cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis on Missing Reports of Notifiable Diseases in Medical Institutions in Hunan Province in 2007

Objective To know the missing reports of notifiable diseases in medical institutions in Hunan Province,and to provide a theoretical basis for further improving the efficiency and quality of direct network reports of infectious diseases.Method By stratified sampling,161 medical institutions were investigated in Hunan Province to conduct a large-scale survey.Results A total of 28,891 cases of infectious diseases were investigated from departments of outpatient,emergency,inpatient,and laboratory.The average missing report rate was 4.19%,the average qualified rate of reports' card was 92.21%.The missing report rates of class A,B and C notifiable diseases were 0,4.21% and 4.02%,respectively.Leptospirosis(15.79%),rubella(9.66%),parapertussis(11.11%),viral hepatitis A(14.48%),and epidemic parotitis(7.02%)were the top five kinds of infectious diseases those missing report rates were higher.The missing reports rates on infectious diseases in departments of inpatient,laboratory,emergency and outpatient were 3.72%,4.51%,6.20%,and 6.92%,respectively.The missing report rates were 22.84%,6.84%,3.59% and 9.90% in the facilities at provincial,prefectural,county and township levels,and there were significant differences among different levels medical institutions.Conclusions There is much to be improved in medical institutions in Hunan Province as far as reporting of infectious diseases is concerned.The reporting of epidemic situations of infectious diseases should be taken seriously in various medical institutions at different levels.The medical facilities at all levels,especially provincial and township levels should regularly organize training on the reporting of notifiable diseases,and strengthen the standardized management of the reporting of epidemic situations of notifiable diseases.
The management of acne vulgaris in the 12 to 17 year age group.

(1956). The Management of Acne Vulgaris in the 12 to 17 Year Age Group. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 144-146.
Correction for Gonzalez et al., "Migraines Are Correlated with Higher Levels of Nitrate-, Nitrite-, and Nitric Oxide-Reducing Oral Microbes in the American Gut Project Cohort".

Volume 1, no. 5, e00105-16, 2016, [https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00105-16][1]. We have been following some of the comments about this paper and accept that the wording of parts of our paper might be interpreted in ways that we did not intend and that do not reflect the work performed. We want to
How Costly is a Misspecified Credit Channel DSGE Model in Monetary Policymaking

Abstract This paper examines whether misspecification in credit market friction could be costly in the context of monetary policymaking. Using two widely known dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models, we simulate a hypothetical financial crisis and examine how each model performs when the misspecification occurs in the credit channel. We demonstrate that monetary policy suggested by misspecified models tends to destabilize the economy during crisis, even though one of the two models does reasonably well in estimating policy-invariant model parameters. We also show that the opportunity cost of using a misspecified model is high relative to the outcome achieved under a correctly specified model, particularly when public financial intermediation is available in the correctly specified model. Introducing labor-related variables in either the monetary policy rule or stabilization objectives has the potential of improving policy outcomes in the misspecified credit channel model.
Circular Dichroism of CdSe Nanocrystals Bound by Chiral Carboxylic Acids

Chiral semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots (QDs), are promising materials for applications in biological sensing, photonics, and spin-polarized devices. Many of these applications rely on large dissymmetry, or g-factors, the difference in absorbance between left- and right-handed circularly polarized light compared to the unpolarized absorbance. The majority of chiral QDs, specifically CdSe, reported to date have used thiolated amino acid ligands to introduce chirality onto the nanoparticles, but these systems have ultimately reported small g-factors of ∼2 × 10-4. In an effort to realize chiral CdSe QDs with higher g-factors and to expand the set of designer chiral semiconductor nanocrystals, we have employed chiral carboxylic acids as a distinct class of ligands for chiral CdSe nanoparticles. Through this family of chiral carboxylic acid ligands, we performed a direct comparison between carboxylate-bound and thiolate-bound chiral CdSe QDs. Spectral analysis revealed that the resulting circular dichroism shifts originate from the splitting of the exciton by the ligand-nanocrystal interaction. Subsequent examination of a series of chiral carboxylic acid ligands revealed a 30-fold range in g-factor through relatively small changes in the structure of the ligand. Finally, we showed that increasing the number of stereocenters on the ligand can further enhance the dissymmetry factors. This versatile and tunable combination of nanocrystals and ligands will inform future designs of chiral nanomaterials and their applications.
Attenuation of Robust Glial Scar Formation Facilitates Functional Recovery in Animal Models of Chronic Nerve Compression Injury.

Background:Late surgery for chronic nerve compression injuries usually improves sensation but rarely reverses motor atrophy. We hypothesized that a persistent glial scar after chronic nerve compression injury might account for poor motor recovery and that degradation of the glial scar as an adjunct
TINET: Learning Invariant Networks via Knowledge Transfer

The latent behavior of an information system that can exhibit extreme events, such as system faults or cyber-attacks, is complex. Recently, the invariant network has shown to be a powerful way of characterizing complex system behaviors. Structures and evolutions of the invariance network, in particular, the vanishing correlations, can shed light on identifying causal anomalies and performing system diagnosis. However, due to the dynamic and complex nature of real-world information systems, learning a reliable invariant network in a new environment often requires continuous collecting and analyzing the system surveillance data for several weeks or even months. Although the invariant networks learned from old environments have some common entities and entity relationships, these networks cannot be directly borrowed for the new environment due to the domain variety problem. To avoid the prohibitive time and resource consuming network building process, we propose TINET, a knowledge transfer based model for accelerating invariant network construction. In particular, we first propose an entity estimation model to estimate the probability of each source domain entity that can be included in the final invariant network of the target domain. Then, we propose a dependency construction model for constructing the unbiased dependency relationships by solving a two-constraint optimization problem. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of TINET. We also apply TINET to a real enterprise security system for intrusion detection. TINET achieves superior detection performance at least 20 days lead-lag time in advance with more than 75% accuracy.
Characterization of singularities

Most signal information is carried by irregular structures and transient phenomena. The mathematical characterization of singularities with Lipschitz exponents is reviewed. We explain the theorems that estimate local Lipschitz exponents of functions, from the evolution across scales of their wavelet transform. We then prove that the local maxima of a wavelet transform detect the locations of irregular structures and provide numerical procedures to compute their Lipschitz exponents. The wavelet transforms of singularities with fast oscillations have a different behavior that we study separately. The local frequency of the oscillations are measured from the wavelet transform local maxima. It has been shown numerically that one and two-dimensional signals can be reconstructed, with a good approximation, from the local maxima of their wavelet transform [16]. As an application, we develop an algorithm that removes white noise from signals, by analyzing the evolution of the wavelet transform maxima across scales.
Current Issues in Assessing Students with Special Needs

This chapter investigates critical issues and promising trends associated with the processes and procedures for assessing students with special needs. The chapter covers issues associated with formal standardized testing, informal classroom assessment, and accommodations in testing. The future trends considered include universal screening and universal progress monitoring. These assessment procedures rely on curriculum-based measurement techniques which provide high-fidelity data that facilitates early intervention. The chapter begins by defining key issues and presenting a conceptual framework. The framework is based on the steps in the assessment process including screening, identifying, intervening, and measuring progress. A detailed investigation of the issues follows the conceptual framework. Specific issues discussed include fairness in testing, accountability, barriers faced by practitioners, and selecting appropriate accommodations. The chapter ends with a discussion of the responsibilities and challenges faced by practitioners, policy makers, and researchers in responding to the significant issues in assessing students with special needs.
Comparative Metabolomics Elucidates Postprandial Metabolic Modifications in Plasma of Obese Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome.

Although higher intakes of dairy milk are associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), the underlying protective mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the dynamic metabolic profile shift following the ingestion of low-fat milk or an isocaloric volume of rice milk in obese individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, postprandial plasma samples (n = 266) were collected from 19 MetS participants. Plasma samples were analyzed by a targeted metabolomics platform which specifically detects 117 metabolites from 25 metabolic pathways. The comprehensive time-course metabolic profiling in MetS participants indicated that the postprandial metabolic profiles distinguish low-fat milk and rice milk consumption in a time-dependent manner. Metabolic biomarkers, such as orotate, leucine/isoleucine and adenine, showed significantly different trends in the two test beverages. Bayesian statistics identified 12 metabolites associated with clinical char...
X-ray Spectra and Images

TheX-ray spectrumgenerated within your specimen consists of element-specific characteristic peaks with well-defined energies superimposed on a non-characteristic background. While the XEDS system is a remarkable piece of technology, we’ve already described its limited resolution and we will see in this chapter that it is also prone to creating small artifact peaks in the spectrum. Furthermore, the unavoidable presence of scattered electrons and X-rays within the AEM conspire to degrade the quality of the generated spectrum and increase the number of false peaks in the displayed spectrum. The AEM illumination system and specimen stage are rich sources of powerful radiation, not all of it by any means coming from the area of interest in your specimen. So you have to take precautions to ensure that the X-ray spectrum you collect comes predominantly from the area of the specimen that you want to analyze and we describe several tests you should perform to ensure that the XEDSTEM interface is optimized.
Adaptive Responses and the Ecosystem

There does not exist at the present time any comprehensive and consistent theory of knowledge which has been generally accepted. This is particularly regrettable in view of the fact that the area of reference is an empirical one. Perhaps the reason for the lack is twofold. The philosophers for the most part pursue their investigations into the topic in some disregard of what the scientists are doing. As for the scientists themselves, so many specialties are involved that no professional effort is made to put the results together. The findings are perhaps changing too much for anyone to undertake the framing of a single hypothesis which could account not only for all of the significant data but also for many of the lesser theories.
Development of a point-of-care radiation biodosimeter: studies using novel protein biomarker panels in non-human primates

Purpose: There is a need to rapidly triage individuals for absorbed radiation dose following a significant nuclear event. Since most exposed individuals will not have physical dosimeters, we are de...
Adaptive Control Techniques for Three-Phase Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Inverters

This chapter presents a framework of model reference adaptive control (MRAC) techniques for three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverter systems with uncertain parameters and disturbances. Such adaptive controllers are employed to achieve two main goals: (i) the asymptotic tracking for the output of a time-varying reference signal by the PV system with high-order dynamics and parameter uncertainties, which cannot be achieved by some conventional control techniques, and (ii) the asymptotic rejection of a practical class of unknown high-order harmonic signal disturbances, which is crucial for desired PV system operations. In this chapter, a full PV inverter system dynamic model is derived, and adaptive control design conditions are verified for such system models. An MRAC based disturbance rejection scheme is also developed for the PV inverter system with parameter and disturbance uncertainties. Desired system performances are ensured analytically and simulation results are listed to verify the result. This study shows the potential advantages of using adaptive control techniques for PV inverter systems, for ensuring desired PV system stability, output tracking, and disturbance rejection properties.
EFFECT OF HUMAN PEPSIN-SITE AGGLUTINATORS ON IN VITRO PHAGOCYTOSIS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study analyzing effect of human pepsin-site agglutinators on in vitro phagocytosis. The study was directed at an examination of the possible physiologic effects of pepsinsite agglutinators in phagocytosis. Since this variety of anti-γ-globulins is much more widespread than 19S human rheumatoid factors, such an attempt to demonstrate possible physiologic effects in an essential body defense mechanism like phagocytosis seemed important. It appeared possible that human pepsin-site anti-γ-globulins could interact with partially degraded opsonins and by this reaction substitute their own intact Fc structures, thereby reconstituting an ineffectual opsonic system. Both of the molecular classes were studied because human anti-γ-globulins showing reactivity for antigenic sites on γG globulin uncovered by pepsin digestion have been demonstrated in both 19S and 7S serum fractions. Distinct anti-opsonic effect was noted when conventional 19S RF BRi was added to the phagocytic system using whole γG opsonin. Moreover, blocking of phagocytosis was also noted using both 19S and 7S preparations of serum BA containing different types of anti-γ-globulin factor activity.
Identification and Accommodation of Control Actuator Faults Using Multi-rate Sampled Measurements

Abstract This work presents a model-based approach for the detection, estimation and accommodation of control actuator faults in dynamic processes controlled using multi-rate sampled state measurements. Initially, a model-based state feedback controller that employs an inter-sample model predictor to compensate for the unavailability of continuous state measurements is designed. Characterizations of both the stability and performance properties of the multi-rate sampled-data closed-loop system are obtained and expressed in terms of the measurement sampling rates, the magnitudes of the faults, and the various predictor and controller design parameters. A parameter estimator that estimates the magnitudes of the faults by minimizing the error between the estimated and sampled states over a moving horizon is then introduced and used to determine the fault or health status of the control actuators at the sampling times. The identification of faults triggers a fault accommodation scheme that adjusts selected predictor and controller design parameters to simultaneously preserve closed-loop stability and optimize a pre-defined performance metric. The implementation of the developed approach is illustrated using a simulated model of a solid oxide fuel cell system subject to both stability and performance-degrading actuator faults. A discussion of some of the intricacies of the multi-rate sampling scheme and how they impact the practical implementation of the fault identification and accommodation schemes is presented.
Scalable End-to-End Autonomous Vehicle Testing via Rare-event Simulation

While recent developments in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology highlight substantial progress, we lack tools for rigorous and scalable testing. Real-world testing, the de facto evaluation environment, places the public in danger, and, due to the rare nature of accidents, will require billions of miles in order to statistically validate performance claims. We implement a simulation framework that can test an entire modern autonomous driving system, including, in particular, systems that employ deep-learning perception and control algorithms. Using adaptive importance-sampling methods to accelerate rare-event probability evaluation, we estimate the probability of an accident under a base distribution governing standard traffic behavior. We demonstrate our framework on a highway scenario, accelerating system evaluation by 2-20 times over naive Monte Carlo sampling methods and 10-300P times (where P is the number of processors) over real-world testing.
In pursuit of increased resolution while preserving amplitude fidelity

Recent advances in acquisition and processing technology are an enabler for improving the resolution of our seismic images. However, care must be taken to ensure that these imaging enhancements retain the amplitude fidelity necessary to allow for detailed Amplitude Variation with Offset/Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator (AVO/DHI) analysis, particularly in the marine deepwater setting. Acquisition, processing and interpretation all play important and interrelated roles in obtaining the maximum utility from the seismic data. In this paper we will discuss where resolution and data fidelity can be gained or lost, what factors primarily determine bandwidth recovery, and what decisions still need to be made in a somewhat subjective, target-oriented manner. Data from deepwater Guyana is used to demonstrate fundamental principles and the evolution of acquisition and processing workflows over the history of this project. Finally, we will suggest areas where additional improvements can be achieved in seismic field technologies, processing and interpretations workflows.
Race(Ing) Across the Disciplines: An Introduction

ABSTRACTThis Introduction serves as a general introduction to the symposium on “Race(ing) across the Disciplines.”
Math problem-solving and cognition among emerging bilingual children at risk and not at risk for math difficulties.

Cognitive processes that underlie individual differences in mathematical problem-solution accuracy in elementary emerging bilingual children (English Learners) at risk and not at risk for math prob...
Asteroid lightcurve observations from 1979–1981

An account is given of the results of photometric light curve observations in the V band for asteroids, yielding estimates of the mean and maximum reduced magnitudes for each object. On the basis of fits of the H-G magnitude relation for 33 objects, the mean values of the slope parameter are examined for different taxonomic classes; these values are then applied to the analysis of less complete data sets. While in the case of the moderate albedo S and M class asteroids the H-G relation appears to fit the available data, the relation for dark asteroids appears to predict more of an opposition than is characteristically present.
Alcohol Tolerance in Human Laboratory Studies for Development of Medications to treat Alcohol Use Disorder.

AIMS Human laboratory studies have contributed extensively in the research and development of novel medications to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol tolerance may represent one additional variable that can be utilized to expand the understanding of the AUD wide phenotypic profile and provide support to the medication development process. Tolerance is characterized as an individual's subjective response to alcohol and has been recognized as a predictor of AUD progression. Tolerance can be evaluated both by self-reported response (e.g. assessments) and objective measurements (e.g. motor impairment); as such, it represents an exploitable variable in the field of alcohol research. METHODS This Narrative Review focuses on the use of alcohol tolerance, specifically within alcohol laboratory studies, for medication development. It seeks to identify a research gap and a research opportunity in clinical studies to evaluate biobehavioral responses captured in order to develop medications to treat AUD. RESULTS Alcohol tolerance may provide additional information on the safety and tolerability of medications to treat AUD, in particular, when novel medications are co-administered with alcohol within the AUD population. CONCLUSIONS As such, alcohol tolerance represents an additional outcome that may be included in randomized clinical trial (RCT) protocols designed for developing AUD pharmacotherapies.
Densification of a Solid-State NASICON Sodium-Ion Electrolyte Below 400 °C by Cold Sintering With a Fused Hydroxide Solvent

A modified cold sintering process is described, which permits the densification of the prototypical sodium-ion electrolyte, Na3Zr2Si2PO12, to greater than 90% relative density at a process temperat...
Direct Microscopy Imaging of Nonuniform Carrier Transport in Polycrystalline Cadmium Telluride

Summary Inhomogeneous microscopic carrier transport is difficult to study, but important in many condensed-matter applications. For example, the role of grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline semiconductors has been controversial for 20 years. In cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells, electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) measurements consistently demonstrate enhanced current collection along GBs, which is argued as evidence for interpenetrating CdTe p-n current-collection networks critical to high efficiency. Conversely, cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements consistently indicate that GBs are deleterious low-lifetime regions. Here, we apply transport imaging (TI) in conjunction with spatially correlated EBIC, CL, and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements to understand carrier drift, diffusion, and recombination in polycrystalline CdTe. We simultaneously observe GB potential wells, reduced carrier lifetime at GBs, and seemingly contradictory enhanced GB current collection, and then describe their coexistence with microscopic TI and physical arguments. The results provide visualization of inhomogeneous transport that is critical to understanding and engineering polycrystalline solar technology.
ISG15-dependent Activation of the RNA Sensor MDA5 and its Antagonism by the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease

Activation of the RIG-I-like receptors, RIG-I and MDA5, establishes an antiviral state by upregulating interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs). Among these is ISG15 whose mechanistic roles in innate immunity still remain enigmatic. Here we report that ISGylation is essential for antiviral IFN responses mediated by the viral RNA sensor MDA5. ISG15 conjugation to the caspase activation and recruitment domains of MDA5 promotes the formation of higher-order assemblies of MDA5 and thereby triggers activation of innate immunity against a range of viruses including coronaviruses, flaviviruses and picornaviruses. The ISG15-dependent activation of MDA5 is antagonized through direct de-ISGylation mediated by the papain-like protease (PLpro) of SARS-CoV-2, a recently emerged coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 pandemic. Our work demonstrates a crucial role for ISG15 in the MDA5-mediated antiviral response, and also identifies a novel immune evasion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, which may be targeted for the development of new antivirals and vaccines to combat COVID-19.
An agent-based model shows zombie ants exhibit search behavior.

Abstract Parasites can alter the behavior of animals. Such alterations could be a byproduct of infection or actively controlled and directed by the parasite. Ants infected with zombie ant fungi (Ophiocordyceps sp.) show behavioral changes culminating in the ant dying while biting into vegetation. To investigate the influence of the parasite on behavioral changes, we created an agent-based model that provides a prediction of how fungal infected ants move before death. The model shows how alterations in movement, such as an increased turning rate, within the normal range of ant behavior, can lead a host from the nest to the underside of a leaf. This demonstrates the simplicity in how such behavioral changes could evolve, as the fungal parasite could benefit from the natural behavior of the host, contesting a hypothesis of highly directed manipulation.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Psychiatric Comorbidities in a Military Migraine Population (747)

Objective: Our aim was to institute a multidisciplinary quality improvement project for treatment and screening of psychiatric comorbidities in a large military and civilian population. Background: The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with migraine is highly recognized. However, the relationship between migraine and depression is not well defined. Our quality improvement project sought to enhance screening for depression and improve access to psychiatric care in this population. Design/Methods: All patients presenting to a military referral center for migraines are assessed for polypharmacy, Headache Impact Score (HIT-6) and PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire. Patients are concurrently offered referral to mental health, biofeedback therapy and a headache education course. Results: 237 patients were seen for headache or migraine. 180 patients had severely disabling headaches. These patients accounted for 146 emergency room visits over the course of one year. Of migraine patients, 64% had a PHQ-9 score suggesting mild, moderate or severe depression. 14% of patients had scores consistent with severe depression. Despite 64% of patients meeting criteria for depression, only 37% carried a formal diagnosis and only 38% had been seen by mental health. Of patients with a diagnosis of severe depression, 69% had a diagnosis and 64% were engaged with mental health. Depression severity did not correlate with migraine severity. Conclusions: Our quality improvement project demonstrates a high rate of comorbid depression among migraine patients in the military population, which did not correlated with pain severity. It highlights the practice gap in screening for psychiatric comorbidities and the underutilization of mental health services in this population. We hypothesize that a multidisciplinary approach to care will increase detection of comorbid depression and improve quality of life in migraine patients. Disclosure: Dr. Baker has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hack has nothing to disclose.
Existence and convergence of a discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible three-phase flow problem in porous media.

This paper presents and analyzes a discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible three-phase flow problem in porous media. We use a first order time extrapolation which allows us to solve the equations implicitly and sequentially. We show that the discrete problem is well-posed, and obtain a priori error estimates. Our numerical results validate the theoretical results, i.e. the algorithm converges with first order, under different setups that involve variable density and effects of gravity.
Democratizing the Hegemonic State: Political Transformation in the Age of Identity

1. Ethno-national conflict in multinational polities 2. The crucial triangle: democracy, statehood, and hegemony in multinational settings 3. Classifying multinational states 4. Transforming uninational hegemony in divided societies: the gradual option 5. Transforming uninational hegemony: mega-constitutional engineering 6. The reverse trend - sustaining or strengthening ethnic hegemony 7. Beyond hegemony in deeply divided societies: transforming hegemonic systems Epilogue: genuine democracy for the 21st century.
Models of the Lens and Aging Effects

The crystalline lens of the human visual system provides the variable refractive power needed for focus by the eye at all distances. Of the major refractive tissues, only the normal lens exhibits a uniquely specific and reproducible development path with increasing age. Optical modeling of the process of image formation on the retina thus relies on accurate and complete descriptions of the age dependence of lens shape, curvature, placement within the globe relative to the cornea and retina, and refractive index gradient. Other contexts in which an optical model of the lens may be important include studies of the posterior of the globe, and especially the retina, where changes in lens transparency, color, and refractive power could affect images and spectra in this region. Finally, the recent interest by both vision scientists and refractive surgeons in improving visual resolution to its theoretical limit (also known as “super-vision”), using the Shack-Hartmann method for collection of the wavefront and Zernike polynomials for its analysis, necessitates a more detailed examination of the changing contribution of the crystalline lens to overall image formation and image quality.
Evaluation of Leisure Programs

(1980). Evaluation of Leisure Programs. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 51, Including Leisure Today, pp. 31-32.
Classification of speech accents with neural networks

Several neural network models including competitive learning and counter propagation are developed to identify individuals as either native or non-native speakers based on their accents. Some important speech features, such as pitch period and the first three formant frequencies, are used as inputs to the neural networks. Comparison results based on experiments are also presented. The primary contribution is that it provides a feasible approach for an assisting automatic speech recognition system in an environment in which different English accents may be used. >
The ecology of Trichodorus.

Members of the genus Trichodorus (21) are widespread in North America and Europe and have been recorded from all the main continental land masses of the world and from many islands, especially in the West Indies and in Australasia. Their economic significance was first demonstrated when Christie and Perry (20) showed that a species later described as T. christiei was responsible for damage to crop plants in the United States. They called it the stubby root nematode as a result of the symptoms it produced on host plants; this sobriquet was at first restricted to T. christiei but because similar symptoms are known to be caused by other species it is now customary to apply it to all members of the genus Trichodorus. Interest in the genus was further increased when it was shown that Trichodorus species could transmit tobacco rattle virus (84) and pea early browning virus (40). In 1973 Siddiqi (82) proposed the division of the genus Trichodorus sensu lato into two genera, Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus. In this paper we use the generic name Trichodorus to encompass both Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus sensu stricto as there seems at present to be little evidence of biological or behavioural differences between the two new genera; specific names, however, are given according to Siddiqi (82).
Chinese Blog Clustering by Hidden Sentiment Factors

In the Web age, blogs have become the major platform for people to express their opinions and sentiments. The traditional blog clustering methods usually group blogs by keywords, stories or timelines, which do not consider opinions and emotions expressed in the articles. In this paper, a novel method based on Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA) is presented to model the hidden emotion factors and an emotion-oriented clustering approach is proposed according to the sentiment similarities between Chinese blogs. Extensive experiments were conducted on real world blog datasets with different topics and the results show that our approach can cluster Chinese blogs into sentiment coherent groups to allow for better organization and easy navigation.
Perioperative and early oncological outcomes after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in morbidly obese patients: a propensity score‐matched study

Objective To evaluate the perioperative and pathological outcomes associated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in morbidly obese men. Patients and Methods Between January 2008 and March 2012, 3041 patients underwent RARP at our institution by a single surgeon (V.P.). In all, 44 patients were considered morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 kg/m2. A propensity score-matched analysis was conducted using multivariable analysis to identify comparable groups of patients with a BMI of ≥40 and <40 kg/m2. Perioperative, pathological outcomes and complications were compared between the two matched groups. Results There was no significant difference in operative time. However, the mean estimated blood loss was higher in morbidly obese patients, at a mean (sd) of 113 (41) vs 130 (27) mL (P = 0.049). Anastomosis was more difficult in morbidly obese patients (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in laterality, ease of nerve sparing, or transfusion rate between the groups. There were no intraoperative complications in either group. Postoperative pathological outcomes were similar between the groups. Differences in positive surgical margins and ease of nerve sparing approached statistical significance (P = 0.097, P = 0.075 respectively). Postoperative complication rates, pain scores, length of stay and indwelling catheter duration were similar in the groups. Conclusions RARP in morbidly obese patients is technically demanding. However, it can be accomplished with acceptable morbidity and resource use. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, it is a safe procedure and offers beneficial clinical outcomes.
Ribonucleic acids from the mitochondria of bleached Euglena gracilis Z. I. Isolation of mitochondria and extraction of nucleic acids.

Abstract Intact mitochondria can be sedimented at 5000 × g from cell-free homogenates prepared from exponential phase cultures of bleached Euglena gracilis z. Mitochondria purified in Renografin gradients consume 1.35 μmoles O2 per mg protein per h and contain only DNA with a density of 1.688 g/cm3. The spectrum of acid-hydrolyzed RNA from purified, intact, biochemically-active mitochondria is different from that of either E. gracilis chloroplast or cytoplasmic RNA hydrolyzates.
How to Communicate Your Findings

Most readers have undoubtedly experienced the frustration of either completing a program analysis that collected dust on someone’s shelf or reading an analysis report and not knowing what to do with it. This is an all too common scenario in the world of program analysis. Although we offer no panacea, we do feel that how you present the analysis and its results to the target audience can significantly affect its acceptance and potential implementation. To that end, this chapter is divided into four sections that outline various techniques you might use—primarily as an evaluation producer—to communicate your findings. The first section deals with establishing your credibility. The second deals with being sensitive to the needs of the target audiences and the context within which these audiences operate. The third involves presenting your results in an attractive, clearly understandable and readable form, and the fourth involves communicating from a marketing perspective. One of the primary motives for doing program analysis, or reading about it, is to enable administrators to make better decisions. Many of those decisions result in changing programs or policies. Hence, your findings should be communicated within the framework of good marketing principles that will help promote that change.
Timing considerations with quadrature sampling-quadrature sampling error formula revisited

Quadrature sampling allows for exact interpolation or reconstruction of the bandpass waveform as long as the sampling rate is a submultiple of the center frequency of the signal. In many cases of practical interest, such precise sampling may not be possible. In a particular case, C.E. Persons (1975) addressed the problem of determining the ratio of the power in the error bands to the power in the signal band when quadrature sampling is employed using an arbitrary sampling frequency. The problem addressed by the authors is a generalization of C.E. Persons' formula to include the effects of sampling timing errors when applying the original O.D. Grace-S.P. Pitt (1968) interpolation formula. The reconstruction error is plotted as a function of sampling timing errors. >
Dynamic phase-only array beam control using a genetic algorithm

This paper describes two approaches to evolvable antenna array beams. The first approach uses a genetic algorithm for adaptive phase-only nulling with phased arrays. A genetic algorithm adjusts some of the least significant bits of the beam steering phase shifters in order to minimize the total output power. Using a few bits for nulling speeds convergence of the algorithm and limits pattern distortions. Various results are presented to show the advantages and limitations of this approach. A second problem is a switched beam linear array in which two beams with specified shapes, a narrow beam and a wide beam, are to be produced. The goal of the design effort is to determine a set of complex excitation coefficients such that switching between beams is accomplished by changes in the phase weights alone. Excellent results are obtained by simultaneous, multi-objective optimization based design using a GA instead of sequential GA optimization for the narrow and wide beam cases individually.
Differential display PCR: a new age in nutrition investigation

Molecular biology has provided nutrition science with a powerful experimental tool for exploring the molecular basis of essential nutrient deficiencies. Differential display polymerase chain reaction has emerged as an instrument of unlimited potential for assessing the manner by which nutrients regulate cell functions.
Leadership and retention: research needed.

Numerous studies provide empirical support for the relationships between effective leadership style and job satisfaction, retention, and organizational productivity. The intent of this article is to provide a synthesis of data-based studies that have evaluated the relationship between the leadership
Adeno-associated virus-mediated expression and constitutive secretion of NPY or NPY13-36 suppresses seizure activity in vivo.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino-acid peptide that attenuates seizure activity following direct infusion or adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression in the central nervous system. However, NPY activates all NPY receptor subtypes, potentially causing unwanted side effects. NPY13-36 is a C-terminal peptide fragment of NPY that primarily activates the NPY Y2 receptor, thought to mediate the antiseizure activity. Therefore, we investigated if recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated expression and constitutive secretion of NPY or NPY13-36 could alter limbic seizure sensitivity. Rats received bilateral piriform cortex infusions of AAV vectors that express and constitutively secrete full-length NPY (AAV-FIB-NPY) or NPY13-36 (AAV-FIB-NPY13-36). Control rats received no infusion, as we have previously shown that vectors expressing and secreting reporter genes like GFP (AAV-FIB-EGFP), as well as vectors expressing peptides that lack secretion sequences (AAV-GAL) have no effect on seizures. One week later, all animals received kainic acid (10 mg kg−1, intraperitoneally), and the latencies to wet dog shakes and limbic seizure behaviors were determined. Although both control and vector-treated rats developed wet dog shake behaviors with similar latencies, the latencies to class III and class IV limbic seizures were significantly prolonged in both NPY- and NPY13-36-treated groups. Thus, AAV-mediated expression and constitutive secretion of NPY and NPY13-36 is effective in attenuating limbic seizures, and provides a platform for delivering therapeutic peptide fragments with increased receptor selectivity.
Revivals of light in a planar metal waveguide

The revivals (Fourier images) and fractionals revival (Fresnel images) of the spatial distributions of monochromatic light in a planar, metal, multimode waveguide are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The decomposition of the spectrum of white light in such a waveguide is observed.
The Application of Fracture Mechanics to Predict the Critical Initial Crack Length for Inspection

In this study, a method is developed based on fracture mechanics, for predicting the equivalent critical initial crack size, aic in a particulate composite material. The predicted aic is the crack size that should be used to develop an inspection criterion to determine the reliability of a structure made of the particulate composite material.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A Longitudinal Assessment of Bowel Related Symptoms and Fecal Incontinence Following Radical Perineal Prostatectomy

ABSTRACTPurpose: Recent studies have suggested an increased incidence of fecal incontinence following radical perineal prostatectomy. We provide a prospective and longitudinal assessment of bowel related symptoms of patients undergoing radical perineal prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: A total of 78 patients who underwent radical perineal prostatectomy between January 1 and December 31, 2001 and had a minimal followup of 6 months were included in the analysis. Patient information was obtained from the chart and the bowel domain specific questions of a validated quality of life questionnaire, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite. The questionnaire was administered to the candidates preoperatively, at 4 weeks following surgery and subsequently at 3-months intervals. A mean bowel function, bother and summary health related quality of life score was calculated at each interval. The duration of new or worsened symptoms with respect to baseline was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results: Sympt...
The effect of pinealectomy on adrenocortical rhytmhm in the blinded rat

The effect of the pineal on circadian periodicity of plasma corticosterone in rats was studied. Male rats were pinealectomized, blinded, or pinealectomized and blinded, and exposed to a lighting cycle of 12 hr of light and 12 hr of darkness. The diurnal variation in plasma corticosterone in pinealectomized animals was not different from that found in intact controls. Blinded rats did not show normal steroid cyclicity. In contrast, rats that were both blinded and pinealectomized had a diurnal variation similar to that of the controls. The pineal gland, then, appears to contribute to the disturbed plasma corticosterone rhythm found in blinded rats.
Perfluoroalkanes: Conformational Analysis and Liquid-State Properties from ab Initio and Monte Carlo Calculations

Classical OPLS-AA force-field parameters are developed for perfluoroalkanes primarily by fitting to conformational profiles from gas-phase ab initio calculations (LMP2/cc-pVTZ(-f)//HF/6-31G*) and to experimental data for pure liquids. The ab initio C−C−C−C profile of n-C4F10 (perfluorobutane) is similar to those from prior high-level calculations and indicates the presence of gauche (g) and ortho (o) minima and of anti (a) minima slightly offset from 180°. Ab initio torsional profiles for n-C5F12 (perfluoropentane) and (CF3)2CFCF2CF3 (perfluoro-2-methylbutane) also show three sets of energy minima. Special OPLS-AA torsional parameters for these three molecules closely match ab initio and experimental geometries, conformational energies (ΔEmin), and conformational energy barriers. These specialized force fields were merged to provide a generalized force field for linear, branched, and cyclic perfluoroalkanes. The resultant parameters yield key ΔEmin values within 0.6 kcal/mol of the ab initio results for t...
Psychopathology, childhood sexual abuse and other childhood adversities: relative links to subsequent suicidal behaviour in the US.

Background. Research shows that psychopathology, child sexual abuse and other childhood adversities are risk factors for suicide. However, few have investigated their joint and independent roles in the pursuit of a reliable, predictive model of suicidal behaviour.Methods. Data are from the National Comorbidity Survey (N = 5877), a nationally representative study of prevalence, risk factors, and social consequences of psychiatric disorders in the US. Discrete time survival analysis and population attributable risk methodologies were utilized.Results. Among those sexually abused as children, odds of suicide attempts were 2–4 times higher among women and 4–11 times higher among men, compared with those not abused, controlling for other adversities. Odds ratios were reduced but most remained statistically significant after adjusting for lifetime psychiatric illnesses preceding suicide attempts. In the same predictive equation, 79% of serious suicide attempts among women could be attributed to psychiatric disorders while 12% was attributable to rape and 7% to molestation. The highest probability of a first attempt was during early adolescence for those who were sexually abused and had a lifetime disorder, but it was 8–12 years older for those sexually abused without any disorders.Conclusions. In the US, a strong association exists between child sexual abuse and suicidal behaviour, mediated by psychopathology. There is a substantial proportion of suicide risk attributable to child sexual abuse beyond the presence of psychopathology and other adversities. From a clinical standpoint, abuse survivors represent a high-risk population for suicidal behaviour. Further research into this preventable antecedent of suicide attempts is necessary.
Acoustic communication in woodhouse's toad (Bufo woodhousei). I: Response of calling males to variation in spectral and temporal components of advertisement calls

We tested the hypothesis that acoustic stimuli must be similar to the species-typical advertisement call in both dominant frequency and pulse rate to attract female Woodhouse's toads (Bufo woodhousei) in discrimination trials. Using synthetic advertisement calls we determined that females always preferred a synthetic call with the species-specific pulse rate and frequency over synthetic calls in which only pulse rate or frequency was within the range for the species. However, appropriately pulsed, narrow-band filtered noise was a sufficient acoustic stimulus to attract 20% of the females in one-quarter of their discrimination trials. These results are discussed in light of species recognition in bufonids.