A Study of Five Indiana Cities

In 1996, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) voluntarily entered a Fair Housing Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to increase racial and cultural div...
Attack and Success of Native and Exotic Parasitoids on Eggs of Halyomorpha halys in Three Maryland Habitats

Egg parasitoids of the exotic invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), were investigated using lab-reared fresh (live) and frozen (killed) lab-reared sentinel egg masses deployed for 72h on foliage in three habitats—woods, orchard, and soybean field—in Maryland, USA, in summer 2014. Four native hymenopteran species, Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Scelionidae), Trissolcus euschisti (Ashmead) and Tr. brochymenae Ashmead (Scelionidae), and Anastatus reduvii (Howard) (Eupelmidae), developed and emerged from H. halys eggs. One exotic parasitoid, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), emerged, providing the first known occurrence of this species in North America. Native parasitoids emerged from frozen eggs significantly more often than from fresh eggs (89.3% of egg masses and 98.1% of individual eggs), whereas the exotic Tr. japonicus did not show a similar difference, strongly suggesting adaptation to H. halys as a host by Tr. japonicus but not by the native species. Parasitoids were habitat-specific: all three Trissolcus species were significantly more likely to occur in the woods habitat, whereas Te. podisi was found exclusively in the soybean field. Further investigations are required to elucidate evolving host-parasitoid relationships, habitat specificity, and non-target effects of Tr. japonicus over the expanded range of H. halys in North America.
Quenching of Unincorporated Amplification Signal Reporters in Reverse-Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Enabling Bright, Single-Step, Closed-Tube, and Multiplexed Detection of RNA Viruses.

Reverse-transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has frequently been proposed as an enabling technology for simplified diagnostic tests for RNA viruses. However, common detection techniques used for LAMP and RT-LAMP have drawbacks, including poor discrimination capability, inability to multiplex targets, high rates of false positives, and (in some cases) the requirement of opening reaction tubes postamplification. Here, we present a simple technique that allows closed-tube, target-specific detection, based on inclusion of a dye-labeled primer that is incorporated into a target-specific amplicon if the target is present. A short, complementary quencher hybridizes to unincorporated primer upon cooling down at the end of the reaction, thereby quenching fluorescence of any unincorporated primer. Our technique, which we term QUASR (for quenching of unincorporated amplification signal reporters, read “quasar”), does not significantly reduce the amplification efficiency or sensitivity of RT...
OXYGEN QUENCHING OF ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED SCINTILLATORS IN SOLUTION

Insofar as the photosensitised addition of molecular oxygen to a dissolved unsaturated hydrocarbon M involves an O21Δg intermediate, this reaction provides a convenient O21Δg counter. An analysis of the dependence of O21Δg formation efficiency on both the concentration of dissolved oxygen and the inhibitor azulene is consistent with Figure options Download full-size image Download as PowerPoint slide as the processes solely responsible for oxygen quenching of excited singlet and triplet states, S1 and T1, of the sensitiser. Oxygen quenching of the triplet state T1, appears to be limited by the spin statistical factor of 1/9 attending this process.
Hybrid GTO Cycloconverter

This paper describes the hybrid cycloconverter in which a self-commutated converter is connected with a line-commutated converter in antiparallel. The conventional cycloconverter has disadvantage of low power factor in power source. However, the hybrid one can achieve unity of displacement factor. The principle of the hybrid cycloconverter is the following:When the phase control angle for a self-commutated converter is controlled on the condition of leading phase, the input power alternately repeats lagging and leading corresponding to the polarity of the output current. In the case of polyphase output, lagging and leading reactive power are canceled each other in power source, and displacement factor becomes unity.Moreover, the output current in hybrid one is continuous with no circulating current. Experiment results obtained from hybrid GTO cycloconverter, in which GTOs are applied to self-turn-off devices, are shown to confirm the theory.
Investigation and Analysis of Diagnosis and Treatment to Diarrheal Diseases in Meihekou

OBJECTIVE To understand the incidence of diarrheal diseases,epidemiologic characteristics and medical expenses,harmful evaluation of diarrheal diseases.METHODS Carry out a questionaire survey,health statistics and logic analysis to analyze treatment of diarrhea cases.RESULTS Children under age of 5 years old and farmers scattered higher attendance rates and hospital expenses were a little higher.CONCLUSIONS To reduce the incidence effectively.Diarrheal diseases should be prevented earlier by the way of paying attention to drinking water,food sanitation and hygiene
Analysis of AIDS voluntary counseling and testing in Meizhou city from 2011 to 2013

Objective To analyze the data of AIDS voluntary counseling and testing(VCT) population in Meizhou city,and provide the scientific basis for AIDS control and prevention. Method Data collected from the patients who visited the AIDS VCT clinic in Meizhou city from 2011 to 2013 were analyzed. Results 609 patients received AIDS counseling and HIV antibody testing. The patients were mainly aged 20 to 39 years old,accounting for 65.84%. The male slightly more than female,and population-based middle and high school education accounted for 66.17%(403 / 609). The main reason for counseling was high-risk sexual behaviors, accounting for 67.82%(413 / 609). Of all the tested cases,32 were positive and the HIV infectionrate was 5.25%. Conclusions The HIV infection rate of HIV VCT population was relatively high in Meizhou city from 2011 to 2013. Sexual transmission was the main transmission way.Marital infection cannot be ignored.Promotion of VCT should strengthen.
Inside the Black Box Presentation: MIT Alumni Association

This presentation was given to the MIT Alumni Association of Orange County. The goal was to deliver an educational presentation to demystify the world of hedge funds and quantitative investing. We discussed the money management industry and briefly described what quants do, how they do it, and issues that surround quant trading.
Biomarkers of Oxidant Stress in Vivo: Oxidative Modifications of Lipids, Proteins and DNA

Oxidative stress (OS) has been widely implicated in physiological processes, such as aging and in disease pathogenesis, ranging from carcinogenesis through the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease to atherogenesis. However, until recently our ability to interrogate integrated systems, such as model organisms and humans, has been restricted by the lack of availability of quantitiative indices of oxidant stress in vivo. Indeed, the failure to identify benefit from antioxidants in clinical trials thus far may reflect, in part, the absence of such biomarkers to identify susceptible patients and to guide drug response^ ' \ This review focuses on developments in the analytical biochemistry of oxidant stress. Particular emphasis is placed on the still emerging technologies to study oxidative damage to DNA in vivo. The emergence of these new technologies promises to elucidate the role of this process in human disease and to afford a necessary adjunct to the development of novel antioxidant therapeutic strategies^^l
All-Atom Continuous Constant pH Molecular Dynamics With Particle Mesh Ewald and Titratable Water.

Development of a pH stat to properly control solution pH in biomolecular simulations has been a long-standing goal in the community. Toward this goal recent years have witnessed the emergence of the so-called constant pH molecular dynamics methods. However, the accuracy and generality of these methods have been hampered by the use of implicit-solvent models or truncation-based electrostatic schemes. Here we report the implementation of the particle mesh Ewald (PME) scheme into the all-atom continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) method, enabling CpHMD to be performed with a standard MD engine at a fractional added computational cost. We demonstrate the performance using pH replica-exchange CpHMD simulations with titratable water for a stringent test set of proteins, HP36, BBL, HEWL, and SNase. With the sampling time of 10 ns per replica, most pKa’s are converged, yielding the average absolute and root-mean-square deviations of 0.61 and 0.77, respectively, from experiment. Linear regression of th...
Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic C–H fluorination of arenes using oxazoline as a removable directing group

Abstract Dimethyloxazoline was rationally designed to act as a removable ortho -directing group (DG) for the palladium-catalyzed C–H electrophilic fluorination of arenes. Using NFSI as the fluorinating agent, and Pd(II), Ag(I) catalytic system, electrophilic C(sp 2 –H) ortho -fluorination took place on a variety of aryl substrates to afford the corresponding mono- and di-fluorinated products.
Optimum Operating Room Environment for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections.

Background Surgical site infections (SSI), whether they be incisional or deep, can entail major morbidity and death to patients and additional cost to the healthcare system. A significant amount of effort has gone into optimizing the surgical patient and the operating room environment to reduce SSI. Methods Relevant guidelines and literature were reviewed. Results The modern practice of surgical antisepsis involves the employment of strict sterile techniques inside the operating room. Extensive guidelines are available regarding the proper operating room antisepsis as well as pre-operative preparation. The use of pre-operative antimicrobial prophylaxis has become increasingly prevalent, which also presents the challenge of opportunistic and nosocomial infections. Ongoing investigative efforts have brought about a greater appreciation of the surgical patient's endogenous microflora, use of non-bactericidal small molecules, and pre-operative microbial screening. Conclusions Systematic protocols exist for optimizing the surgical sterility of the operating room to prevent SSIs. Ongoing research efforts aim to improve the precision of peri-operative antisepsis measures and personalize these measures to tailor the patient's unique microbial environment.
Aging alters mRNA expression of amyloid transporter genes at the blood-brain barrier.

Decreased clearance of potentially toxic metabolites, due to aging changes, likely plays a significant role in the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) and other macromolecules in the brains of the elderly and in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aging is the single most important risk factor for AD development. Aβ transport receptor proteins expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are significantly altered with age: the efflux transporters LRP-1 and P-gp are reduced, whereas the influx transporter RAGE is increased. These receptors play an important role in maintaining brain biochemical homeostasis. We now report that, in a rat model of aging, gene transcription is altered in aging, as measured by Aβ receptor gene mRNA at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 30 and 36 months. Gene mRNA expression from isolated cerebral microvessels was measured by qPCR. LRP-1 and P-gp mRNA were significantly reduced in aging, and RAGE was increased, in parallel with the changes seen in receptor protein expression. Transcriptional changes appear to play a role in aging alterations in BBB receptor expression and Aβ accumulation.
Type XVII collagen (BP 180) in the developing avian cornea.

Purpose. Previous sequence analyses of hemidesmosomal BP 180/collagen XVII cDNA from human skin and of a similar chicken corneal cDNA showed some similarities, but major differences as well. The authors examined whether, in one species, the same mRNA is present in cornea and skin. They also studied the developmental expression of the molecule and compared it to the transmembrane hemidesmosome component, a6/34 integrin, and to the formation of hemidesmosomes themselves. Methods. Cornea and skin BP 180/collagen XVII cDNAs were cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequenced. Developmental expression was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence microscopy. a6/?4 integrin was evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy, and hemidesmosome formation was assessed by electron microscopy. Results. The same al (XVII) collagen/BP 180 mRNA is present in cornea and skin. The appearance of al (XVII) collagen mRNA and protein shows similar temporal patterns of expression, with changes in the mRNA preceding those of the protein by approximately 2 days. The appearance of mature hemidesmosomes lags still further. Immunofluorescence histochemistry of al (XVII) collagen and a6/?4 integrin shows that their developmental appearance is regulated closely. Conclusions. The differences between human BP 180/collagen XVII and die chicken corneal molecule represent species divergence. The appearance of al (XVII) collagen mRNA and protein is regulated closely, with the protein lagging. Mature hemidesmosomes, once present, have a low turnover rate. The developmental appearance of al (XVII) collagen and a6/?4 integrin are regulated closely. However, die component responsible for initiating hemidesmosome formation remains unknown. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1997; 38:153-166. 1 he stratified epithelia of cornea and skin, and of oral and vaginal mucosae, are subject to abrasive forces and, therefore, require strong attachment to their substrata connective tissue. One feature of the basal cells of these epithelia is the presence of multicomponent adhesion structures, termed anchoring complexes (for recent review, see Gerecke, et al 1 ). Anchoring complexes originate along the basal surface of these cells as cytoplasmic hemidesmosomes
Griffin: uniting CPU and GPU in information retrieval systems for intra-query parallelism

Interactive information retrieval services, such as enterprise search and document search, must provide relevant results with consistent, low response times in the face of rapidly growing data sets and query loads. These growing demands have led researchers to consider a wide range of optimizations to reduce response latency, including query processing parallelization and acceleration with co-processors such as GPUs. However, previous work runs queries either on GPU or CPU, ignoring the fact that the best processor for a given query depends on the query's characteristics, which may change as the processing proceeds. We present Griffin, an IR systems that dynamically combines GPU- and CPU-based algorithms to process individual queries according to their characteristics. Griffin uses state-of-the-art CPU-based query processing techniques and incorporates a novel approach to GPU-based query evaluation. Our GPU-based approach, as far as we know, achieves the best available GPU search performance by leveraging a new compression scheme and exploiting an advanced merge-based intersection algorithm. We evaluate Griffin with real world queries and datasets, and show that it improves query performance by 10x compared to a highly optimized CPU-only implementation, and 1.5x compared to our GPU-approach running alone. We also find that Griffin helps reduce the 95th-, 99th-, and 99.9th-percentile query response time by 10.4x, 16.1x, and 26.8x, respectively.
Novel Observations of Female Genital Anatomy in Classic Bladder Exstrophy Using 3-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reconstruction.

Purpose: Understanding the distinct female anatomy in classic bladder exstrophy is crucial for optimal reconstructive and functional outcomes. We present novel quantitative anatomical data in females with classic bladder exstrophy before primary closure.Materials and Methods: 3-Dimensional reconstruction was performed in patients undergoing pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, and pelvic anatomy was characterized, including measurements of the vagina, cervix and erectile bodies.Results: We examined magnetic resonance imaging of 5 females (mean age 5.5 months) with classic bladder exstrophy and 4 age matched controls (mean age 5.8 months). Mean distance between the anal verge and vaginal introitus was greater in patients with classic bladder exstrophy (2.43 cm) than in controls (1.62 cm). Mean total vaginal length in patients with classic bladder exstrophy was half that of controls (1.64 cm vs 3.39 cm). All 4 controls had posterior facing cervical ora, while 4 of 5 females with exstrophy had anterior facing ...
Children and extreme sports: a parent’s perspective

Adventure and extreme sports (AES) have gained enormous popularity over the past two decades and are now performed not only by adventurous elite athletes, including youth, but are very common among...
How to talk (and not to talk) about school shootings

Author(s): Scheper-Hughes, N | Abstract: In this guest editorial, the author addresses the latest school shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This event is weighed up against reports written by prominent academics, including anthropologists, during previous school shootings.
Picosecond Laser Studies of Collisional Effects on Rotational Processes in Liquids

Recent advances in laser technology are at last making it possible for direct measurements of liquid state phenomena to be carried out on the timescale of the collisions. The complimentarity of these experimental studies to large scale computer simulations of molecular dynamics in liquids signals the beginning of an exciting period of chemical physics during which there are likely to be significant advances in our understanding of chemical processes in solutions.
Statistics for Comparing Means and Proportions

This chapter covers methods to compare means across groups of study participants. Means can be the averages of continuous variables, e.g., hours of sleep when a drug is given or proportions of dichotomous variables, e.g., the proportions of students accepted by college admission. Nonparametric methods may be appropriate if the distribution of a continuous variable is skewed. In this case the nonparametric test (e.g., wilcox.test()) may be more appropriate than parametric test (e.g., t.test()). Comparisons of proportions can be made by prop.test() or chisq.test(). If the sample size is small, fisher.test() is more appropriate than chisq.test(). More generally, loglinear modeling using loglin() can address mutliway contingency tables. We use loglin() to test a mediation effect.
In utero and childhood polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposures and neurodevelopment in the CHAMACOS study.

background: California children’s exposures to polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) are among the highest worldwide. PBDEs are known endocrine disruptors and neurotoxicants in ani...
Non-Intrusive A/C Load Disaggregation Using Deep Learning

With the increase in global temperature, the rise in electricity demand has been accelerated. Air conditioning accounts for most of the residential power demand. In order to improve energy efficiency and manage the A/C power demand, smart meter data can be exploited to extract intelligent information about A/C power usage. In this study, we will demonstrate deep learning-based non-intrusive load monitoring algorithms (NILM) to disaggregate the A/C power consumption from the total power consumption measured by smart meter. Deep learning can provide end-to-end solutions to deal with large-scale data and is widely used to address real world challenging problems. We will use Pecan Street smart meter data to show the performances of the proposed A/C operating cycle classification and A/C power consumption estimation. Our preliminary results will manifest the effectiveness/potential of deep learning-based algorithms and suggest further investigation for performance improvement/model generalization.
Expression of ETS1 and LEF1 in salivary glands of Sjögren syndrome patients

OBJECTIVE Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting exocrine glands, thereby causing dry mouth and eyes (sicca). Our objective was to determine the expression of pSS pathogenic biomarker MMP9 and its putative transcription factors ETS1 and LEF1, in labial salivary glands of pSS patients. METHODS Sicca patients were assigned to three groups based on focus score (FS): non-pSS sicca (i.e., GR1 [FS = 0] and GR2 [0 < FS < 1]) and pSS (i.e., GR3 [FS ≥ 1]). We determined the mRNA and protein expression of MMP9, ETS1, and LEF1 in salivary gland biopsies. Also, ETS1-CD4 and LEF1-CD4 co-expression analyses were performed. RESULTS The mRNA expression of MMP9, ETS1, and LEF1 was upregulated in GR3 compared to GR1 (p < 0.01). Most GR3 salivary gland areas had moderate to high MMP9, ETS1, and LEF1 protein expression compared to GR1 and GR2. Further, ETS1-CD4 and LEF1-CD4 dual staining demonstrated that both salivary gland epithelial cells and lymphocytic infiltrates had increased levels of ETS1 and LEF1. Moreover, there was a strong correlation between ETS1(+)-CD4(-) and LEF1(+)-CD4(-) cells. CONCLUSION These results suggest, for the first time, a concerted increase in ETS1 and LEF1 expression in salivary gland epithelial cells of pSS patients that is reflective of the etiopathogenesis of pSS.
Abstract WP90: Activate Protein C Analog Protects Ischemic Injury of Subcortical White Matter in Mice

Subcortical white matter stroke constitutes up to 30% of all stroke subtypes, occurs initially as silent infarcts in the white matter (WM), and contributes significantly to the development of vascu...
Coordination or Oxidative Addition? Activation of N-H with [Tp'Rh(PMe3)].

A thermal reaction of amines, anilines, and amides with Tp′Rh(PMe3)(CH3)H (1, Tp′ = tris(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolyl)borate) is described in this report. No N–H bond cleavage was observed for reactions between ammonia or unsubstituted aliphatic amines with the reactive fragment [Tp′Rh(PMe3)]. Instead, amine coordination products (κ2-Tp′)Rh(PMe3)(NHR1R2) (R1 = H, R2 = H, nPr, iPr, octyl; R1 = R2 = Et; R1, R2: pyrrolidine) were observed, and the crystal structure of (κ2-Tp′)Rh(PMe3)(NH2iPr) is reported. No coordination products were observed when 1 was reacted with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-amine, anilines, and amides. Instead, the oxidative addition products (κ3-Tp′)Rh(PMe3)(NHR)H (R = CH(CF3)2, C6H5, 3,5-dimethylbenzyl, C6F5, C(O)CH3, C(O)CF3) were observed. Both RhI–N coordination products (κ2-Tp′)Rh(PMe3)(NH2CH2CF3) and RhIII N–H addition products (κ3-Tp′)Rh(PMe3)(NHCH2CF3)H were generated when 1 was reacted with 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine. Coordination products dissociate ammonia and amines in benzene m...