cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A linear estimator for joint synchronization and localization in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, joint sensor synchronization and localization using time-of-arrival measurements is studied. In wireless sensor networks, the accuracy of the clock synchronization among nodes has a great impact on the performance of the localization using time-based ranging methods. The clocks of the anchor nodes are typically synchronized with each other, while those of the source nodes must be synchronized with the anchor nodes. Each source node has its own clock characterized by clock offset and clock skew. Synchronization is the process of determining these clock parameters for the source node, while localization is the process of estimating its location. Generally, the estimation problem is broken down into two subproblems, where the synchronization is first performed and then the source node is localized. However, in this paper, a joint synchronization and localization framework is considered and examined, as it is expected to provide better accuracy, especially in dynamic networks. The system model for joint synchronization and localization is first introduced. The maximum likelihood (ML) estimator is then derived which is shown to be highly nonlinear and nonconvex. The ML estimator does not have a closed-form solution and must be solved by computationally complex and iterative algorithms. A novel linear estimator is derived which has a closed-form solution with significantly lower complexity. The performance of the proposed linear estimator is evaluated through computer simulations. Results show that the proposed linear estimator outperforms the previously considered estimators, especially in low signal-to-noise ratios.
(Almost) everyone here spoke Ban Khor Sign Language—Until they started using TSL: Language shift and endangerment of a Thai village sign language

Abstract Found only in face-to-face communities with distinctive socioeconomic and demographic profiles that include numerous deaf residents, ‘village sign languages’ correlate with special ‘speech/sign communities,’ wherein widespread deafness is successfully communicatively managed because hearing villagers routinely acquire and use the local sign language. This language variety is as unusual as its sociolinguistic environment is fragile. Charting the life course of a contemporary village sign language and speech/sign community in Thailand, this article examines the causes and consequences of the emergence, expansion, and endangerment of Ban Khor Sign Language and its speech/sign community.
Cyanobacterial biofuel production.

Abstract The development of new technologies for production of alternative fuel became necessary to circumvent finite petroleum resources, associate rising costs, and environmental concerns due to rising fossil fuel CO 2 emissions. Several alternatives have been proposed to develop a sustainable industrial society and reduce greenhouse emissions. The idea of biological conversion of CO 2 to fuel and chemicals is receiving increased attention. In particular, the direct conversion of CO 2 with solar energy to biofuel by photosynthetic microorganisms such as microalgae and cyanobacteria has several advantages compared to traditional biofuel production from plant biomass. Photosynthetic microorganisms have higher growth rates compared with plants, and the production systems can be based on non-arable land. The advancement of synthetic biology and genetic manipulation has permitted engineering of cyanobacteria to produce non-natural chemicals typically not produced by these organisms in nature. This review addresses recent publications that utilize different approaches involving engineering cyanobacteria for production of high value chemicals including biofuels.
The Government and Cybersecurity

We all realize that computer security is a serious problem. But who should solve it? More precisely, who should be responsible for coping with computer insecurity - governments or the private sector? To some extent, the answer depends on how we view the problem. This installment of ClearText aims to get to the bottom of it.
Lean Construction Submittal Process—A Case Study

Items sent by contractors to the project engineer in a construction field office for review and approval are known as construction submittals. If these submittals are late, incomplete or deficient it can create delays in the construction schedule. A num..
Evaluation of Survival Times with Censored Observations in Antibiotic Efficacy Studies

Abstract In epidemiology, when antibiotic efficacy is compared between two treatment groups, treating fish survival time as a continuous rather than as a discrete variable is more sensitive and appropriate for detecting group differences when the data contain censored observations. By using nonparametric methods for analysis of survival or failure time, we evaluated distributional rather than proportional differences between treatment groups, and treatment efcacies were determined by comparing probabilities of survival longer than a specified time. To illustrate the utility of survival analysis (i.e., analysis of survival times), a nonstandard, “messy” data set containing censored observations was examined for treatment effects. Survival analysis and standard statistical methods were used to analyze the same data set. With survival analysis, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between treatments when distributions of survival times were compared. However, standard statistical methods failed to s...
Reliability versus Resilience: What Does Healthcare Need?

System performance in healthcare pivots on the ability to match demand for care with the resources that are needed to provide it. High reliability is desirable in organizations that perform inherently hazardous, highly technical tasks. However, healthcare's high variability, diversity, partition between workers and managers, and production pressure make it difficult to employ essential aspects of high reliability organizations (HROs) such as redundancy and extensive training. A different approach is needed to understand the nature of healthcare systems and their ability to perform and survive under duress; in other words, to be resilient. The recent evolution of resilience engineering affords the opportunity to configure healthcare systems so that they are adaptable and can foresee challenges that threaten their mission. Information technology (IT) in particular can enable healthcare, as a service sector, to adapt successfully, as long as it is based on cognitive systems engineering approaches to achieve ...
Using study circles in the workplace as an educational method of facilitating readjustment after a traumatic life experience.

While employees who have undergone a traumatic life experience (TLE) are often referred for counseling and therapy, most organizations do not prepare managers and co-workers for the unique issues posed by TLE employees when they first return to the workplace. The Study Circle, a democratic, interactive adult learning format, is introduced to make up for this lack by educating managers and co-workers about the various stages in the trauma recovery process and teaching them how to facilitate a TLE employee's re-entry to the workplace.
Pb isotopes in drinking water: A new strategy for source detection of low Pb sources

Source detection of low concentrations of Pb in water, for instance less than 15 μg L−1, may require a new methodology as the tolerances of Pb in drinking water are further reduced. It appears that the isotope properties of Pb may aid discrimination among natural sources and anthropogenic sources, including some plumbing materials. Characteristic Pb isotope signatures in a typical rural water supply district, located in Maine, are outlined. For example, unflushed drinking water lines have 207Pb/206Pb (0.850) and 208Pb/206Pb (2.130) signatures similar to Pb solders on pipes with ages of 7–38 years. Whereas reduced Pb concentrations in drinking water lines correlate with naturally distinctive signatures of 207Pb/206Pb (0.785) and 208Pb/206Pb (1.945).
Foundations and Research on Identifying Model Responsiveness-to-Intervention Sites

As regulations are rewritten regarding school-based learning disabilities identification practices, the components of those practices are likely to change. For example, cognitive assess- ment and aptitude-achievement discrepancy might be less impor- tant. A student's responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) is emerging as an important construct for assessing underachievement. This article provides a framework for understanding how RTI fits as one LD determination component, describes research on RTI, and outlines the NRCLD's research efforts to examine current RTI implementation in schools and model site selection.
Conflicts of Interest and Hyperbole: Nutrition in the Media

Food and nutrition issues are popular news topics and have been occurring in the media with increasing frequency, yet few journalists are trained specifically in health reporting. Training in health science may be an approach to pique students' interest and maintain enrollments. Currently, health reporters say that lack of training is the biggest obstacle they face professionally; as a result, health news is often superficial, exaggerated, and not balanced. Providing training in health sciences to undergraduate journalism and mass communication students will give future health reporters the solid foundation they need to communicate health news effectively to the public.
What are you dieting for? The role of lay theories in dieters' goal setting

Through a qualitative study of a sample of Weight Watchers dieters, this research provides insight about the relationship between goal setting and lay theories—people's basic assumptions about the malleability of their personal attributes. We find that dieters set very different types of superordinate and subordinate goals depending on the lay theory (entity vs. incremental) they hold. Dieters who hold entity theory, which underscores immutability of abilities, set superordinate goals focused on avoiding negative social evaluations. These dieters also seem to set subordinate goals that minimize effort in diet, physical activity, and the use of group meetings necessary for weight loss. Among dieters holding incremental theory, which emphasizes malleability of abilities through learning, weight loss is guided by superordinate goals that promote change in the self. Incremental-theory dieters also set subordinate goals that encourage rather than limit revamping lifestyle. These findings offer contributions to lay theories and goal setting in consumer research as well as implications for developing more successful weight-loss practices. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spinal anesthesia for outpatients: Appropriate agents and techniques

With attention to appropriate selection of drugs, techniques, and needles, spinal anesthesia offers significant advantages in the outpatient setting. The combination of rapid onset, high reliability, and technical ease, along with the lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, allows for rapid turnover and discharge. The incidence of headache should not be a limiting factor if appropriate small, rounded bevel needles are used, and the technique is used primarily in the population aged over 40 years.
Sex differences in the development of angiotensin II-induced hypertension in conscious mice

Sex has an important influence on blood pressure (BP) regulation. There is increasing evidence that sex hormones interfere with the renin-angiotensin system. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine whether there are sex differences in the development of ANG II-induced hypertension in conscious male and female mice. We used telemetry implants to measure aortic BP and heart rate (HR) in conscious, freely moving animals. ANG II (800 ng.kg(-1).min(-1)) was delivered via an osmotic pump implanted subcutaneously. Our results showed baseline BP in male and female mice to be similar. Chronic systemic infusion of ANG II induced a greater increase in BP in male (35.1 +/- 5.7 mmHg) than in female mice (7.2 +/- 2.0 mmHg). Gonadectomy attenuated ANG II-induced hypertension in male mice (15.2 +/- 2.4 mmHg) and augmented it in female mice (23.1 +/- 1.0 mmHg). Baseline HR was significantly higher in females relative to males (630.1 +/- 7.9 vs. 544.8 +/- 16.2 beats/min). In females, ANG II infusion significantly decreased HR. However, the increase in BP with ANG II did not result in the expected decrease in HR in either intact male or gonadectomized mice. Moreover, the slope of the baroreflex bradycardia to phenylephrine was blunted in males (-5.6 +/- 0.3 to -2.9 +/- 0.5) but not in females (-6.5 +/- 0.5 to -5.6 +/- 0.3) during infusion of ANG II, suggesting that, in male mice, infusion of ANG II results in a resetting of the baroreflex control of HR. Ganglionic blockade resulted in greater reduction in BP on day 7 after ANG II infusion in males compared with females (-61.0 +/- 8.9 vs. -36.6 +/- 6.6 mmHg), suggesting an increased contribution of sympathetic nerve activity in arterial BP maintenance in male mice. Together, these data indicate that there are sex differences in the development of chronic ANG II-induced hypertension in conscious mice and that females may be protected from the increases in BP induced by ANG II.
Phylogeny of Cantua (Polemoniaceae): Evidence from Chloroplast and Nuclear DNA Sequence Data

Abstract A phylogeny of Cantua was estimated using parsimony analyses of DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and the cpDNA spacers trnT-tmL, tmL-trnF, and partial ndhF coding region. One of the two species formerly included in Huthia was included in these analyses; the other is known only from the type. Data from the phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the paraphyly of Cantua to this taxon, Cantua volcanica (= Huthia coerulea). This result supports the earlier inclusion of the two species formerly placed in Huthia within Cantua. Cantua volcanica was most closely related to C. quercifolia and these two species together were the sister group to the rest of Cantua. The remaining taxa, C. flexuosa, C. cuzcoensis, C. bicolor, C. candelilla, C. buxifolia, and C. pyrifolia were well supported as a monophyletic group. For most species, multiple individuals were sampled. In each case, except for the individuals of C. buxifolia, the multiple individuals formed a clade. Precise relationships bet...
Arachidonic acid as a bioactive molecule

Arachidonic acid is a slippery molecule that owes its mobility to its four cis double bonds. These are the source of its flexibility, keeping the pure fatty acid liquid, even at subzero temperatures, and helping to give mammalian cell membranes their correct fluidity at physiological temperatures. The double bonds are also the key to the propensity of arachidonic acid to react with molecular oxygen. This can happen nonenzymatically, contributing to oxidative stress, or through the actions of three types of oxygenase: cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), and cytochrome P450. While the products of these enzymes and of the nonenzymatic transformations have well-substantiated bioactivities, unchanged arachidonic acid itself has biological activity. This will be a main focus this review. Before dealing with bioactivity, I will consider the solubility properties of the molecule, which are crucial to understanding the availability within the cell of endogenous and exogenous arachidonic acid. I then discuss two controversial issues, arachidonic acid transport into cells and the accessibility of added arachidonic acid to endogenous cellular compartments, and finally turn to selected biological actions of this lipid. The enzymes of arachidonic acid release have been well covered in specialized reviews and are introduced here only in passing.
Corrugations and eccentric spirals in Saturn's D ring: New insights into what happened at Saturn in 1983

Abstract Previous investigations of Saturn’s outer D ring (73,200–74,000 km from Saturn’s center) identified periodic brightness variations whose radial wavenumber increased linearly over time. This pattern was attributed to a vertical corrugation, and its temporal variability implied that some event – possibly an impact with interplanetary debris – caused the ring to become tilted out the planet’s equatorial plane in 1983. This work examines these patterns in greater detail using a more extensive set of Cassini images in order to obtain additional insights into the 1983 event. These additional data reveal that the D ring is not only corrugated, but also contains a time-variable periodic modulation in its optical depth that probably represents organized eccentric motions of the D-ring’s particles. This second pattern suggests that whatever event tilted the rings also disturbed the radial or azimuthal velocities of the ring particles. Furthermore, the relative amplitudes of the two patterns indicate that the vertical motions induced by the 1983 event were 2.3 ± 0.5 times larger than the corresponding in-plane motions. If these structures were indeed produced by an impact, material would need to strike the ring at a steep angle (>60° from the ring plane) to produce such motions. Meanwhile, the corrugation wavelengths in the D ring are about 0.7% shorter than one would predict based on extrapolations from similar structures in the nearby C ring. This could indicate that the D-ring was tilted/disturbed about 60 days before the C ring. Such a timing difference could be explained if the material that struck the rings was derived from debris released when some object broke up near Saturn some months earlier. To reproduce the observed time difference, this debris would need to have a substantial initial velocity dispersion and then have its orbital properties perturbed by some phenomenon like solar tides prior to its collision with the rings.
Reading and writing descriptive and persuasive texts.

surge of research and pedagogical examination of reading-writing relationships in English as a first or native language (24; 26; 28; 31). The importance of reading-writing connections has recently become the focus of research in English as a second language (10; 11; 14; 15; 16; 17). Thus far, however, the ESL research on the reading-writing connection has examined the relationship at only a general level. For example, no studies have addressed the influence of specific aims of reading texts and writing tasks, e.g., persuasive vs. descriptive texts, and none has attempted to control either for the previous reading and writing experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate vs. graduate students) or overall proficiency in the second language. The present study was designed to determine the relationships of intermediate-level (Michigan 70-90) ESL students' reading and writing of both persuasive and descriptive texts.
Box-beam burster energy-absorbing terminal bridge pier protection system

A new box-beam burster energy-absorbing terminal (BEAT) bridge pier (BEAT-BP) protection system was successfully crash tested according to the safety performance criteria presented in NCHRP Report 350. The system comprises two BEAT crash cushions and a frame that envelops the bridge piers. Because of the close proximity to the piers, the system has a footprint significantly smaller than those of the other available options. Three crash tests were considered necessary to evaluate the BEAT-BP protection system and were conducted successfully: a pickup truck critical impact point (CIP) transition test at a bridge pier (Test Designation 3-21), a pickup truck CIP test at the connection between the crash cushion and the tubular frame structure (Test Designation 3-38), and a pickup truck end-on test for the crash cushion (Test Designation 3-31). A total of four crash tests were conducted, including one failed test (Test BP-2). The BEAT-BP protection system performed satisfactorily in all three required crash tests, meeting all evaluation criteria set forth in the guidelines of NCHRP Report 350.
Collective Representations of Battered Women

Donileen Loseke adopts Durkheim’s concept of collective representations to examine how shelter workers think, feel, and act toward battered women. As such, Loseke’s analysis of collective representations takes into account the interpretive frameworks through which people organize, categorize, and morally evaluate violent actions and victims. As Loseke observes, the collective representations of shelter workers serves dual objectives: (1) to raise public consciousness of battering as a social problem and (2) to provide an interpretive framework that makes practical experience comprehensible and manageable. The sharp, clear images provided in the first objective become blurred and cloudy in the second. When does violence become battering? What role does intention have? What role did the woman play? Is she morally exempt from the consequences of her actions? Is she then deserving of sympathy? As the abstractedness of the constructed collective representations makes them vague in concrete instances, lived reality differs from objectified definitions. Loseke’s analysis stresses the second objective, which at this point in history is the more experientially and analytically messy one. Yet, this objective provides the greater insight into practical solutions to ambiguous and problematic situations. By studying the social construction of a collective representation, Loseke’s analysis is a major statement explaining the development and maintenance of social structure through key actors’ routine actions and interpretations. In this book, Loseke creates an understanding of shelter workers’ reality constructions of the battered woman and emphasizes the social processes through
Why genomes in pieces

Some microorganisms are evolutionary puzzles in that their genomes contain encrypted genes that are descrambled into gene products.
Helicobacter pylori and Gastric Cancer: A New Paradigm For Inflammation-Associated Epithelial Cancers

Although gastric cancer has been investigated for centuries, the association with Helicobacter pylori infection has been recognized for only the past few decades. Although the disease has been declining in most industrialized countries, it remains the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide and is, in theory, a largely preventable disease. We have gained many new insights and advances from studies of Helicobacter-infected mouse models. These models corroborate findings in human patients, in whom disease outcome is largely determined by the expression of host proinflammatory cytokines. Studies of the cellular origins of cancer in the Helicobacter-infected mouse model has led to the surprising insight that gastric cancer may originate from circulating bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDC) and not from resident tissue stem cells as previously believed. It is likely that this new BMDC paradigm of epithelial cancer will prove useful in future investigations of gastrointestinal metaplasia and gastrointestinal cancers associated with chronic inflammation.
Glycoprotein motility and dynamic domains in fluid plasma membranes

The diffusion measurements of glycoproteins have further supported a fluid mosaic model of membrane structure, but the basis of the lower apparent diffusion coefficients in biological membranes remains incompletely understood. In the specific case of glycoproteins with a single alpha-helix spanning the membrane, studies indicate that the major frictional drag is in the external protein layer and not the bilayer. Only in the erythrocyte membrane does the internal protein layer clearly control the lateral diffusion coefficient of a glycoprotein with a large cytoplasmic domain. In cultured cells, the barriers to lateral displacements over long distances are primarily on the cytoplasmic surface and not in the external matrix. Active movements of individual or small groups of glycoproteins both forward and rearward on cells appear to result from the interactions with moving cytoskeletal structures. Membrane turnover as well as transient attachment to the cytoskeleton can produce dynamic domains in the membrane that would depend on motile activity. Recent technological advances enable simultaneous monitoring of specific cell functions and glycoprotein motility, making it possible to correlate membrane fluidity and active glycoprotein movements with cell function.
Multiple Separations in Microfabricated Channels: From Biological Microenvironments to DNA

A continuous sample introduction and separation scheme is presented as an alternative to the current slab gel and microfabricated chip technologies for biological separations. This new technique involves continuous sample introduction via a conventional small bore capillary coupled to a small dimension rectangular channel. Both free zone and size based separations have been carried out in the rectangular channel. Laser induced fluorescence and electrochemical detection schemes have been employed with this technique. Some of the areas this technology has been used to investigate include monitoring dynamic events from microenvironments, monitoring analytes over long periods of time, and performing DNA separations.
What Social Psychology Can Contribute to the Study of Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

The concepts of sex and gender have received increasing attention in sociology in recent years, with social psychologists providing many of the key insights. Issues of sexual orientation and sexuality have received comparably less attention, although many of the tools social psychologists use could be fruitfully applied to better understand sex, gender, sexual orientation, and the intimate connections between the three. In particular, I outline the perspectives of doing gender, stereotyping, and status and suggest possible ways to incorporate these frameworks into intersectional examinations of sex, gender, and sexual orientation. I argue that to fully understand sex, gender, or sexual orientation, researchers should consider all three and recognize the highly interconnected nature of each.
Small-emittance and low-beta lattice designs and optimizations

This paper uses the advanced light source (ALS) storage-ring lattice as an example to illustrate the strategies and techniques that we developed for lattice design and optimization. First, the theoretical minimum emittance (TME) theory is applied to optimize the ALS storage-ring lattice for its future upgrades. The study confirms the results found in earlier study using both global scan of all stable settings and multiobjective genetic algorithms (MOGA) techniques. It is shown that, using TME, the ALS natural emittance can be reduced to an even smaller value by introducing additional quadrupoles to the straight, which is unknown in previous studies. Then, the nonlinear properties of the lattice are optimized using MOGA. Instead of the conventionally used dynamic aperture area, the total diffusion rate of the lattice is used as an objective in the optimization, which leads to a superior performance in nonlinear beam dynamics. Finally, to find a best overall working lattice for ALS future upgrades, the linear and nonlinear properties of the lattice are optimized simultaneously using MOGA. Compared to the widely used dynamic aperture tune scan technique, MOGA not only allows us to rapidly find a best working point in a wide searching range, but also provides us trade-offs among the optimization objectives, such as the low emittance, small beta function, and large dynamic aperture. These trade-offs give us a guideline to choose a candidate lattice for ALS future upgrades. The strategies and techniques presented in this paper are not limited to the ALS, and can be adopted to other facilities.
Two approaches toward generating orthogonal adaptive grids

Methods for constructing adaptive grids in more than one dimension have been developed. These methods are usually based upon the idea of equidistribution of B weight function over a grid. Unfortunately, for large grid adaption rates, severe skewing occurs in the mesh. Two techniques for generating an orthogonal adaptive grid are developed and results of applying both schemes to some simple functional examples are presented for the two-dimensional case. Extension to three dimensions is discussed and advantages and disedvanrages of the methods are identified.
Data mining and healthcare informatics.

Objective To acquaint members of the Academy with a relatively recent development in the area of data exploration and statistical analysis. Methods A review of the concepts and methods inherent in data-mining with a special emphasis on the those methods applicable to predictive modeling. Results Data-mining is demonstrated to be a useful tool for researchers in those circumstances where large amounts of information are available. Conclusions With the advent and proliferation of on-line data collection, truly massive databases are now available to health care researchers. In that situation, data-mining methods yield some unique opportunities to researchers who wish to develop prediction models and to establish associations.
Structure Sensitivity in Pt Nanoparticle Catalysts for Hydrogenation of 1,3-Butadiene: In Situ Study of Reaction Intermediates Using SFG Vibrational Spectroscopy

The product selectivity during 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation on monodisperse, colloidally synthesized, Pt nanoparticles was studied under reaction conditions with kinetic measurements and in situ sum...
Capillary column gas chromatography determination of serum valproic acid in epil eptic children

OBJECTIVE To establish a method for the determination of valproic acid (VPA) in serum ,monitore serum concentration of VPA in epileptic children,and investigate the relations of VPA serum concentration to dosage and effect of treatment in epil eptic children.METHODS The concentration of VPA were measured by capillary column gas chromatography a ssay, the column temperature was risen by program.RESULTS The linear relation of VPA were in the range of (20-300) mg ·L -1.Th e delection limit of VPA in serum was 1 mg·L -1.The relative rec overies of 3 concentrations of VPA in serum were 96.2%, 97.1%, 97.6% respectively. The levels of serum VPA in 23 cases epileptic children showed sig nificant difference. The (Css)min concentration was ( 53.8 ± 19.1)mg ·L -1 in 13 children administered orally( 20.8± 3.8)mg ·kg -1·d -1,and was( 65.3± 27.8)mg·L -1 in other 10 children administered oral ly( 32.6± 2.6)mg·kg -1·d -1.CONCLUSION This paper provides selective, rapid,convenient,sensitive and accurate method which is suitable for monitoring serum VPA. It is indicated that the serum conc entrations of VPA in the epileptic children were significant difference. There i s not significant relativity between serum concentration and dosage. VPA might b etter be administered individually to epileptic children.
Simulation Study on the Clearance Seal of the Directional Slide Valve of Booster Pump

Fluent,which is one of the most popular software in Computational Fluid Dynamics,is used as the main tool of numerical simulation.The numerical simulation of clearance seal was carried out by the finite volume method(FVM),SST k-ω turbulent model and SIMPLE algorithm.The effects of the clearance size,groove width,groove depth,and groove number to the clearance seal flow field and leakage are concluded.The research results have certain actual value The results indicated that the leakage of clearance seal changes with the magnitude of the clearance linearly;The leakage will reduce linearly when the groove number increase.The relationship between groove width and the leakage is approximate linear;The leakage will reduce by the groove depth increasing when the groove width is 0.5mm;The leakage will increase when the groove width is 0.5mm and the groove depth-width ratio less than 1.5;But the leakage will reduce when the groove width is 0.5mm and the groove depth-width ratio more than 1.5.
Preface: Nuclear Receptors: Past, Present, and Future

Publisher Summary One of the major challenges in the postgenomic era is to understand the fundamental function and interplay of genes that build and maintain the organism. The availability of the complete human genome sequence, with the advent of bioinformatics tools and array technologies, has greatly accelerated this process. However, DNA sequence is inherently static, and some have described the information a little more than a genomic parts list. What is more relevant is to know how groups or networks of genes are coordinately expressed to produce unique cell function and physiology. It is important to identify the functional interactions among genes, the connections within networks, and most importantly, the regulatory code, molecules, and mechanisms that direct this complex process. The book, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science , Volume 87, highlight some of the newer breakthroughs, techniques, and challenges to position for an exciting future.
Smart Container: an Ontology Towards Conceptualizing Docker.

Because of growing demand to preserve and share reproducible computational experiments in scientific community, there has been interest in using Docker Linux Containers as a preservation mechanism. However, this is insufficient to help researches to comprehend ”Dockerized” experiments and connect computational artifacts with concepts in peer-reviewed publications. We present here an ontology and software, Smart Container, that can conceptualize Docker artifacts by and is aligned with other existing vocabularies such as the well known W3C prov vocabulary.
Experiences at a large teaching hospital with levofloxacin for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.

Costs, patient outcomes, and susceptibility patterns of selected organisms after the implementation of guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at a large community teaching hospital were analyzed to assess the benefit of the guidelines. The guidelines, implemented in September 1998, included recommendations for the use of levofloxacin as the preferred antimicrobial, with rapid intravenous (i.v.) to oral (p.o.) conversion. Purchase data for levofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and azithromycin were analyzed, as well as susceptibilities and demographic and outcome data for patients admitted in 1999 in diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) 89 and 90 (simple pneumonia with and without comorbidities, respectively). Patients in each DRG were divided into a levofloxacin use only (LUO) group and an all other therapies (AOT) group. Average length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, death rate, age, and ratio of oral to intravenous dosage administration were analyzed. A total of 571 patients in DRG 89 and 110 patients in DRG 90 were included. The average LOS for DRG 89 was not significantly different between LUO patients and AOT patients (3.56 +/- 2.23 days and 3.88 +/- 2.65 days, respectively). Average total costs were significantly higher for AOT patients ($3385 +/- $2937 versus $2892 +/- $2397 for LUO patients); similar trends but no significant differences were found in the DRG 90 group. In the LUO groups in both DRGs, patients were more than five times as likely to receive an oral dosage form than patients in the AOT group. For DRG 89, the death rate was significantly lower for the LUO group (1.29%) than the AOT group (7.1%). Susceptibility data for all organisms remained stable from 1998 to 1999. The average costs in the AOT groups suggest that total hospital costs for 1999 in the LUO group were $241,516 less than costs would have been before guideline implementation. Combined drug acquisition cost savings in 1999 for levofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and azithromycin were $21,115. The use of CAP treatment guidelines was associated with reductions in antimicrobial costs, total hospitalization costs, LOS, and death rate, without a detrimental effect on organism susceptibility.
Evaluation of "toxic" serum theophylline concentrations

The relationships between excessively high theophylline doses, the incidence of theophylline toxicity, and toxic serum theophylline concentrations in hospitalized patients were investigated. During a 24-month period, the medical records of patients whose serum theophylline content was above 20 micrograms/ml were studied. Demographic and medical information was recorded, including symptoms attributable to theophylline toxicity, and concurrent disease states and medications. A total of 3112 serum theophylline determinations were made during the study (January 1978 through December 1979); 17% were above 20 micrograms/ml. The medical records of 128 patients were available; 87 of these were studied. The patients were divided into three groups: Group 1--serum theophylline concentrations between 20 and 29.9 micrograms/ml (42 patients); Group 2--30-39.9 micrograms/ml (26 patients); Group 3--above 40 micrograms/ml (19 patients). In Group 1, 81% of the patients had at least one symptom of toxicity. In the other groups, all patients had one or more symptoms of toxicity. Tachycardia was the most common symptom. Four patients had seizures attributable to theophylline toxicity; all four had serum theophylline concentrations above 40 micrograms/ml. Of the 87 study patients, 77 (89%) had received theophylline doses above recommended guidelines. It is concluded that serum theophylline concentrations above 20 micrograms/ml result in a high incidence of toxic symptoms. Serum theophylline determinations should be obtained when treating patients with theophylline.
Therapeutic target discovery and drug development in cancer stem cells for leukemia and lymphoma: from bench to the clinic.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor initialing cells, have self-renewal capacity and are believed to play an important role in residual disease or tumor relapse. CSCs exhibit characteristic slow growth rate and are resistant to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in experimental models. The type of cells commonly employs aberrant activity of the embryonic signal transduction pathways – Notch, Hedgehog (Hh), and Wnt – for uncontrolled proliferation and survival.Areas covered: The following article discusses key genetic and molecular alterations in Notch, Hh and Wnt pathways and drugs targeting the alterations for the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.Expert opinion: Early signs of signal agent activity have been observed in certain types of leukemia and lymphoma with experimental therapeutics targeting the embryonic pathways in the CSC signaling network. However, clinical development of agents that inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin, Notch and Hh signaling appear to be more compl...
Brain Volume Reduction with Intractable Epilepsy

Cerebral, cerebellar, and hippocampal volumes were measured by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging on 112 children, ages 4-18 years, with epilepsy syndromes, determined by video-EEG telemetry, at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick; St Vincent’s Hospital, Victoria; and New Children’s Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
Rapid and Significant Reduction in Liver Steatosis after Transplant

Objectives: In liver transplantation, hepatic steatosis directly impacts the ability of a liver graft to be transplanted. Previous histologic analysis of steatotic liver grafts suggests a rapid decrease in measured steatosis that occurs within days of the transplant. This study uses a blinded measurement of a large number of liver biopsies taken at the time of transplant, and at 3-days …
Thomas Mayer: (born 18 January 1927, Vienna Austria; died 29 January 2015, Berkeley, California, USA)

Tom Mayer was a founding member of the International Network for Economic Method (INEM) and its Executive Director from 1993 to 1995.Tom’s career as an economist spanned more than 65 years. With so...
Atopic Dermatitis and Eczematous Eruptions

Eczematous eruptions are very common in children. Atopic dermatitis affects 10–20 % of children in several industrialized countries and is increasing in prevalence in many parts of the world. This chapter outlines the evaluation and evidenced-based treatment of atopic dermatitis as well as other common eczematous conditions including: pityriasis alba, contact dermatitis, juvenile plantar dermatosis, nummular dermatitis, lichen striatus, lichen simplex chronicus, and seborrheic dermatitis.
Metallurgical Evaluation of a New Aluminum Casting Alloy Developed for Space Vehicle Use at Cryogenic Temperatures

Currently, large amounts of liquefied gases such as oxygen and hydrogen are used for space vehicle propellants. Aluminum alloy structural components of increasing design complexity, which are in contact with these liquids, must often withstand high stresses at extremely low temperatures. Aluminum forgings and welded structures, which are costly and usually require extensive machining, are used in many instances where a casting would be ideal. Suitable castings must have high strength and toughness and must be compatible with the adjoining aluminum alloy structure. A commercial casting alloy, having optimum properties for these requirements, has not been available.
116.2 Discovery and Development of Novel M1 and M4 PAMs for the Treatment of Schizophrenia.

Abstract Background: Multiple lines of evidence indicate that development of selective positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the M1 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes (mAChR) represent important novel therapeutic approaches for the complex symptoms associated schizophrenia. Over the last decade, Dr. Jones and colleagues at the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD) have disclosed the discovery of several, selective mAChR PAMs, as represented by the M1 PAM VU6004256 and M4 PAM VU0467154. This presentation will focus on recent findings demonstrating the ability of M1 and M4 PAMs to reverse abnormalities in prefrontal cortical-mediated physiology, behaviors, and/or cognitive functions observed across preclinical models of N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of the glutamate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction, which are thought to underlie many of the symptoms observed in schizophrenia. Methods: Medicinal chemistry and high throughput screening methods were utilized to identify two different series of selective M1 and M4 PAMs, represented by VU6004256 and VU0467154. Disposition was determined in mouse and rat pharmacokinetic studies using LC/MS/MS quantitation. In vivo efficacy was determined across several mouse and rat models predictive of antipsychotic-like activity and enhancement of cognitive function, in particular using the genetic mouse model of global reduction in the NR1 subunit of the NMDAR (NR1 knockdown [KD]). Results: In vitro both VU6004256 and VU0467154 exhibit low nanomolar potency at M1 or M4, respectively, with no activity at the other mAChR subtypes up to 30 μM or significant off target activity at other GPRCs at 10 µM. These ligands are also highly brain penetrant with suitable pharmacokinetic properties for in vivo dosing. Both VU6004256 and VU0467154 produced dose-dependent reductions in preclinical models predictive of antipsychotic-like activity, including reversal of hyperlocomotion in the NR1 KD mice. In addition, the M1 PAM VU6004256 decreased excessive pyramidal neuron firing in layer V of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in awake, freely moving NR1 KD mice, as well as reversed impairments in two PFC-mediated learning tasks observed in these mice. Interestingly, the M4 PAM VU0467154 also enhanced performance in preclinical models of associative learning and memory functions after acute and chronic dosing and induced state-dependent alterations in sleep architecture and arousal. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings indicate that VU6004256 and VU0467154 represent highly optimized M1 and M4 PAM tool compounds for the evaluation of the respective roles of these mAChR subtypes in vivo and provide further validation for the development of selective M1 and M4 PAMs for the treatment of the psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairments observed in schizophrenia.
62-P: HLA-DQ C1q BINDING DONOR SPECIFIC ANTIBODY (qDSA) ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIAC ALLOGRAFT VASCULOPATHY (CAV)

Aim After the first year of heart transplant (TX), CAV is the second most common cause of death, with malignancy being more common. Early detection of the CAV process may allow for therapeutic intervention aimed at interrupting or preventing the disease progression. This study is to determine if qDSA and Luminex single antigen (LSA) binding patterns can predict CAV diagnosis. Methods LABScreen ® single antigen and C1qScreen™ kits (One Lambda, CanogaPark) were used for detecting HLA antibodies and qDSA. Results Sera from 9 patients (pts) with strong binding DSA (>10K MFI) post-TX were tested for C1q binding. 9 of 9 had anti-DQ DSA and of these 4 of 9 DQ antibodies bound C1q. CAV was diagnosed for 5 of 9 pts with HLA-DQ qDSA. The post-TX antibody profiles showed the average time to peak DQ DSA was 1,796 days. The average time to CAV diagnosis was 1,645 days. Fig. 1a shows the post-TX DSA profile for one of these pts. The DSAs DQ7, DQ8 and DR53 were detected at the time of AMR, peaked at day 1,074, decreased at day 1,239, and increased again at day 1,617. Fig. 1b shows the comparison of neat (L-IgG), 1:8 dilution (L-1:8) and C1q (L-C1q) at day 1,617 sample. At the 1:8 dilution, the pt’s DSA DR51, DR53, DQ7 and DQ8 reached about the same MFI levels as undiluted sample. C1q test showed the same strong binding HLA specificities as the 1:8 dilution test. The anti-HLA-DQ DSA was detected 4 years prior to the diagnosis of CAV. Download full-size image Conclusions Early detection of specificity and function of DSA, by combining L-IgG, L-1:8 and qDSA testing methodologies, may allow for a better understanding of the CAV disease process and allow for early therapeutic intervention aimed at improving graft outcome.
MNC Pharmaceutical Compensation in China: A Predictor for Human Capital Trends:

The pharmaceutical sector provides useful learning for other competency-based or hi-tech, people intensive industries entering the Chinese market. Getting the balance right between rewarding short-...
Scientific Document Review at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CLEAR Approach

An editorial is presented which addresses the scientific document review process at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it mentions the Clarity, Logic, Ethics, Agency, and Relevance (CLEAR) review framework that has been implemented at the CDC. According to the article, CLEAR can be applied more broadly to improve the quality of public health science. Institutional review boards and privacy concerns in America are also assessed.
The Seal of Philosophy: Tymieniecka’s Phenomenology of Life Versus Islamic Metaphysics

Tymieniecka’s philosophy developed amidst the same twentieth-century cultural changes that have precipitated broad interest of non-Muslim philosophers in Islam. This paper argues that Islamic metaphysical vision finds its Western philosophical counterpart in the Phenomenology of Life. Tymieniecka revivifies the notion of the sacred in Western philosophy by introducing the concept of sentience, intelligence (logos) and unity of life. However, comparative analysis of the main categories and methods of knowledge in both systems demonstrates that despite the obvious similarities, there are significant distinctions between these two systems. Tymieniecka’s philosophy begins with epoche on the preceding philosophical knowledge, while Islamic philosophy begins with revelation; Tymieniecka uses presuppositionless phenomenological direct intuition combined with reflective analysis, while Sufi metaphysics combines logic, intuition and reliance on the experience attained in the states of mystical perception. Unification of Reality and realization of truth in the Phenomenology of Life is attained via the intuition of life at large, and in Islam—via certainty attained in religious experiences of mystical unveiling. Due to refocusing from the static and objectification-based ontological categories of traditional metaphysics on the process of life’s development (ontopoiesis), Tymieniecka’s ontology serves as a possible solution to the problems of static metaphysical vision of Reality in Sufism.