cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of proteins of bovine mammary gland secretions collected during the dry period

Abstract Proteins in mammary gland secretions, collected from Holstein cows during the dry period, were analyzed by preparative isoelectric focusing, followed by SDS-PAGE. Protein profiles changed throughout the dry period. Intact casein bands were present throughout the dry period, but in reduced proportions from d 7 after dry-off through d 7 prepartum. Breakdown fragments of casein were particularly apparent in secretions from d 7 to 21 of the dry period. A fragment of β -CN (–13 kDa) was identified in secretions collected on d –1 prior to dry-off through d 21 of the dry period. β -Lactoglobulin generally focused in a limited number of fractions, but, in the sample at d 21 prepartum, β -LG focused over a broad pH range. Lactoferrin was found in all fractions after isoelectric focusing, but specific degradation products of lactoferrin were apparent only at certain times during the dry period. This method is a valuable approach for separation of proteins from the complex mixtures found in mammary secretions during the dry period. A number of peptides identified by this method may be generated from breakdown of milk proteins in the mammary gland during the dry period and could have a role in the involuting gland.
Determination of lewisite oxide in soil using solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography with flame photometric or mass spectrometric detection.

Abstract A rapid, sensitive, and convenient method is described for determining Lewisite oxide in soil. Samples are initially fortified with phenylarsine oxide (surrogate), then both species are extracted using ascorbic acid solutions containing 1,3-propanedithiol (derivatizing reagent). The corresponding filtered supernatant is sampled using a solid-phase microextraction fiber. Collected analytes are thermally desorbed in a heated gas chromatographic inlet, separated using fused-silica capillary columns (“primary” and “confirmatory”), and detected with either a mass spectrometric (selected ion monitoring mode) or flame photometric (sulfur-selective mode) detector. Two independent statistically-unbiased procedures were used to evaluate the detection limit for Lewisite oxide; the values range between 0.1 and 0.5 μg g−1 soil.
Discussions of adolescent sexuality in news media coverage of the HPV vaccine

Given the sexually transmitted nature of human papillomavirus (HPV), some worry the HPV vaccine will create a false sense of security and promote adolescent sexual activity. Media coverage of vaccines can influence social norms, parental attitudes, and vaccine acceptance; in this paper we examine U.S. news media messages related to sexuality and HPV vaccination. Drawing on a structured analysis of 447 articles published during 2005-2009, we qualitatively analyzed a purposive sample of 49 articles discussing adolescent health behaviors related to HPV vaccination. Commonly, articles discussed vaccination in the context of abstinence-only versus comprehensive sexual health education; cited research findings to support vaccination or sex education; argued against connecting vaccination to promiscuous behavior; but included fear-inducing messages. Media messages concerning health behaviors related to HPV vaccination tended to support government and parental involvement in sex education, and dismiss concerns linking vaccination to sexual activity, while also presenting the vaccine as lifesaving.
Probabilistic Risk Analyses: NRC Programs and Perspectives

The historical basis and more recent activities and products of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) in the Atomic Energy Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are reviewed. Current NRC program activities and objectives are described. The author's opinions on the best uses of PRA are presented.
Watch out! Directional threat-related postures cue attention and the eyes

Previous work indicates that threatening facial expressions with averted eye gaze can act as a signal of imminent danger, enhancing attentional orienting in the gazed-at direction. However, this threat-related gaze-cueing effect is only present in individuals reporting high levels of anxiety. The present study used eye tracking to investigate whether additional directional social cues, such as averted angry and fearful human body postures, not only cue attention, but also the eyes. The data show that although body direction did not predict target location, anxious individuals made faster eye movements when fearful or angry postures were facing towards (congruent condition) rather than away (incongruent condition) from peripheral targets. Our results provide evidence for attentional cueing in response to threat-related directional body postures in those with anxiety. This suggests that for such individuals, attention is guided by threatening social stimuli in ways that can influence and bias eye movement b...
Price of uncertainty in multistage stochastic power dispatch

The price of uncertainty measures the impact of uncertainty in the total cost of power dispatch in networks with significant penetration of renewables. It has been shown to exist in problems with deterministic prices and two stage markets. The existence of this price in multistage dispatch problem has remained an open question. This paper demonstrates the existence of the price of uncertainty in multiple stage stochastic power dispatch problems with stochastic prices. The existence proof requires a careful derivation of the structure of the optimal dispatch for this scenario. The paper concludes with various examples and applications of the price of uncertainty.
Iodine 125 Brachytherapy With Vitrectomy and Silicone Oil in the Treatment of Uveal Melanoma: 1-to-1 Matched Case-Control Series

Purpose We initially reported the radiation-attenuating effect of silicone oil 1000 centistokes for iodine 125. The purpose of this report was to compare the clinical outcomes in case patients who had iodine 125 brachytherapy with vitrectomy and silicone oil 1000 centistokes with the outcomes in matched control patients who underwent brachytherapy alone. Methods and Materials Consecutive patients with uveal melanoma who were treated with iodine 125 plaque brachytherapy and vitrectomy with silicone oil with minimum 1-year follow-up were included. Control patients who underwent brachytherapy alone were matched for tumor size, location, and sex. Baseline patient and tumor characteristics and tumor response to radiation, final visual acuity, macular status, central macular thickness by ocular coherence tomography (OCT), cataract progression, and metastasis at last follow-up visit were compared. Surgical complications were also determined. Results Twenty case patients met the inclusion criteria. The average follow-up time was 22.1 months in case patients and 19.4 months in control patients. The final logMAR vision was 0.81 in case patients and 1.1 in control patients ( P =.071); 8 case patients and 16 control patients had abnormal macular findings ( P =.011); and the average central macular thickness by OCT was 293.2 μm in case patients and 408.5 μm in control patients ( P =.016). Eleven case patients (55%) and 1 control patient (5%) had required cataract surgery at last follow-up ( P =.002). Four patients in the case group and 1 patient in the control group experienced metastasis ( P =.18). Among the cases, intraoperative retinal tear occurred in 3 patients; total serous retinal detachment and macular hole developed in 1 case patient each. There was no case of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, treatment failure, or local tumor dissemination in case patients or control patients. Conclusions With up to 3 years of clinical follow-up, silicone oil during brachytherapy for the treatment of uveal melanoma resulted in fewer abnormal maculas, lower central macular thickness on OCT, and a trend toward better final visual acuity in comparison with matched control patients who underwent brachytherapy alone.
The Gonads of the South American Dolphins, Inia geoffrensis, Pontoporia blainvillei, and Sotalia fluviatilis

The appearances of the gonads are described in males and females of 18 Inia geoffrensis , 11 Pontoporia blainvillei , and eight Sotalia fluviatilis from South America. Males of I. geoffrensis become sexually active at a length of about 228 centimeters, females at 175 to 180 centimeters. Length at birth is 76 to 80 centimeters; parturition occurs from about July to September in the upper Amazon. Males of P. blainvillei are still sexually immature at a length of 128.5 centimeters, females become sexually active at a length of 137 centimeters. Off Uruguay, pregnant females have fetuses 6 centimeters in length in February and 61 centimeters in October. Males of S. fluviatilis are sexually active at a length of 148 centimeters, females at 140 centimeters. Gonad weights and details of corpora lutea and albicantia are given. Corpora albicantia appear to persist as in other cetaceans. The ovaries of I. geoffrensis are relatively bulky with the corpora enclosed in the ovarian substance and not pedunculated as in P. blainvillei and S. fluviatilis in which the right ovary is poorly developed.
BALANCING WHAT? THREAT PERCEPTION AND ALLIANCE CHOICE IN THE GULF

HOW DO STATES IDENTIFY threats when choosing alliance partners? In other words, how do states choose against whom to balance? This question is at the core of the research agenda on alliances. Rober...
Multiple User Packet Repackaging

Revision A of the cdma2000 High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) Air Interface Specification includes a method to serve multiple users in a single packet (3GPP2, 2004), This method is know as medium access control (MAC) layer multiplexing and can facilitate up to 8 users in one packet. It allows Revision A of HRPD to be more effective, when compared to previous revisions of HRPD, in delivering real time applications such as voice, video, and gaming due to the latency improvement. This paper examines the impact on system capacity that results from a proposed technique whereby MAC layer multiplexed transmissions can be terminated prematurely once a certain number of the target receivers have successfully decoded the transmission. It was found that system capacity could be improved by up to 5.8%.
Implications and potential applications of bactericidal fullerene water suspensions: effect of nC60 concentration, exposure conditions and shelf life

Stable fullerene water suspensions (nC60) exhibited potent antibacterial activity to physiologically different bacteria in low-salts media over a wide range of exposure conditions. Antibacterial activity was observed in the presence or absence of light or oxygen, and increased with both exposure time and dose. The activity was also influenced by the nC60 storage conditions and by the age of the buckminsterfullerene (C60) used to make nC60. These results reflect the potential impact of nC60 on the health of aquatic ecosystems and suggest novel alternatives for disinfection and microbial control.
Management of perioperative myocardial infarction in noncardiac surgical patients.

Perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. The incidence of PMI varies depending on the method used for diagnosis and is likely to increase as the population ages. Studies have examined different methods for prevention of myocardial infarction (MI), including the use of perioperative β-blockers, α 2 -agonists, and statin therapy. However, few studies have focused on the treatment of PMI. Current therapy for acute MI generally involves anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, raising the potential for surgical site hemorrhage in this population. This article reviews the possible mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment options for MI in the surgical setting. We also suggest algorithms for treatment.
An Efficient Software Protection Scheme

In 1979 Pippenger and Fischer [PF] showed how a two-tape Turing Machine whose head positions (as a function of time) are independent of the input, can simulate, on-line, a one-tape Turing Machine with a logarithmic slowdown in the running time. We show a similar result for random-access machine (RAM) model of computation. In particular, we show how to do an on-line simulation of arbitrary RAM program by probabilistic RAM whose memory access pattern is independent of the program which is being executed with a poly-logarithmic slowdown in the running time.A main application of our result concerns software protection, one of the most important issues in computer practice. A theoretical formulation of the problem for a generic one-processor, random-access machine (RAM) model of computation was given by Goldreich [G]. In this paper, we present a simple and an efficient software protection scheme for this model. In particular, we show how to protect any program at the cost of a poly-logarithmic slowdown in the running time of the protected program, previously conjectured to be impossible.
Neural network approach to sensor design

A radial basis function (RBF) neural network is examined for modeling of acoustical properties of colloidal TiO/sub 2/ slurry. The colloidal slurry is a very complex multiphase medium. The RBF network with a set of local Gaussian functions is trained using the data from a previously developed physical model of TiO/sub 2/ slurry. The TiO/sub 2/ neural model is used for a prediction of the TiO/sub 2/ particle size distribution. The resulting prediction accuracies of the RBF network is 99.8% of the data used in the training process and 88% for the data not used in the training. Compared to other available techniques neural networks can offer an effective and time efficient approach for the modeling of complex materials. >
Risk Factors for Hip Fracture in Japanese Older Adults

Risk factors for hip fracture in Japanese older populations are understudied compared with Western countries arguably due to the relatively lower prevalence rates in Japan. Nationally representative data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging were analyzed using logistic regression to examine possible risk factors of hip fractures, separately for older women (n = 2,859) and older men (n = 2,108). Results showed that older Japanese women with difficulty bending their knees (OR = 1.9), with diabetes (OR = 1.7 times), and/or with more activity of daily living limitations (OR = 1.1) had higher risks of hip fracture. Older Japanese men with difficulty bending their knees (OR = 2.6), who use more external prescription drugs (OR = 1.9), and with cancer (OR = 2.0 times) had higher risks of hip fracture. Further considerations of gender- and culture-specific factors along with the identified risk factors may provide insights into future intervention programs for hip fracture in Japanese old...
Linking requirements and design data for automated functional evaluation

This paper presents a methodology for automating the evaluation of complex hierarchical designs using black-box testing techniques. Based on an exploration model for design, this methodology generates evaluation tests using a novel semantic graph data model which captures the relationships between the related design and requirements data. Using these relationships, equivalent tests are generated and systematically applied to simulations of the pieces of a modular design and its requirements. These simulations yield two sets of comparable results, enabling evaluation of partial designs of a complex system early in their design process.
Applied intelligent control - control of automotive paint process

We present an intelligent control algorithm that is targeted to process control of the steady state of a class of industrial MIMO nonlinear systems. The algorithm, called the RBIC intelligent control algorithm, combines the conventional indirect adaptive control approach with a rule base of initial conditions (RBIC) - an intelligent tool improving the conventional indirect adaptive algorithm in the presence of large disturbances and multiple operating modes. The RBIC operates as an associative memory that periodically reinitializes the indirect adaptive control algorithm by using a fuzzy reasoning inference mechanism. We discuss the main features and application aspects of the RBIC intelligent control algorithm. We also demonstrate one large scale process control application of the RBIC intelligent control algorithm as the main component of Ford Motor Company's integrated paint quality control system.
Faire fructifier Le capital au XXIe siècle

L’ouvrage monumental de Thomas Piketty Le capital au XXIe siecle nous a permis de mieux comprendre les evolutions historiques des inegalites. Cet article dresse une liste des domaines, du plus au moins prometteur, vers lesquels la recherche peut utilement se porter en partant du travail mene par l’auteur. Le domaine le plus important est l’histoire de l’inegalite des revenus du travail, qu’ont si bien amorcee T. Piketty et son equipe en s’appuyant sur l’histoire des crises du XXe siecle et des reponses politiques qu’ils ont suscitees. En revanche, cibler le patrimoine, le capital et le taux de rendement – comme le fait l’ouvrage – semble moins prometteur en termes de pistes de recherche. Pour parvenir a de meilleures projections des inegalites, il convient de fusionner les travaux de T. Piketty et de son equipe sur les evolutions historiques de la part du decile des tres hauts revenus dans le revenu national avec les travaux consacres aux mouvements historiques de l’inegalite au sein des 90 % restants de la hierarchie des revenus. Il convient egalement d’integrer d’autres travaux de recherche ayant demontre que le genre de systeme democratique que T. Piketty appelle de ses vœux favoriserait la croissance.
The formal semantics of clitic doubling

This article presents a study of the semantics of clitic pronouns and clitic doubling in Spanish and related languages. Its main hypothesis is that the co-occurrence restrictions that are observed between the clitic element and its quantifier associate can be properly characterized within Generalized Quantifiers Theory. Clitics are treated as generalized quantifier functions which are restricted to a context set. In clitic doubling constructions, the context set is retrieved from the doubled NP-quantifier. Three main constraints are formulated that restrict this mechanism: the Principal Filter Constraint, the Presuppositionality Constraint, and the Context Dependence Constraint. The resulting interactions are studied in a variety of configurations with respect to generalized quantifiers of different properties, namely clitic doubling of existential, universal, negative quantifiers and doubling in questions.
Virus-Induced Demyelination in Nude Mice Is Mediated by γδ T Cells

Infection of mice with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), strain JHM, results in acute and chronic demyelination with many similarities to the human disease multiple sclerosis. This pathological process is primarily T cell-mediated and MHV infection of mice lacking B and T cells does not result in demyelination. In apparent contradiction to these results, robust demyelination is detected in MHV-infected young nude (athymic) mice. Herein, we show that demyelination in nude mice was mediated by γδ T cells. These cells, but not conventional CD4 or CD8 αβ T cells, were detected in the central nervous system of MHV-infected nude mice and their depletion with neutralizing antibody resulted in an 80% reduction in demyelination. These results show, for the first time, that γδ T cells can substitute for αβ T cells in a virus model of demyelination and further support a pathological role for γδ T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Provider management strategies of abnormal test result alerts: a cognitive task analysis.

Objective Electronic medical records (EMRs) facilitate abnormal test result communication through “alert” notifications. The aim was to evaluate how primary care providers (PCPs) manage alerts related to critical diagnostic test results on their EMR screens, and compare alert-management strategies of providers with high versus low rates of timely follow-up of results. Design 28 PCPs from a large, tertiary care Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) were purposively sampled according to their rates of timely follow-up of alerts, determined in a previous study. Using techniques from cognitive task analysis, participants were interviewed about how and when they manage alerts, focusing on four alert-management features to filter, sort and reduce unnecessary alerts on their EMR screens. Results Provider knowledge of alert-management features ranged between 4% and 75%. Almost half (46%) of providers did not use any of these features, and none used more than two. Providers with higher versus lower rates of timely follow-up used the four features similarly, except one (customizing alert notifications). Providers with low rates of timely follow-up tended to manually scan the alert list and process alerts heuristically using their clinical judgment. Additionally, 46% of providers used at least one workaround strategy to manage alerts. Conclusion Considerable heterogeneity exists in provider use of alert-management strategies; specific strategies may be associated with lower rates of timely follow-up. Standardization of alert-management strategies including improving provider knowledge of appropriate tools in the EMR to manage alerts could reduce the lack of timely follow-up of abnormal diagnostic test results. The purpose of this study is to document how primary care providers working with an electronic medical record (EMR) manage alerts related to critical diagnostic test results, and compare differences in alert-management strategies among providers who had high versus low rates of timely follow-up of these results.
Inhibitors of Polyamine Biosynthesis VII: Evaluation of Pyruvate Derivatives as Inhibitors of S-Adenosyl-L-methionine Decarboxylase

The mechanism of the enzymatic decarboxylation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine catalyzed by S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase and its inhibition by methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) were investigated. The results indicate that the carbonyl group of the pyruvate cofactor does not form an azomethine bond with an amino group of the enzyme protein. The substrate and/or product forms an azomethine bond with the pyruvate cofactor, which can be reduced efficiently with sodium cyanoborohydride. Methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) appears to interfere with the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex by competing with the substrate for binding with the active enzyme site. The dimethylaminoethylhydrazone, semicarbazone, and guanylhydrazone derivatives of pyruvic acid, ethyl pyruvate, pyruvic acid amide, and pyruvyl glycineamide were synthesized. None of these compounds had significant inhibitory activity on the enzymatic decarboxylation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine by S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase from rat liver in vitro. These results indicate that the structural requirements for binding of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) to the enzyme are strict and that structural modifications of this compound result in a dramatic loss of activity.
A parallel multimodel: CMA/Godard adaptive filter bank approach to fractionally-spaced blind adaptive equalization

We consider the problem of blind equalization of digital communication channels using fractionally spaced samples. Fractionally sampled data are cyclo-stationary rather than stationary. The problem is cast into a mathematical framework of a vector stationary process with single input (information sequence) and multiple outputs, by using a time-series representation of a cyclostationary process. This leads to number of subchannels equal to number of samples per symbol. Each subchannel is first equalized independently using a baud-rate CMA/Godard (1980) blind equalizer. Several approaches are presented for selection and fusion of the equalized outputs of the various subchannels in order to achieve a performance that is much less sensitive to the symbol-timing-phase errors when compared with a band-rate equalizer. An illustrative simulation example 16-QAM (V22 source) signal is presented where effect of symbol-timing-phase offset is studied via computer simulations. >
Regulations regarding reflexive testing and narrative interpretations in laboratory medicine.

The use of reflexive test selection and patientspecific narrative interpretations in laboratory medicine is associated with a host of compliance issues and government regulations. Reflexive testing is associated with many advantages for patients and their physicians, but if not adequately organized it has the potential for inefficient test ordering and abuse by physicians and laboratories. Patient-specific narrative interpretations in laboratory medicine, much more than fixed comments generated by a computer with a specific test result, also provide clinical and financial benefit when done effectively. Regulations exist to ensure that the physician-provided information has clinical value. This report describes the compliance and billing regulations regarding reflex testing and narrative interpretations. The codes used for narrative interpretations in laboratory medicine are also presented, as well as the use of those codes to obtain payment for the interpretation provided.
A low power hardware/software partitioning approach for core-based embedded systems

We present a novel approach that minimizes the power consumption of embedded core-based systems through hardware/software partitioning. Our approach is based on the idea of mapping clusters of operations/instructions to a core that yields a high utilization rate of the involved resources (ALUs, multipliers, shifters...) and thus minimizing power consumption. Our approach is comprehensive since it takes into consideration the power consumption of a whole embedded system comprising a microprocessor core, application specific (ASIC) core(s), cache cores and a memory core. We report high reductions of power consumption between 35% and 94% at the cost of a relatively small additional hardware overhead of less than 16 k cells while maintaining or even slightly increasing the performance compared to the initial design.
Rapid Sensitive Fluorometric Analysis of Cephalosporin Antibiotics

A rapid and sensitive fluorometric analysis for cephalosporins, which can also be applied to penicillins, is presented. The method involves reaction with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide at 100°, producing stable fluorescent products. This method was applied to cephalexin and ampicillin with detection at concentrations as low as 0.01 μg/ml.
ISO 14000 and Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing

This chapter examines the ISO 14000 environmental standard, the basic components of Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing, and gives some examples of how they may be integrated in support of an organization’s environmental policy
Disappearing large calcified thoracic disc herniation in a patient with thalassaemia

Regression of herniated disc fragments with subsequent improvement in clinical symptoms has been reported in the lumbar and cervical spine. Such regressions in the thoracic spine are extremely rare. We report a case of a 38-year-old patient with thalassaemia who had regression of a large calcified herniated thoracic disc causing cord compression, with subsequent herniation of a second calcified disc at a different level and discuss the possible aetiopathogenesis. This is the first such case reported in the thalassaemia population.
Nursing in the development of modern treatment methods for patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common supraventricular arrhythmias. Its prevalence in the general population over the last twenty years has increased significantly. The issue of the perception of nursing care has not yet been examined in detail. Objectives and methods The aim of this research was to assess how nursing behavior was perceived by nurses and patients with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) for AF. The research was conducted with quantitative methods using a standardized questionnaire CBI-24 (Caring Behaviors Inventory). Results The research sample consisted of two groups: patients with AF undergoing RFA ( n = 264) and cardiological nurses ( n = 92). The research was conducted between 2012 and 2014. On the basis of an overall evaluation of the perception of nursing behavior from the perspective of the patients and the nurses, there were no statistically significant differences ( p = 0.15). When evaluating the dimensions, i.e. “security”, “knowledge and skills”, “respectfulness” and “connectedness”, it was apparent that there was a statistically significant difference between the nurses and the patients perception of the dimensions of “knowledge and skills” ( p = 0.04) and “connectedness” ( p = 0.003), as the patients evaluated nursing care more positively than the nurses. Conclusion The patients undergoing RFA AF evaluated the overall nursing behavior more positively than the nurses. The nurses perceived technical prowess more positively than the humanistic approach to patients. The patients evaluated the nurses’ performance more positively than the creation of a sense of security and safety. The areas of communication and education were identified as other problematic sections.
Evolution and Revolution in Knowledge-Driven Health IT: A 50-Year Perspective and a Look Ahead

In this keynote presentation, my intent is to explore the evolution of the field of computer-based clinical decision support CDS --- and its associated tasks of knowledge acquisition, knowledge modeling, knowledge representation, knowledge management, and knowledge integration into care processes --- over the past five decades. I believe that we are now in a period of significant disruption --- both in the health care system itself and in the technology to support it. As a result of these disruptors, I am convinced that we will need to not only continue the efforts that have proved useful in the past but also to develop some new strategies to meet the new challenges.
Predicting the Extent of Metabolism Using in Vitro Permeability Rate Measurements and in Silico Permeability Rate Predictions

The Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS) can be utilized to predict drug disposition, including interactions with other drugs and transporter or metabolizing enzyme effects based on the extent of metabolism and solubility of a drug. However, defining the extent of metabolism relies upon clinical data. Drugs exhibiting high passive intestinal permeability rates are extensively metabolized. Therefore, we aimed to determine if in vitro measures of permeability rate or in silico permeability rate predictions could predict the extent of metabolism, to determine a reference compound representing the permeability rate above which compounds would be expected to be extensively metabolized, and to predict the major route of elimination of compounds in a two-tier approach utilizing permeability rate and a previously published model predicting the major route of elimination of parent drug. Twenty-two in vitro permeability rate measurement data sets in Caco-2 and MDCK cell lines and PAMPA we...
Morphological Defects in the Blossom End of Papaya Fruits in Relation to Infestation Rates by Oriental Fruit Fly and Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Field and packing house surveys were done to determine the infestation rates of oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, and melon fly, D. cucurbitae Coquillett, in papaya ( Carica papaya L. cv. Kapoho Solo) fruits with normal and defective blossomends. A normal blossom end is closed with a diameter of 1 mm), and navel (resembles blossomend of the navel orange). Result suggest that oriental fruit fly and melon fly normally oviposit in areas outside of the blossom end. Percentage infestation rate by oriental fruit fly in normal fruits and in those with a blossom end defect is the same for mature green to color-break fruits. Quarter- to fully ripe fruits with blossom end defect have a higher percentage infestation rate by oriental fruit fly than normal fruits. Numbers of eggs oviposited (as indicated by number of emerged adults) in normal, mature, green to color-break fruits is much less than those laid in normal, riper fruits. Numbers of eggs oviposited in normal and defective one-quarter to fully ripe fruits do not differ.
Meta-analysis of clinical effectiveness of anticonvulsants for full term newborns with perinatal asphyxia

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the studies of anticonvulsants in the management of neonatal perinatal asphyxia by performing a systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis method. In order to assess the clinical effectiveness of anticonvulsants for neonatal perinatal asphyxia, discussed the possibility of the anticonvulsants treatment for perinatal asphyxia.Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Springer and CNKI databases were searched in two languages(English and Chinese) by using the anticonvulsants, term infants and perinatal asphyxia for human clinical trials, including unpublished documents from scientific meetings and theses, and the similar documents listed in the reference of above documents were also included. All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled clinical trials that reported data comparing the following outcomes: mortality, neurodevelopmental disability, neonatal seizures and adverse events, following anticonvulsant therapy in term infants compared to controls (with or without placebo) following perinatal asphyxia. Results According to inclusion and exclusion criteria,five randomized or quasi-randomised controlled trials were included,which quality grades were C in 4 RCTs and B in 1 RCT.The results of meta analysis showed there was no significant on mortality compared anticonvulsant therapy group with controls(RR=1.13,95%CI:0.59-2.17).There was also no significance on severe neurodevelopmental disability(RR=0.61,95%CI:0.30-1.22),death and severe neurodevelopmental disability(RR=0.65,95%CI:0.30-1.41) and neonatal seizures(RR=0.76,95%CI:0.45-1.31) .Conclusions Anticonvulsant therapy to term infants following perinatal asphyxia cannot be recommended for routine clinical practice now.Any future studies should be of high quality, randomised control trials,sufficient size, with minimal attrition,to have the power to confirm clinically important reductions in mortality and severe neurodevelopmental disability.
A Study on the Psychological and the Behavioral Characteristics of Internet Use of Undergraduates and Their Characteristics of Internet Dependence

This research explores the relationship between 294 undergraduates' psychological and behavioral characteristics of their Internet use and their characteristics of Internet dependence through interview and questionnaire. The results show that there are gender and grade differences in undergraduates' psychological and behavioral characteristics of Internet use; there is significant positive correlation between different motives of Internet use and different Internet services; there is significant positive correlation between time spent on Internet use and Internet dependence, and besides that, different motives of Internet use and the actual use of Internet can significantly affect the degree of Internet dependence. The findings of this research can help undergraduates use Internet scientifically so that possible negative effects caused by Internet use can be avoided.
Do We Owe Our Intelligence to a Predatory Past

As I am not a neuroscientist, it is an unexpected pleasure for me to contribute a lecture to the James Arthur series on the Evolution of the Human Brain. By contrast, I am an African naturalist, and what I have to say will be very much from the perspective of African cave taphonomy, a recent and rather macabre discipline that uses fossils in an attempt to reconstruct the circumstances of death of the animals involved, as well as to gain insights into their behavior and the paleoecology of the time. The lecture's focus will be on predation, to which I am largely indebted to Professor Raymond Dart, who provoked me into devoting many years of my life developing the principles of cave taphonomy and interpreting the bone accumulations in southern African caves where hominid fossils have been found.
Greedy company diplomacy

Rogue states, while arguably aberrant phenomena whose character is in great part generated by the demands and preoccupations of domestic politics, belong to a world closely associated with diplomacy. Greedy companies, in contrast, belong to a world from which diplomacy is conventionally understood to have been exiled, the world of economic production, distribution and exchange. What are we to do about companies which exploit people, damage the environment and use up the natural resources of the planet in order to get rich by presiding over the creation of a stock of wealth from which nearly everybody wants what they see as their fair share, and what might the diplomatic tradition of international thought have to tell us about the debates surrounding these questions? From just about every point of the intellectual compass including, until relatively recently, diplomats themselves and those who study them, the received opinion was “not a lot.” In their priorities, in their ways of understanding the world and in their characteristic modes of thought and inquiry, diplomacy and economics, indeed diplomats and economists, have been presented in opposition to one another. And they have been so in a way that reflects poorly on diplomacy. Thus, we see diplomacy existing because of human weaknesses and imperfections: the predisposition to sacrifice the dictates of reason to the cupidities of willfulness; the desire to obtain what has not been earned; the urge to use force when other means have failed or even before, and, above all, the need to fudge that all this is, in fact, the case in order to manage its consequences.
Do religious “beliefs” respond to evidence?

Some examples suggest that religious credences (or “beliefs”) respond to evidence. Other examples suggest they are wildly unresponsive. So the examples taken together suggest there is a puzzle about whether descriptive religious attitudes respond to evidence or not. I argue for a solution to this puzzle according to which religious credences are characteristically not responsive to evidence; that is, they do not tend to be extinguished by contrary evidence. And when they appear to be responsive, it is because the agents with those credences are playing what I call The Evidence Game, which in fundamental ways resembles the games of make-believe described by Walton's (1990) theory of make-believe.
Klebsiella pneumoniae and HLA B27-associated diseases of Reiter's syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Reiter’s syndrome (RS) are two major nonrheumatoid arthritic diseases of unknown etiology. They are good examples of a disease category characterized by the presence of certain genetic features of the patient combined with a particular exogenous antigen. Both AS and RS show a familial pattern of distribution, but not only genetic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of AS, since monozygotic twins differ considerably in the incidence of disease (Eastmond and Woodrow 1977). Although exogenous factors influence the manifestation of disease, infections by any of a wide variety of bacteria have been identified preceding the onset of AS. Most often cited among these are Klebsiella, Shigella, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Escherichia coli (Sheldon 1985). Another marked feature of both AS and RS is the high correlation with HLA type B27. Several studies have shown that more than 90% of Caucasian patients with AS and more than 80% of those with RS are HLA B27-positive, whereas only about 9% of the normal Caucasian population has this HLA haplotype (Brewerton et al. 1973; Schlosstein et al. 1973). Therefore, the relative risk factor for HLA B27-positive individuals of acquiring the disease is 87 for AS and 37 for RS, as compared with the normal Caucasian population (Svejgaard et al. 1983).
High-order upwind schemes for the wave equation on overlapping grids: Maxwell's equations in second-order form

Abstract High-order accurate upwind approximations for the wave equation in second-order form on overlapping grids are developed. Although upwind schemes are well established for first-order hyperbolic systems, it was only recently shown by Banks and Henshaw [1] how upwinding could be incorporated into the second-order form of the wave equation. This new upwind approach is extended here to solve the time-domain Maxwell's equations in second-order form; schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy are formulated for general curvilinear grids. Taylor time-stepping is used to develop single-step space-time schemes, and the upwind dissipation is incorporated by embedding the exact solution of a local Riemann problem into the discretization. Second-order and fourth-order accurate schemes are implemented for problems in two and three space dimensions, and overlapping grids are used to treat complex geometry and problems with multiple materials. Stability analysis of the upwind-scheme on overlapping grids is performed using normal mode theory. The stability analysis and computations confirm that the upwind scheme remains stable on overlapping grids, including the difficult case of thin boundary grids when the traditional non-dissipative scheme becomes unstable. The accuracy properties of the scheme are carefully evaluated on a series of classical scattering problems for both perfect conductors and dielectric materials in two and three space dimensions. The upwind scheme is shown to be robust and provide high-order accuracy.
Lymph node wire localization post-chemotherapy: Towards improving the false negative sentinel lymph node biopsy rate in breast cancer patients.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether the disease status of the pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) core biopsied lymph node (preNACBxLN) in patients with node positive breast cancer corresponds to nodal status of all surgically retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) post-NAC and whether wire localization of this LN is feasible. Materials and methods HIPPA compliant IRB approved retrospective study including breast cancer patients (a.) with preNACBxLN confirmed metastases, (b.) who received NAC, and (c.) underwent wire localization of the preNACBxLN. Electronic medical records were reviewed. Fisher's exact test was used to compare differences in residual disease post-NAC among breast cancer subtypes. Results 28 women with node positive breast cancer underwent ultrasound guided wire localization of the preNACBxLN, without complication. There was no evidence of residual nodal disease for 16 patients, with mean 4.4 (median 4) LNs resected. 12 patients had residual nodal metastases, with mean 9.2 (median 7) LNs resected and mean 2.3 (median 2) LNs with tumor involvement. 11 patients had metastases detected within the localized LN. One patient had micrometastasis in a sentinel LN, despite no residual disease in the preNACBxLN. Patients with luminal A/B breast cancer more often had residual nodal metastases (86%) at pathology, as compared to patients with HER2 + (20%) and Triple Negative breast cancer (50%), though not quite achieving statistical significance (p = 0.055). Conclusion Ultrasound guided wire localization of the preNACBxLN is feasible and may improve detection of residual tumor in patients post-NAC.
A “Goldilocks” Approach to Hearing-Aid Self-Fitting: User Interactions

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to evaluate user reactions to custom software designed for self-adjustment of amplification. Method “Goldilocks” software was developed to allow user ex...
Coupled fluid flow and geomechanics modeling of stress-sensitive production behavior in fractured shale gas reservoirs

Abstract Compared with conventional reservoirs, gas flow in shale formation is affected by additional nonlinear coupled processes such as matrix/fracture deformations. We present a fully-coupled fluid flow and geomechanics model to accurately characterize the complex production behaviors of fractured shale gas reservoirs. The flow equations are discretized using a mimetic finite difference method, and poro-elasticity equations by a Galerkin finite-element approximation. A unified apparent-permeability model is implemented to quantify the combined impacts of the non-Darcy flow, adsorbed layer and pore-structure alterations on matrix permeability. The discrete fracture-matrix (DFM) model based on a conformal unstructured grid is employed to explicitly represent fractures. The nonlinear contact problem between the two fracture surfaces is introduced to describe the fracture mechanics behavior. A splitting-node technique is used to deal with the discontinuities in the displacement field across the fracture interface. Under the effects of pressure decline and high confining stresses on the fracture faces, proppant compaction and embedment may occur, causing fracture closure and thus substantial production loss. Hence we also develop a comprehensive proppant-fracture model which is based on the theories of elasto-plastic contact mechanics, to capture the complex interactions between proppant and fracture. The multiphysics numerical model enables us to investigate which factors have the most influential effect on the gas recovery of shale formations. High fidelity numerical solutions are provided to characterize the rate-transient signatures in the presence of the different flow and geomechanical mechanisms.
Advanced siRNA Designs Further Improve In Vivo Performance of GalNAc-siRNA Conjugates

Significant progress has been made in the advancement of RNAi therapeutics by combining a synthetic triantennary N-acetylgalactosamine ligand targeting the asialoglycoprotein receptor with chemically modified small interfering RNA (siRNA) designs, including the recently described Enhanced Stabilization Chemistry. This strategy has demonstrated robust RNAi-mediated gene silencing in liver after subcutaneous administration across species, including human. Here we demonstrate that substantial efficacy improvements can be achieved through further refinement of siRNA chemistry, optimizing the positioning of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro and 2′-O-methyl ribosugar modifications across both strands of the double-stranded siRNA duplex to enhance stability without compromising intrinsic RNAi activity. To achieve this, we employed an iterative screening approach across multiple siRNAs to arrive at advanced designs with low 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro content that yield significantly improved potency and duration in preclinical species, including non-human primate. Liver exposure data indicate that the improvement in potency is predominantly due to increased metabolic stability of the siRNA conjugates.
WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM TESTING IN OBESE PATIENTS

Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is recognized as an important surrogate of cardiovascular risk. Using CACS to influence patient behavior could be an important aid in supporting weight loss programs. We aimed to evaluate weight loss following feedback communication of CACS results in overweight