cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement : A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective Most aortic valve replacements are by conventional full median sternotomy. Less invasive approaches have been developed with partial upper sternotomy (ministernotomy). Methods Systematic review and meta-analysis were performed with studies comparing ministernotomy and full sternotomy for aortic valve replacement. Results Twenty-six studies were selected, with 4586 patients with aortic valve replacement (2054 ministernotomy, 2532 full sternotomy). There was no difference in mortality (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.49–1.02). Ministernotomy had longer crossclamp and bypass times (weighted mean difference 7.90 minutes, 95% confidence interval 3.50–10.29 minutes, and 11.46 minutes, 95% confidence interval 5.26–17.65 minutes, respectively). Both intensive care unit and hospital stays were shorter with ministernotomy (weighted mean difference −0.46 days, 95% confidence interval −0.72 to −0.20 days, and −0.91 days, 95% confidence interval −1.45 to −0.37 days, respectively). Ministernotomy had shorter ventilation time and less blood loss within 24 hours (weighted mean difference −2.1 hours, 95% confidence interval −2.95 to −1.30 hours, and −79 mL, 95% confidence interval −23 to 136 mL, respectively). Randomized studies tended to demonstrate no difference between ministernotomy and full sternotomy. Rate of conversion from partial to conventional sternotomy was 3.0% (95% confidence interval 1.8%–.4%). Conclusion Ministernotomy can be performed safely for aortic valve replacement, without increased risk of death or other major complication; however, few objective advantages have been shown. Surgeons must conduct well-designed, prospective studies of relevant, consistent clinical outcomes to determine the role of ministernotomy in cardiac surgery.
SCF molecular-orbital studies of the sulphate ion by the scattered-wave model

The scattered-wave model, a new approach to calculating the electronic structures of complex polyatomic molecules and polyatomic clusters in solids, is illustrated for the case of the sulfate ion. The generation of self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Slater Xα molecular orbitals by this technique requires a relatively small amount of computational time. The present results are compared with those obtained for the sulfate ion by SCF-LCAO methods. An interpretation of the scattered-wave model in terms of Lowdin partitioning theory is also presented.
Design of statistically and energy-efficient accelerated life testing experiments

The basic idea of Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) is to expose a limited number of test units of a product to harsher-than-normal operating conditions to expedite failures. Based on the failure time data collected in a short time period, an ALT model incorporating the underlying failure time distribution and life–stress relationship can be developed for predicting the reliability of the product under the normal operating condition. However, ALT experiments often consume significant amounts of energy due to the harsher-than-normal operating conditions created and controlled by test equipment. In this article, a new ALT design methodology is developed that has the objective of improving the statistical and energy efficiency of ALT experiments. The resulting statistically and energy-efficient ALT plan depends not only on the reliability of the product to be evaluated, but also on the physical characteristics of the test equipment and its controller. Particularly, the statistical efficiency of each candidate A...
Determining optimal caption placement using eye tracking

In this study, the effect of caption placement on information intake is examined. Eye movement data is used to quantitatively analyze the effect of four different captioning methods. Information intake (i.e. Information Assimilation (IA)) is measured via a 4-category comprehension quiz, developed by S.R Gulliver and G. Ghinea, which measures key differing aspects of captioned videos. Results indicate that caption placement can have significant effects on reading time, number of saccadic crossovers, and ratio of fixations on captions.
Radioactive waste storage in the arid zone

By the turn of the century, nuclear power may generate more than one-half of the electric energy, and about one-third of the total energy consumed in the United States [Thompson, 1971; Chapman et al., 1972]. By 2020, the total quantity of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) generated as a byproduct of nuclear fuel reprocessing for such power generation may total about 900,000 m3 as liquid or 70,000 m3 as solid [Gera and Jacobs, 1972]; the radioactivity of long-lived nuclides in the HLW will total about 8.7×1010 Ci [Gera and Jacobs, 1972]. (High-level wastes are defined as wastes containing at least 1 Ci of radioactivity per liter of liquid, or 70 Ci/kg of solid [American Institute of Chemical Engineering, ANSI Standard N5.8-1967]. Wastes from chemical processing of irradiated nuclear fuels typically contain several hundred to several thousand curies per gallon [Fox, 1969].)
Induction Coilgun Based on “E-Shaped” Design

This paper describes a device capable of throwing aluminum rings in a range of a few meters. The device is a modification of the jumping-ring design invented by the American engineer and inventor E. Thomson to demonstrate his pioneering research in alternating current. We improved the magnetic circuit of this device and created a new induction coilgun based on “E-shaped” design. We experimented with this new design under laboratory conditions and simulated its behavior using an interactive software package. Finally, we concluded that this device is able to achieve a higher speed than the Thomson design with lesser power consumption.
Vagueness and Costs of the Pause on Gain-of-Function (GOF) Experiments on Pathogens with Pandemic Potential, Including Influenza Virus

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM. Since the spring of 2012, there has been a raging controversy in scientific circles on the wisdom of carrying out so-called “gain-of-function” (GOF) experiments with pathogens of pandemic potential (PPP) such as influenza virus (1). Although the phrase “gain-of-function” has been much criticized because of its inexactness, the terminology has been adopted by many, including the media, to mean experiments in which the result is a change in virulence or host tropism for a PPP. The nugget of the debate is a disagreement over the practical value of such experiments relative to the information that they produce, with opponents arguing that risk, whether from intentional release or, more likely, laboratory accidents, outweighs any knowledge gained (1). Some anti- and pro-GOF experiment proponents have organized themselves into two camps, known as the Cambridge Working Group (CWG; http://www.cambridgeworkinggroup.org/) and Scientists for Science (SFS; http://www.scientistsforscience.org/), which have issued statements. However, these groups are heterogeneous, and their members have varied views on the problem. We have both signed the CWG statement, and one of us (M.J.I.) has also cosigned the SFS statement, because while we both see important benefits for GOF work involving PPP, we are nonetheless concerned about safety issues, and most importantly strongly support the common call for discussion. However, neither of us has supported the idea of a moratorium on this type of research (1, 2). In October 2014, the White House announced that the U.S. Government (USG) was implementing a “pause” of new funding for research involving GOF experiments with three respiratory viruses, influenza virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, if that research could be “reasonably anticipated” to result in enhanced pathogenicity or …
Towards an optimized and secure cascade for data aggregation in vanets

We present an analysis of and security extensions to the CASCADE (Cluster-based Accurate Syntactic Compression of Aggregated Data in VANETs) data aggregation technique. CASCADE organizes known vehicles into clusters, the size of which determines both the frame size used to distribute aggregated data and the distance ahead that vehicles are aware of (local view). We determine the optimal cluster size to balance the trade-off between local view length and expected frame size. The original CASCADE description does not consider security issues, so we present our framework for a secure CASCADE by employing received signal strength and laser rangefinders for position verification.
Operation and testing of electrostatic microactuators and micromachined sound detectors for active control of high speed flows

The operation and testing of a combined microactuator/microsensor system for use in a high speed jet are presented. Electrostatic actuators have been fabricated using a bulk-silicon dissolved-wafer process, and are more than 12 /spl mu/m in thickness to achieve a large stiffness in the z-direction. The "micro" actuators resonate at a frequency of 5 kHz/14 kHz and an amplitude of >70 /spl mu/m peak-peak, generate significant disturbances into the "macro" scale jet flow, and survive operation at speeds of >210 m/s. An array of micromachined sound detectors for the detection of onset of jet screech has also been fabricated. The detectors use stress compensated PECVD silicon nitride/oxide membranes together with monocrystalline ion-implanted p/sup ++/ silicon piezoresistors to achieve high sensitivity. They have a static sensitivity of 1.1 /spl mu/V/V/spl middot/Pa with a 2% nonlinearity over an operating pressure range of 10 kPa.
Targeting CXCR7/ACKR3 as a therapeutic strategy to promote remyelination in the adult central nervous system

Current treatment modalities for the neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS) use disease-modifying immunosuppressive compounds but do not promote repair. Although several potential targets that may induce myelin production have been identified, there has yet to be an approved therapy that promotes remyelination in the damaged central nervous system (CNS). Remyelination of damaged axons requires the generation of new oligodendrocytes from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Although OPCs are detected in MS lesions, repair of myelin is limited, contributing to progressive clinical deterioration. In the CNS, the chemokine CXCL12 promotes remyelination via CXCR4 activation on OPCs, resulting in their differentiation into myelinating oligodendrocytes. Although the CXCL12 scavenging receptor CXCR7/ACKR3 (CXCR7) is also expressed by OPCs, its role in myelin repair in the adult CNS is unknown. We show that during cuprizone-induced demyelination, in vivo CXCR7 antagonism augmented OPC proliferation, leading to increased numbers of mature oligodendrocytes within demyelinated lesions. CXCR7-mediated effects on remyelination required CXCR4 activation, as assessed via both phospho-S339-CXCR4–specific antibodies and administration of CXCR4 antagonists. These findings identify a role for CXCR7 in OPC maturation during remyelination and are the first to use a small molecule to therapeutically enhance myelin repair in the demyelinated adult CNS.
Hypnotic Disgust Makes Moral Judgments More Severe

Highly hypnotizable participants were given a posthypnotic suggestion to feel a flash of disgust whenever they read an arbitrary word. They were then asked to rate moral transgressions described in vignettes that either did or did not include the disgust-inducing word. Two studies show that moral judgments can be made more severe by the presence of a flash of disgust. These findings suggest that moral judgments may be grounded in affectively laden moral intuitions.
Political Competition and Financial Reform in Transition Economies

In recent years, a ‘consensus’ explanation of policy reform in the transition economies has emerged, according to which, greater political partisanship and intra-government division promotes progress in reform. Using panel data from 24 post-Communist countries between 1991 and 1998, we find that increasing the number of veto players faced by the executive branch promotes financial reform. However, countries where ruling parties controlled both executive and legislative branches of governments – as long as those governments were constitutionally constrained – were more likely to dismantle preferential credit programmes and implement banking and securities’ market reforms. Meanwhile, communist party strength and limited partisanship increase the likelihood that governments will remove financial restrictions but do not have clear effects on the adoption of subsequent financial-regulatory reforms. These findings suggest several modifications to the consensus explanation of economic reform in the transition.
Object discrimination based on depth-from-occlusion

We present a model of how objects can be visually discriminated based on the extraction of depth-from-occlusion. Object discrimination re- quires consideration of both the binding problem and the problem of segmentation. We propose that the visual system binds contours and surfaces by identifying "proto-objects"-compact regions bounded by contours. Proto-objects can then be linked into larger structures. The model is simulated by a system of interconnected neural networks. The networks have biologically motivated architectures and utilize a dis- tributed representation of depth. We present simulations that demon- strate three robust psychophysical properties of the system. The net- works are able to stratify multiple occluding objects in a complex scene into separate depth planes. They bind the contours and surfaces of occluded objects (for example, if a tree branch partially occludes the moon, the two "half-moons" are bound into a single object). Finally, the model accounts for human perceptions of illusory contour stimuli.
Superresolution Construction of Multispectral Imagery Based on Local Enhancement

Hyperspectral imagery is used for a wide variety of applications, including target detection, tracking, agricultural monitoring, and natural resources exploration. The main reason for using hyperspectral imagery is that images reveal spectral information about the scene that is not available in a single band. Unfortunately, many factors, such as the limitations of focal plane array technology, the inherent tradeoff in spatial versus spectral resolution, and the desire to achieve area coverage, degrade the spatial quality of these images. Recently, many algorithms are introduced in the literature to improve the resolution of hyperspectral images using coregistered high spatial resolution imagery such as panchromatic imagery. In this letter, we propose a new algorithm to enhance the spatial resolution of low-resolution hyperspectral bands using strongly correlated and coregistered high spatial resolution panchromatic imagery. The proposed algorithm constructs the superresolution bands corresponding to the low-resolution bands to enhance the resolution using a proposed local enhancement technique. The local enhancement is based on the least squares regression and the local correlation to improve the estimated interpolation of the spatial resolution. The introduced algorithm is considered as an improvement for Price's algorithm which uses the global correlation for the spatial resolution enhancement. In addition, numerous studies are conducted to investigate the effect of spatial window size for achieving the local enhancement in the estimation process. The experimental results, which are obtained using hyperspectral data derived from an airborne imaging sensor, are presented to verify the improvement by the proposed algorithm.
Outcome of stage IVA cervical cancer patients with disease limited to the pelvis in the era of chemoradiation: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the outcome of stage IVA cervical cancer treated with radiation and concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of stage IVA cervical cancer patients from four trials (Gynecologic Oncology Group protocols 56, 85, 120, and 165) treated with radiotherapy with or without concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patient records were reviewed for demographic and tumor features, treatment, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Stage IVA patients were compared to stage IIIB patients from these same studies. Results Among the 51 stage IVA patients studied, 92% were stage IVA on the basis of bladder involvement. The median PFS was 10.1months (95% CI=6.3–14.5months) and median OS was 21.2months (95% CI=13.3–30.5months). The 3year survival was 32%. On univariate analysis, only advanced age was associated with OS ( p =0.0115) but age had only marginal effect on PFS ( p =0.083). Pathologic proven pelvic nodal metastasis was of marginal significance for both PFS and OS, p =0.059 and 0.064, respectively. Despite similar patient characteristics, the use of cisplatin-based chemotherapy had no impact on PFS or OS but was underpowered to address this question. When compared to stage IIIB patients, stage IVA patients had a poorer performance status ( p =0.0231), larger tumor size ( p =0.0302), and more frequent bilateral parametrial involvement (0.0063). Conclusion Patients with stage IVA disease had poor median survival of only 21months with only 32% 3year survival. Stage IVA patients have larger tumor size, more bilateral parametrial involvement, and poorer survival when compared to stage IIIB patients.
The Meaning of Disgust: A Refutation

Recently, McGinn (2011) has proposed a new theory of disgust. This theory makes empirical claims as to the history and function of disgust, yet does not take into account contemporary scientific research on the subject. This essay evaluates his theory for its merits as an account of disgust, and as a piece of scholarship more generally, and finds it lacking.
Metastable Aspects of Singlet Extended Higgs Models

It has long been known that the broken supersymmetric (susy) phase of the singlet extended susy higgs model (SESHM) is at best metastable and the ground states of the model have vanishing vacuum energy and are exactly supersymmetric. If the SESHM is confirmed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the numerical values of the parameters of the model have a bearing on key properties of the susy phase and might provide an estimate of the remaining time before a possible decay of our false vacuum. We provide some analysis of the model including a treatment of phases in the potential and soft higgs masses.
Wind energy and power system inertia

Wind is an abundant, clean, robust, and compelling resource for generating electricity. It has also become the fastest growing type of renewable generation in the United States. However, the low inertia of a wind-dominant power system could be troublesome in power system operation. This paper presents reasons that make wind energy an important energy source in electricity markets. It also discusses suitable markets for wind energy, means of improving the wind energy combined with flywheel, and financial aspects of pricing the reliability of wind farms.
Women, Work, and Family Life

Rudy Acu?a. Mann, author of Taking on General Motors (1988), described the dramatic campaign to keep GM Van Nuys open; Acu?a, Professor of Mexican American Studies (California State University, Northridge), stressed the role of minority workers and the black and brown Los Angeles communities in building a strong city-wide coalition, powerful enough to make the threat to boycott GM products in the huge Los Angeles auto market an effective bargaining ploy. Acu?a stressed the role of Luis Olivares and other clergy in building community support. With twenty workshops, three plenaries, and over eighty panelists and speakers, SWLSA '88 was one ofthe more successful of recent conferences. AFL CIO state leader John Henning and Los Angeles Times labor editor Harry Bernstein both addressed plenary meetings. A sampling of papers includes one on socialism in the 1910-11 San Diego elections by Leonard Pitt (CSU, Northridge); excerpts from a prize-winning book on minority labor struggles in the Pacific by Ed Beechert (Hawaii); a look at Harry Bridges's struggles with the law in San Francisco by Bob Cherny (CSU, San Francisco); and a report on the lives of working people of Philadelphia from 1750 to 1800 by Billie G. Smith (Montana). This mixture of scholarly and activist reports is the hallmark ofthe SWLSA, which, from its beginning, has welcomed members, and drawn its leadership from both academia and the workplace. The 1988 meeting at Loyola Marymount drew close to four-hundred participants; fittingly, on the second day of the conference, two-hundred students from a community college program for working adults swelled the attendance. Professor Sally Miller (University of the Pacific) is SWLSA President. Frank Strieker (CSU, Dominguez Hills) chaired a very active conference committee.
Key metabolites in tissue extracts of Elliptio complanata identified using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

We used (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to describe key metabolites of the polar metabolome of the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata. Principal components analysis documented variability across tissue types and river of origin in mussels collected from two rivers in North Carolina (USA). Muscle, digestive gland, mantle and gill tissues yielded identifiable but overlapping metabolic profiles. Variation in digestive gland metabolic profiles between the two mussel collection sites was characterized by differences in mono- and disaccharides. Variation in mantle tissue metabolomes appeared to be associated with sex. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a sensitive means to detect metabolites in the tissues of E. complanata and holds promise as a tool for the investigation of freshwater mussel health and physiology.
Parkinson Dementia: PET Findings

Degeneration of subcortical systems such as the dopaminergic nigrostriatal projection and the basal forebrain cholinergic corticopetal system as well as cortical neurodegeneration associated with depositions of α-synuclein and β-amyloid pathology are likely contributors to cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease (PD). Glucose metabolic studies have shown mixed subcortical and cortical changes in PD dementia. For example, incident dementia in idiopathic PD is heralded by decreased metabolism of visual association (Brodmann area 18) and posterior cingulate cortices with additional involvement of the caudate nucleus. Subsequent progression to dementia is associated with mixed subcortical, especially thalamic, and widespread cortical changes that involve the mesiofrontal lobes also. Neurotransmitter-specific PET imaging shows early and prominent nigrostriatal dopaminergic losses in PD, with no major differences in PD dementia. Therefore, caudate nucleus, limbic, and mesofrontal dopaminergic denervations do not appear alone sufficient for development of full-blown PD dementia. In contrast, cholinergic imaging studies have shown relatively mild losses in PD without dementia, but more prominent decreases in PD dementia. This suggests significant cholinergic pathology underlying progressive cognitive decline in PD. Average dopaminergic and cholinergic denervation does not appear to differ between PD with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), supporting the view that PDD and DLB lie on a common disease spectrum. In vivo imaging studies show variable β-amyloid binding in PD dementia with prevalence of pathologic amyloid deposition higher in DLB compared to PDD. However, despite the relatively lower binding levels compared to AD, β-amyloid deposition contributes to cognitive impairment early in the course of cognitive decline in PD, suggesting a lower symptomatic threshold for the amyloid deposition compared to normal aging and Alzheimer disease (AD).
Outcomes of thoracoscopic thymectomy in patients with juvenile myasthenia gravis

Abstract Introduction Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder of the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction resulting in fatigability of voluntary muscles. There has been increasing evidence supporting thymectomy for MG in adults, and evidence for the role of surgery in pediatric age groups is increasing. The purpose of this study is to describe the outcomes of our patients with juvenile MG undergoing thoracoscopic thymectomy. Material and methods All patients with juvenile MG who underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy at Phoenix Children's Hospital between 1999 and 2014 were included. Patients were diagnosed by their treating neurologist. An Osserman and Genkins criterion was used to classify the severity of the disease and DeFilippi classification was used to assess remission. Results Twelve patients underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy for juvenile MG during the time frame studied. Nine (75%) patients had an Osserman stage of IIB, with only two patients with ocular disease. There were no conversions to an open procedure. Seven (59%) patients had normal thymic histology, 4 (33%) had evidence of follicular hyperplasia and one (8%) had involutional changes. The median length of hospital stay was 2days (range 1–5days). There was no 30-day postoperative morbidity, reoperations or mortality. The median length of follow-up was 31months (range, 4–91months) and at the time of their last follow-up; all 12 (100%) patients had a DeFilippi Classification of 3 or better. Conclusion Surgery for MG in children is indicated for antibody-receptor-positive patients with moderate to severe disease. Thoracoscopic thymectomy is a safe and acceptable treatment for juvenile MG with good disease control. The low morbidity and shorter hospital duration make it an excellent option for consideration.
Apoptosis-Inducing-Factor-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Is Required for T Cell but Not B Cell Function

The role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in promoting cell death versus survival remains controversial. We report that the loss of AIF in fibroblasts led to mitochondrial electron transport chain defects and loss of proliferation that could be restored by ectopic expression of the yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Aif-deficiency in T cells led to decreased peripheral T cell numbers and defective homeostatic proliferation, but thymic T cell development was unaffected. In contrast, Aif-deficient B cells developed and functioned normally. The difference in the dependency of T cells versus B cells on AIF for function and survival correlated with their metabolic requirements. Ectopic Ndi1 expression rescued homeostatic proliferation of Aif-deficient T cells. Despite its reported roles in cell death, fibroblasts, thymocytes and B cells lacking AIF underwent normal death. These studies suggest that the primary role of AIF relates to complex I function, with differential effects on T and B cells.
THE OPERATIVE LENGTHENING OF THE TIBIA AND FIBULA

1. Lengthening of the tibia and fibula is a procedure which is of great value in cases where the major part of the shortening of a lower extremity is confined to these two bones. 2. The fundamental principles of leg lengthening are the application of traction and countertraction directly to the bone and continued over a considerable period of time. To avoid complications and to promote early union, apposition of the fragments in good alignment is essential. This is best secured by applying traction on both sides of the leg by means of screw extension pieces which are attached to pins passed through the upper and lower ends of the shaft of the tibia. Displacement in an anteroposterior direction is prevented by stabilizers which hold the drill pins in the same horizontal plane. 3. In this operation, because of multiple incisions, penetrating drill pin wounds and the wide opening of the medullary cavity of the tibia, there is considerable danger of infection. This can be minimized by gentle handling of the tissues and by observing the most rigid, aseptic technique throughout the operation. 4. In the six cases treated by this method the lowest gain in length was one and one-quarter inches; the largest one and seven-eighths inches. The results in the completed cases have been highly satisfactory and with the experience which we have acquired we believe that in the average case a gain of two inches should be secured without producing an injury to the blood vessels or nerves. 5. With the operation in its present stage of development, we believe that it should be performed only by those who are adequately equipped to do bone surgery and who by their training have a thorough knowledge of mechanical appliances. 6. It should not become a routine procedure but should be reserved for those who are actually in need of it—those who cannot be relieved by more conservative measures.
Inversion of limited-angle tomographic data

Abstract A new method is given for analytical inversion of the Radon transform given limited angle data. Numerical aspects of this inversion problem are discussed.
Singularities of Control Moment Gyroscopes

A book on spacecraft momentum control systems would not be complete without a discussion of geometric singularities inherent in CMGs. Therefore, this chapter starts with a discussion of common singularities associated with DGCMGs (e.g., gimbal lock) and then moves on to the more troublesome singularities associated SGCMGs. The mathematical structure of these singularities and how it relates to difficulties in avoiding them is also discussed in a way made more accessible to the reader not familiar with the subject matter. Also discussed is the location of singularities associated with an array of CMGs by way of a three-dimensional surface in the momentum space. This chapter concludes with some brief discussion on techniques to perform zero-momentum spin up of an array of CMGs in the presence of singularities at zero momentum.
Trends of Western Spruce Budworm and Associated Insects in Pacific Northwest Forests Sprayed with DDT

In forest areas sprayed with DDT, population trends of a western spruce budworm, Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman , its parasites, and associated defoliators were followed from 1951 until 1959. Budworm populations were reduced to low levels by the spraying, but oscillations in numbers were detectable by sampling. A major peak in numbers on sprayed areas occurred in 1954 in the western Cascade Range and in 1955 in the Blue Mountains, with a lesser peak in 1957 in all areas studied. Parasitism of small larvae either increased slightly or was the same, 1 or 2 years after spraying, and in subsequent years was similar to that before spraying. Parasitism of large larvae 1 year after spraying varied, but in some areas was high; in the Blue Mountains highest parasitism was often caused by parasites considered of minor importance in unsprayed areas. In a related study following spraying in 1958, 3 associated defoliators, Zeiraphera hesperiana Mutuura & Freeman, Griselda radicana (Walsingham), and Argyrotaenia dorsalana (Dyar) showed markedly better survival than the western budworm.
Formation and stability of solid lipid nanoparticles fabricated using phase inversion temperature method

Abstract Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are being investigated for their ability to encapsulate and protect lipophilic bioactive compounds in foods, supplements, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method was used to fabricate SLNs using a model surfactant (Brij 30, C12E4)/oil (octadecane)/water system. Surfactant/oil/water (SOW) mixtures were maintained at a temperature above the PIT, and then rapidly cooled to a temperature below the lipid nanoparticle crystallization point. The PIT (≈40 °C) was determined by monitoring the turbidity versus temperature profile of the SOW system during heating. The lipid nanoparticle crystallization point, melting point, and physical state were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The stability of the lipid nanoparticles after fabrication depended on the storage temperature relative to the PIT and melting/crystallization points. At temperatures appreciably below their melting point (≈26 °C), the lipid nanoparticles were completely solid and stable to aggregation. At temperatures around their melting point, the lipid nanoparticles were partially crystalline, which led to partial coalescence and gelation. At temperatures appreciably above their melting point but below their PIT, the lipid nanoparticles were completely liquid and prone to coalescence and phase separation. These results have important implications for optimizing the fabrication and storage conditions required to produce stable nanoemulsions suitable for utilization in commercial products using low-energy methods.
Acetylcholinesterase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities in erythrocytes of fetal, newborn and adult sheep.

SummaryAcetylcholinesterase activity, essentially similar in fetal, newborn and adult sheep erythrocytes, was only 25% that of cells from adult humans. Erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was 3 times higher in fetuses and newborn lambs than in adult sheep. Cells from adult animals had only 1/5 the activity seen in erythrocytes from normal adult humans. When sheep erythrocytes were separated into light and heavy cell fractions, the activities of both enzymes were increased in the lighter fraction with higher reticulocyte content and decreased in the fraction containing the older cells.
Using condition of vaccines in Futian district of Shenzhen City from 2007-2010

[Objective] To analyze the using condition of vaccines for immunization program and expanded program on immunization in Futian district of Shenzhen City from 2007-2010.[Methods] The data from the database of the Biological products management system in Futian District from 2007-2010 were analyzed.[Results] During 2007-2010,the amount of the first type vaccines were respectively 435 188,555 633,697 304 and 611 896 doses/times,and the amount of charges vaccines of the same species were respectively 92 120,75 194,49 904 and 47 302 doses/times.From 2007 to 2010,the loss coefficient of vaccines with package for one person was lower than 1.05,and the loss coefficient of vaccines with package for many persons ranged from 1.1 to 4.0.There was significant difference in effective availability of vaccines for immunization program among different years.During 2007-2010,the using amount of the second type vaccines were respectively 376 119,327 950,361 552 and 254 652 doses/times.The vaccines that had large amount included hepatitis B vaccine,rabies vaccines for human use,influenza vaccine,HIB vaccine and hepatitis A vaccine.[Conclusion] The amount of the second type vaccines increase year by year.
Wild-type and mutant retinoblastoma protein in paraffin sections.

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma susceptibility (RB) gene plays a role in the pathogenesis of a variety of human malignancies. Recently, it has become feasible to study RB expression in archival tissues, and it is expected that immunohistochemical studies on routinely processed tumors will further elucidate the biologic and clinical significance of RB mutations. Our study was designed to address two issues that are critical for the interpretation of such studies, i.e., whether mutant RB protein (pRB) can reliably be distinguished from normal pRB and whether there are significant differences in the performance characteristics of various anti-RB antibodies. We studied cell blocks of 26 mutant RB cell lines (11 lines without any RB expression, nine lines expressing truncated mRNA/pRB, six lines carrying missense mutations) with five different anti-RB monoclonal antibodies, using a recently described procedure that includes an antigen retrieval step. The specific staining pattern for pRB was nuclear. Cytoplasmic staining was found to be nonspecific and could be strong. Some truncated and all full-length mutant pRBs localized to the nucleus, creating positive nuclear staining that might be indistinguishable from the staining pattern of cells carrying wild-type RB. The five antibodies tested showed significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, and background reactivity. Our data suggest that a significant subset of mutant pRB has preserved nuclear translocation capacity, that not all anti-RB antibodies are equally suitable for immunohistochemical analysis of RB expression, and that any such analysis is bound to include a certain, albeit probably small, number of positive stains, despite the absence of functional pRB.
IgE and immediate hypersensitivity.

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions occur following stimulation of tissue mast cells. Activation of these cells leads to a series of biochemical events that result in the release of preformed and newly formed mediators. Although these reactions are often initiated by the interaction of multivalent antigens, it is now recognized that mast cells also are stimulated by a number of non-IgE-associated mechanisms. This article focuses on the tissue mast cell, its response to different stimuli, and the role of its released mediators in immediate hypersensitivity reactions.
Blame It on the Sun: George Jackson and Poetry of Palestinian Resistance

This essay explores the political significance of a literary ‘mistake’ made in 1971 in the historical context of Black/Palestinian solidarity. After the assassination of George Jackson, the revolutionary prisoner who had been recently designated Field Marshal of the Black Panther Party, prison guards seized Palestinian resistance poetry from his prison cell in San Quentin, California. Some of this poetry by Samih Al-Qasim, Palestinian resistance poet par excellence, was thought to be written by Jackson and published under his name in the Black Panther newspaper. An uncanny resemblance between the voices of Jackson and Al-Qasim, as well as the conditions of Blacks in North America and Palestinians, made this ‘mis-attribution’ possible. It is thus argued that what might be viewed as a literary ‘mistake’ instead can be viewed as a powerful illustration of kinship in the practice of revolutionary political solidarity. Ultimately, this solidarity would be recalled and renewed in a 2015–16 exhibition featuring ...
Wavelet analyses of western US streamflow with ENSO and PDO

This study investigated the correlation between western U.S. streamflow and two of the most important oceanic–atmospheric indices having significant effects in this region, namely, El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Data from 61 streamflow stations across six different hydrologic regions of the western U.S. were analyzed, using a study period of 60 years from 1951 to 2010. Continuous wavelet transformation along with cross wavelet transformation and wavelet coherence were used to analyze the interaction between streamflow and climate indices. The results showed that streamflows have changed coincidentally with both ENSO and PDO over the study period at different time-scale bands and at various time intervals. Both ENSO and PDO showed correlation with streamflow change behavior from 1980 to 2005. ENSO showed a strong correlation with streamflow across the entire study period in a 10–12 year band. PDO showed a strong correlation in bands of 8–10 years and band beyond 16 years. The phase relationship showed that both ENSO and PDO preceded streamflow change behavior; in some instances, the variables were found to be moving in opposite directions even though they changed simultaneously. The results can be helpful in understanding the relationship between the climate indices and streamflow.
How inflection class systems work: On the informativity of implicative structure

The complexity of an inflection class system can be defined as the average extent to which elements in the system inhibit motivated inferences about the realization of lexemes’ paradigm cells. Research shows that systems tend to exhibit relatively low complexity in this sense. However, relatively little work has explored how structural and distributional aspects of the inflectional system produce this outcome. In this paper we use the tools of information theory to do so. We explore a set of nine languages that have robust inflection class systems: Palantla Chinantec, French, Modern Greek, Icelandic, Kadiweu, Nuer, Russian, Seri, and Voro. The data show that the extent to which implicative paradigmatic structure does work to minimize the complexity of the system differs significantly. In fact, the nine languages fall into three graph types based on their implicative structure. Moreover, low type frequency classes disproportionately contribute to the complexity of inflectional systems, but we hypothesize t...
The representation of (illegal) migrants in the British news

This research looks at how migration is represented in British newspapers by using multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) to examine two news articles published in July/June 2015 from The Guardian and the Daily Mail. The study takes a closer look at the categories used to define immigrants, including the implicit assumption of illegality associated with ‘migrants’ crossing the Mediterranean/Calais. The analysis reveals how both news articles contribute to a similar discourse, which places the refugee at a distance and presents the UK as being threatened by a rising number of, specifically male, ‘migrants’. This article deconstructs two ideologically dissimilar news articles to reveal the manner in which they can both contribute to a negative construction of refugees and immigrants arriving in Europe.
Assessing the role of preknowledge in force compensation during a tracking task

Considerable research has been done looking at the asymmetries between the dominant and nondominant arms. However, one area that has received less attention is how information about a perturbation affects these upper limb asymmetries. Our study sought to determine whether foreknowledge of a perturbation can affect the compensation from each arm. In addition, we examined the differences in compensation for perturbations parallel with the line of action and perpendicular to it. Results showed that the nondominant arm was largely unaffected by the visual condition. The dominant arm showed a comparatively smaller improvement between visible and invisible forces.
DNA Assembly Method Standardization for Synthetic Biomolecular Circuits and Systems

As molecular biology tasks progress from single gene expression to the implementation of entire metabolic pathways and behavioral genetic circuitry, DNA assembly, the process of cloning/constructing a contiguous piece of DNA from a set of composite parts, poses an increasingly formidable challenge. Standardized DNA assembly methodologies have recently emerged that enable and facilitate part re-use, assembly design automation, and high-throughput physical assembly protocols. This chapter reviews the BioBrick, SLIC, Gibson, CPEC and Golden Gate methods, and compares and contrasts their respective strengths, limitations and extents of standardization.
ANALISIS KUALITAS LAYANAN PERBANKAN DENGAN KONSEP SERVQUAL

The banking sector is an important sector in the economy which will run inside transactions. This factor is the quality of service that should always be improved to attract customers in the deal in order to feel comfortable and continue to use the banking services. Object of research that the authors take is the quality of service that consists of physical evidence, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy. The quality of service to the concept of servqual can see the difference between perceptions and expectations of customers are according to customer expectations. If the expectation is smaller than the perception of these should be repaired again, and if the expectation is already larger than the perception of these should be maintained in a manner that is effective and efficient. Based on these results it can be stated that not all met the expectations of customers still have no sustainable improvements to the quality factors of the service. Keywords : Banking, Concept Servqual, Quality of Service
ePrivateeye: to the edge and beyond!

Edge computing offers resource-constrained devices low-latency access to high-performance computing infrastructure. In this paper, we present ePrivateEye, an implementation of PrivateEye that offloads computationally expensive computer-vision processing to an edge server. The original PrivateEye locally processed video frames on a mobile device and delivered approximately 20 fps, whereas ePrivateEye transfers frames to a remote server for processing. We present experimental results that utilize our campus Software-Defined Networking infrastructure to characterize how network-path latency, packet loss, and geographic distance impact offloading to the edge in ePrivateEye. We show that offloading video-frame analysis to an edge server at a metro-scale distance allows ePrivateEye to analyze more frames than PrivateEye's local processing over the same period to achieve realtime performance of 30 fps, with perfect precision and negligible impact on energy efficiency.
Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy versus CT-guided Percutaneous Sampling of Peripheral Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules: A Cohort Study.

CT-guided transthoracic biopsy could be considered the preferred modality for tissue sampling of peripheral indeterminate pulmonary nodules, particularly when concomitant sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes is not required.
Reply to Hogan: Direct evidence of RNA–protein interactions and rewiring

We agree with G. J. Hogan (1) that evolution of PUF–RNA interactions is an important problem, but disagree with his characterization of our report (2). First, we cite Hogan et al. (3) and Jiang et al. (4) seven and four times, respectively; credit them with proposing Puf3-regulon rewiring; describe Hogan’s work (3) as “elegant”; and credit it with proposing Puf4/5 duplication and divergence. We also explicitly state that our biochemical data support their earlier analyses. Second, Hogan’s (1) assertion that “the majority of results presented by the authors have been previously published” is untrue. Using crosslinking and immunopurification, we directly identify mRNAs bound in Neurospora crassa by its Puf3 (Nc\_Puf3) and Puf4/5 (Nc\_Puf4/5) proteins for the first … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: wickens{at}biochem.wisc.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A Robust and Secure Palm Vessel Biometric Sensing System Based on Photoacoustics

In this paper, we propose a new palm vessel biometric sensing system based on photoacoustic imaging, which is an emerging technique that allows high-resolution visualization of optical absorption in deep tissue. Our system consists of an ultrasound (US) linear transducer array, an US data acquisition system, and an Nd:YAG laser emitting 1064-nm wavelength. By scanning the array, we could get a 3-D image of palm vasculature. The 3-D image is further combined with our newly developed algorithm, Earth Mover’s Distance—Radiographic Testing, to provide precise matching and robust recognition rate. Compared to conventional vein sensing techniques, our system demonstrates deeper imaging depth and better spatial resolution, offering securer biometric features to fight against counterfeits. In this paper, we imaged 20 different hands at various poses and quantified our system performance. We found that the usability and accuracy of our system are comparable to conventional biometric techniques, such as fingerprint imaging and face identification. Our technique can open up avenues for better liveness detection and biometric measurements.