cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-reported symptoms of neurotoxicity and agricultural injuries among Ohio cash-grain farmers.

BACKGROUND: In 1993, the Ohio Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Program (OFFHHSP) was initiated to assess the health status of cash-grain farmers and their families. The objective of this study was to examine the postulated relationship between symptoms of neurotoxicity and risk of agriculture-related injury among Ohio cash-grain farmers. METHODS: A reanalysis of the data from a previously published case-control study of cash-grain farmers [Crawford et al. (1998) Am J Ind Med 34:588-599] was performed. The Principal Operator (PO) of each farm was asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire which included items about injuries experienced during the past year. A section of the questionnaire contained a 24-item instrument ("Q24") that queried symptoms of neurotoxicity experienced during the previous 12 months. Design-based multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between neuropsychological subsets ("domains") of the 24-item instrument and injury risk among the white male POs (who accounted for >99% of all POs). RESULTS: Significantly elevated odds ratios (ORs) were found in 8 of 11 domains. POs answering in the affirmative to the single item "Have you been bothered by lack of coordination or loss of balance?" were 3.12 times more likely to have reported an injury than POs responding negatively (95% CI 1.68-5.81). CONCLUSIONS: Farmers with higher scores on several Q24 domains, and for particular questionnaire items, appear to be at increased risk of agricultural injury.
Equibiaxial extensional flow of polymer melts via lubricated squeezing flow. II. Flow modeling

A model for lubricated squeezing flow of a viscoelastic fluid is developed in order to study the viability of this flow as a rheological technique for generating equibiaxial extensional deformations in polymer melts. In this simple flow model, the melt, described by an upper-convected Maxwell fluid, is squeezed between thin films of a Newtonian fluid. Comparisons of the model predictions for constant strain rate and constant stress flows are made with experimental results presented in the first paper. Predictions from the model are able to describe the effects of lubricant viscosity and experimental configuration and indicate the technique fails for these flows at Hencky strains of approximately one. The cause for this failure is lubricant thinning, which leads to significant errors in both the measured stress difference and the strain.
Transforming growth factor-beta complexes with thrombospondin.

Thrombospondin (TSP) was demonstrated to inhibit the growth of bovine aortic endothelial cells, an activity that was not neutralized by antibodies to TSP or by other agents that block TSP-cell inte...
EFFECT OF PHOTOSELECTION UPON SATURATION AND THE DICHROIC RATIO IN FLASH EXPERIMENTS UPON EFFECTIVELY IMMOBILIZED SYSTEMS

Abstract— Flash spectroscopy of photochemical or photobiological systems, such as bacteriorhodopsin in purple membrane, for which the chromophore transition dipole moment does not undergo complete reorientation during the time of the flash, is considered as a function of light intensity. Due to photoselection, saturation proceeds very slowly with increasing flash intensity and the linear dichroic ratio decays rapidly from a maximum of three at zero flash intensity. Simple formulae are derived to describe these effects under stringent assumptions. Calculations are also performed which relax the assumptions by taking into account (i) non-zero optical density, (ii) thermal decay of the photoproduct during the flash and (iii) non-zero angle y between the initial chromophore and its photoproduct. Agreement with experiments on bacteriorhodopsin in purple membranes is excellent.
Bounding an Index by the Largest Character Degree of a p-Solvable Group

In this article, we show that if p is a prime and G is a p-solvable group, then |G: O p (G)| p ≤ (b(G) p /p)1/(p−1), where b(G) is the largest character degree of G. If p is an odd prime that is not a Mersenne prime or if the nilpotence class of a Sylow p-subgroup of G is at most p, then |G: O p (G)| p ≤ b(G).
Autecology of the cryptic mysid crustacean, Heteromysis formosa S.I. Smith 1873, in a temperate estuary

The life history pattern, behavior, and distribution of the mysid crustacean, Heteromysis formosa, was studied in a temperate salt marsh. This mysid occurred in epibenthic sled collections every month, but was most abundant from June through November. Marsh creeks with irregular bottoms supported the largest populations, although some individuals occurred in other estuarine habitats and shallow ocean areas. Heteromysis formosaremains hidden on the bottom during the day and swims over open bottom at night. Many young fishes feed on H. formosa, especially at night. Seasonal changes in mysid abundance were related to the life history pattern. Reproduction was continuous from April through October. Overwintering populations of immature mysids were small. Female H. formosawere capable of reproducing more than one time. The number of young per brood ranged from 7 to 32 and was related to total adult body length.
Coalescent-Based Method for Learning Parameters of Admixture Events from Large-Scale Genetic Variation Data

Detecting and quantifying the timing and the genetic contributions of parental populations to a hybrid population is an important but challenging problem in reconstructing evolutionary histories from genetic variation data. With the advent of high throughput genotyping technologies, new methods suitable for large-scale data are especially needed. Furthermore, existing methods typically assume the assignment of individuals into subpopulations is known, when that itself is a difficult problem often unresolved for real data. Here, we propose a novel method that combines prior work for inferring nonreticulate population structures with an MCMC scheme for sampling over admixture scenarios to both identify population assignments and learn divergence times and admixture proportions for those populations using genome-scale admixed genetic variation data. We validated our method using coalescent simulations and a collection of real bovine and human variation data. On simulated sequences, our methods show better accuracy and faster runtime than leading competitive methods in estimating admixture fractions and divergence times. Analysis on the real data further shows our methods to be effective at matching our best current knowledge about the relevant populations.
Photoluminescence of n-i-n GaAs/AlAs single quantum well structures under electric field bias

Abstract GaAs/AlAs single quantum well structures designed with well thickness near the type-I/type-II crossover show distinctive photoluminescence peaks corresponding to both type-I and type-II recombinations. Photoluminescence measurements as a function of applied electric field and temperature ranging from 23 to 180 K and current–voltage measurements are presented for two MBE-grown structures clad with Si-doped Al 0.45 Ga 0.55 As layers on n + -GaAs [100] substrates. The large and field-dependent energy separation between type-I and type-II luminescence peaks is understood to arise from the build-up of electrons at the X point in the AlAs barrier.
Measurement of plasma homovanillic acid concentrations in schizophrenic patients

1. Several lines of evidence suggest that abnormalities of central dopaminergic transmission may be involved in the expression of some schizophrenic symptoms. However, elucidation of the role of dopamine (DA) in schizophrenia has eluded investigative efforts partially because no accurate and easily repeatable measure of brain DA activity exists. 2. The development of a technique to measure homovanillic acid in plasma has offered the possibility of performing serial measurements of this major DA metabolite. 3. Assuming that plasma homovanillic acid (PHVA) concentrations is an index of brain DA activity, measurement of PHVA can play a role in elucidating the DA abnormality in schizophrenia. 4. Results to date suggest that plasma homovanillic acid concentrations are lower in chronic schizophrenic patients compared to normal controls, and that PHVA values correlate with schizophrenic symptom severity. 5. In addition, PHVA levels were shown to initially rise and subsequently decline during chronic neuroleptic administration in treatment responsive but not in treatment refractory schizophrenic patients.
Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Increased Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background. Although individual metabolic risk factors are reported to be associated with breast cancer risk, controversy surrounds risk of breast cancer from metabolic syndrome (MS). We report the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between MS and breast cancer risk in all adult females. Methods. Studies were retrieved by searching four electronic reference databases [PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and ProQuest through June 30, 2012] and cross-referencing retrieved articles. Eligible for inclusion were longitudinal studies reporting associations between MS and breast cancer risk among females aged 18 years and older. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each study and pooled using random-effects models. Publication bias was assessed quantitatively (Trim and Fill) and qualitatively (funnel plots). Heterogeneity was examined using Q and I2 statistics. Results. Representing nine independent cohorts and 97,277 adult females, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. A modest, positive association was observed between MS and breast cancer risk (RR: 1.47, 95% CI, 1.15–1.87; z = 3.13; p = 0.002; Q = 26.28, p = 0.001; I2 = 69.55%). No publication bias was observed. Conclusions. MS is associated with increased breast cancer risk in adult women.
Anti-Cyanide Drugs: Kinetics of the Removal of Copper(II) and Nickel(II) from N-Methyl-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrins by Cyanide. LD50s of Common Metalloporphyrins and Metallophthalocyanines

The purpose of this project was to develop prophylactic water-soluble anti-cyanide drugs. The 24 h mean LD50s in mice of 13 common metalloporphyrins and metallophthalocyanines are reported. At doses of 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64 of the LD50 administered 15 or 60 min prior to a 2LD50 challenge of sodium cyanide, none of these compounds protected mice against cyanide. While Co(H2O)6Cl2 and Ni(H2O)6Cl2 were found to be effective, they are too toxic to be useful. A stable metalloporphyrin that could scavenge cyanide by donating metal ions to produce non-toxic polycyano species in the presence of cyanide would be desirable. We found that nickel(II) and copper(II) are removed from their N-methyl-tetra(4-sulfonato)porphyrins by cyanide and hydrogen cyanide. These reactions are not observed with the parent tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrins. Equilibrium constants for cyanide addition to both types of metalloporphyrins and the rate laws for metal removal by cyanide and HCN are reported. The medical implications of these findings are discussed.
The significance of intergranular diffusion to the mechanisms and kinetics of porphyroblast crystallization

The spatial disposition, compositional zoning profiles, and size distributions of garnet crystals in 11 specimens of pelitic schist from the Picuris Range of New Mexico (USA) demonstrate that the kinetics of intergranular diffusion controlled the nucleation and growth mechanisms of porphyroblasts in these rocks. An ordered disposition of garnet centers and a significant correlation between crystal radius and near-neighbor distances manifest suppressed nucleation of new crystals in diffusionally depleted zones surrounding pre-existing crystals. Compositional zoning profiles require diffusionally controlled growth, the rate of which increases exponentially as temperature increases with time; an acceleration factor for growth rate can be estimated from a comparison of compositional profiles for crystals of different sizes in each specimen. Crystal size distributions are interpreted as the result of nucleation rates that accelerate exponentially with increasing temperature early in the crystallization process, but decline in the later stages because of suppression effects in the vicinity of earlier-formed nuclei. Simulations of porphyroblast crystallization, based upon thermally accelerated diffusionally influenced nucleation kinetics and diffusionally controlled growth kinetics, quantitatively replicate textural relations in the rocks. The simulations employ only two variable parameters, which are evaluated by fitting of crystal size distributions. Both have physical significance. The first is an acceleration factor for nucleation, with a magnitude reflecting the prograde increase during the nucleation interval of the chemical affinity for the reaction in undepleted regions of the rock. The second is a measure of the relative sizes of the porphyroblast and the diffusionally depleted zone surrounding it. Crystal size distributions for the Picuris Range garnets correspond very closely to those in the literature from a variety of other localities for garnet and other minerals. The same kinetic model accounts quantitatively for crystal size distributions of porphyroblastic garnet, phlogopite, sphene, and pyroxene in rocks from both regional and contact metamorphic occurrences. These commonalities indicate that intergranular diffusion may be the dominant kinetic factor in the crystallization of porphyroblasts in a wide variety of metamorphic environments.
GPR characterization of a lacustrine UXO site

We used 135-MHz ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) reflection profiles to determine if high-explosive (HE) depth bombs were possibly detonated within a small New England lake formerly used as a bombing range, as well as the depths and distribution of inert and possibly unexploded ordnance (UXO) within the subbottom sediments. Maximum water depth was 8.6 m . The primary munitions were unarmed practice bombs, but terrestrial fragments from HE depth bombs led us to seek stratigraphic obliteration and distortion as evidence of their use. The low water conductivity and quartz-rich sediments provided more than 8 m of subbottom penetration beneath slope and shelf sediments. The high permittivities of the water and subbottom sediments provided good antenna directivity, excellent 2D migrations, multicentimeter vertical resolution, and a unique pulse waveform signature for metal objects. Our line profiles revealed hundreds of subbottom diffractions, which implied an areal distribution of thou-sands of suspicious object...
High performance digital communications in mobile channels

Random amplitude and phase modulations experienced in mobile channels result in a number of system limitations and link impairments. In this paper, a novel approach named "tone calibrated technique" which mitigates multipath fading induced distortions in a digital link is presented. It is shown that a low power pilot tone can be used to continuously calibrate a mobile link against time varying impairments. Coherent demodulation of data is possible by means of the pilot tone without using a conventional tracking loop. Since very little power is consumed by the pilot tone, the performance of the tone calibrated technique is only marginally below BPSK in an unfaded environment.
Transfructosylating enzyme activity of Penicillium roquefortii.

K.Y. JANG AND Y.D. HANG. 1996. The blue cheese mold, Penicillium roquefortii NRRL 844, was found to produce a transfructosylating enzyme that exhibited optimal activity at 50°C in the pH range of 5.0–6.0. The enzyme rapidly catalysed the conversion of sucrose to a syrup containing nearly 60% fructo-oligosaccharides of the total sugars present.
Osa protein encoded by plasmid pSa is located at the inner membrane but does not inhibit membrane association of VirB and VirD virulence proteins in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The osa gene of IncW plasmid pSa encodes a 21-kDa protein that completely abolishes the oncogenic activity encoded by virulence genes in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. osa is the last gene of a four-gene operon in pSa, the expression of which appears to be highly regulated since the Osa protein is absent when either pSa or the osa operon is present in the Agrobacterium cell. When the osa gene alone or together with upstream genes within the operon are expressed under the control of a constitutive promoter, Osa protein is produced, enabling us to determine its subcellular location. Immunoblot analyses located Osa protein at the inner membrane of both A. tumefaciens and Escherichia coli. Because Osa inhibits oncogenicity of A. tumefaciens, and because alterations of the products of the virB and virD genes affect oncogenicity, studies were conducted to determine if there are changes in their specific association with the membranes in the presence Osa. Immunoblot analyses of VirB2, VirB3, VirB4, VirB9, and VirD4 in the presence and absence of Osa revealed no differences between the two treatments in these Vir protein associations with the membranes. These results indicate that both virB and virD gene products are produced in the presence of Osa; that they appear unaffected in their association with the membranes; and that Osa is associated with the inner membrane, where VirB2, VirB4, and VirD4 proteins are also located.
Design and implementation of an interpretive dump analyzer

This paper deals with the development of a major project beginning with the design and carrying it to completion. It takes an approach similar to the systematic viewpoint and shows various techniques associated with this approach. The paper discusses both programming and debugging techniques used in this project and then gives a final overview of the finished project; that being an interpretive dump analyzer.
Genome screen for a combined bone phenotype using principal component analysis: the Framingham study.

Abstract Genetic factors substantially contribute to variation in bone mass. There is a controversy as to whether shared genetic factors exist for bone mass at different sites. We hypothesize that using a composite phenotypic score of several correlated bone mass measures may provide complementary results for linkage studies. In the members of 323 pedigrees from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and three femoral sites (Lunar DPX-L), and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measured at the calcaneus (Hologic Sahara). Data on age, sex, anthropometry, alcohol and caffeine intake, smoking status, physical activity, menopause, and estrogen use (in females) were also obtained. Principal component analyses of BMD and QUS phenotypes were performed in each sex and generation (parents and offspring). The principal component analyses yielded two components, whose loadings were extracted as principal component scores (PC1 and PC2) for each individual, with PC1 explaining up to 66% of the total variation of all bone mass measurements, and PC2 an additional 24%. Principal component analysis of the three femoral BMD measures resulted in one component (PC_hip) that explained 89–91% of the common variation of hip BMD measures. Quantitative genetic analysis (using the variance components method) revealed that both principal component scores were under significant genetic influences (covariate-adjusted heritabilities of PC1, PC2, and PC_hip were 0.66 ± 0.07, 0.44 ± 0.07, and 0.61 ± 0.06, respectively). For PC1, loci of suggestive linkage were identified on chromosomes 1q21.3 and 8q24.3 with the maximum multipoint LOD scores 2.5 and 2.4, respectively. For PC2, multipoint LOD score was 2.1 on 1p36. Suggestive linkage of PC_hip was found on 8q24.3 and 16p13.2 (LODs > 1.9). In conclusion, an approach to linkage analysis using the linear combination of several correlated bone phenotypes suggests that there are chromosomal loci regulating bone mass, with seemingly pleiotropic effects at different skeletal sites.
Rebuttal: Should newborns be circumcised? YES.

Dr Andres agrees that circumcision is a potent preventive measure against infant kidney infections and HIV, but downplays the significance. Infant kidney infections cannot be dismissed; they occur when the kidney is still developing and often result in renal damage with scarring. As for HIV
On a local search algorithm for the capacitated max-k-cut problem

The local search algorithm for the capacitated max-k -cut problem proposed by Gaur et al. (2008) is not guaranteed to terminate. In this note, we modify the iterative step of their algorithm to make it terminate in a finite number of steps. The modified algorithm is pseudo-polynomial, and in a special case it is strongly polynomial. Moreover, we analyze the worst case bound of the modified algorithm and give some extensions.
The Antitrust Division: Economic Issues Presented in 2010–2011

The Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice had a number of interesting cases during the last year. The merger between Comcast and NBC-Universal presented an interesting challenge of preserving existing competition from an emerging technology. The abandoned attempt by NASDAQ to acquire NYSE shed light on a number of competitive interactions between financial exchanges. Hospital contracts in Texas illustrated that exclusive dealing is still a violation of Section “NASDAQ’s Proposed Acquisition of NYSE” and will be pursued by the Antitrust Division. And, a number of cases as well as a new policy guide on the subject demonstrate that the Antitrust Division will work with parties and accept innovative remedies to eliminate competitive problems in ways that may better preserve efficiencies.
Review on impact analysis of FRP composites validated by LS‐DYNA

In recent decades fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials have revolutionized the world of engineering material. It has emerged as a substitute to traditional engineering material because of its aspect ratio. The increase in demand of FRP in various areas such as automotive and aerospace increases the need to do deep and diversified impact analysis of FRP composites. This article is an attempt to review literatures on the impact analysis of FRP composite validated by LS-DYNA. The effect of projectile characterization, fiber orientation, and cores on the impact behavior of FRP composite has been discussed. An attempt is done to view literature from 1990s to present days. Because of insufficiency of relevant paper (using LS-DYNA) in 1990s, this review article includes work done from 2000s to present days. Temperature dependency, energy absorbed, contact time, and damage pattern of the FRP laminates, along with future trend of research work in the area of composite are also discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1786–1798, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Electrocardiographic Signs of Infarction Masked by Coexistent Contralateral Hemiblock

From review of 2,000 electrocardiographic charts, nine were selected in which a hemiblock contralateral to a previous infarction appeared. Coexistence of left anterior hemiblock (LAH) with inferior infarction results in initial r wave in inferior leads, masking ECG signs of infarction. The same phenomenon was also found in cases of left posterior hemiblock (LPH) with anterolateral infarction, where an initial r wave appeared in aVL and L I. Appearance of an R wave in place of a previous pathologic Q wave cannot be assumed as evidence of improvement; on the contrary this change occurs with additional damage that produces conduction defect. The diagnostic value of the variations of the initial 0.02 sec vector is emphasized. Extreme axis deviation may be secondary to infarction or hemiblock; hence the diagnosis of hemiblock should be based also upon the orientation of the first vector and the intrinsicoid deflection time.
Muscle fibre variation in the gluteus medius of the horse.

Summary The gluteus medius of two killed Thoroughbred horses were sampled along the muscle and across the muscle at four different depths. The distribution of fibre types in these two horses was assessed by staining cross sections of the muscle sample for ATPase. A non-uniform distribution of fibre types was found within the gluteus medius in both horses and there was a significant increase in percentage of slow twitch (ST) fibres from the surface to the deeper regions of the muscle. The rate of increase, however, depended on the individual site along the muscle. Averages ranges from a low of 2.4 per cent ST fibres to a high of 64.5 per cent. This study shows that small biopsy samples of fibres are not necessarily representative of the whole muscle and that there is a need in subsequent studies to define precisely biopsy location.
Fish consumption and cognitive decline with age in a large community study.

Background Dietary intake of fish and the ω-3 fatty acids have been associated with lower risk of Alzheimer disease and stroke. Objective To examine whether intakes of fish and the ω-3 fatty acids protect against age-related cognitive decline. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Geographically defined Chicago, Ill, community. Participants Residents, 65 years and older, who participated in the Chicago Health and Aging Project. Main Outcome Measure Change in a global cognitive score estimated from mixed models. The global score was computed by summing scores of 4 standardized tests. In-home cognitive assessments were performed 3 times over 6 years of follow-up. Results Cognitive scores declined on average at a rate of 0.04 standardized units per year (SU/y). Fish intake was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in mixed models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, cognitive activity, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and total energy intake. Compared with a decline rate in score of −0.100 SU/y among persons who consumed fish less than weekly, the rate was 10% slower (−0.090 SU/y) among persons who consumed 1 fish meal per week and 13% slower (−0.088 SU/y) among persons who consumed 2 or more fish meals per week. The fish association was not accounted for by cardiovascular-related conditions or fruit and vegetable consumption but was modified after adjustment for intakes of saturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. There was little evidence that the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were associated with cognitive change. Conclusions Fish consumption may be associated with slower cognitive decline with age. Further study is needed to determine whether fat composition is the relevant dietary constituent. Published online October 10, 2005 (doi:10.1001/archneur.62.12.noc50161).
Reconstruction of integrin activation

Integrins are integral membrane proteins that mediate cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion. They are important for vascular development and hematopoiesis, immune and inflammatory responses, and hemostasis. Integrins are also signaling receptors that can transmit information bidirectionally across plasma membranes. Research in the past 2 decades has made progress in unraveling the mechanisms of integrin signaling and brings the field to the moment of attempting synthetic reconstruction of the signaling pathways in vitro. Reconstruction of biologic processes provides stringent tests of our understanding of the process, as evidenced by studies of other biologic machines, such as ATP synthase, lactose permease, and G-protein-coupled receptors. Here, we review recent progress in reconstructing integrin signaling and the insights that we have gained through these experiments.
Survey of Swim Bladder Inflation in Walleyes Reared in Hatchery Production Ponds

Abstract We examined pond-reared fingerling walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum) for inflation of the swim bladder at harvest. We evaluated 120,064 fish from 15 facilities in nine states during 1989, 1990, and 1993. Samples of walleye were collected from 188 ponds, and only 3.5% (4,229) of the fish examined lacked an inflated swim bladder during the 3-year period. Walleyes with uninflated swim bladders were observed at each facility during one or more years. Of the 188 ponds, 53.7% (101) contained walleyes that lacked inflated swim bladders, and these fish (after freezing) were shorter and lighter in weight and had less body fat than walleyes with inflated swim bladders. There appeared to be no relationship between size of fish at pond harvest and the incidence of swim bladder inflation in any pond. Incidence of uninflated swim bladders reached 55% in one pond. Although only a small percentage of walleyes overall lacked an inflated swim bladder in this survey, we feel that walleye fingerlings should be sampled...
Effect of Interaction of the Hypothalamus and the Carotid Sinus Mechanoreceptor System on Renal Hemodynamics in the Anesthetized Dog

The purpose of this investigation was to show how the operating characteristics of the reflex having carotid sinus pressure as an input and renal pressure and flow as an output are modified by graded stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus. Consequently, the effects of graded stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus on renal hemodynamics were investigated in the anesthetized dog. The carotid sinuses were isolated and subjected to controlled pulsatile pressures. In general, discrete stimulation of the hypothalamus caused a frequency-dependent increase in renal impedance, and stimulation of the carotid sinus caused a decrease. Concomitant stimulation of the hypothalamus and the carotid sinuses had a significant, nonalgebraic effect on the d-c impedance (renal resistance) but no effect on renal impedance at high frequencies. Hypothalamic stimulation modified the sensitivity of renal resistance to carotid sinus pressure. This reflex sensitivity to hypothalamic stimulation passed through a single maximum. The estimated characteristic renal impedance varied inversely with carotid sinus pressure due to active vasomotor changes in renal vascular mechanical properties, rather than to passive effects of concomitant blood pressure changes.
Flowshops with processing flexibility across production stages

This paper addresses a scheduling problem for a two stage hybrid flowshop (HFS) environment with significant processing flexibility across stages. A job can be either completely processed at one of the stages or its processing is split in a prespecified fashion between stages. For the latter case, the routing is only in one direction, from the ‘upstream’ stage to the ‘downstream’ stage. A stage may consist of one or more parallel identical machines. We first study the special case of a single machine per stage and present a pseudopolynomial dynamic programming algorithm to minimize makespan. Then, we provide a heuristic for the HFSm1,m2 problem with mk machines at stage k = 1,2, and prove its worst case and average performance. Also, we extend our algorithms to the case of stage dependent processing times. Finally, we report computational results on the average performance of HFSm1,m2 with comparable flowshop and parallel machine environments, and provide managerial guidelines for process choice decisions.
“Ruralizing” presidential job advertisements

Rural community college presidential job advertisements that focus on geography, politics, and culture can improve the likelihood of a good fit between the senior leader and the institution.
Noncontinuous Development of Reducing Conditions in Wetland Soils

Abstract Soil aeration status in relation to water table was analyzed by contour mapping in a forested wetland, an emergent marsh, and an irrigated rice field. Two soil aeration status indicators, oxygen (O2) and redox potential (Eh), showed a significant correlation (P<0.01). Soil O2 and Eh levels generally decreased with the water table rise in the forested wetland and marsh, but with a noncontinuous pattern. The results indicate that soil aeration status could be temporally improved at an optimum water table level, probably due to O2 transport by wetland plants. The soil Eh in the rice fields clearly showed a seasonal pattern regardless of the water tables.
Druggable Protein Interaction Sites Are More Predisposed to Surface Pocket Formation than the Rest of the Protein Surface

Despite intense interest and considerable effort via high-throughput screening, there are few examples of small molecules that directly inhibit protein-protein interactions. This suggests that many protein interaction surfaces may not be intrinsically "druggable" by small molecules, and elevates in importance the few successful examples as model systems for improving our fundamental understanding of druggability. Here we describe an approach for exploring protein fluctuations enriched in conformations containing surface pockets suitable for small molecule binding. Starting from a set of seven unbound protein structures, we find that the presence of low-energy pocket-containing conformations is indeed a signature of druggable protein interaction sites and that analogous surface pockets are not formed elsewhere on the protein. We further find that ensembles of conformations generated with this biased approach structurally resemble known inhibitor-bound structures more closely than equivalent ensembles of unbiased conformations. Collectively these results suggest that "druggability" is a property encoded on a protein surface through its propensity to form pockets, and inspire a model in which the crude features of the predisposed pocket(s) restrict the range of complementary ligands; additional smaller conformational changes then respond to details of a particular ligand. We anticipate that the insights described here will prove useful in selecting protein targets for therapeutic intervention.
Chapter 5.4 Five membered ring systems: With more than one N atom

Publisher Summary This chapter provides information on five membered ring systems with more than one N atom. Applications of imidazole- and 1,2,3-benzotriazole-containing reagents to a wide array of synthetic operations remained a constant theme. The chapter discusses the following: (1) pyrazoles and ring-fused derivatives; (2) imidazoles and ring-fused derivatives; (3) 1,2,3-triazoles and ring-fused derivatives; (4) 1,2,4-triazoles and ring-fused derivatives; and (5) tetrazoles and ring-fused derivatives. The synthesis of the pyrazole core structure has been approached from many angles. The classical method involves the reaction of 1,3-difunctional species with hydrazine derivatives. β-Chlorovinylaldehydes were converted to pyrazolo[3,4- b ]quinolines and pyrazolo[3,4- c ]pyrazoles, respectively. 1,2-Diamines have been useful precursors for the syntheses of benzimidazoles. Treatment of o -phenylenediamines with hexachloroacetone under sonication provided substituted bisbenzimidazoles in good yields. Polymer-supported benzotriazoles were employed as catalysts in the synthesis of tetrahydroquinolines by condensation of aldehydes with aromatic amines and as synthetic auxiliaries and traceless linkers for the combinatorial synthesis of unsymmetrical ureas.
Gene dose-dependent control of hematopoiesis and hematologic tumor suppression by CBP

Mice with monoallelic inactivation of the CBP gene develop highly penetrant, multilineage defects in hematopoietic differentiation and, with advancing age, an increased incidence of hematologic malignancies. The latter are characterized, at least in some cases, by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the CBP locus. No such pathology was observed in wild-type or p300 heterozygous null mice of the same age and genetic background. Thus, a full complement of CBP, but not p300, is required for normal hematopoietic differentiation. These results also provide the first experimental evidence for the hypothesis that CBP has tumor-suppressing activity.
An unbiased cDNA library prepared from isolated Aplysia sensory neuron processes is enriched for cytoskeletal and translational mRNAs.

Local protein synthesis is required for long-lasting synapse-specific plasticity in cultured Aplysia sensorimotor synapses. To identify synaptically localized mRNAs, we prepared a cDNA library from isolated sensory neurites. By sequence analysis, we estimate that the library contains 263 distinct mRNAs, with 98 of these mRNAs constituting 70% of all clones. The localized transcripts are enriched for mRNAs encoding cytoskeletal elements and components of the translational machinery. In situ hybridization confirms that the mRNAs for at least eight of these transcripts are present in distal neurites. Immunocytochemistry reveals that serotonin regulates the translation of one of the localized mRNAs, that encoding α1-tubulin. Our identification of mRNAs encoding cytoskeletal elements suggests that local protein synthesis is required for the growth of new synaptic connections associated with persistent synaptic strengthening. Our finding of mRNAs encoding components of the translational machinery suggests that local protein synthesis serves to increase the translational capacity of synapses.
BRAVO esophageal pH monitoring: more cost-effective than empiric medical therapy for suspected gastroesophageal reflux

Early referral for catheter-based esophageal pH monitoring is more cost-effective than empiric proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We hypothesize that BRAVO wireless pH monitoring will also demonstrate substantial cost-savings compared to empiric PPI therapy, given its superior sensitivity and comfort. We reviewed 100 consecutive patients who underwent wireless pH monitoring for suspected GERD at our institution. A cost model and a cost equivalence calculation were generated. Cost-saving analyses were performed for both esophageal and extraesophageal symptoms. Eighty-seven patients were available for analysis. Median PPI use prior to referral was 215 weeks (range 0–520). Forty-three patients (49 %) had BRAVO results diagnosing GERD; 98 % of these had esophageal symptoms. Patients with negative BRAVO studies had a median of 113 (0–520) weeks of unnecessary PPI therapy. Cost-savings ranged from $1048 to $15,853 per patient, depending on sensitivity (75–95 %), PPI dosage, and brand. Maximum cost-savings occurred in patients with extraesophageal symptoms ($2948–$31,389 per patient). The PPI cost equivalence of BRAVO placement was 36 and 6 weeks for low- and high-dose therapy, respectively. BRAVO wireless pH testing is more cost-effective than prolonged empiric medical management for GERD and should be incorporated early in the treatment algorithm.
Elastic Strength of Tapered Columns

Equations and mathematical values for columns considering interaction among axial thrust, end bending moment, and slenderness for elastic pin-ended member of variable cross section subjected to concentrically applied axial thrust and various combinations of end bending moment; algebraic interaction relationships are obtained for combination of loads and slenderness that result in elastic limit being reached at most highly strained section along length of member.
A Tsunami of Filthy Lucre: How the Decisions of the SCOTUS Imperil American Democracy

The Supreme Court of the United States—or more precisely, a bare 5–4 majority of the justices—rendered a decision in the now-infamous case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The legal particulars of this decision, together with its unmistakable aura, endorsed a First Amendment “right” of individuals and corporations to make unlimited expenditures in the attempt to influence the outcomes of elections. In the world of political campaign financing, this was a seismic event, producing a tsunami of filthy lucre. The decision was not, however, a legal outlier; it is the logical conclusion of a line of cases that begins with Buckley v. Valeo. In consequence, the critic must argue for the repudiation of the entire line. This I do. I argue that the Court has adopted a primitive theory of interpretation of the law, and its reasoning has relied completely upon a fatally flawed metaphor, the “marketplace of ideas.” I dismantle the metaphor, and argue for a superior theory of interpretation. The reasoning of the Court poses a threat to American democracy by impelling us towards “representative plutocracy,” proxy rule by Wealth. When properly understood, I argue, Freedom of Speech does not require this legal environment, which is nothing less than the philosophical self-evisceration of the First Amendment. When properly interpreted—as safeguarding the moral autonomy of the citizenry—Freedom of Speech requires the prohibition of these expenditures.
Identifying Student Leaders from MOOC Discussion Forums through Language Influence

Identifying and understanding the motivations of student leaders from Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) discussion forums provides the key to making the online learning environment engaging, collaborative, and instructive. In this paper, we propose to identify student leaders solely based on textual features, or specifically by analyzing how they influence other students’ language. We propose an improved method of measuring language accommodation based on people’s choice of words given a semantic topic of interest, and show that student leaders indeed coordinate other students’ language usage. We also show that our proposed method can successfully distinguish student leaders from the two MOOC discussion forum datasets.
Gemcitabine: a cytidine analogue active against solid tumors

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage and administration of gemcitabine are reviewed. Gemcitabine is a deoxycytidine-analogue antimetabolite with activity against some solid tumors. Gemcitabine is phosphorylated intracellularly to difluorodeoxycytidine triphosphate, which terminates DNA-chain elongation and competitively inhibits DNA polymerase and ribonucleotide reductase. After i.v. administration, gemcitabine is rapidly distributed into total body water. The drug is deaminated in the plasma to inactive difluorodeoxyuridine; both gemcitabine and difluorodeoxyuridine are primarily renally eliminated. In clinical studies, gemcitabine reduced pain and improved function in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Gemcitabine has shown some activity against non-small-cell lung cancer, particularly when combined with cisplatin or ifosfamide. The agent has also shown modest activity against advanced ovarian and breast cancer. Adverse effects include dose-limiting myelosuppression, flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, and rash. Gemcitabine has FDA-approved labeling for use in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. The recommended dosage for this indication is 1000 mg/m2 (as the hydrochloride salt) i.v. given over 30 minutes weekly for seven weeks, followed after one week of rest by 1000 mg/ m2 i.v. given over 30 minutes weekly for three weeks every four weeks. Gemcitabine palliates symptoms in patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. More study is needed to determine gemcitabine's role in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.
Restructuring of Deep Neural Network Acoustic Models with Singular Value Decomposition

Recently proposed deep neural network (DNN) obtains significant accuracy improvements in many large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) tasks. However, DNN requires much more parameters than traditional systems, which brings huge cost during online evaluation, and also limits the application of DNN in a lot of scenarios. In this paper we present our new effort on DNN aiming at reducing the model size while keeping the accuracy improvements. We apply singular value decomposition (SVD) on the weight matrices in DNN, and then restructure the model based on the inherent sparseness of the original matrices. After restructuring we can reduce the DNN model size significantly with negligible accuracy loss. We also fine-tune the restructured model using the regular back-propagation method to get the accuracy back when reducing the DNN model size heavily. The proposed method has been evaluated on two LVCSR tasks, with context-dependent DNN hidden Markov model (CD-DNN-HMM). Experimental results show that the proposed approach dramatically reduces the DNN model size by more than 80% without losing any accuracy. Index Terms: deep neural network, singular value decomposition, model restructuring
Analysis of the Performance of a Wind-Turbine Airfoil under Heavy-Rain Conditions Using a Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach

A novel multiphase computational fluid dynamics model based on the coupled Lagrangian–Eulerian approach was developed to assess the performance of the S809 airfoil of a horizontal-axis wind turbine under rainy conditions. The model was utilized for simulations of water film formation over the airfoil. Our simulation showed significant performance loss due to an increase in drag and lift degradation.
2-Formylcinnamaldehyde formation yield from the OH radical-initiated reaction of naphthalene: effect of NO(2) concentration.

Naphthalene, typically the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in the atmosphere, reacts with OH radicals by addition to form OH–naphthalene adducts. These OH–naphthalene adducts react with O2 and NO2, with the two reactions being of equal importance in air at an NO2 mixing ratio of ∼60 ppbv. 2-Formylcinnamaldehyde [o-HC(O)C6H4CH═CHCHO] is a major product of the OH radical-initiated reaction of naphthalene, with a yield from the reaction of OH–naphthalene adducts with NO2 of ∼56%. We have measured, on a relative basis, the formation yield of 2-formylcinnamaldehyde from the OH radical-initiated reaction of naphthalene in air at average NO2 concentrations of 1.2 × 1011, 1.44 × 1012, and 1.44 × 1013 molecules cm–3 (mixing ratios of 0.005, 0.06, and 0.6 ppmv, respectively). These NO2 concentrations cover the range of conditions corresponding to the OH–naphthalene adducts reacting ∼90% of the time with O2 to ∼90% of the time with NO2. The 2-formylcinnamaldehyde formation yield decreased with decreasi...
Mechanism of the experimental animal study on composite balloon transurethral balloon dilatation of prostate treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objective To improve the clinical effect of transurethral balloon dilation of the prostate(TUDP),a single balloon was modified to a composite one.Thus the balloon diameter and the dilatation site were increased,and the expansion time was extended.Animal experiments were conducted to clarify its effective mechanism and to observe its security.Methods Ten aged male dogs were used in this experiment and randomly divided into two groups,including a balloon dilation group and a control group with sham surgery.The authors first dilated the membranous urethra,prostatic urethra and bladder neck for 5 minutes at 0.3mPa pressure,then decompressed to 0.1mPa in order not to oppress membranous urethra.After 30 minutes,the authors released the balloon stress,retained the dilation tube for 1 week,and then examined the data.At the end of the experiment,the authors performed cystoscopy,voiding pressure(VP),urodynamic graph,nerve-myoelectricity,and histological examination to evaluate the effectiveness and safety.Results After dilation,the diameters of prostatic urethra were significantly enlarged.There was not serious complications,such as bleeding and urinary extravasation.The bladder voiding pressure before and after the dilation had no significant changes and the urethral sphincter function had no significant injury.The urethral sphincter smooth muscle maintained normal myoelectricity and normal urination cycle.The histological results indicated that the prostate capsule dehiscence and the prostatic urethras were widened obviously in the dilation group,though there were inflammation,minor necrosis,stroma hemorrhage,and smooth muscle fiber degeneration in the dilated prostates.Meantime,less collagen in the Masson trichrome staining were noted in prostatic urethra of the experimental group.Conclusion This experiments confirmed that TUDP surgery with composite balloon is safe and feasible.Its mechanism may be that the full and proper dilation makes wetha significantly wider,and prostate tissue inflammatory infiltration,smooth muscle fibrosis and reduced collagen content make the uretha unable retract,while the surrounding tissue pack into the dehiscent prostate capsule so that the glands can not be reset.