cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain Response to Working Memory Over Three Years of Adolescence: Influence of Initiating Heavy Drinking

Objective:Many adolescents engage in heavy alcohol use. The aim of this study was to disentangle whether brain abnormalities seen in adolescent heavy drinkers are a consequence of heavy drinking, a preexisting risk factor for initiation of alcohol use, or both.Method:Study 1 used cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) visual working-memory (VWM) data from 15- to 19-year-olds (20 heavy drinkers, 20 controls) to identify brain regions affected by heavy adolescent alcohol use. Study 2 used longitudinal fMRI VWM data from 12- to 16-year-olds imaged before the onset of drinking and imaged again on the same scanner approximately 3 years later. Those who had transitioned into heavy drinking (n = 20) were matched to continuous nondrinkers (n = 20) on baseline alcohol risk and developmental factors (N = 40; 80 scans).Results:Study 1 found that heavy drinkers exhibited more frontal and parietal but less occipital activation than controls, defining the regions of interest for Study 2. In Study ...
Age-related Macular Degeneration and Choroidal Neovascularization

The neovascular variant of age-related macular degeneration is amenable to laser photocoagulation treatment within well-defined guidelines established by clinical trials. However, only a limited number of patients meet eligibility criteria for this form of treatment, principally because of the ill-defined, or occult nature, of the choroidal neovascularization commonly seen. Previous studies have estimated that one half of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration have occult neovascularization at initial manifestation of the disease. We examined the initial findings of 67 patients with newly diagnosed unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Eighty-seven percent of these patients (58 of 67) had disease that did not meet Macular Photocoagulation Study Group guidelines for laser photocoagulation treatment. As so few patients are eligible for laser photocoagulation, further research into new techniques of diagnosis and treatment for this disorder is warranted.
Application of an aerosol shock tube to the measurement of diesel ignition delay times

Abstract Shock tube ignition delay times were measured for DF-2 diesel/21% O 2 /argon mixtures at pressures from 2.3 to 8.0 atm, equivalence ratios from 0.3 to 1.35, and temperatures from 900 to 1300 K using a new experimental flow facility, an aerosol shock tube. The aerosol shock tube combines conventional shock tube methodology with aerosol loading of fuel-oxidizer mixtures. Significant efforts have been made to ensure that the aerosol mixtures were spatially uniform, that the incident shock wave was well-behaved, and that the post-shock conditions and mixture fractions were accurately determined. The nebulizer-generated, narrow, micron-sized aerosol size distribution permitted rapid evaporation of the fuel mixture and enabled separation of the diesel fuel evaporation and diffusion processes that occurred behind the incident shock wave from the chemical ignition processes that occurred behind the higher temperature and pressure reflected shock wave. This rapid evaporation technique enables the study of a wide range of low-vapor-pressure practical fuels and fuel surrogates without the complication of fuel cracking that can occur with heated experimental facilities. These diesel ignition delay measurements extend the temperature and pressure range of earlier flow reactor studies, provide evidence for NTC behavior in diesel fuel ignition delay times at lower temperatures, and provide an accurate data base for the development and comparison of kinetic mechanisms for diesel fuel and surrogate mixtures. Representative comparisons with several single-component diesel surrogate models are also given.
CO-C BOND ACTIVATION IN B12-DEPENDENT ENZYMES : CRYOGENIC RESONANCE RAMAN STUDIES OF METHYLMALONYL-COENZYME A MUTASE

The determination of its crystal structure, as well as extensive biochemical characterizaion, has focused attention on methylmalonyl-coenzymeA (MM-CoA) mutase as a paradigm for AdoCbl (adenosylcobalamin)-dependent enzymes. These enzymes catalyze carbon skeleton rearrangement reactions via a radical mechanism, which originates in homolysis of the Co−C bond. The determinants of this mechanism are of great chemical and biochemical interest. We report resonance Raman (RR) spectra of MM-CoA, in the presence of substrates and inhibitors, using a cryogenic technique to prevent laser-induced photolysis of the Co−C bond. RR spectroscopy provides an in-site probe of cobalamin structure. Although the spectra are dominated by the corrin ring, four RR bands arising from Co-bound adenosine can be detected via isotope editing. These are assigned to the Co−C bond stretch, the Co−C−C angle bend, a 5‘-C-coupled ribose deformation, and a hindered rotation of the adenosine about the Co−C bond. The RR spectra confirm enzyme-c...
Chromosome 5 and 7 abnormalities in oncology personnel handling anticancer drugs.

Objective:To determine the frequency of “signature” chromosomal abnormalities in oncology workers handling anticancer drugs.Methods:Peripheral blood from health care personnel (N = 109) was examined with probes for targets on chromosomes 5, 7, and 11. The effect of drug-handling frequency on chromos
Regulation in rDNA-deficient Drosophila melanogaster

Bobbed mutants of Drosophila melanogaster were used to determine whether there is any functional compensation for deficiency in rDNA content. The rate of rRNA accumulation was measured in the testes of five bb mutants of different phenotypic severity and in a wild type strain. The different rates of rRNA accumulation were compared to the phenotype (macroscutellar bristle length) and found to have a direct correlation (as in Weinman, 1972). However, there was not a direct relationship between the rate of rRNA accumulation and rDNA content. It is concluded that there is regulation of rRNA accumulation in some mutants, but that the regulation cannot be considered to be a compensation for the lack of rDNA. These results are discussed relative to other observations on the regulation of RNA synthesis in Drosophila.
Particle Simulations of a Hall Thruster Plume

A numerical code that combines the direct simulation Monte Carlo method with the particle-in-cell method has been developed to examine the plumes of Hall thrusters. The present investigation includes a study of the sensitivity of thecomputed plumeto various ion conditions at the thrusterexit and considers modelsforcomputing the electric e eld based on the electron momentum equation. Specie cally, two electrostatic models are compared: one assumes isothermal electrons, whereas the other uses a variable electron temperature model. Computations are compared with experimental measurements of current density, ion velocity, ion density, electron density, heat e ux, and plasma potential in the plume of a stationary plasma thruster. The varying electron temperature is found to affect the very near e eld signie cantly. Simulations using this model agree better with near-e eld current density measurements. This model also leads to better agreement with electron number density measurements in the far e eld. The agreement of plasma potential depends on parameters used in the simulations. To better represent the e ow inside the experimental facilities, the full chamber geometry is simulated assuming symmetry about the thruster centerline. These simulations lead to excellent agreement with current density measurements to 180 deg. The sensitivity study indicates that the far-e eld current density is relatively easy to reproduce.
Emergency department utilization and subsequent prescription drug overdose death.

Purpose Prescription drug overdose (PDO) deaths are a critical public health problem in the United States. This study aims to assess the association between emergency department (ED) utilization patterns in a cohort of ED patients and the risk of subsequent unintentional PDO mortality.
Supernova hydrodynamics experiments on the Nova laser

In studying complex astrophysical phenomena such as supernovae, one does not have the luxury of setting up clean, well-controlled experiments in the universe to test the physics of current models and theories. Consequently, creating a surrogate environment to serve as an experimental astrophysics testbed would be highly beneficial. The existence of highly sophisticated, modern research lasers, developed largely as a result of the world-wide effort in inertial confinement fusion, opens a new potential for creating just such an experimental testbed utilizing well-controlled, well-diagnosed laser-produced plasmas. Two areas of physics critical to an understanding of supernovae are discussed that are amenable to supporting research on large lasers: (1) compressible nonlinear hydrodynamic mixing and (2) radiative shock hydrodynamics.
High density recording with a super resolution magneto-optical disk using magnetic field modulation method

Abstract We have improved the recording magnetic field sensitivity of a magnetic super resolution (MSR) disk consisting of double magnetic layers and examined the magnetic field modulation recording properties. An areal density of 2.2 Gbit/in 2 was obtained with a currently available condition. The experimental optical pickup system had a 680 nm wavelength laser diode and an objective lens of a 0.55 numerical aperture. The MSR disk had 0.7μm-width lands and grooves. The crosstalk values between the land and its adjacent grooves were less than −28 dB. The areal density in the improved MSR disk was accomplished by recording in both lands and grooves and using mark edge recording with a (1,7) run-length-limited coding. Also, if a signaling technique called ‘PRML’ is used, an areal density of 3.1 Gbit/in 2 could be realized.
Ensembles of models for automated diagnosis of system performance problems

Violations of service level objectives (SLO) in Internet services are urgent conditions requiring immediate attention. Previously we explored (I. Cohen et al., 2004) an approach for identifying which low-level system properties were correlated to high-level SLO violations (the metric attribution problem). The approach is based on automatically inducing models from data using pattern recognition and probability modeling techniques. In this paper we extend our approach to adapt to changing workloads and external disturbances by maintaining an ensemble of probabilistic models, adding new models when existing ones do not accurately capture current system behavior. Using realistic workloads on an implemented prototype system, we show that the ensemble of models captures the performance behavior of the system accurately under changing workloads and conditions. We fuse information from the models in the ensemble to identify likely causes of the performance problem, with results comparable to those produced by an oracle that continuously changes the model based on advance knowledge of the workload. The cost of inducing new models and managing the ensembles is negligible, making our approach both immediately practical and theoretically appealing.
Islam, the Mediterranean and the Rise of Capitalism

Marxist notions of the origins of capitalism are still largely structured by the famous debate on the transition from feudalism to capitalism. This essay suggests that that tradition of historiography locates capitalism too late and sees it in essentially national terms. It argues that capitalism began, on a European scale, in the important transformations that followed the great revival of the eleventh century and the role played by mercantile elites in innovating new forms of business organisation. However, with this starting point, it becomes important to bring Islam into the picture in a central way, since the Mediterranean was the common heritage of many cultural and religious groups. Islam shaped the tradition of early capitalism both by preserving monetary economy and through its own precocious development of the partnership form. The essay periodises this early capitalism into a 'Mediterranean' and an 'Atlantic' phase, and concludes by looking briefly at the ways in which merchants dominate labour.
Effect of a Computer-Delivered Math Fact Intervention as a Supplemental Intervention for Math in Third and Fourth Grades

The current study reviews a computer-based math fluency intervention with 216 third- and fourth-grade students who were at risk for math difficulties. The intervention used a computer software program to practice math facts an average of three times per week for 8 to 15 weeks. Data were compared to those of 226 students in a control group. Results indicated that students who participated in the intervention had significantly larger gains on their math scores than those in the control group, and students with severe math problems (at or below the 15th percentile) grew at a rate that was equal to that of students with a pretest score that was between the 15th and 25th percentiles. Moreover, significantly fewer students remained at risk for math failure in the intervention group after participating in the intervention. These data suggest that the computer-based intervention was a useful supplemental math intervention. Suggestions for future research are provided.
A concurrent checking scheme for single and multibit errors in logic circuits

A new scheme for detecting single and multibit (unidirectional and bidirectional) errors using residue codes has been proposed. This procedure has been applied to circuits with outputs up to 8 bits. It has been shown that about 99% of all multibit errors can be detected using this scheme. >
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-thymocyte globulin in recipients of partially HLA-matched blood hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation

Abstract Polyclonal anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) administered before allogeneic blood hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation reduces the risks of graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease, but may delay posttransplant immune reconstitution caused by delayed clearance of ATG from the blood. We studied graft-versus-host disease, infections, and the kinetics of immune reconstitution in 28 patients with very poor-risk hematologic malignancies who received lymphocyte-depleted, CD34+ cell-enriched hematopoietic progenitor cell grafts from partially HLA-matched related donors (PMRD). The incidence of these clinical events was correlated with blood ATG levels in 19 transplant recipients who received rabbit ATG (r-ATG, thymoglobulin) during conditioning. Total r-ATG and the fraction of ATG antibodies that bind human cells (active ATG) were measured for up to 45 days posttransplantation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry assays. Three patients received equine ATG (e-ATG; total dose of 60 mg/kg/day), 3 patients received 10 mg/kg r-ATG, and 22 patients received 6 mg/kg r-ATG during conditioning. All evaluable patients engrafted. Median numbers of blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at 100 days posttransplantation were 15 and 8 cells/μL, respectively. Acute graft-versus-host disease developed in 3 of 3 recipients of e-ATG and 1 of 25 recipients of r-ATG. Rapid T-cell reconstitution was seen only in younger patients. Overall mortality was 93% (26/28 patients) with poor immune reconstitution contributing to death in 21 of 28 patients. Recipients of 6 mg/kg r-ATG had peak levels of total and active r-ATG of 64±20 μg/mL and 9.2±5.8 μg/mL, respectively, with clearance of active r-ATG (t1/26 days) to sub-therapeutic levels (
Development of Nitrate-Selective Electrochemical Sensor with Integrated Micro-fluidics

This work describes the development and testing of a nitrate-selective electrochemical sensor using doped polypyrrole nanowires in a flow-through micro-fluidic. Doping of polypyrrole nanowires was performed galvanostatically in the presence of NaNO3. Amperometry and flow-through analysis were performed to evaluate the sensor performance for determination of nitrate ions in two sets of calibration solutions (DI water and IAPSO standard seawater). The sensor response was linear over the range from 10 muM to 1 mM, with a sensitivity of 1.17-1.65 nA/muM and detection limit of (4.5 plusmn 1) muM. Compared to conventional nitrate-selective electrodes, which suffer from lipophilic interfering ions; this electrochemically doped PPy-NWs electrodes showed improved selectivity for chloride, sulfate, phosphate and perchlorates ions.
New directions in research on prostitution

This article critically evaluates the theoretical and empirical literature on contempo- rary prostitution. Most research focuses exclusively on street prostitution and female workers, with much less attention devoted to indoor prostitution, male and transgender workers, cus- tomers, and managers. Drawing on the sparse literature available on these underexamined top- ics, the article demonstrates how further research will yield a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of contemporary prostitution.
Tsunami Mortality Estimates and Vulnerability Mapping in Aceh, Indonesia

Objectives. We aimed to quantify tsunami mortality and compare approaches to mortality assessment in the emergency context in Aceh, Indonesia, where the impact of the 2004 tsunami was greatest. Methods. Mortality was estimated using geographic information systems‐based vulnerability models and demographic methods from surveys of tsunamidisplaced populations. Results. Tsunami mortality in Aceh as estimated by demographic models was 131 066 and was similar to official figures of 128 063; however, it was a conservative estimate of actual mortality and is substantially less than official estimates of 168 561 presumed dead, which included those classified as missing. Tsunami impact was greatest in the district of Aceh Jaya, where an estimated 27.0% (n=23862) of the population perished; Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh were also severely affected, with mortality at 21.0% (n = 61 650) and 11.5% (n = 25 903), respectively. Mortality was estimated at 23.7% for the population at risk and 5.6% overall. Conclusions. Mortality estimates were derived using methodologies that can be applied in future disasters when predisaster demographic data are not available. Models could be useful in the early stages of disaster response by facilitating geographic targeting and management of humanitarian assistance. (Am J Public Health. 2007;97:S146‐S151. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.095240)
Polymerization of 1,3‐dienes and styrene catalyzed by cationic allyl Ni(II) complexes

Polymerizations of 1,3-dienes using in situ generated catalyst [(2-methallyl)Ni][B(Ar F ) 4 ], 6, (Ar F = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) as well as [(2-methallyl)Ni(mes)][B(Ar F ) 4 ], 14, (mes = mesitylene) are reported. Highly sensitive complex 6 polymerizes butadiene (BD) at ―30 °C to yield polybutadiene with a M n of ca. 10 K and 94% cis-1,4-enchainment while less reactive isoprene (IP) was polymerized at 23 °C to yield polyisoprene with M n ca. 7 K. Complex 6 was also shown to polymerize a functionalized diene, 2,3-bis(4-trifluoroethoxy-4-oxobutyl)-1,3-BD, to polymer with M n = 113 K. The stable and readily isolated arene complex 14 initiates BD and IP polymerizations at somewhat higher temperatures relative to 6 and delivers polymers with higher molecular weights. Complex [(allyl)Ni(mes)][B(Ar F ) 4 ], 13, catalyzes polymerization of styrene to yield polystyrene with high conversion, M n 's = ca. 6 K and MWD = 2. The π-benzyl complex [(η 3 -1-methylbenzyl)Ni/mes)] [B(Ar F ) 4 ], 19, was detected as an intermediate following chain transfer by in situ NMR studies.
A microcomputer-based intelligent load shedding relay

According to statistical records, there will be a major system blackout about every ten years. Some of them were because of improper operating of load shedding relays [1]. In order to have a more reliable system, utility engineers should adjust their load shedding relay setting points continually to satisfy the system condition. Unfortunately, they have neither intelligent relays nor convenient means to change the relay settings. As a result, most utilities use a set of frequency settings many years without updating it. This paper describes the design of a microcomputer-based intelligent under/over-frequency relay, that can adjust the setting points and time delays dynamically. This will give a power system a better opportunity to survive an emergency operating condition.
Visualization of regulated exocytosis with a granule-membrane probe using total internal reflection microscopy

Secretory granules labeled with Vamp-green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed distinct signatures upon exocytosis when viewed by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. In approximately 90% of fusion events, we observed a large increase in fluorescence intensity coupled with a transition from a small punctate appearance to a larger, spreading cloud with free diffusion of the Vamp-GFP into the plasma membrane. Quantitation suggests that these events reflect the progression of an initially fused and spherical granule flattening into the plane of the plasma membrane as the Vamp-GFP simultaneously diffuses through the fusion junction. Approximately 10% of the events showed a transition from puncta to ring-like structures coupled with little or no spreading. The ring-like images correspond quantitatively to granules fusing and retaining concavity (recess of approximately 200 nm). A majority of fusion events involved granules that were present in the evanescent field for at least 12 s. However, approximately 20% of the events involved granules that were present in the evanescent field for no more than 0.3 s, indicating that the interaction of the granule with the plasma membrane that leads to exocytosis can occur within that time. In addition, approximately 10% of the exocytotic sites were much more likely to occur within a granule diameter of a previous event than can be accounted for by chance, suggestive of sequential (piggy-back) exocytosis that has been observed in other cells. Overall granule behavior before and during fusion is strikingly similar to exocytosis previously described in the constitutive secretory pathway.
Ejaculate expenditures of male crickets in response to varying risk and intensity of sperm competition: not all species play games

Costs incurred in the manufacture of ejaculates may constrain the number of sperm that males can produce, so males should show some economy in their allocation of sperm across multiple matings. In species in which females mate with multiple males and are capable of storing sperm for extended periods, sperm allocation of males should be tailored to the risk of sperm competition. Recent game theory predicts that males should transfer the least sperm when there are no other rivals, and the most sperm when only one other rival is likely to inseminate the female. However, as the numbers of competitors increases beyond two, the models predict a corresponding decrease in ejaculate expenditure. We tested these predictions in three cricket species, Gryllodes sigillatus, Gryllus veletis, and Gryllus texensis, assessing the sperm allocation of males held under three levels of apparent interrival competition: no rivals, one rival and six rivals. Sperm allocation of G. veletis varied according to theory: males increased their sperm allocation with an increased risk of sperm competition (no rivals vs. one), but decreased their allocation with an increased intensity of sperm competition (one rival vs. six). Sperm allocation of male G. texensis showed no significant response to the density of rivals, and sperm allocation in G. sigillatus was influenced by an unexpected interaction between treatment density and the order in which males experienced the three treatments. The observed interspecific variation in facultative sperm allocation may be due to interspecific differences in population density, rearing environment, or female mating behavior. Key words: crickets, Gryllodes, nuptial food gifts, sexual selection, spermatophore, sperm competition. [Behav Ecol 12:740–745 (2001)]
Comparing modelled predictions of neonatal mortality impacts using LiST with observed results of community-based intervention trials in South Asia

Background There is an increasing body of evidence from trials suggesting that major reductions in neonatal mortality are possible through community-based interventions. Since these trials involve packages of varying content, determining how much of the observed mortality reduction is due to specific interventions is problematic. The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) is designed to facilitate programmatic prioritization by modelling mortality reductions related to increasing coverage of specific interventions which may be combined into packages. Methods To assess the validity of LiST outputs, we compared predictions generated by LiST with observed neonatal mortality reductions in trials of packages which met inclusion criteria but were not used as evidence inputs for LiST. Results Four trials, all from South Asia, met the inclusion criteria. The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) predicted by LiST matched the observed rate very closely in two effectiveness-type trials. LiST predicted NMR reduction was close (absolute difference <5/1000 live births) in a third study. The NMR at the end of the fourth study (Shivgarh, India) was overestimated by 39% or 16/1000 live births. Conclusions These results suggest that LiST is a reasonably reliable tool for use by policymakers to prioritize interventions to reduce neonatal deaths, at least in South Asia and where empirical data are unavailable. Reasons for the underestimated reduction in one trial likely include the inability of LiST to model all effective interventions.
Parallel recursive best-first AND/OR search for exact MAP inference in graphical models

The paper presents and evaluates the power of parallel search for exact MAP inference in graphical models. We introduce a new parallel shared-memory recursive best-first AND/OR search algorithm, called SPRBFAOO, that explores the search space in a best-first manner while operating with restricted memory. Our experiments show that SPRBFAOO is often superior to the current state-of-the-art sequential AND/OR search approaches, leading to considerable speed-ups (up to 7-fold with 12 threads), especially on hard problem instances.
Calibration of stresscoat by impact

A method for calibrating Stresscoat at very high rates of strain is presented. The method makes use of an impact pulse traveling in a thin rod at sonic velocity.
Social Media in Medical Education

According to a 2011 survey, 94% of medical students and 79.4% of residents in the United States are active on-line social media users.[1][1] Social media represent a relatively simple technique to provide educational material in a format that is adapted to the learning styles preferred by the “
Density in the Earth Knowing Only the Seismic Velocities

Densities in the earth are recalculated using Bullen’s (1940) method taking into account the existence of the mantle low-velocity zone. This raises densities down to 5850 km radius and in the core, lowers them in the lower mantle. Clark and Ringwood9s (1964) eclogite model is more consistent with the seismically predicted values than is their pyrolite model.
136. Pregnancy specific anxiety and distress is related to increased IL-6 during the second trimester of pregnancy

Pregnancy is accompanied by a multitude of physical and psychological changes that require adaptation for optimal maternal-infant health. Higher perceptions of stress during pregnancy can disrupt neuroendocrine-inflammatory processes required for successful pregnancy outcomes. The study purpose was to determine the contribution of pregnancy specific anxiety and distress versus general psychological health on levels of proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, in low-risk pregnant women. Results revealed perceived stress was positively correlated with greater depression, anxiety and mood disturbance; in contrast, social support was associated with reduced stress perception. Women who reported greater pregnancy specific anxiety also had higher pregnancy specific distress, which was predominately driven by worry about delivery and infant health. Further, those women with greater pregnancy specific distress and anxiety exhibited significantly higher levels of plasma IL-6. In contrast, plasma IL-6 was not related to generalized psychological measures. These results demonstrate that pregnancy specific psychological constructs provide unique and possibly more salient information regarding psychological factors that contribute to increased inflammatory production during pregnancy. Early elevations in IL-6 can ripen the cervix and contribute to the onset of labor and premature birth. Thus, assessment of pregnancy specific anxiety and distress will facilitate identification of women at risk for premature birth and poor birth outcomes; these women can thus be targeted for early intervention strategies designed to reduce prenatal stress and to improve maternal infant health outcomes.
A Multi-Objective Generalized Random Adaptive Search Procedure for Resolving Airspace Congestion

This paper extends previous work that examines the utility of employing a Generalized Random Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) to minimize the impact on the National Airspace while resolving congestion. As today's methods for managing congestion are mostly manual, and for which predictions of both capacity and traffic demand are uncertain, it is often difficult to find efficient, flight-specific resolution maneuvers for the hundreds of flights affected when congestion arises. This work continues to investigate improvements upon previous research that develops a non-optimal flight-specific congestion solution strategy based on a prioritized flight list by iteratively perturbing this prioritization to find better solutions. In this paper we examine the previous prioritization criteria considered and develop a new prioritization criterion that incorporates the two individual criteria. The research shows that combining the two criteria effectively bridges the difference between the results produced by the single criteria resulting in consistently good solutions across multiple metrics and objectives. Following this, we extend the optimization framework to include multi-metric objectives, examining the trade-off of congestion versus delay and how including inequity in the objective affects all three metrics. The research shows that significant benefits can be derived even when a metric is only lightly weighted in the objective, showing that multi-metric objectives are a significantly desirable formulation.
Electrophile-Integrating Smiles Rearrangement Provides Previously Inaccessible C4′-O-Alkyl Heptamethine Cyanine Fluorophores

New synthetic methods to rapidly access useful fluorophores are needed to advance modern molecular imaging techniques. A new variant of the classical Smiles rearrangement is reported that enables the efficient synthesis of previously inaccessible C4′-O-alkyl heptamethine cyanines. The key reaction involves N- to O- transposition with selective electrophile incorporation on nitrogen. A representative fluorophore exhibits excellent resistance to thiol nucleophiles, undergoes productive bioconjugation, and can be used in near-IR fluorescence imaging applications.
Evolution model of rock plastic strain under cyclic loading

The fatigue failure property of the rock under the cyclic load is one of the important factors that influence the long-term stability and safety of the geotechnical engineering.Much analysis has been made of the fatigue damage variable while little research made of the model of plastic strain evolution.The fatigue damage variable equation for the rock under the cyclic load was substituted into the accumulated plastic strain equation.By means of integral transformation,the evolution equations of the axial plastic strain under high and low cyclic fatigue were derived.The theoretical evolution models of the plastic strain damage were compared with the previous fatigue tests.The results indicated that the established model reflects the evolutional law of the axial plastic strain of the rock under cyclic loading,and can be directly applied to numerical analysis for rock engineering.
Epidemic Situation of Overweight and Obesity in Urban Communities of Wenzhou City

OBJECTIVE To understand the status of overweight,obesity among residents in wenzhou urban area and so provide scientific evidence for obesity prevention.METHODS Using multistage sampling,4 106 people aged 35 years and over were surveyed among 9 residential districts.RESULTS The standardized rate of obesity and overweight was respectively 8.36% and 35.13%.Prevalence of obesity,overweight increased in the subjects with high age.Prevalence of obesity,overweight decreased in the subjects with high literacy.CONCLUSION The rate of overweight and obesity is at the level of big cities all around our country.The prevence was affected age,occupation and literacy.
Transurethral external sphincterotomy in boys with myelodysplasia.

AbstractTwenty-two boys with myelodysplasia who were selected to undergo transurethral sphincterotomy are reported. The indications for and advantages and disadvantages of this procedure are discussed.
Peginterferon alpha-2a alone or combined with lamivudine increased response rates more than lamivudine alone.

Source Citation Marcellin P, Lau GK, Bonino F, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a alone, lamivudine alone, and the two in combination in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. N Engl J Med. 20...
C-Myc Is Required for Acute but Not for Chronic Hematopoietic Malignances in Pten-Null Mice.

Abstract Abstract 1632 Poster Board I-658 c-Myc, the product of an oncogene, is a common target of most leukemic oncoproteins. Deregulation of c-Myc is commonly found in human leukemic blasts. Transgenic over-expression of c-Myc induces myeloid, erythroid, and lymphocytic leukemia in mice, however whether c-Myc is absolutely required for leukemogenesis has not yet been addressed. Pten, a tumor-suppressing phosphatase, inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptotic cell death through repression of PI3K-Akt signaling. Inactivating mutations of Pten and deregulation of PI3K/Akt signaling are both involved in the development of both chronic and acute hematopoietic malignances. Mice with Pten deletions in h ematopoietic s tem c ells (HSCs) develop myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) followed by acute T lymphocytic or myeloid leukemia, reminiscent of disease progression in human chronic myelogenous leukemia. Mice with Pten deletions in lymphocytes develop lymphadenopathy (due to a chronic polyclonal lymphoproliferative disorder) as well as CD4+ T lymphocytic lymphoma. The appearance of these diseases in one animal model provides an opportunity to study the pathogenesis of multiple diseases simultaneously. To study whether c-Myc is required for the development of these hematopoietic disorders in Pten-mutant mice, we generated inducible Pten and c-Myc double-knockout mice (Pten-/-c-Myc-/-). By comparing the hematopoietic phenotypes of the Pten-/-c-Myc-/- mice with those of Pten-mutant (Pten-/-) mice, we found that both sets of mice developed MPD and lymphadenopathy, however none of the compound-mutant mice developed acute leukemia or lymphoma. Interestingly, in contrast to the MPD which developed in Pten-/- mice, which is dominated by granulocytes, megakaryocytes predominate in the MPD of Pten-/-c-Myc-/- mice. We have concluded that c-Myc is required for the development of both T lymphocytic lymphoma and the acute leukemic transformation of Pten-/- MPD, but is not essential for the development of chronic myeloid or lymphoid proliferative disorders. Our study suggests that deregulation of PI3K/Akt signaling in Pten-mutant hematopoietic cells protects these cells from apoptotic cell death, which results in chronic proliferative disorders, while the deregulation of c-Myc resulting from additional mutations promotes hematopoietic cell proliferation and blockage of maturation, and is absolutely required for the development of acute hematopoietic malignances. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Superman and the Displacement of Race

This chapter discusses how race is represented in Superman, following the whitening influence of pop culture discussed in Chap. 6. It discusses the comics’ stereotyped nonwhite representation and their symbolic erasure of Americans of color. It also describes Superman’s hometown, which is less like the world Superman’s creators knew personally and more like the one they saw in pop culture. The creation of a mostly male, white, middle-class world made it easier for the comics to retain their stark New Deal populist dualism. The chapter also relates the comics’ world-building to American anti-Semitism, then at an historical peak, arguing that Superman’s world’s slightly larger welcome for vaguely ethnic characters, and its lack of recognizably Jewish representation, was, in a sense, a “normalization” in absentia of American Jews.
Clinical Significance of Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia on Stored Electrograms in Permanent Pacemaker Patients

BACKGROUND Permanent pacemaker electrograms record a variety of arrhythmias, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). Little has been reported regarding incidence and clinical significance of NSVT in pacemaker patients after long-term monitoring. METHODS Records from all patients implanted with Medtronic pacemakers (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) at a single institution from January 1, 2009 to February 27, 2012 were reviewed. Demographic characteristics, imaging studies, pacemaker interrogations, and the Social Security Death Index were examined in patients older than 18 years of age who had ≥ 2 follow-up device interrogations. RESULTS A total of 262 patients with an ejection fraction (EF) >40% were included in the final analysis with a mean follow-up of 29.2 months. Of these patients, 83.2% (n = 218) had hypertension (HTN) and 45.4% (n = 119) had NSVT. Among patients with an EF ≥ 55%, hypertensive patients had a NSVT burden 2.46 times greater than normotensive patients (incidence rate ratio: 2.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-5.50; P < 0.028). NSVT was not associated with increased mortality (P < 0.1229). CONCLUSION In this cohort of patients, there was a high prevalence of HTN and while hypertensive subjects had a significantly higher NSVT burden, NSVT was not associated with an increased mortality.
"Doing what I do best": The association between skill utilization and employee health with healthy behavior as a mediator.

Abstract Objective Skill utilization, defined as having the opportunity to do one's best at work, has been examined as a contributor to productivity, organizational efficiency, job satisfaction, and mental health. Drawing from self-determination theory, we postulate that high levels of skill utilization are positively associated with physical health and that some of the effect is mediated by health behavior. Methods Using the 2014 Gallup Daily Tracking Survey data ( n = 87,316), a nationally representative sample of working adults in the United States, we examine the associations between perceived skill utilization and five health outcomes (self-rated health, hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer, asthma) with healthy behavior (regular exercising, fruits and vegetable consumption) as a mediator of the associations. Results The regression results showed that a one-point increase in skill utilization (on a three-point scale) was associated with 20% lower odds of reporting poor or fair health, 3% and 8% lower odds of reporting hypertension and high cholesterol, but had no significant association with cancer or asthma. Health behavior mediated 10% of the association between skill utilization and self-rated health, 46% for hypertension, and 18% for high cholesterol. Conclusion The findings suggest that providing employees the opportunities to use their skills well at work improves health in general, and the effect is partly through enhancing the likelihood of engaging in healthy behaviors. Implications for organizational practice as well as future research directions are discussed.
The evolutionary implications of social media for organizational knowledge management

Abstract Social media has become a widely-adopted technology over the past decade, affecting organizations in myriad ways. One of the most important is the effect on organizational knowledge management, in which social media overcomes many of the limitations of previous generations of knowledge management technologies. In this paper, I explore the effects of social media on organizational knowledge management. In doing so, I argue that social media is not a monolithic class of technologies, but a diverse and evolving technological infrastructure that supports and changes the way people communicate and collaborate. Key aspects of social media have gone through a technological evolution over the past decade from cloud computing, to mobile technologies, and into analytics. Each of these shifts has distinct implications for organizational knowledge management, many of which have yet to be fully realized. Furthermore, trends suggest that social media will continue to evolve with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, which will further influence how organizational knowledge management is practiced. This evolutionary perspective suggests we may be closer to the beginning than the end of how social media will affect organizations and their knowledge management practices. As such, a broad perspective on social media may provide many open areas for research in coming years.
Electronic resourcesmanagement toolkit program

By Junior Tidal, New York City College of Technology, City University of New YorkThe ACRL New England Chapter (NEC) Electronic Resources Management Interest Group (ERM IG) organized a program entit...
Terrorism and the Argument from Ignorance

Argument from ignorance (because we do not know X is false, therefore it is true) is typically thought to be a fallacious form of argument. Yet it is precisely this argument that is used to argue that pre-emptive action should be taken against unknown but risky threats. Such an argument is a staple of discourse about terrorism, which typically involves stealth. In some cases, the argument from ignorance can be completely reasonable. This essay compares the use of the argument form by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell to justify war against Iraq. Powell’s approach is defended whereas Rice’s is criticized.
Unpacking compaction: Effect of hydraulic pressure on alginate fouling

Abstract High pressure is often considered to be the cause of the high fouling propensity of reverse osmosis (RO) relative to forward osmosis (FO). Several experimental studies have shown that alginate fouling is more susceptible to cleaning in FO than in RO, but the theory that foulant compaction causes this disparity seems to be contradicted by the incompressibility of alginate hydrogels. In addition, the effect of hydraulic pressure on fouling in osmotic membrane desalination has never been experimentally isolated, because fixed-flux comparisons at different hydraulic pressures require different draw solution osmotic pressures. In this study, a new approach to isolating the effect of hydraulic pressure on alginate fouling and cleaning is introduced: operating FO with elevated but equal feed and draw hydraulic pressures. The same concentration of sodium chloride is used as the draw solution in all trials to eliminate possible effects of draw solution osmotic pressure on membrane fouling or cleaning. Theoretical modeling of the effect of alginate foulant compaction on flux reveals that foulant compaction should accelerate flux decline with low salinity feeds but retard flux decline at high salinity. However, in low-salinity alginate fouling trials, for which foulant compaction should accelerate flux decline, the measured flux decline rate was not affected by hydraulic pressure. Furthermore, when fouled membranes were cleaned by increasing the feed velocity and reducing the draw osmotic pressure, there was no apparent relationship between hydraulic pressure and cleaning effectiveness. Finally, in situ visualization of foulant removal during the cleaning process revealed no difference in foulant removal mechanisms between different hydraulic pressures. These findings demonstrate that alginate gel compaction by high feed hydraulic pressure does not occur and suggest that other explanations should be sought for FO's high fouling resistance relative to RO.
Epigenetic Regulation of the Nitric Oxide Pathway, 17-α Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate, and Recurrent Preterm Birth.

Objective We sought to evaluate nitric oxide pathway placental gene expression and the epigenome (CpG methylation) among women receiving 17-α hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) with and without recurrent preterm birth (PTB). Study Design This was a case–control study. We prospectively recruited women with ≥ 1 prior singleton spontaneous PTB Results In this study, 17 women met inclusion criteria; 7 preterm cases (delivered at 22.6 ± 2.9 weeks) and 10 term controls (delivered at 38.5 ± 0.8 weeks). Groups had similar PTB history, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic risk factors for PTB. Twenty-seven nitric oxide genes displayed differential expression (p Conclusion CpG methylation and gene expression patterns in nitric oxide pathway genes differ among placentas from recurrent PTB compared with term birth following 17-OHPC exposure.
Mutations of the PDE5A Gene Confer a Survival Advantage in Patients with Colon Cancer.

Islam and colleagues report that sildenafil suppresses inflammation-driven colorectal cancer in mice ([1][1]). Intestinal cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling regulates epithelial homeostasis and has been implicated in the suppression of colitis and colon cancer. In their study, Islam and
Abstract 2851: The Relation Between Coronary Calcification and Plaque Component for Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Angina Pectoris: An IVUS Radiofrequency Data (VH-IVUS) Analysis

Background: Recently, potential association between atherosclerotic calcification and coronary plaque rupture has been suggested in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the relation between coronary calcification and plaque component for ACS and stable angina (AP) using IVUS radiofrequency data (Virtual Histology: VH-IVUS) has not been clarified. Methods: In 189 consecutive patients, the culprit vessel was investigated through spectral analysis of VH-IVUS as well as gray scale analysis. Diagnoses of cases were 51 ACS (includes acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina) and 138 AP. In gray scale, average lumen, plaque and vessel area were calculated for entire lesion segment. In VH analysis, moreover, absolute plaque value, relative component at pre-intervention and correlation among relative plaque component were measured within same segment. Results: In gray scale, ACS lesions trended toward smaller average lumen area, larger vessel and plaque area compared with those of AP lesions (5.1±1.4 vs. 5.4±1.8, p=0.09, 14.9±4.3 vs. 14.3±4.2, p=0.20 and 9.7±3.6 vs. 9.1±3.7, p=0.32 for lumen, vessel and plaque area (mm 2 ), ACS vs. AP for all). In VH, there was no difference in any absolute plaque value between two groups. However, in relative component analysis, dense calcium and necrotic core were significantly larger in the ACS group (Table). Dense calcium and necrotic core were modestly correlated for both groups(r=0.55 vs. 0.49, p Conclusion: These IVUS-VH analyses suggest that the mixture of dense calcium and necrotic core were frequent findings within ACS and AP lesions. The magnitude of dense calcium was inversely correlated with fibrous plaque, specifically in ACS lesions. These findings suggest the potential paradigm of atheromatous plaque rupture and/or erosion with healing and calcification.