cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of rare earth elements pollution levels in foods from Shaoxing market in 2014

Objective To investigate rare earth elements contamination level in foods from Shaoxing market in 2014,and provide references for assessment of intake of rare earth elements and revision of the national standard. Methods In 241 samples of 6 kinds of food,including vegetables,fruits,rice,tea,aquatic products,and meat were collected in pedlar markets,supermarket and grocery stores in Shaoxing city in 2014,the content of 16 rare earth elements were detected based on GB 5009. 94—2012 Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Plant Foods,and the detection results were evaluated according to GB 2762—2012 Limited Quantity of Pollutant in Food. Results In 241 samples,the average detected rates of sixteen rare earth elements ranged from 24. 5% to 78. 8%; the detected rates in six kinds food ranged from 72. 7% to 100. 0%,and the average total amount of rare earth oxide were among 6. 31 μg / kg-1 834. 30 μg / kg. The detected rate of tea was 100. 0%,the exceeding stardand rate was 30. 0%,with the highest content of 9 273. 80 μg / kg,which was 4. 64 times of the national standard limit.Conclusion The overall contaminated level of rare earth elements in foods from Shaoxing was low,however,the rare earth elements level in tea was high,and it is suggested that the monitoring of rare earth elements in tea should be strengthened.
Sport participation of immigrants: antecedents and consequences of organisational commitment and ethnic identity amongst Koreans in USA

In spectating sports, many studies have observed the impact of ethnic identity. Regarding sport participation, however, questions still linger about its impact. Key to predicting the sport participation of an immigrant group are their ethnic identity and commitment to the sport organisation. The main purpose of this study was to see how the sport participation of immigrants is affected by ethnic identity and commitment to a sport organisation. Using self-administered questionnaires, the study surveyed a sample of 229 Korean immigrants in the greater Dallas area. The immigrants were conveniently recruited at soccer and softball tournaments hosted by ethnic sport organisations. The collected data were analysed by structural equation modelling. The results suggest that the organisational commitment of participants was affected by their event satisfaction and perceived benefits. As such, commitment affected their ethnic identity and influences their ethnic peers. The peer influences affected ethnic identity. Finally, ethnic identity had an impact on sport participation. This study suggests that an ethnic sport organisation should aim at providing a quality sport experience. Key words: Ethnic identity; Organisational commitment; Ethnic sporting events; Sport participation; Immigrants.
What Is So Asian about Asian Parenting? Deconstructing “Tiger Moms” and “Tiger Dads” in Neoliberal Times Through Taare Zameen Par and I Not Stupid

Why is it always the case when it comes to drawing a link between parenting and education that we make a stereotypical turn to Asians and Asians with hyphenated identities? This chapter deconstructs the “authoritarian” meme of Asian parenting by exploring through films the philosophy of parental pedagogy of which the “authoritative” and modernizing state is an integral part. It argues that both parenting and education need to evolve and adapt in order to enable children and student-citizens to revel in the discovery of transdisciplinary knowledge that challenges received and outdated ideas about the role of education in Asian societies, especially India and Hong Kong.
Assessment of Geographic Information System (GIS) Skills Employed by Graduates from Three Forestry Programs in the United States

This research evaluates the current use of geographic information systems (GIS) by forestry program graduates employed in the United States who graduated from university in the past five years. The purpose was to understand what geospatial processes and databases are typically used by field foresters. A survey was designed and sent to recent forestry graduates from Mississippi State University, Oregon State University, and the University of Georgia, with 30% of those surveyed choosing to participate. The majority of forestry graduates surveyed use GIS at least once a week, and the most frequently employed tasks included editing tabular data, adjusting polygon boundaries, buffering and splitting polygons, and querying for spatial and tabular information. Very few overlay or advance spatial analysis tools were noted as used in regular work efforts. Most respondents use digital aerial photographs as reference, along with satellite images. LiDAR is increasingly being used by these foresters, but to a lesser extent. ArcMap and Google Earth were noted as the most commonly used software packages. Most foresters rely on an organization’s technical support staff for assistance. The study results can be used as a guide for academic programs in their efforts to provide timely and effective knowledge on geospatial topics to forestry undergraduate students.
Investigating Static Analysis Errors in Student Java Programs

Research on students learning to program has produced studies on both compile-time errors (syntax errors) and run-time errors (exceptions). Both of these types of errors are natural targets, since detection is built into the programming language. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation of static analysis errors present in syntactically correct code. Static analysis errors can be revealed by tools that examine a program's source code, but this error detection is typically not built into common programming languages and instead requires separate tools. Static analysis can be used to check formatting or commenting expectations, but it also can be used to identify problematic code or to find some kinds of conceptual or logic errors. We study nearly 10 million static analysis errors found in over 500 thousand program submissions made by students over a five-semester period. The study includes data from four separate courses, including a non-majors introductory course as well as the CS1/CS2/CS3 sequence for CS majors. We examine the differences between the error rates of CS major and non-major beginners, and also examine how these patterns change over time as students progress through the CS major course sequence. Our investigation shows that while formatting and Javadoc issues are the most common, static checks that identify coding flaws that are likely to be errors are strongly correlated with producing correct programs, even when students eventually fix the problems. With experience, students produce fewer errors, but the errors that are most frequent are consistent between both computer science majors and non-majors, and across experience levels. These results can highlight student struggles or misunderstandings that have escaped past analyses focused on syntax or run-time errors.
Index of Suspicion in the Nursery

A female infant is delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery at 29 weeks of gestation. Her Apgar scores are 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. Her weight is 1,300 g, length is 38 cm, and head circumference is 27 cm. The mother is a 20-year-old primiparous African American female who had one previous live term pregnancy and one abortion. Her past medical and surgical histories are otherwise unremarkable. She had adequate prenatal care, and her prenatal laboratory test results were normal, including a negative screen for group B Streptococcus and normal findings on prenatal ultrasonography. She experienced premature contractions at 27 weeks, at which time a dose of betamethasone was administered. At 29 weeks of gestation, she went into labor. Clear amniotic fluid was drained after artificial rupture of membranes just prior to delivery. At the time of delivery, the mother did not have fever or tachycardia, although she had a white blood cell count of 16.9×103/mcL (16.9×109/L), with 58% neutrophils, 12% bands, 15% lymphocytes, and 12% monocytes by manual differential count. The mother did not receive antibiotics during the intrapartum period. The baby is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to prematurity and is treated with intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin for 48 hours until cultures are negative and the baby remains clinically stable. She begins oral feedings with expressed human milk (EBM) on the second day after birth. Small amounts of residue are present periodically after feedings. She otherwise remains clinically stable, breathing comfortably in room air. On day 13 after birth, she develops abdominal distention and vomits once. Greenish material is aspirated via the orogastric tube. Feedings are discontinued, and further evaluation is undertaken. A 41-day-old term boy presents with fussiness and a rectal temperature to 101.2°F (38.5°C). He …
Public debt in economies with heterogeneous agents

Abstract We study public debt in competitive equilibria in which a government chooses transfers and taxes optimally and in addition decides how thoroughly to enforce debt contracts. If the government enforces perfectly, asset inequality is determined in an optimum competitive equilibrium but the level of government debt is not. Welfare increases if private debt contracts are not enforced. Borrowing frictions let the government gather monopoly rents that come from issuing public debt without facing competing private borrowers. Regardless of whether the government chooses to enforce private debt contracts, the level of initial government debt does not affect an optimal allocation.
Chemical and Mechanical Processes Influencing Adhesion and Moisture Damage in Hot Mix Asphalt Pavements

Historically, six mechanisms that contribute to moisture damage have been identified: detachment, displacement, spontaneous emulsification, pore pressure-induced damage, hydraulic scour, and the effects of the environment on the aggregate–asphalt system. However, it is apparent that moisture damage is usually not limited to one mechanism but is the result of a combination of processes. It has become necessary to seek a more fundamental understanding of the moisture damage process by carefully considering the micromechanisms that influence the adhesive interface between aggregate and asphalt and the cohesive strength and durability of the mastic. Factors that influence the adhesive bonds in asphalt mixtures and the cohesive strength of the mastic in the presence of water are presented and discussed as a fundamental approach to calculating adhesive bond strength in asphalt mixtures in the presence of water on the basis of surface free energy measurements. The adhesive bond that determines the durability of asphalt mixtures in the presence of water is described in this chapter to be based on a nonuniform distribution of charges in the asphalt and on the aggregate surface. The polar compounds in the asphalt that react with the aggregate polar sites determine the strength and durability of the adhesive bond. Several processes are presented that affect this bond. The effect of aggregate mineralogy, surface properties, and the pH at the water–aggregate interface is discussed.
Model-based image reconstruction with a hybrid regularizer

Model based image reconstruction often includes regularizers to encourage a priori image information and stabilize the ill-posed inverse problem. Popular edge preserving regularizers often penalize the first order differences of image intensity values. In this work, we propose a hybrid regularizer that additionally penalizes the gradient of an auxiliary variable embedded in the half-quadratic reformulation of some popular edge preserving functions. As the auxiliary variable contain the gradient information, the hybrid regularizer penalizes both the first order and the second order image intensity differences, hence encourages both piecewise constant and piecewise linear image intensity values. Our experimental data using combined physical data acquisition and computer simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the hybrid regularizer in reducing the stair-casing artifact of the TV penalty, and producing smooth intensity variations.
Thermal transport in thorium dioxide

Abstract In this research paper, the thermal transport in thorium dioxide is investigated by using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. The thermal conductivity of bulk thorium dioxide was measured to be 20.8 W/m-K, confirming reported values, and the phonon mean free path was estimated to be between 7 and 8.5 nm at 300 K. It was observed that the thermal conductivity of thorium dioxide shows a strong dependency on temperature; the highest thermal conductivity was estimated to be 77.3 W/m-K at 100 K, and the lowest thermal conductivity was estimated to be 4.3 W/m-K at 1200 K. In addition, by simulating thorium dioxide structures with different lengths at different temperatures, it was identified that short wavelength phonons dominate thermal transport in thorium dioxide at high temperatures, resulting in decreased intrinsic phonon mean free paths and minimal effect of boundary scattering while long wavelength phonons dominate the thermal transport in thorium dioxide at low temperatures.
Archaeological data models and Web publication using XML

An appropriate standardized data model is necessary tofacilitate electronic publication and analysis ofarchaeological data on the World Wide Web. Ahierarchical ``item-based'' model is proposed which canbe readily implemented as an Extensible MarkupLanguage (XML) tagging scheme that can represent anykind of archaeological data and deliver it in across-platform, standardized fashion to any Webbrowser. This tagging scheme and the data model itimplements permit seamless integration and jointquerying of archaeological datasets derived from manydifferent sources.
Wave Functions in Classically Chaotic Systems

The state of a quantum-mechanical system at any fixed time t is uniquely described by its complex-valued wave function ψ(q, t), where q represents one-half of a canonically conjugate coordinate system (p, q). Besides being square-integrable, and satisfying certain boundary conditions which depend on the problem at hand, the wave function ψ(q, t) at a fixed time t is subject to few restrictions. Of course, when the time is allowed to vary, ψ has to satisfy Schrodinger’s equation (Equ (13.1)) with a well-defined real-valued potential V(q, t).
ORLIS: obfuscation-resilient library detection for Android

Android apps often contain third-party libraries. For many program analyses, it is important to identify the library code in a given closed-source Android app. There are several clients of such library detection, including security analysis, clone/repackage detection, and library removal/isolation. However, library detection is complicated significantly by commonly-used code obfuscation techniques for Android. Although some of the state-of-the-art library detection tools are intended to be resilient to obfuscation, there is still room to improve recall, precision, and analysis cost. We propose a new approach to detect third-party libraries in obfuscated apps. The approach relies on obfuscation-resilient code features derived from the interprocedural structure and behavior of the app (e.g., call graphs of methods). The design of our approach is informed by close examination of the code features preserved by typical Android obfuscators. To reduce analysis cost, we use similarity digests as an efficient mechanism for identifying a small number of likely matches. We implemented this approach in the Orlis library detection tool. As demonstrated by our experimental results, Orlis advances the state of the art and presents an attractive choice for detection of third-party libraries in Android apps.
Numerical modeling of homogeneous gas and heterogeneous char combustion for a wood-fired hydronic heater

Abstract The pyrolysis of woody fuels produces two main products - pyrolysis gases and solid residue char which undergo homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions, respectively. Recent experimental measurements using a two-stage hydronic heater indicate the oxidization of these two products occur at distinctly different time scales with the pyrolysis gases burning immediately, and the majority of the char oxidization occurring later. In this study, these two oxidation pathways are explicitly accounted for in a numerical model that considers a non-homogeneous mixture of product flue gases. The model is based on a three-zone description of the heater which accounts for combustion and heat transfer using well-stirred reactor theory. The first zone describes the gasification of the wood fuel and burning of both pyrolysis gases and char. The second zone represents an after-burning stage. The last stage accounts for the transport of gases out the flue. Model predictions of O 2 , C O 2 , C O , H 2 O and temperature are compared to experimental measurements showing good overall agreement. Furthermore, the dual oxidation pathway description of combustion is shown to be critical to account for the dual-peak C O time signature. The first peak is associated with the burning of pyrolysis gases and the second corresponds to char oxidation.
Environmental Factors for Non-uniform Dynamic Mechanical Load Test due to Wind Actions on Photovoltaic Modules

Abstract The issue of typhoons has received considerable critical attention since the associated strong winds generally damaged photovoltaic (PV) modules severely. Previous IEC standards examined the effect of static uniform-loads (IEC 61215-2:2016) or dynamic uniform-loads (IEC TS 62782:2016) on PV module in low wind velocity, but overlooked the moment effect of non-uniform loads due to wind actions in high wind velocity. Therefore, the challenge is how to improve the current mechanical loads system to meet the test requirements due to strong wind such as typhoon’s action on PV module. This work has successfully developed a new test capacity named non-uniform dynamic mechanic loads (NUDML) system, which owns eighteen (3x6) independent pneumatic cylinders with maximum loading up to ±12000 Pa (pressure load “+” or suction load “-”). NUDML system can simulate the different wind actions on PV module by the test data named mean surface pressure pattern (MSPP). All MSPPs can be evaluated directly by wind-tunnel experiment and CFD simulation. Results of this study revealed that such severity wind-test for PV module strongly relied on the choices of major environmental factors such as wind velocity (V), wind direction angle (β) and module tilt (α). In addition, the failures of test modules and its fixtures, after NUDML test, are closely related to the external forces such as MSPP (V, α, β).
Abstract WP481: Telestroke Consultations in an EMS Unit to Reduce t-PA Decision Times

Introduction: Improving time to t-PA decision and door to needle times (DTN) is a sought after phenomenon in telestroke workflows. Timely interventions of ischemic stroke patients have shown to sig...
Femoral Popliteal (FEM-POP) Bypass (Above-Knee) Using Reversed Saphenous Vein

This chapter discusses the technique for femoral popliteal (FEM-POP) bypass (above the knee) using reversed great saphenous vein, including instrumentation and equipment, patient positioning, and surgical steps. The authors also offer pearls and pitfalls.
Outcomes and Prognosis

Posterior circulation ischemic stroke constitutes one-fourth of all ischemic strokes. Even though such strokes are less common than the anterior circulation strokes, a higher rate of death or disability may be seen. Clinical factors like initial Glasgow Coma Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and patient-related factors such as age, gender, or underlying atherosclerotic disease affect the outcome. Modalities of treatment pursued after the stroke, including intravenous vs intra-arterial thrombolysis, also affect the outcome of the patients. Most of the death occurs during the first month of the stroke, though disabilities are usually severe and long-lasting. However, survivors of the stroke continue to improve functionally even after 5 years of the event, as shown in some of the studies. In this chapter, we discuss the mechanism of posterior circulation stroke, risk of recurrent stroke, outcomes of basilar artery stroke, differences in outcomes of symptomatic stenosis from asymptomatic stenosis, early ( 3 months) outcome, death or disability related to stroke, and effect of posterior circulation stroke on cognition and behavior of the stroke survivors.
SSRIs and Non-SSRIs (through 1999): Case Histories of Significant Medical Advances

Our case history describes the development of Prozac, a blockbuster drug that transformed the treatment of depression – and became a cultural phenomenon in the United States. Specifically, we chronicle the: 1) prior treatments for depression and the research that provided a foundation for Prozac, before 1970; 2) development of Prozac, from 1971 to 1987; and 3) rapid adoption in the U.S. after 1988.
ARTEMIS highlights VEGF inhibitors as effective partners for EGFR TKIs in EGFR mutant NSCLC.

The randomized ARTEMIS study demonstrates that adding the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab to the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib improves progression-free survival in EGFR mutant non-small-cell lung cancer by more than 6 months, with even greater benefits seen in patients with brain metastases and EGFR L858R mutation. This provides further evidence for the tailored use of VEGF/EGFR combinations.
Room-temperature catalyst-free methane chlorination

Summary The chlorination of methane presents a route for the upgrading of natural gas to value-added products. However, due to the low reactivity of methane, existing chlorination processes require the use of elevated temperatures and catalysts. Here, we report a simple process for the chlorination of methane at near-ambient temperatures using minimal reagents and no catalysts or external sources of energy. The reaction is carried out in an aqueous medium with trichloroisocyanuric acid as a chlorinating agent. The dissolution of trichloroisocyanuric acid in water leads to the sustained and buffered release of hypochlorous acid, which triggers the chlorination of methane by a free-radical mechanism. The process is also general to other alkanes, as shown by a similar chlorination of ethane. Further developments are required for this process to be deployed as a practical method of chloromethane production.
Pressure and Winds

Winds form in response to the pressure gradient force per unit mass, or, according to Newton’s Second Law, pressure gradient force, which pushes air from areas of higher atmospheric pressure to areas of lower atmospheric pressure. The diurnal-scale land and sea breeze in coastal zones, countryside breeze between urban and rural areas, valley and mountain breezes in rugged terrain, and, at the seasonal scale, monsoon circulations, are all manifestations of the pressure gradient force that causes circulation, and therefore weather, to differ across space and time. Once developed, winds are then deflected to the right of the direction of flow in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, associated with the Earth’s rotation (i.e., Coriolis effect). Friction slows winds, and therefore weakens the Coriolis effect, which is a function of speed and latitude. Centripetal acceleration is also an important control on curved flow, and acceleration due to gravity is important in affecting winds.
Guiding the Way: Acting as a Preceptor for Graduate Students

This article has conceptualized and discussed clinical preceptorship of graduate students in psychiatric nursing, an area poorly represented in the literature. While grounded firmly in the nursing process, it is flexible to accommodate other frameworks as the student participates in various learning activities to meet her course objectives. Many issues have been addressed to guide the preceptor in helping the student approach her new role with realistic expectations, increased confidence, and visions of a future filled with promise.
In silico prediction of a neuropeptidome for the eusocial insect Mastotermes darwiniensis.

Abstract Mastotermes darwiniensis is the most basal living member of the Isoptera (termites), yet it exhibits an extremely advanced level of eusocial organization. Given the interest in, and the high levels of differential developmental and behavioral control needed for, eusociality, it is surprising that essentially nothing is known about the native peptides of M. darwiniensis , which undoubtedly represent the largest and most diverse class of hormones present in this species. The recent public deposition of a 100,000 + -sequence transcriptome for M. darwiniensis provides a means for peptide discovery in this termite. Here, this resource was mined for putative peptide-encoding transcripts via the BLAST algorithm tblastn and known arthropod neuropeptide precursor queries; mature peptide structures were predicted from the deduced pre/preprohormones using a well-vetted bioinformatics workflow. Thirty-four M. darwiniensis peptide-encoding transcripts were identified, with 163 distinct mature peptides predicted from these sequences. These peptides included members of the adipokinetic hormone, adipokinetic hormone-corazonin-like peptide, allatostatin A, allatostatin C, allatotropin, bursicon β, CCHamide, corazonin, crustacean cardioactive peptide, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone/ion transport peptide, diuretic hormone 31, diuretic hormone 44, FMRFamide-like peptide, insulin-like peptide, leucokinin, myosuppressin, neuroparsin, neuropeptide F, orcokinin, pigment dispersing hormone, pyrokinin, RYamide, short neuropeptide F, SIFamide, sulfakinin and tachykinin-related peptide families. This peptidome is the largest thus far predicted for any member of the Isoptera, and provides a foundation for initiating studies of peptidergic signaling in this and other termites, including ones directed at understanding the roles peptide hormones play in the developmental and behavioral control required for eusociality.
Effect of ETA receptor antagonists on cardiovascular responses induced by centrally administered sarafotoxin 6b: role of sympathetic nervous system.

Abstract Kumar, A., S. Morrison and A. Gulati. Effect of EtA receptor antagonists on cardiovascular responses induced by centrally administered sarafotoxin 6b: Role of sympathetic nervous system. Peptides 18(6) 855–864, 1997.— The present study was carried out to investigate the cardiovascular effects of centrally administered SRT6b in saline, BQ123 and BMS182874 pretreated male Sprague-Dawley rats, using a radioactive microsphere technique. SRT6b (100 ng, ICV) produced a transient increase (40%) in blood pressure at 5 min followed by a sustained decrease (−42%) at 30 and 60 min in control rats. Total peripheral resistance and heart rate were not significantly altered. Cardiac output increased (16%) at 5 min and decreased 30 and 60 min following SRT6b administration. Central venous pressure was not affected by SRT6b. Regional blood flow and vascular resistance did not change at 5 min following administration of SRT6b. However, a significant decrease in blood flow to the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and mesentery and pancreas was observed 30 and 60 min following administration of SRT6b in control (saline treated) rats. Pretreatment with ETA selective receptor antagonists, BQ123 (10 μg, ICV) or BMS182874 (50 μg, ICV) significantly attenuated the pressor and depressor effects of centrally administered SRT6b. SRT6b induced decrease in blood flow was completely blocked by pretreatment with BQ123 or BMS182874. ET-1 (100 ng, ICV) produced an increase followed by a decrease similar to SRT6b. Reserpine (5 mg/kg, IP) pretreatment attenuated the cardiovascular effects of ET-1. Role of sympathetic nervous system was determined by measuring splanchnic nerve activity. SRT6b when administered in the lateral cerebral ventricle did not produce any significant effect at 5 min, however, a significant decrease in sympathetic nerve activity was observed 30 min after its administration. It is concluded that centrally administered SRT6b produces significant changes in systemic and regional blood circulation which can be completely blocked by ETA receptor antagonist. The cardiovascular effects of centrally administered SRT6b appear to be mediated through the sympathetic nervous system.
Effects of chronic binge-like ethanol consumption on cocaine self-administration in rhesus monkeys.

Abstract Background Most cocaine abusers also abuse alcohol, but little is known about interactions that promote co-abuse. These experiments in rhesus monkeys determined the effects of >8 weeks of ethanol (EtOH) consumption on cocaine self-administration ( n = 6), effects of dopamine (DA) receptor antagonists on cocaine reinforcement ( n = 3–4 per drug) and the ability of the D2-like DA receptor agonist quinpirole to elicit yawning ( n = 3). Methods Monkeys self-administered cocaine (0.0–1.0 mg/kg/injection, i.v.) under a 300-s fixed-interval schedule and the above-listed variables were measured before EtOH exposure. Next, monkeys consumed a sweetened, 4% EtOH solution in the home cage under binge-like conditions: 1 h, 5 days/week with daily intake equaling 2.0 g/kg EtOH. After approximately 8 weeks, measures were re-determined, then EtOH drinking was discontinued. Finally, acute effects of EtOH on cocaine self-administration were determined by infusing EtOH (0.0–1.0 g/kg. i.v.) prior to cocaine self-administration sessions ( n = 4). Results In five of six monkeys, EtOH drinking increased self-administration of low cocaine doses but did not alter reinforcing effects of higher doses. Self-administration returned to baseline after EtOH access was terminated ( n = 3). Effects of DA receptor antagonists on cocaine self-administration were not consistently altered after EtOH consumption, but the ability of quinpirole to induce yawning was enhanced in two of three monkeys. Acute EtOH infusions only decreased self-administration of lower cocaine doses. Conclusions Taken together, the data suggest that long-term EtOH exposure can increase sensitivity to cocaine, possibly by increasing D 3 receptor sensitivity. Data do not support a role for acute pharmacological interactions in promoting cocaine/EtOH co-abuse.
Effects of cytochalasin D and colchicine on the uptake, translocation, and biliary secretion of horseradish peroxidase and [14C]sodium taurocholate in the rat

The roles of microfilaments and microtubules in the hepatocellular uptake, translocation, and biliary excretion of horseradish peroxidase and [14C]sodium taurocholate were investigated using the microfilament inhibitor cytochalasin D and the microtubule inhibitor colchicine. In separate studies, horseradish peroxidase and [14C]taurocholate were injected separately as a bolus into rat portal veins after treatment with cytochalasin D or colchicine, and bile was collected and analyzed for the presence of horseradish peroxidase and [14C]taurocholate. Cytochalasin D treatment depressed bile flow by approximately 50% and decreased the biliary secretion of [14C]taurocholate in direct proportion to bile flow. Horseradish peroxidase secretion into bile was unaffected, and total biliary protein secretion was decreased only slightly. Because of the depression of bile secretion, concentrations in bile of horseradish peroxidase and total biliary protein increased significantly. Consistent with reported observations of cytochalasin D, decreases in microfilaments and dilated bile canaliculi were observed by electron microscopy; however, the vesicular transport of horseradish peroxidase as observed using electron microscopy cytochemistry appeared to be normal and unaffected by cytochalasin D treatment. Colchicine, in contrast, had minimal effect on bile flow and did not diminish the biliary secretion of [14C]taurocholate. Colchicine inhibited both the total amount of horseradish peroxidase secreted into bile as well as the rate of its secretion in comparison with control and cytochalasin D-treated animals. Cellular morphology was consistent with published observations for colchicine, which included a marked decrease in microtubules. In addition, after electron microscopy cytochemistry there was a paucity of horseradish peroxidase-containing vesicles within the hepatocytes, suggesting that colchicine interfered with the vesicular transport of horseradish peroxidase. Collectively, the data suggest that (a) the mechanism used by hepatocytes for the secretion of bile acids is independent of the vesicular transport of biliary proteins and is dependent upon intact microfilaments and (b) such vesicular transport of protein into bile requires an intact and functioning microtubular network.
Detecting anomalous geospatial trajectories through spatial characterization and spatio-semantic associations

There are numerous applications that require one to identify anomalous geospatial trajectories in the domain of homeland security. Examples include: (i) a customs agent may want to discover anomalies among cargo routes to identify potentially dangerous shipments even before they cross the border, (ii) an FDA inspector may want to trace anomalous paths in the food supply chain to identify potential agro terrorism threats, etc. To accomplish this, in this paper, we propose an approach that relies on spatial characterization and spatio-semantic path associations. In particular, we consider atomic geospatial units and generate micro neighborhoods around them. We will then form similarly behaving regions, called macro neighborhoods, through selectively merging these micro neighborhoods by considering the spatial and semantic relationships among them. We will then identify associations among the geospatial trajectories and all the macro neighborhoods. Any strong association between a macro neighborhood and a part of the trajectory that does not reside in the macro neighborhood indicates a potential anomaly.
A unified treatment of deadlock

The purpose of this paper is to clear up misconceptions about deadlock and present a cohesive treatment suitable for use in class. First some historical examples are given. This is followed by a formal definition and some examples. Second, the concept of a "joint progress diagram" is introduced and explained and examples of progress trajectories are presented. Within the diagram the complexities of process progression are illustrated. This provides a convenient visualization for the three resource management policies that combine to permit deadlock. Also using the joint progress diagram, the four approaches to dealing with deadlock can be differentiated in a convenient pictorial fashion. Once that is complete, each of the four approaches can be studied in detail. Third the four approaches (prevent, avoid, detect/recover, and ignore) are described and differentiated. The characteristics and usage patterns of resources are described. Then, one policy is chosen for elimination. Once the policy is chosen, there are three different ways to eliminate that policy. These the relative performance of these three choices are compared. The fourth, fifth and sixth topics are deadlock prevention, deadlock avoidance, and deadlock detection. The key concept in avoidance is that even though resources may be available, they should not be allocated if it is imprudent to do so. A simple avoidance algorithm is presented and practical problems with deadlock avoidance are discussed. In detection recovery, the detection algorithm is shown to be similar to the avoidance algorithm and the recovery algorithms are shown to be complex. The paper concludes by offering suggestions on the important points to cover when teaching deadlock.
Chapter 7 Preclinical studies of chemotherapy for undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the new chemotherapy agents and approaches for the treatment of poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancer. For differentiated thyroid carcinomas that retain the ability to take up radioactive iodine, surgery and radioactive iodine are the primary treatments. Poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas do not take up radioactive iodine and are aggressive and usually fatal despite treatment. Doxorubicin is a DNA-damaging agent via multiple mechanisms. Doxorubicin based combination chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is the most widely used therapy for poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Doxorubicin based therapy is associated with partial response rates of 30–40%, but long-term remissions are rare. Cisplatin is another DNA-damaging agent (formation of adducts to DNA) that is frequently used against thyroid cancer. Combinations of doxorubicin and cisplatin are commonly used against aggressive thyroid cancer in current clinical practice.
Comparative Efficacies of Tedizolid Phosphate, Vancomycin, and Daptomycin in a Rabbit Model of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Endocarditis

Tedizolid, the active component of the prodrug tedizolid phosphate, is a novel oxazolidinone that is approximately 4 times more active by weight than linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. The in vivo efficacy of tedizolid phosphate (15 mg/kg body weight intravenous [i.v.] twice a day [b.i.d.]) was compared to those of vancomycin (30 mg/kg i.v. b.i.d.) and daptomycin (18 mg/kg i.v. once a day [q.d.]) in a rabbit model of aortic valve endocarditis (AVE) caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain COL (infection inoculum of 10(7) CFU). Median vegetation titers of daptomycin-treated rabbits were significantly lower than those of rabbits treated with tedizolid phosphate (15 mg/kg b.i.d.) (P = 0.016), whereas titers for vancomycin-treated compared to tedizolid-treated rabbits were not different (P = 0.984). The numbers of organisms in spleen and kidney tissues were similar for all treatment groups. A dose-ranging experiment was performed with tedizolid phosphate (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg b.i.d.) compared to vancomycin (30 mg/kg b.i.d.), using a higher infecting inoculum (10(8) CFU) to determine the lowest efficacious dose of tedizolid phosphate. Tedizolid phosphate (2 mg/kg) (equivalent to 60% of the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24) for the human 200-mg dose approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) was not efficacious. Tedizolid phosphate at 4 mg/kg (equivalent to 75% of the AUC0-24 for the human 400-mg dose) and 8 mg/kg produced lower vegetation titers than the control, but neither was as efficacious as vancomycin.
Similarity of the American Urological Association Symptom Index among men with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), urethral obstruction not due to BPH and detrusor hyperreflexia without outlet obstruction.

Objective To compare the specificity of the American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Index for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) versus other urodynamically verified micturitional dysfunction in men. Patients and methods Fifty-seven consecutive men who had been referred for video-urodynamic evaluation of voiding symptoms were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups: (i) BPH group (n = 24): (ii) non-BPH obstructed group (n = 20; nine bladder neck obstruction, 11 bulbous urethral stricture); and (iii) detrusor hyper-reflexia group: detrusor hyperreflexia without outlet obstruction (n = 13). Results The mean AUA symptom score for the BPH group was 18.9 (range 7–28). The mean score for the 20 non-BPH obstructed group was 17.6 (range 4–28) and the mean score for the 13 men with detrusor hyper-reflexia was 20.5 (range 12–27). There was no statistical difference in the AUA symptom score among the three groups. Conclusion The AUA Symptom Index does not specifically identify BPH or bladder outlet obstruction. The index cannot differentiate the site of obstruction as noted by the similar scores among men with BPH from those with bladder neck obstruction and urethral strictures. Moreover, The AUA Symptom Index scores are similar between men with voiding symptoms secondary to bladder dysfunction and bladder outlet obstruction.
The clouds of Venus: An anisotropic scattering model

The phase function for anisotropic scattering is applied to a homogeneous atmospheric model to ascertain the effects of anisotropy on the near-infrared spectrum of Venus. Young's (1971) equivalent widths for the 7820-A CO2 band are analyzed to derive allowed combinations of CO2 specific abundance, continuum albedo, pressure, and degree of anisotropy. From these combinations, values are derived for the photon mean free path and total optical thickness of the clouds. The Venera 10 measurement of the transmitted flux at 7200 A is then used in conjunction with spherical-albedo requirements to reduce the range of possible solutions to the equivalent-width analysis. Through the application of approximate similarity relations, the 'true' (i.e., anisotropic) atmospheric parameters are derived from the isotropic values. For an assumed Mie scatterer with an average anisotropy factor of 0.7, the results indicate a total optical thickness of about 55 with a single-scattering albedo of 0.9992 to 0.9995.
MAGE Xp-2: A Member of the MAGE Gene Family Isolated from an Expression Library Using Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Sera

Two regions of the genome contain members of the MAGE gene family; Xq27-qter and Xp21.3. We isolated a transcript, MAGE Xp-2, by screening a cDNA library from the human epithelial carcinoma cell line, HEp-2, using autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The open reading frame (ORF) of MAGE Xp-2 is entirely contained in exon 4, a signature feature of the MAGE gene family. While MAGE Xp-2 shares genomic homology with MAGE Xp-1, the predicted proteins are quite divergent. Specific primers were designed to reliably distinguish between MAGE Xp-1 and MAGE Xp-2 expression. MAGE Xp-2 is expressed in testis, but not in other normal tissues. It is also expressed strongly in two of seven melanoma cell lines and one of four breast carcinomas. MAGE gene expression may be important not only for tumor recognition and cancer therapy, but, because it is the apparent target of autoantibodies in SLE sera, it may also play a role in autoimmune diseases.
Is (3He,t) primarily A (3He,α) (α,t) reaction?

Abstract The reaction 48 Ca( 3 He, t) 48 Sc to the low-lying even spin states has been studied as a pure sequential ( 3 He, α) (α,t) process using an exact finite-range formalism. It is found that the strength of the cross-sections to these states is under-predicted by large factors. The consideration of second-order processes via the inelastic channels also fails to account for the strength of these states. The ( 3 He, t) discrepancy still exists.
Affinity Partitioning of Metal Ions in Aqueous Polyethylene Glycol/Salt Two-Phase Systems with PEG-Modified Chelators

Abstract The systematic partitioning of metal ions in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chelate derivatives in PEG/salt two-phase systems is described. Results show that the partitioning is enhanced significantly, and this effect is apparently based on the characteristics of binding of the chelate and the nature of the metal ion in addition to the effect of the attached PEG molecule. Previous work with PEG-iminodiacetic acid has been extended with the chelating derivatives PEG-TED [tris(carboxymethyl)ethylene diamine], PEG-TREN-Cm [carboxy-methylated-tris(2-aminoethyl)amine], and PEG-ASP (aspartic acid). Their effectiveness to selectively partition the metal ions is demonstrated and discussed. The partition experiments were performed using two-phase systems of PEG (8000 MW), sodium sulfate, the PEG-chelating derivatives, and different concentrations of copper, nickel, and cobalt as model metal ions. Partition coefficients (ratio of top to bottom metal concentrations) greater than 1 were obtained f...
Immune response of HLA-DQ transgenic mice to house dust mite allergen p2: identification of HLA-DQ restricted minimal epitopes and critical residues.

HLA-DQ8 (HLA-DQA1*0301; HLA-DQB1*0302) and HLA-DQ6 (HLA-DQA1*0103; HLA-DQB1*0602) genes were introduced into mouse class II (H-2A(o)(beta)) knockout mice. Transgenic HLA-DQ8 and HLA-DQ6 mice were individually immunized and challenged using synthetic peptides representing HDM (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) allergen p2. HLA-DQ8 mice responded to p2 peptides 1-20, 41-60, 51-70, 61-80, 91-110, and 101-120. HLA-DQ6 mice responded to peptides 1-20, 11-30, 21-40, 41-60, and 51-70. Using single amino acid truncated 30-mer peptides, residues necessary for HLA-DQ8 recognition were identified spanning regions 3-12, 50-70, and 91-120. A synthetic peptide comprising residues 3-12 was synthesized and a series of single alanine substitutions was introduced into the minimal peptide. Introduction of alanine residues at positions 3, 11, and 12 resulted in a significant loss of immune recognition. It was concluded that residues 4, 5, 7, 11, and 12 are critical for immune recognition by HLA-DQ8 mice.
Low-order SISO controller tuning methods for the H 2 , H ∞ , and m objective functions

Abstract A methodology for synthesizing low-order compensators is outlined that explicitly accounts for model uncertainty, allows on-line controller adjustment, and is computationally simple. The method consists of applying the Internal Model Control (IMC) design procedure to a control-relevant reduced-order model; that is, a model obtained by incorporating features of the closed-loop problem as weights in the reduction procedure. As a consequence, lower-order yet better performing controllers, as compared to those resulting from equivalent methods, are obtained. The computational algorithm is outlined, and it is shown that the model reduction problem can be solved efficiently through standard linear or quadratic programming algorithms, while only the IMC filter parameters and process deadtime need to be obtained through more elaborate search techniques. The benefits of the proposed algorithm are shown through examples.
A Simple Experimental Procedure for the Approximate Determination of the Heat Capacity of Metals in a Natural Convection Environment under the Premises of a Lumped Model

A method is presented of measuring the specific heat capacity, Cp, of pure metals and alloys in an undergraduate thermofluids laboratory using simple concepts of unsteady heat conduction in solids and natural convection in fluids taken from textbooks on heat transfer. A simple experiment was developed in which a small-diameter metallic sphere at ambient temperature (∼20° C) is suddenly immersed in a tank containing quiescent ice water at 0° C. The metallic sphere was suspended by the lead wire of a thermocouple and the temperature-time evolution was recorded. A first-order differential equation descriptive of a lumped model was used. Although the equation is nonlinear, a variable transformation converted it into the Bernoulli form, which allows an analytic solution. Introduction of two measured temperatures at two distinct times into the analytic solution allows the specific heat capacity of a metallic material to be determined by means of an algebraic procedure.
Radiofrequency nonablative tissue tightening

Minimally invasive procedures have become an extremely important component of a facial cosmetic surgery practice. This article describes a new radiofrequency device that tightens soft tissue without ablating the skin. The net result of this is a noninvasive brow lift, facelift, or neck lift. This modality does not replace current surgical procedures but is an excellent complement to them and a treatment option for patients to consider. The author's experience with this device is discussed.
Reproducibility and Reliability of Anti-3-[18F]FACBC Uptake Measurements in Background Structures and Malignant Lesions on Follow-Up PET-CT in Prostate Carcinoma: an Exploratory Analysis

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the reproducibility of anti-1-amino-3-[18F]fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (anti-3-[18F]FACBC) quantitative measurements in key background structures and untreated malignant lesions.