cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public relations and strategic issues management challenges in Venezuela: A discourse analysis of Crystallex International Corporation in Las Cristinas

This investigation, using critical discourse analysis (CDA), seeks to develop an understanding of strategic issues management through Crystallex International Corporation’s discursive construction and management of legitimacy in the Las Cristinas mine in Venezuela. This analysis of the Las Cristinas case unearths elements that could provide useful insights about the Latin American environment in general and public relations efforts in that region specifically. Additionally, this analysis contributes to ongoing efforts of finding the most effective public relations practices for this particular part of the world, as well as help to highlight what constitutes a “fully functioning society” [Heath, R. (2006). A rhetorical theory approach to issues management. In C. Botan & V. Hazelton (Eds.), Public relations theory II (pp. 63–99). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ] in developing countries.
Urban Economies and Occupation Space: Can They Get ``There'' from ``Here''?

Much of the socioeconomic life in the United States occurs in its urban areas. While an urban economy is defined to a large extent by its network of occupational specializations, an examination of this important network is absent from the considerable body of work on the determinants of urban economic performance. Here we develop a structure-based analysis addressing how the network of interdependencies among occupational specializations affects the ease with which urban economies can transform themselves. While most occupational specializations exhibit positive relationships between one another, many exhibit negative ones, and the balance between the two partially explains the productivity of an urban economy. The current set of occupational specializations of an urban economy and its location in the occupation space constrain its future development paths. Important tradeoffs exist between different alternatives for altering an occupational specialization pattern, both at a single occupation and an entire occupational portfolio levels.
Enzyme-based Antigen Localization and Quantitation in Cell and Tissue Samples (Midwestern Assay):

Quantitation of antigen concentration in cell and tissue samples typically requires antigen extraction, which precludes antigen localization in the same sample. Similarly, antigen immunolocalization in fixed cells or tissue sections provides limited information about antigen concentration. We have developed a rapid and sensitive assay for simultaneous antigen localization and quantitation in cell and tissue samples that does not involve antigen extraction, radioactive materials, or image analysis. Fixed cells and/or tissue sections are used with antigen-specific enzyme-linked probes to generate soluble reaction products that are spectrophotometrically quantifiable and deposited reaction products that are microscopically localizable. The amount of soluble reaction product is dependent on several variables, including antigen concentration, probe specificity and sensitivity, sample size, and enzyme reaction time. These variables can be experimentally controlled so that soluble reaction product is proportiona...
Metal-Free Deoxygenation of Carbohydrates†

The conversion of readily available cellulosic biomass to valuable feedstocks and fuels is an attrative goal but a challenging transformation that requires the cleavage of multiple nonactivated CO bonds. Herein, the Lewis acid trispentafluorophenylborane (B(C6 F5 )3 ) is shown to catalyze the metal-free hydrosilylative reduction of monosaccharides and polysaccharides to give hydrocarbons with reduced oxygen content. The choice of the silane reductant influences the degree of deoxygenation, with diethylsilane effecting the complete reduction to produce hexanes while tertiary silanes give partially deoxygenated tetraol and triol products.
Quality and colour of melatonin—and bromocriptine-induced winter fur growth in mink ( Mustela vison ) given a supplemented diet

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of diet on fur colour and quality of bromocriptineand melatonin-induced winter pelage in mink. At weaning, 90 standard dark female kit mink were assigned randomly to one of two dietary regimens. Diet 1 (no. = 30) was a basal ranch mink diet, and diet 2 (no. = 60) was the basal diet, supplemented with liver and eggs. On 26 June 1986, mink given each diet were assigned to treatment (no. = 15) and control groups (no. = 15). Animals receiving diet 1 were treated with 120 mg melatonin implants (silastic) while those given diet 2 were treated with 120 mg melatonin implants, 60 mg bromocriptine pellets, or 60 mg bromocriptine pellets plus 18·6 mg melatonin implants (silastic). Control groups on each diet received no implants. Subsequently, fur growth was measured at biweekly intervals. Mink treated with 120 mg melatonin, 60 mg bromocriptine, and 60 mg bromocriptine plus 18·6 mg melatonin all moulted 1 month earlier than controls and exhibited significantly greater fur growth during the months of August and September (P < 0·05). Mink implanted with 120 mg melatonin, and bromocriptine plus melatonin were considered to be in fully prime pelage by mid October and were pelted by October 23. Mink receiving bromocriptine alone were not considered to be in prime pelage in October and were pelted in December with controls. Neither diet supplementation with liver and eggs, nor treatment to induce early fur growth had an effect on fur colour or quality. It was also concluded that treatment of mink with bromocriptine may not completely mimic the effect of exogenous melatonin on winter fur growth.
Formulation and Experimental Validation of Two Decentralized Discrete Model-Referenced Adaptive Manipulator Control Strategies

In this paper two decentralized digital model referenced adaptive manipulator trajectory controllers are developed and experimentally tested using a distributed multiprocessor architecture and a PUMA 560 industrial robot. The motivation for decentralized control is the ease and speed of parallel implementation of the developed control algorithms using relatively inexpensive hardware. The first controller is composed of a nominal model-based component that includes nonlinear feedback of local joint variables, and an auxiliary model referenced adaptive component. The purpose of introducing local nonlinear feedback is to compensate, as much as possible, in real time, for manipulator dynamics. The purpose of the model referenced adaptive control signal is to compensate for deviations of the used model parameters from their actual values. Nonlinear interaction and coupling between joints is treated as a disturbance torque that is tuned and compensated for. The second control strategy is purely based on a model referenced adaptive control approach and does not assume any knowledge about the manipulator model. The performances of the two control strategies are compared.
Implicit Differentiation by Perturbation

This paper proposes a simple and efficient finite difference method for implicit differentiation of marginal inference results in discrete graphical models. Given an arbitrary loss function, defined on marginals, we show that the derivatives of this loss with respect to model parameters can be obtained by running the inference procedure twice, on slightly perturbed model parameters. This method can be used with approximate inference, with a loss function over approximate marginals. Convenient choices of loss functions make it practical to fit graphical models with hidden variables, high treewidth and/or model misspecification.
A Complete Multiagent Framework for Robust and Adaptable Dynamic Job Shop Scheduling

This paper presents a complete multiagent framework for dynamic job shop scheduling, with an emphasis on robustness and adaptability. It provides both a theoretical basis and some experimental justifications for such a framework: a job dispatching procedure for a completely reactive scheduling approach, combining real-time and predictive decision making. It resolves various disruptions as flexibly as dispatching rules while providing more stability. It is ready to be implemented in a distributed environment where agents have minimum global information thereby improving system fault tolerance. Computational experiments on dynamic job arrivals provide the experimental justification of the framework. First, a comparison of computational results on unpredictable job arrivals among the presented framework and commonly used dispatching rules is presented to show the effectiveness and robustness of the developed framework. Then, a comparison of the computational results among four cases of dynamic job arrivals is presented to demonstrate the effects of making full use of available uncertain information about disruptions using this framework for the enhancement of scheduling robustness.
Racism and Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women: The Protective Effects of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, and Behavior

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings suggest that racism is associated with drug use, but that its effects diminish with age. In addition, results suggest that psychosocial resources, social safety net factors and culturally specific factors like ethnic community membership and engagement in cultural practices afford African American women some protection against the detrimental effects of racism.
Impact of Arterial Load and Loading Sequence on Left Ventricular Tissue Velocities in Humans

Early-diastolic velocity (E=) varied inversely with Zc, SVRI, Ea, and PWV (r 0.4 to 0.5; 1.0 to 1.2; p 0.004), but late-systolic load (cAI and PTI3 r 0.6; 1.6; both p 0.0001) and arterial compliance (r 0.6; 1.4; p 0.0001) had the strongest associations with E=. Load dependence was not altered by the presence of hypertension, and in multivariate analysis only cAI and Zc significantly predicted E=, even after adjusting for age (p 0.05). Peak systolic velocity was additionally found to be inversely related to afterload, whereas other measures of contractility were not. Conclusions Diastolic and systolic tissue velocities vary inversely with arterial afterload, with late-systolic load having the greatest influence on E=. These findings may partly explain the decrease in early relaxation velocity noted with aging, hypertension, and patients with heart failure. Strategies to reduce afterload, vascular stiffening, and wave
The Content Coverage of Clinical Classifications

Background and Objective : Patient conditions and events are the core of patient record content. Computer-based records will require standard vocabularies to represent these data consistently, thereby facilitating clinical decision support, research, and efficient care delivery. To address whether existing major coding systems can serve this function, the authors evaluated major clinical classifications for their content coverage. Methods : Clinical text from four medical centers was sampled from inpatient and outpatient settings. The resultant corpus of 14,247 words was parsed into 3,061 distinct concepts. These concepts were grouped into Diagnoses, Modifiers, Findings, Treatments and Procedures, and Other. Each concept was coded into ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT, SNOMED III, Read V2, UMLS 1.3, and NANDA; a secondary reviewer ensured consistency. While coding, the information was scored: 0 = no match, 1 = fair match, 2 = complete match. Results : ICD-9-CM had an overall mean score of 0.77 out of 2; its highest subscore was 1.61 for Diagnoses. ICD-10 scored 1.60 for Diagnoses, and 0.62 overall. The overall score of ICD-9-CM augmented by CPT was not materially improved at 0.82. The SNOMED International system demonstrated the highest score in every category, including Diagnoses (1.90), and had an overall score of 1.74. Conclusions : No classification captured all concepts, although SNOMED did notably the most complete job. The systems in major use in the United States, ICD-9-CM and CPT, fail to capture substantial clinical content. ICD-10 does not perform better than ICD-9-CM. The major clinical classifications in use today incompletely cover the clinical content of patient records; thus analytic conclusions that depend on these systems may be suspect.
Dispersed phase size during the blending of relatively-inelastic polymer melts

The influence of simultaneous drop breakup and drop coalescence on polymer-morphology was studied during the blending of polymer melts in a commercial counter-rotating twin-screw extruder. The poly...
ALCOHOL ENVIRONMENT, PERCEIVED SAFETY, AND EXPOSURE TO ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND OTHER DRUGS IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE

This study examined the association between the count of alcohol outlets around children's homes and opportunities to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) during pre-adolescence. Data were collected in 2007 from 394 Baltimore City children aged 8-13 (86% African American). Participants' residential address and alcohol outlet data were geocoded with quarter mile (i.e., walking distance) buffers placed around each participant's home to determine the number of outlets within walking distance. The unadjusted logistic regression models revealed that each unit increase in the number of alcohol outlets was associated with a 14% increase in the likelihood of children seeing people selling drugs (OR=1.14, p=.04) and a 15% increase in the likelihood of seeing people smoking marijuana (OR=1.15, p<.01). After adjusting for neighborhood physical disorder, the relationship between alcohol outlets and seeing people selling drugs and seeing people smoking marijuana was fully attenuated. These results suggest that alcohol outlets are one aspect of the larger environmental context that is related to ATOD exposure in children. Future studies should examine the complex relationship between neighborhood physical disorder and the presence of alcohol outlets.
The Role of the Textile Layer in the Garment Package in Suppressing Transient Heat Exchange Processes

An exchange of various forms of energy between a human and the media surrounding him proceeds continually, and the process preserves this continuous dynamic balance during his life. Thermal energy exchanges occur mainly through the clothes which a human wears. Thus, the package of clothes participates in energy exchanges between man and his media reducing the dynamics of heat transfer. When seeking to ensure thermal comfort to a wearer, it is necessary to assess the ability of the garment’s design as well as its material to reduce dynamic thermal energy processes. The investigation presented herein by us, was carried out having mainly in mind its application for designing working clothing. In reality our conditions and conclusions are concerned with a significant broader range of garments. We carried out investigations aimed at evaluating the role of thermal insulation properties of garment materials and clothes in lowering the external thermal energy dynamic processes. Data on temperature fields in working garments as influenced by the outer average temperature are presented. It was found that at a certain depth , the heat exchange processes become steadier. This depth indicates the optimal thickness of the clothes package. The optimal layer thickness allows us to determine the garment’s thermal resistance which can be recommended with the evaluation of transient conditions and the temperature variation dynamics of the surrounding air.
Dependable group-oriented mobile transactions

Several mobile services, such as mobile auctions, mobile financial services, and multi-party interactive games, require support for transactions. This is a difficult challenge due to both intermittent connectivity and potential failures in part(s) of wireless infrastructure. In this paper, we present a multi-network access based wireless architecture and related protocols to enhance the dependability performance for transactions. The key idea is to allow group users to utilize access to one or more wireless networks to complete different steps of a transaction. We also present some preliminary results for transaction performance across multiple networks.
Electron detectors for vacuum pressure rise diagnostics at RHIC

In the RHIC 2001 run, an unexpected vacuum pressure rise versus bunch increasing currents was observed in both gold and proton operations. This pressure increase due to molecular desorption is suspected to be induced mainly by electron multipacting, but other causes may coexist, such as ion desorption due to halo scraping. In order to get a reliable diagnostic of the phenomenon electron detectors have been installed along the RHIC ring. In this report we describe results measured by the electron detectors with energy filters during the RHlC 2002/2003 run.
Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes from Small Antral Follicles During the Early Follicular Phase of Menstrual Cycles in Rhesus Monkeys Yield Oocytes That Reinitiate Meiosis and Fertilize In Vitro

The stage at which follicle-enclosed cumulus-oocyte complexes achieve developmental competence in primates is unknown. Therefore, studies were designed to characterize the ability of oocytes in small antral follicles present during the menstrual cycle to spontaneously resume meiosis, fertilize, and support early embryo development. Ovaries were removed from adult rhesus monkeys (n = 12) during the early follicular phase (Days 3-4) of spontaneous cycles. Small antral follicles were divided into five groups according to their diameter; group I: <0.5 mm; group II: 0.5-0.99 mm; group III: 1.0-1.49 mm; group IV: 1.5-1.99 mm; and group V: 2.0-2.5 mm. The cumulus-oocyte complex from healthy small antral follicles (devoid of dark oocytes or granulosa cells) were extracted (n = 199) and cultured for 48 h under different conditions: in TALP (tyrode, albumin, lactate, pyruvate) medium alone, SAGE medium alone, or plus gonadotropins. At 48 h, oocyte meiotic status and diameter were measured after treatment of cumulus-oocyte complexes with hyaluronidase. Cumulus-oocyte complexes derived from follicles of 0.5- to 2-mm diameter contain oocytes that typically reinitiate meiosis in the absence or presence of gonadotropins and fertilize via in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Moreover, the inseminated oocytes can reach the morula stage but arrest. Thus, the ability of these oocytes to complete maturation, as monitored from subsequent embryonic development after fertilization, is suboptimal. Further studies on primate IVM of oocytes from SAFs are warranted in order for them to be considered as an additional, novel source of gametes for fertility preservation in cancer patients.
At-issue Proposals and Appositive Impositions in Discourse

Potts (2005) and many subsequent works have argued that the semantic content of appositive (non-restrictive) relative clauses, e.g., the underlined material in John, who nearly killed a woman with his car, visited her in the hospital, must be in some way separate from the content of the rest of the sentence, i.e., from at-issue content. At the same time, there is mounting evidence from various anaphoric processes that the two kinds of content must be integrated into a single, incrementally evolving semantic representation. The challenge is how to reconcile this informational separation with these pervasive anaphoric connections. We propose a dynamic semantic account that accomplishes this by taking appositive and at-issue content to involve two different kinds of updates to the Context Set (CS). Treating the context set as a distinguished propositional variable, p cs , we argue that appositives directly impose their content on the CS by eliminating possible values assigned to p cs . In contrast, we treat at-issue assertions as introducing a new propositional dref and proposing that p cs be updated with its content, subject to addressee’s response. In addition to capturing the behavior of appositives in discourse, we show that the account can be extended to capture the projection of appositive content past various sentential operators.
Sequence context effect on the structure of nitrous acid induced DNA interstrand cross‐links

In the preceding paper in this journal, we described the solution structure of the nitrous acid cross-linked dodecamer duplex [d(GCATCCGGATGC)]2 (the cross-linked guanines are underlined). The structure revealed that the cross-linked guanines form a nearly planar covalently linked ‘G:G base pair’, with the complementary partner cytidines flipped out of the helix. Here we explore the flanking sequence context effect on the structure of nitrous acid cross-links in [d(CG)]2 and the factors allowing the extrahelical cytidines to adopt such fixed positions in the minor groove. We have used NMR spectroscopy to determine the solution structure of a second cross-linked dodecamer duplex, [d(CGCTACGTAGCG)]2, which shows that the identity of the flanking base pairs significantly alters the stacking patterns and phosphate backbone conformations. The cross-linked guanines are now stacked well on adenines preceding the extrahelical cytidines, illustrating the importance of purine– purine base stacking. Observation of an imino proton resonance at 15.6 p.p.m. provides evidence for hydrogen bonding between the two cross-linked guanines. Preliminary structural studies on the cross-linked duplex [d(CGCGACGTCGCG)]2 show that the extrahelical cytidines are very mobile in this sequence context. We suggest that favorable van der Waals interactions between the cytidine and the adenine 2 bp away from the cross-link localize the cytidines in the previous cross-linked structures.
Lifetime consequences of food protein-carbohydrate content for an insect herbivore

Summary 1. Food protein–carbohydrate content has significant consequences for animal survival, growth and reproduction. Rarely, though, is its effect examined over an animal’s entire lifetime. 2. In this study, we reared newly hatched caterpillars [Heliothis virescens Fabricus (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] on diets containing different protein/carbohydrate (p/c) ratios. We recorded larval survival, time to pupation, pupal mass, eclosion success, time to eclosion and pupal body lipid content. Additionally, for each treatment, we mated eclosed males and females and measured egg production and egg viability. 3. Larval performance (survival to pupation and time to pupation) was similar across all except the two most extreme treatments. In contrast, pupal performance (mass, eclosion success and time to eclosion) was best on diets that were balanced or slightly protein-biased. However, eclosion success differed between sexes. For males, it was best on diets with balanced p/c ratios, while female eclosion was strong across all but the most carbohydrate-biased diet. Pupal body lipid content in both males and females increased as the food p/c ratio decreased. 4. Egg production was best on diets with balanced or slightly protein-biased p/c ratios. 5. We also estimated the effect of food p/c ratio at the population level, using the data generated in this study. Population size was largest on diets with a balanced p/c ratio and declined steadily and strongly as the food p/c ratio became increasingly more imbalanced. 6. Our findings show, for the first time, the effect of food p/c content over an insect herbivore’s entire life. Our data indicate that there is a narrow range of p/c ratios that maximize lifetime performance, and for H. virescens, this range coincides with its self-selected p/c ratio.
Acceptance of Diabetes Regimens in Adults

Diabetes affected an estimated 14 million people in the United States as of 1993 (American Diabetes Association [ADA], 1993a). There are several types of diabetes. As a group, they raise virtually all the issues of prevention, management, and adjustment dealt with in health psychology (Fisher, Delamater, Bertelson, & Kirkley, 1982), and they raise these issues across the life span, from a family’s reaction to a young child’s diagnosis with a lifelong, life-threatening disease to blindness and amputations among adults. Parallel with the complexity of the disease and the diversity of its effects, acceptance in diabetes is complex, entailing a number of skills and tasks. Acceptance is also influenced by a wide range of factors, from the economic and cultural to the personal. This complexity of acceptance and the multiple influences on it are a theme of this chapter.
Teaching Visual Literacy: Pedagogy, Design and Implementation, Tools, and Techniques

Visual literacy is emerging as a key concept in educational standards in the twenty-first century; for example, the Association of College and Research Libraries developed higher education competency standards for visual literacy in 2011. Several of the Common Core State Standards emphasize visual literacy in terms of navigating, decoding, and encoding visual information. The purpose of this report is to discuss student experiences in a graduate-level visual literacy course that was revised to include a themed blended approach, reflective writing, a portfolio, collaborative projects, interactive online discussions, and several low-stakes production assignments. Due to an institutional shift towards blended course formats, key program courses were redesigned to fit the needs of commuting students. Another factor underlying the course redesign was the need to address the proliferation of participatory digital media in the twenty-first century. The course was enhanced in 2009 with a blended format, redesigned based on student feedback and piloted in 2011, and revised and piloted once more in 2012. Data were collected through pre- and post-course student surveys, student interviews, and student reflections. The findings of our case study indicate that engagement and active learning occurred and that these characteristics might be transferrable across many learning contexts. Course design concepts and examples of activities reviewed in this report are appropriate for higher education audiences and of interest to K–12 educators.
Experimental analysis of stereotypy with applications of nonparametric statistical tests for alternating treatments designs.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Stereotypy is common in individuals with developmental disabilities and may become disruptive in the context of instruction. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to embed brief experimental analyses in the context of reading instruction to evaluate effects of antecedent and consequent variables on latencies to and durations of stereotypy. Method: We trained a reading instructor to implement a trial-based functional analysis and a subsequent antecedent analysis of stimulus features for an adolescent with autism in a reading clinic. We used alternating treatments designs with applications of nonparametric statistical analyses to control Type I error rates. Results: Results of the experimental analyses suggested stereotypy was maintained by non-social reinforcement and informed the extent to which features of academic materials influenced levels of stereotypy. Results of nonparametric statistical analyses were consistent with conclusions based on visual analysis. Conclusion: Brief exp...
Design methods for sustainable, high-performance building facades

This research article discusses the methods for designing sustainable, high-performance facades, and the necessary steps in ensuring that the environmental factors and energy-efficiency strategies are integrated with the design process. The facade is one of the most significant contributors to the energy budget and the comfort parameters of any building. Control of physical environmental factors must be considered during the design process, as well as design strategies which improve occupants' comfort. High-performance facades need to block adverse external environmental effects and maintain internal comfort conditions with minimum energy consumption, and the location and climate become one of the crucial factors in selecting appropriate design strategies. The article discusses climate-based approaches for designing high-performance facades, characteristics and properties of sustainable facade systems, tools and building performance analysis steps that can assist during the design process, as well as a ca...
Multiple Sclerosis Strikes the Prime of Life

(1955). Multiple Sclerosis Strikes the Prime of Life. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 15-16.
Feature Tracking-Derived Peak Systolic Strain Compared to Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Troponin-Positive Myocarditis: A Case–Control Study

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assesses myocardial involvement in myocarditis (MYO). Current techniques are qualitative, subjective, and prone to interpretation error. Feature tracking (FT) analyzes myocardial strain using CMR and has not been examined in MYO. We hypothesize that regional left ventricular (LV) strain is abnormal in MYO. Regional strain by FT was compared to late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and troponin leak as measures of myocardial involvement. This single-center, retrospective CMR study reviewed patients with clinical MYO and structurally normal hearts who underwent CMR at our institution. Young adults with normal cardiac anatomy, function, and absent LGE served as controls. MYO patients with documented troponin leak and normal global ejection fraction (EF > 50 %) were included in comparison. FT determined regional myocardial peak systolic strain (pkS) in longitudinal and circumferential distributions. T tests compared strain values between cases and controls. Receiver operating characteristic curves determined pkS values with highest sensitivity and specificity for concurrent troponin leak and LGE. FT was performed on 57 patients: 37 MYO and 20 controls. Twenty-eight cases with normal EF, and 20 control patients were included in final analysis. Nearly all cases with normal function demonstrated abnormal regional pkS (27/28, 96 %). Cases had significantly diminished pkS when compared to controls in all regions except the longitudinal 2C distribution. FT-derived longitudinal and circumferential pkS is sensitive and specific in identifying myocardial involvement, namely the presence of troponin leak and LGE. FT may be a useful adjunctive, objective measure of myocardial involvement in patients with MYO and normal LV function.
Immune gene expression in swine macrophages expressing the Torque Teno Sus Virus1 (TTSuV1) ORF-1 and 2 proteins

Torque Teno viruses (TTVs) are small DNA viruses which are ubiquitous in nature. Recent reports indicate that swine torque teno viruses (TTSuVs) can act as primary pathogens or play a role in exacerbating co-infections. However, very little is known about the TTSuV host-viral interaction or how they so successfully establish chronic infections in the host. To determine whether the major viral proteins can modulate host immunity, recombinant TTSuV1 ORF1 and 2 proteins were expressed in a swine macrophage cell line (3D4/31). The differential expression of a panel of innate, adaptive, regulatory and inflammatory immune genes was studied by quantitative PCR; using cDNA samples collected at 6, 12, 24 and 48h post-transfection. The ORF1 protein induced an early anti-viral response. However, at 6h post-transfection it also upregulated IL-10, PD-1 and SOCS-1, the suppressors of T cell mediated immunity. An ensuing diminishment of the early protective response was noted. The TTSuV1 ORF2 protein suppressed IFN-β and IL-13 responses but did not significantly influence anti-viral immunity otherwise. These findings indicate that the TTSuV1 ORF1 protein plays a significant but dual role in viral immunity.
Study on the effect of antisepsis and sterilization in individual clinic in Chaohu city in 2002

Objective To study the effect of antisepsis and sterilization in Chaohu individual clinic. Methods Sampling and testing according to GB15982-1995 "Standard of disinfection in hospitals" and GB15981-1995"The method and standard of evaluation on disinfection and sterilization". Results The total eligible rate of antisepsis and sterilization is 47.14% in 454 cases that were sampled from 127 Chaohu individual clinics. The lowest eligible rate is the radiant intensity of UV light and sterilize goods.The total eligible rate in polyclinic is 67.39% which is obviously higher than that(41.99%) in private clinic(P0.01).The eligible rate of internal medicine in private clinic is the highest,then the dentistry and the lowest rate is Chinese traditional medicine. Conclusion It is important to reinforce the administration of antisepsis and sterilization in Chaohu individual clinic.
Glutamate Receptor Activation in the Pathogenesis of Acute Lung Injury

The excitatory amino acids glutamate and aspartate, acting on glutamate receptors, exert important physiological functions in the central nervous system. But overactivation of these receptors can produce neuronal cell injury and death. Recent studies show that the glutamate agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) can trigger acute lung injury (ALI), manifested by high-permeability pulmonary edema, and that NMDA receptor subtypes are expressed in normal rat lung. These findings suggest that glutamate signaling may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALI and, as such, may be a novel target for the prevention or attenuation of this condition.
A tale of two independence movements: how do citizens encounter issues of international law and democratic theory?

Foreign policy events, including secessionism and independence movements, become objectified for most citizens through media coverage. Accordingly, I look at the coverage of Kosovo’s and Scotland’s bids for independence in the two top national newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Scholarship in international law, democratic theory, and comparative politics might have valuable insights on independence processes, but it is the media frames inspired by these strands of theoretical literature that shape public opinion and/or reflect policy-makers’ preferences (and biases) in the foreign policy arena. I find that print media can engage in theoretically sophisticated coverage of secessionist movements, which often echoes scholarly insights derived from the relevant academic literature. The two European case studies show consistent application of tropes and frames that one would find in the academic publications on the subject. Yet these cases also illustrate profound differences in media fram...
For Expression: Uncreative Writing, Affect and Critique

One of the strongest attacks on Uncreative Writing was launched by Calvin Bedient in his 2013 article, “Against Conceptualism.” This chapter looks at Bedient’s brief against neo-Conceptualism and the ‘pataphysical work of writers such as Christian Bok. Bedient’s argument is based on a set of dichotomies (head versus heart; thought versus emotion) that do not bear up well under scrutiny. More interesting, however, is his claim that poetry has to own up to its melancholy to be properly critical. Underlying this claim is Bedient’s Kristevan defense of poetry as therapeutic. By reading Robert Fitterman’s No, Wait. Yep. Definitely Still Hate Myself against its appropriated sources and against its pretext, James Schuyler’s “The Morning of the Poem,” this chapter shows that Uncreative Writing does not necessarily avoid emotion nor does it avoid subjectivity. Rather—and here a detour through Adorno’s account of the dialectic of subjectivity and expression proves fruitful—it takes subjectivity as a theme in order to launch a powerful, aesthetically grating critique of contemporary society.
Charge scheduling of a plug-in electric vehicle considering load demand uncertainty based on multi-stage stochastic optimization

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) can be used for load shifting household demand using an optimal control strategy to minimize the overall cost of the owner. The PEV can provide initial charge, final desired charge and charging time data to the charging station when plugged in, and the information can be used in a decision-making model to charge/discharge the PEV storage unit in a cost effective manner. In this paper, a multi-stage stochastic optimization model is presented to improve on this decision-making process under demand uncertainty. In this framework, a coordinated control between PEV storage and household load is presented. The Stochastic Dual Dynamic Programming (SDDP) algorithm is applied to define the optimal charging/discharging profile for minimizing the household daily operation costs.
Tuning the Viscoelastic Properties of Poly(n-butyl acrylate) Ionomer Networks through the Use of Ion-Pair Comonomers

An organic ion-pair comonomer (IPC) based on anionic and cationic styrenic monomers was synthesized and copolymerized with n-butyl acrylate (BA) by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to generate physically cross-linked polyampholyte ionomer networks. Evidence of microphase separation of the ion pairs to produce ion-rich domains was found by rheological and atomic force microscopy measurements. Comparison of these polymers to chemically similar cationic and anionic ionomers with only one type of ion covalently bound to the polymer backbone demonstrated that the connectivity of the ions to the polymer backbone had a strong effect on the viscoelastic properties. Characterization of the corresponding polyelectrolytes showed a ca. 125 °C increase in the glass transition temperature (Tg) from the cationic to the polyampholytic polyelectrolyte. In the ionomers, this elevated Tg allowed the vitrification of the ion-rich domains at ambient temperatures in the polyampholyte netwo...
DPaxos: Managing Data Closer to Users for Low-Latency and Mobile Applications

In this paper, we propose Dynamic Paxos (DPaxos), a Paxos-based consensus protocol to manage access to partitioned data across globally-distributed datacenters and edge nodes. DPaxos is intended to implement a State Machine Replication component in data management systems for the edge. DPaxos targets the unique opportunities of utilizing edge computing resources to support emerging applications with stringent mobility and real-time requirements such as Augmented and Virtual Reality and vehicular applications. The main objective of DPaxos is to reduce the latency of serving user requests, recovering from failures, and reacting to mobility. DPaxos achieves these objectives by a few proposed changes to the traditional Paxos protocol. Most notably, DPaxos proposes a dynamic allocation of quorums ( i.e. , groups of nodes) that are needed for Paxos Leader Election. Leader Election quorums in DPaxos are smaller than traditional Paxos and expand only in the presence of conflicts.
Type-II Supernova Photospheres and the Distance to Supernova 1987A

Among the many h i s t o r i c o p p o r t u n i t i e s p r o v i d e d by the r e c e n t supernova in the LMC i s t h a t to improve our u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n s in the ne ighborhood of supernova p h o t o s p h e r e s , even though 1987A was i n i t i a l l y c h a r a c t e r i z e d by r a d i a l and t ime s c a l e s s m a l l e r (by a f a c t o r 5-10) than " s t a n d a r d " more luminous SNII. Two consequences o£ t h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g , which we s h a l l focus on in t h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n , a r e (a) an e s t i m a t e of the ( f r e q u e n c y d e p e n d e n t ) l o c a t i o n and t h i c k n e s s o£ the p h o t o s p h e r e and (b) the only d i r e c t d e t e r m i n a t i o n of the d i s t a n c e of the supernova ( v i a the g e n e r a l i z e d Baade method) . We f i n d t h a t the p h o t o s p h e r e i s sha rp enough to a l l ow the use of p l a n e p a r a l l e l geometry in the c a l c u l a t i o n of the emergent cont inuum s p e c t r a l f l u x , i f we c o n f i n e our a t t e n t i o n to those epochs ( t e m p e r a t u r e T ~ 5000-6000 K) a t which hydrogen i s recombin ing a t the p h o t o s p h e r e . We a l s o f i n d t h a t the d i s t a n c e to t h i s supernova i s 43 i 4 kpc. The r e l i a b i l i t y o£ t h i s d e t e r m i n a t i o n should improve when a c c u r a t e s p e c t r o p h o t o m e t r i c d a t a fo r d a t e s o t h e r than March 1 become a v a i l a b l e to us .
Relationships between vegetation patterns and hydroperiod on the Roanoke River floodplain, North Carolina

This study quantified relationships between forest composition and flooding gradients on the Roanoke River floodplain, North Carolina. Because flooding is highly variable in time and space, the research was designed to determine the specific hydrological parameters that control woody species abundance on the landscape scale. I specifically tested the importance of spring vs. yearly flood duration, as well as flood duration during hydrologically wet vs. dry years. Field vegetation samples of woody species composition were integrated with spatial data from a Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) classification and a flood simulation model derived in part from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. Flood simulations were output and summarized for the periods 1912–1950 (before dams were constructed on the river) and 1965–1996 (after all of the dams were completed). Tenth percentile (dry), median, and 90th percentile (wet) hydroperiod (flood duration) regimes were generated for the spring and year, both pre- and post-dam. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to ordinate the plot data, and correlation/regression between ordination axis scores and the flood variables were used to explore the relationships between flooding and species composition. Nineteenth percentile hydroperiod (i.e., wet conditions) correlated most strongly with DCA axis 1 (r>0.9), indicating that inundation during extremely wet years strongly controls species composition on the floodplain. The results were used to quantitatively determine the niche width for both species and mapped vegetation classes in terms of number of days flooded annually and during the spring growth period. The results suggest that spring hydroperiod is an important mechanism that may drive competitive sorting along the flooding gradient, especially during the early years of succession (i.e., pre-dam, which represents the period during which most of the forests sampled were established), and that annual hydroperiod affects the relative dominance of species as the forests mature.
Individual and Moving Ratio Charts for Weibull Processes

This chapter proposes methods for monitoring Weibull processes when data collection is restricted to one observation per sampling period. Because the Weibull distribution is an asymmetric distribution, it is not appropriate to apply normal-based individual and moving range charts to Weibull data. A transformation of Weibull to approximate normality prior to applying normal-based methods has been suggested in the literature. This chapter studies the run length properties of and the difficulties encountered with this approach. As an alternative, this chapter proposes combined individual and moving range charts for monitoring changes in either the Weibull scale or shape parameter. A method for computing the average run length ARL is discussed, and control limits are presented for ARL-unbiased charts. The proposed method is applied to a Weibull data set.
AUGMENTATION OF THE DEFICIENT ALVEOLAR RIDGE WITH HYDROXYLAPATITE

A polycrystalline particulate form of hydroxylapatite, was placed subperiosteally to augment deficient alveolar ridges with minor or major resorption, to enable the patients to wear dentures successfully. 55 patients had surgery, the longest follow-up was 42 months with only 10-20% resorption terminating by 6 months postoperatively. Iatrogenic complications only. Patients assessed their ability to wear dentures with stability and comfort as excellent or good using the Cornell Medical Index evaluation.
Vitamin E requirement in relation to dietary fish oil and oxidative stress in elderly

A growing body of evidence shows that oxygen radicals and other products of free radical reactions are involved in aging and age-related degenerative diseases. Recent studies have suggested that fish oils (FO) have a potentially beneficial effect on age-associated diseases. Consumption of FO may increase requirement for vitamin E, especially under conditions where oxidative stress is increased. Vitamin E requirement increases wtih increased intake of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). This relationship may be exaggerated in elderly subjects. Our studies, as well as those of others, have shown that plasma lipid peroxides are significantly higher in older subjects compared to young subjects. Thus, in conditions where the percentage of highly unsaturated fatty acid increases in the membrane, older subjects may be more susceptible to oxidative damage. In a series of human studies, we found that older women, receiving FO supplements for 3 months exhibited a greater increase in plasma PUFA compared to young subjects. By substituting membrane fatty acids with the potentially unstable (n-3) fatty acids of FO, older subjects were found to be at greater risk of oxidative stress than young subjects. In addition, when exposed to eccentric exercise-induced oxidative stress, older men, receiving vitamin E supplements for 48 days, exhibited significantly lower levels of lipid peroxides in urine compared to placebo control. These data indicate that older subjects are more susceptible to oxidative stress and may benefit from the antioxidant protection provided by vitamin E.
Natural Killer Cells and Tumor Therapy

Natural killer (NK) cells are a morphologically and functionally distinct subset of lymphocytes endowed with the ability spontaneously to kill virally infected and a wide variety of tumor cells but spare most normal cells (Whiteside and Herberman 1995; Vujanovic et al. 1996). Recent studies indicate that NK cells are capable of mediating the killing of tumor cells by several distinct mechanisms, of secreting a broad spectrum of cytokines, and of extravasating as well as entering tissue sites, including premalignant or malignant tissues (Whiteside and Herberman 1995; Vujanovic et al. 1996). NK cells are also known to be highly responsive to many biological agents, including cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2 or IL-12 and inter-ferons (IFNs), and rapidly to increase their cytolytic, secretory, proliferative, and other functions upon stimulation with these agents (Vujartovic et al. 1996; Herber-Man et al. 1992).