cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Using a Geographic Information System Approach

Agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution, primarily sediment and nutrients, is the leading source of water-quality impacts to surface waters in North America. The overall goal of this study was to develop geographic information system (GIS) protocols to facilitate the spatial and temporal modeling of changes in soils, hydrology, and land-cover change at the watershed scale. In the first part of this article, we describe the use of GIS to spatially integrate watershed scale data on soil erodibility, land use, and runoff for the assessment of potential source areas within an intensively agricultural watershed. The agricultural non-point source pollution (AGNPS) model was used in the Muddy Creek, Ontario, watershed to evaluate the effectiveness of management strategies in decreasing sediment and nutrient [phosphorus (P)] pollution. This analysis was accompanied by the measurement of water-quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, pH, hardness, alkalinity, and turbidity) as well as sediment and P loadings to the creek. Practices aimed at increasing year-round soil cover would be most effective in decreasing sediment and P losses in this watershed. In the second part of this article, we describe a method for characterizing land-cover change in a dynamic urban fringe watershed. The GIS method we developed for the Blackberry Creek, Illinois, watershed will allow us to better account for temporal changes in land use, specifically corn and soybean cover, on an annual basis and to improve on the modeling of watershed processes shown for the Muddy Creek watershed. Our model can be used at different levels of planning with minimal data preprocessing, easily accessible data, and adjustable output scales.
A TEM-horn antenna with dielectric lens for fast impulse response

We designed and constructed a pair of TEM-horn antennas specifically for the very fast time-domain boresight response. Two physical topologies were made. A printed-board configuration has much slower transient response, which we think is due to pulse-smearing of the antenna currents in the dielectric substrate of the printed wiring boards. The solid state version has a 20 ps transition duration response in the main beam endfire (boresight) direction, which is the fastest we have seen to date. And since the antenna has a round trip antenna current propagation time of 6 ns, it offers clean radiated electromagnetic field measurement capability with a clear time of several nanoseconds. The printed board version has resistive loading at the aperture end of the conductors, which should offer better low- frequency performance. The dielectric lens certainly does improve the transient performance of the TEM horn, and was simple to design.
Axial patterning of C. elegans male sensilla identities by selector genes.

The fan and rays of the C. elegans male tail constitute a compound sensory organ essential for mating. Within this organ, the individual sensilla, known as rays, have unique identities. We show that ray identities are patterned by a selector gene mechanism in a manner similar to other serially homologous axial structures. One selector gene that promotes the identities of a subset of the rays is the Hox gene egl-5. Within EGL-5-expressing rays, further patterning is provided by a Pax-6 homolog and a signal of the TGFβ family. These genes and pathway coordinately specify multiple ray properties affecting all three terminal ray cell types. These properties include complex patterns of FMRFamide-like (FaRP) neuropeptides, serotonin (5HT) and dopamine expression, and ray morphology. Differences in these differentiated characteristics give each sensillum a unique identity and potentially endow the compound ray organ with a higher-order information gathering capacity.
The kinetics of H2 adsorption on and desorption from cobalt and the effects of support thereon

The technique of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) was applied to the investigation of hydrogen adsorption/desorption from a series of cobalt catalysts. Experiments in which the adsorption temperature was varied revealed that hydrogen adsorption on cobalt is activated and that the activation energy for adsorption is a function of catalyst support and metal loading. The activation energy for adsorption ranged from 5.8 kJ/mol for unsupported cobalt to 43 kj/mol for 3% cobalt on silica. Desorption runs on selected catalysts showed hydrogen desorption to be second order, the heat of adsorption ranging from 145 kJ/mol on 10% CoSiO2 to 105 kj/mol on 10% CoAl2O3. Desorption from unsupported, silica-, and alumina-supported catalysts involved one major peak suggesting the presence of only one type of site while the titania- and carbon-supported catalysts displayed multiple desorption peaks providing evidence of a more complex distribution of surface sites possibly as a result of metal-support interactions. No H2 adsorption was detected for magnesia-, ZSM-5, and lower loading (1 and 3%) alumina-supported cobalt catalysts at any temperature using flow adsorption/desorption techniques, even though these catalyst adsorbed hydrogen at temperatures ranging from 25 to 150 °C using the static, equilibrium technique. These results suggest that strong metal-support interactions in these catalysts may lead to a strongly activated adsorption of hydrogen on cobalt.
The molecular forms of immunoreactive glucagon secreted by the isolated, perfused dog pancreas.

Abstract The immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) in the plasma-free effluent of the arginine stimulated isolated dog pancreas was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and characterized with respect to molecular weight. Only a 3500 dalton component was secreted from the pancreas during the first four minutes of stimulation but immunoreactive material having a molecular weight of between 150,000 and 200,000 was isolated from the secretions after prolonged stimulation. This component (which corresponds in size to the incompletely characterized “big plasma glucagon”) was dissociated to a 3500 dalton component and nonimmunoreactive material by 6 M guanadinium chloride. Components of molecular weight 9000 and 2000, which are found in plasma, and components with the immunological properties of gut GLI, were not identified in the pancreatic secretions.
Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging Microspectroscopy and Tissue-Level Mechanical Testing Reveal Intraspecies Variation in Mouse Bone Mineral and Matrix Composition

Fracture susceptibility is heritable and dependent upon bone morphology and quality. However, studies of bone quality are typically overshadowed by emphasis on bone geometry and bone mineral density. Given that differences in mineral and matrix composition exist in a variety of species, we hypothesized that genetic variation in bone quality and tissue-level mechanical properties would also exist within species. Sixteen-week-old female A/J, C57BL/6J (B6), and C3H/HeJ (C3H) inbred mouse femora were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared imaging and tissue-level mechanical testing for variation in mineral composition, mineral maturity, collagen cross-link ratio, and tissue-level mechanical properties. A/J femora had an increased mineral-to-matrix ratio compared to B6. The C3H mineral-to-matrix ratio was intermediate of A/J and B6. C3H femora had reduced acid phosphate and carbonate levels and an increased collagen cross-link ratio compared to A/J and B6. Modulus values paralleled mineral-to-matrix values, with A/J femora being the most stiff, B6 being the least stiff, and C3H having intermediate stiffness. In addition, work-to-failure varied among the strains, with the highly mineralized and brittle A/J femora performing the least amount of work-to-failure. Inbred mice are therefore able to differentially modulate the composition of their bone mineral and the maturity of their bone matrix in conjunction with tissue-level mechanical properties. These results suggest that specific combinations of bone quality and morphological traits are genetically regulated such that mechanically functional bones can be constructed in different ways.
Silicon ICs for high-speed, high-bandwidth optical data communications

A wide range of silicon ICs have been demonstrated for high-speed, high-bandwidth optical data communications. These include a 12-channel VCSEL array driver at 10.3125 Gbps per channel for box/board level interconnects, a 7-tap distributed transversal filter for LAN/SAN interconnects, OC-768 receiver and transmitter for NVAN/MAN/Campus interconnects, and exploratory silicon 10 Gbps photodetectors for potential integration with logic circuits. In addition, high-speed circuits, >100 Gbps, and parallel array testers have been demonstrated to facilitate both high-speed and massively parallel optical link evaluation.
GRAPHITE MATERIALS ABLATION PERFORMANCE IN HIGH THERMAL RADIATION ENVIRONMENTS

The performance of graphite materials in advanced applications involving high-radiation heat fluxes has been studied. Predicted results utilizing a recently developed nonequilibrium carbon ablation model have been compared with laserheated ATJ-S graphite ablation data. Possible explanation of the experimental results is obtained by using either 1) modified JANNAF thermochemical data, assuming equilibrium gas-phase chemistry and that no melting occurred at measured temperatures up to 4484 K, or 2) the Dolton- or Kratsch- recommended thermochemical data, assuming gasphase frozen chemistry and a melt temperature of ~4200 K. The implication of the latter interpretation is potentially severe degrading of graphite materials ablation performance due to decreased radiation absorption and melting.
Resistance to extinction as a function of mode and time of removal from goal box

Twenty-eight thirsty rats were trained for 60 trials to run an alleyway. During 30 extinction trials, the mode of removal from the goal box and goal-box confinement duration were combined factorially such that Ss were allowed to escape from the goal box or were removed by hand either immediately upon entry or after 120 sec. Both variables had an effect upon resistance to extinction: resistance was greater with short confinements than long confinements and with escape than hand removal.
Smad proteins act in combination with synergistic and antagonistic regulators to target Dpp responses to the Drosophila mesoderm.

Dorsal mesoderm induction in arthropods and ventral mesoderm induction in vertebrates are closely related processes that involve signals of the BMP family. In Drosophila, induction of visceral mesoderm, dorsal muscles, and the heart by Dpp is, at least in part, effected through the transcriptional activation and function of the homeobox gene tinman in dorsal mesodermal cells during early embryogenesis. Here we present a functional dissection of a tinman enhancer that mediates the Dpp response. We provide evidence that mesoderm-specific induction of tinman requires the binding of both activators and repressors. Screens for binding factors yielded Tinman itself and the Smad4 homolog Medea. We show that the binding and synergistic activities of Smad and Tinman proteins are critical for mesodermal tinman induction, whereas repressor binding sites prevent induction in the dorsal ectoderm and amnioserosa. Thus, integration of positive and negative regulators on enhancers of target genes appears to be an important mechanism in tissue-specific induction by TGF-β molecules.
A probabilistic proof of a formula for the number of Young tableaux of a given shape

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a probabilistic proof of a formula for the number of Young tableaux of a given shape. A Young tableau of shape λ is an arrangement of the integers 1, 2,…, n in the cells of the Ferrers diagram of λ such that all rows and columns form increasing sequences. The chapter also presents the problem of the occurrence of hook lengths, which do not seem to be involved naturally in any direct combinatorial correspondence. In any standard tableau, the integer n must appear at a corner, that is, a cell that is at the end of some row and at the end of a column.
Surfactant protein secreted by the maturing mouse fetal lung acts as a hormone that signals the initiation of parturition

Parturition is timed to begin only after the developing embryo is sufficiently mature to survive outside the womb. It has been postulated that the signal for the initiation of parturition arises from the fetus although the nature and source of this signal remain obscure. Herein, we provide evidence that this signal originates from the maturing fetal lung. In the mouse, secretion of the major lung surfactant protein, surfactant protein A (SP-A), was first detected in amniotic fluid (AF) at 17 days postcoitum, rising progressively to term (19 days postcoitum). Expression of IL-1β in AF macrophages and activation of NF-κB in the maternal uterus increased with the gestational increase in SP-A. SP-A stimulated IL-1β and NF-κB expression in cultured AF macrophages. Studies using Rosa 26 Lac-Z (B6;129S-Gt(rosa)26Sor) (Lac-Z) mice revealed that fetal AF macrophages migrate to the uterus with the gestational increase in AF SP-A. Intraamniotic (i.a.) injection of SP-A caused preterm delivery of fetuses within 6-24 h. By contrast, injection of an SP-A antibody or NF-κB inhibitor into AF delayed labor by >24 h. We propose that augmented production of SP-A by the fetal lung near term causes activation and migration of fetal AF macrophages to the maternal uterus, where increased production of IL-1β activates NF-κB, leading to labor. We have revealed a response pathway that ties augmented surfactant production by the maturing fetal lung to the initiation of labor. We suggest that SP-A secreted by the fetal lung serves as a hormone of parturition.
Amnesia, memory and brain systems

Bilateral damage to either the medial temporal lobe or the diencephalic midline causes an amnesic syndrome, i.e. a global impairment in the ability to acquire new memories regardless of sensory modality, and a loss of some memories, especially recent ones, from the period before amnesia began. The memory deficit can occur against a background of intact intellectual and perceptual functions. Two themes have been prominent in recent work. First, the amnesic syndrome is narrower than once believed in the sense that a number of learning and memory abilities are preserved (e.g. skill and habit learning, simple forms of conditioning and the phenomenon of priming). Second, the brain system damaged in amnesia has only a temporary role in memory. As time passes after learning, memory is reorganized and consolidated within neocortex, such that eventually medial temporal lobe and diencephalic structures are not needed for storage or retrieval.
The Two-Person Construction of Defenses: Disorganized Attachment Strategies, Unintegrated Mental States, and Hostjle/Helpless Relational Processes.

Since the initial identification of disorganized and controlling forms of attachment behavior 15 years ago, the accumulated findings of attachment research have also contributed to the paradigm shift in psychoanalytic thinking toward a more fully relational theory and model of treatment. This research report will provide an overview of recent work charting the developmental pathways and family processes associated with disorganized forms of attachment behaviors in infancy. These research findings both converge with and expand on earlier less systematic analytic clinical observations which have variously described inconsistency or role reversal or coercive discipline in the parenting behaviors of parents of clinically referred children. Attachment research provides one scientific foundation for positing relational as well as biological contributions to many forms of psychopathology. However, attachment theory also advances a more specific model within the broader relational framework. I will describe some of the more specific tenets of attachment theory of the development of psychopathology, and then present a brief overview of recent findings regarding the development of disorganized and controlling forms of attachment behavior.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for rapid identification of Brachyspira species isolated from swine, including the newly described “Brachyspira hampsonii”

The Brachyspira species traditionally associated with swine dysentery and other diarrheal diseases in pigs are Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, Brachyspira pilosicoli, and, to a lesser extent, Brachyspira murdochii. “Brachyspira hampsonii” is a recently proposed novel species that causes clinical disease similar to that caused by B. hyodysenteriae. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) systems are increasingly available in veterinary diagnostic laboratories, are less expensive, and are faster than traditional microbiological and molecular methods for identification. Thirty-three isolates associated with Brachyspira species of importance to swine were added to an existing MALDI-TOF MS database library. In total, species included in the library were: B. hyodysenteriae, “B. hampsonii” clades I and II, Brachyspira innocens, Brachyspira intermedia, B. murdochii, and B. pilosicoli. A comparison between MALDI-TOF MS and nox sequencing was completed on 176 field is...
Beam Steering of a Half-Width Microstrip Leaky-Wave Antenna Using Edge Loading

A technique is presented for steering the main beam of a half-width microstrip leaky-wave antenna (LWA) at fixed frequencies over the operational frequency range. By loading the free edge of the microstrip using lumped capacitors, the phase constant may be adjusted in a prescribed manner, and the beam pointed along a desired direction. The transverse resonance method is used to explore the range of capacitances needed to steer the beam through a nearly 90° range of angles for a typical antenna. Measurements of a prototype antenna are used to validate the technique.
Semantic-audio retrieval

This paper describes a system for connecting sounds and words in linked multi-dimensional vector spaces. The acoustic space is represented using anchor models and partitioned using agglomerative clustering. The semantic space is modeled by a hierarchical multinomial clustering model. Nodes in one space are linked by probabilistic models to the other space. With these linked models, users retrieve sounds with natural language, and the system describes new sounds with words.
t‐Butyldimethylsilyl Cyanide

[56522-24-8] C7H15NSi (MW 141.29) InChI = 1S/C7H15NSi/c1-7(2,3)9(4,5)6-8/h1-5H3 InChIKey = CWAKIXKDPQTVTA-UHFFFAOYSA-N (preparation of stable silylated cyanohydrins;1 silylating agent;2 synthesis of isocyanides via oxirane ring opening3) Alternate Names: tert-butylcyanodimethylsilane; TBDMSCN. Physical Data: bp 163–167 °C/760 mmHg; mp 76–78 °C. Solubility: sol organic solvents (methylene chloride, THF, chloroform); reacts rapidly with water and protic solvents. Preparative Methods: conveniently prepared by refluxing t-Butyldimethylchlorosilane (1 equiv), Potassium Cyanide (1.3 equiv) and 18-Crown-6 (0.31 equiv) in dry methylene chloride under nitrogen.4 The reagent can also be prepared by the reaction of Silver(I) Cyanide with tert-butyldimethylchlorosilane,2 or stirring at 60 °C for 4 h a mixture of sodium cyanide, Amberlite XAD-4 resin, and tert-butyldimethylchlorosilane in acetonitrile.5 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: must be protected from moisture and handled in a well-ventilated fume hood. Exposure to water releases highly toxic HCN gas.
Effects of digoxin on atrioventricular conduction patterns in man

Abstract Digoxin was acutely administered to 17 patients, and its effects on atrioventricular (A-V) conduction were assessed. In the control state, before administration of digoxin, progressively premature atrial depolarization showed conduction delay and block confined solely to the A-V node in eight patients and to both the A-V node and the more distal His-Purkinje tissue in nine patients. His-Purkinje conduction delay was manifested on the surface electrocardiogram by ventricular aberration. After administration of digoxin, an early atrial premature impulse either was blocked in the A-V node or reached the distal intraventricular conduction system so late that block or conduction delay below the His bundle was reduced or no longer occurred. Ventricular aberration on the surface electrocardiogram was thus reduced or eliminated. These effects of digoxin on A-V conduction were due to its effect on the A-V node of slowing conduction of a premature impulse. Such action on the A-V node may abolish aberrant ventricular conduction in atrial fibrillation.
Freeze-out characterization of radiation hardened N/sup +/ polysilicon gate CMOS transistors

Freeze-out behavior of radiation hardened N+ polysilicon gate CMOS devices is studied at liquid-nitrogen temperature before and after irradiation at different dose levels. Explanations are given for the threshold voltage variations and freeze-out effects both before and after irradiation. The degree of freeze-out of the counterdope implant is controlled by temperature, applied gate potential, and applied body-to-source potential. Based on experimental results of this work, freeze-out is not significantly affected by irradiation doses, or the magnitude of the gate bias during radiation. >
Low-power thermal isolation for environmentally resistant microinstruments

This paper reports the design and analysis of a generic thermal isolation platform that can support a variety of MEMS devices and isolate them from the environment. The platform provides high thermal isolation from the environment by employing long meandering and hollow support metal beams. This isolation is needed for low power (<10mW) micro oven controlled constant temperature operation over a -50/spl sim/70 /spl deg/C temperature range. These beams also provide mechanical support. Optimal selection of the thermal and mechanical characteristics of these beams depends on many factors including beam materials, shape and structure, and the number of electrical signals. Metal only, meandering and hollow beams provide the highest thermal isolation and mechanical stiffness. The combination of the isolation platform batch fabrication process and wafer level instrument transfer/assembly onto the platform enables its broad and cost effective application.
Surgeon perspectives on the use and effects of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in the treatment of rectal cancer: a comprehensive review of the literature

Background Despite screening initiatives, rectal cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies diagnosed in patients worldwide with a high mortality. The introduction of neoadjuvant therapy has resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment and outcomes of rectal cancer. Surgeons play an intricate role in the pre-operative, operative, and post-operative management of these patients.
Effect of a phloxine B-cucurbitacin bait on diabroticite beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Cucurbitacin E glycoside, extracted from a bitter mutant of Hawkesbury watermelon [Citrulls lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Syn. Citrullus vulgaris Schrad)] is the active ingredient of a feeding stimulant for the corn rootworm complex. It is the primary component of a water-soluble bait that can be combined with toxins for adult diabroticite control. Studies were conducted using phloxine B (D&C Red 28), a xanthene dye, as the toxin. This dye was efficacious against Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, spotted cucumber beetle, and Acalymma vittatum (F.), striped cucumber beetle, in cucumber plots and could be recovered from cucumber leaves for 8 d after treatment. The average amount of dye recovered per dead spotted cucumber beetle at 8 d after treatment was 0.173 microg. Concentrated and sugar-free fermented forms of the watermelon extract were developed and compared with the fresh juice in field applications on cucumber plants. There was no significant difference in mortality of beetles from phloxine B-bait prepared with fresh, fermented, or concentrated extract, although in laboratory studies, fermented juice had higher feeding stimulant activity.
Real-Time Signal Processing of Massive Sensor Arrays via a Parallel Fast Converging SVD Algorithm: Latency, Throughput, and Resource Analysis

This paper introduces a parallel fast converging Jacobi-like singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm applicable to real-time signal processing of massive sensor arrays. The proposed algorithm highly increases the SVD convergence rate for larger matrices when compared with traditional Jacobi-based methods. A highly modular system design is proposed, which retains the parallel nature of the Jacobi methods key to real-time implementation intended for field programmable gated arrays (FPGAs). The proof of design was provided via an implementation on Virtex-6 FPGA, and the improvement in performance was verified via simulations. The proposed design was compared with the traditional design in terms of FPGA resource consumption, maximum achievable frequency, and latency throughput tradeoff.
Conductivity Vs Nmr Correlation Times, and Decoupled Cation Motion in Polymer-In-Salt Electrolytes

We report 7Li spin lattice relaxation times at 12.82 MHz over a range of temperatures for liquid electrolytes of various salt:polymer ratios, and compare the NMR correlation time obtained at the temperature of the T1 minimum with the conductivity relaxation time at the same temperature. We find that at low salt contents the two relaxation times have the same value, but beyond the “salt-in- polymer to polymer-in-salt transition” zone at the Tg maximum, the two times increasingly separate. This is taken as evidence for the onset of cation-matrix mobility decoupling, which maximizes at the pure salt extreme.
Abstract B54: The anticancer effects of calorie restriction on MC38 colon tumors are associated with decreased macrophage infiltration

Obesity is a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including many types of cancer. The chronic, low‐grade inflammation that develops as a result of obesity may be a primary mechanistic target underlying obesity‐associated carcinogenesis. While the link between obesity and inflammation is not well understood, increases in adipose tissue macrophages may perpetuate and exacerbate a chronic inflammatory environment through production of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)‐6. In this study we tested the hypothesis that macrophage infiltration underlies our previously observed anticancer effects of calorie restriction (CR) in a mouse model of colon cancer. Six‐week‐old female C57BL/6 mice (n=30 per diet) were singly housed and randomized to either a control diet consumed ad libitum (which results in an overweight phenotype) or a 30% calorie‐restricted diet regimen (CR) for 22 weeks, at which time 15 mice per group were euthanized and adiposity was measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). The remaining 15 mice/diet were then injected subcutaneously (flank) with 50,000 syngeneic mouse colon (MC)‐38‐adenocarcinoma cells and continued on their diet regimens while tumor growth was monitored for an additional 5 weeks. Excised tumors underwent histological analysis of macrophage infiltration (hematoxylin and eosin staining) and real‐time RT‐PCR analyses of macrophage (F4/80 and S100A9) and IL‐6 gene expression. CR mice had lower body weight (20.3g +/− 0.2 vs. 26.0g +/− 0.5 (mean +/− SEM), p Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B54.
Cytogenetics of a Local Population of the Screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, from Northeastern Mexico

Larvae of the primary screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were collected near Aldama in Tamaulipas, Mexico. 3rd-instar, crawl-off larvae from 19 single-egg masses were obtained from cattle hosts, and from 8 other single-egg masses off sheep. Of the six chromosome pairs in this species, the sex, II, V, and VI pairs were polymorphic. The small X and Y sex chromosomes had five and four variants, respectively. F1 and F2 larval samples from cattle and sheep differed markedly. There were more fluorescently spotted X chromosomes in cattle screwworms than in sheep, and chromosome VI was polymorphic in cattle screwworms but monomorphic in sheep. Both cattle and sheep material showed significant heterozygote deficiency from expected values and a striking pattern of X chromosome-based homotypic mating.
DEGREE OF ISCHEMIA REDUCTION DURING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IS A STRONG PREDICTOR OF LONG TERM ADVERSE EVENTS: MAKING THE CASE FOR ROUTINE POST PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE ASSESSMENT

Post percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) fractional flow reserve (FFR) has been shown to be a predictor of adverse events. We analyzed the utility of post intervention FFR (P-FFR) after physiological optimization in predicting long term adverse outcomes. Consecutive patients undergoing PCI
Construction and application of AHP-based quality safety credit management system for Guangzhou agricultural products

Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) is a decision and analysis method for solving multi-objects questions,which can simulate human's brain work and combine both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. After analyzing the four main agricultural products' quality safety criterions, which include company qualification, inspection results,products traceability and consumer feedback, a quality safety credit management system for Guangzhou agricultural products was designed and implemented on the base of AHP. The system consists of four modules including the company management module, the inspection management module, the products traceability module and the consumer feedback module. Based on the datum from the system, the credit scores of companies registered in the system can be calculated.The system is useful for the quality safety credit evaluation and hazard management for government departments.
Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, and the First Amendment Protection of the Internet

This brief essay discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, which overturned the Child Pornography Prevention Act, and in so doing reaffirmed the First Amendment protections of the Internet.
Practicing Multilingual Identities: Online Interactions in a Korean Dramas Forum.

ABSTRACTThis article presents the language practices of global youth who populate an online discussion forum devoted to Korea-produced dramas. Qualitative data included the writing, visual images, and interactions created within the forum. Findings revealed youth from geographically disparate places using new media affordances to engage with a minority world language and to practice multilingual identities. Using sociocultural theories of English language learning, Korean language learning, and multilingualism, the article presents online interest-driven interactions as supportive of hybridized linguistic and cultural identities. The author argues the potential for youth engagement in new media spaces to disrupt English’s symbolic dominance and facilitate an affinity for multilingualism. The article concludes by advocating multilingualism as a 21st-century mode of communication and identity expression for global youth—regardless of their ethnoracial heritage.
Abstract 2888: Identification of an NKX3.1-G9a-UTY regulatory network that controls proper prostate differentiation

Maintenance of cell differentiation is tightly coordinated by specific gene expression programs, which are often deregulated during tumorigenesis. While the homeodomain-containing transcription factor, NKX3.1, plays essential roles in both prostate differentiation and prostate cancer, the mechanisms governing these events are still unclear. Here, we aim to elucidate detailed mechanisms governing Nkx3.1-driven prostate epithelial differentiation and explain how deregulation of such can lead to prostate tumorigenesis. Using an Nkx3.1 mutant mouse model, we find that loss-of-function of Nkx3.1 in the prostate results in the down-regulation of genes associated with prostate differentiation as well as the up-regulation of genes that are not normally expressed in prostate. Interestingly, these mice also develop pre-malignant lesions resembling prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Conversely, gain of function of Nkx3.1 in a fully differentiated non-prostate epithelium is sufficient to induce prostate differentiation in renal grafts in vivo. Using a DNA binding mutant, we show that these activities are mediated via NKX3.1 homeodomain in vitro and in vivo. Exploiting mass spectrometry to identify NKX3.1-interacting proteins, we find that NKX3.1 interacts with the histone methyltransferase G9a and that this interaction is required for induction of prostate differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we show that these NKX3.1-driven activities are mediated, at least in part, by regulation of target genes such as the male-specific factor UTY (KDM6c). We propose that the NKX3.1-G9a-UTY network is essential for proper prostate differentiation whereas disruption of these activities predisposes to cancer. Citation Format: Clementine Le Magnen, Aditya Dutta, Antonina Mitrofanova, Andrea Califano, Cory Abate-Shen. Identification of an NKX3.1-G9a-UTY regulatory network that controls proper prostate differentiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2888.
Disciplining the State, Civilizing the Market: The Campaign to Abolish Contract Prison Labor

Sour bread, sour bread; no work, no work. Convicts' mess hall chant, Sing Sing Prison, 1870s In the Gilded Age, contractors and their agents exercised power far more effectively than did the great mass of unfree, dependent prisoners in their charge; but they did not exercise it just as they pleased. Rewriting the prison rulebooks, ordering speed-ups in production, and prescribing new ways of organizing and disciplining convict workers were easy enough; but actually implementing the rules and successfully subjecting the convicts (and the state's keepers) to the disciplinary rigors of the new regime posed a far more difficult set of challenges. In the early stages of restructuring (c. 1872–78), prisoners in every region of the country rebelled and struck against the reforms with an intensity and confidence unseen since the days of the early republican penitentiary and its feisty, rights-conscious inmates. Once the authorities put down these rebellions and submitted their prisoners to the discipline of large-scale industrial labor, they soon discovered that the very structure of the new, large-scale contract industries afforded new opportunities – and new means – of individual and collective acts of defiance. Indeed, the very success of the consolidated contract system was to have some deeply contradictory effects, including the destabilization of the system itself. Nor were these the only difficulties with which large-scale contractors and the state authorities had to contend in the Gilded Age.
Similar perspectives on prostate cancer screening value and new guidelines across patient demographic and PSA level subgroups: A qualitative study

Background In 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based prostate cancer screening for all men. Objective To inform educational materials addressing patient questions and concerns about the 2012 USPSTF guidelines, we sought to: (i) characterize patient perceptions about prostate cancer screening benefits, harms and recommendations against screening, and (ii) compare perceptions across race, age and PSA level subgroups. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of 26 men from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, stratified by race (African American, other), age (50-69, 70-84) and PSA level (documented PSA level ≥4 in Veterans Health Administration electronic medical records vs no such documentation). We used an inductive approach informed by grounded theory to analyse transcribed interviews. Results Most men in all subgroups expressed misperceptions about the benefits of prostate cancer screening and had difficulty identifying harms associated with screening. In all subgroups, reactions to recommendations against screening ranged from unconditionally receptive to highly resistant. Some men in every subgroup initially resistant to the idea said they would accept a recommendation to discontinue screening from their provider. Conclusions Given the similarity of perceptions and reactions across subgroups, materials targeted by race, age and PSA level may not be necessary. Efforts to inform decision making about prostate cancer screening should address misperceptions about benefits and lack of awareness of harms. Provider perspectives and recommendations may play a pivotal role in shaping patient reactions to new guidelines.
Minimally Invasive Approaches for Anterior Skull Base Meningiomas: Supraorbital Eyebrow, Endoscopic Endonasal, or a Combination of Both? Anatomic Study, Limitations, and Surgical Application.

Background Minimally invasive accesses to the anterior skull base include the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) and the supraorbital eyebrow approach. These 2 are often seen as competing approaches, not alternative or combinatory approaches. In this study, we evaluated the anatomic limitations of each approach and the combined approach for accessing the anterior skull base. Methods Ten neurovascular injected cadaver heads were used for the study. The supraorbital approach to the anterior skull base was performed on 5 heads, and EEA was done on the other 5 heads. Then, the supraorbital approach was added to the 5 heads receiving EEA. Visualization and surgical limitations were recorded by the ability to perform resection of the crista galli, anterior clinoid, cribriform plate, and planum sellae. Results The maximal lateral extension of EEA for anterior skull base was the midorbit line anteriorly but narrowing down toward the orbital apex. The limitation of the supraorbital approach was found mostly medial and anterior. Drilling of anterior skull base was impossible medially between the sphenoethmoidal suture and the posterior aspect of the crista galli. The combined approach showed complementary areas of visualization and surgical maneuverability. Three clinical cases were presented to illustrate the indications for the stand-alone supraorbital approach, EEA, and combined approach. Conclusion The limitations of the EEA when dealing with lateral extension of anterior skull base meningiomas, and the limitations of the supraorbital eyebrow approach for medial skull base drilling and reconstruction, can be overcome by a judicious, anatomically based combination of both approaches.
An Integrated Traveling Salesman and Coverage Path Planning Problem for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) have gained great popularity in land monitoring, 3-D mapping, search and rescue, among others. Existing studies on UAS path planning in these missions consider only a single region to be examined. However, it is frequently encountered that multiple regions need to be considered while performing a real life mission. How to design the optimal path for the UAS to cover multiple regions is then critical. From a strategical point of view, such a problem can be considered as a variant of the traveling salesman problem (TSP) combined and enhanced with the coverage path planning (CPP) problem. Although TSP and CPP have been studied extensively, its combination, which here is given the name TSP-CPP, hasn’t received any attention. In this letter, a preliminary study on how to formulate and solve this problem is conducted. Two novel approaches including a grid-based approach and a dynamic programming based approach are introduced to find the (near) optimal solution. Both numerical analysis and simulation studies are conducted to prove and illustrate the optimality and efficiency of the proposed TSP-CPP approaches.
Hardware Acceleration for Cryptography Algorithms by Hotspot Detection

Data Encryption/Decryption has become an essential part of pervasive computing systems. However, executing these cryptographic algorithms often introduces a high overhead. In this paper, we select nine widely used cryptographic algorithms to improve their performance by providing hardware-assisted solutions. For each algorithm, we identify the software performance bottleneck, i.e., those “hotspot functions” or “hot-blocks” which consume a substantial portion of the overall execution time. Then, based on the percentage of execution time of a specific function and its relationship with the overall algorithm, we select candidates for our hardware acceleration. We design our hardware accelerators of the chosen candidates. The results show that our implementations achieve speedups as high as 60 folds for specific functions and 5.4 for the overall algorithm compared with the performance of the software-only implementation. Through the associated hardware cost analysis, we point to an opportunity to perform these functions in an SIMD fashion.
Orientation Strategies Used by Free-Flying Bird Migrants: A Radar Tracking Study

A new technique for studying the orientation of free-flying migrants following experimental manipulation is described. Birds are taken aloft, rereleased at migratory altitudes, and their flight departures accurately plotted by tracking radar.
Temporal Spatial Inverse Semantics for Robots Communicating with Humans

Effective communication between humans often embeds both temporal and spatial context. While spatial context captures the geographic settings of objects in the environment, temporal context describes their changes over time. In this paper, we propose temporal spatial inverse semantics (TeSIS) to extend the inverse semantics approach to also consider the temporal context for robots communicating with humans. Inverse semantics generates natural language requests while taking into account how well the human listeners would interpret those requests given the current spatial context. Compared to inverse semantics, our approach incorporates also temporal context by referring to spatial context information in the past. To achieve this, we extend the sentence structure in inverse semantics to generate sentences that can refer to not only the current but also previous states of the environment. A new metric based on the extended sentence structure is developed by breaking a single sentence into multiple independent sentences that refer to environment states at different times. Using this approach, we are able to generate sentences such as “Please pick up the cup beside the oven that was on the dining table”. To evaluate our approach, we randomly generate scenarios in an experimental domain. Each scenario includes the description of the current and several immediate previous states. Natural language sentences are then generated for these scenarios using both inverse semantics that uses only the spatial context and our approach. Amazon MTurk is used to compare the sentences generated and results show that TeSIS achieves better accuracy, sometimes by a significant margin, than the baseline.
Megasphaera elsdenii Attenuates Lactate Accumulation in Cultures of Equine Cecal Microorganisms Provided With Starch or Oligofructose

Abstract The effects of adding Megasphaera elsdenii (ME) to equine cecal microorganisms provided oligofructose (inulin [IN]) or corn starch (CS) were evaluated. Four cecally cannulated horses (529 ± 70 kg BW) were used as donors of cecal inoculum for randomized complete block experiments with 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangements. Factor 1 was carbohydrate source (IN or CS). Factor 2 was level of added ME [7.93 × 108 CFU (study 1; with ME), 2 × 107 CFU (study 2; with ME), or 0 CFU]. In study 1, 150 mL cultures were incubated for 48 hours. In study 2, 20 mL cultures were incubated for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30, 36, 42, and 48 hours. In study 1, gas production ceased after 8 hours in cultures provided IN without ME, whereas other cultures remained active for 48 hours. Cultures containing IN yielded greater lactate (P .05), ME reduced lactate accumulation, stabilized pH, and enhanced fermentative activity in study 1.
A Framework for Five Big V’s of Big Data and Organizational Culture in Firms

Big data analytics has come out as a new important field of study for both researchers and practitioners, demonstrating the significant demand for solutions to business problems in a data-driven knowledge-based economy. Additionally, empirical studies examining the impacts of the nascent technology on organizational performance, especially the influence of organizational culture on the five Big V’s of big data, remain scarce. The present study aims to fill the gap. Based on Cameron and Quinn’s organizational cultural model, this study proposes a theoretical framework that describes how each type of organizational culture – hierarchy, clan, adhocracy, and market – has impacts on each Big V of big data. The framework suggests that firms, influenced by their organizational culture, have different views on how important each Big V’s should be. The study argues that organizations should develop, nurture, and maintain an adhocracy organizational culture that has a positive impact on each of the five Big V’s to harness the full potential of big data.
Clopidogrel Drug Interactions and Serious Bleeding: Generating Real-World Evidence via Automated High-Throughput Pharmacoepidemiologic Screening

Few population-based studies have examined bleeding associated with clopidogrel drug-drug interactions (DDIs). We sought to identify precipitant drugs taken concomitantly with clopidogrel (an object drug) that increased serious bleeding rates. We screened 2000-2015 Optum commercial health insurance claims to identify DDI signals. We performed self-controlled case series studies for clopidogrel plus precipitant pairs, examining associations with gastrointestinal bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage. To distinguish native bleeding effects of a precipitant, we reexamined associations using pravastatin as a negative control object drug. Among 431 analyses, 28 clopidogrel plus precipitant pairs were statistically significantly positively associated with serious bleeding. Ratios of rate ratios ranged from 1.13-3.94. Among these pairs, 13 were expected given precipitant drugs alone increased and/or were harbingers of serious bleeding. The remaining 15 pairs constituted new DDI signals, none of which are currently listed in two major DDI knowledge bases.