cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boundary conditions for the Einstein evolution system

New boundary conditions are constructed and tested numerically for a general first-order form of the Einstein evolution system. These conditions prevent constraint violations from entering the computational domain through timelike boundaries, allow the simulation of isolated systems by preventing physical gravitational waves from entering the computational domain, and are designed to be compatible with the fixed-gauge evolutions used here. These new boundary conditions are shown to be effective in limiting the growth of constraints in 3D nonlinear numerical evolutions of dynamical black-hole spacetimes.
Zinc and Epileptogenesis

Zinc is concentrated in the hippocampus, particularly in the mossy fiber axons of the dentate gyrus, and has been hypothesized to be important in neurodegeneration and epilepsy. Previous studies have suggested that activity-dependent release of zinc from reorganized mossy fibers leads to collapse of granule-cell inhibition. Synaptically released zinc has been proposed to depress the function of the new “epileptic” GABAA receptors, which have subunits that are zinc-sensitive. Recent experiments by Molnar and Nadler have replicated the previous data, and further tested this hypothesis. Their work suggests that activated mossy fibers in hippocampal slices do not release adequate zinc to depress GABAA receptor function at nearby inhibitory synapses. These studies point to the complexity of this hypothesis, particularly in regard to zinc release in vitro versus in vivo and the diffusion of zinc in the extracellular space.
Laser Induced Forward Transfer

The laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) technique employs a pulsed laser to transfer material, originally precoated as a thin film on a transparent support, from that support onto a selected target substrate. LIFT has been used to deposit a variety of thin films, thick films through the repetitive transfer of thin films, multilayer structures through the transfer of appropriately layered precoated films, and metal silicon alloys.
Computer-assisted distance learning. I. Audiographic teleconferencing, interactive satellite broadcasts, and technical Japanese instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

The primary mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Technical Japanese Program is to train English-speaking scientists and engineers to read technical documents written in Japanese. Semester-long courses in technical Japanese at the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels are now being offered live and interactively to students and professionals throughout the United States. Audiographic teleconferencing employs standard microcomputer hardware and a high quality sound system to share audio and visuals with many people simultaneously. Pictures, text in any writing system, data, and high-resolution graphics are transmitted to participants at multiple, remote locations over ordinary telephone lines. Visuals can be annotated during the class using a graphics tablet. Alternatively, the same computer-generated image can be fed to a satellite and then broadcast throughout the country. Satellite broadcasts, coupled with the use of an audio conferencing system at each receive site, provide another effective method for interactive course delivery to sites beyond the university campus. During the three years in which technical Japanese courses have been delivered via audiographics or satellite to remote sites, student acceptance of the computer-based instructional system has been excellent. In this paper the authors describe the impact of audiographic teleconferencing on the teaching of technical Japanese. >
The ‘Geographic Emission Benchmark’ model: a baseline approach to measuring emissions associated with deforestation and degradation

This paper proposes a new land-change model, the Geographic Emission Benchmark (GEB), as an approach to quantify land-cover changes associated with deforestation and forest degradation. The GEB is designed to determine ‘baseline’ activity data for reference levels. Unlike other models that forecast business-as-usual future deforestation, the GEB internally (1) characterizes ‘forest’ and ‘deforestation’ with minimal processing and ground-truthing and (2) identifies ‘deforestation hotspots’ using open-source spatial methods to estimate regional rates of deforestation. The GEB also characterizes forest degradation and identifies leakage belts. This paper compares the accuracy of GEB with GEOMOD, a popular land-change model used in the UN-REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Program. Using a case study of the Chinese tropics for comparison, GEB’s projection is more accurate than GEOMOD’s, as measured by Figure of Merit. Thus, the GEB produces baseline activity data that are mode...
Enantioselective Formal Total Syntheses of Didehydrostemofoline and Isodidehydrostemofoline through a Catalytic Dipolar Cycloaddition Cascade

Sweet to the Core Enantioselective formal total syntheses of the Stemona alkaloids didehydrostemofoline and isodidehydrostemofoline were accomplished in 24 steps from commercially available 2-deoxy-d-ribose. The synthesis features a novel cascade of reactions culminating in an intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition to form the cage-like, tricyclic core of the stemofoline alkaloids from an acyclic diazo imine intermediate.
IMPULSIVE LOAD STIFFNESS OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS

A method is presented on how to determine the impulsive load stiffness of existing flexible pavements using in-situ impulsive testing of existing pavements and simplified theories. For the roads considered, it is found that the impulsive load stiffness for the good road is significantly higher than that for the poor road. In addition, it varies considerably from season to season, being lowest during the spring thaw. Based upon this initial study, a flexible pavement whose impulsive load stiffness is at least 4,000 lb-sec per in. (for a 15-in. diameter striker plate) may be considered a good road. In view of these results, the impulsive load stiffness might be potentially useful as one of the important factors in: (1) posting of load restrictions, (2) determining the amount of pavement deterioration and (3) evaluating the quality of pavements.
Hepatic intra-arterial adriamycin in metastatic leiomyosarcoma: Exploiting the steep dose-response curve

We report a case of extensive leiomyosarcoma of the liver that failed on systemic Adriamycin. Hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy with Adriamycin has resulted in a lasting clinical remission. This report illustrates the importance of the dose-response curve of drug to tumor in regional chemotherapy as with Adriamycin used in sarcoma, and the need to further explore such therapy in moderately chemosensitive tumors that are surgically unresectable for anatomic reasons.
How Sociology Lost Public Opinion A Genealogy of a Missing Concept in the Study of the Political

In contemporary sociology the once prominent study of public opinion has virtually disappeared. None of the leading theoretical models in the closest disciplinary subfield (political sociology) cur...
Micrometer-scale physical structure and microbial composition of soil macroaggregates

Abstract Soil macroaggregates are discrete, separable units of soil that we hypothesize contain smaller assemblages of microorganisms than bulk soil, and represent a scale potentially consistent with naturally occurring microbial communities. We posed two questions to explore microbial community composition in the context of the macroaggregate: 1) Is there a relationship between macroaggregate physical structure and microbial community composition in individual macroaggregates? And, 2) How similar are the bacterial communities in individual sub-millimeter soil macroaggregates sampled from the same 5-cm core? To address these questions, individual macroaggregates of three arbitrary size classes (250–425, 425–841, and 841–1000 μm) were sampled from a grassland field. The physical structures of 14 individual macroaggregates were characterized using synchrotron-radiation based transmission X-ray tomography, revealing that a greater proportion of the pore space in the small- and medium-sized macroaggregates is as relatively smaller pores, resulting in greater overall porosity and pore–mineral interface area in these smaller macroaggregates. Microbial community composition was characterized using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing data. Rarefaction analyses indicated that the membership of each macroaggregate was sufficiently sampled with only a few thousand sequences; in addition, the community membership varied widely between macroaggregates and the structure varied from those communities strongly dominated by a few phylotypes to communities that were evenly distributed among several phylotypes. We found no strong relationship of physical structure with community membership; this may be due to the low number of aggregates (10) for which we have both physical and biological data. Our results do support our initial expectation that individual macroaggregate communities were significantly less diverse than bulk soil from the same grassland field site.
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Induce a Mitophagy-Associated Endothelial Cytotoxicity That Is Reversed by Coenzyme Q10 Cotreatment

Cardiovascular complications have been documented in HIV-1 infected populations, and antiretroviral therapy may play a role. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are antiretrovirals known to induce mitochondrial damage in endothelial cells, culminating in endothelial dysfunction, an initiating event in atherogenesis. Though the mechanism for NRTI-induced endothelial toxicity is not yet clear, our prior work suggested that a mitochondrial oxidative stress may be involved. To further delineate the mechanism of toxicity, endothelial cells were treated with NRTIs of varying subclasses, and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial function were assessed. To test whether rescue of mitochondrial electron transport attenuated NRTI-induced endothelial cytotoxicity, in some cases, cells were cotreated with the electron transport cofactor coenzyme Q10 (Q10). At 4-6h, NRTIs increased levels of ROS but decreased the activities of electron transport chain complexes I-IV, levels of ATP and the NAD/NADH ratio. Moreover, nitric oxide levels were decreased, whereas endothelin-1 release was increased. Q10 abolished NRTI-induced mitochondria injury and effects on endothelial agonist production. Interestingly, in cells treated with NRTIs only, markers for mitochondrial toxicity returned to baseline levels by 18-24h, suggesting a compensatory mechanism for clearing damaged mitochondria. Using confocal microscopy, with confirmation utilizing the autophagy and mitophagy markers LC-3 and Nix, respectively, we observed autophagy of mitochondria at 8-10h after treatment. Q10 prevented NRTI-mediated increase in LC-3. These findings suggest that NRTI-induced mitophagy may be involved in NRTI-induced endothelial dysfunction and that this damage likely results from oxidant injury. Further, Q10 supplementation could potentially prevent NRTI-induced endothelial dysfunction.
Glucan-binding factor in saliva.

Abstract High-molecular-weight polymers of alpha-1,6-linked D-glucans are insoluble in alcohol solutions. Whole, but not parotid, saliva prevented the precipitation of D-glucans by 80% (vol/vol) ethanol, showing that the whole saliva contained a factor which complexed with the glucan to render it alcohol soluble. The glucan-binding factor was retained on a column of Sephacryl S-200 which had been preequilibrated with 80% ethanol. The factor was then eluted with water. Passive hemagglutination assays revealed that the glucan-binding factor could sensitize erythrocytes to agglutination with anti-poly(glycerolphosphate), suggesting that the active glucan-binding component with lipoteichoic acid. The glucan-solubilizing factor was resistant to heat (100 degrees C), proteases, sialidase, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, trichloroacetic acid, and Triton X-100. When sucrose was added to saliva, a suspension of Streptococcus cricetus AHT, or a suspension of Streptococcus sanguis 10556, relatively large amounts of glucan-binding factor were released in a soluble form. In addition, penicillin G caused the release of the glucan-solubilizing component from a suspension of S. cricetus AHT. It is suggested that whole saliva contains a component, tentatively identified as lipoteichoic acid, which can complex with glucans in a relatively hydrophobic solvent. This type of complex formation may be important in the adhesion of oral streptococci to saliva-coated surfaces.
Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and oxygen-to-carbon elemental ratios following thermodenuder treatment of organic particles grown by α-pinene ozonolysis.

The effects of thermodenuder treatment on the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and elemental composition of organic particles grown by α-pinene ozonolysis were investigated. The secondary organic material (SOM) was produced in a continuous-flow chamber, with steady-state organic particle mass concentrations Morg ranging from 1.4 to 37 μg m−3. Particles exiting in the outflow were heated to temperatures T of up to 100 °C in a thermodenuder. The oxygen-to-carbon (O:C) and hydrogen-to-carbon (H:C) ratios were measured by on-line mass spectrometry. The observed elemental ratios were fit by a linear function, given by (H:C) = −0.8 (O:C) +1.8 for 0.38 < O:C < 0.50. This fit included the dependence on both Morg and T, meaning that the single variable of post-thermodenuder Morg was sufficient as an accurate predictor for O:C(Morg(T)) and H:C(Morg(T)). This result suggests that equilibrium partitioning theory largely governed the initial volatilization in the thermodenuder. By comparison, the CCN activity had a different dependence on thermodenuder treatment. At 25 °C, the CCN activity was independent of Morg, having an effective hygroscopicity parameter κorg of 0.103 ± 0.002. At 100 °C, however, κorg varied from 0.105 for Morg = 1.4 μg m−3 to 0.079 for Morg = 37 μg m−3, indicating that for high mass concentration the CCN activity decreased with heat treatment. The interpretation is that the oligomer fraction of the SOM increased at elevated T, both because of particle-phase reactions that produced oligomers under those conditions and because of the relative enrichment of lower-volatility oligomers in the SOM accompanying the evaporation of higher-volatility monomers from the SOM. Oligomers have high effective molecular weights and thereby significantly influence CCN activity. The production rates of different types of oligomers depend on the types and concentrations of functional groups present in the SOM, which in turn are strongly influenced by Morg. We conclude with a hypothesis, which is supported by a detailed molecular kinetic model, that the changes in κorg at high T were more significant at high compared to low Morg because particle-phase SOM at high Morg contained a mix of functional groups favorable to oligomerization, such as carbonyl groups.
Downed wood in Micronesian mangrove forests.

Dead, downed wood is an important component of upland forest and aquatic ecosystems, but its role in wetland ecosystems, including mangroves, is poorly understood. We measured downed wood in ten sites on the western Pacific islands of Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, all located within the Federated States of Micronesia. Our goals were to examine patterns of variability in the quantity of downed wood in these mangrove ecosystems, provide a general characterization of downed wood in a region with no previously published accounts, and investigate the relationship between harvesting practices and the amount of downed wood. The overall mean volume of downed wood at our study sites was estimated to be 60.8 m3 ha−1 (20.9 t ha−1), which is greater than most published data for forested wetlands. There were significant differences among islands, with the sites on Kosrae (104.2 m3 ha−1) having a much greater mean volume of downed wood than those on Pohnpei (43.1 m3 ha−1) or Yap (35.1 m3 ha−1). Part of the difference among islands may be attributable to differences in stand age and structure, but the most important factor seems to be the greater amount of wood harvesting on Kosrae, coupled with a low efficiency of use of cut trees. Of a total of 45 cut trees examined on Kosrae, no wood had been removed from 18 (40%); these are believed to be trees cut down because other, more valuable, trees were caught on them as they were felled. Of the other 27 trees, only 24 to 42% of the stem volume (to a 10 cm top) was removed from the forest, the amount varying by species. The impacts of current harvesting practices are unknown but may include important effects on tree regeneration and the abundance and species composition of crab populations.
A Non-linear Temperature–Time Program for Non-isothermal Kinetic Measurements

A new temperature–time program for non-isothermal measurements of chemical reaction rates has been developed. The major advantages of the proposed temperature–time function are twofold: Firstly, the analysis of kinetic information in the high temperature range of the measurement is improved over the conventional linear temperature program by slowing the rate of temperature increase in the high temperature range and secondly, the new temperature program greatly facilitates the data analysis by providing a closed-form solution of the temperature integral and allows a convenient way to obtain the kinetic parameters by eliminating the need for the approximate evaluation of the temperature integral. The procedures for applying the new temperature–time program to the analysis of experimental data are demonstrated in terms of the determination of the kinetic parameters based on the selection of a suitable conversion function in the rate equation as well as the direct determination of activation energy at different conversion extents without the need for a conversion function. The rate analysis based on the new temperature program is robust and does not appear to be sensitive to errors in experimental measurements.
Discovery of small-molecule nonpeptide antagonists of nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor: The studies of design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships for (4-arylpiperidine substituted-methyl)-[bicyclic (hetero)cycloalkanobenzene] derivatives.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and N/OFQ peptide (NOP) receptor are expressed and distributed in various regions such as central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system, immune system, and peripheral tissues. N/OFQ and NOP receptor have important roles on a variety of physiological, pathophysiological, regulatory, and dysregulatory mechanisms in the living body. Both activation and blockade of NOP receptor function have displayed clinical potential of NOP receptor agonists and antagonists for the treatment of various diseases or pathophysiological conditions, respectively. Potent and selective NOP receptor agonists/antagonists are also useful tools to investigate the various mechanisms mediated by NOP receptor-N/OFQ system. As the present study, a series of (4-arylpiperidine substituted-methyl)-[bicyclic (hetero)cycloalkanobenzene] analogs was designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated in vitro to seek and identify potent and selective, small-molecules of nonpeptide NOP receptor antagonists, which resulted in the discovery of novel potent small-molecule 15 with high human NOP receptor selectivity over human μ receptor. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the potency and selectivity, structure-metabolic stability relationship (SMR), and SAR of hERG (human ether-a-go-go related gene) potassium ion channel binding affinity for the analogs in the present studies in vitro provided or suggested significant and/or useful structural determinants and insights for the respective purposes. The superior profiles of compound 15 are discussed with a viewpoint of multisite interactions between ligand and NOP receptor, together with the results of previous NOP receptor agonist/antagonist studies.
An early condor-like vulture from North America

-A new genus and species of condor-like vulture (Ciconiiformes: Vulturidae) is described from the middle Miocene (Barstovian) of North America and is the earliest condor now known in the New World. The fossil record at present indicates that the Vulturidae originated in the Old World, but diversified in the New World. Large body size in vultures developed in North America at least 4 million years (Ma) earlier than thought previously, and the condors probably evolved in North America. Condors were most diverse in the late Pleistocene but are now near extinction. Received 16 October 1987, accepted 22 March
Demographic and clinical factors related to ostomy complications and quality of life in veterans with an ostomy.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life variables related to ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting to an ostomy) in a veteran population in the United States. Design The original study employed a descriptive crosssectional study using a mixed method design. This secondary analysis used the quantitative data collected. Sample and setting Two hundred thirty-nine veterans with intestinal ostomies from 3 Veteran's Administration hospitals participated in the study. Methods Instruments used for this investigation included the City of Hope Quality of Life: Ostomy Instrument. Demographic and medical history data were collected from the survey, the Veteran's Administration health information system, and the Tumor Registry database. A self-administered survey questionnaire (mCOH-QOL-Ostomy) was mailed to each participant. Results The severity of skin irritation, problems with leakage, and difficulty adjusting were significantly related to demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life domains. Univariate analyses showed that age, income, employment, preoperative care (stoma site marking and education), having a partner, ostomy type, reason for ostomy, time since surgery, total quality-of-life scores and scores on all 4 domains of quality of life were related to the severity of these ostomy complications. Age was inversely related to severity of all 3 ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting). Having an ileostomy, rather than a colostomy, was associated with higher severity of skin irritation. Having had the stoma site marked preoperatively was associated with less difficulty adjusting to an ostomy, and having had preoperative ostomy education was associated with less severe problems with skin irritation and leakage. Severity of each ostomy complication predicted total quality-of-life scores. Difficulty adjusting to the ostomy was related to all 4 quality-of-life domains (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). Conclusions This study found important relationships between demographic and clinical factors and ostomy complications. Skin problems, leakage, and difficulty adjusting predicted total quality of life scores and domains. Establishing relationships among ostomy complications and demographic, clinical factors, and quality of life can enhance identification of patients at risk for the development of complications and is an important first step in identifying the development of effective interventions to reduce the negative impact of complications for people with ostomies. Further study of predictors and outcomes of ostomy complications is needed to improve care.
Suppressive Effect of Anti-Allergic Mediators on Experimental Encephalomyelitis.

SummaryIntensive treatment of guinea pigs with anaphylatoxin sufficient to prevent passively induced anaphylaxis did not alter the development of experimental allergic en-cephalomyelitis. In contrast, anti-serotonin drugs, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methysergide maleate (Sansert), did suppress the development of the auto-immune disease in about 30% of rats or guinea pigs during the period of drug treatment.
In Situ Production of Hydrolytic Detoxifying Enzymes by Symbiotic Yeasts in the Cigarette Beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

The ability of symbiotic yeast found in larvae and adults of Lasiodema seicorne (F.) to detoxify xenobiotics hydrolytically in situ was investigated. The symbionts of larvae and adults hydrolyzed I-naphthyl acetate, a reaction that was inhibited by DEF (S, S, S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate, Chern Service) and mercuric chloride. The yeasts also accumulated tannic acid, which was hydrolyzed to gallic acid. Thus, in addition to nutritional contributions that were previously demonstrated, these symbionts are capable of assisting the survival of the host by detoxifying xenobiotics.
The fracture resistance and crack-tip micromechanics of in-situ intermetallic composites

The Cr2Nb intermetallic compound is attractive as a high-temperature material because of its high melting point, low creep rate, and good oxidation resistance. However, this material is also extremely brittle at ambient temperature. Consequently, substantial efforts have been made to develop Cr2Nb-based in-situ composites containing a ductile phase with the aim of imparting fracture resistance while maintaining most of the high-temperature properties. This article presents an overview of the effects of matrix composition on the fracture resistance and crack-tip micromechanics for Cr2Nb-containing in-situ composites based on the Nb-Cr-Ti system. Crack-tip strain measurements are presented to illustrate the important effects of titanium addition on the ductility of the solid-solution phase and the fracture process in the in-situ composites.
The Separation and Determination of Liothyronine and Levothyroxine in Tablets by Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system is described for the determination of liothyronine sodium (NaT3) and levothyroxine sodium (NaT4) in tablets using an octadecylsilane reversed-phase (RP-18) column packing with a mobile phase consisting of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, methanol, and water at 44 degrees C. After extracting the active ingredient from the excipients with dilute sodium hydroxide, an aliquot was chromatographed and the components were detected and quantitated by their UV spectrophotometric response at 254 nm.
Intermediate valence in the filled skutterudite compound YbFe 4 Sb 12

We have synthesized and characterized ${\mathrm{YbFe}}_{4}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{12},$ a member of the class of filled skutterudite (${\mathrm{LaFe}}_{4}{\mathrm{P}}_{12}$-type) compounds. Measurements of the lattice parameter, magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat suggest that the Yb ions have an intermediate valence and that the effective mass of the conduction electrons is moderately enhanced at low temperatures. The coefficient of the electronic specific heat is estimated to be $\ensuremath{\gamma}(0)=140{\mathrm{mJ}\mathrm{}\mathrm{mol}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}{\mathrm{}\mathrm{K}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2},$ and we observe a characteristic temperature for the Yb ion valence fluctuations of ${T}^{*}\ensuremath{\sim}50\mathrm{K}.$ No superconductivity was detected down to $T=0.40\mathrm{K}.$
Introduction: Impact of Natural Disasters Implications for Human and Social Services

This special issue is dedicated to advancing the social work knowledge base on human needs, effective and relevant intervention strategies, and research in the context of natural disasters. In this introduction to the special issue on the “Impact of Natural Disasters: Implications for Human and Social Services,” the rationale for this project and an overview of each article is provided.
Self-Efficacy and Hemoglobin A1C Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness and Type 2 Diabetes: The Roles of Cognitive Functioning and Psychiatric Symptom Severity.

BACKGROUND Self-efficacy is a core element of diabetes self-care and a primary target of diabetes interventions. Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) are twice as likely as adults among the general population to have Type 2 diabetes. This population faces substantial barriers (i.e., cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms) to optimal diabetes self-care, but the relationship of these barriers to both self-efficacy and glycemic control (hemoglobin A1C [A1C]) is not clearly understood. METHODS Data collected from adult participants with SMI (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder) and Type 2 diabetes (n = 92) were used to examine the moderating effects of cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms (i.e., positive and negative symptoms) on the association between self-efficacy and A1C. RESULTS The relationship between self-efficacy and A1C was moderated by cognitive functioning (B = -4.03, standard error = 1.54, p = .011). Greater self-efficacy was associated with better glycemic control when cognitive functioning was high, but worse control when functioning was low. The relationship between self-efficacy and A1C was moderated by negative symptom severity (B = 6.88, standard error = 3.34, p = .043). Higher self-efficacy was associated with poorer glycemic control only when negative symptom severity was high. Positive symptoms did not interact with self-efficacy to predict A1C. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that adults with SMI and low cognitive function or high negative symptom severity may misperceive their ability to manage their diabetes. They may benefit from efforts, including care management and monitoring, cognitive remediation, and skill training, to identify and correct inaccurate diabetes self-efficacy.
Preliminary Serological Survey of Toxoplasmosis in Huiyang District

Objective To investigate the serum anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG level in livestock workers and people who frequently contact animals in Huiyang district and to offer the basis for setting strategy for controling the disease. Methods Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG was detected by enzyme-immunoassay in the samples collected from people with different occupation in Huiyang district. Results Samples from 1 036 people had been examined. 8 samples were detected positive for anti-Toxoplasma gondii, with a positive rate of 0.8%. The positive rate was the highest in butchers (5.0%). The antibody positive rates in male and female were 0.78% and 0.76%, respectively. The positive rate increased with age in the age of 30 to 50. Conclusion Toxoplasmosis is zoonosis. The effective integrated control measure is to change people's bad habit and arouse their safety consciousness.
An Experimental Testing Method of AGC Servo Cylinder Leakage

Internal leakage is one of the main effecting factors of AGC hydraulic cylinder.In this paper,the leakage mathematic model of the hydraulic cylinder was established;experimental methods were designed;the experiment rig was established.Cylinder's internal leakage curves were obtained,and experimental calculating equitation was acquired.
Heterotrimeric G-protein signaling in polycystic kidney disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a signalopathy of renal tubular epithelial cells caused by naturally occurring mutations in two distinct genes, polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) and 2 (PKD2). Genetic variants in PKD1, which encodes the polycystin-1 (PC-1) protein, remain the predominant factor associated with the pathogenesis of nearly two-thirds of all patients diagnosed with PKD. Although the relationship between defective PC-1 with renal cystic disease initiation and progression remains to be fully elucidated, there are numerous clinical studies that have focused upon the control of effector systems involving heterotrimeric G protein regulation. A major regulator in the activation state of heterotrimeric G proteins are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are defined by their seven transmembrane-spanning regions. PC-1 has been considered to function as an unconventional GPCR, but the mechanisms by which PC-1 controls signal processing, magnitude, or trafficking through heterotrimeric G proteins remains to be fully known. The diversity of heterotrimeric G protein signaling in PKD is further complicated by the presence of non-GPCR proteins in the membrane or cytoplasm that also modulate the functional state of heterotrimeric G proteins within the cell. Moreover, PC-1 abnormalities promote changes in hormonal systems that ultimately interact with distinct GPCRs in the kidney to potentially amplify or antagonize signaling output from PC-1. This review will focus upon the canonical and noncanonical signaling pathways that have been described in PKD with specific emphasis on which heterotrimeric G proteins are involved in the pathological reorganization of the tubular epithelial cell architecture to exacerbate renal cystogenic pathways.
Diazepam in intractable sleepwalking: A pilot study

Nightly ingestion of diazepam, 10mg, alleviated some or all symptoms of intractable sleepwalking in several otherwise healthy adults. Some other patients did not respond as well. The results of this double-blind, crossover study suggest that diazepam is effective for the treatment of adult sleepwalking in some individuals. Data from this study are consistent with uncontrolled case reports of such treatment. Serious side effects or tolerance to the medication did not develop in any of the subjects studied. Other benzodiazepines, which may be more or less effective, remain unstudied. Psychiatric and social histories of these adult sleepwalkers are consistent with earlier work by the authors, which indicates little evidence for an association between uncomplicated sleepwalking and serious psychopathology.
Conversation Orientation and Conformity Orientation Are Inversely Related: A Meta-Analysis

The two central constructs of family communication patterns theory—conversation orientation and conformity orientation—have been studied in their relation to a host of outcomes. In measuring these orientations, researchers often acknowledge that the empirical relationship between the two constructs tends to be negative. A meta-analytic review was conducted (k = 32, N = 8,171) to assess the magnitude of this relationship. In addition, respondent type (i.e., child versus parent respondents) was tested as a moderator. The weighted mean effect size was –.33 (95% CI [–.35, –.31]). The findings gave preliminary evidence that the relationship was weaker for parent respondents compared to child respondents. The findings hold implications for future work, such as by suggesting certain analytic decisions.
Membrane Biogenesis: Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Plasmalogens, and Cholesterol

By number, the major component of mammalian membranes is the multitude of phospholipids that comprise the lipid bilayer ( Chapter 5 ). Phospholipids are composed of two fatty acids, one glycerol, one phosphate, and one of several alcohols that are covalently linked by dehydrations ( Chapter 5 ). The previous chapter ( Chapter 14 ) discussed the source and availability of the membrane fatty acids that comprise the hydrophobic interior of membranes ( Chapter 4 ). Chapter 15 will first turn attention to the polar groups that form the aqueous–bilayer interface by discussing how the various phospholipids are synthesized.
Joint Image-Text News Topic Detection and Tracking by Multimodal Topic And-Or Graph

This paper presents a novel method for automatically detecting and tracking news topics from multimodal TV news data. We propose a multimodal topic and-or graph (MT-AOG) to jointly represent textual and visual elements of news stories and their latent topic structures. An MT-AOG leverages a context-sensitive grammar that can describe the hierarchical composition of news topics by semantic elements about people involved, related places, and what happened, and model contextual relationships between elements in the hierarchy. We detect news topics through a cluster sampling process which groups stories about closely related events together. Swendsen–Wang cuts, an effective cluster sampling algorithm, is adopted for traversing the solution space and obtaining optimal clustering solutions by maximizing a Bayesian posterior probability. The detected topics are then continuously tracked and updated with incoming news streams. We generate topic trajectories to show how topics emerge, evolve, and disappear over time. The experimental results show that our method can explicitly describe the textual and visual data in news videos and produce meaningful topic trajectories. Our method also outperforms previous methods for the task of document clustering on Reuters-21578 dataset and our novel dataset, UCLA Broadcast News dataset.
Low-cost disposable cartridge for performing a white blood cell count and partial differential at the point-of-care

Being able to perform a white blood cell (WBC) count and differential is a crucial laboratory test for basic diagnostic practices. In this paper, we demonstrate proof of concept results for a disposable cartridge that could be used to perform a WBC count and 3-part differential at the point-of-care. The cartridge is composed of a glass slide, a layer of transfer tape, and a glass cover slip and incorporates acridine orange for cell staining and sub-type differentiation; the stained blood is then imaged, and image analysis techniques return a WBC count and 3-part differential. The cartridge was tested on a laboratory microscope with 3 normal samples, and had promising results with 85.7% of images resulting in a WBC count with ±15% of the true value. Further, the 3-part differential concentrations determined using the disposable cartridge had strong correlations with the true concentrations (R2 values of 0.9986, 0.9421, and 0.6942 for granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes, respectively). Preliminary designs for a low-cost, portable microscope have been created and are currently being prototyped.
Responsiveness and Minimally Important Differences for 4 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Forms: Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Abstract Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments can provide valid, interpretable measures of health status among adults with osteoarthritis (OA). However, their ability to detect meaningful change over time is unknown. We evaluated the responsiveness and minimally important differences (MID) for 4 PROMIS Short Forms: Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety. We analyzed adults with symptomatic knee OA from our randomized trial comparing Tai Chi and physical therapy. Using baseline and 12-week scores, responsiveness was evaluated according to consensus standards by testing 6 a priori hypotheses of the correlations between PROMIS and legacy change scores. Responsiveness was considered high if ≥5 hypotheses were confirmed, and moderate if 3 or 4 were confirmed. MIDs were evaluated according to prospective change for people achieving previously-established MID on legacy comparators. The lowest and highest MIDs meeting a priori quality criteria formed an MID range for each PROMIS Short Form. Among 165 predominantly female (70%) and white (57%) participants, mean age was 61 years and body mass index was 33kg/m 2 . PROMIS Physical Function had 5 confirmed hypotheses and Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety had 3 or 4. MID ranges were: Depression=3.0-3.1; Anxiety=2.3-3.4; Physical Function=1.9-2.2; and Pain Interference=2.35-2.4. PROMIS Physical Function has high responsiveness, and Depression, Anxiety, and Pain Interference have moderate responsiveness among adults with knee OA. We established the first MIDs for PROMIS in this population, and provided an important standard of reference to better apply or interpret PROMIS in future trials or clinical practice. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01258985. Registered 10 December 2010 Perspective This study examined whether PROMIS short form instruments (Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety) were able to detect change over time among adults with knee osteoarthritis, and provided minimally important change estimates for each measure. This standard of reference can help apply or interpret these instruments in the future.
Increasing Protein Production Rates Can Decrease the Rate at Which Functional Protein Is Produced and Their Steady-State Levels

The rate at which soluble, functional protein is produced by the ribosome has recently been found to vary in complex and unexplained ways as various translation-associated rates are altered through synonymous codon substitutions. To understand this phenomenon, here, we combine a well-established ribosome-traffic model with a master-equation model of cotranslational domain folding to explore the scenarios that are possible for the protein production rate, J, and the functional-nascent protein production rate, F, as the rates of various translation processes are altered for five different E. coli proteins. We find that while J monotonically increases as the rates of translation-initiation, -elongation, and -termination increase, F can either increase or decrease. We show that F’s nonmonotonic behavior arises within the model from two opposing trends: the tendency for increased translation rates to produce more total protein but less cotranslationally folded protein. We further demonstrate that under certain...
Chromosome Biology: Specification of the Kinetochore for Cohesin Recruitment

Additional cohesin loaded at the centromere helps to facilitate proper chromosome segregation. A new study reveals the mechanism by which kinetochores recruit the cohesin loader to establish centromere cohesion.
Initialization matters: Orthogonal Predictive State Recurrent Neural Networks

Learning to predict complex time-series data is a fundamental challenge in a range of disciplines including Machine Learning, Robotics, and Natural Language Processing. Predictive State Recurrent Neural Networks (PSRNNs) (Downey et al.) are a state-of-the-art approach for modeling time-series data which combine the benefits of probabilistic filters and Recurrent Neural Networks into a single model. PSRNNs leverage the concept of Hilbert Space Embeddings of distributions (Smola et al.) to embed predictive states into a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space, then estimate, predict, and update these embedded states using Kernel Bayes Rule. Practical implementations of PSRNNs are made possible by the machinery of Random Features, where input features are mapped into a new space where dot products approximate the kernel well. Unfortunately PSRNNs often require a large number of RFs to obtain good results, resulting in large models which are slow to execute and slow to train. Orthogonal Random Features (ORFs) (Choromanski et al.) is an improvement on RFs which has been shown to decrease the number of RFs required for pointwise kernel approximation. Unfortunately, it is not clear that ORFs can be applied to PSRNNs, as PSRNNs rely on Kernel Ridge Regression as a core component of their learning algorithm, and the theoretical guarantees of ORF do not apply in this setting. In this paper, we extend the theory of ORFs to Kernel Ridge Regression and show that ORFs can be used to obtain Orthogonal PSRNNs (OPSRNNs), which are smaller and faster than PSRNNs. In particular, we show that OPSRNN models clearly outperform LSTMs and furthermore, can achieve accuracy similar to PSRNNs with an order of magnitude smaller number of features needed.
The boiling crisis phenomenon: Part II: dryout dynamics and burnout

Abstract This is Part II of a two-part paper on the boiling crisis phenomenon. Here we report on burnout experiments conducted on fresh and aged heaters in pool boiling. Critical heat fluxes (CHFs) were found to vary from 50% to 140% of the hydrodynamic limit, previously thought to exist at well-wetting conditions. The burnout events were captured in action (for the first time), using high-speed, high-resolution infrared thermometry. Based on these observations and in conjunction with the levels of CHF reached, we are led to conclude that the phenomenon cannot be (macro)hydrodynamically limited, at least at normal pressure and gravity conditions. Based on infrared thermometry, and aided by X-ray radiography data on void fraction, the case for a scale separation phenomenon in high heat flux pool boiling is argued. This indicates that boiling crisis is controlled by the microhydrodynamics and rupture of an extended liquid microlayer, sitting and vaporizing autonomously on the heater surface. Further, the detailed dynamics of this microlayer, as revealed by our experiments, demonstrates that all previous thermally based models of boiling crisis are inappropriate.
Management of the Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain: The Functional Restoration Approach

This article discusses the patient with chronic disabling low back pain who has been refractory to all other forms of passive and reactivation treatment but who shows an ongoing desire to overcome disability. The article outlines the patient and the disability system that surrounds him or her, the measurement of function used to identify deficits of physical capacity, and the treatment program used to advance the patient to the highest possible functional level. Outcome monitoring as an adjunct to functional restoration is also discussed.
Small Signal Traveling Wave Rate Equations for Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers

The “traveling wave” small signal equations in Sect. 18.2 will be derived in this Appendix using an approach similar to Sect. D.2. The basic rate equation involving N 2 18.1 is $$\begin{array}{rlrlrl} \frac{\mathrm{d}{N}_{2}(z)} {\mathrm{d}t} & = \frac{{\sigma }_{\mathrm{p}}} {h{\nu }_{\mathrm{p}}{a}_{\mathrm{p}}}{P}_{\mathrm{p}}(\rho- {N}_{2}(z)) -\frac{{N}_{2}(z)} {\tau } -\frac{{P}_{\mathrm{s\mbox{ -}tot}}} {h{\nu }_{\mathrm{s}}{a}_{\mathrm{s}}} [{\sigma }_{\mathrm{s}}{N}_{2}(z) - {\sigma }_{a}(\rho- {N}_{2}(z))],& \end{array}$$ (F.1) $$\begin{array}{rlrlrl} {N}_{2}(t,z)& = {N}_{20}(z) + {n}_{21}(z){\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}{\omega }_{1}t} + {n}_{ 22}(z){\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}{\omega }_{2}t} + {n}_{ 23}(z){\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}2{\omega }_{1}t} && \\ &\quad + {n}_{24}(z){\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}({\omega }_{1}-{\omega }_{2})t} + {n}_{ 25}(z){\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}(2{\omega }_{1}-{\omega }_{2})t} + \mbox{ c.c} + \cdots \,,\end{array}$$ (F.2) where in F.1, \({P}_{\mathrm{s\mbox{ -}tot}} = {P}_{\mathrm{s}} + {P}_{\mathrm{af}} + {P}_{\mathrm{ab}}\) and in F.2, N 2 is expressed as a spatially dependent small signal quantity similar to Sect. D.2.
Actively induced platelet-bound IgG associated with thrombocytopenia in the marmoset.

Interspecies platelet immunizations among marmosets lead to antibody formation to the donor platelets and a profound thrombocytopenia, which when associated with anemia may result in death of the animal. This actively induced immonologic thrombocytopenia closely resembles two clinical disease entities manifesting autoimmune thrombocytopenia, posttransfusion purpura and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Although antibody to donor-type platelets could be demonstrated readily, antihost activity was most often nondetectable or, when present, was in very low titer. A consistent finding was the appearance of IgG on the host's platelets shortly after immunization and concomitant with the appearance of antidonor platelet antibody. In 3 of 13 immunized animals thromoocytopenia did not occur even though antibody was formed and the host's platelets became IgG positive. In those animals that recovered from the induced thrombocytopenia IgG-positive platelets were found for periods ranging from 30 to greater than 100 days. Splenectomy before or after immunization did not alter the sequential development of antibody formation, appearance of IgG-positive platelets, and thrombocytopenia. Eluates prepared from IgG-positive platelets contained IgG and platelet antigens; the eluted IgG could attach nonspecifically to platelets of host or donor (immunizing) type, in contrast to the species specificity demonstrated for IgG eluted from platelets that had beenmore » reacted in vitro with specific antibody. Platelets in a few normal, nonimmunized marmosets were found to have signficant amounts of IgG on their surface, comparable to that observed in the immunized animal; interestingly, such IgG-positive platelets were found among imported but not laboratory-bred marmosets.« less