cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proteome Analysis of the Effect of Mucoid Conversion on Global Protein Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain PAO1 Shows Induction of the Disulfide Bond Isomerase, DsbA

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that cause chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis patients typically undergo mucoid conversion. The mucoid phenotype indicates alginate overproduction and is often due to defects in MucA, an antisigma factor that controls the activity of sigma-22 (AlgT [also called AlgU]), which is required for the activation of genes for alginate biosynthesis. In this study we hypothesized that mucoid conversion may be part of a larger response that activates genes other than those for alginate synthesis. To address this, a two-dimensional (2-D) gel analysis was employed to compare total proteins in strain PAO1 to those of its mucA22 derivative, PDO300, in order to identify protein levels enhanced by mucoid conversion. Six proteins that were clearly more abundant in the mucoid strain were observed. The amino termini of such proteins were determined and used to identify the gene products in the genomic database. Proteins involved in alginate biosynthesis were expected among these, and two (AlgA and AlgD) were identified. This result verified that the 2-D gel approach could identify gene products under sigma-22 control and upregulated by mucA mutation. Two other protein spots were also clearly upregulated in the mucA22 background, and these were identified as porin F (an outer membrane protein) and a homologue of DsbA (a disulfide bond isomerase). Single-copy gene fusions were constructed to test whether these proteins were enhanced in the mucoid strain due to increased transcription. The oprF-lacZ fusion showed little difference in levels of expression in the two strains. However, the dsbA-lacZ fusion showed two- to threefold higher expression in PDO300 than in PAO1, suggesting that its promoter was upregulated by the deregulation of sigma-22 activity. A dsbA-null mutant was constructed in PAO1 and shown to have defects predicted for a cell with reduced disulfide bond isomerase activity, namely, reduction in periplasmic alkaline phosphatase activity, increased sensitivity to dithiothreitol, reduced type IV pilin-mediated twitching motility, and reduced accumulation of extracellular proteases, including elastase. Although efficient secretion of elastase in the dsbA mutant was still demonstrable, the elastase produced appeared to be unstable, possibly as a result of mispaired disulfide bonds. Disruption of dsbA in the mucoid PDO300 background did not affect alginate production. Thus, even though dsbA is coregulated with mucoid conversion, it was not required for alginate production. This suggests that mucA mutation, which deregulates sigma-22, results in a global response that includes other factors in addition to increasing the production of alginate.
Defining Horizons: A Reply to Joseph C. Pitt

Joseph C. Pitt has written “harsh words,” as he recognizes, against my book and against the entire philosophic enterprise it represents. Since fire must sometimes be fought with fire, I suppose my response will also sound harsh. This is not my accustomed tone, but for the issues between us to stand out as sharply as their importance requires, such straight talk from me is unavoidable.
Change in Prostate Specific Antigen Following Androgen Stimulation is an Independent Predictor of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that a single exogenous androgen injection in men with low prostate specific antigen would provoke a differential prostate specific antigen response that would correlate with the presence and volume of cancer at biopsy.Materials and Methods: Following institutional review board approval 40 men with prostate specific antigen between 2.5 and 4.0 ng/ml were given 1 intramuscular injection of 400 mg testosterone cypionate at the start of the study. Prostate specific antigen and early morning serum testosterone were measured at baseline, 48 hours, and weeks 1, 2 and 4. All men underwent 12-core transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy at week 4.Results: Of the 40 men 18 (45%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The mean change in prostate specific antigen from baseline to 4 weeks was 3.1 to 3.4 ng/ml (9.7%) in men found to have benign findings on biopsy compared to a mean increase of 2.9 to 3.8 ng/ml (29%) in those with prostate cancer (p = 0.006). The change in prostate specific...
Integration host factor affects expression of two genes at the conjugal transfer origin of plasmid R100

Integration host factor (IHF) binds to two sites near the origin of transfer of the conjugative antibiotic resistance plasmid, R100. DNase I footprinting shows that one site is immediately adjacent to oriT and the gene X promoter, and another is adjacent to the traM promoter. A third site, known only from retardation gels, is near the traJ promoter. The relative promoter activities of genes X, traJ and traM are reduced in himA mutants (IHF-), as measured by chloramphenicol-resistance assays. Transcript analyses by Northern blots showed a reduction in size of the principal gene X and traJ transcripts in the absence of IHF.
Employing realistic propagation models in wireless system simulations

This paper presents a new method of incorporating propagation models into wireless systems simulations. The multipath data for each transmitter-receiver pair in a realistic environment is calculated using the site-specific propagation modeling software developed at the University of Hawaii. Instead of fitting the multipath data into a statistical model, we directly use the data for the calculation of discrete channel impulse responses for each transmitter-receiver pair. The Doppler effects and the effects of pulse shaping filters on the calculation of discrete channel impulse responses are investigated. Finally, these channel impulse responses are employed in a CDMA system simulator to evaluate the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the corresponding bit error rate (BER).
On the relationship between satellite-estimated bio-optical and thermal properties in the Gulf of Mexico

[1] Three years of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color data were combined with three-dimensional thermal fields generated by the U.S. Navy's Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) in order to examine the interdependencies between bio-optical fields and their relationship to seasonal and mesoscale changes in upper ocean thermal structure. The combined data set suggests that the oceanic boundary layer within the Gulf of Mexico may be broadly defined by two seasonally occurring bio-thermal periods. A winter mixing period, characterized by net heat losses to the atmosphere, deepening of the isothermal layer depth, and annual maxima of satellite-estimated colored detrital matter (CDM) absorption coefficients and surface pigment concentration, was followed by a thermally stratified period characterized by net surface ocean heating, reduced isothermal layer depths, and annual minima in surface bio-optical fields. Variability in the interdependencies of ocean color products was used to diagnose an attendant shift in the size-structure of surface phytoplankton communities as well as identify CDM as the constituent responsible for the majority of blue-light absorption in Gulf of Mexico surface waters. The mesoscale circulation, as resolved by MODAS thermal fields into cold and warm-core eddies, appears to significantly modulate the seasonal bio-optical cycle of CDM absorption and surface pigment concentration. An empirical model was developed to describe CDM absorption as a function of upper ocean thermal energy. The model accounted for nearly half the variance in the satellite-estimate of this bio-optical variable. Large mismatches between the model and satellite data implied episodes of shelf water export to the deep Gulf of Mexico.
Half life of 135Sb and evidence on the half life of 134Sb

Abstract A search for delayed-neutron precursors among the short-lived antimony fission products was unsuccessful. This result suggested that either (1) the neutron branching of the possible precursors 134 Sb and 135 Sb is extremely small or (2) that the half lives of those isotopes are much shorter than the upper limits previously reported (45 and 24 sec, respectively). Results of milking experiments in which iodine activity grown from antimony samples separated quickly after neutron irradiations of uranium was counted give the half life of 135 Sb as 1·9 −0·5 +0·9 sec and an upper limit of 1·5 sec for that of 134 Sb. It is suggested that the ∼ 45 sec antimony fission product, previously ascribed to 134 Sb or 135 Sb, may be an isomer of 132 Sb.
Missing-Feature Reconstruction by Leveraging Temporal Spectral Correlation for Robust Speech Recognition in Background Noise Conditions

This paper proposes a novel missing-feature reconstruction method to improve speech recognition in background noise environments. The existing missing-feature reconstruction method utilizes log-spectral correlation across frequency bands. In this paper, we propose to employ a temporal spectral feature analysis to improve the missing-feature reconstruction performance by leveraging temporal correlation across neighboring frames. In a similar manner with the conventional method, a Gaussian mixture model is obtained by training over the obtained temporal spectral feature set. The final estimates for missing-feature reconstruction are obtained by a selective combination of the original frequency correlation based method and the proposed temporal correlation-based method. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated on the TIMIT speech corpus using various types of background noise conditions and the CU-Move in-vehicle speech corpus. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is more effective at increasing speech recognition performance in adverse conditions. By employing the proposed temporal-frequency based reconstruction method, a +17.71% average relative improvement in word error rate (WER) is obtained for white, car, speech babble, and background music conditions over 5-, 10-, and 15-dB SNR, compared to the original frequency correlation-based method. We also obtain a +16.72% relative improvement in real-life in-vehicle conditions using data from the CU-Move corpus.
Global active contour-based image segmentation via probability alignment

Active contours is a popular technique for image segmentation. However, active contour tend to converge to the closest local minimum of its energy function and often requires a close boundary initialization. We introduce a new approach that overcomes the close boundary initialization problem by reformulating the external energy term. We treat the active contour as a mean curve of the probability density function p(x). It moves to minimize the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence between p(x) and the probability density function derived from the image. KL divergence forces p(x) to “cover all image areas” and the uncovered areas are heavily penalized, which allows the active contour to go over the edges. Also we use deterministic annealing on the width of p(x) to implement a coarse-to-fine search strategy. In the limit, when the width of p(x) goes to zero, the KL divergence function converges to the conventional external energy term (which can be seen a special case) of active contours. Our method produces robust segmentation results from arbitrary initialization positions.
Glucose Transport in Brucella abortus

Brucella abortus British strain 19 transported glucose with an apparent Km of 0.16 mM and an apparent Vmax of 250 nmol per min per mg of N. The only common glucose analogue transported was 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG), with an apparent Ki of 0.73 mM. Alpha- or beta-methyl glucosides and 3-O-methylglucose were not transported. Transport was linear for 70 to 90 s, depending on the concentration of substrate used. 2-Deoxyglucose was transported as the free sugar and was not further metabolized once inside the cell. There was no glucose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PEP-PTS) present, and there were no inhibitors present in Brucella cell-free extract that inhibited the Escherichia coli glucose PEP-PTS. N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM) and p-chloromercuribenzoate (pCMB) completely inhibited transport of glucose and 2-DOG. Glutathione, dithiothreitol, and β-mercaptoethanol reversed the effects of pCMB but not of NEM. A pH optimum of 7.2 and a temperature optimum of 37 to 45 C were observed for both Km and Vmax. The glucose transport system appeared to be constitutive for glucose transport in cells grown on fructose, galactose, erythritol, or glucose. The electron transfer inhibitors carbonyl cyanide, m-chlorophenylhydrazone, NaN3, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and KCN inhibited 2-DOG transport to a greater extent than did the metabolic energy inhibitors NaAsO4, iodoacetate, KF, and 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, an inhibitor of membrane-bound adenosine triphosphatases, inhibited transport by 100%.
Interstate competition and state lottery revenues

In this article we use data on lottery sales for all 55 counties in West Virginia over the period 1987-2000 to examine in a dynamic framework the determinants of lottery revenues. While we examine more generally the determinants of lottery revenues, we focus on the effects of the introduction of new neighboring state lottery games on West Virginia lottery revenue generating capabilities. Our findings indicate that border state competition is an important determinant of lottery sales. The introduction of new competing games within West Virginia also has significant effects on sales of traditional lottery games.
Altered Ambient Temperature and Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Previous studies with rats exposed to altered ambient temperature (Ta) or with mice selectively bred for their thermal response to ethanol have shown that a reduced hypothermic response is correlated with decreased place aversion and greater place preference, respectively. The present experiment was designed to test whether alterations in Ta would alter ethanol's ability to produce conditioned place preference in genetically heterogeneous mice. Three groups of mice underwent a differential conditioning procedure that paired one distinctive floor texture with ethanol (2.25 g/kg, i.p.) and a different floor texture with saline. During conditioning, each group was exposed to a different Ta: cold (10 degrees C), normal (21 degrees C), or warm (34 degrees C). Each group was further divided and subgroups were tested for preference at either the conditioning temperature or a different temperature. Consistent with previous findings, mice conditioned and tested at normal Ta developed a conditioned preference for the ethanol-paired floor. In contrast, mice exposed to a warm or cold Ta during conditioning or testing failed to show place conditioning. Although exposure to either warm or cold Ta interfered with place conditioning, only the warm Ta had an effect on hypothermia. These findings suggest that altered Ta produced stimuli that may have interfered with the association between floor cues and ethanol during conditioning or interfered with expression of this association during testing.
Reduction of cardiac volume in left-breast treatment fields by respiratory maneuvers: a CT study.

Purpose: A previous study of healthy female volunteers suggested that deep inspiratory breath holding can reduce the cardiac volume in the treatment portals for left-breast cancer treatment. The reduction of irradiated cardiac volume may be important considering the reported late cardiac morbidity and mortality and the frequent coexistent use of potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. In the present study, we evaluated the heart volume in the fields and, thus, the true benefit of this respiratory maneuver in breast cancer patients undergoing CT simulation. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients (median age, 53) were studied. For each patient, CT scans were performed both when the patient breathed normally (quiet respiration) and when the patient held her breath after a deep inspiration. Tangential fields were planned using the same medial, lateral, superior, and inferior borders on skin for the normal breathing and the breath-holding configurations. The cardiac and left-lung volumes within the tangential fields were calculated for both breathing configurations. Multiple scan series were performed for the breath-holding configuration to provide a more accurate delineation of the cardiac tissue and to study the reproducibility of the patient’s position between different cycles of deep inspiration. Results: None of the patients had difficulty holding her breath for 20 s. The cardiac volume in the field was reduced (−86 ± 24%; p < 0.001) when patients held their breath after a deep inspiration compared to when breathing normally. For 7 patients (47%), deep inspiration moved the heart completely out of the radiation fields. The expansion of the lung tissue due to deep inspiration also increased the absolute lung volume in the tangential fields (183 cm3 vs 97 cm3, p < 0.001). However, the fractional volume of the left lung in the field was essentially unchanged. For all but 1 patient, the maximum difference between the external body contours from different breath holding cycles was 5 mm and occurred at the lateral aspect of the breast. At the medial aspect, as indicated by the position of the midline marker, the variations were well within the currently accepted tolerance for patient positioning during tangential treatment. Conclusions: Deep-inspiration breath holding substantially reduces cardiac volume in the tangential fields for left-sided breast cancer treatment. The variation between patient positions at different cycles of breath holding was found to be reasonably small. Therefore, it appears feasible to reduce cardiac radiation by treating patients with intratreatment minifractions lasting 10–15 s while patients hold their breath.
Symbolization of Map Projection Distortion: A Review

One of the most fundamental steps in map creation is the transformation of information from the surface of a globe onto a flat map. Mapmakers have developed and used hundreds of different map projections over the past 2,000 years, yet there is no perfect choice because every map projection uniquely alters some aspect of space during the transformation process. Detailed information about the type, amount, and distribution of distortion is essential for choosing the best projection for a particular map or data set. The distortion inherent in projections can be measured and symbolized much like any other map variable. Methods for symbolizing map projection distortion are reviewed, with each method described and illustrated in graphical form. The symbolization methods are collected under ten separate headings organized from simple to more complex in terms of interpretation. Most of these methods are highly effective at communicating distortion, yet they are rarely used beyond textbooks and technical documenta...
Model inference using the Akaike information criterion for turbulent flow of non-Newtonian crude oils in pipelines

The friction factor is a crucial parameter in calculating frictional pressure losses. However, it is a decisive challenge to estimate, especially for turbulent flow of non-Newtonian fluids in pipes. The objective of this paper is to examine the validity of friction factor correlations adopting a new informative-based approach, the Akaike information criterion (AIC) along with the coefficient of determination (R 2). Over a wide range of measured data, the results show that each model is accurate when it is examined against a specific dataset while the El-Emam et al. (Oil Gas J 101:74–83, 2003) model proves its superiority. In addition to its simple and explicit form, it covers a wide range of flow behavior indices and generalized Reynolds numbers. It is also shown that the traditional belief that a high R 2 means a better model may be misleading. AIC overcomes the shortcomings of R 2 as a trade between the complexity of the model and its accuracy not only to find a best approximating model but also to develop statistical inference based on the data. The authors present AIC to initiate an innovative strategy to help alleviate several challenges faced by the professionals in the oil and gas industry. Finally, a detailed discussion and models’ ranking according to AIC and R 2 is presented showing the numerous advantages of AIC.
An evaluation of the living after loss intervention - part 1: Do bereavement-related outcomes vary by the content of support groups?

This article explores whether the substantive content and specific topics addressed during a 14-week support group can alter the bereavement-related outcomes of widowed older adults over time. It draws on data from the Living After Loss study, which developed a novel support group based on the Dual Process Model of bereavement and provides empirical evidence tracking the longitudinal outcomes of older bereaved spouses. Findings suggest that unless the content is universally relevant, the messaging and topics addressed during the support group do not alter the bereavement-related outcomes of widowed persons over time.
Global distribution of Köppen–Geiger climate types during the Last Glacial Maximum, Mid-Holocene, and present

Abstract This research presents Koppen–Geiger (K-G) climate type maps of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) of 21,000 years ago (21 ka), the mid-Holocene (MH) of 6 ka, and the present (1976–2005). Data used to calculate and map the K-G climate type are-year monthly mean 2-m air temperature and precipitation from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4)—Community Atmosphere Model version 4 (CAM4) as part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Results suggest that the model depicts similar modern climate distributions as in data-based research, excepting a larger distribution of tropical wet–dry and humid subtropical types, and a smaller distribution of hot arid and hot semi-arid types. The modeled modern K-G climate types cover similar percentages of Earth's terrestrial and marine surface as during the MH, with slight enlargement of the tropical wet–dry and decreased area of mesothermal monsoonal hot summer type in the modern period. At the LGM, the K-G Polar (E) climate was far more extensive than in modern times, with concurrent decreases in area of the Tropical (A) climates. Because Koppen-type classifications are intended to mimic the biome distributions, these results may be helpful in identifying biotic realms from the geologic past and the potential vegetative response to future climate changes.
Problems and Issues in Transportation Policy and Implications for Agriculture

M ORE than five billion dollars were spent in 1963 for rail and truck transportation of domestic farm food for civilian consumption. This figure does not include expenditures for water and air transportation of food. Neither does it include anything for hauling nonfood farm products nor for farm production supplies, exclusions which involve sizable sums of money. The five billion dollar figure, therefore, substantially understates agriculture's stake in the current proposals for changing transportation laws and emphasizes how important the degree of regulatory control over transportation of farm products and farm production supplies is. Items of greatest importance to agriculture are presently regulated much less closely than other traffic. These differences in regulatory treatment have become a major issue in the debate over how the transportation laws should be changed; whether transportation of such commodities should be regulated less or regulated more. Railroad rates for the interstate transportation of all commodities, including farm products and supplies, are subject to the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission. This is not true for highway and waterway transportation. Some highway and waterway carriers of farm products are regulated; others are not. Not all for-hire business of the regulated carriers is subject to ICC rate and route jurisdiction, principally as regards unmanufactured agricultural commodities. When the Motor Carrier Act was passed in 1935, Congress exempted from regulatory control interstate transportation of "unmanufactured" products of agriculture and fish.' This exemption applied to the transportation of these commodities by motor carriers who held certificates or permits from the ICC to transport nonexempt commodities as well as to those that haul only the "exempt" ones. The only restriction imposed was that nonexempt and exempt commodities may not be hauled in the truck at the same time.
Long Baseline Optical Interferometry

During the last three years significant results have been obtained from several operational, long baseline optical interferometers. Precision stellar angular diameters (accuracy of order 2% and better) have been reported in the infrared (DiBenedetto and Rabbia, 1987) and in the visible (Davis and Tango, 1986). Astrometric precision of order 20 milliarcsec has been demonstrated over large angles (Shao et al, in press). Spectro-spatial resolution of the disk of a Be star in the hydrogen emission line (Thom et al., 1986) suggests spectacular imaging science to come with many-telescope coherent and phased optical arrays.
Dissecting force interactions in cellulose deconstruction reveals the required solvent versatility for overcoming biomass recalcitrance.

Pretreatment for deconstructing the multifaceted interaction network in crystalline cellulose is a limiting step in making fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. Not soluble in water and most organic ...
Efficient production of Rydberg positronium.

We demonstrate experimentally the production of Rydberg positronium (Ps) atoms in a two-step process, comprising incoherent laser excitation, first to the 2P3 state and then to states with principal quantum numbers ranging from 10 to 25. We find that excitation of 2P3 atoms to Rydberg levels occurs very efficiently (∼90%) and that the ∼25% overall efficiency of the production of Rydberg atoms is determined almost entirely by the spectral overlap of the primary excitation laser and the Doppler broadened width of the 1S3-2P3 transition. The observed efficiency of Rydberg Ps production can be explained if stimulated emission back to the 2P states is suppressed, for example, by intermixing of the Rydberg state Stark sublevels. The efficient production of long-lived Rydberg Ps in a high magnetic field may make it possible to perform direct measurements of the gravitational free fall of Ps. © 2012 American Physical Society.
Factors influencing the irreversible oxygen loss and reversible capacity in layered Li [Li1/3Mn2/3]O2-Li [M]O2 (M = Mn0.5- yNi0.5- yCo2y and Ni1- yCoy) solid solutions

The electrochemical charge−discharge properties of the layered (1 − z)Li[Li1/3Mn2/3]O2·(z)Li[Mn0.5-yNi0.5-yCo2y]O2 (y = 1/12, 1/6, and 1/3 and 0.25 ≤ z ≤ 0.75) and (1 − z)Li[Li1/3Mn2/3]O2·(z)Li[Ni1-yCoy]O2 (0 ≤ y ≤ 1 and 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.7) solid solution series have been investigated with an aim to identify the factors that control the amount of oxygen loss from the lattice during the first charge and the reversible capacity values. The first charge profiles exhibit an initial sloping region A followed by a plateau region B around 4.5 V. The sloping region A is found to be determined by the initial average oxidation state of the transition metal ions and their oxidation to Ni4+ and Co3.6+ with Mn remaining as Mn4+. The plateau region B, which corresponds to an irreversible loss of oxygen from the lattice, is found to be determined by the amount of lithium η in the transition metal layer of the solid solution Li[LiηM1-η]O2. However, high Mn4+ content causes a decrease in oxygen mobility and loss. Moreover, the...
Increased sperm numbers in the deferent duct after prostaglandin F2alpha in rabbits.

SummaryFour experiments were conducted to test the influence of PGF2α on the distribution of sperm in male rabbits. In the first, nine rabbits were anesthetized, one side of the reproductive tract was removed, and 5 mg PGF2α was injected around the remaining testis and epididymis. Relative to the controls, the deferent duct contained more than twice as many sperm at 10, 30, or 60 min after PGF2α. Results from the second trial showed that the deferent duct of rabbits did not accumulate sperm during 30 min under anesthesia without PGF2α treatment, but deferent duct sperm were more than doubled at 30 min after 5 mg PGF2α injected subcutaneously. In the third experiment, four unanesthetized rabbits injected subcutaneously three times (at 20-min intervals) with 10 mg PGF2α had about threefold more deferent duct sperm and significantly fewer sperm in the head-body epididymis than four saline-injected control rabbits. Relative to ten controls in the final experiment, after five sc injections of 1 mg PGF2α at 12-...
Usability of e-Readers for Book Navigation Tasks

Even though more people are beginning to use e-Readers, electronic reading devices, little research exists on the usability of these devices for book reading. This study looks at the usability of three touch-screen e-Readers (iPad, Kindle Fire, and Nook Tablet) for basic book navigation tasks. During the study, participants (N = 16) were asked to complete a series of tasks (e.g., bookmarking a page, highlighting text, etc.) on the three e-Readers, and rate the difficulty of each task. Task completion time and number of taps required to complete each task on each device was also recorded. Participants rated each device on their perception of workload and satisfaction. When they completed all the tasks on all the devices, participants were asked to rank each device on a series of attributes and overall preference. Results revealed no overall “winner” and no significant differences between the devices on perceived workload and satisfaction. Each device proved to have some strengths and weaknesses by task. Th...
Application of Capture-recapture Method and Division Method to Estimate the Population Size of Men Who Have Sex With Men

Objective To estimate the population size of men who have sex with men( MSM) in Chongqing municipality with nested application of both capture-recapture method and division method. Methods During the two months in 2012,the first capture number in the four gay bars in Chongqing was recorded and by chance of face-to-face interview the average number of the MSM was survey in recapture. Nested application of capture-recapture method and the division method were applied to estimate the size of MSM in Chongqing municipality in 2012. Results With division method, the MSM population size was estimated as 11 483, while with capture- recapture method the population size was estimated as 16 891. The MSM population size ranged from 11 483 to 16 891. Conclusion Division method is suitable for estimating the population size of the active MSM and can lower the cost when nested in capture-recapture method. The nested application of the two methods is feasible.
23 EMPOWERING YOUTH TO PREVENT TYPE 2 DIABETES IN FERNDALE, WASHINGTON.

Purpose To raise awareness surrounding type 2 diabetes and encourage its prevention among youth in Ferndale, Washington, a community project was designed describing how a combination of proper nutrition and daily physical activity promotes health and prevents development of this chronic illness. Methods Three separate approaches (class lessons, handout, brochure) aimed to promote understanding regarding the significance of type 2 diabetes and its prevention. Two 8th grade classes at the local middle school completed an informal survey to assess current eating and exercise habits, as well as knowledge about type 2 diabetes. Survey responses and additional information from a MEDLINE literature search and interviews with local health care providers helped to develop a follow-up interactive class lesson discussing the prevalence, causes, and consequences of type 2 diabetes and how both proper nutrition and daily activity promote prevention. Students received a handout with specific ideas for healthy lifestyle choices. A prevention brochure targeting youth was distributed to Vista Middle School, the Ferndale Family Medical Center, and the Ferndale Boys & Girls Club. Results High prevalence of type 2 diabetes in patients at the Ferndale Medical Center, as well as reported poor eating and exercise habits and lack of knowledge concerning type 2 diabetes among youth, were identified as areas needing increased awareness and education. Informative materials designed for and presented to the community aimed to encourage healthy behavior changes in adolescents. Conclusion Observation of a community, open communication involving local health care professionals and community members, and a review of literature can help to elicit a specific community concern. Increasing community awareness by empowering youth builds a foundation for lifestyle changes that can lead to long-term community solutions as this age group seeks autonomy in building personal lifestyle patterns.
Open-heart surgery during the first three months of life.

Twenty-eight of 70 infants (40 per cent) with critical congenital heart disease required corrective surgery within the first 3 months of life. They were operated upon by means of deep hypothermia with surface cooling and limited cardiopulmonary bypass. These infants weighed between 2 and 5 kilograms. Twenty-six (93 per cent) of these patients had correctable lesions: ventricular septal defect (VSD), 9 infants; tetralogy of Fallot, 6 infants; d-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) with intact ventricular septum, 4 patients; d-TGA with VSD, 2 infants; total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), 4 children, and aortic stenosis, 1 patient. Twenty-two (85 per cent) of these patients survived. Two other infants died because the lesions were noncorrectable: a 1-day-old infant with rhabdomyoma and a 30-day-old infant with both Type II truncus arteriosus and complete endocardial cushion defect. The technique of deep hypothermia with surface cooling and limited cardiopulmonary bypass proved very useful in these tiny infants, because it provides optimal operative conditions. The bloodless and motionless operating field and the absence of intracardiac cannulas and suction lines permit delicate technical maneuvers inside the very small heart.
A Dialogue-Based Approach to Multi-Robot Team Control

This paper describes an approach to integrating a human into a team of robots through a dialogue-based planning assistant. We describe how the Rochester Interactive Planning System (TRIPS) is able to recognize and translate a user’s intentions into collaborative problem solving acts. The user interacts naturally through language and avoids complex machine interfaces as TRIPS manages the appropriate lower level robotic commands and semantics. The system acts as a mediator to the user, managing all coordination and agent communication for a vast number of robots that would normally overwhelm a single user.
Shear stress- and line length-dependent screw dislocation cross-slip in FCC Ni

Abstract Screw dislocation cross-slip is important in dynamic recovery of deformed metals. A mobile screw dislocation segment can cross slip to annihilate an immobile screw dislocation segment with opposite Burgers vector, leaving excess dislocations of one kind in a crystal. Previous studies have found that the cross-slip process depends on both the local stress state and dislocation line length, yet a quantitative study of the combined effects of these two factors has not been conducted. In this work, we employ both dynamic concurrent atomistic-continuum (CAC) [L. Xiong, G. Tucker, D.L. McDowell, Y. Chen, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 59 (2011) 160–177] and molecular dynamics simulations to explore the shear stress- and line length-dependent screw dislocation cross-slip in face-centered cubic Ni. It is demonstrated that the CAC approach can accurately describe the 3-D cross-slip process at a significantly reduced computational cost, as a complement to other numerical methods. In particular, we show that the Fleischer (FL) [R.L. Fleischer, Acta Metall. 7 (1959) 134–135] type cross-slip, in which a stair-rod dislocation is involved, can be simulated in the coarse-grained domain. Our simulations show that as the applied shear stress increases, the cross-slip mechanism changes from the Friedel-Escaig (FE) [B. Escaig, J. Phys. 29 (1968) 225–239] type to the FL type. In addition, the critical shear stress for both cross-slip mechanisms depends on the dislocation line length. Moreover, the cross-slip of a screw dislocation with a length of 6.47 nm analyzed using periodic boundary conditions occurs via only the FL mechanism, whereas a longer dislocation with length of 12.94 nm can cross-slip via either the FE or FL process in Ni subject to different shear stresses.
Multifocal sensory demyelinating neuropathy: Report of a case.

Introduction Multifocal sensory demyelinating neuropathy has not been adequately reported in the literature. Methods A 42-year-old man with numbness of the left hand for 3 years and of the right hand for 6 months had a pure multifocal sensory neuropathy involving both hands, most prominently affecting 2-point discrimination, number writing, and object recognition of the left hand. Near-nerve needle sensory and mixed nerve conduction studies were performed on the left ulnar nerve. Results Studies of the left ulnar nerve documented a demyelinating neuropathy characterized by temporal dispersion and marked decrease in the amplitudes of the sensory and mixed compound nerve potentials in the above-elbow-axilla segment. With intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, there was improvement in his neuropathic condition. Conclusion In this study I describe a case of multifocal sensory demyelinating neuropathy as a counterpart of multifocal motor neuropathy. Muscle Nerve 56: 825-828, 2017.
How Hospitable Are Space Weather Affected Habitable Zones? The Role of Ion Escape

Atmospheres of exoplanets in the habitable zones around active young G-K-M stars are subject to extreme X-ray and EUV (XUV) (Extreme Ultraviolet) fluxes from their host stars that can initiate atmospheric erosion. Atmospheric loss affects exoplanetary habitability in terms of surface water inventory, atmospheric pressure, the efficiency of greenhouse warming, and the dosage of the UV surface irradiation. Thermal escape models suggest that exoplanetary atmospheres around active K-M stars should undergo massive hydrogen escape, while heavier species including oxygen will accumulate forming an oxidizing atmosphere. Here, we show that non-thermal oxygen ion escape could be as important as thermal, hydrodynamic H escape in removing the constituents of water from exoplanetary atmospheres under supersolar XUV irradiation. Our models suggest that the atmospheres of a significant fraction of Earth-like exoplanets around M dwarfs and active K stars exposed to high XUV fluxes will incur a significant atmospheric loss rate of oxygen and nitrogen, which will make them uninhabitable within a few tens to hundreds million years, given a low replenishment rate from volcanism or cometary bombardment. Our non-thermal escape models have important implications for the habitability of the Proxima Centauri's terrestrial planet.
Of Fur, Feather, and Fin: Human's Use and Concern for Non-Human Species

The public’s concern for animal welfare is evolving and it is important to consider factors that are related to concern for animals and their use by humans. An online survey of 825 U.S. residents was conducted. Relationships between approval of animal uses and stated concern for animal welfare were examined. More than 90% of respondents reported that using animals for egg production, service or therapy, pets, and milk production was acceptable to them. Respondents who were younger or reported being female less frequently found most uses acceptable than older or male respondents. Half of respondents reported concern for the welfare of bison while 40% or more stated concern for the welfare of elk, beef cattle, and dairy cattle. Respondents who stated they were concerned for the welfare of dairy cattle less frequently reported accepting using animals for meat production, livestock shows, and hunting. Thus, self-reported concern for animal species and acceptance of the use of animals were related in some instances. A better understanding of the factors related to acceptance of animal uses and concern for animal welfare will help animal-related industries and wildlife agencies develop practices that are consistent with public attitudes.
Mecamylamine treatment for alcohol dependence: a randomized controlled trial.

Background and aims The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, mecamylamine, is a potential novel pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder. The aims were to compare alcohol consumption between mecamylamine and placebo and test if smoking status modified treatment effects. Design Outpatient, randomized, double-blind clinical trial for 12 weeks of treatment with mecamylamine (10mg) (n=65) vs. placebo (n=63). Setting Connecticut, USA. Participants Individuals had current alcohol dependence (n=128), had an average age of 48.5 (SD=9.4), 110 (85.9%) were men, and included 74 smokers (57.8%) and 54 non-smokers (42.2%) Intervention and comparator Participants were randomized to mecamylamine 10mg per day or placebo. All subjects also received Medical Management therapy administered by trained research personnel. Measurements Primary outcome was percent heavy drinking days during the last month of treatment; other outcomes included drinking days, drinks per drinking days, alcohol craving, smoking, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and side effects. Findings There were no significant differences in the percent of heavy drinking days at 3 months between the mecamylamine (mean=18.4, SD=29.0) and placebo treatment groups (mean=20.4, SD=29.2) (F1, 100 =1.3, p=0.25; effect size d=0.07; mean difference=2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) =-8.96 to 13.08). There were no significant differences in percent of drinking days or in drinks per drinking day at month 3 between the mecamylamine and placebo groups; and were no significant interactions. Conclusions Mecamylamine 10mg pd did not significantly reduce alcohol consumption in treatment seeking smokers and non-smokers with alcohol use disorder.
Emerging roles of linker histones in regulating chromatin structure and function

Together with core histones, which make up the nucleosome, the linker histone (H1) is one of the five main histone protein families present in chromatin in eukaryotic cells. H1 binds to the nucleosome to form the next structural unit of metazoan chromatin, the chromatosome, which may help chromatin to fold into higher-order structures. Despite their important roles in regulating the structure and function of chromatin, linker histones have not been studied as extensively as core histones. Nevertheless, substantial progress has been made recently. The first near-atomic resolution crystal structure of a chromatosome core particle and an 11 A resolution cryo-electron microscopy-derived structure of the 30 nm nucleosome array have been determined, revealing unprecedented details about how linker histones interact with the nucleosome and organize higher-order chromatin structures. Moreover, several new functions of linker histones have been discovered, including their roles in epigenetic regulation and the regulation of DNA replication, DNA repair and genome stability. Studies of the molecular mechanisms of H1 action in these processes suggest a new paradigm for linker histone function beyond its architectural roles in chromatin.
Prediction of back-splicing sites reveals sequence compositional features of human circular RNAs

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of RNAs with mostly unknown function, and their biogenesis is still unclear. CircRNAs often show tissue and developmental stage-specific expression, and have been reported to be associated with human diseases such as cancer. During the pre-RNA processing, the 5' and 3' termini of one or more exons can be joined together to form circRNAs, and this process is called back-splicing. However, not all RNA splicing sites can participate in back-splicing. To understand the mechanism of circRNA formation, we used two different machine learning algorithms, random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM), to predict back-splicing sites from sequence compositional features. Our results indicate that both RF and SVM models can accurately predict back-splicing sites. Moreover, informative sequence features have been selected using RF, and the identified sequence motifs provide new insight into the mechanism of circRNA formation. To our knowledge, this work represents the first published study to utilize machine learning techniques to model RNA back-splicing sites, and the novel method can be useful for understanding circRNA biogenesis and regulation.
Teaching Critical Understandings of Realism through Historical War Simulations

This article presents a simple modular simulation for teaching the advantages and limitations of Realist theory in an introductory international relations course. The advantages of this simulation include low preparation time, minimal resource requirements, and ease of integration with existing curricula. The game design is built around Kenneth Waltz’s “three-image” framework for analyzing international politics, in a way that increases scenario complexity but not game difficulty. The article describes the full simulation process, from game design and implementation through debriefing and assessment. Two historical simulations were conducted: the first helped students to understand Realism and the second helped them to see its limitations. The article concludes with a discussion of the results of a voluntary, anonymous postgame survey that is intended to assess achievement of our learning objective.
Dental Topography and Microwear Texture in Sapajus Apella

Abstract Dental microwear texture pattern has been associated with aspects of diet for a broad range of mammalian taxa. The basic idea is that soft, tough foods are sheared with a steeper angle of approach between opposing occlusal surfaces, whereas hard, brittle items are crushed with forces perpendicular to those surfaces; and this difference is manifested in anisotropic, striated microwear textures for tough foods, and complex, pitted ones for hard objects. Other factors may, however, influence microwear texture pattern and confound diet signals. For example, if tooth surface slope influences angle of approach between opposing teeth, then perhaps wear-related changes in tooth shape could affect microwear pattern. This study evaluates the effects of occlusal topography on microwear texture for a series of variably worn upper second molars of one primate species, Sapajus apella. Results indicate no significant covariation between any measured topographic attribute (average slope, angularity, relief) and microwear texture variable (complexity, anisotropy, textural fill volume). This suggests that, for this taxon at least, wear-related changes in tooth form do not affect microwear pattern in a consistent manner. This implies that variably worn teeth can be included in samples for comparisons aimed at distinguishing groups by diet.