cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Processing and characterization of YSZ-PSS-DBS composites

PSS-PEGL and PSS-PEGL-DBS polymeric systems have been used in YSZ slurry formulation. These organic materials with different chemical structure and functional groups had great effect on the ceramic slurry formulation. Physical properties, such as viscosity of slurry, hardness and density for green and sintered bodies, and thermal decomposition, were studied as a function of the binder composition.
Optimality conditions for regenerative inventory systems under batch demands

We consider a single-item, continuous-review, (s, S) inventory system, under complete backlogging and a constant procurement lead time. Demands occur in independent, identically distributed batches, separated by independent identically distributed intervals. The model also includes a class of periodic review systems as a special case. Of interest are the optimal control policies with respect to a stationary cost rate function, constructed to include ordering, holding and shortage costs. We study the structural properties of the cost rate function and report some new bounds and optimality conditions. An application of these to the computation and approximation of optimal policies is also discussed.
Identification of a redox-sensitive switch within the JAK2 catalytic domain

Four cysteine residues (Cys866, Cys917, Cys1094, and Cys1105) have direct roles in cooperatively regulating Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) catalytic activity. Additional site-directed mutagenesis experiments now provide evidence that two of these residues (Cys866 and Cys917) act together as a redox-sensitive switch, allowing JAK2's catalytic activity to be directly regulated by the redox state of the cell. We created several variants of the truncated JAK2 (GST/(NΔ661)rJAK2), which incorporated cysteine-to-serine or cysteine-to-alanine mutations. The catalytic activities of these mutant enzymes were evaluated by in vitro autokinase assays and by in situ autophosphorylation and transphosphorylation assays. Cysteine-to-alanine mutagenesis revealed that the mechanistic role of Cys866 and Cys917 is functionally distinct from that of Cys1094 and Cys1105. Most notable is the observation that the robust activity of the CC866,917AA mutant is unaltered by pretreatment with dithiothreitol or o-iodosobenzoate, unlike all other JAK2 variants previously examined. This work provides the first direct evidence for a cysteine-based redox-sensitive switch that regulates JAK2 catalytic activity. The presence of this redox-sensitive switch predicts that reactive oxygen species can impair the cell's response to JAK-coupled cytokines under conditions of oxidative stress, which we confirm in a murine pancreatic β-islet cell line.
Cognitive Versus Functional Approaches to Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury: Commentary on a Randomized Controlled Trial

I describe the findings of one of the largest randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury (TBI) ever conducted, examine the theoretical relationship between cognitive and functional rehabilitation after TBI, and describe the historical preference for cognitive (top-down) rather than functional (bottom-up) interventions. I also contrast the goals and principles of cognitive rehabilitation and of the neurofunctional approach of Giles and Clark-Wilson (1993; Giles, 2005)--a bottom-up approach. Findings of the RCT provide empirical support for both functional and cognitive interventions following acute TBI. In addition, they provide evidence that each type of intervention offers significant advantages for a specific subpopulation. The clinical implications of these findings for occupational therapy practitioners are discussed.
Skatepark as Neoliberal Playground Urban Governance, Recreation Space, and the Cultivation of Personal Responsibility

More than 2,000 skateboard parks have been built in the United States over the past decade. Although these parks are a response to community demand, many cities have provided these facilities on ce...
Effects of cardiac anisotropy on modeling transvenous defibrillation in the human thorax

The objective of this study is to determine the effects of cardiac tissue anisotropy on transvenous defibrillation fields in a human torso model. The study is implemented with a physiologically realistic 3-D finite element model of the human thorax. The model computes potential and potential gradient distributions within the heart from a knowledge of defibrillation shock strength, defibrillation electrode location, and the relative conductivities of the interior thorax. Coil electrodes were placed in the right ventricular cavity and the superior vena cava. Results are compared between a model with an isotropic myocardium and a model with an anisotropic myocardium. Comparison of the potential and potential gradient distributions within the myocardium between the isotropic and anisotropic models yielded root mean square errors of 4.9% and 19.%, respectively, and correlation coefficients of 0.999 and 0.981, respectively. These results indicate that cardiac anisotropy and fiber orientation do not significantly affect transvenous defibrillation fields.
Impact of contralateral and ipsilateral reference tissue selection on self-referencing differential spectroscopy for breast cancer detection

We previously developed a self-referencing differential spectroscopic (SRDS) method to detect lesions by identifying a spectroscopic biomarker of breast cancer, i.e., the specific tumor component (STC). The SRDS method is based on the assumption of the exclusive presence of this spectroscopic biomaker in malignant disease. Although clinical results using this method have already been published, the dependence of the STC spectra on the choice of reference tissue has not yet been addressed. In this study, we explore the impact of the selection of the reference region size and location on the STC spectrum in 10 subjects with malignant breast tumors. Referencing from both contralateral and ipsilateral sides was performed. Regardless of the referencing, we are able to obtain consistent high contrast images of malignant lesions using the STC with less than 13% deviation. These results suggest that the STC measurements are independent of any type, location, and amount of normal breast tissue used for referencing. This confirms the initial assumption of the SRDS analysis, that there are specific tumor components in cancer that do not exist in normal tissue. This also indicates that bilateral measurements are not required for lesion identification using the STC method.
Acoustic Emission Assessment of Through-Thickness Fatigue Crack Growth in Steel Members

The understanding of crack behavior under fatigue remains a critical issue in addressing the performance of steel bridges. Single edge notches in general provide a very well defined load and fatigue crack size and shape environment for estimation of the stress intensity factor K, which is not found in welded elements. ASTM-E647 SE(T) specimens do not appear to provide ideal boundary conditions for proper recording of acoustic wave propagation and crack growth behavior observed in steel bridges, but do provide standard fatigue crack growth rate data. Acoustic emission (AE) has been increasingly used for assessment and prediction of fatigue cracks in steel bridge members. In steel bridge members, AE transducers are commonly attached to the surface of the plate from which the crack is initiated, hence producing a through-thickness crack growth monitored by the transducer. A modified version of the SE(T) specimen was developed in order to maintain similitude with the field crack propagation orientation and to provide a small-scale specimen with improved AE characteristics while maintaining accuracy of fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN) versus stress intensity factor range (∆K). The specimen simulates fatigue cracks in flanges or early stage of crack growth in webs of steel bridge members. Effects of load ratio (R) and material on AE data recorded during the crack growth was addressed. Applicability of AE to capture, locate and predict the behavior of the growing crack was positively verified. R ratio showed to have a significant effect on evolution of AE data captured during the test.
Proximity Frames and Regularization

It is well known that the category KHaus of compact Hausdorff spaces is dually equivalent to the category KRFrm of compact regular frames. By de Vries duality, KHaus is also dually equivalent to the category DeV of de Vries algebras, and so DeV is equivalent to KRFrm, where the latter equivalence can be described constructively through Booleanization. Our purpose here is to lift this circle of equivalences and dual equivalences to the setting of stably compact spaces.
Optogenetic-mediated increases in in vivo spontaneous activity disrupt pool-specific but not dorsal-ventral motoneuron pathfinding

Rhythmic waves of spontaneous electrical activity are widespread in the developing nervous systems of birds and mammals, and although many aspects of neural development are activity-dependent, it has been unclear if rhythmic waves are required for in vivo motor circuit development, including the proper targeting of motoneurons to muscles. We show here that electroporated channelrhodopsin-2 can be activated in ovo with light flashes to drive waves at precise intervals of approximately twice the control frequency in intact chicken embryos. Optical monitoring of associated axial movements ensured that the altered frequency was maintained. In embryos thus stimulated, motor axons correctly executed the binary dorsal-ventral pathfinding decision but failed to make the subsequent pool-specific decision to target to appropriate muscles. This observation, together with the previous demonstration that slowing the frequency by half perturbed dorsal-ventral but not pool-specific pathfinding, shows that modest changes in frequency differentially disrupt these two major pathfinding decisions. Thus, many drugs known to alter early rhythmic activity have the potential to impair normal motor circuit development, and given the conservation between mouse and avian spinal cords, our observations are likely relevant to mammals, where such studies would be difficult to carry out.
Truthful auctions for pricing search keywords

We present a truthful auction for pricing advertising slots on a web-page assuming that advertisements for different merchants must be ranked in decreasing order of their (weighted) bids. This captures both the Overture model where bidders are ranked in order of the submitted bids, and the Google model where bidders are ranked in order of the expected revenue (or utility) that their advertisement generates. Assuming separable click-through rates, we prove revenue-equivalence between our auction and the non-truthful next-price auctions currently in use.
1990–2001 U.S. general surgery chief resident gastric surgery operative experience: analysis of paradigm shift

The almost complete disappearance of benign gastric ulcer disease has led to the perception that there may be an insufficient gastric surgery experience for surgery residents. This study analyzed residentreported gastric procedure experience by chief residents from U.S. programs. The Resident Statistic Summaries (Report C) for 1990–2001 were compiled and analyzed. Results are expressed as the average number of operations performed per resident, standard deviation (SD), and the percentage (%) of total gastric operative cases. For all gastric-related surgery, the average reported cases per chief resident ranged from 9.8-12.4 with a peak in 1990 and a nadir in 1999; in 2001 the reported case average was 11.3 (SD ranged from 6–8). Over the same interval, vagotomy decreased from 24% in 1990 to 7% in 2001, whereas gastric-reduction operations increased from 5%—34%. Total gastrectomy remained a constant less than 1.0 per chief resident (range 0.6-0.8), whereas partial gastric resection (PGR) was unchanged. The percentage of all types of gastric resections slightly diminished from 34% in 1990 to 29% in 2001. U.S. surgical chief residents report a widely variable experience in gastric surgery over the period analyzed. However, their overall experience has not significantly diminished since 1990 although specific procedural volume has varied.
How to eliminate illusions in quantified reasoning.

The mental model theory postulates that reasoners build models of situations described in premises. These models normally make explicit only what is true according to the premises. The theory has an unexpected consequence. It predicts the existence ofillusions in inferences: Certain inferences should have compelling but erroneous conclusions. Previous studies have corroborated the existence of such illusions. The present study reports the first effective antidote to them. For example, most people incorrectly answer “yes” to the following problem:Only one of the following statements is true . . . /At least some of the plastic beads are not red. /None of the plastic beads are red. /Is it possible that none of the red beads are plastic? In two experiments, we progressively eliminated this fallacy and others by using instructions designed to overcome the bias toward truth. The difference between the illusory and the control problems disappeared when the participants were instructed to work out both the case in which the first premise was true and the second premise was false and the case in which the second premise was true and the first premise was false.
Sensor fusion method using GPS/IMU data for fast UAV surveillance video frame registration

This paper proposes an innovative framework for fast image registration of UAV surveillance video frames by fusing the data from a GPS receiver high-frequency IMU sensor (Piccolo autopilot) and a feature-domain registration method through a non-linear filter. The high-frequency imprecise data from the Piccolo autopilot is refined by the low-frequency precise data from our feature-domain based random M least squares (RMLS) method. The projective transformation model is chosen to achieve high precision. The state and measurement models are non-linear to approximate the real-world imaging dynamics. A periodic hybrid particle filter (PHPF), composed of extended Kalman filter (EKF) and unscented Kalman filter (UKF), is proposed to minimize running time while maintaining accuracy. Both the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm will be evaluated through our experiments.
Regulation of late endosomal/lysosomal maturation and trafficking by cortactin affects Golgi morphology

Cortactin is a branched actin regulator and tumor-overexpressed protein that promotes vesicular trafficking at a variety of cellular sites, including endosomes and the trans-Golgi network. To better understand its role in secretory trafficking, we investigated its function in Golgi homeostasis. Here, we report that knockdown (KD) of cortactin leads to a dramatic change in Golgi morphology by light microscopy, dependent on binding the Arp2/3 actin-nucleating complex. Surprisingly, there was little effect of cortactin-KD on anterograde trafficking of the constitutive cargo vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG), Golgi assembly from endoplasmic reticulum membranes upon Brefeldin A washout, or Golgi ultrastructure. Instead, electron microscopy studies revealed that cortactin-KD cells contained a large number of immature-appearing late endosomal/lysosomal (LE/Lys) hybrid organelles, similar to those found in lysosomal storage diseases. Consistent with a defect in LE/Lys trafficking, cortactin-KD cells also exhibited accumulation of free cholesterol and retention of the retrograde Golgi cargo mannose-6-phosphate receptor in LE. Inhibition of LE maturation by treatment of control cells with Rab7 siRNA or chloroquine led to a compact Golgi morphology similar to that observed in cortactin-KD cells. Furthermore, the Golgi morphology defects of cortactin-KD cells could be rescued by removal of cholesterol-containing lipids from the media, suggesting that buildup of cholesterol-rich membranes in immature LE/Lys induced disturbances in retrograde trafficking. Taken together, these data reveal that LE/Lys maturation and trafficking are highly sensitive to cortactin-regulated branched actin assembly and suggests that cytoskeletal-induced Golgi morphology changes can be a consequence of altered trafficking at late endosomes.
Clinicopathologic review of pediatric enucleations during the last 50 years.

Purpose To evaluate diagnoses leading to enucleations in the pediatric age group over time. Methods All pathology reports of enucleation specimens at the University of California–San Francisco eye pathology laboratory from children (ages 0 to 18 years) from 1960 to 2008 were reviewed. The main outcome measures were the frequency of pediatric enucleation specimens in each diagnostic category as compared with total pathological laboratory volume over time, and the age and gender distribution of histopathological diagnostic categories over time. Results Specimens of 746 eyes from 729 pediatric patients were analyzed. Pediatric enucleated eyes constituted 2.7% of all specimens received at the pathology laboratory. The overall frequency of pediatric enucleation specimens did not change over time. Retinoblastoma specimens increased by a factor of 2.9 over time ( p p p Conclusions A decrease in pediatric nonretinoblastoma enucleations was observed over time, possibly attributable to better diagnostic capabilities, surgical techniques, and public health interventions. The increase in retinoblastoma enucleations over time was likely due to the result of institutional referral bias.
The Palestinian–Arab Minority in Israel, 1948–2000: A Political Study. By As'ad Ghanem. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. 238p. 20.95 paper.

This study, a volume in the SUNY Israel Studies series, represents a new stage of maturity in academic research on Israel's Arab minority: a serious and scholarly (if rather severe) overview from within that community. Ghanem, a lecturer at Israel's University of Haifa, has, within a few short years, emerged as a leading academic analyst of Israeli Arab political issues, and the book at hand will cement his reputation. It combines an insider's feel for his subject with a critical, but reasonably restrained and balanced, presentation of a topic that has too often generated apologetics or polemics. Ghanem does not focus on the history or substance of relations between the Jewish majority and Arab citizens of Israel, or on official policies and practices. On these issues he briefly redraws the picture sketched by previous studies, most of them by Israeli Jewish scholars: Israeli Arabs/Palestinians (the latter designation is increasingly preferred) have formal rights of citizenship, but are in fact second-class citizens both in law (given legal expressions of the Jewishness of the state) and, even more, in practice. While they have made great absolute progress by most measures in the half-century of Israeli statehood, a huge gap between the two communities remains. Furthermore, they are doubly marginalized, first, as Israelis and, second, as part of the broader Palestinian Arab community in which their position is also problematic.
Structure analyses combining electron diffraction and microwave data: I. Study of XeOF4

Molecular parameters for XeOF, derived from electron diffraction data are compared with those previously reported in vibrational and rotational spectroscopic studies of the molecule. Additional least-squares calculations were performed which simultaneously fitted the diffraction and microwave data. Although results for the separate experiments are in good agreement, each set of parameters suffers from fairly large uncertainties which are largely unrelated to the accuracy of the respective physical measurements. A comparison of parameter correlations for the separate and joint least-squares calculations indicates that the troublesome correlations in the individual sets of data are significantly reduced when the two sets of data are combined. Various interpretational difllculties associated with the process of combining the data from the two experiments are discussed and suggestions are made for estimating uncertainties in cases where the observational residuals are far from random.
Zoological institution participation in a West Nile virus surveillance system: Implications for public health

Summary Objective To identify attributes of zoological institutions and surveillance system factors that were associated with participation in the West Nile Virus Surveillance System for Zoological Institutions in the USA, and to assess the potential effectiveness of zoos as a novel data source for surveillance of emerging infectious zoonoses. Study design Retrospective. Methods The number of specimens submitted between August 2001 and December 2006 for West Nile virus testing was determined for each institution. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the distribution of number of specimens submitted and features of the institutions. Student’s t -test was used to assess potential associations between institutional and animal collection characteristics and the total number of specimens submitted by each institution. Results Factors associated with institutional participation include: submitting specimens for specific purposes of serosurvey testing, sentinel surveillance, vaccine titre checks, vaccine effectiveness, submitting specimens for multiple reasons, and communication with public health. Conclusion Understanding how zoo and surveillance system characteristics are associated with participation in this surveillance effort may enhance public health efforts and the design of future zoological surveillance efforts.
Public Health Implications of Voters’ Attitudes Regarding Statewide Tobacco Policy

Background: Tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. Public opinion regarding tobacco use is not only an important barometer of the likelihood of effective tobacco-control legislation, but also identifies ongoing public health educational needs. Because > 63,000 children become new smokers annually in Pennsylvania, we chose to evaluate the statewide public health tobacco perspective in order to help tailor future public policy interventions. Study design and setting: Registered voters were randomly contacted in a statewide telephone survey. To reduce response bias, an independent polling firm conducted the 643 structured interviews. Results: Most respondents were > 45 years old (55%), female (54%), and had at least some college education (62%). Twenty-eight percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 25 to 32%) were current tobacco users, and 38% (95% CI, 34 to 42%) had lost family members or friends to smoking-related disease. Ninety-two percent (95% CI, 90 to 94%) expressed “concern” about adolescent tobacco use, but only 46% (95% CI, 42 to 50%) believed that government needed to do more. Of respondents opposed to government involvement, 65% (95% CI, 61 to 68%) believed it was an improper role for government, or that there are more important non-health government priorities. When framed more personally, 80% (95% CI, 77 to 83%) indicated that elected officials have a responsibility to “dedicate a significant portion of tobacco settlement” to prevention. Still, 28% (95% CI, 25 to 32%) would oppose laws restricting smoking in establishments frequented by youth. Conclusions: Prior public health education initiatives have been effective in shaping the tobaccorelated health concerns of Pennsylvania voters. As expected, the overwhelming majority of respondents are concerned about youth tobacco use and agree that money should be spent on tobaccocontrol initiatives. In contrast, many are reluctant to support “government” involvement in what is still seen as a personal issue. Future public health initiatives should focus on this dichotomy and should highlight the utility of an integrated policy approach to tobacco control. (CHEST 2002; 122:295–298)
Prescribed Fire and Air Quality in the American South: A Review of Conflicting Interests and a Technique for Incorporating the Land Manager into Regional Air Quality Modeling

In this paper, conflicting interests in prescribed burn practice and improving air quality in the South are reviewed. Conflicting societal interests and legislative actions threaten to curtail the use of prescribed fire to manage for endangered species and for other land management objectives in the South. This comes at a time when efforts are being made to increase prescribed burning on existing forest land and to initiate prescribed burning on tracts of old agricultural land that are being restored to forest land. Regulatory interests regarding impacts of regional haze on visibility and impacts of fine particulate matter on health are increasingly in conflict with management objectives driven by natural resource management. The air quality community is increasingly relying on computer air quality models for understanding the movement of pollutants across regions and for the chemical interactions of airborne materials. The success of air quality/air chemistry models depends on the availability of accurate source inventories. Wildland burning in the South is considered a significant contributor to the organics inventory. Because prescribed fires are managed, the timing and locations of burns and where in the atmosphere fire products are distributed must be taken into account. Therefore land managers become active players in local and regional air quality.
Testing the IRAP: Exploring the Reliability and Fakability of an Idiographic Approach to Interpersonal Attitudes

Although multiple studies have demonstrated that the Implicit Association Test (IAT) can be successfully faked, a single study using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP; McKenna, Barnes-Holmes, Barnes-Holmes, & Stewart, International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 7(2): 253–268, 2007) concluded that this behavior-analytic alternative to implicit measures may be relatively immune to faking. The current study examined the fakability of the IRAP using more accessible faking instructions and an idiographic approach to stimulus selection. The methodology also provided an opportunity to examine split-half and test–retest reliability, an underreported statistic among existing IRAP publications. Three IRAPs were delivered in succession to 102 undergraduates randomly assigned to one of three conditions: three real IRAPs, two real IRAPs followed by a faked IRAP, or one real IRAP followed by two faked IRAPs. Split-half reliabilities were acceptable for four of the six real IRAPs and excellent for the three faked IRAPs. For the group receiving three real IRAPs, consecutive IRAPs generated significant test–retest correlations; the group engaging in two consecutive faked IRAPs also generated a significant test–retest correlation. Furthermore, all groups that received faking instructions subsequently demonstrated significantly reversed IRAP performance compared to previous real IRAPs and to real IRAPs in other conditions: Faking was robustly demonstrated. These results may have implications with regard not only to the fakability but also the reliability of the measure. Future research might focus on methods of detecting and/or preventing faking of the procedure.
The behavior of Fe3+/∑Fe during partial melting of spinel lherzolite

Abstract This study presents an internally consistent model for the behavior of Fe3+/∑Fe during partial melting of spinel lherzolite. The Fe3+/∑Fe ratio for olivine is calculated on the basis of point defect thermodynamics, and the oxidation states of iron in the other solid phases are calculated using Fe3+/Fe2+ distribution between olivine and orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, or spinel. Conservation of mass is used to relate the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of partial melt to the concentrations of Fe3+ and Fe2+ in the initial and residual solids as a function of pressure, temperature, and oxygen fugacity. Results from isobaric batch melting calculations demonstrate that the Fe3+/∑Fe ratio of the partial melt decreases with increasing melt fraction. Conversely, the Fe3+/∑Fe ratio of the partial melt increases with increasing melt fraction during decompression batch melting. The relative oxygen fugacity of the upper mantle depends on both the oxidation state of iron and mantle potential temperature. Results from incremental decompression melting calculations in which 1% melt is produced for each 100 MPa of decompression and then removed from the residual solid indicate that relative oxygen fugacity calculated from the oxidation state of iron in basaltic glass does not represent a unique value for the oceanic upper mantle but, rather, reflects conditions in the lower portion of the melting regime. A 100 °C change in mantle potential temperature produces a change in relative oxygen fugacity of ∼0.8 log units, similar to the global range inferred from mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses. It is necessary, therefore, to compare relative oxygen fugacity calculated from basaltic glass with proxies for potential temperature before drawing conclusions on heterogeneity of the oxidation state of iron in the oceanic upper mantle. Results from model calculations also suggest that the sub-arc mantle is intrinsically more oxidizing than the oceanic mantle because it is cooler. The global correlation between Fe3+/∑Fe and H2O in basaltic glasses may, in part, reflect the solidus-lowering influence of the latter. Secular variations in relative oxygen fugacity of the upper mantle due to cooling of the Earth over geologic time do not appear to be large enough to have influenced the nature of volcanic outgassing significantly enough to have contributed to the Great Oxidation Event.
Nontarget Hymenoptera collected in pheromone- and synthetic floral volatile-baited traps

Monitoring traps baited with lepidopteran sex pheromones and synthetic floral volatiles were used to collect adult Hymenoptera in fields of cotton and corn. Species from Apoidea, Pompiloidea, Scolioidea, Sphecoidea, and Vespoidea were collected, including the genera Ammophila, Apis, Bombus, Cerceris, Larra, Melissodes, Myzinum, and Tachytes. More Bombus spp. were collected from traps baited with Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) sex pheromone than those baited with phenylacetaldehyde, whereas more Sphecoidea were collected in phenylacetaldehyde-baited traps. Trap design was also an important factor in capture of various species. More Sphecoidea and Tiphioidea were collected in fabric cone-shaped traps than plastic funnel traps. Efforts should be made to develop traps and lures that consistently capture the target pest but do not attract or easily capture aculeate Hymenoptera to preserve beneficial populations.
Analysis of the Reasons and Results of the Occupational Exposure to HIV of 8 Cases.

[Objective] To analyze the reasons and results of occupational HIV exposure,prevent the occupational exposure cases and reduce the risk of HIV infection during the exposure.[Methods] The reasons of occupational exposure in various medical institutions in Tanghe city were collected before 2005;classified judgment,risk degree evaluation and preventive doses were carried out according to the Instruction Principle;ELISA was applied to conduct HIV antibody detection.[Results] Among the 8 cases of occupational exposure,3 cases were clinician,2 cases were nurses,1case was midwife,1 case was laboratory staff,1 case was car driver;6 cases belonged to degree I of occupational exposure and 2 cases belonged to degree II;6 cases were given preventive doses and 2 cases weren't;all the 8 cases of were proved to be HIV negative in the 5 detections.[Conclusion]Early and canonical handling of the wounds of the occupationally HIV-exposed people combined with preventive doses may effectively cut down the risk of HIV infection by in the occupational exposure.
Effects of dietary levels of selenium-enriched yeast and sodium selenite as selenium sources fed to growing-finishing pigs on performance, tissue selenium, serum glutathione peroxidase activity, carcass characteristics, and loin quality.

This research evaluated the efficacy of inorganic and organic Se sources for growing-finishing pigs, as measured by performance and various tissue, serum, carcass, and loin quality traits. A total of 351 crossbred pigs were allotted at an average BW of 20.4 kg to six replicates of a 2x4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed diets containing Se-enriched yeast (organic) or sodium selenite (inorganic), each at .05, .10, .20, or .30 mg Se/kg diet. A non-Se-fortified basal diet was a ninth treatment group. Five pigs per pen were bled initially and at 30-d intervals with serum analyzed for Se and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. At 55 kg BW, one pig per pen from each of three replicates was killed, and tissues were collected for Se analysis. At 105 kg BW, the remaining pigs in the three replicates were killed, carcass measurements were collected, tissues were analyzed for Se, and loin quality was evaluated for pH, drip loss, and lightness. No performance or carcass measurement benefit resulted from either Se source or dietary Se levels. Pigs had a lower serum Se concentration and GSH-Px activity when the basal diet was fed, but both increased as dietary Se level increased (P .15) by organic Se source or level, but there was a trend for a higher drip loss (P = .11) and a linear (P<.01) increase in loin paleness when the inorganic Se level increased. These results indicate that neither Se source nor Se level had an effect on pig performance or carcass measurements, but organic Se source increased tissue Se concentrations. Inorganic Se may, however, have a detrimental effect on loin quality, as reflected by higher drip loss and a paler color. Using serum GSH-Px activity as the measurement criterion, the supplemental dietary Se requirement did not seem to exceed .10 and .05 mg Se/kg diet for the growing and finishing phases, respectively, when added to a basal diet containing .06 mg Se/kg.
Genotyping and sequence analysis on G2 segment of hantavirus carried by rat in Hebei province

Objective To know the genotype and subtype of hantavims (HV) carried by host animals in HFRS natural epidemic area of Hebei province. Methods According to the conservative sequence of 76-118 and R22 strains, specific primers were designed. RT-nested PCR was used to amplify partial M segments from the positive rat lungs screened by IFA. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to identify the types. Nucleotides were assayed from partial products after purification and reclaim. Gene analysis was carried on with DNAStar package.Results 32 specimens, which were positive screened by IFA, were amplified the specific segment (418bp) and all belonged to type SEO. Sequencing results of 10 partial segments indicated that G2 segment had little variability and nucleotide homology reached to 98.0%-100.0%. Comparing with the R22 and 76-118 strains, homology was 93.3%-94.3% and 67.7%-69.0% respectively. Conclusion According to G2 segment, SEO was the major type in Hebei HFRS natural epidemic area and S3 was the major subtype. HV which belonged to the same subtype had high homology and genetic materials were correspondingly stable. Different rats could carry the same subtype of HV. Key words: Hantanvirus; Genotype; Reverse transcriptase pelymerase chain reaction; Sequence analysis
Meteoritic influence on sodium and potassium abundance in the lunar exosphere measured by LADEE

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) orbited the Moon for approximately 6 months, taking data with the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometer (UVS), and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS). Here we compare coincident LDEX measurements of meteoritic influx to exospheric column densities of Na and K derived by UVS. We report a strong correlation of exospheric potassium and meteoroid ejecta during the Geminids meteoroid shower, exhibiting a much stronger response than sodium. With the exception of the Geminids, we find a weak correlation between the sporadic meteoroid influx as measured by LDEX and exospheric density as measured by UVS.
Development of a sample preparation technique for supercritical fluid extraction for multiresidue analysis of pesticides in produce

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of fruits and vegetables poses unique sample preparation considerations because the sample size is small (1-3 g) and the analyte is distributed in a moist solid matrix. The goal of this research was to develop practical sample preparation procedures for SFE of pesticide residues in produce so that acceptable accuracy and precision are maintained. In this study, 130 extractions of potato, fortified with up to 40 pesticides, were performed with 2 commercial SFE instruments. Extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry or electron capture detection. Four sample preparation procedures were tested and Hydromatrix was used to control the amount of water in the sample. The highest recoveries and lowest standard deviations were obtained when 20-50 g samples were blended with an equal amount of Hydromatrix and dry ice was added to keep the samples frozen. The dry ice helped produce a homogeneous flowable powder and greatly reduced the degradation or vaporization of several pesticides. Recoveries of most pesticides from subsamples of <4 g with this procedure were 90-105%, with relative standard deviations of 1-6%. Only diphenylamine and disulfoton gave reduced recoveries with this procedure. When samples were extracted sequentially with an autosampler, certain pesticides were degraded in the extraction vessels over a period of several hours. To avoid losses of these pesticides, the sample in the extraction vessel was either purged with CO 2 to remove oxygen or kept frozen until extracted. Peach and orange check samples were analyzed with the method, and results were comparable with those from traditional analyses.
Irreversible electroporation for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Backgrounds/Aims: Resection or enucleation is currently the treatment of choice for small pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Irreversible electroporation is a novel ablative method that is used for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but little data exists for its use for pancreatic NETs. We report an early experience of IRE for early pancreatic NETs. Methods: Between April 2014 and March 2015, 3 patients with small (＜2 cm) pancreatic NETs were treated with percutaneous IRE. Results: There were no adverse effects during the procedure. Mean hospital stay was 2.6 days. All patients remained disease free on 12-19 months follow up. One patient developed recurrent pancreatitis with pseudocyst formation. Conclusions: IRE for small tumors of the pancreas is practical and may offer advantages over other thermal ablative techniques, since it preserves vital structures such as blood vessels, bile and pancreatic ducts. Further data regarding the long term disease free interval is required to establish efficacy.
Dielectric breakdown tests on flowing two-phase freon with non-condensible contaminants

The objective of this work was to determine whether dielectric breakdown of the R113 coolant would limit designs of compact HVDC substations. As means to this objective, a testing apparatus was designed, and constructed through modification of one previously used, to generate virtually all two-phase flow regimes in R113, with or without non-condensibles SF 6 and N 2 present, over a broad range of temperatures and pressures. As the flow crossed properly shielded electrodes, four Waveforms were applied, including ac, dc, switching surge and impulse. It was intended to evaluate, primarily, extreme cases which might exist in the coolant between the high potential area, containing the R113-cooled thyristor panels, and ground. In no case was breakdown attributed to failure of the coolant, rather the dielectric integrity of the solid dielectric coolant lines in the SF 6 environment were found to be the limiting factor.
Organic Optoelectronic Materials: Mechanisms and Applications

Organic (opto)electronic materials have received considerable attention due to their applications in thin-film-transistors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, sensors, photorefractive devices, and many others. The technological promises include low cost of these materials and the possibility of their room-temperature deposition from solution on large-area and/or flexible substrates. The article reviews the current understanding of the physical mechanisms that determine the (opto)electronic properties of high-performance organic materials. The focus of the review is on photoinduced processes and on electronic properties important for optoelectronic applications relying on charge carrier photogeneration. Additionally, it highlights the capabilities of various experimental techniques for characterization of these materials, summarizes top-of-the-line device performance, and outlines recent trends in the further development of the field. The properties of materials based both on small molecules and on conjug...
Flashover of resistor and varistor materials

Typical voltage waveforms observed when a zinc oxide particle was stressed to breakdown are shown in Figure 1. The three different waveforms correspond to applying the voltage at three widely different rates of rise by varying the pulse amplitude. At the lowest rate, a fraction of a microsecond was required before sufficient conductivity was attained to collapse the voltage. A more abrupt collapse resulted when the sample was stressed with a faster rising voltage, although the peak voltage (considered here to be the breakdown vol tage) was increased by only a small amount. Similar results were observed with two different ohmic particles having resistivities of 110 ohm mm and 750 ohm mm which were obtained by crushing carbon-composition resistors. It should be noted that breakdown in the case of the zinc oxide sample occurred at a voltage which exceeded the expected varistor turn-on level by a factor of two or three. The important role of a gas discharge in the breakdown mechanism was verified by repeating these measurements with the sample immersed in freon gas, which raised the breakdown voltage significantly.
Siderophore-based immunization strategy to inhibit growth of enteric pathogens

Infections with Gram-negative pathogens pose a serious threat to public health. This scenario is exacerbated by increases in antibiotic resistance and the limited availability of vaccines and therapeutic tools to combat these infections. Here, we report an immunization approach that targets siderophores, which are small molecules exported by enteric Gram-negative pathogens to acquire iron, an essential nutrient, in the host. Because siderophores are nonimmunogenic, we designed and synthesized conjugates of a native siderophore and the immunogenic carrier protein cholera toxin subunit B (CTB). Mice immunized with the CTB–siderophore conjugate developed anti-siderophore antibodies in the gut mucosa, and when mice were infected with the enteric pathogen Salmonella, they exhibited reduced intestinal colonization and reduced systemic dissemination of the pathogen. Moreover, analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that reduction of Salmonella colonization in the inflamed gut was accompanied by expansion of Lactobacillus spp., which are beneficial commensal organisms that thrive in similar locales as Enterobacteriaceae. Collectively, our results demonstrate that anti-siderophore antibodies inhibit Salmonella colonization. Because siderophore-mediated iron acquisition is a virulence trait shared by many bacterial and fungal pathogens, blocking microbial iron acquisition by siderophore-based immunization or other siderophore-targeted approaches may represent a novel strategy to prevent and ameliorate a broad range of infections.
Concordance of Middle Meatal Swab and Maxillary Sinus Aspirate in Acute and Chronic Sinusitis: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACTBackground: The medical management of acute and chronicsinusitis is a therapeutic challenge. The use of endoscopic middlemeatal cultures as a noninvasive method to determine the bacte-riology of the maxillary sinus has not accurately been established.The aim of this study was to review the literature that comparescultures obtained by endoscopic middle meatal swabs with thoseobtained from maxillary sinus aspirates (MSAs).Methods We reviewed studies published between January1966 and October 2003 that were identified from searches ofmultiple databases, bibliographies, and original articles. Stud-ies were included for analysis if they compared the results ofendoscopic middle meatal cultures to aspirate cultures. Allclinical variables and test performances were independentlyextracted by two reviewers.Results: Middle meatal culture had a per isolate accuracy of82% (95% confidence interval, 0.64, 0.92) compared with MSA(excluding coagulase negative staphylococcus and fungal cul-tures).Conclusion: Endoscopic middle meatal cultures have a highconcordance with MSAs. (American Journal of Rhinology 19,462470, 2005)
Weight loss independent changes in adipose tissue macrophage and T cell populations after sleeve gastrectomy in mice.

Abstract Objective In addition to adipocytes, adipose tissue contains large numbers of immune cells. A wide range of evidence links the activity of these cells to regulation of adipocyte and systemic metabolic function. Bariatric surgery improves several aspects of metabolic derangements and at least some of these effects occur in a weight-loss independent manner. We sought to investigate the impact of vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) on adipose immune cell frequencies. Methods We analyzed the frequencies of immune cells within distinct adipose tissue depots in obese mice that had VSG or sham surgery with a portion of the latter group pair-fed such that their body mass was matched to the VSG animals. Results We demonstrate that VSG induced a shift in the epididymal adipose tissue leukocyte profile including increased frequencies of CD11c − macrophages, increased frequencies of T cells (CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD4 − /CD8 − T cells all increased), but a significantly decreased frequency of adipose tissue dendritic cells (ATDC) that, despite the continued high fat feeding of the VSG group, dropped below control diet levels. Conclusions These results indicate that VSG induces substantial changes in the immune populations residing in the adipose depots independent of weight loss.
Assessing the Factors that Influence the Career Choices of Minority PhD Graduates in STEM Fields

Professoriate preparation programs have become widely available and are designed to address the need to increase diversity among faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. This paper examines the factors that influenced the career decisions of a group of minority STEM PhD graduates who participated in a professoriate preparation program while attending a research extensive institute for their graduate studies. Qualitative data were collected via phone and face-to-face interviews with the alumni participants. In spite of participation in the program, a significant number did not choose to directly enter an academic field. Factors that influenced the career choices of these students included family commitments, student/personal debt, and concerns about the tenure track process. Those graduates that did complete a Post-Doctorial position or entered an Assistant Professorship track stated that the chance to work with students, the ability to conduct independent research, and the opportunity to obtain positions in higher education leadership affected their decision to go into the professoriate. Results from this study as well as an examination of the factors that influenced the graduates to initially obtain an advance degree are presented.