cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of a C(4)–C(9) eleutheside template from d-glucal

Abstract d -Glucal is converted to epoxy allylic alcohol 4 using an eight-step sequence that features a stereoselective methyl Grignard addition to an iodo-hexenulose. Epoxide formation via intramolecular iodide displacement occurs subsequent to an unusual hemiacetal reduction protocol involving LiBH4 in n-octanol. Alcohol 4 and the corresponding aldehyde (Z)-14 are potential C(4)–C(9) templates for eleutheside syntheses.
Effects of musical experience and training on pitch contour perception

Abstract This study examined the effects of musical experience and training on pitch contour perception among speakers of a non-tonal language. Fifteen musicians and fifteen non-musicians from various non-tonal language backgrounds were administered pitch contour categorial discrimination baseline task before and after a two-day pitch contour identification training. Although musicians were relatively more accurate than non-musicians in pitch contour identification, their pitch contour abstraction and categorization ability was comparable to that of non-musicians. Pitch contour identification training improved both pitch contour identification and pitch contour abstraction and categorization abilities to the same degree in musicians and non-musicians. In addition, the advantage of the rising pitch contour over the falling pitch contour was observed in both tasks and among both groups of participants. Together, these results suggest that musical experience sharpened the perception of pitch among musicians, but that the auditory systems of both groups are experience-dependent and comparably malleable.
Determining Meaningful Differences for SMACEX Eddy Covariance Measurements

Abstract Two eddy covariance instrument comparison studies were conducted before and after the Soil Moisture–Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (SMACEX) field campaign to 1) determine if observations from multiple sensors were equivalent for the measured variables over a uniform surface and to 2) determine a least significant difference (LSD) value for each variable to discriminate between daily and hourly differences in latent and sensible heat and carbon dioxide fluxes, friction velocity, and standard deviation of the vertical wind velocity from eddy covariance instruments placed in different locations within the study area. The studies were conducted in early June over an alfalfa field and in mid-September over a short grass field. Several statistical exploratory, graphical, and multiple-comparison procedures were used to evaluate each daily variable. Daily total or average data were used to estimate a pooled standard error and corresponding LSD values at the P = 0.05 and P = 0.01 levels using univariate p...
Information integration on the Web: a view from AI and databases (report on IIWeb-03)

This document is a report on the workshop on Information Integration on the Web (IIWeb-03), held in Acapulco, Mexico, on August 9-10, as part of the 2003 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence. The full proceedings of the workshop are available online [1]. A small sample of the papers presented at the workshop were also included in a special issue of IEEE Intelligent Systems [2]. Effective integration of heterogeneous databases and information sources has been cited as the most pressing challenge in spheres as diverse as corporate data management, homeland security, counter-terrorism and the human genome project. An important impediment to scaling up integration frameworks to large-scale applications has been the fact that the autonomous and decentralized nature of the data sources constrains the mediators to operate with very little information about the structure, scope, profile, quality and inter-relations of the information sources they are trying to integrate. As stated, the problem of information integration1 crosses the boundaries of AI and Databases, and includes research in the areas of machine learning, data mining, automated planning, constraint reasoning, databases, view integration, information extraction, semantic web, web services, and other related areas. Not surprisingly, the problem of information integration has drawn significant interest from both AI and Databases. Although there are a variety of forums where research on information integration is presented, most of these forums are naturally seen as “belonging” to either the Artificial Intelligence (AAAI, IJCAI, ICML, etc.) or Database (SIGMOD, VLDB, ICDE, CIKM, etc.) communities. The primary purpose of this workshop was thus to bring together researchers from AI and Databases who are working in a variety of problems related to integrating information on the Web. 2
Percentage of positive biopsies associated with freedom from biochemical recurrence after low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy alone for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives To examine the relationship between the percentage of positive biopsies (PPBs) and freedom from biochemical recurrence (FFBR) in men treated with low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDRPB) alone. The PPBs has been associated with FFBR in men treated with radical prostatectomy and external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods This report concerns 108 men treated with LDRPB alone between November 1997 and December 1999. All patients had clinically localized prostate cancer confirmed by biopsy. All men were treated with iodine-125 to 144 Gy. FFBR was estimated using the product-limit method. Putative covariates for FFBR, including T stage, Gleason score, pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level, minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume, and PPBs, were examined using the proportional hazards regression model. Results The median follow-up was 61 months. Of the 108 men, 13 developed evidence of biochemical relapse at a median of 25 months. The 5-year estimate of FFBR was 87% (95% confidence interval 81% to 93%) for the entire cohort. On univariate analysis, prostate-specific antigen, T stage, minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume, and PPBs were associated with FFBR. In the multivariate model, the PPBs was the only variable that predicted for FFBR (P = 0.002). The 5-year estimate of FFBR was 95% for patients with less than 50% PPB disease versus 63% in patients with more than 50% PPB disease (P Conclusions The PPBs is an important independent predictor of FFBR after LDRPB alone. The FFBR after LDRPB in the group of patients with more than 50% PPBs was poor.
Enriching a thesaurus as a better retrieval aid

Current thesauri do not indicate how two related (RT) terms can be related. An enriched thesaurus by differentiating the RT relationship helps people understand how two RT terms can be related, and is expected to be a better retrieval aid by facilitating information needs clarification and query formulation.
Abstract 694: The Impact of Glucose-Lowering Therapy and Lifestyle-Related Factors on Vascular Disease Risk Reduction in Younger and Older Adults: National Trend and New Evidence from Big Data

Objective: To examine the independent and interaction impacts of glucose-lowering therapy and lifestyle-related factors (obesity and hypercholesterolemia) on vascular disease risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Data from 1999 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in participants aged≥30 years old (n=29064) were analyzed. T2DM was classified by self-reported physician diagnosis and those who were under glucose-lowering therapy. Coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and hypercholesterolemia (H-TC) were classified by self-reported physician diagnosis. Obesity was defined by BMI≥30 (weight(kg)/height squared(m 2 )). Results: The prevalence of T2DM significantly increased from 8% in 1999 to 12.3% in 2012 in subjects aged Conclusion: using a 14-year nationally representative data, the study provides new evidence that a drug-lifestyle interaction effect of glucose-lowering therapy and diet-related factors plays a significant role in CHD risk reduction in patients with T2DM, and this effect could be even greater in younger adults than that in the older.
Geometry of superspace and local supersymmetry

We briefly review the theory of general relativity in superspace and show how the theory may be interpreted from the view of a superfiber bundle. It is shown that this superfiber, however, does not possess, as its structural group, the fourteen-parameter group of global supersymmetry, the super Poincare group. Starting from an ansatz which is suggested by superspace general relativity, a second superfiber bundle theory is constructed which does possess the super Poincare group as its structural group.
Neural Learning Circuits Utilizing Nano-Crystalline Silicon Transistors and Memristors

Properties of neural circuits are demonstrated via SPICE simulations and their applications are discussed. The neuron and synapse subcircuits include ambipolar nano-crystalline silicon transistor and memristor device models based on measured data. Neuron circuit characteristics and the Hebbian synaptic learning rule are shown to be similar to biology. Changes in the average firing rate learning rule depending on various circuit parameters are also presented. The subcircuits are then connected into larger neural networks that demonstrate fundamental properties including associative learning and pulse coincidence detection. Learned extraction of a fundamental frequency component from noisy inputs is demonstrated. It is then shown that if the fundamental sinusoid of one neuron input is out of phase with the rest, its synaptic connection changes differently than the others. Such behavior indicates that the system can learn to detect which signals are important in the general population, and that there is a spike-timing-dependent component of the learning mechanism. Finally, future circuit design and considerations are discussed, including requirements for the memristive device.
Acoustic evidence for the emergence of tonal contrast in contemporary Korean

Acoustic evidence suggests that contemporary Seoul Korean may be developing a tonal system, which is arising in the context of a nearly completed change in how speakers use voice onset time (VOT) to mark the language’s distinction among tense, lax and aspirated stops. Data from 36 native speakers of varying ages indicate that while VOT for tense stops has not changed since the 1960s, VOT differences between lax and aspirated stops have decreased, in some cases to the point of complete overlap. Concurrently, the mean F0 for words beginning with lax stops is significantly lower than the mean F0 for comparable words beginning with tense or aspirated stops. Hence the underlying contrast between lax and aspirated stops is maintained by younger speakers, but is phonetically manifested in terms of differentiated tonal melodies : laryngeally unmarked (lax) stops trigger the introduction of a default L tone, while laryngeally marked stops (aspirated and tense) introduce H, triggered by a feature specification for [stiff ].
Comparison of cervical vertebral separation in the supine and seated positions using home traction units

This study was performed for the purpose of comparing the magnitude of cervical vertebral separation during cervical traction in supine and seated positions using home traction units. A repeated measures design with two within-subject factors (type of traction and time) was used. Seventeen asymptomatic volunteers received cervical traction in seated and supine position. Subjects received 5 minutes of static traction in sitting or supine using a force of 13.6 kg while in 15 degrees of neck flexion. A lateral radiograph of the cervical spine was taken before traction force was applied and after five minutes of static traction. Anterior and posterior distances between the inferior border of C2 and the superior border of C7 were measured by a radiologist. After supine traction there were significant increases (p ¼ 0.001) in posterior cervical vertebral separation compared to any changes after seated traction. There were no significant changes in anterior vertebral separation during either supine or seated traction positions (p ¼ 0.769). Supine cervical traction may be more effective for increasing posterior vertebral separation than seated cervical traction.
Structural and Functional Analyses of Human Cerebral Cortex Using a Surface-Based Atlas

We have analyzed the geometry, geography, and functional organization of human cerebral cortex using surface reconstructions and cortical flat maps of the left and right hemispheres generated from a digital atlas (the Visible Man). The total surface area of the reconstructed Visible Man neocortex is 1570 cm2 (both hemispheres), approximately 70% of which is buried in sulci. By linking the Visible Man cerebrum to the Talairach stereotaxic coordinate space, the locations of activation foci reported in neuroimaging studies can be readily visualized in relation to the cortical surface. The associated spatial uncertainty was empirically shown to have a radius in three dimensions of approximately 10 mm. Application of this approach to studies of visual cortex reveals the overall patterns of activation associated with different aspects of visual function and the relationship of these patterns to topographically organized visual areas. Our analysis supports a distinction between an anterior region in ventral occipito-temporal cortex that is selectively involved in form processing and a more posterior region (in or near areas VP and V4v) involved in both form and color processing. Foci associated with motion processing are mainly concentrated in a region along the occipito-temporal junction, the ventral portion of which overlaps with foci also implicated in form processing. Comparisons between flat maps of human and macaque monkey cerebral cortex indicate significant differences as well as many similarities in the relative sizes and positions of cortical regions known or suspected to be homologous in the two species.
Kyanite-anthophyllite schist and southwest extension of the Dabie Mountains ultrahigh- to high-pressure belt

Kyanite-anthophyllite schist preserves the first record of high pressure in the amphibolite-facies unit of the SW Dabie Mountains, whereas ultrahigh- and high-pressure (UHP and HP) metamorphism has been well documented by the occurrence of coesite, diamond and mafic eclogite in the SE Dabie Mountains. Textural evidence indicates that minerals of the kyanite-anthophyllite schist formed mainly in two stages: (i) garnet + kyanite + antho-phyllite + rutile formed at pressure in excess of 1.2 GPa at T < 650°C; (ii) cordierite±staurolite formed by reaction of anthophyllite + kyanite at P < 0.5 GPa, T∼530°C. Plagioclase and ilmenite replaced garnet and rutile respectively during decompression. In a still later stage, secondary biotite recrystallized, accompanied by sillimanite replacing kyanite, and spinel replacing staurolite. The P-T information suggests that the amphibolite unit in the SW Dabie Mountains is part of the Triassic collision belt between the Sino-Korean and Yangtze cratons. The P-T paths of the UHP eclogite in the eastern Dabie Mountains and the HP kyanite-anthophyllite schist in the SW Dabie Mountains show similar decompression and equivalent late stage Barrovian-style metamorphism. Emplacement of voluminous granitoid at middle crustal levels between 134–118 Ma contributed to the development of the Barrovian-type metamorphism in the Dabie Mountains.
Penetration of an Optic Nerve by a Sellar/Suprasellar Arachnoid Cyst.

Background Sellar/suprasellar cystic lesions can cause compression of the optic pathways and result in a decline in vision. There have been reports of optic pathways being fenestrated by intracranial aneurysms. This is the first report of a sellar/suprasellar arachnoid cyst causing fenestration of an optic nerve. Case Description Our patient presented with an 8-month history of worsening vision. Imaging revealed a sellar/suprasellar cystic lesion with compression of the optic pathways. He was treated surgically via an endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. The left optic nerve was found to have multiple round defects during surgery. Pathology was consistent with an arachnoid cyst. The patient has had progressive improvement in vision up to 6 months after surgery. Conclusions Sellar/suprasellar arachnoid cysts likely form when a communication exists between the suprasellar arachnoid space and the sella turcica. We believe that our patient's cyst grew slowly enough to allow normal functioning of the optic nerve as it was being penetrated. Though visual symptoms may be gradual and not present until after the optic nerve has been penetrated, these symptoms and signs may still improve with removal of the cyst. Prognosis for visual improvement is difficult to predict with cases of compressive sellar/suprasellar cystic masses. Improvement in the vision examination after surgical resection is possible even when the optic nerve has been penetrated.
Teaching data structures: thread safety and components

The data structures that are written in a typical data structures course cannot or would not be used in common applications in industry for two reasons. First, they do not work according to their specifications if they are used in a multi-threaded environment. If two threads are deleting adjacent elements of a linked list at the same time, for example, then one of the deletes may not have any effect. Second, they do not fire change events and thus frustrate common design practices of connecting software components. As a result, it is more difficult for the application programmer to separate the data, the structures, the logic, the user interface, and the application code from each other. Here we discuss some issues involved in including these two topics, threads and components, in a course on data structures. Students who learn these techniques will have less to learn when they begin to use and write data structures in industry.
Development of methods to evaluate susceptibility of soybean aphid to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam at lethal and sublethal concentrations

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Homoptera: Aphididae), is a recent introduction (2000) from Asia and has become a serious soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae)] pest in North America. Seed treatments using the neonicotinoid insecticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, have been suggested as a method of control, and the use of these insecticides is becoming widespread. As a consequence, there is increased potential to select for resistance to these compounds. In the case of soybean aphids, baseline susceptibility to neonicotinoid insecticides and standardized methods for bioassay are lacking. A bioassay technique that uses excised soybean leaves immersed in an insecticide solution was developed to determine systemic insecticidal activity at lethal and sublethal concentrations. Mortality and population growth inhibition were evaluated after 7 days. Life table parameters were calculated by exposing 1-day-old aphids to three concentrations of thiamethoxam. Aphid mortality and nymph production were recorded daily until the entire cohort collapsed. Soybean aphid age-specific survivorship, fecundity, net reproductive rate, longevity, intrinsic rate of increase, discrete daily growth rate, and life expectancy were all significantly reduced at higher thia methoxam concentrations. Soybean aphid response to both insecticides was similar, and both compounds were very toxic with LC 50 s of 31.3 and 16.9 ng ml −1 and EC 50 s of 6.3 and 5.4 ng ml −1 for imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, respectively. These results indicate that the methods developed in this study had negligible impact on the life table estimates measured and can be used to develop a baseline of susceptibility as a benchmark for subsequent resistance monitoring. Given the rapid and widespread adoption of this new insecticide class, vigilant monitoring for changes in susceptibility will be essential to its long-term sustainability.
A review of functional status measures for workers with upper extremity disorders

In order to identify functional status measures for epidemiological studies among workers with mild to moderate disorders of the neck and upper extremity, a literature search was conducted for the years 1966 to 2001. Inclusion criteria were: (1) relevance to neck and upper extremity; (2) assessment among workers; and (3) relevance to mild to moderate disorders. Of 13 instruments reviewed, six measures were tested among workers. The three best measures, depending on the purpose of research, included the standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, the Upper Extremity Questionnaire, and the Neck and Upper Limb Instrument. Development of a functional protocol is regarded as a realistic enhancement for research of neck and upper extremity disorders in the workplace. For research and clinical practice, measures of functional status, sensitive enough to measure the subtle conditions in mild to moderate disorders, may provide prognostic information about the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in apparently healthy patients. Appropriate use of functional status questionnaires is imperative for a meaningful portrayal of health.
Effects of Short‐term Exposure to Low O2 and High CO2 Atmospheres on Quality Attributes of Strawberries

Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa Duch., cv. ‘Selva') were stored 10 days in 1.0%, 0.5%, or 0.25% 02 or air + 20% CO2; or 6 days in air + 50% or 80% CO2 at 0 or 5°C without detrimental effects on quality. Decay and softening were reduced by treatments. An untrained taste panel, under ordinary eating conditions, did not consistently differentiate ‘Pajaro’ strawberries kept in 0.25% 02 from those stored in air. A trained taste panel, under controlled conditions, perceived slight off-flavor in ‘G3’ strawberries kept in 0.25% or 0% 02. This correlated with ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetaldehyde in juice. The 50% or 80% CO2 treatments caused injury after 8 to 10 days, while 20% CO2 treatments did not. All high CO2 treatments caused increase in pH of juice.
Green money laundering

New banknotes are printed to replace worn or unfit currency each year across the world. The central banks responsible for the currency printing are faced with the environmental challenge of annually disposing of nearly 150,000 tons of notes unfit for recirculation. Banknote soiling has been found to be a yellowing of the notes due to the accumulation of oxidized sebum, a secretion of the sebaceous glands in the human skin. The oily/waxy sebum exudate lubricates the human skin and hair as a natural process. Studies by the De Nederlandsche Bank identified yellowing of the banknotes attributable to the air oxidation of sebum. This contamination leads to mechanical problems with the notes in high speed banknotecounting machines. Supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) has been shown to remove sebum, other oils, and contaminants, including common bacterial colonies, from both paper and polymer banknotes without destroying the costly and sophisticated security features. SCCO2 cleaning at 60 C and 5,000 psi was shown to be effective to clean conventional straps of 100 banknotes, extracting nearly 4 % of the initial strap weight. Measurements of note-soiling distributions on a banknotesorting machine running at 10 banknotes per second showed a significant shift in soiling levels after cleaning, supporting the claim that processing of SCCO2 cleaned notes would result in significantly fewer notes being classified as unfit due to soiling and shredded for disposal. Soiling accounts for the removal of 60–80 % of all banknotes. Effective cleaning of banknotes could decrease the annual global cost of replacing the bills now approaching $10 billion.
A new method for choosing the computational cell in stochastic reaction–diffusion systems

How to choose the computational compartment or cell size for the stochastic simulation of a reaction–diffusion system is still an open problem, and a number of criteria have been suggested. A generalized measure of the noise for finite-dimensional systems based on the largest eigenvalue of the covariance matrix of the number of molecules of all species has been suggested as a measure of the overall fluctuations in a multivariate system, and we apply it here to a discretized reaction–diffusion system. We show that for a broad class of first-order reaction networks this measure converges to the square root of the reciprocal of the smallest mean species number in a compartment at the steady state. We show that a suitably re-normalized measure stabilizes as the volume of a cell approaches zero, which leads to a criterion for the maximum volume of the compartments in a computational grid. We then derive a new criterion based on the sensitivity of the entire network, not just of the fastest step, that predicts a grid size that assures that the concentrations of all species converge to a spatially-uniform solution. This criterion applies for all orders of reactions and for reaction rate functions derived from singular perturbation or other reduction methods, and encompasses both diffusing and non-diffusing species. We show that this predicts the maximal allowable volume found in a linear problem, and we illustrate our results with an example motivated by anterior-posterior pattern formation in Drosophila, and with several other examples.
Mouse models of p53 functions

Studies in mice have yielded invaluable insight into our understanding of the p53 pathway. Mouse models with activated p53, no p53, and mutant p53 have queried the role of p53 in development and tumorigenesis. In these models, p53 is activated and stabilized via redundant posttranslational modifications. On activation, p53 initiates two major responses: inhibition of proliferation (via cell-cycle arrest, quiescence, senescence, and differentiation) and induction of apoptosis. Importantly, these responses are cell-type and tumor-type-specific. The analysis of mutant p53 alleles has established a gain-of-function role for p53 mutants in metastasis. The development of additional models that can precisely time the oncogenic events in single cells will provide further insight into the evolution of tumors, the importance of the stroma, and the cooperating events that lead to disruption of the p53 pathway. Ultimately, these models should serve to study the effects of novel drugs on tumor response as well as normal homeostasis.
Importance of Viscosity in the Dissolution Rate of Cholesterol in Monooctanoin Solutions

Several factors affecting the dissolution rate of cholesterol in monooctanoin were investigated. This solvent is used clinically for dissolution of residual cholesterol gallstones in the bile duct after cholecystectomy. The effect of added water on dissolution rate, measured using the static- or rotating-disk methods, was not consistent with the previously measured solubility. The discrepancy was found to be due to the decreasing viscosity of the solvent as water was added. Addition of cholesterol, however, increased the viscosity of monooctanoin. The viscosity effect on dissolution rate was investigated further by addition of polymers (povidone and poloxamer 237) which increased solvent viscosity. Dissolution rate was proportional to viscosity to the -0.4 power with these polymers. An equation was derived which predicts that dissolution rate should be proportional to viscosity to the -2/3 power. The predicted exponent was very close to reported experimental values for benzoic acid, but the dissolution rate/viscosity relationship for cholesterol in aqueous monooctanoin was nonlinear with apparent exponents of -0.65 to -2.3. Although the Arrhenius activation energies for viscosity (3.79 kcal/mol) and dissolution rate constant (3.66 kcal/mol) were almost equal for benzoic acid, a nonlinear relationship was again observed for cholesterol in aqueous monooctanoin with approximate Ea values of 5.6-10 kcal/mol. The strong influence of viscosity on dissolution rate in this system is attributed to the viscosity-increasing effect of cholesterol in the diffusion layer. The increased viscosity at higher cholesterol concentrations reduces the diffusion coefficient of cholesterol and causes the dissolution rate to be slower even though solubility may have been higher.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The biology of cancer genetics.

Abstract Objectives To review cancer biology and associated genetic change. Data sources Professional journals, texts, monographs, and Internet websites. Conclusion Several types of genetic damage occur in cancer cells: activation of protooncogenes into oncogenes that give cells an abnormal growth advantage; inactivation of tumor suppressor genes that would normally slow or stop abnormal cell growth; the bypass of genes that cause aberrant cells to die by apoptosis; the ability to establish vasculature, and the ability to override genes that regulate cell senescence. The end result of accumulated genetic errors is cells that can reproduce without restriction, invade local tissues, and ultimately, establish distant metastases. Implications for nursing practice Identification of the genetic changes in cancer cells and of the proteins that these changes affect promises to provide diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. It is critical that nurses have a basic understanding of cell biology and genetics so they may better comprehend the unfolding changes in medicine to best serve patients and families.
High Frequency Switching of SiC High Voltage LJFET

In this paper, inductive-load switching of a high voltage lateral JFET (HV-LJFET) on 4H-SiC is investigated with a monolithically integrated driver and with an external driver for high frequency, high temperature applications. A new 'capacitor-coupled' gate driver circuitry is proposed and optimized to utilize a standard MOS driver and enable fast switching speed without the need for a negative power supply. Switching times and losses of the SiC HV-LJFET are characterized under various driver conditions and device temperatures. The results reveal that the temperature-independent, high switching speed of the SiC LJFET makes it possible to hard-switch at 3 MHz, 200 V, 1.2 A and 250degC with good efficiency, significantly higher than silicon devices with similar voltage ratings.
Iron supplementation during human immunodeficiency virus infection: a double-edged sword?

Although iron supplementation is considered beneficial for groups at risk for anemia, concern has been raised that it could be harmful during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Studies suggest: (1) faster HIV disease progression in thalassemia major patients receiving inadequate doses of iron-chelating drug; (2) higher mortality among patients receiving iron supplementation with dapsone compared with aerosolized pentamidine for prophylaxis against Pneumocytis carinii pneumonia; (3) higher iron stores and mortality among patients with haptoglobin Hp 2-2 phenotype; and (4) shorter survival among patients with high bone marrow iron deposition. These studies largely involved men in developed countries. Among HIV-infected pregnant women in Africa with a high prevalence of iron deficiency, no relationship was found between indicators of iron status and HIV disease severity. The available data do not contraindicate the current practice of iron supplementation in developing countries where there is a high prevalence of both HIV infection and iron deficiency.
A 270MHz, 1 V pk&#8211;pk , low&#8211;distortion variable gain amplifier in 0.35&#181;m CMOS process

A fully balanced CMOS Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) for high frequency applications and large signals is presented. The VGA consists of an analog multiplier, current gain stages, and resistive loads. A frequency compensation scheme based on a capacitive feed-forward technique increases the bandwidth by more than 60 %. Common-Mode Feed-Forward (CMFF) techniques are used to minimize dc offsets. The gain can be programmed from 0 dB to 42 dB with -3 dB bandwidth greater than 270 MHz. The Third Harmonic Distortion (HD3) is less than -55 dB for differential input and output voltages of 1 V pk-pk . The VGA was fabricated in 0.35 µm CMOS process, and consumes around 54 mW from a single power supply of 2.7 V.
Science to practice: can the diagnosis of fibrosis with magnetization contrast MR aid in the evaluation of patients with Crohn disease?

Specialized MR pulse sequences sensitive to the magnetization transfer effect can be used to detect and semiquantitatively measure the amount of fibrous tissue present in diseased organs, including the bowel in Crohn disease; this information is likely to be useful for guiding therapy.
The Illogical Basis of Phylogenetic Nomenclature

The current advocacy for the so-called PhyloCode has a history rooted in twentieth-century arguments among biologists and philosophers regarding a putative distinction between classes and individuals. From this seemingly simple and innocuous discussion have come supposed distinctions between definitions and diagnosis, classification and systematization, and now Linnaean and “phylogenetic” nomenclature. Nevertheless, the metaphysical dichotomy of class versus individual, insofar as its standard applications to the issue of biological taxonomy are concerned, is an outdated remnant of early logical positivist thinking. Current views on natural kinds and their definitions under a scientific realist perspective provide grounds for rejecting the class versus individual dichotomy altogether insofar as biological entities are concerned. We review the role of natural kinds in scientific practice and the nature of definitions and scientific classifications. Although inherent instabilities of the PhyloCode are clearly sufficient to argue against the general application of this nominally phylogenetic system, our goal here is to address serious and fundamental flaws in its very foundation by exposing the unsubstantiated philosophical assumptions preceding and subtending it.
Modulated Tool Path (MTP) Machining for Threading Applications

Abstract The modulated tool path (MTP) chip breaking process has been modified to improve chip management capabilities and to prevent large chip nest accumulations commonly encountered in threading operations. The use of MTP to create segmented chips requires a different approach for threading operations than for normal MTP turning operations, although the fundamental principal is the same. The primary difference between MTP for threading and for straight turning is that the part surface that the tool repeatedly engages and disengages, during the modulation process, is the thread root rather than the cut face. The threading MTP part program developed in this paper is capable of machining a thread with the desired lead, depth, undercut angle, and taper angle while also producing segmented chips.
Beach Morphodynamics influenced by an ebb‐tidal delta on the north Florida Atlantic coast

Tidal inlets interrupt longshore sediment transport, thereby exerting an influence on adjacent beach morphology. To investigate the details and spatial extent of an inlet's influence, we examine beach topographic change along a 1.5 km coastal reach adjacent to Matanzas Inlet, on the Florida Atlantic coast. Analyses of beach morphology reveal a behavioral change between 0.64 and 0.86 km from the inlet channel centerline, interpreted to represent the spatial extent of inlet influence. Beyond this boundary, the beach is narrow, exhibits a statistically significant inverse correlation of shoreline position with offshore wave conditions, and has a uniform alongshore pattern in temporal behavior, as determined from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. On the inlet side of the boundary, the beach experiences monotonic widening (with proximity to the inlet), lacks spatial consistency in correlation between shoreline position and wave conditions, and exhibits an irregular pattern in spatial EOF modes. We augment the field observations with numerical modeling that provides calculations of wave setup and nearshore current patterns near the inlet, highlighting the effects of the ebb-tidal delta on the assailing waves. The modeling results are verified by a natural experiment that occurred during May 2009, when a storm-produced sedimentary mass accreted to the lower beach, then subsequently split into two oppositely directed waves of sediment that migrated away from the initial accretion site in the subsequent months. Our results suggest that the ebb-tidal delta produces a pattern of wave setup that creates a pressure gradient driving an alongshore flow that opposes the longshore currents derived from breaking of obliquely oriented incident waves. The resulting recirculation pattern on the margin of the ebb-tidal delta provides a mechanism through which the inlet influences adjacent barrier island beach morphology. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Precise EWOD top plate positioning using inverse Preisach model based hysteresis compensation

The displacement of an intelligent PZT (piezoelectric materials based on modified lead zirconate titanate) controlled EWOD (electrowetting on dielectric) top plate is modeled by inverse Preisach hysteresis algorithm. First, the PZT deflection model is created from an experimental displacement dataset. The real time output is predicted based on the previously stored weighting functions. Upon the desired output and the current input, the input voltage is compensated by a feedforward voltage which is derived from the model using a closest match method. The feedforward process and the model are stored in a PC. A portable high voltage DAC (digital-to-analog converter) is used to drive the PZT cantilever structure. The worst-case DNL of the high voltage DAC is 0.8125 mV. The tracking errors of a 0.067 Hz triangle wave input are less than 5 μm. Results show the inverse Preisach model is a good candidate for precise EWOD top plate displacement hysteresis compensation.
Modification of Dextran Through Reaction With Organostannane Halides as a Function of Reaction System - A Model for Polysaccharide Modification

Today, when sources of feedstocks, such as petroleum based compounds, are being consumed at a faster rate than they are being discovered, there is a need for conservation, renewing of feedstocks and development of readily available, regenerable natural feedstocks. Polysaccharides are one such readily available, natural feedstock.
Expert system for automated bone age determination

We develop an automated bone age determination system for overall and part bone ages.We develop fusion rules for multiple classifiers with more than three classes.Bone age determination can be viewed as the weighted sum of five part bone ages.The weights indicate that part 1 (the distal phalanges) has the highest priority.We validate the system based on different classifiers' performances. A novel automated bone age determination algorithm using left hand X-ray images, which provides consistent overall bone age as well as five part bone ages, is presented in this paper. Based on the descriptive narrative from the Greulich and Pyle atlas as well as those from other more recent studies, 17 region of interests are selected and based on anatomical similarity, five clinically relevant groupings (or "parts") are defined on left hand X-ray images. When disharmonious maturations for different regions of interest are large, providing part bone ages with overall bone age is helpful to pediatricians. Based on interviews with two experts to get input on their bone age determination strategy, overall bone age determination can be viewed as the weighted sum of "part bone ages" of the five parts. Using the method of least squares and inputs from five (human) readers, we extract weights for bone age determination using all five parts (as well as reduced algorithms using only four, three or two parts). The weights indicate that part 1 (distal joints) has the highest priority. Overall bone age is then estimated based on the weights and bone ages of available parts. In our work, a computer vision algorithm provides bone ages of individual regions of interest. To combine the region of interest computer classifiers and generate each of the five part bone ages, we develop and analyze fusion rules of multiple classifiers with more than three classes each. The fusion rules take into account performance of each region of interest classifier. Once the part bone ages are obtained based on the fusion rule and region of interest classifiers, the overall bone age is determined in a fully automated way. Finally, we give a use case for the whole automated bone age determination system and validation of the algorithm based on given performance of each region of interest computer classifier. Results indicate that the algorithm works well with reasonably good classifiers.
A View from Below: An Analysis of Korean Americans' Racial Attitudes

The primary aim of this study is to examine the various factors that may shape Korean's prejudicial attitudes. Moreover, given that Black-Korean tensions (or Korean-Latino ones) have in some way shaped or been shaped by broader public opinion, examining solely the prejudicial views of Los Angeles' Korean merchants - as many past studies have done - does not tell us the ways these attitudes may emerge or operate in broader contexts. Thus, in a move beyond research on particular groups of Korean Americans, this study examines racial attitudes among the general Korean American population. Finally, in light of an increasing evidence of tensions between Koreans and Latinos, the present study avoids focusing merely on Black-Korean dynamics but further examines systematically Korean's racial attitudes toward Latinos.
Progress Towards an Arbitrarily High-Order, Unstructured, Free-Wake Panel Solver

A high-order panel code capable of solving the potential flow equation about arbitrary curved geometries is presented. A new method for integrating curved, high-order panels using adaptive Gaussian quadrature is detailed. Furthermore, automated wake handling is addressed and a method to robustly solve for the steady-state free-wake rollup is proposed. Finally, a Fast Multipole Method with a complexity that scales as O(N) is also presented so that large problems can be handled using only a linear mesh. Results are presented to demonstrate high order accuracy and agreement with other inviscid solvers for a variety of test cases.
The Significance of Bone Marrow Lymphocytosis of Acute Leukemia Patients in Remission

Bone marrow lymphocytosis (BML) 20 per cent or greater occurring during remission of acute leukemia has been looked upon in the past as an unfavorable sign that may presage early subsequent relapse. Seventy-four patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia were studied to evaluate the significance of BML in remission. It was found that 14 patients with less than 20 per cent bone marrow lymphocytes at any time in remission had a median remission duration of 3 months and a median survival of 21 months, while 60 patients with 20 per cent or more bone marrow lymphocytes at any time in remission had a median remission duration of 14 months and a median survival time of 34 months. Patients with AGL and lymphocytosis had remissions and survivals not significantly longer than those without lymphocytosis It is concluded that there is no justification for excluding a patient from complete remission status because of bone marrow lymphocytosis.
Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Plerocercoid in Snakes from Guilin City

To study the taxonomy position of plerocercoid from flower-waved snake in Guilin city,the nuclear 18 S rDNA,28 S rDNA,internal transcribed spacers(ITS) genes and the partial mitochondrial cyclooxygenase 1(cox1) gene of the plerocercoid were cloned,and the sequences analyzed.The corresponding sequences were downloaded from GenBank,and were aligned by the Clustal W2,and the phylogenetic trees were constructed by MEGA 4.0.The result showed that Guilin isolates and the S.erinaceieuropaei(D64072)18 S were clustered in the same clade based on the 18 S phylogenetic tree,bootstrap 100%.Guilin isolates were also in the same clade with S.mansonoides(AF004718)、S.erinaceieuropaei(AF004717),Sparganum sp.(AF096223) in 28 S,bootstrap 61%,and in the same group with all of S.erinaceieuropaei ITS1,ITS2 and partial mitochondrial cox1 gene sequences,the total branch bootstrap values were 100%,99%,64%.It showed gene polymorphism between different isolates in ITS and cox1,cox1 is more suitable than ITS in studying intra-specific genetic polymorphism which considered from the bootstrap values,and ITS could be used as genetic marker for the species identification.
The Implementation Situation of the Biology Course in Junior Middle School and the Strategies of Teacher's Training

The thesis investigates and analyses the implementation of the biology course in Junior middle schools and the presentation of teachers and points out the strategies which relate to the course standards in use.
Complications in Tissue Expansion

Appropriate patient selection, proper informed consent, and a calm and thoughtful approach to problems of implant deflation, infection, and exposure should prevent true “disasters” in tissue expansion.
Numerical Prediction of Failure of Cast Zinc Using an Anisotropic Plasticity Model with MTS Hardening

Machining processes or other processes in which material failure is induced present a unique class of benchmark problems for computational solid mechanics methods and constitutive models. The data available from these problems include force vs. time measurements, failure plane orientations, residual stress measurements at the failed surfaces, and geometric information about machined chips.
Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome

Publisher Summary Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome or pantothenate kinase associated neurodegeneration is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder affecting both children and adults. The phenotypic spectrum ranges from severe, early childhood dystonia with pigmentary retinopathy to adult-onset dysarthria, dystonia, and rigidity. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes are virtually pathognomonic, demonstrating bilateral areas of anteromedial hyperintensity surrounded by a region of hypointensity in the medial globus pallidus on T2-weighted images, These radiographic changes indicate deposition of iron in the basal ganglia, which is seen on pathologic study in association with axonal spheroids. The defective gene encodes pantothenate kinase, a key regulatory enzyme in the biosynthesis of coenzyme A. A Drosophila pantothenate kinase mutant shows neurologic incoordination and cell division cycle defects. A murine model, currently being developed, can facilitate the investigation of disease pathogenesis and new treatments.
Community effects on women’s help-seeking behaviour for intimate partner violence in India: gender disparity, feminist theory, and empowerment

ABSTRACTWhile prior research has shown empowerment and gender disparity affect risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) in India, little research attention has been given to the effects of gender disparity and empowerment on the likelihood of help seeking for IPV. The present study used the nationally representative population-based 2005–2006 Indian National Family Health Surveys to assess individual/relationship- and community-level factors that influence help-seeking behaviour among a sample of women who reported having been involved in IPV. Results from the multilevel analyses revealed that working status, decision-making in the partner dyad, illiteracy, controlling behaviour, and severe physical or sexual abuse at the individual/relationship level affected the likelihood of help seeking. At the community level, age at marriage for women and the proportion of severe physical or sexual abuse affected help-seeking behaviours. Significant variation remains unexplained at the state level. Implications for p...