cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of nucleosidediphosphate kinase with microtubules

Abstract A nucleosidediphosphate kinase activity (EC 2.7.4.6) which phosphorylates GDP to GTP is present in bovine brain microtubule protein prepared by cycles of assembly-disassembly. This activity persists through 5 cycles of assembly-disassembly and sediments with microtubules in sucrose density gradients, but is not associated with the tubulin dimer. It is proposed that the kinase is an integral part of the microtubule and is therefore a microtubule associated protein (MAP). Several isozymes of nucleosidediphosphate kinase exist in our preparations with a pI 7.6 form predominant. It may be speculated that this enzyme affects tubulin assembly in vivo by modulating the GTP GDP ratio in the microtubule environment.
A Thermesthesiometer - An Instrument for Burn Hazard Measurement

Surface temperature measurement alone is insufficient to establish the hazard to the human of contact with a hot or cold object. A metal surface is more likely to cause thermal injury than a plastic surface at the same temperature. An instrument equipped with a measuring probe has been developed for indicating the temperature that would be experienced if human contact were made with the hot surface in question. The correct value of interface contact temperature can be read for a selected contact time without knowing the composition or temperature of the heated material under test.
Regulation of endogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor messenger RNA in GH4C1 cells: roles of protein and RNA synthesis.

In previous studies on the regulation of the endogenous TRH receptor (TRHR) in GH4C1 cells, we have shown that the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) increased TRHR abundance on the plasma membrane of these cells as well as increasing the concentration of TRHR mRNA. In the present investigation, we determined whether the action of Dex on TRHR mRNA was direct or whether it involved the synthesis of intermediary protein(s). We found that the protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide or anisomycin alone enhanced TRHR mRNA accumulation and, in the presence of Dex, caused a 10- to 20-fold superinduction of TRHR mRNA. The superinduction required inhibition of protein synthesis. Results of nuclear run-on assays showed that superinduction was accompanied by a large increase in transcription of TRHR mRNA. Experiments designed to examine the stability of TRHR mRNA transcripts revealed that inhibitors of RNA synthesis (actinomycin D and dichlorobenzimidazole riboside) caused an increase in endogenous TRHR...
On the Semi-monotone Operator Theory and Applications

Abstract In this paper,Eis a real Banach space,A : E** × E** → E* is a semi-monotone operator. We first study the variational inequality problem: Findu ∈ K, such that (A(u, u), v − u) ≥ 0, whereK ⊂ E** is a closed convex subset; then the operator equationA(u, u) = p*, and we also construct a degree theory for demi-continuous semi-monotone operators in reflexive Banach spaces.
Porphyrin metabolism. IV. Molecular structure of acetamide derivatives affecting porphyrin metabolism.

Summary Twenty compounds related to Sedormid have been tested for porphyria-producing activity, using the chick embryo as the experimental animal. The molecular structure eliciting this response has been identified as a dialkyl-substituted acetamide or acetamide derivative where one substituent is an allyl group and the other contains at least three carbon atoms, preferably in a branched chain. The possibility that these compounds may interfere with the function of vitamin B12 is considered.
Reducing risk: building the business case for investing in knowledge retention

Research shows that executives are increasingly concerned about an ageing workforce and the increased impacts on performance due to lost knowledge. But surprisingly few initiatives have been implemented to directly manage this risk. This article contends that a major barrier to improved knowledge retention is the failure to develop an effective business case or Return on Investment (ROI) analysis for investing in solutions. It outlines six principles that will increase the chances of effectively evaluating threats and acquiring the resources needed to retain critical organisational knowledge. One important distinction made is that workforce analysis and workforce planning are not equal to an effective cost/benefit analysis that evaluates potential talent management, knowledge management, or mentoring solutions.
Validity of a Stage of Change Instrument in Assessing Medication Adherence in Indigent Patients with HIV Infection

Background:Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vital to achieve durable suppression of viral replication. Effective mechanisms to predict adherence can be difficult to implement in clinical practice settings. Self-administered questionnaires are a practical option for assessing patient adherence but may lack validation with objective measures of adherence.Objective:To examine the ability of a 2 item stage of change (SOC) questionnaire to predict medication adherence in indigent patients receiving ART.Methods:Patients participating in an ongoing study to examine adherence interventions were administered a 2 item SOC instrument to assess readiness for adherence behavior. The SOC instrument was given to patients prior to beginning ART and readministered after they had received 16 weeks of treatment. Electronic monitoring was used to examine the validity of the SOC instrument to predict patient readiness for adherence behavior.Results:Thirty-one patients completed the SOC questionnaire prior to begin...
Quantification of phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid by HPLC with evaporative light-scattering detection

Phosphatidic acid (PA) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) are lipids that regulate cellular processes. PA stimulates kinases and may play a role in exocytosis and membrane fusion. LPA can induce cell proliferation, platelet aggregation, and microfilament formation. Due to the growing interest in these lipids, rapid purification and quantification of these lipids is desirable. We now describe a method that utilizes one HPLC run to separate trace amounts of PA and LPA from large amounts of lipids found in cellular extracts. A two-pump HPLC with a solvent system consisting of chloroform, methanol, water, and ammonium hydroxide was employed to produce a reliable, efficient purification of the two lipids. Lipid mass was quantified by a sensitive evaporative light-scattering detector. Using this new method, insulin addition increased both PA (87%) and LPA (217%) mass in Xenopus laevis oocytes.
Microglia Are Mediators of Borrelia burgdorferi–Induced Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells

Inflammation has long been implicated as a contributor to pathogenesis in many CNS illnesses, including Lyme neuroborreliosis. Borrelia burgdorferi is the spirochete that causes Lyme disease and it is known to potently induce the production of inflammatory mediators in a variety of cells. In experiments where B. burgdorferi was co-cultured in vitro with primary microglia, we observed robust expression and release of IL-6 and IL-8, CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL3 (MIP-1α), CCL4 (MIP-1β) and CCL5 (RANTES), but we detected no induction of microglial apoptosis. In contrast, SH-SY5Y (SY) neuroblastoma cells co-cultured with B. burgdorferi expressed negligible amounts of inflammatory mediators and also remained resistant to apoptosis. When SY cells were co-cultured with microglia and B. burgdorferi, significant neuronal apoptosis consistently occurred. Confocal microscopy imaging of these cell cultures stained for apoptosis and with cell type-specific markers confirmed that it was predominantly the SY cells that were dying. Microarray analysis demonstrated an intense microglia-mediated inflammatory response to B. burgdorferi including up-regulation in gene transcripts for TLR-2 and NFκβ. Surprisingly, a pathway that exhibited profound changes in regard to inflammatory signaling was triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM1). Significant transcript alterations in essential p53 pathway genes also occurred in SY cells cultured in the presence of microglia and B. burgdorferi, which indicated a shift from cell survival to preparation for apoptosis when compared to SY cells cultured in the presence of B. burgdorferi alone. Taken together, these findings indicate that B. burgdorferi is not directly toxic to SY cells; rather, these cells become distressed and die in the inflammatory surroundings generated by microglia through a bystander effect. If, as we hypothesized, neuronal apoptosis is the key pathogenic event in Lyme neuroborreliosis, then targeting microglial responses may be a significant therapeutic approach for the treatment of this form of Lyme disease.
Using a digital channel of a test system as an analog reference for wireless SOC testing

For SOC devices, it is sometimes required to route high frequency analog signals (>10MHz) to the device under test (DUT). It is common to use an analog signal generator within the test system to provide these signals. However, production test systems for such devices often contain many more digital pins than analog signal generators. Therefore, it is advantageous to utilize the digital pins whenever possible in order to leave the analog resources available for other needs. This work reports how a digital channel (pin) of an SOC test system can be used, leaving the analog signal source available for other purposes. This solution may be used to provide something as simple as a clock pulse or a filtered CW tone. One common need for a high frequency analog signal is when supplying the DUT with an analog reference clock signal for the phase-locked looped functionality within the DUT. This low-level sinusoidal-like signal must be extremely stable with low phase noise. One of the most critical items of concern in these applications is the phase noise of the signal.
Performance evaluation of survivable multifiber WDM network

This article proposes a survivability evaluation model for multifiber WDM networks, in which the extended layered graph is developed to jointly optimize the wavelength routing and wavelength assignment problems, and three different edge cost functions are evaluated in terms of traffic engineering. Linear programming (LP) equations are formulated to optimally determine the working lightpath and the corresponding protection lightpath under the schemes of shared protection and dedicated protection. The extensive simulations show that shared protection with the fiber and wavelength-based cost function provides the best survivability.
Using fuzzy measures to group cycles in metabolic networks

This paper describes part of a modeling tool, called FCModeler, for exploring metabolic networks that displays and finds structural relationships in graphs. Nodes of the map represent specific biochemicals such as proteins, RNA, and small molecules, or stimuli, such as light, heat, or nutrients. Edges of the map capture regulatory and metabolic relationships found in biological systems. These relationships are established by domain experts and the biological literature. Automated cycle analysis finds sets of connected nodes in a metabolic network. Families of interconnected cycles show how metabolic cycles interact with one another. These cycle families are formed using fuzzy measure theory.
Comparison of Radiation from Two Microprocessor Test Packages

Radiation directly from integrated circuits (ICs) packages is conventionally not considered significant since the size of the package is electrically small and not considered as an efficient antenna. However, as the technology evolves and operating frequency increases, the size of the microprocessor package is no longer electrically small. Moreover, in todays and in future mobile platforms such as notebooks and ultra-mobile devices (UMDs), the high performance wireless communication system and powerful computing system are integrated together. It is not necessary to have an efficient antenna to couple energy from the noise source to the wireless system and degrade its performance because of the sensitivity level of the wireless receiver. In this paper, the radiation from two microprocessor test packages is compared. The results show that the package design has significant impact on the radiation from the package.
Testing for the principal’s monopsony power in agency contracts

We develop a test for the presence of the monopsony power of the livestock integrator (principal) on the market for contract growers (agents) and estimate the model with the data on swine industry contract settlements. A natural test for the monopsony power of the principal would compare the estimated values of the marginal revenue products with the actual payments that agents receive for their services. The problem with implementing this approach comes from the fact that agents’ abilities and actions are unobservable. Our approach is based on estimating the slope of the inverse supply function for grower input using generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators. The model specifies the relationships between the observable consequences and unobservable grower characteristics imposing the first order conditions for principal’s profit maximization. The results show that the null hypothesis of no market power cannot be rejected.
Repolarization Alternans Toward a Unifying Theory of Reentrant Arrhythmia Induction

The appearance of electrocardiographic T-wave alternans with elevated heart rate or metabolic insult has been observed for nearly a century.1 Macroscopic T-wave alternans is often noted as a harbinger of sudden arrhythmic death.2 Efforts to quantify the magnitude of more subtle repolarization alternans and relate these measurements to arrhythmia susceptibility have been pursued since the 1980s.3 4 Only in the last few years, however, have the mechanisms underlying repolarization alternans and their role in the genesis of arrhythmias been addressed. Several investigators have described alternations in action potential duration and morphology coinciding with T-wave alternans in the surface ECG in a variety of proarrhythmic settings.5 6 7 The ionic basis for these beat-to-beat changes in action potential has only recently been explored. Shimizu and Antzelevitch8 found that under conditions mimicking congenital long-QT syndrome physiology in a ventricular wedge preparation, alternans of T-wave and action potential duration were elicited during rapid pacing and abolished by ryanodine and low extracellular calcium, implicating intracellular calcium cycling in the maintenance of T-wave alternans. Pastore et al9 showed that alternations in action potential duration induced by rapid pacing are not uniform across the myocardium. Much of the ventricle exhibits sequential lengthening and shortening of the action potential, but fluctuations in some regions are 180 degrees out of phase with those in other regions, constituting a phenomenon known as discordant alternans. The resulting spatial gradients in transmembrane potential during the repolarization phase alternate in magnitude …
Plantain Virus X: a New Potexvirus from Plantago lanceolata

Summary Plantain virus X (PIVX), a previously undescribed potexvirus, is common in Plantago lanceolata in Great Britain. PIVX infected 22 species from six families, out of 48 species from 10 families tested. Nicotiana × edwardsonii was a useful diagnostic host, although no suitable host is known for lesion assays. Sap from infected N. clevelandii was infective after 10 min at 60 °C, but not 70 °C. Infectivity in dried leaf material of N. × edwardsonii was retained for at least 26 months, and a purified preparation was infective after freezing for at least 3 months. In negatively stained preparations PIVX has flexuous particles of 570 to 580 by about 12 nm, with clearly visible cross-banding. The pitch of the particles was 3.4 nm, with a true repeat of five turns and probably 8⅘ subunits per turn. Purification of PIVX from N. clevelandii leaves yielded up to about 30 mg pure unaggregated virus/kg of leaf. Purified virus sedimented as a single component with a sedimentation coefficient (s 0 20, w) of 119S. The buoyant density in CsCl was 1.31 g/ml, and in Cs2SO4 was 1.259 g/ml. Purified virus contained a single coat protein species which did not migrate anomalously in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and had an apparent mol. wt. of 28858 to 26000 depending on the method of analysis. PIVX coat protein migrated more slowly in slab-gel electrophoresis than did the coat proteins of six other potexviruses. A single nucleic acid species of about 2.1 × 106 mol. wt. was detected by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No serological relationship to PIVX was detected in tests with the coat proteins of six, and the antisera to seven, other potexviruses. All of the properties described are consistent with PIVX being a distinct member of the potexvirus group.
Structural Performance of Buried Profile-Wall High-Density Polyethylene Pipe and Influence of Pipe Wall Geometry

Tests conducted on buried high-density polyethylene pipes are reported. Pipes were loaded until buckling occurred to determine performance limits and the influence of profile parameters on structural performance. These profile parameters include rib height, rib spacing, wall thicknesses, wall area per unit length, unsupported profile section length, and stiffness. In a profile-wall pipe, by design, as much pipe material as possible is placed away from the neutral axis in the form of inside or outside walls or in ribs to minimize the use of pipe material by increasing the section modulus of the pipe wall. For the products tested, the data show that the profile section acts as a unit as designed only up to a point. High earth loads will induce buckling in the profile wall of the pipe. For adequate safety, the pipe design should include sufficient plastic between the inner and outer walls or between the ribs to carry shear and to ensure that the profile section indeed acts as a unit. Each product exhibits different performance limits, and these limits occur at different loads and deflections. Performance limits are often deflection related, but for high soil densities they are load related. For profile-wall pipe, localized or general buckling is usually the lowest performance limit. The cross-sectional area per unit length and the individual wall component thickness should be sufficient to resist localized buckling. It should be noted that for some profile-wall pipes, controlling vertical deflection may not control localized buckling as a performance limit. Performance limits for the pipes tested are reported.
Ad hoc network security: peer identification and authentication using signal properties

As networking architectures grow and develop, the pace of security in these networks must keep pace. This paper is interested in identification and authentication in ad hoc networks, which are particularly susceptible to identity attacks, such as masquerading and malicious alias attacks. To mitigate these identity attacks, we propose to associate the message transmitter with a location and use this location information to reason about identity. There are several cooperative location schemes detailed in the literature, but because we cannot assume that a malicious party would cooperate in a location scheme, we propose to determine transmitter location by using the physical properties of the received signal.
Cdx2 expression regulates trophectoderm lineage specification in mouse embryos

Evaluation of:Deb K, Sivaguru M, Yong HY and Roberts RM: Cdx2 gene expression and trophectoderm lineage specification in mouse embryos. Science 311, 992–996 (2006) [1]. In a variety of animals such as Drosophila and Xenopus, the earliest stages of development are coordinated by the asymmetrical distribution of maternal transcripts and protein in the egg. In these animals, the position of blastomeres formed by embryo division and the expression products they inherit from egg cytoplasm determines their developmental fates. Thus far, attempts to determine whether such a specification system exists within mammalian embryos have yielded conflicting results. A recent report by Deb and colleagues [1] provides some strong evidence that the distribution of Cdx2 products may predetermine the fate of mouse blastomeres at the two-cell embryo stage. Their elegant data suggest that the asymmetrical localization of Cdx2 mRNA and protein in the oocyte and embryo controls the designation of trophectoderm and inner cell ma...
A New Diagnostic Scheme for Disorders of Behavior, Emotion, and Learning Based on Organism-environment Interaction Part II. Clinical Implementation and Research

In part I of this paper (see p. 218 of this issue), a scheme was proposed for a dimensional analysis of the variables underlying psychopathological and learning disorders. Two types of nervous system handicap—aporia and diaphoria—and two loci of impairment—nonspecific and specific functions—were postulated to interact with environmental factors—ecopathy—in the genesis of pathology.' Ecopathic factors alone were seen as capable of
Metropolitan Transportation Funding: Prospects, Progress, and Practical Considerations

Recent efforts to implement regional-level funding sources in Las Vegas, Nevada; California's San Francisco Bay Area; and the state of Texas indicate that some states and regions are responding to ...
The Classic Rape: When Do Victims Report?

Why do many rape victims not report to the police? This paper suggests that victims of the “classic” rape situation, involving violent attack by a stranger, are most likely to report to police because they see themselves as true crime victims. Women who are raped by men they know, at home or in social settings, are less likely to report because they question their role and responsibility in the attack. I look at the cases of 246 raped women who contacted a rape crisis center, and analyze their relationships to their rapists and such characteristics of the attack as the setting, the threat and use of force, the degree of injury, and the need for medical treatment.
Red Beads and Profound Knowledge: Deming and Quality of Education

Value-added models are being implemented in many states in an attempt to measure the contributions of individual teachers and schools toward students’ learning. Scores from these models are increasingly used for high-stakes purposes such as setting compensation, hiring or dismissing teachers, awarding tenure, and closing schools. The statistician W. Edwards Deming wrote extensively about improving quality in education and the damage caused by performance rankings. We examine uses and misuses of value-added models in the context of Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge, and discuss contributions a Deming-based perspective and statistical science can make to improving education.
Imaging of Red Blood Cell and Plasma Dispersion in the Brain Cortex

Most of the methods for measuring regional or local blood flow cannot specify the respective fractions of the measured flow attributable to red blood cell (RBC) flow and plasma flow within the measured volume. It is obviously important to know this because of the decisively different microhaemodynamic behaviour of these two components in the microcirculation and their specialized roles in gas and solute exchange in tissue metabolism. Beyond obtaining a separate measure of RBC and plasma flow for a given volume of tissue, a separate assessment of the complexity of RBC and plasma transit routes within that volume seems equally important. This parameter reveals the dissimilarity between seemingly identical conditions when total volume flows are equal but are realized via vascular transit routes of different geometrical complexity, which could indicate the presence in one, and the absence in the other, of certain conditions such as highly focal oedema, capillary obstruction, vasomotion, etc. It has been repeatedly demonstrated, that the television densitometric method of Eke (1982, 1983, 1984) can yield separate images of RBC and plasma flow at high topographical and temporal resolution by monitoring the transit of RBC and plasma indicator pulses through an array of tissue areas and by analysing these indicator-dilution arrays for arrays of RBC and plasma mean transit time (t) and flow. This method has been recently supplemented by a statistical procedure adopted from Knopp and Bassingthwaighte (1969) to analyse the arrays of RBC and plasma indicator-dilution curves for the scatter of the individual transit times over the mean transit time, t (Eke, 1986). This analysis yields a parameter assessing the spatial complexity of indicator transit pathways confined by the monitored tissue volume and is analogous to the approach reported by Tomita et al. (1983). Their concept is based on some a priori assumptions of the distribution of parenchymal transit times (gamma distribution) and the calculation of the ‘gamma index’ as the spatial parameter of the gamma density function applied in the procedure to obtain the transport function of the parenchymal region. The major differences between their approach and mine, beyond the mathematics, are attributable to the facts that their indicator-dilution technique does not allow for imaging, requires invasion of the tissue and derives the gamma index for a cerebrocortical tissue volume of around 1–2 cm3 in contrast to the reflectometric measuring volume of 0.01 mm3.
Self as a second-order object: Reinterpreting the Jamesian “Me”

Abstract Existing definitions of the self can be lumped into three groups: self as self-reflectivity, self as self-concept, and self as the individual. This article traces current disagreements over the definition of the self to a crucial ambiguity in William James's original delineation of the “Me.” Implicit in James's delineation was a distinction between first-order objects and second-order objects: while first-order objects are things as they are, independent of the perception of a knowing subject, second-order objects are things as perceived by a knowing subject. This article makes this distinction explicit and argues that the self is a second-order object associated with the first-person or “emic” perspective. Defined as the empirical existence of the individual (first order) perceived by the individual as “me” or “mine” (second order), the self is distinguished from the “I” which is the mental capacity for self-reflection; the self-concept which is the mental representation of the individual's existence; and the individual which is the empirical referent of the self-concept. As a second-order object, the “Me,” i.e., the self, is the unity of the existence and perception of the individual.
SYSTOLIC STRAIN DYSFUNCTION PATTERNS IN LOW FLOW VERSUS HIGH FLOW SEVERE AORTIC STENOSIS WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION

We hypothesize subclinical strain dysfunction is the cause of the paradoxical Low Flow (LF) state, defined as an indexed stroke volume (SVi) ≤35ml/m2, in some patients with severe aortic stenosis and normal ejection fraction (AS). To test this hypothesis we performed an in depth strain analysis in
Self-Entrainment Characteristics and Performance of a Compact Air Ejector

A one dimensional method of analysis and experimentally determined entrainment and compression ratios are presented with considerations made for constant pressure and constant area mixing. A set of three nozzles, one converging and two converging diverging, were used to study the isentropic characteristics of the ejector performance. Ejector efficiencies are calculated using the turbomachinery analogue of compressors where adiabatic and complete mixing of primary and secondary fluids is assumed before discharge. Efficiencies are characterized against non-dimensional parameters chosen in context. A generalized algorithm and corresponding MATLAB™ based computer program was developed for performance analysis. While exploring the possibility of a refrigeration system for automotive applications where the size of the ejector could play an important role, a compact experimental ejector was designed and tested.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Effect of Gravity on the Configuration of Droplets on Two-Dimensional Physically Patterned Surfaces

Wetting of solid surfaces is important for many potential applications, including the design of low-drag and antifouling/self-cleaning surfaces, and it is usually quantified by the contact angle and by contact angle hysteresis. Both the chemistry and the physical patterning of the surface are known to affect the contact angle. In studying the wetting of such surfaces, most models focus on the small Bond number (Bo) limit in which the effect of gravity is negligible, which simplifies free energy calculations. In this work, we employ a thermodynamic model for surfaces patterned with two-dimensional asperities, which remains applicable for nonzero Bo. We employ two versions of the model: one in which we require the liquid–vapor interface to remain a circular cap, and another in which we allow the liquid–vapor interface to deform. We find that the effects of gravity are twofold. First, drops with larger Bo tend to flatten and spread across the surface relative to the same size drops with Bo = 0. Second, gravi...
Effect of feeding penicillin on the life cycle of the chick.

Summary1. The feeding of penicillin stimulated the growth of birds fed an all-vegetable-protein diet. 2. Injection of the antibiotic into the birds fed the basal diet stopped the mortality and appeared to stimulate the growth. 3. Eggs were obtained from all groups. Pullets fed penicillin and injected with vit. B12 had the highest egg production. Hatchability of eggs from birds injected with B12 was within the normal range. No live chicks were obtained from pullets injected with penicillin from the 14th week. A 39%percnt; hatch was obtained from the eggs of pullets fed penicillin continuously. The B12 content of the liver and kidney tissues and of the egg yolks was directly related to the injection of the vitamin into the birds. 4. Feeding of penicillin caused a significant increase in the total number of intestinal micro-organisms as indicated by thioglycollate counts. Penicillin likewise caused a significnat increase in the number of enterococci of the intestine during the first 14 weeks of the experimen...
Vertical Consolidation of Indiana's Property Tax System

Optimal government unit size is a subject of continued concern among tax economists. Aspiring for the economies of scale and cost savings, Indiana recently consolidated its township assessor functions to the county level. This paper finds that following reform the new structure resulted in annual cost savings of nearly one million dollars per county. We estimate the new elasticity of cost function and show the economies of scale within the reformed system. Specifically in regard to parcel counts and geographic service areas, the counties achieved production efficiencies. Contrary to literature, assessment quality indicators in Indiana do not significantly affect assessor’s office spending: while high-performing counties produce accurate assessments at a low cost, the low-performing ones can turn out spendthrifts.
Study on Energy Efficiency Benchmarking of the Steel Industry Between China and the U.S.

A methodology for the energy efficiency benchmarking of steel industry among different countries was put forward,and the key factors such as boundary definitions,energy efficiency index,energy conversion factors,EAF share,etc.were discussed in the methodology.Applying the above methodology,the energy efficiencies of steel industries between China and the U.S.were analyzed and compared.It is shown that,viewed from the whole steel industry,the energy intensity of China is 24.30 kg/t-crude steel higher than that of the U.S.based on the same conditions of boundary,energy conversion factors and EAF share,while viewed from the energy efficiencies of the key steel enterprises of China,the energy intensity of Chinese steel enterprises is 59.70 kg/t-crude steel lower than that of the U.S..
The antinociceptive properties of endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 in the mouse.

Two highly selective mu-opioid receptor agonists, endomorphin-1 (EM-1) and endomorphin-2 (EM-2), have been identified and postulated to be endogenous mu-opioid receptor ligands. The present minireview describes the antinociceptive properties with the tail-flick test of these two ligands given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) and intrathecally (i.t.) in ICR mice. EM-1 or EM-2 given i.c.v. or i.t. dose-dependently produce antinociception. These antinociceptive effects induced by EM-1 and EM-2 given i.c.v. or i.t. are selectively mediated by the stimulation of mu-, but not delta- or kappa-opioid receptors. Like other mu-opioid agonists morphine and DAMGO ([D-Ala2,NMePhe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin), EM-1 and EM-2 given i.c.v. activate descending pain controls by the releases of noradrenaline and 5-HT and subsequently act on alpha2-adrenoceptors and 5-HT receptors, respectively, in the spinal cord to produce antinociception. However, the antinociception induced by EM-2 given i.c.v. or i.t. also contain an additional component, which is mediated by the release of dynorphin A(1-17) acting on kappa-opioid receptors at the supraspinal and spinal sites. In addition, the antinociception induced by EM-2 given i.c.v. contains another component, which is mediated by the release of Met-enkephalin acting on delta2-opioid receptors in the spinal cord. It is proposed that there are two subtypes of mu-opioid receptors,which are involved in EM-1- and EM-2-induced antinociception. One subtype of mu-opioid receptors is stimulated by EM-1, EM-2 and other mu-opioid agonists morphine and DAMGO; and another subtype of mu-opioid is sorely stimulated by EM-2 and is involved in the releases of dynorphin A(1-17) and Met-enkephalin for the production of antinociception.
The effect of age on the natural immunity of cattle to Babesia divergens.

SUMMARY Three cows aged 6 years were found to be no more susceptible to infection with Babesia divergens than were 3 calves aoed 2 months. A more severe infection occurred in 3 splenectomised calves that were given the same dose of infected erythrocytes.
Desmoid tumor following abdominally-based free flap breast reconstruction

Desmoid tumors are fibroblastic connective tissue tumors that most commonly develop within the anterior abdominal wall. The etiology of desmoid tumors has not been well defined; however, hereditary, hormonal, traumatic, and surgery-related causes have been implicated. Desmoid tumors are believed to arise from musculoaponeurotic structures. Development in the breast is very rare. Several reports of desmoid tumors arising in the vicinity of the fibrous capsule of a breast implant have been described, but to date, the authors are not aware of any published cases following autologous breast reconstruction. This report describes a desmoid tumor developing after a muscle-sparing free transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap for breast reconstruction and subsequent surgical management.
Effect of ice on pain after corticosteroid injection in the hand and wrist: a randomized controlled trial

This prospective, randomized controlled study was designed to determine if applying ice to the site of corticosteroid injections in the hand and wrist reduces post-injection pain. Patients receiving corticosteroid injections in the hand or wrist at a tertiary institution were enrolled. Subjects were randomized to apply ice to the injection site and take scheduled over-the-counter analgesics (n = 36) or take scheduled over-the-counter analgesics alone (n = 32). There were no significant differences in the mean pain score between the two groups at any time-point (pre-injection or 1–5 days post-injection). In regression modelling, the application of ice did not predict pain after injection. Visual analogue pain scores increased at least 2 points (0–10 scale) after injection in 17 out of 36 patients in the ice group versus ten out of 32 control patients. We conclude that the application of ice in addition to over-the-counter analgesics does not reduce post-injection pain after corticosteroid injection in the ...
Ensemble Noise Filtering for Streaming Data Using Poisson Bootstrap Model Filtering

Ensemble filtering techniques filter noisy instances by combining the predictions of multiple base models, each of which is learned using a traditional algorithm. However, in the last decade, due to the massive increase in the amount of online streaming data, ensemble filtering methods, which largely operate in batch mode and requires multiple passes over the data, cause time and storage complexities. In this paper, we present an ensemble bootstrap model filtering technique with multiple inductive learning algorithms on several small Poisson bootstrapped samples of online data to filter noisy instances. We analyze three prior filtering techniques using Bayesian computational analysis to understand the underlying distribution of the model space. We implement our and other prior filtering approaches and show that our approach is more accurate than other prior filtering methods.
Lightweight VNF Manager Solution for Virtual Functions

This paper presents a creative lightweight solution to package any existing VNF (Virtualized Network Function) to support ETSI NFV (Network Function Virtualization) architecture quickly and easily. The preconditions of existing VNF are quite straightforward and simple, such as running on Virtual Machine (VM) and Operating System (OS) supporting Secure Shell (SSH) commands. With our solution, the new VNF (Virtualized Network Function) will have the additional functions required to integrate with ETSI NFV architecture, without redesigning the existing Element Manager. This will include VNF Descriptor, lifecycle management benefits such as deploy within minutes, scale out/in on demand, etc.
Gradient-free distributed resource allocation via simultaneous perturbation

This note considers a class of decentralized convex optimization problems subject to constraints. We propose a discrete-time algorithm with constant step-size that exploits the simultaneous perturbation method to obtain information of the cost function. Under some technical conditions, we prove practical convergence in probability of the algorithm to a ball that contains the optimizer and which has a step-dependent size. The novelty of our approach is that the agents do not require a closed form expression of the cost function, nor global knowledge of total resources in the network or any specific procedure for algorithm initialization. Our proof methods employ nonsmooth Lyapunov theory, convex analysis, and stochastic difference inclusions. We illustrate the applicability of the algorithm in an electricity market scenario.
Preoperative evaluation of accessory hepatic ducts by drip infusion cholangiography with CT

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the incidence of each type of accessory hepatic duct by drip infusion cholangiography with CT (DIC-CT). Five hundred sixty nine patients who underwent preoperative DIC-CT and laparoscopic cholecystectomy were reviewed. Accessory hepatic ducts were classified as follows: type I (accessory hepatic ducts that merged with the common hepatic duct between the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts and the cystic duct confluence), type II (those that merged with the common hepatic duct at the same site as the cystic duct), type III (those that merged with the common bile duct distal to the cystic duct confluence), type IV (the cystic duct merged with the accessory hepatic duct), and type V (accessory hepatic ducts that merged with the common hepatic or bile duct on the left side). Accessory hepatic ducts were observed in 50 patients. Type I, II, III, IV, and V accessory hepatic ducts were detected in 32, 3, 1, 11, and 3 patients, respectively. Based on their drainage areas, the accessory hepatic ducts were also classified as follows: a posterior branch in 22 patients, an anterior branch in 9 patients, a combination of posterior and anterior branches in 16 patients, a left-sided branch in 2 patients, and a caudate branch in 1 patient. None of the patients with accessory hepatic ducts suffered bile duct injuries. There are a number of variants of the accessory hepatic duct. DIC-CT is useful to detect the accessory hepatic duct.
Machine learning workflow to enhance predictions of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) through drug-gene interactions: application to drugs for cutaneous diseases

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose critical public health issues, affecting over 6% of hospitalized patients. While knowledge of potential drug-drug interactions (DDI) is necessary to prevent ADR, the rapid pace of drug discovery makes it challenging to maintain a strong insight into DDIs. In this study, we present a novel literature-mining framework for enhancing the predictions of DDIs and ADR types by integrating drug-gene interactions (DGIs). The ADR types were adapted from a DDI corpus, including i) adverse effect; ii) effect at molecular level; iii) effect related to pharmacokinetics; and iv) DDIs without known ADRs. By using random forest classifier our approach achieves an F-score of 0.87 across the ADRs classification using only the DDI features. We then enhanced the performance of the classifier by including DGIs (F-score = 0.90), and applied the classification model trained with the DDI corpus to identify the drugs that might interact with the drugs for cutaneous diseases. We successfully predict previously known ADRs for drugs prescribed to cutaneous diseases, and are also able to identify promising new ADRs.
Applications of building information modelling for planning and delivery of rapid transit

Rapid-transit systems, commonly referred to as metros or subways, offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution to tackle modern-day problems of urban congestion. However, the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of rapid-transit networks pose monumental challenges to civic authorities. Building information modelling (BIM) offers numerous opportunities to leverage the benefits of three-dimensional modelling and four-dimensional simulations to plan and manage construction of these facilities alongside existing operations. Post-construction and commissioning, the BIM model can then be used to operate and maintain the facility more efficiently through integration with asset-monitoring systems. The use of BIM for transit infrastructure is in its early stages and is far from being standardised. This paper attempts to provide a preliminary overview that can form the basis for a more detailed review of BIM applications relevant to rapid-transit schemes during different phases of project de...
Unconventional imaging with contained granular media

Typically, the cost of a space-borne imaging system is driven by the size and mass of the primary aperture. The solution that we propose uses a method to construct an imaging system in space in which the nonlinear optical properties of a cloud of micron-sized particles, shaped into a specific surface by electromagnetic means, and allows one to form a very large and lightweight aperture of an optical system, hence reducing overall mass and cost. Recent work at JPL has investigated the feasibility of a granular imaging system, concluding that such a system could be built and controlled in orbit. We conducted experiments and simulation of the optical response of a granular lens. In all cases, the optical response, measured by the Modulation Transfer Function, of hexagonal reflectors was closely comparable to that of a conventional spherical mirror. We conducted some further analyses by evaluating the sensitivity to fill factor and grain shape, and found a marked sensitivity to fill factor but no sensitivity to grain shape. We have also found that at fill factors as low as 30%, the reflection from a granular lens is still excellent. Furthermore, we replaced the monolithic primary mirror in an existing integrated model of an optical system (WFIRST Coronagraph) with a granular lens, and found that the granular lens that can be useful for exoplanet detection provides excellent contrast levels. We will present our testbed and simulation results in this paper.
The C. elegans Excretory Canal as a Model for Intracellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis in a Single Cell: labeling by GFP-fusions, RNAi Interaction Screen and Imaging

The four C. elegans excretory canals are narrow tubes extended through the length of the animal from a single cell, with almost equally far extended intracellular endotubes that build and stabilize the lumen with a membrane and submembraneous cytoskeleton of apical character. The excretory cell expands its length approximately 2,000 times to generate these canals, making this model unique for the in vivo assessment of de novo polarized membrane biogenesis, intracellular lumen morphogenesis and unicellular tubulogenesis. The protocol presented here shows how to combine standard labeling, gain- and loss-of-function genetic or RNA interference (RNAi)-, and microscopic approaches to use this model to visually dissect and functionally analyze these processes on a molecular level. As an example of a labeling approach, the protocol outlines the generation of transgenic animals with fluorescent fusion proteins for live analysis of tubulogenesis. As an example of a genetic approach, it highlights key points of a visual RNAi-based interaction screen designed to modify a gain-of-function cystic canal phenotype. The specific methods described are how to: label and visualize the canals by expressing fluorescent proteins; construct a targeted RNAi library and strategize RNAi screening for the molecular analysis of canal morphogenesis; visually assess modifications of canal phenotypes; score them by dissecting fluorescence microscopy; characterize subcellular canal components at higher resolution by confocal microscopy; and quantify visual parameters. The approach is useful for the investigator who is interested in taking advantage of the C. elegans excretory canal for identifying and characterizing genes involved in the phylogenetically conserved processes of intracellular lumen and unicellular tube morphogenesis.