cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Importance of Rational Configuration of Nuclear Power Stations in Receiving Ends and Its Effects in Improving Power Grid Operation Condition and Enhancing Main Network Structure

To cope with the situation of environment pollution and gradual depletion of fossil fuel and considering the irrational distribution of primary energy resources and power loads in China as well as the environment pollution caused by unduly dependence on coal-fired power generation,the authors expound the safety and reliability of advanced nuclear power generation and the necessity of updating coal-fired power plants themselves and partially substituting them by nuclear power plants.In order to implement the coordinative development of power industry with environment protection and the secure,qualitative and economic operation of power grids,some suggestions,such as building nuclear power plants at the receiving ends of power grid to partially substituting coal-fired power plants and building main network at receiving ends of UHVAC power grids to realize the synchronized development of UHVAC power transmission with that of advanced nuclear power plants,are put forward.
Genome Engineering Tools for Building Cellular Models of Disease

With the recent development of methods for genome editing of human pluripotent stem cells, study of the genetic basis of human diseases has been rapidly advancing. Genome-edited differentiated stem cells have provided new and more accurate insights into genomic underpinnings of diseases for which there have not been adequate treatments, and moving toward clinical application of genome editing holds great promise for acceleration of therapeutic translation. Here, we review recent advances in genome-editing technologies and their application to human biology in disease modeling and beyond.
Data Organization and Archiving

Everyone has their own way of taking notes and organizing data. Some insist on hard-backed books, others swear by index-cards and folders, others use spare envelopes. Many transcribe and organize data directly on computer and use little paper at all. The aim of this chapter is not to tell you which notebook to use. Rather, I raise some of the issues in data collection and organization which you should think about. I also give a checklist for some of the metalinguistic data you should be collecting and some thoughts on how to store it.
Crystal Structure and Asymmetric Conformation of a K+ Channel RCK Domain

Regulator of conductance of K+ (RCK) domains govern K+ channel and transporter activity through binding of cytosolic nucleotides or ions, although the locations and ligand-selectivities of activation sites within these domains can vary. To gain further insight toward structures of activation sites and ligand-dependent conformational changes in RCK domains, we solved the crystal structure of the cytosolic RCK domain from a Ca2+-gated K+ channel cloned from Thermoplasma volcanium. Crystals were grown in the presence of Mg2+, an activator of the Thermoplasma K+ channel, and the structure was solved to 2.95 A resolution. The structure was found to contain two RCK domains per asymmetric unit, forming a homodimer. Interestingly, this homodimer was captured in an asymmetric state, and structural alignment of the chains with one another revealed a “hinge” that immediately followed the domain's N-terminal Rossmann fold region. This asymmetry suggested that the RCK dimer might either be in an intermediate, partially-liganded state, or (alternatively) that the asymmetric conformation represents the fully-liganded state. To determine the locations of divalent cation binding sites, the domain was co-crystallized with Ba2+. The Ba2+-bound structure yielded the same asymmetric conformation observed in the Mg2+ co-crystal, and the anomalous difference Fourier map revealed only one Ba2+ binding site, located at the RCK domain dimer interface and thus forming a metal bridge between adjacent subunits. Crystallization of the domain in a four-fold symmetrical “gating ring” form and small-angle X-ray scattering profiles obtained over a range of [Ca2+] are consistent with the idea that formation of the intersubunit metal bridge may drive a conformational change in the gating ring, which in turn may modulate channel gating.
Probability-scale residuals for continuous, discrete, and censored data.

We describe a new residual for general regression models defined as pr(Y* y), where y is the observed outcome and Y* is a random variable from the fitted distribution. This probability-scale residual (PSR) can be written as Esign(y,Y*), whereas the popular observed-minus-expected residual can be thought of as E(y−Y*). Therefore the PSR is useful in settings where differences are not meaningful or where the expectation of the fitted distribution cannot be calculated. We present several desirable properties of the PSR that make it useful for diagnostics and measuring residual correlation, especially across different outcome types. We demonstrate its utility for continuous, ordered discrete, and censored outcomes, including current status data, and with various models including Cox regression, quantile regression, and ordinal cumulative probability models, for which fully specified distributions are not desirable or needed, and in some cases suitable residuals are not available. The residual is illustrated with simulated data and real data sets from HIV-infected patients on therapy in the southeastern United States and Latin America. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 44: 463–479; 2016 © 2016 Statistical Society of Canada
Tracking cables in sonar and optical imagery

The classical paradigm of line and curve detection in images, as prescribed by the Hough transform, breaks down in cluttered and noisy imagery. In this paper we present an "upgraded" and ultimately more robust approach to line detection in images. The classical approach to line detection in imagery is low-pass filtering, followed by edge detection, followed by the application of the Hough transform. Peaks in the Hough transform correspond to straight line segments in the image. In our approach we replace low pass filtering by anisotropic diffusion; we replace edge detection by phase analysis of frequency components; and finally, lines corresponding to peaks in the Hough transform are statistically analyzed to reveal the most prominent and likely line segments (especially if the line thickness is known a priori) in the context of sampling distributions. The technique is demonstrated on real and synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) imagery.
Energy in the year 1999

The year 2000 seems incredibly remote. So, this survey will concentrate on a not so distant time, 1999, just 25 years from now. Much of the energy equipment that we are installing now will either be still in use, typical electric utility equipment is expected to have a useful life of 30 years, or will be largely unchanged in form and function. The dielectrics being employed now will still be holding off voltage in 1999. The decisions and commitments that are being made now, both in equipment construction and in research and development emphasis, will largely shape the future generation and use of energy through the end of the century.
Nuclear receptors: PPARα ligands make memories.

Three newly identified endogenous ligands of the nuclear receptor PPARα—hydroxydimethylbutyrate, hexadecanamide and octadecenamide—are implicated in the noncanonical activity of PPARα in synaptic function and hippocampal plasticity.
Determining patient risk factors associated with accelerated growth of popliteal artery aneurysms

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to determine the natural progression of popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs) and clinical variables associated with their accelerated growth. Methods Retrospective chart review of 224 patients with encounters between January 2008 and May 2016 and with at least one PAA was conducted. From this group, 65 asymptomatic patients had either unilateral (n = 43) or bilateral (n = 22) PAAs that were observed for at least 1 year of medical management before intervention. We divided these aneurysms into two groups based on whether their overall growth rate was above or below the eventual mean. Aneurysm diameter was taken from duplex ultrasound and computed tomography angiography. Results There were 87 aneurysms evaluated among 65 patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 70.9 years (standard deviation [SD], 9.39 years), and 64 patients were male (98%); 50 (77%) were white and 7 (11%) were African American. The average body mass index was 27.69 (SD, 4.90). At or before initial diagnosis, 61 (94%) patients had a concomitant lower extremity or abdominal aortic aneurysm; 51 (78%) patients were current or former smokers; and 16 (25%) had atrial fibrillation. The average growth rate of all aneurysms was 1.22 mm/y (SD, 1.93 mm). The mean surveillance time from initial diagnosis to last follow-up or intervention was 3.12 years (SD, 1.66 years). Of 87 aneurysms, 25 (29%) were repaired; 18 (21%) were repaired because of size criteria, 2 (2%) because of symptom criteria (claudication or acute limb ischemia), and 5 (6%) because of both criteria. During our study window, 62 aneurysms (71%) remained asymptomatic or did not undergo an intervention. The mean initial diameter at diagnosis was 16.9 mm (SD, 5.32 mm). Within the study, 50 (57%) aneurysms presented with or developed mural thrombus. Univariate analysis identified larger initial diameter (19.2 vs 14.7 mm; P = .020), atrial fibrillation (35% vs 16%; P = .042), and mural thrombus (38% vs 20%; P P = .007) and the presence or development of mural thrombus (odds ratio, 4.00; P = .008) maintained significance. Conclusions Patients presenting with a PAA at 20 mm or >20 mm in diameter, presence of luminal thrombus, or atrial fibrillation may need to be observed at more frequent scanning intervals than those without these risk factors. Further studies are required to validate these predictive growth factors.
History of consolidation is prognostic in acute myeloid leukemia patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in minimal residual disease-negative first complete remission.

Background Prognostic factors among acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative first complete remission (CR1) are unknown. We retrospectively attempted to answer the following question: In AML patients undergoing allo-HCT in MRD-negative CR1, does a history of prior consolidation provide additional prognostic information? Methods The inclusion criteria were: (i) Age > 18 years, (ii) AML in CR1 after 1-2 cycles of intensive induction chemotherapy, with or without consolidation, (iii) Allo-HCT between 1/2003 and 4/2016 at our institution, (iv) Available standard-sensitivity 4-color flow cytometry results from a bone marrow aspiration at diagnosis and after completion of all previous chemotherapy within one month prior to HCT, (v) Flow cytometry-based MRD-negative status at the time of HCT. Results A history of prior consolidation was associated with favorable overall survival (Hazard Ratio [95% Confidence Interval]: 0.59 [0.35-0.99], P = .046), relapse-free survival (0.60 [0.37-0.96], P = .036), and relapse (0.50 [0.27-0.92], P = .025). Analysis of potential sources of bias was unrevealing. Conclusions In AML patients undergoing allo-HCT in MRD-negative CR1, a history of prior consolidation was associated with favorable outcomes. If the path to pre-HCT MRD negativity includes consolidation, it may identify patients with improved prognosis following HCT in MRD-negative state. These results warrant validation in larger cohorts.
Metformin and ageing: improving ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control

In a world where the population is ageing, there is growing interest and demand for research evaluating strategies that address the ageing process. After 60 years of successful use of metformin in our pharmaceutical armamentarium, we are learning that, beyond improving glycaemic control, metformin may have additional mechanisms and pathways of action that need further study. Although, metformin’s effect on clinical ageing outcomes may still be considered speculative, the findings from studies into cellular and animal models and from observational and pilot human studies support the existence of beneficial effects on ageing. At present, progress for human research, using randomised clinical trials to evaluate metformin’s clinical impact, has just started. Here, we present a review on the ageing process and the mechanisms involved, and the role that metformin may have to counter these. We go on to discuss the upcoming large randomised clinical trials that may provide insight on the use of metformin for ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control.
Pressure Enhancement in Confined Fluids: Effect of Molecular Shape and Fluid-Wall Interactions.

Recently, several experimental and simulation studies have found that phenomena that normally occur at extremely high pressures in a bulk phase can occur in nanophases confined within porous materials at much lower bulk phase pressures, thus providing an alternative route to study high-pressure phenomena. In this work, we examine the effect on the tangential pressure of varying the molecular shape, strength of the fluid–wall interactions, and pore width, for carbon slit-shaped pores. We find that, for multisite molecules, the presence of additional rotational degrees of freedom leads to unique changes in the shape of the tangential pressure profile, especially in larger pores. We show that, due to the direct relationship between the molecular density and the fluid-wall interactions, the latter have a large impact on the pressure tensor. The molecular shape and pore size have a notable impact on the layering of molecules in the pore, greatly influencing both the shape and scale of the tangential pressure p...
New York State's COSH Movement: A Brief History.

Unions, health and safety activists, and professionals came together to create Coalitions for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH groups) in a number of cities across the United States beginning in the 1970s. The COSHes have played an important and unique role in advocating worker health and safety since that time, through activities including technical assistance, training and education, and campaigns on workplace and public policies. In New York State, activist coalitions created eight COSH groups distributed around the state. This paper presents a history of New York’s COSHes based on interviews with key participants. The interviews shed light on the origins of the COSH movement in New York, the development and activities of the COSHes, and the organizational trajectory of individual New York COSHes in response to both extra and intraorganizational challenges. Participants’ accounts of these issues may be useful for those seeking to sustain the COSH movement.
VHF Radar Images of Artificial Field-Aligned Ionospheric Irregularities in the Subauroral E Region

Artificial E-region field-aligned plasma density irregularities (AFAIs) have been generated using the HAARP ionospheric modification facility in Gakona and observed with a 30-MHz coherent scatter radar imager in Homer, Alaska. The AFAIs were generated using a distinctive, twisted-beam antenna pattern that illuminated a particularly broad volume overhead. The broad beam facilitates studies of natural sporadic E layer patches when they are present. The center of the pattern was pointed at different angles between zenith and magnetic zenith to examine the effects on the AFAI morphology. Radar images of AFAIs generally resemble the radiation pattern of the HF source, but the irregularities are strongest within a narrow range of zenith angles bounded approximately by the Spitze angle. A number of factors which might influence AFAI generation and detection are examined. The most important is most likely the requirement for the pump mode to have a standing-wave component for thermal parametric instability to operate.
Effects of MDMA on the Human Nervous System

Abstract (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) is a synthetic ring-substituted amphetamine analog that produces a unique blend of stimulant and psychedelic effects. Considerable research demonstrates that MDMA has the potential to damage brain serotonin (5-HT)-containing neurons in animals, and a growing body of data indicates that MDMA is also a 5-HT neurotoxin in humans. This chapter begins with a review of the history of MDMA's origins and early use practices, its emergence as a “party drug” in the 1990s, and its more recent reemergence as a potential psychotherapeutic adjunct in insight-oriented therapy. The major focus of this chapter addresses MDMA's effects on the human nervous system. To this end, MDMA's mechanism of action and its effects on the sympathetic nervous system are first detailed. The ensuing discussion addresses MDMA's effects on the central nervous system, including its pharmacological and neurotoxic effects, relying on information from preclinical models, when appropriate. Studies in humans that have attempted to identify lasting functional consequences of MDMA-induced 5-HT injury on cognitive function, sleep, neuroendocrine control, and pain function are reviewed, and evidence that MDMA may precipitate acute or lasting neuropsychiatric disorders is discussed. Finally, limitations of existing data in humans are discussed, and suggested directions for future research are provided.
Feminist Theory: Psychoanalytic

This article reviews the history of the relationship between feminist social science and psychoanalysis. It describes the reasons why some feminist social scientists embrace the theory, and why others reject it. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing feminist psychoanalytic theory in the future.
Transport of major solutes and the relationship between solute concentrations and discharge in the Apure River, Venezuela

The Apure River is a major white-water tributary of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The Apure is rich in solutes; its contribution to dissolved inorganic solids in the Orinoco (24%) is proportionately much greater than its contribution to discharge (6%). About 40% of the calcium and bicarbonate at the mouth of the Orinoco originate in the Apure drainage. The relationship between discharge and the concentrations of major solutes in the Apure was characterized with a two-compartment hyperbolic mixing model. Previous applications of the two-compartment model have been based on separate determinations of the model parameter β, which is a constant describing watershed hydrology, for each solute from data on concentrations. The use of a weighted mean β for all solutes is proposed as a means of assessing the importance of processes other than mixing. The model, when used on the Apure data, shows that a strong dilution effect prevails for sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and bicarbonate, and that a strong purging effect (increase of concentration with increasing discharge) is characteristic of soluble silicon. Biological immobilization of soluble silicon by diatoms during the season of low discharge is sufficiently large to account for the positive relationship between discharge and the concentration of soluble silicon. Specific transport rates of solutes from the basin are generally higher than global averages. In contrast, specific transport of chloride is low. Atmospheric sources control chloride transport in the Apure watershed; the low transport rates of chloride are probably explained by the great distance between the Apure watershed and the oceanic sources of atmospheric chloride.
Caring for Those Who Serve: Potential Implications of the Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018

The Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 removes barriers to veterans' access to community-based health care providers and permane...
School climate and the impact of neighborhood crime on test scores

Does school climate ameliorate or exacerbate the impact of neighborhood violent crime on test scores? Using administrative data from the New York City Department of Education and the New York City Police Department, we find that exposure to violence in the residential neighborhood and an unsafe climate at school lead to substantial test score losses in English language arts (ELA). Middle school students exposed to neighborhood violent crime before the ELA exam who attend schools perceived to be less safe or to have a weak sense of community score 0.06 and 0.03 standard deviations lower, respectively. We find the largest negative effects for boys and Hispanic students in the least safe schools, and no effect of neighborhood crime for students attending schools with better climates.
PASSIVE/ACTIVE MICROWAVE SOIL MOISTURE CHANGE DISAGGREGATION USING SMAPVEX12 DATA

The SMAPVEX12 (Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Validation Experiment 2012) experiment was conducted during June-July 2012 in Manitoba, Canada with the goal of collecting remote sensing data and ground measurements for the development and testing of soil moisture retrieval algorithms under varying vegetation and soil conditions for the SMAP satellite. The aircraft based soil moisture data provided by the passive/active microwave sensor PALS (Passive and Active L-band System) has a nominal spatial resolution of 1600 m. However, this resolution is not compatible with agricultural, meteorological and hydrological studies that require high spatial resolutions and this issue can be solved by soil moisture disaggregation. The soil moisture disaggregation algorithm integrates radiometer soil moisture retrievals and high-resolution radar observations and it can provide soil moisture estimates at a finer scale than the radiometer data alone. In this study, a change detection algorithm was used for disaggregation of coarse resolution passive microwave soil moisture retrievals with radar backscatter coefficients obtained from the higher spatial resolution UAVSAR (Unmanned Air Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) at crop field scale. The accuracy of the disaggregated change in soil moisture was evaluated using ground based soil moisture measurements collected during SMAPVEX12 campaign. The results showed that soil moisture spatial variabilities were better characterized by the disaggregated change in soil moisture estimates at 5 m / 800 m resolution as well as good agreement with in situ measurements. It also showed that VWC (Vegetation Water Content) did not have a big impact on disaggregation algorithm performance, with R2 of the disaggregated results ranging 0.628-0.794. The 5 m and 800m resolution disaggregated soil moisture did no show significant difference in statistical performance variables.
Beauty or Brains

The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Conscious Brain. by Robert L. Solso. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2004. 296 pp. $45, £29.95. ISBN 0-262-19484-8. Drawing on cognitive science, anthropology, and art history, the author explores how human consciousness perceives and creates visual art.
Temporal Limits on What Engineers Can Plan.

My question is: How far into the future is it possible for engineers as such to plan? For example, the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was to have been designed to store nuclear waste safely for between ten thousand and one million years. Is that the sort of planning engineers as such can do? The planning engineers do would not be philosophically interesting were it not in general so often successful, much more successful than the gambles of ordinary life. So, how is such planning possible—and what are its limits. Is one million years beyond the limits of what engineers, as such, can plan? Is a thousand years? Is a hundred years? Is there an nth generation for what engineers can plan? The answer I consider here is that engineers can plan only as far into the future as they can reasonably expect engineers to be present. That is only a few generations at most.
A Causal Analysis for the Dominant Factor in the Extreme Geographic and Temporal Variability in Mercury Biomagnification in the Everglades

The objective of this chapter is to assemble and evaluate existing evidence (both from within and outside the Everglades) in a formal, causal analysis using criteria-guided judgement to determine the cause of the observed susceptibility of the Everglades to high rates of Hg biomagnification and its extreme geographic and temporal variability.
STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF ALUMINUM BUMPERS

This paper presents the results of tests of one-piece face bars. It develops tentative guidelines for assessing the resistance of aluminum bumpers to local damage. Resistance to denting is shown to depend on the magnitude and location of the load applied, and the yield strength and thickness of the material. Cracking resistance is dependent on load applied, configuration of the bumper, location of load, tensile strength and thickness of the material. Deformation capacity of the material also appears to be of importance. /SAE/
Crossing Over? Mobility of Early Career Charter and Traditional Public School Teachers during an Era of Reform

In recent years, policymakers in many states have enacted reforms to teacher evaluation, tenure, and collective bargaining in the traditional public school (TPS) sector. The implications for such c...
Current commercialization status of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital microfluidics

The emergence of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) in the early 2000s made the once-obscure electrowetting phenomenon practical and led to numerous activities over the last two decades. As an eloquent microscale liquid handling technology that gave birth to digital microfluidics, EWOD has served as the basis for many commercial products over two major application areas: optical, such as liquid lenses and reflective displays, and biomedical, such as DNA library preparation and molecular diagnostics. A number of research or start-up companies (e.g., Phillips Research, Varioptic, Liquavista, and Advanced Liquid Logic) led the early commercialization efforts and eventually attracted major companies from various industry sectors (e.g., Corning, Amazon, and Illumina). Although not all of the pioneering products became an instant success, the persistent growth of liquid lenses and the recent FDA approvals of biomedical analyzers proved that EWOD is a powerful tool that deserves a wider recognition and more aggressive exploration. This review presents the history around major EWOD products that hit the market to show their winding paths to commercialization and summarizes the current state of product development to peek into the future. In providing the readers with a big picture of commercializing EWOD and digital microfluidics technology, our goal is to inspire further research exploration and new entrepreneurial adventures.
Post-Match Investment and Dynamic Sorting between Capital and Labor

By integrating frictional sorting into the neoclassical framework with post-match investment by firms, this paper analyzes the social optimum and the equilibrium. A main theoretical result is that post-match investment restores positive assortative matching (PAM) to the social optimum in the long run, but increases the likelihood of negative assortative matching (NAM) at the beginning of a match. The stronger is the complementarity between capital and the skill in production, the more likely is NAM to occur at the beginning of a match. I calibrate the model to show that sorting is NAM initially but becomes PAM on average over time. Workers with a higher skill have higher labor productivity and wages throughout the match. They also have steeper time profiles of these variables. There is sizable within-skill inequality in labor productivity and wages. Moreover, an increase in the matching efficiency reduces the labor share and increases the skill premium.
Validation of Free Energy Methods in AMBER.

Herein we provide high-precision validation tests of the latest GPU-accelerated free energy code in AMBER. We demonstrate that consistent free energy results are obtained in both the gas phase and ...
Can Group Oral Exams and Team Assignments Help Create a Supportive Student Community in a Biochemistry Course for Nonmajors

Oral exams may be as old as academia itself, but they are now rare in STEM undergraduate courses in the U.S. Can they be resurrected to help students develop oral communication skills, foster a sense belonging to a scholarly community, and change how students approach learning? This past spring, as we transitioned to emergency remote learning, my 50 students and I tried group oral exams as a primary assessment method in a survey of biochemistry course. The reasons for changing the assessment method were (1) to create the need for students to talk and connect to each other and (2) to have an assessment that is resistant to cheating. In group oral exams, students have to both talk and listen; they not only demonstrate their learning but also learn from each other. More importantly, preparation for group oral exams creates the need for students to work with their teammates to construct a shared understanding of the concepts and engage in learning together. During oral exams, the instructor can provide immediate feedback and support students in their learning journey by nudging them to reach deeper into their stored knowledge and to connect related ideas. Implementation of group oral exams proved to be challenging for the following reasons: (1) students were anxious about the unfamiliar testing method; (2) it was difficult to assess some of the course learning objectives; and (3) it was difficult to assess the broad range of learning objectives because of time constraints. Despite these concerns, I believe that the alignment of team learning activities with group oral exams helped students engage in deeper learning and build a supportive community in a time of crisis.
Diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-Wildtype, with molecular features of glioblastoma, WHO grade IV: A single-institution case series and review

In 2018, cIMPACT-NOW update 3 concluded that WHO grade II/III IDH-wildtype diffuse astrocytomas that contain TERT promoter mutations, chromosome 7 gain/10 loss, and/or EGFR amplification, correspond to a WHO grade IV diagnosis and should be classified as Diffuse astrocytic glioma, IDH-wildtype, with molecular features of glioblastoma, WHO grade IV (DAG-G). We present a single-institution series of patients with DAG-G and IDH-mutant astrocytomas and compare their clinical, molecular, and radiographic characteristics. Patient data was retrospectively extracted from the EMR for all patients undergoing surgical biopsy/resection of a diffuse astrocytoma at our institution from 2018 to 2020. Clinical presentation, molecular alterations, radiographic appearance, surgery, and survival were reviewed for each patient. Six DAG-G patients were identified in our cohort. All patients had diffuse disease, and presented with expansile, T2 hyperintense lesions with minimal enhancement. Compared to patients with classic IDH-mutant astrocytomas, mean age for DAG-G patients was older (68 vs 33 years, p < 0.0001), tumors were more diffuse (p = 0.02), with patients more likely to present with focal deficits and receive a biopsy only (p = 0.005). Overall survival was significantly shorter for DAG-G patients (p = 0.03). Patients with DAG-G are more likely to be older than typical IDH-mutant diffuse astrocytoma patients. They are more likely to present with tumors in a diffuse pattern with focal deficits. When such patients are encountered, prompt biopsy/resection to confirm the diagnosis and immediate initiation of adjuvant therapy is recommended, as the disease progression and overall prognosis is similar to glioblastoma.
Robustness of variance suppression in channel flows with imperfect transverse wall oscillations

Transverse wall oscillations are a sensor-free control strategy that can suppress kinetic energy and reduce skin-friction drag in wall-bounded shear flows. However, the success of wall oscillations is tied to the appropriate selection of their amplitude and frequency. We evaluate the robust performance of this flow control strategy to imperfections in the amplitude and phase of oscillations. These imperfections, which are modeled as stochastic parametric uncertainties, appear as multiplicative uncertainties in the linearized dynamics. We adopt an input-output approach to analyze the mean-square stability and frequency response of the flow subject to additive and multiplicative sources of uncertainty and provide a computationally efficient method for computing the energy spectrum of velocity fluctuations around the uncertain base state.
Connecting with others: Dispositional and situational relatedness during the college transition:

The college transition involves social challenges for students, including concerns about distance from family and hometown friends, and pressure to build a new social network on campus. Students wh...
Perceptions of community among suburban and urban-dwelling adults aging in place.

Abstract Community is important for late-midlife adults, offering a sense of belonging and opportunities for social engagement during the transition to older age. The current study examines perceptions of community and geographical ties among a sample of older adults aging in place. Using data from the Foley Longitudinal Study of Adulthood (FLSA; N = 163; aged 61–64) and a qualitative GIS approach, major themes were categorized and mapped to create a comprehensive picture of how perceptions of community varied among respondents and neighborhoods. Core themes were connections to place, space, people, and relational benefits gained from community involvement. Residents of a suburban enclave more frequently noted connections to people as being important to community, compared to residents in more densely-populated areas. Implications for future research are discussed.
Improving rehydration properties of spray-dried milk protein isolates by supplementing soluble caseins

Abstract Spray-dried milk protein isolates (MPIs) are important dairy ingredients but may not have desirable rehydration properties for industrial applications. In the present study, rehydration properties of MPIs were improved by spray-drying MPI dispersions containing different amounts of soluble caseins in the form of derivatized MPI (dMPI). dMPI was prepared by alkalizing MPI dispersions to pH 11.0 and subsequently acidifying to pH 6.8 (the pH-cycle). All the spray-dried MPIs had the similar bulk density (around 0.33 g/cm−3), composition, size distribution (1–100 µm), and SEM morphology. However, the decrease of hydrodynamic diameter, dissolution of total solids and proteins, and disruption of particles during the dynamic rehydration were accelerated as the dMPI content increased, indicating the improved rehydration properties. The improvement in rehydration properties was not due to the wettability that decreased as the dMPI:MPI mass ratio changed from 0:8 to 8:0, but resulted from the reduced cross-linking of casein micelles on powder surface and the increased surface porosity during the hydration as observed for partially hydrated samples. The present work may assist industrial applications of spray-dried MPIs.
Decision support systems for integrated water resources management with an application to the nile basin

Integrated water-resource management (IWRM) is the process of formulating and implementing shared-vision planning and management strategies for sustainable water-resource development and utilization with due consideration to all spatial and temporal interdependencies among natural processes and human and ecological water uses. Public policy actors develop consensus and decide on shared-vision strategies based on information generated and communicated by decision support systems (DSSs) and associated processes. Thus, the role of DSS is to leverage current scientific and technological advances in developing and evaluating specific policy options for possible adoption by the IWRM process. DSSs are developed and used by research institutions, government agencies, consultants, and the information technology industry. The greatest challenge in the development and effective use of integrated decision-support systems is the availability of qualified water-resources professionals. A comprehensive professional training and capacity-building program must be part and parcel of DSS development. Sufficient training, retention of qualified personnel, continuing education, and long-term capacity building must all be part of a general educational strategy.
Zijn bij een patiënt die RA krijgt de reumafactoren en/of CCP-antistoffen al vanaf de geboorte aanwezig of ontstaan deze later?

De vraag suggereert dat er een congenitale aanleg voor het ontwikkelen van RA bestaat, die pathogenetisch samenhangt met de genoemde antistoffen of ten minste via deze antistoffen ‘zichtbaar’ kan worden gemaakt. Zoals bekend is RA een multifactoriele ziekte, zodat de pathogenese erfelijke en omgevingsfactoren bevat. Het erfelijke risico komt tot uiting in de prevalentie van RA bij eerstegraads familieleden van RA-patienten, die 4-5% bedraagt.
Equilibrium Constants for the Hydrogen Isotopic Self-Exchange Reactions in the 4.2- to 50-K Temperature Range

Potential shortage of energy in the United States has stimulated interest in the production of power by controlled hydrogen fusion. All of the proposed methods (magnetic confinement, plasma focus, electron beam implosion, or laser implosion) require a fusion fuel that ignites at the lowest temperature—a mixture of the hydrogen isotopes D and T in the liquid or solid state. Values of the equilibrium constants are important to this fusion research because they describe the composition of the fuel in terms of the molecular species D2, DT, and T2.
3-D measurements using conoscopy and application to ophthalmology

In this paper we present a novel method to measure 3-D quasi planar or quasi spherical reflective surfaces with submicron depth accuracy. Two implementations are presented: a scanning and a non-scanning system. The non-scanning device allows fast measurements and can be applied for eye-shape measurements. The paper is organized as follows: in the introductory section, we first demonstrate the principle of the conoscopic effect leading to the formation of the interferogram. The second and third sections explain respectively. the scanning and non-scanning methods based on the conoscopic effect. We present the experimental results from a simple measurement and show how they conform with theory.
Nuclear cytidine 5'-monophosphosialic acid synthetase.

Abstract Evidence is presented documenting the nuclear location of the enzyme, cytidine 5'-monophosphosialic acid (CMP-sialic acid) synthetase. This enzyme catalyzes the reaction: [see PDF for equation] From previous studies it had been inferred that this enzyme was cytoplasmic. Studies are reported here that describe the following. (a) The purity of the nuclei that were used in these investigations. Nuclei were isolated from hypertonic sucrose solutions from the retina of the hog and from liver, kidney, spleen, and brain of the rat. Nuclear purity (i.e. absence of cytoplasmic contamination) was established on the basis of enzymatic, chemical, and morphological criteria. (b) The activity of CMP-sialic acid synthetase in these nuclei. The yields of CMP-sialic acid synthetase in the nuclei recovered from the different tissues varied from 18 to 53% of the activities present in the initial homogenates. When corrected for the yield of nuclei, based on DNA content, the yields of enzyme ranged from 54 to 90%. This was accompanied by increases in specific activities of 3- to 13-fold. CMP-sialic acid synthesized by nuclei from the retina of the hog was identified by chemical, enzymatic, chromatographic, and electrophoretic procedures. (c) Some of the properties of nuclear CMP-sialic acid synthetase are described. The following apparent Km values were observed for the enzyme from nuclei of rat liver: N-acetylneuraminic acid, 0.72 mm; N-glycolylneuraminic acid, 1.4 mm; CTP, 0.48 mm; Mg2+, 6.75 mm. The optimal pH for the reaction is between 8.3 and 8.6 in Tris buffer. The effect of other metals and nucleotide triphosphates on the activity of the enzyme was measured.
Externally Suppressible Frameshift Mutant of Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract Prototrophic revertants of ICR-191A-induced frameshift mutant hisD3018 have been induced spontaneously by ICR-191A and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG) treatment. In each case two genetically distinct prototroph classes were differentiated by transducibility into his deletion recipients: (i) transducible, generally fast-growing revertants within the hisD gene producing from 10 to 100% of normal amounts of histidinol dehydrogenase and (ii) nontransducible slow-growing prototrophs with very low levels of enzyme activity of which at least some arose by external suppression. These nontransducible revertants, whether arising spontaneously or in the presence of ICR-191A or NG, contain histidinol dehydrogenase which is electrophoretically similar to the wild-type enzyme.
RavenClaw: Dialog Management Using Hierarchical Task Decomposition and an Expectation Agenda

We describe RavenClaw, a new dialog management framework developed as a successor to the Agenda [1] architecture used in the CMU Communicator. RavenClaw introduces a clear separation between task and discourse behavior specification, and allows rapid development of dialog management components for spoken dialog systems operating in complex, goal-oriented domains. The system development effort is focused entirely on the specification of the dialog task, while a rich set of domain-independent conversational behaviors are transparently generated by the dialog engine. To date, RavenClaw has been applied to five different domains allowing us to draw some preliminary conclusions as to the generality of the approach. We briefly describe our experience in developing these systems.
Positive Solutions of a Higher Order Neutral Differential Equation

In this paper, we consider the higher order neutral delay differential equation where p : [0, ∞) (0, ∞) is a continuous function, r > 0 and σ > 0 are constants, and n > 0 is an odd integer. A positive solution x(t) of Eq. (*) is called a Class–I solution if y(t) > 0 and y′(t) < 0 eventually, where y(t) = x(t) – x(t – r). We divide Class–I solutions of Eq. (*) into four types. We first show that every positive solution of Eq. (*) must be of one of these four types. For three of these types, a necessary and sufficient condition is obtained for the existence of such solutions. A necessary condition for the existence of a solution of the fourth type is also obtained. The results are illustrated with examples.
Imposing Tort Liability on Websites for Cyber Harassment

Several female law students were the subject of derogatory comments on AutoAdmit.com, a message board about law school admissions. When one of the women asked the website administrator to remove certain comments, the administrator posted her request, prompting further attacks. An undergraduate student’s rape was revealed on a gossip site, JuicyCampus.com, where posters engaged in a cruel session of “blame the victim.” Another student on that site was falsely identified, by name, as being a stalker, bi-polar, and suicidal. When officials at her university asked JuicyCampus.com to remove the most egregious posts, the company refused. These recent cases have brought the vexing problem of cyber harassment to the public’s attention. Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, websites are not liable as publishers for the content on their sites so long as they are not involved in its creation. Accordingly, much of the relevant scholarship has focused on repealing Section 230 or imposing liability upon posters. The immunity that website sponsors have as publishers should not mean that they have no obligation whatsoever for the activity on their website. Website sponsor - the entities that own the domain name and control the activity on a website - have a proprietary interest in their websites. Accordingly, they should be subject to the same standard of conduct as other proprietors.
Rationale for using serotonergic agents to treat irritable bowel syndrome.

Purpose. The role of serotonin in gastrointestinal (GI)-tract functioning, the pharmacologic rationale for using serotonergic agents in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and clinical experience with novel serotonergic agents are described. Summary. IBS is a common multisymptom disorder that is associated with a high socioeconomic burden. The goal of treatment is to provide rapid and sustained global relief of the multiple symptoms of IBS with a single, effective, well-tolerated agent. Traditional treatment options target single symptoms, and many patients are dissatisfied with the level of relief achieved and adverse effects. Research has revealed that serotonin is involved in three major actions in the gut: (1) mediating intestinal motility, (2) mediating intestinal secretion in the GI tract, and (3) modulating perception in the bowels. Serotonin is also a vital link in the brain–gut axis. Alterations in key elements of serotonin signaling have been demonstrated in patients with IBS. Tegaserod, a selective serotonin type 4 (5-HT4)-receptor partial agonist, is indicated for use in women with IBS whose primary bowel symptom is constipation. Alosetron, a 5-HT3-receptor antagonist, is indicated for use in women with severe diarrhea-predominant IBS in whom traditional therapies have failed. The clinical usefulness of several other serotonergic agents for IBS is being investigated. Conclusion. The use of serotonergic agents in patients with IBS is based on the critical role that serotonin plays in the maintenance of normal gut function and brain–gut communication. Pharmacologic therapies targeting specific serotonin receptors represent an important step in the management of IBS.
Adrenergic Receptor Autoradiography and in Situ Hybridization

Abstract The distribution of α- and β-adrenergic receptors in slices of anatomically complex tissues can be delineated autoradiographically with great precision and resolution. This brief review highlights methodological aspects of adrenergic receptor autoradiography and in situ hybridization at the light microscopic level of resolution. It focuses on technical differences between autoradiographic analysis in tissue sections and conventional radioligand binding assays in membranes prepared from tissue homogenates. it emphasizes strategies for characterizing quantitatively the distribution of specific receptor subtypes and classes using autoradiography and ways of detecting naturally occurring low-abundance adrenergic receptor mRNAs using in situ hybridization.
Simple computational schemes for X-ray anomalous scattering factors for ions

Abstract Simple computational schemes to calculate the anomalous scattering factors g ′ and g ″ for ions, which utilize only the subshell photoionization cross sections of neutral atoms (modified only through adjustment in outer shell occupation number) and ionic edge positions, without any ionic photoionization cross sections, are proposed. The schemes give a way to estimate photon (Rayleigh) scattering from ions in the X-ray photon energy region without actually generating the large ionic photoeffect data base. A demonstration of the schemes is given for the case of neon ions.