cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
China’s New Labour Contract Law: Is China Moving Towards Increased Power for Workers?

Labour relations in modern China have long been unbalanced. During the Mao era, all workers were supposed to contribute their labour without reservation to the state-owned employing ‘units’, which were responsible for setting wages, as well as providing health care, housing, children’s education, and even arranging marriages. Beginning with Deng Xiaoping’s reforms in the 1980s, many state-owned enterprises were transformed into private businesses, but the organizational style — absolute power concentrated at the top of the enterprise — had not changed significantly. However, with the opening of China’s economy to outside investment and enterprises, labour-management relations characteristic of the rest of East Asia, as well as other non-communist nations, have increasingly replaced the older Maoist style relationship between enterprise and individual. Of course this shift to an overtly capitalist brand of labour relations has not by itself done anything to ameliorate the hierarchy and authoritarianism endemic to the Chinese workplace. Commissar or capitalist, management in modern China has too often ruled with an iron fist.
Numerical simulation of shock propagation in a polydisperse bubbly liquid

The effect of distributed bubble nuclei sizes on shock propagation in a bubbly liquid is numerically investigated. An ensemble-averaged technique is employed to derive the statistically averaged conservation laws for polydisperse bubbly flows. A finite-volume method is developed to solve the continuum bubbly flow equations coupled to a single-bubble-dynamic equation that incorporates the effects of heat transfer, liquid viscosity and compressibility. The one-dimensional shock computations reveal that the distribution of equilibrium bubble sizes leads to an apparent damping of the averaged shock dynamics due to phase cancellations in oscillations of the different-sized bubbles. If the distribution is sufficiently broad, the phase cancellation effect can dominate over the single-bubble-dynamic dissipation and the averaged shock profile is smoothed out.
Comparative Effects of Purified Staphylococcal Alpha and Delta Toxins on Mitochondrial Metabolism

Purified staphylococcal alpha toxin, free of delta-toxin activity, was prepared by ammonium-sulfate precipitation followed by chromatography on diethylaminoethyl- and carboxymethylcellulose and Sephadex G-100. Unlike delta toxin, alpha toxin was not inhibited by phospholipids and had no effect on mitochondria of the rat or rabbit liver. Delta toxin caused mitochondrial lysis with inhibition of respiration and phosphorylation. However, in the presence of succinate and cytochrome c, respiration was stimulated, suggesting an intact electron-transport system, except for loss of functional cytochrome c. Magnesium-dependent, mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase was stimulated by delta toxin. Neither alpha nor delta toxin had activity of phospholipase A, C, or D. The action of delta toxin on mitochondria is similar to that of the detergents Triton X-100 and deoxycholate. Purified staphylococcal alpha toxin was previously shown to inhibit active transport of sodium, to stimulate consumption of oxygen, and to increase activity of magnesium-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) in the isolated bladder of the toad [1]. These findings led to an investigation of the action of alpha toxin on energy-producing reactions of isolated mitochondria. The ratio of phosphorus to oxygen was reduced in mitochondrial preparations from the rabbit liver that were exposed to alpha toxin, and the activity of magnesium-dependent mitochondrial ATPase was enhanced, suggesting uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation [2]. Further studies on the action of alpha toxin on mitochondrial metabolism were undertaken with toxin prepared as before by ammonium-sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography. However, Sephadex molecular-sieve chromatography was used rather than paper-curtain electrophoresis. The experiments reported in this paper were done with both alpha and delta toxin in parallel and indicate that the previously described effects of alpha toxin on mitochondrial structure and function are due to delta toxin. The nature of these effects has thus
Familiar speaker recognition

Speaker recognition by machines can be quite good for large groups as seen in NIST speaker recognition evaluations. However, speaker recognition by machine can be fragile for changing environments. This research examines how robust humans are for recognizing familiar speakers in changing environments. Additionally, bandlimited noise was used to try to learn what frequency regions are important for human listeners to recognize familiar speakers.
Theoretical effectiveness of energy storage and return prosthetic devices in trans-tibial amputees

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the theoretical effectiveness of energy storage and return (ESR) devices in trans-tibial prosthetic devices. A mathematical model of an ESR prosthesis is used to evaluate the effect of ESR components on force transmission through the prosthesis. Results suggest that force transmission is more sensitive to stiffness than to the prosthesis damping components.
Anthology of Human Repetitive DNA

Human repetitive DNA includes tandemly arrayed and interspersed repeats. Tandemly arrayed microsatellites, minisatellites, telomeric repeats, and centromeric satellites constitute a significant portion of the genomic DNA, particularly of heterochromatin. Furthermore, around 45% of the genome is represented by so-called interspersed repeats that are mostly remnants of retrovirus-like LTR retrotransposons, non-LTR retrotransposons, and DNA transposons inserted in the genomic DNA over millions of years. Currently, the most active are L1 and Alu families of non-LTR retrotransposons, and they are known to cause genetic diseases through insertion into genes. Furthermore, repetitive sequences, particularly Alu elements, can stimulate illegitimate recombinations producing chromosomal instabilities leading to genetic disorders. Analysis of repetitive DNA is an important part of genome studies, and it is based on specialized databases and computer programs. Keywords: AP Endonuclease; Autonomous Transposable Element; Consensus Sequence; cDNA; DNA Transposon; Family of Repetitive Elements; Interspersed Repeats; Long Interspersed Repeat (LINE) Element; Long Terminal Repeats (LTRs); LTR Retrotransposons; Microsatellites; Minisatellites; Non-LTR Retrotransposons; Processed Pseudogene (Retropseudogene); Provirus; Pseudogene; Recombination; Repetitive Elements (Repeats); Ribonuclease H (RNase H); Retrotransposition (Retroposition); Retrotransposon (Retroposon); Retrovirus; Reverse Transcriptase; Satellite DNA; Short Interspersed Repeat (SINE) Element; Superfamily of TEs; Tandem Repeats; Target-primed Reverse Transcription (TPRT); Transposable Elements (TEs, Transposons, Mobile Elements); Transposase; Transposition
AN ESTIMATION OF U.S. FAMILY WEALTH AND ITS DISTRIBUTION FROM MICRODATA, 1973

This paper presents a method of estimating U.S. family net wealth across the entire population, utilizing capitalization of several income items available from income tax microdata. Other forms of wealth, and debt, are indirectly estimated using relationships gleaned from estate tax data. Concentration in the distribution of wealth, and assets such as corporate stock, are measured with Gini coefficients and Lorenz curve analysis and compared to similar estimates of concentration in the distribution of income. Comparisons of the results with previous estimates for the United States are made in the latter section of the paper.
Biological coating for arterial stents: the next evolutionary change in stents.

Purpose To describe the in vivo results of a promising new stent-graft lined with peritoneum. Methods Eighteen dogs underwent balloon angioplasty injury to the bilateral iliac arteries followed by placement of either an 8-mm x 5-cm glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine peritoneum- lined balloon-expandable stent (PLS) or a similarly sized, commercially prepared, polyester-lined self-expanding stent (DLS) as a control. Animals were sacrificed at 1 and 6 months. Biplanar arteriography and intravascular ultrasound were done at the time of sacrifice, and the vessels were harvested after perfusion fixation for histology/morphometry. Immunofluorescence with CD34 and factor VIII staining was used to evaluate endothelialization, while alpha-actin was used to quantify smooth muscle cell (SMC) deposition. Results At 1 month, all vessels were patent in both groups. At 6 months, 8 of 9 vessels were open in the PLS group versus 6 of 9 in the control DLS group. Vessel lumen diameter at 1 month was significantly greater in the PLS vessels compared to the DLS group at 1 cm above the stent (35.9 +/- 4.4 versus 29.4 +/- 4.7 mm2; p = 0.02) and 1 cm below the stent (37.2 +/- 7.1 versus 25.2 +/- 3.2 mm2; p = 0.005); these results persisted to 6 months. Histological morphometry demonstrated progression of neointimal hyperplasia in the DLS stent between 30 and 180 days (8.3 +/- 1.79 versus 14.9 +/- 6.6 mm2; p = 0.03), whereas the peritoneum-lined stent had no change during the same time period (4.62 +/- 0.98 versus 4.72 +/- 0.97 mm2; p = 0.85). The same patterns were true for the intima:media ratio. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated complete endothelialization at 6 months in both DLS and PLS. However, SMC staining with alpha-actin demonstrated more smooth muscle actin-positive cells in the DLS compared to the PLS (327 +/- 87 versus 262 +/- 73 counts/5 high-powered fields; p = 0.04). Conclusion Peritoneum-lined stents offer a novel method to improve patency of lower extremity arterial stents.
Intraseasonal Variability of Surface Fluxes and Sea Surface Temperature in the Tropical Western Pacific and Indian Oceans

Abstract Composites of sea surface temperature (SST), surface heat, momentum, and freshwater flux anomalies associated with intraseasonal oscillations of convection are developed for the warm pool of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans during 1986–93. The composites are based on empirical orthogonal function analysis of intraseasonally filtered outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), which efficiently extracts the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) in convection. Surface fluxes are estimated using gridded analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, weekly SST, OLR, microwave sounding unit precipitation, and the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) bulk flux algorithm. At intraseasonal timescales, these surface flux estimates agree reasonably well with estimates based on mooring observations collected during TOGA COARE. The amplitude of the composite SST variation produced by the MJO is about 0.25°C in the western Pacific, 0.35°C in ...
Calcite growth inhibition by copper(II): I. Effect of supersaturation

Abstract The effectiveness of the inhibition of calcite growth by copper(II) ions depends not only on copper concentration but also on calcite supersaturation and solution composition (i.e., pH, carbonate concentration, etc.). This paper presents an investigation of the effect of supersaturation; a second paper will address the effect of solution composition. Calcite growth inhibition was investigated over the supersaturation range 2.5–10, at four solution compositions. Growth rates in the absence and presence of copper were measured using a constant composition seeded growth technique. Calcium ion activity, copper ion activity, and pH were measured and controlled in situ using ion selective electrodes. With this technique, rate data at a known inhibitor concentration were obtained. In the absence of copper, the rate-determining step for calcite growth changed from a first-order process at low pH and low carbonate concentration to a second-order process at high pH and high carbonate concentration. First- and second-order growth rates are consistent with the layer growth mechanism which has been observed by other investigators using atomic force microscopy. In the presence of copper, the order of the growth rate was significantly larger than its absence. At supersaturations above about S=7, the order of the growth rate was larger than 2 (i.e., between 2.7 and 4.9 depending on solution composition); values which strongly suggest that under these conditions surface nucleation is the controlling growth mechanism. At supersaturations below S=7, the order of the growth rate was slightly larger in the presence of copper but it was not larger than 2. This suggests that the rate-determining step is shifted from a first-order process to a second-order process due to the presence of copper. Until now, the effects of an inhibitor on the rate determining step or on the growth mechanism have not been accounted for in existing rate laws for growth inhibition. This study clearly shows the need to include these effects in experimental studies and in the development of rate equations for crystal growth in the presence of inhibitors.
Measuring Cluster Stability in a Large Scale Phylogenetic Analysis of Functional Genes in Metagenomes Using pplacer

Analysis of metagenomic sequence data requires a multi-stage workflow. The results of each intermediate step possess an inherent uncertainty and potentially impact the as-yet-unmeasured statistical significance of downstream analyses. Here, we describe our phylogenetic analysis pipeline which uses the pplacer program to place many shotgun sequences corresponding to a single functional gene onto a fixed phylogenetic tree. We then use the squash clustering method to compare multiple samples with respect to that gene. We approximate the statistical significance of each gene's clustering result by measuring its cluster stability, the consistency of that clustering result when the probabilistic placements made by pplacer are systematically reassigned and then clustered again, as measured by the adjusted Rand Index. We find that among the genes investigated, the majority of analyses are stable, based on the average adjusted Rand Index. We investigated properties of each gene that may explain less stable results. These genes tended to have less convex reference trees, less total reads recruited to the gene, and a greater Expected Distance between Placement Locations as given by pplacer when examined in aggregate. However, for an individual functional gene, these measures alone do not predict cluster stability.
Effect of Anaerobic Cecal Microflora and Dietary Lactose on Salmonella Colonization in Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus)

The effect of oral inoculation with anaerobic cultures of cecal microflora from adult broiler chickens and dietary lactose on Salmonella typhimurium cecal colonization was evaluated in bobwhite quail chicks. One-day-old chicks were divided into four groups and provided 1) no anaerobic cultures, no lactose (control); 2) anaerobic cultures; 3) 2.5% lactose (wt/vol) in drinking water; or 4) anaerobic cultures and lactose. All groups were challenged orally with 10(4) S. typhimurium at 2 days of age. Salmonella growth in the cecal contents was significantly decreased (P < .05) at 15 days of age in each of the three treatment groups as compared with controls. Protection against Salmonella colonization was highest in the treatment group provided anaerobic cultures only. The results indicated that cecal flora from adult chickens enhances Salmonella colonization resistance in quail chicks.
Application of multiclass SVM based on binary tree in E-mail filtering

Now some preferable performance multiclass algorithms,such as 1-v-r support vector machine(SVM),1-1-1 SVM and DDAG SVM,have many problems of impartible regions and longer training time.A new multiclass SVM algorithm based on binary tree was introduced on E-mail filtering.It could convert multiclass problem to binary classification by constructing binary tree.The idea of clustering first and classification later was adopted,and the largest similarity between testing sample and sub-category center and the separation measure of sub-categories were calculated,in oder to construct the optimal class hyperplane of decision-making nodes.Only C-1 optimal functions were needed for C kinds of classification,so training time could be saved.The experiment results show that the new algorithm has higher filtering recall and precision.
Security Manage System of Android Application based on Web

This paper built a security management system of android application. Before published to the app store, the app must pass the security test and be signed by the system, besides the certificate in mobile terminal will be verified to protect the safety of user.
Institutional racism in mental health and criminal justice.

Institutional racism barriers are seen functioning to keep white persons out of the criminal justice system and minority persons out of the mental health system
Regional variation in HIV clinical trials participation in the United States.

OBJECTIVES To ensure generalizability of clinical research results, it is important to enroll a heterogeneous population that is representative of the target clinical population. Earlier studies have found regional variation in participation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinical trials, with the lowest rates seen in the southern United States. Rates of new HIV diagnoses are highest in the South, highlighting the need for in-depth understanding of disparities in clinical trial participation. We evaluated whether regional variation in study participation remains, and describe factors that facilitate or prevent HIV clinical trial participation by region. METHODS A one-time, anonymous, bilingual, self-administered survey was conducted among HIV-infected adults receiving HIV care at all 47 domestic AIDS Clinical Trials Group clinical research sites, with a goal of completing 50 surveys per site. χ(2) tests were used to evaluate differences in knowledge of and participation in HIV clinical trials by region, including Northeast, Midwest, South, and West regions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the effect of region on knowledge of and participation in HIV clinical trials. RESULTS Of 2263 completed surveys, 2125 were included in this analysis. The proportion of respondents in the South who reported knowledge of studies (66%) was significantly lower than in the Northeast (76%), Midwest (77%), and West (73%) (P = 0.001). Respondents in the South also were the least likely group to report ever having tried to or having participated in a research study (51%) compared with respondents in the Northeast (60%), Midwest (57%), and West (69%; P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, tobacco use, and alcohol use, the odds ratio for knowledge of and participation in clinical trials for the Northeast (1.36; 95% CI 1.07-1.72) and West (1.85; 95% CI 1.39-2.45) remained significant compared with the South. African American respondents in the South were the most likely population group to report not understanding research studies (15%) as a reason for not participating, compared with the Northeast (9%), Midwest (8%), and West (6%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Significant regional variations in knowledge of and participation in HIV clinical trials exist. Our results suggest that increasing awareness and understanding of research studies, particularly among African Americans in the South, may facilitate HIV clinical trial participation that is more representative of the HIV-infected population across the United States.
Ethynyl hydrogen bonds and iodoethynyl halogen bonds: a case of synthon mimicry

The common electrostatic features of ethynyl and iodoethynyl hydrogen- and halogen-bond donors, respectively, lead to synthon mimicry which can be employed in synthetic crystal engineering for the construction of identical supramolecular assemblies in the solid-state.
Topic modeling of small sequential documents: Proposed experiments for detecting terror attacks

Research is proposed for improving the human-interpretability of topic models; specifically, for topic models of small sequential documents. Experiments are proposed for evaluating the usefulness of topic modeling. The proposed experiments will model the topics of a diverse set of social media content and attempt to correlate the presence of topics related to terror attacks with actual attacks; additionally, correlations between terror attacks and other topics will be checked for.
On Speeding-Up Parallel Jacobi Iterations for SVDs

We live in an era of big data and the analysis of these data is becoming a bottleneck in many domains including biology and the internet. To make these analyses feasible in practice, we need efficient data reduction algorithms. The Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is a data reduction technique that has been used in many different applications. For example, SVDs have been extensively used in text analysis. The best known sequential algorithms for the computation of SVDs take cubic time which may not be acceptable in practice. As a result, many parallel algorithms have been proposed in the literature. There are two kinds of algorithms for SVD, namely, QR decomposition and Jacobi iterations. Researchers have found out that even though QR is sequentially faster than Jacobi iterations, QR is difficult to parallelize. As a result, most of the parallel algorithms in the literature are based on Jacobi iterations. For example, the Jacobi Relaxation Scheme (JRS) of the classical Jacobi algorithm has been shown to be very effective in parallel. In this paper we propose a novel variant of the classical Jacobi algorithm that is more efficient than the JRS algorithm. Our experimental results confirm this assertion. The key idea behind our algorithm is to select the pivot elements for each sweep appropriately. We also show how to efficiently implement our algorithm on such parallel models as the PRAM and the mesh.
Minitrack: telecommunications and network convergence: theory and practice

Introduction of digital technologies, telecommunications deregulation and significant advances in broadband networking are fueling convergence of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), PC-based enterprise data networks and the Internet. Only a few years ago, computing, telecommunications, broadcasting and media were completely separate industries each following distinct business logic and building on technologies that had little overlap. Today the Internet Protocol (IP) is clearly becoming a common global packet-platform over which several new and exciting applications and services can be offered. The rapid emergence of “converged networks” is already having far reaching impact on business processes. As the Internet continues to evolve into a critical global infrastructure, there is a clear need to understand the technical, economic and regulatory issues posed by convergence, before it can be used effectively for competitive advantage. The Telecommunications and Network Convergence minitrack address different aspects of the phenomenon of network convergence, including technology, strategy and policy. By network convergence we imply the integration of several media applications (data, voice, video, images) onto a common packet-based platform provided by IP (Internet Protocol) with the global Internet now becoming a true multi-service infrastructure. Theoretical and simulation models, case studies, or field experiences were all appropriate research methodologies.
Autonomous frequency regulation control of V2G(Vehicle-to-grid) system

V2G technology considers EV as an energy storage unit to interact with the grid, which is the inevitable trend of future development. Based on the decentralized V2G system, a control strategy was proposed by considering users' individual demands and SOC constraints of EV battery. A simulation study is carried out to demonstrate the electric vehicle for frequency regulation as mobile energy storage unit. The simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can not only suppress system frequency deviation but also achieve charging demand.
Internalised HIV-Stigma, Loneliness, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Quality in People Living With HIV

Objective: People living with HIV (PLWH) commonly report sleep disturbances which are associated with long-term health consequences, including disease progression. PLWH also experience internalised stigma as a result of their HIV status, which can be associated with increased loneliness and depression. Little attention focuses on the impact of these factors on sleep. Therefore, we examined whether internalised HIV-stigma was indirectly related to poorer sleep quality through higher levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms.Design: 181 PLWH from across the United States completed an online survey.Main Study Measures: Internalised HIV-stigma was assessed using the HIV-Stigma Scale, loneliness was assessed using the UCLA-Loneliness Scale-Short Form, depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression Index, and Sleep Quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.Results: Internalised HIV-stigma was indirectly associated with poorer global sleep quality an...
The Addition of Chemotherapy to Radiation Therapy Improves Survival in Elderly Patients with Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction Elderly patients account for the majority of lung cancer diagnoses but are poorly represented in clinical trials. We evaluated the overall survival (OS) of elderly patients with stage III NSCLC treated with definitive radiation compared with that of patients treated with definitive chemoradiation. Methods We conducted a comparative effectiveness study of radiation therapy versus chemoradiation in elderly (≥70 years old) patients with stage III NSCLC not treated surgically diagnosed from 2003 to 2014; the patients were identified by using the National Cancer Database. Two cohorts were evaluated: patients (n = 5023) treated with definitive radiation (≥59.4 Gy) and patients (n = 18,206) treated with definitive chemoradiation. Chemoradiation was further defined as concurrent (radiation and chemotherapy started within 30 days of each other) or sequential (radiation started >30 days after chemotherapy). We compared OS between the treatment groups by using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results Treatment with chemoradiation was associated with improved OS versus that with radiation both before PSM (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-0.68, p Conclusions We found that definitive chemoradiation resulted in a survival advantage compared with definitive radiation in elderly patients. Sequential chemotherapy and radiation was superior to concurrent chemoradiation. Although prospective trials are needed, this analysis suggests that chemoradiation should be strongly considered for elderly patients and the optimal sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation remains an unanswered question for this patient population.
Data-driven Urban Energy Simulation (DUE-S): Integrating machine learning into an urban building energy simulation workflow

Abstract Urban building energy models are emerging tools meant to analyze and understand the energy performance of multiple buildings within a dense urban area. However, accurate performance prediction of these models remains a challenge because of their inability to account for the inter-building energy dynamics and interdependencies in an urban area. This paper analyzes the literature to highlight the limitations of current urban scale energy simulation models and proposes a new Data-driven Urban Energy Simulation (DUE-S) workflow capable of capturing inter-building effects on a building’s energy usage. Specifically, DUE-S combines a data-driven machine learning model with a traditional physics-based energy simulation to enable more accurate simulation results on multiple scales (single building, community, urban). More accurate and robust energy performance characterization and simulations of urban buildings could provide valuable insight on early-stage building design, building conservation and portfolio management, and urban energy efficiency policy-making crucial to helping our cities transition to a more sustainable energy future.
Coherent Phonon Transport Measurement and Controlled Acoustic Excitations Using Tunable Acoustic Phonon Source in GHz-sub THz Range with Variable Bandwidth.

We experimentally demonstrated a narrowband acoustic phonon source with simultaneous tunabilities of the centre frequency and the spectral bandwidth in the GHz-sub THz frequency range based on photoacoustic excitation using intensity-modulated optical pulses. The centre frequency and bandwidth are tunable from 65 to 381 GHz and 17 to 73 GHz, respectively. The dispersion of the sound velocity and the attenuation of acoustic phonons in silicon dioxide (SiO2) and indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were investigated using the acoustic phonon source. The sound velocities of SiO2 and ITO films were frequency-independent in the measured frequency range. On the other hand, the phonon attenuations of both of SiO2 and ITO films showed quadratic frequency dependences, and polycrystalline ITO showed several times larger attenuation than those in amorphous SiO2. In addition, the selective excitation of mechanical resonance modes was demonstrated in nanoscale tungsten (W) film using acoustic pulses with various centre frequencies and spectral widths.
Abstract 20786: Progesterone Metabolites Alter Activation Gating of the Human Ether-a-go-go-Related Gene (hERG)-Related Current

Introduction: Progesterone (P4) at high concentrations, such as those achieved during pregnancy, may decrease the function of the voltage-gated potassium channel encoded by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG). Reductions in hERG-related current have been linked to maternal and fetal QT interval prolongation, a risk factor for arrhythmias and miscarriage. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A activity is enhanced during pregnancy, is present in the fetal liver, and forms the 16α-P4 and 6β-P4 metabolites. Our objective was to assess the ability of P4 and its metabolites, formed via CYP3A isoenzymes, to alter hERG-related current. Methods: Whole-cell, voltage-clamp experiments were performed on HEK293 cells stably expressing hERG. Acute effects were assessed by applying 10 nM, 100 nM and 1 μM of P4, 16α-P4, 6β-P4, or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO; control) in pipette solution. Long-term effects were assessed by treating cells with P4, 16α-P4, 6β-P4, or DMSO for 24 hours. Activation gating was assessed by fitting a Boltzmann function to normalized currents. Results: Acute application of P4 or metabolites (n=9 per group) did not reduce hERG-related current or alter activation gating (p>0.05). Long-term P4 exposure significantly reduced hERG-related current at -100 mV (maximal inward current) from a mean ± SD of -45.4 ± 14.7 pA/pF (n=19) to -30.6 ± 16.9 (n=17; p=0.03). P4 metabolites did not decrease hERG-related current following 24-hour exposure. However, a depolarizing shift in activation gating was observed (Figure) with mean ± SD voltage at half maximal activation (V 50 ) with 16α-P4 of 3.9 ± 0.29 mV (n=18) and 6β-P4 of 1.3 ± 0.99 (n=21) versus control of -4.8 ± 1.1 (n=19) and P4 of -3.2 ± 0.71 (n=17); p Conclusions: P4 decreases hERG-related current at high concentrations during prolonged exposure. The P4 metabolites formed via CYP3A cause an inhibitory shift of hERG activation gating. These effects could contribute to the QT interval variability during pregnancy.
Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations: Endovascular Therapy Perspective

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are highly complex vascular lesions that typically present in young patients (ages 20 to 40) with hemorrhage, seizures, headache, or focal neurologic deficits. The most common and compelling reason for treatment is the prevention of hemorrhage. Existing data indicate that only complete eradication of the lesion provides protection from future hemorrhage, and partial treatment is not helpful and may in fact increase the rate of future hemorrhage.
Considering the economy of DSM alternatives

Criticisms of the DSMs over the past 30 years have rarely generated credible alternative classifications of psychopathology, and virtually all rivals have fallen away, as judged by clinical or research impact. This chapter considers why this has been the case. After some historical context-setting, I propose and defend the following thesis: The DSM prevails because it is, by historical default, entrapped within a “mental health medical-industrial complex (MHMIC)” in which alternatives are economically locked out. The MHMIC as described here consists of ten elements which converge fiscal interests and constrain mental health funding with respect to those interests. This constraint tends to lock the description of psychopathology into a preserve-the-status-quo stance described by Frances and Pincus in the DSM-IV era. The support for this thesis will be graphically displayed through a portrayal of vectors of financial interest involving these stakeholders. The subjugation of scientific, conceptual, or humanistic interests to economic interests is the result, and DSM “pragmatism” will be redescribed as a literal economy of means.
Perturbations and Approximations for Generalized Inverses and Linear Operator Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the problems of perturbations and approximations of generalized inverses of linear operators. The approximation theory of generalized inverses of linear operators has many subtle points involving several modes of convergence, analytic and computational tractability, and techniques that are not merely extensions of those used in the matrix case. Often the study of approximations for a given mathematical object leads to a deeper understanding of the properties of that object, as suggested by Bertrand Russell. Resolution of the difficulties arising in the approximations leads to sharper insight into the properties of the exact object. The approximation methods include projectional and iterative methods and collectively-compact operator approximations. The chapter discusses these methods.
Perspectives of students of agricultural branches´ on putting into practice

In the article, there are resumed some results of research whose aim was to predict, with use of statistic research of employers with agricultural activity line: what chance of success in getting job have the absolvents of agricultural faculties in their study line; the way of receiving new employees; if there is more important special knowledge or personal characteristic of applicants for employers; what emphasis is placed on knowledge of foreign languages and PC work. The knowledge of real needs of employers will help universities to adapt the contents and methods of education process so, that it will give to absolvents better chance at labour market. It has been asked 400 employers, 22,4 % of investigation tickets returned. Information was worked up by use of statistic methods. The uncertain reality is possible to sum up on following points: 1/ The agricultural branches' study has its main, because 1/3 of businesses will in next five years need agricultural line university absolvent and 1/3 businesses will need economic or business specialist with knowledge of agricultural problematic. 2/ Emphasis is placed on special knowledge of agricultural specialists. Other personal characteristics are not accented too much. 3/ On accepting the applicant the personal and family contacts are preferred. 4/ It is necessary German language (or German and English language) knowledge, on medium level - it means to make oneself understood. 5/ The knowledge of PC work with Word is necessary. The requirement for knowledge of Internet work is also common. 6/ It is necessary to extend contacts among university and potential employers.
Management of Vestibular Schwannoma (Including NF2): Facial Nerve Considerations

Current consensus on optimal treatment of vestibular schwannoma remains poorly established; treatment options include observation, stereotactic radiosurgery, microsurgical resection, medical therapy, or a combination of these. Treatment should be individualized and incorporate the multitude of patient- and tumor-specific characteristics known to affect outcome. Treatment paradigms for sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2-related tumors are distinct and decision-making in neurofibromatosis type 2 is uniquely challenging. In all cases, treatment should maximize tumor control and minimize functional deficit.
Optical isolation by hot atoms

A collection of hot rubidium atoms is shown to exhibit non-reciprocal optical transmission due to the interplay between thermal motion and electromagnetically induced transparency.
Clinical utility of tumor measurement (TM)-based metrics in phase II (P2) to predict phase III (P3) overall survival (OS) outcomes using the RECIST 1.1 database.

6600 Background: While many alternative TM-based metrics to RECIST tumor response (TR) have been proposed, none have replaced TR in practice. The abilities of TR and previously proposed TM-based me...
Myasthenic congenital myopathy from recessive mutations at a single residue in NaV1.4.

Objective To identify the genetic and physiologic basis for recessive myasthenic congenital myopathy in 2 families, suggestive of a channelopathy involving the sodium channel gene, SCN4A. Methods A combination of whole exome sequencing and targeted mutation analysis, followed by voltage-clamp studies of mutant sodium channels expressed in fibroblasts (HEK cells) and Xenopus oocytes. Results Missense mutations of the same residue in the skeletal muscle sodium channel, R1460 of NaV1.4, were identified in a family and a single patient of Finnish origin (p.R1460Q) and a proband in the United States (p.R1460W). Congenital hypotonia, breathing difficulties, bulbar weakness, and fatigability had recessive inheritance (homozygous p.R1460W or compound heterozygous p.R1460Q and p.R1059X), whereas carriers were either asymptomatic (p.R1460W) or had myotonia (p.R1460Q). Sodium currents conducted by mutant channels showed unusual mixed defects with both loss-of-function (reduced amplitude, hyperpolarized shift of inactivation) and gain-of-function (slower entry and faster recovery from inactivation) changes. Conclusions Novel mutations in families with myasthenic congenital myopathy have been identified at p.R1460 of the sodium channel. Recessive inheritance, with experimentally established loss-of-function, is a consistent feature of sodium channel based myasthenia, whereas the mixed gain of function for p.R1460 may also cause susceptibility to myotonia.
Proactive Caching for Low Access-Delay Services under Uncertain Predictions

Network traffic of delay-sensitive services has become a dominant part in the network. Proactive caching with the aid of predictive information has been proposed as a promising method to enhance the delay performance, which is one of the principal concerns of such services. In this paper, we analytically investigate the problem of how to efficiently utilize uncertain predictive information to design proactive caching strategies with provably good access-delay characteristics. First, we derive an upper bound for the average amount of proactive service per request that the system can support. Then we analyze the behavior of a family of threshold-based proactive strategies with a Markov chain, which shows that the average amount of proactive service per request can be maximized by properly selecting the threshold. Finally, we propose the UNIFORM strategy, which is the threshold-based strategy with the optimal threshold, and show that it outperforms the commonly used Earliest-Deadline-First (EDF) type proactive strategies in terms of delay. We perform extensive numerical experiments to demonstrate the influence of thresholds on delay performance under the threshold-based strategies, and specifically compare the EDF strategy and the UNIFORM strategy to verify our results.
The Sarim Movement and Confucian Philosophy

Confucianism was the major intellectual tradition and the state philosophy in Korea for the whole of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). Confucian intellectuals held prominent positions throughout this period and one of the most important activities was continuously providing philosophical justification for the social order. The Sarim as a movement and as a collective of intellectuals, had a specific historical beginning that was inextricably entangled in socio-political events known as SAWHA, the literati purges that raged for decades. Confucian scholars were responsible for providing regional customs, agricultural policies, and every form of ritual dealing with human affairs throughout the Joseon Dynasty. Political institutions and academies played consequential roles in the development of the tradition, however the relationship between official institutions and Confucian intellectuals remained notably paradoxical.
PTEN isoforms with dual and opposing function.

PTEN is a phosphatase that functions as a tumour suppressor by antagonizing the PI3K–AKT pathway. However, a study now demonstrates that translational variants of PTEN enable new interactions between PTEN and the COMPASS complex, identifying a new role for PTEN in modifying gene expression via COMPASS-mediated histone H3 lysine 4 methylation.
Meta-analysis of placebo group dropout in adult antidepressant trials

Abstract Background Minimizing dropouts across antidepressant, placebo-controlled trials remains a major opportunity to improve the efficiency of trials. This meta-analysis investigated placebo dropout rate and its predictors in second generation antidepressant (SGA) for anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to examine placebo group dropout rate in SGA trials for depression, anxiety and OCD using Freeman – Tukey transformation. Stratified subgroup analysis by diagnostic indication was performed to examine the dropout rate across disorders. Meta-regression was performed to identify correlates between placebo dropout rate and trial and subject characteristics. Results Meta-analysis included 148 trials with 18,016 participants receiving placebo. Across antidepressant trials the overall placebo dropout rate was 25% (dropout rate ± standard error (SE) = 0.25 ± 0.01, 95% CI: 0.23–0.27, z = 23.95, p Conclusion No significant difference was found in placebo dropout rate between internalizing disorders with overall dropout rate for placebo groups in antidepressant trials being around 25%. Placebo dropouts in trials can be minimized by reducing subject burden in trials, enrolling more severely affected subjects and foregoing placebo lead-in periods.
Portable Motion-Analysis Device for Upper-Limb Research, Assessment, and Rehabilitation in Non-Laboratory Settings

This study presents the design and feasibility testing of an interactive portable motion-analysis device for the assessment of upper-limb motor functions in clinical and home settings. The device engages subjects to perform tasks that imitate activities of daily living, e.g. drinking from a cup and moving other complex objects. Sitting at a magnetic table subjects hold a 3D printed cup with an adjustable magnet and move this cup on the table to targets that can be drawn on the table surface. A ball rolling inside the cup can enhance the task challenge by introducing additional dynamics. A single video camera with a portable computer tracks real-time kinematics of the cup and the rolling ball using a custom-developed, color-based computer-vision algorithm. Preliminary verification with marker-based 3D-motion capture demonstrated that the device produces accurate kinematic measurements. Based on the real-time 2D cup coordinates, audio-visual feedback about performance can be delivered to increase motivation. The feasibility of using this device in clinical diagnostics is demonstrated on 2 neurotypical children and also 3 children with upper-extremity impairments in the hospital, where conventional motion-analysis systems are difficult to use. The device meets key needs for clinical practice: 1) a portable solution for quantitative motor assessment for upper-limb movement disorders at non-laboratory clinical settings, 2) a low-cost rehabilitation device that can increase the volume of in-home physical therapy, and 3) the device affords testing and training a variety of motor tasks inspired by daily challenges to enhance self-confidence to participate in day-to-day activities.
Radiocarbon simulation fails to support the temporal synchroneity requirement of the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis

Fine-scale temporal processes, such as the synchronous deposition of organic materials, can be challenging to identify using 14C datasets. While some events, such as volcanic eruptions, leave clear evidence for synchronous deposition, synchroneity is more difficult to establish for other types of events. This has been a source of controversy regarding 14C dates associated with a hypothesized extraterrestrial impact at the Younger Dryas Boundary (YDB). To address this controversy, we first aggregate 14C measurements from Northern Hemisphere YDB sites. We also aggregate 14C measurements associated with a known synchronous event, the Laacher See volcanic eruption. We then use a Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the magnitude of variability expected in a 14C dataset associated with a synchronous event. The simulation accounts for measurement error, calibration uncertainty, “old wood” effects, and laboratory measurement biases. The Laacher See 14C dataset is consistent with expectations of synchroneity generated by the simulation. However, the YDB 14C dataset is inconsistent with the simulated expectations for synchroneity. These results suggest that a central requirement of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, synchronous global deposition of a YDB layer, is extremely unlikely, calling into question the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis more generally.
Structural Insight into Paramyxovirus and Pneumovirus Entry Inhibition

Paramyxoviruses and pneumoviruses infect cells through fusion (F) protein-mediated merger of the viral envelope with target membranes. Members of these families include a range of major human and animal pathogens, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), measles virus (MeV), human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), and highly pathogenic Nipah virus (NiV). High-resolution F protein structures in both the metastable pre- and the postfusion conformation have been solved for several members of the families and a number of F-targeting entry inhibitors have progressed to advanced development or clinical testing. However, small-molecule RSV entry inhibitors have overall disappointed in clinical trials and viral resistance developed rapidly in experimental settings and patients, raising the question of whether the available structural information may provide a path to counteract viral escape through proactive inhibitor engineering. This article will summarize current mechanistic insight into F-mediated membrane fusion and examine the contribution of structural information to the development of small-molecule F inhibitors. Implications are outlined for future drug target selection and rational drug engineering strategies.