cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HIL: a high-level scripting language for entity integration

We introduce HIL, a high-level scripting language for entity resolution and integration. HIL aims at providing the core logic for complex data processing flows that aggregate facts from large collections of structured or unstructured data into clean, unified entities. Such flows typically include many stages of processing that start from the outcome of information extraction and continue with entity resolution, mapping and fusion. A HIL program captures the overall integration flow through a combination of SQL-like rules that link, map, fuse and aggregate entities. A salient feature of HIL is the use of logical indexes in its data model to facilitate the modular construction and aggregation of complex entities. Another feature is the presence of a flexible, open type system that allows HIL to handle input data that is irregular, sparse or partially known.As a result, HIL can accurately express complex integration tasks, while still being high-level and focused on the logical entities (rather than the physical operations). Compilation algorithms translate the HIL specification into efficient run-time queries that can execute in parallel on Hadoop. We show how our framework is applied to real-world integration of entities in the financial domain, based on public filings archived by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Furthermore, we apply HIL on a larger-scale scenario that performs fusion of data from hundreds of millions of Twitter messages into tens of millions of structured entities.
Neuroanatomy of the human visual system: Part III Three retinal projections to the hypothalamus

A retinal projection to the hypothalamus has been demonstrated in many experimental animals. There is also evidence that the hypothalamic nuclei which receive retinal afferents mediate the synchronization of the diurnal light/dark cycle in regulating endogenous circadian rhythms. Experimental animal investigations have shown that elimination of light input disrupts the circadian pattern of locomotor activity, feeding, and drinking behaviors.Application of the PPD method to human autopsy brains from patients who had incurred prior uniocular damage demonstrated degenerated retinofugal fibers to three hypothalamic nuclei. Retinal efferents were found to project to the suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. This may represent a neuroanatominal substrate responsible for many of the neuro-endocrine imbalances found in blind persons.
The role of baroreflex activation therapy in sympathetic modulation for the treatment of resistant hypertension

Hypertension remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, and the prevalence of resistant and refractory hypertension continues to increase dramatically. Conditions associated with long-term poorly controlled hypertension include ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, stroke and renal failure. Pharmacologic therapy has long been the hallmark of treatment for the many patients for whom therapeutic lifestyle modifications fail. There is now a vast array of drug classes in the armamentarium, including beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, to name a few. Despite the advances and addition of novel drug classes and more potent agents within the classes, a substantial proportion of patients fail to achieve the goal even with available therapies. Poly-pharmacy is wrought with side-effects and patients have psychological limits regarding how many medications they are willing to take. Manipulation of the sympathetic system has demonstrated benefit in patients with malignant hypertension in the pre-antihypertensive medication era. Currently, two separate and distinct approaches have been revived and evaluated in new ways. Surgical sympathectomy was first attempted in the 1930s for patients with peripheral vascular disease, in an attempt to improve circulation by reducing vasoconstrictive effects of the sympathetic system. In the 1940s and 1950s, the scope of the technique was extended to patients with malignant hypertension.1–5 Unfortunately, the side-effect profile associated with surgical splanchnicectomy (eg, impotence, severe orthostatic hypotension and urinary/faecal incontinence) was significant enough that, not surprisingly, the technique fell out of favour.6 More recently, with advances in technology for percutaneous delivery of radiofrequency energy to create deep thermal injury …
Selective Protection of 1,3-Diols at the More Hindered Hydroxy Group: 3-(Methoxymethoxy)-1-Butanol

Selective Protection of 1,3-diols at the more hindered hydroxy group: 3-(methoxymethoxy)-1-butanol intermediate: 1-acetoxy-3-(methoxymethoxy)butane product: 3-(Methoxymethoxy)-1-butanol Keywords: acetal (and thioacetal) formation; acylation; cleavage, dealkylation; esterification, unsubstituted monobasic acids; hydrolysis, esters and lactones; protection, oxygen; ring opening reactions
Glioblastoma multiforme: an emerging paradigm of anti-VEGF therapy

Background: Adults with malignant glioma, especially the most common subtype, glioblastoma multiforme, have an unacceptably poor outcome with current therapies. Malignant gliomas are amongst the most angiogenic of cancers, and VEGF is the dominant angiogenic mediator in these tumors. Objective: To summarize the clinical experience of VEGF-directed treatment for malignant glioma. Methods: We reviewed the completed, ongoing and planned clinical trials evaluating anti-VEGF strategies for malignant glioma patients. Results/conclusions: Recent studies incorporating anti-VEGF agents plus cytotoxic therapy among recurrent malignant glioma patients have achieved unprecedented improvements in radiographic response, time to progression and survival. Furthermore, acceptable toxicity was observed. Hence, a major current focus in neuro-oncology is to further develop antiangiogenic strategies for this desperate patient population.
Antioxidant Enzyme Level Response to Prooxidant Allelochemicals in Larvae of the Southern Armyworm Moth, Spodoptera Eridania

Larvae of the southern armyworm, Spodoplera eridania, are highly polyphagous feeders which frequently encounter and feed upon plants containing high levels of prooxidant allelochemicals. While ingestion of moderate quantities of prooxidants can be tolerated by these larvae, ingestion of larger quantities can result in toxicity. Studies were conducted to assess the role of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) in the protection of S. eridania against redox active prooxidant plant allelochemicals. Dietary exposure of mid-fifth-instar larvae to either quercetin (a flavonoid) or xanthotoxin (a photoactive furanocoumarin), which generate superoxide radical, and singlet oxygen, repsectively, resulted in an increase in SOD levels. CAT levels increased in all groups of S. eridania including control insects. This may have been due to the sudden exposure to food following an extended fast of 18 h (to insure that larvae would not reject the diet because of...
Schnitzler's syndrome: no evidence for autoimmune basis in two patients

We report two cases of Schnitzler's syndrome in which anti-interleukin-1α autoantibodies and functional autoantibodies against the high affinity IgE receptor (FceRIα) or against IgE were absent. One patient responded well to TL-01 phototherapy, a treatment which may be considered in patients with Schnitzler's syndrome if, as is usually the case, they are unresponsive to antihistamine therapy.
Antibody blockade of semaphorin 4D breaks down barriers to enhance tumoricidal immune infiltration and supports rational immunotherapy combinations

Meeting abstracts Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D, CD100) and its receptor plexin-B1 are broadly expressed in cancer and expression correlates with invasive disease in several human tumors. SEMA4D normally functions to regulate the motility and differentiation of multiple cell types, including those of the
One century of foreign immigration to the United States: 1880-1979.

Due to declining fertility rates and increased numbers of immigrants legal foreign immigration now comprises 1/4 of the USs annual population growth. This article uses 1900-1979 Immigration and Naturalization Service data on immigrants intended destination to examine immigration policy and its effect on immigrants and the American people. From the USs beginnings to the 1880s immigrants came mainly from Great Britain Germany and other Northern and Western European countries in the 1890s; over 70% of immigrants came from Italy Austria Hungary Russia and Germany. Immigration had peaked at over 1 million persons a year at the outbreak of World War I then declined sharply and rose again greatly during the first 2 decades of the 20th Century. The first significant legislation to restrict ethnic groups was in the early 1880s with the Chinese Exclusion Act; In 1924 Congress passed the 2nd Immigration and Naturalization Act which used the 1890 census to set quotas for ethnic groups and later used the 1920 census to fix quotas in the national origins system; both pieces of legislation favored Northern and Western Europeans. Immigration declined drastically during the 1930s and early 1940s but the Displaced Persons Act the War Brides Act and 1950s legislation allowed more Asian refugees and some other ethnic groups to enter the country. The nationality origins quotas were eliminated in 1965 and were followed by dramatic changes in immigration character as persons from formerly low quota nations flooded into the US. 1976 and 1978 legislation made immigration still more equitable and the Refugee Act of 1980 allowed admittance of 50000 refugees with no regard for geographic or ideological biases. A preference system in operation since 1924 has favored relatives of citizens and immigrants with certain skills. Females presently outnumber male immigrants average immigrant age is 26.2 years and over 1/2 of the immigrants since 1950 have been housewives children or others with no occupation. In the 1970s 1 in 10 immigrants was a professional or technical worker probably from Asia. In 1900 most immigrants headed for mainly northern industrialized cities especially New York. In recent years too destinations have included New York California Washington Texas and Florida. Throughout the century 3/5 immigrants went to only 5 states so many states have received very few immigrants since 1900. Due to the amount spent on receiving refugees and economic and job problems many Americans think immigration should be greatly limited. Todays 1 million legal and illegal immigrants will continue to change the composition of the American population as the long established Northern and Western European population declines.
VALIDATION OF A THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR FUEL COMPACTS

A high temperature guarded-comparative-longitudinal heat flow measurement system has been built to measure the thermal conductivity of a composite nuclear fuel compact. It is a steady-state measurement device designed to operate over a temperature range of 300 K to 1200 K. No existing apparatus is currently available for obtaining the thermal conductivity of the composite fuel in a non-destructive manner due to the compact’s unique geometry and composite nature. The current system design has been adapted from ASTM E 1225. As a way to simplify the design and operation of the system, it uses a unique radiative heat sink to conduct heat away from the sample column. A finite element analysis was performed on the measurement system to analyze the associated error for various operating conditions. Optimal operational conditions have been discovered through this analysis and results are presented. Several materials have been measured by the system and results are presented for stainless steel 304, inconel 625, and 99.95% pure iron covering a range of thermal conductivities of 10 W/m*K to 70 W/m*K. A comparison of the results has been made to data from existing literature.
B-cell purging in autologous stem-cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Summary Autologous stem-cell transplantation is a common therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, a concern with the procedure is the potential of malignant cells to reinfuse with the stem-cell graft. Thus attempts have been made to purge, or eliminate, malignant cells from the graft. The oldest, and most well studied, method for prevention of reinfusion is in vitro use of antibodies against B cells that bind or lyse malignant B cells and healthy cells, while leaving T cells and stem cells to be reinfused. In the past 5 years, investigators have used rituximab, an antibody against CD20, to purge malignant cells in vivo without any manipulation in vitro. Both conventional and new techniques have shown promise, but their exact role remains to be defined. We analysed data on the purging of B cells by use of antibodies in the setting of autologous transplantation, with emphasis on the emerging technique of in vivo purging.
Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Accelerates and a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Delays Knee Ligament Healing

Background: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat ligament injuries; however, their individual and combined effects are not established.Hypotheses: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound accelerates ligament healing, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug delays healing, and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug inhibits the beneficial effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Sixty adult rats underwent bilateral transection of their knee medial collateral ligaments. Animals were divided into 2 drug groups and treated 5 d/wk with celecoxib (5 mg/kg) mixed in a vehicle solution (NSAID group) or vehicle alone (VEH group). One to 3 hours after drug administration, all animals were treated with unilateral active low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and contralateral inactive low-intensity pulsed ultrasound. Equal numbers of animals from each drug group were mechanically tested at 2 weeks (n = 14/group), 4 weeks (n = 8...
Short and intermediate economic impacts of a terrorist-initiated loss of electric power: Case study of New Jersey

The economic impacts of potential terrorist attacks on the New Jersey electric power system are examined using a regional econometric model. The magnitude and duration of the effects vary by type of business and income measure. We assume damage is done during in the summer 2005 quarter, a peak period for energy use. The state economy recovers within a year, if we assume that economic activity is restored in the next time period. However, if the attacks prompt an absolute of loss of activity due to firm relocation, closing, and geographical changes in expansion plans, then the economy does not fully recover by the year 2010. Hence, the electrical power system's resiliency to damage is the key to the extent and duration of any economic consequences of a terrorist attack, at least in New Jersey. The policy implication is that the costs and benefits of making the electric power system more resilient to plausible attacks should be weighed and that the restorative capacity of the system should be strengthened.
Understanding Customers’ Healthy Food Choices at Casual Dining Restaurants: Using the Value-Attitude-Behavior Model

Abstract This study examined how individual health values influence interest in healthy foods, positive outcome expectations, hedonic expectations, and behavior intentions. A total of 1188 valid questionnaires were collected from customers who had consumed healthy menu items at casual dining restaurants. The results indicated that health value was the key element that inspired customer interest in healthy eating and aroused hedonic and positive outcome expectations, which in turn enhanced intentions to purchase healthy food items. Restaurant managers are advised to establish creative marketing strategies to motivate customer interest in healthy menu items and emphasize benefits of their healthy food items. Future studies can extend the scope of research by examining differences in geographical areas or demographic profiles.
Technical Terms, Intervening Variables, and the Limits of the Concept of Motivation: A Response to Whelan and Barnes-Holmes’s (2013) Commentary

Whelan and Barnes-Holmes (this issue) emphasized points with which they disagree with our analyses, especially regarding what they define as the correct usage of technical terms, what should be considered motivational, and the use of intervening variables in behavior analysis. Except for the definition of motivational phenomena, however, we believe that there are similarities between our proposal and the analyses presented in their commentary. We agree that terms should be used correctly and that behavior analysts should avoid dualistic explanations of behavior, but we propose that the intervening variable consequence value, defined as the relation between dependent variables and the independent variables that influence the effectiveness of consequences, is a more precise account of motivational phenomena than is a definition by exclusion, which has a higher likelihood of misuse. The present notion of value is consistent with the philosophical and scientific principles of behavior analysis and, most important, it can further experimental analyses and theoretical systematizations of findings about behavior because its limits are empirically established.
Early proliferative defects induced by six weekly injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in epithelial cells of mouse distal colon

Early histological and kinetic responses of the colonic mucosa of CF1 mice to 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) have been followed daily after just one injection and then weekly after 5 additional treatments. DMH was injected subcutaneously at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight. To compensate for dramatic cell loss at 48 h, marked elevation of the 3H(TdR) labeling index with widening of the proliferation zone to the luminal surface of crypts occurred 2–4 days after initial treatment. At the fourth post-injection day, the regenerating mucosa showed decreased mucin production and structural alterations in crypts such as bifurcations and budding. Recovery of normal crypt histology, crypt cell number, mitotic frequency and labeling index was completed by 7 days. Focal atypias restricted to single isolated crypts were present after 3 injections of the carcinogen. Replacement of lethally damaged cells 2–4 days after initial injection involved DNA synthesis in an increased number of epithelial cells in the mid portion of colonic crypts with some activity of cells in the upper crypt. This expansion of the proliferative compartment in the mid and upper portions of the crypts which has previously been noted in large bowel mucosa of some patients with a history of colorectal cancer was again evident a week following the fourth, fifth and sixth DMH injections, indicating the existence of a more permanent defect in the regulatory control of cell proliferation at a time when areas of focal atypia were increasing in number.
Proficiency Testing in Clinical Chemistry: A New Look at an Old Problem

The proposed CDC/HCFA rules for laboratories seeking licensure under CLIA or Medicare rely exclusively on outcome measurements to assess proficiency. Using our computer modeling technique, we determined the actual level of internal, ie, intralaboratory performance compatible with passing the proposed proficiency testing (PT) criteria. In general, a laboratory must have an internal coefficient of variation equal to one third to one half of the CDC/HCFA criteria to pass 95% of the PT challenges. Most competent laboratories will be able to pass the proposed rules; however, the proposed criteria for sodium at 1% fixed limit maybe too stringent for regulatory use.
Revisiting Principles of Ethical Practice Using a Case Study Framework

A code of ethics serves as a compass, guiding professionals as they perform the roles associated with their profession. These codes are evidence to the public that professionals are concerned about...
Blood-ethanol levels predict amount of ethanol consumption by rats

A previous report that low-drinker rats develop higher peak blood-ethanol levels than high-drinker rats following intraperitoneal ethanol is confirmed. Further, a strong correlation occurred between blood-ethanol levels in naive rats and subsequent free-choice ethanol intake.
Off-line Analysis Software in Engineering Safety Assessment System

Off-line analysis software in engineering safety assessment system has been developed in the rapid development of domestic dam safety automatic monitoring technique.The function and composition of the software have been introduced.The software has already been applied to an actual project and the result shows that it can make safety monitoring information function timely and effectively to provide reference and decision support for the project operation safety.
Hard probes of small systems

Abstract This proceedings discusses the experimental status of high- p T jet, hadron, and electroweak boson production measurements in proton- and deuteron–nucleus (p/d+A) collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), with an emphasis on results presented for the first time at the Hard and Electromagnetic Probes conference at McGill University in June 2015.
Understanding Exchange Rate and Reserve Management in India

One of the particularly challenging dimensions of macroeconomic management in an open economy is ensuring that the so-called Impossible Trinity or Impossible Trilemma is not consistently violated. This trilemma states that a country has to choose between two of the following three policies: an open capital account, exchange rate stability and monetary policy autonomy (Figure 3.1). Specifically a country can achieve monetary policy autonomy and exchange rate stability by imposing capital controls. On the other hand, a country can operate a completely open capital account and monetary policy autonomy if it lets the currency fluctuate. As countries continue to liberalise their capital accounts and embrace financial globalisation, they need to decide whether they want to move towards more exchange rate stability or monetary policy autonomy. Attempting to control both the exchange rate as well as maintain monetary policy autonomy simultaneously invariably leads to crisis over time (Cavoli and Rajan, 2009).
Effect of temperature on growth, reproductive activity, and survival of the invasive bromeliad-eating weevil Metamasius callizona (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)\

Abstract Growth, oviposition, and survival rates of the bromeliad-eating weevil Metamasius callizona (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were measured at a range of temperatures to determine optimal temperature range, lower and upper development thresholds, and degree-days needed for development of immature stages. Optimal temperature range for growth was 25 to 30 °C and for oviposition 22 to 33 °C. The lower development threshold was 13 °C and upper threshold about 35 °C. Development of the egg and larval stages required 518 degree-days, and from pupation to adult 140 degree-days. Adult weevils suffered higher mortality at 35 °C than at 25 or 16 °C. Typical winter conditions likely have at most a minimal effect on weevil populations in central Florida and no effect in southern Florida. As well, high summer temperatures could potentially cause weevil mortality due to heat stupor but, as with winter temperatures, the effects would be minimal. Extremely cold winters and extremely high summer temperature...
Multicriterion problem of the control of large systems under the limited resources

There has been investigated in the paper a specific problem of scheduling theory with a quality vector index such that the number of processors is not bounded and there has been defined a matrix with bounded elements instead of the weighted vector. For such class of problems a new P-hard algorithm has been proposed.
Solvent Dependence of Lateral Charge Transfer in a Porphyrin Monolayer

Lateral charge transport in a redox-active monolayer can be utilized for solar energy harvesting. A model porphyrin system was chosen to study the influence of the solvent on lateral hole hopping, which plays a crucial role in the charge-transfer kinetics. We examined the influence of water, acetonitrile, and propylene carbonate as solvents. Hole-hopping lifetimes varied by nearly 3 orders of magnitude among solvents, ranging from 3 ns in water to 2800 ns in propylene carbonate, and increased nonlinearly as a function of added acetonitrile in aqueous solvent mixtures. These results elucidate the important roles of solvation, molecular packing dynamics, and lateral charge-transfer mechanisms that have implications for all dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical device designs.
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Prior to Low-Dose Total Body Irradiation as Conditioning Regimen in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Gene Therapy.

Genetic blood diseases can potentially be treated by transplantation of autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) transduced with the functional gene. Nonmyeloablative conditioning regimens such as low-dose total body irradiation (LDTBI) can enhance competitive engraftment in the absence of a selective advantage for HSC. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment of recipients prior to LDTBI has been shown to enhance engraftment of fresh bone marrow (BM) cells, but the underlying mechanisms and whether this combined approach can enhance long-term engraftment of genetically transduced donor cells have not been defined. We examined whether pre-treatment of recipient mice with G-CSF prior to LDTBI improves long-term donor engraftment of retroviral vector-transduced HSC in murine X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (X-CGD). In initial studies, we verified that pre-treatment of wild type mice with 4 ug G-CSF SC BID for 5 days prior to irradiation with either 160 cGy or 300 cGy significantly increased long-term engraftment of congenic fresh BM cells (see Table). We next investigated 2 potential mechanisms by which G-CSF prior to LDTBI might enhance long-term engraftment of HSC. First, analysis of host BM 20 hours after transplantation showed a significantly lower frequency of homed donor HSC in G-CSF+160cGy treated mice compared to 160 cGy-conditioned mice (1 ± 0.13% vs 3.5 ± 0.7% in one experiment, and 3.4 ± 0.8% vs 9.5 ± 2.3% in another experiment, n= 20 mice). Second, in a competitive repopulation assay, we observed a substantial decrease in marrow long-term repopulating ability (LTRA) in mice treated with G-CSF + 160 cGy compared to 160 cGy alone (10.5% vs 48.6%, n= 5 mice in each group; p= 0.0002). These results suggest that administration of G-CSF prior to LDTBI does not increase initial homing of donor cells but further impairs LTRA of recipient BM compared to LDTBI alone. In the context of gene therapy, we transduced male X-CGD BM with MSCV-gp91Neo vector and infused these transduced cells into female X-CGD mice treated ± G-CSF + 300 cGy. Donor cell engraftment, measured by FISH for Y chromosome, at 3 months post-transplant was significantly increased in recipients pretreated with G-CSF (see Table). NADPH oxidase activity (by 123-dihydrorhodamine assay) was reconstituted in 9.75 ± 5.5% of neutrophils compared to 6.6 ± 2.5% without G-CSF pretreatment. The calculated fraction of donor cells with oxidase activity was similar in both groups (18.8 ± 6.6% vs 21.4 ± 11%, respectively) (p= 0.67). These results suggest that the use of G-CSF prior LDTBI provides a competitive advantage for long-term engraftment by decreasing LTRA in the host and may be a useful strategy to increase engraftment of fresh and retroviral transduced donor BMC.
Mutual monitoring in a multi-period team setting : an experimental investigation /

This paper conducts an experiment to study a two-period team setting, in which the agents observe each other's actions after period one. The model which forms the basis for the experiment suggests that group incentives are more efficient than individual incentives. However, providing group incentives introduces potential behavioral issues which affect whether the principal's desired equilibrium will actually be reached. In particular, there are multiple subgame-perfect equilibria that create a potential conflict between risk and payoff dominant strategies, and also a potential coordination problem. In addition, the principal's preferred equilibrium requires that in the second period the managers play weakly dominated strategies. Also, the principal's preferred equilibrium strategy involves an implicit threat to punish by one manager in the second period, if the other manager shirks in the first period. The potential coordination problem introduces a possible role for communication, which is added as a manipulation in the model. The experimental results provide statistical support for the conjecture that the creation of self-enforcing, punishment strategies that make working in both periods a subgame-perfect equilibrium help increase the proportion of working in the first period. However, the results suggest that a coordination problem might arise from the existence of uncertainty and risk, and that rounds of communication facilitate coordination on the socially efficient strategy.
Relationship between spending on electronic cigarettes, 30-day use, and disease symptoms among current adult cigarette smokers in the U.S.

Objective To examine the relationship between spending on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and disease symptoms compared with the relationship between 30-day e-cigarette use and disease symptoms among adult cigarette smokers in the U.S. Methods We analyzed data from the Tobacco and Attitudes Beliefs Survey which included 533 respondents aged 24+ who were current cigarette smokers and e-cigarette ever users. Fifteen self-reported disease symptoms were included as outcome variables. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were estimated for each disease symptom with total spending on e-cigarettes in the past 30 days and with reported 30-day e-cigarette use. All models controlled for cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) and sociodemographic characteristics. Results We found that those who spent more on e-cigarettes were more likely to report chest pain (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.02–1.52), to notice blood when brushing their teeth (AOR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.02–1.49), to have sores or ulcers in their mouth (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.08–1.72), and to have more than one cold (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.05–1.78) than those with no spending on e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in an adjusted analysis. After controlling for CPD and other covariates, there were no significant relationships between 30-day e-cigarette use and symptoms. Even after controlling for CPD, e-cigarette expenditures or use was associated with greater odds of wheezing and shortness of breath. Conclusions E-cigarette expenditures might be a more useful measure of intensity of e-cigarette use. The additional health effect of e-cigarette use or expenditures among smokers independent of the effect of CPD suggests that e-cigarette use adds adverse health effects even among cigarette smokers.
Telementoring and Telesurgery for Minimally Invasive Procedures

Purpose: Tremendous interest and need lie at the intersection of telemedicine and minimally invasive surgery. Robotics provides an ideal environment for surgical telementoring and telesurgery given its endoscopic optics and mechanized instrument movement. We review the present status, current challenges and future promise of telemedicine in endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery with a focus on urological applications.Materials and Methods: Two paired investigators screened PubMed®, Scopus® and Web of Science® databases for all full text English language articles published between 1995 and 2016 using the key words “telemedicine,” “minimally invasive surgical procedure,” “robotic surgical procedure,” “education” and “distance.” We categorized and included studies of level of interaction between proctors and trainees. Research design, special equipment, telecommunication network bandwidth and research outcomes of each study were ascertained and analyzed.Results: Of 65 identified reports 38 peer-reviewed ...
Evidence of organized intraseasonal convection linked to ocean dynamics in the Seychelles–Chagos thermocline ridge

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the dominant driver of intraseasonal variability across the equatorial domain of the global ocean with alternating wet and dry bands that propagate eastward primarily between 5°N and 5°S. Past research has shown that MJOs impact the surface and subsurface variability of the Seychelles–Chagos thermocline ridge (SCTR) (55°E–65°E, 5°S–12°S) located in the southwest tropical Indian Ocean (SWTIO), but investigations of how SWTIO internal dynamics may play an important role in producing MJO events remain limited. This study uses Argo, in conjunction with several remote sensing and reanalysis products, to demonstrate that SWTIO oceanic dynamics, particularly barrier layer formation and near surface heat buildup, may be associated with MJO genesis between August and December of most years between 2005 and 2013. A total of eight SWTIO specific MJO events are observed, all occurring between August and December. Four of the eight events are correlated with positive SWTIO total heat content (THC) and barrier layer thickness (BLT) interannual anomalies. Two others formed over the SWTIO during times when only one of the variables was at or above their seasonal average, while two additional events occurred when both variables experienced negative interannual anomalies. Lacking complete 1:1 correlation between the hypothesized oceanic state and the identified SWTIO MJO events, we conclude that additional work is required to better understand when variability in key oceanic variables plays a primary role in regional MJO genesis or when other factors, such as atmospheric variability, are the dominate drivers.
Stupid Divisibility Tricks 101 Ways to Stupefy Your Friends

(2006). Stupid Divisibility Tricks 101 Ways to Stupefy Your Friends. Math Horizons: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 18-42.
Captopril mitigates splenomegaly and myelofibrosis in the Gata1low murine model of myelofibrosis

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is currently the only curative therapy for primary myelofibrosis (MF), while the JAK2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib. Has been approved only for palliation. Other therapies are desperately needed to reverse life‐threatening MF. However, the cell(s) and cytokine(s) that promote MF remain unclear. Several reports have demonstrated that captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin‐converting enzyme that blocks the production of angiotensin II (Ang II), mitigates fibrosis in heart, lung, skin and kidney. Here, we show that captopril can mitigate the development of MF in the Gata1 low mouse model of primary MF. Gata1 low mice were treated with 79 mg/kg/d captopril in the drinking water from 10 to 12 months of age. At 13 months of age, bone marrows were examined for fibrosis, megakaryocytosis and collagen expression; spleens were examined for megakaryocytosis, splenomegaly and collagen expression. Treatment of Gata1 low mice with captopril in the drinking water was associated with normalization of the bone marrow cellularity; reduced reticulin fibres, splenomegaly and megakaryocytosis; and decreased collagen expression. Our findings suggest that treating with the ACE inhibitors captopril has a significant benefit in overcoming pathological changes associated with MF.
Should It Be Easy? Divorce Process Attitudes Among Those Who Have Split Up in Midlife

ABSTRACTThis grounded theory analysis examines the gray divorced population’s attitudes about the divorce process, that is, whether those who have experienced a divorce at age 50 or older believe d...
THE APPLICATION OF THE TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER TO THE STUDY OF INORGANIC MATERIALS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES*

Summary A Bendix time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been adapted for use in the study of the thermodynamics of chemical reactions at elevated temperatures. The design of the high temperature furnace, which is capable of heating a cell to 2625°K, and its attachment to the spectrometer are discussed in detail. The following chemical reactions have been studied and compared with results from magnetic focusing instruments and by other methods. The stability and sensitivity of the mass spectrometer, the range of linearity of the multiplier, and the determination of appearance potentials are discussed.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPINGEMENT OF FISHES ON POWER STATION COOLING-WATER INTAKE SCREENS

ABSTRACT Large numbers of fishes may be trapped on cooling-water intake screens at power stations. Massive ingress can cause operational difficulties and even temporary closure of the power station. Also, the continuous removal of a fraction of a population could affect the survival of a species in a particular locality. This paper describes the initial research into the factors which influence the catches of fishes at different sites on the British coast and summarizes briefly the behavioural mechanisms involved in their interaction with power station structures and operations.
THE APPROXIMATE MOMENTS OF THE 3SLS REDUCED FORM ESTIMATOR AND A MELO COMBINATION OF OLS-3SLS FOR PREDICTION

This paper develops the small sample approximations to the moments of the 3SLS reduced form estimator in a general linear simultaneous equations model under the classical assumptions. These approximations easily specialize to the case of k-class reduced form estimators, and they may be used to evaluate conditional forecasts based on the k-class or 3SLS estimators.
A Study on Attribute-Based Taxonomy for Music Information Retrieval.

ABSTRACT We propose an attribute-based taxonomy approach to providing alternative labels to music. Labels, such as genre, are often used as ground-truth for describing song similarity in music information retrieval (MIR) systems. A consistent labelling scheme is usually a key in determining quality of classifier learning in training and performance in testing of an MIR system. We examine links between conventional genre-based taxonomies and acoustical attributes available in text-based descriptions of songs. We show that the vector representation of each song based on these acoustic attributes enables a framework for unsupervised clustering of songs to produce alternative labels and quantitative measures of similarity between songs. Our experimental results demonstrate that this new set of labels are meaningful and classifiers based on these labels achieve similar or better results than those designed with existing genre-based labels. 1. I NTR ODUC
Are psychological factors associated with the 4 components of the Constant–Murley score?

Introduction/Background The Constant-Murley score (CMS), one of the most popular clinician-rated measurement tool for shoulder patients, has 4 components: 2 subjective (pain and activity) and 2 observational (mobility/strength). Some studies suggest that patient-related psychological factors may also influence the scoring. The purpose of this study was to measure which components may be related with psychological factors. Material and method Inclusion criteria were patients with chronic shoulder pain (> 3 months) treated in rehabilitation from 01.05.2012 to 30.08.2017. Exclusion criteria were other upper limb injuries, upper limb neuropathies, and inability to complete the questionnaires. At entry, the CMS was performed by trained physiotherapists, and the following questionnaires were completed by patients: Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADs), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), and Disability of Arm-Shoulder-Hand (DASH). Correlations between the 4 components of CMS and the questionnaires were measured with the Pearson coefficient (weak correlation: 0.20–0.40, moderate: 0.41–0.60, strong: ≥ 0.61). Results In total, 735 patients were included [mean age (sd): 47 (11) years; men: 85%; rotator cuff lesions: 72%]. Median duration of symptoms was 14 months (IQR 9–22). The pain component of the CMS was correlated with disability (DASH: −0.43) and pain (BPI: −0.56), but also with psychological factors: anxiety, depression (HADs: −0.28 and −0.32, respectively), catastrophizing (PCS: −0.45), and kinesiohobia (TSK: −0.25). The activity component was correlated with disability (−0.42) and pain (−0.29). Mobility and strength were only correlated with DASH (−0.40 and −0.33, respectively). Conclusion A clinician-rated measurement tool should be independent of patient-related psychological factors, which may limit its validity. This study suggests that the pain component of the CMS should be measured separately to the others in order to reduce the risk of measurement bias.
Expert Systems and Their Potential Uses in Social Work

Expert systems are computer programs that embody the expertise of human experts in order to consult on real World problems. Although the technology is still somewhat new and evolving, it appears th...
SMDT1-driven change in mitochondrial dynamics mediate cell apoptosis in PDAC

Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, an important governing for Ca2+ homeostasis, is catalyzed by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex. SMDT1, as a subunit of MCU complex, was essential for bridging the calcium-sensing role of MICU1 and MICU2 with the calcium-conducting role of MCU. However, the molecular mechanism and regulatory purpose of SMDT1 remain largely unexplored, especially no study was reported in cancer. Here, we firstly reported that how SMDT1 exerted its role through mediating mitochondrial dynamic in PDAC malignancy. In this study, by screening online of subunit of MCU complex, we confirmed that SMDT1 expression was significantly positive correlated with PDAC prognosis. The GEO datasets showed decreased SMDT1 expression in PDAC tumor compared with non-tumor tissues. SMDT1 overexpression could notably inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis. Further analysis demonstrated that up-regulated SMDT1 in ASPC1 and Canpan1 cells led to increased accumulation of pro apoptotic protein BAX and decrease in anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bclx. And more releasing of cytochrome c located in cytosolic. Mechanistically, in the morphological analysis of mitochondria, more fragmented mitochondria were presented in SMDT1 overexpression cells by promting the phosphorylation of Drp1, increasing Fis and decreasing MFN1. Meanwhile, more Drp1 was translocated on the mitochondrial from the cytoplasm in up-regulated SMDT1 cells. On the basis of the evidence above we deduce that SMDT1-driven change in mitochondrial dynamics mediated cells apoptosis in PDAC. And, SMDT1 could serve as an important therapeutic target to normalize mitochondrial dynamic responsible for poor prognosis in PDAC.
Mean velocity, spreading and entrainment characteristics of weak bubble plumes in unstratified and stationary water

In this paper we present an experimental and theoretical study of weak bubble plumes in unstratified and stationary water. We define a weak bubble plume as one that spreads slower than the linear rate of a classic plume. This work focuses on the characteristics of the mean flow in the plume, including centreline velocity, plume spreading and entrainment of ambient water. A new theory based on diffusive spreading instead of an entrainment hypothesis is used to describe the lateral spreading of the bubbles and the associated plume. The new theory is supported by the experimental data. With the measured data of liquid volume fluxes and the new theory, we conclude that the weak bubble plume is a decreasing entrainment process, with the entrainment coefficient is the kinematic buoyancy flux of the source. Finally, we provide a unified framework for the mean flow characteristics, including volume flux, momentum flux and plume spreading for the classic and weak bubble plumes, which also provides insight on the transition from classic to weak bubble plume behaviour.
Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Targeted Positron Emission Tomography of Primary Prostate Cancer: Assessing Accuracy with Whole Mount Pathology

Purpose:We evaluated which lesions are detected and missed on [68Ga]Ga-PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen)-11 positron emission tomography in patients with primary prostate cancer.Materials a...
Establishment of a Severe Dry Eye Model Using Complete Dacryoadenectomy in Rabbits

Dry eye disease (DED) is a complex disease with multiple etiologies and variable symptoms, having ocular surface inflammation as its key pathophysiologic step. Despite advances in our understanding of DED, significant knowledge gaps remain. Advances are limited in part due to the lack of informative animal models. The authors recently reported on a method of DED induced by injecting all orbital lacrimal gland (LG) tissues with the lectin concanavalin A. Here, we report a novel model of aqueous-deficient DED based on the surgical resection of all orbital LG (dacryoadenectomy) tissues. Both methods use rabbits because of their similarity to human eyes in terms of the size and structure of the ocular surface. One week after removal of the nictitating membrane, the orbital superior LG was surgically removed under anesthesia, followed by removal of the palpebral superior LG, and finally removal of the inferior LG. Dacryoadenectomy induced severe DED, evidenced by a marked reduction in the tear break up time test and the Schirmer's tear test, and significantly increased tear osmolarity and rose bengal staining. Dacryoadenectomy-induced DED lasted at least eight weeks. There were no complications and animals tolerated the procedure well. The technique can be mastered relatively easily by those with adequate surgical experience and appreciation of the relevant rabbit anatomy. Since this model recapitulates the features of human aqueous-deficient DED, it is suitable for studies of ocular surface homeostasis, DED, and candidate therapeutics.
A "Clickable" Probe for Active MGMT in Glioblastoma Demonstrates Two Discrete Populations of MGMT.

Various pathways can repair DNA alkylation by chemotherapeutic agents such as temozolomide (TMZ). The enzyme O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) removes O6-methylated DNA adducts, leading to the failure of chemotherapy in resistant glioblastomas. Because of the anti-chemotherapeutic activities of MGMT previously described, estimating the levels of active MGMT in cancer cells can be a significant predictor of response to alkylating agents. Current methods to detect MGMT in cells are indirect, complicated, time-intensive, or utilize molecules that require complex and multistep chemistry synthesis. Our design simulates DNA repair by the transfer of a clickable propargyl group from O6-propargyl guanine to active MGMT and subsequent attachment of fluorescein-linked PEG linker via ”click chemistry.” Visualization of active MGMT levels reveals discrete active and inactive MGMT populations with biphasic kinetics for MGMT inactivation in response to TMZ-induced DNA damage.