cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of oral amphotericin B in AIDS patients with thrush clinically resistant to fluconazole

Reports of thrush clinically refractory to azoles in AIDS patients are increasing with the more widespread use of these agents. We studied our own oral preparation of amphotericin B in the treatment of two AIDS patients who developed oral thrush due to Candida glabrata after prolonged fluconazole use. Improvement occurred in both in less than 1 week, with eventual clearing and absence of side effects. Oral amphotericin B may have advantages over alternatives for this increasing problem.
‘Modernity’ and ‘Tradition’ in ‘Thailand’

This paper examines the terms ‘modernity’ and ‘tradition’ as an ideal-typical pair and shows how they are typically misused as descriptive terms. It discusses the transformation of these terms' use from one of description to one of prescription as they are adopted by ‘developing’ nations. Focussing on Thailand, the paper shows how the term ‘tradition’, which formely stood alone, shifts in meaning as it is put into opposition to ‘modernity’, and how the pair serve as legitimating terms in a political context, tied to ‘nation-building’ and the interests of different political groups. This process and its ambiguities are explored through an examination of ritual, public monuments, and semantic changes.
Crosslinking of whey protein by transglutaminase.

Guinea pig liver transglutaminase (EC 2.3.2.13) was used to enzymically crosslink the whey protein alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, blends of these protein fractions, whey proteins in powdered whey, and whey proteins in modified powdered whey. Transglutaminase actively crosslinked whey proteins over a wide pH range (6.5 to 8.0). Crosslinking gradually increased with increased incubation time to 4 h. Crosslinking was negligible with transglutaminase after 4 h of incubation. Reconstituted commercial whey and modified whey powders contained sufficient Ca2+ for crosslinking by .92 units transglutaminase/ml of reconstituted whey powder (2% protein) and modified whey powder solutions (1 to 5% protein). Reconstituted whey and modified whey powder (35% protein) served as protein sources for crosslinking by transglutaminase without further adjustment of pH or Ca2+. Dithiothreitol was required to crosslink the whey protein.
Rhodium-catalyzed cysteine modification with diazo reagents

A simple rhodium(II) complex catalyzes cysteine modification with diazo reagents. The reaction is marked by clean cysteine selectivity and mild reaction conditions. The resulting linkage is significantly more stable in human plasma serum, when compared to common maleimide reagents.
Mixed phospholipid liposome calcification.

Synthetic lipid vesicle (liposome) suspensions have been used to experimentally model many of the calcium phosphate precipitation steps observed in matrix vesicle (MV) calcification. In particular, precipitate development in liposomes can be made to preferentially follow the progression seen in MV, i.e. to occur initially in intraliposomal spaces and then to expand into the surrounding suspending medium. This paper reviews results from studies by us which show that certain phospholipid (PL) constituents of the liposomal membrane can modulate this progression. Of greatest relevance to MV calcification is the observation that phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin, two lipids selectively enriched in MV, slow the expansion of the precipitation from inside to outside the liposome.
Identification of PTE2, a human peroxisomal long-chain acyl-CoA thioesterase.

Abstract Computer-based approaches identified PTE2 as a candidate human peroxisomal acyl-CoA thioesterase gene. The PTE2 gene product is highly similar to the rat cytosolic and mitochondrial thioesterases, CTE1 and MTE1, respectively, and terminates in a tripeptide sequence, serine-lysine-valineCOOH, that resembles the consensus sequence for type-1 peroxisomal targeting signals. PTE2 was targeted to peroxisomes and recombinant PTE2 showed intrinsic acyl-CoA thioesterase activity with a pH optimum of 8.5. A comparison of PTE2 and PTE1 thioesterase activities across multiple acyl-CoA substrates indicated that while PTE1 was most active on medium-chain acyl-CoAs, with little activity on long-chain acyl-CoAs, PTE2 displayed high activity on medium- and long-chain acyl-CoAs. The identification of PTE2 therefore offers an explanation for the observed long-chain acyl-CoA thioesterase activity of mammalian peroxisomes.
Written Language Skills of Entry-Level Accountants as Assessed by Experienced CPAs.

Experienced CPAs were surveyed to examine the perception of the written lan guage skills of entry-level accountants. The results suggest that written lan guage fundamentals in word selection and usage, sentence and paragraph construction, and other grammar and mechanics remain a problem for entry- level accountants.
Outcomes following redo sternotomy for aortic surgery

Proximal thoracic aortic reconstruction performed with or without hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) is an effective surgical strategy for aortic pathology. In this study, the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing reoperative proximal thoracic aortic surgery were evaluated. A retrospective review was performed for reoperative proximal aortic surgery from 2004 to date. Patient data were abstracted from the society of thoracic surgeons (STS) institutional database and patient charts. Univariate analysis was conducted on the HCA group in order to determine the impact of variables on in-hospital mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival estimates were calculated for long-term survival analysis. One hundred and twenty-two patients were included in the analysis. Twenty-seven (22.1%) were female, and the mean age was 53.8 years. Seventy-seven (63.1%) patients had an aortic root replacement, and 93 (76.2%) patients underwent aortic arch replacement. Circulatory arrest was performed in 92 (75.4%) patients. Operative mortality occurred in 14 patients (11.5%). Complications included re-exploration for haemorrhage (nine patients, 7.4%), stroke (four, 3.3%), renal failure (13, 10.7%) and major adverse events (18, 14.8%). Univariate and multivariate analyses of HCA patients showed cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, preoperative renal failure and prior coronary revascularization as independent predictors of mortality. Reoperative proximal aortic surgery can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. These data also suggest that HCA represents a safe operative strategy for this patient population.
Decision-making: Logical bases for “illogical” choices

Abstract Some of the most critical and difficult decisions people face involve their health. Patient educators and counselors play a key role in helping individuals to make these decisions. This decision-making role is central to the definition of patient education and counseling which emphasizes individualized and collaborative problem solving and the active participation of patients in their health care [1]. The articles in this special collection on patient decision-making provide but a few examples of the many types of decisions patient educators are called upon to help patients make; decisions concerning reproduction, medication adherence, seeking medical care, and informed consent.
Calcium signaling in specialized glial cells.

This article reviews calcium signaling in three specialized types of glial cells: Muller cells of the retina, Bergmann glial cells of the cerebellum, and radial glial cells of the developing cortex. Muller cells generate spontaneous and neuronal activity-evoked increases in Ca(2+). Neuron to Muller cell signaling is mediated by neuronal release of ATP and activation of glial P2Y receptors. Muller cells, in turn, modulate neuronal excitability and mediate vasomotor responses. Bergmann glial cells also generate spontaneous and activity-evoked Ca(2+) increases. Neuron to Bergmann glia signaling is mediated by neuronal release of nitric oxide, noradrenaline, and glutamate. In Bergmann glia, Ca(2+) increases control the structural and functional interactions between these cells and Purkinje cell synapses. In the ventricular zone of the developing cortex, radial glial cells generate spontaneous Ca(2+) increases that propagate as Ca(2+) waves through clusters of neighboring glial cells. These Ca(2+) increases control cell proliferation and neurogenesis.
Comparison of classical and quantum phase space structure of nonrigid molecules, LiCN

Abstract We examine the classical and quantum phase space structure of the nonrigid molecule LiCN. The quantum phase space density for many vibrational eigenstates exhibits marked localization in classically chaotic regions of phase space.
Effect of load on the hardness of hot isostatically pressed silicon nitride

The hardness values of five hot isostatic pressed silicon nitride materials, with varying densities, were measured at loads between 1 and 200 N. For the fully dense materials, the calculated hardness decreased from about 30 to 15 GPa as the load increased to about 10 N, and the hardness remained constant at higher loads. For the samples that showed indentation size effect (ISE), cracks formed at the corners of the indentation, starting at the lowest load of 1 N. Materials with lower densities had lower hardness values, displayed a very small or no ISE, and formed corner cracks only at high loads. For the samples that displayed an ISE at low loads, the formation of cracks was analyzed using the Niihara et al. criterion for Palmqvist cracks.
The evolution of hamster sperm motility during capacitation and interaction with the ovum vestments in vitro

Movement characteristics of golden hamster spermatozoa were studied upon collection from the cauda epididymis, during an incubation which capacitates the spermatozoa in vitro, during penetration of the cumulus, and during attachment to and penetration of the zona pellucida. High-speed videomicrography was employed to quantitate flagellar beat frequency and shape. The status of the acrosome was also assessed. During capacitation, hamster spermatozoa become increasingly invigorated before the onset of hyperactivated motility. Within the cumulus, beat frequency and curvature are reduced, apparently in response to the physical resistive properties of the matrix material. These properties appear to vary within the cumulus. Initial attachment to the zona precedes completion of the acrosome reaction, is non-rigid, and is accompanied by increased beat frequency and curvature. Subsequently, the onset of rigid binding to the zona, completion of the acrosome reaction, and increased flagellar beat frequency are very closely associated in time. The latter produces an increase in thrust against the zona. Preliminary results indicate that ensuing zona penetration requires not more than five minutes, is at oblique angles, and is associated with a continuation of vigorous flagellar beating.
Context-patch for difficult face recognition

Multiple research has shown the advantage of patch-based or local representation for face recognition. This paper builds on a novel way of putting the patches in context, using a foveated representation. While humans focus on local regions and move between them, they always see these regions in “context”. We hypothesize that using foveated context can improve performance of local region or patch based recognition techniques. The face images captured in uncontrolled environment suffer greatly due to blur, scale, resolution and illumination. In such situations, a facial patch by itself does not provide highly discriminative information. Correct patches may have higher intra-subject variation and incorrect patches may have lower inter-subject distance. To overcome this issue, we define a context-patch which is a face region that contains more information about a particular region and some contextual information about the rest of the face region. The low-resolution context is tolerant of intra-subject variations but still responds to many inter-subject differences. We build multi-class SVMs per context patch and fuse the normalized margins for classification. We show that by using the context-patch decision level fusion, the identification as well as verification performance of face recognition system can be greatly improved, especially in the case of highly degraded images. We conducted the experiments on the Remote Face Database and show the improvement over state of the art algorithms and the standalone patch fusion algorithm.
Mass-independent fractionation of mercury isotopes in Arctic snow driven by sunlight

In the Arctic spring, sunlight-induced reactions convert gaseous elemental mercury into compounds that are rapidly deposited on the snowpack. Analysis of the isotopic composition of mercury in snow samples collected during an atmospheric mercury depletion event suggests that sunlight triggers the re-emission of mercury from the snowpack. After polar sunrise in the Arctic, sunlight-induced reactions convert gaseous elemental mercury into compounds that are rapidly deposited to the snowpack. These atmospheric mercury depletion events occur repeatedly until snowmelt1,2. Following deposition, the mercury can be reduced by sunlight-induced reactions and emitted as a gas3,4,5,6, or can be retained in the snowpack7,8, where it may affect Arctic ecosystems following snowmelt. However, the proportion of mercury that remains in the snowpack is uncertain. Here, we measured the mercury isotopic composition of snow samples collected during an atmospheric mercury depletion event in Barrow, Alaska. We report large negative mass-independent fractionation of mercury isotopes in the Arctic snow. Results from a flux chamber experiment suggest that mass-independent fractionation is coupled to the re-emission of elemental mercury to the atmosphere, and is triggered by sunlight-induced reactions. On the basis of the above, we estimate that photochemical reactions triggered the release of a significant portion of the mercury deposited during this atmospheric mercury depletion event.
Heating up the forest: open‐top chamber warming manipulation of arthropod communities at Harvard and Duke Forests

Summary 1. Recent observations indicate that climatic change is altering biodiversity, and models suggest that the consequences of climate change will differ across latitude. However, long-term experimental field manipulations that directly test the predictions about organisms’ responses to climate change across latitude are lacking. Such experiments could provide a more mechanistic understanding of the consequences of climate change on ecological communities and subsequent changes in ecosystem processes, facilitating better predictions of the effects of future climate change. 2. This field experiment uses octagonal, 5-m-diameter (c. 22 m 3 ) open-top chambers to simulate warming at northern (Harvard Forest, Massachusetts) and southern (Duke Forest, North Carolina) hardwood forest sites to determine the effects of warming on ant and other arthropod populations and communities near the edges of their ranges. Each site has 12 plots containing open-top chambers that manipulate air temperature incrementally from ambient to 6 � C above ambient. Because the focus of this study is on mobile, litter- and soil-dwelling arthropods, standard methods for warming chambers (e.g. soil-warming cables or infrared heaters applied to relatively small areas) were inappropriate and new technological approaches using hydronic heating and forced air movement were developed. 3. We monitor population dynamics, species composition, phenology and behaviour of ants and other arthropods occupying these experimental chambers. Microclimatic measurements in each chamber include the following: air temperature (three), soil temperatures (two each in organic and mineral soil), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), relative humidity and soil moisture (one each). In two chambers, we are also measuring soil heat flux, associated soil temperatures at 2 and 6 cm and volumetric water content. To assess the composition, phenology and abundance of arthropod communities within the experiment, we use monthly pitfall trapping and annual Winkler sampling. We also census artificial and natural ant nests to monitor changes in ant colony size and productivity across the temperature treatments. 4. This experiment is a long-term ecological study that provides opportunities for collaborations across a broad spectrum of ecologists, including those studying biogeochemical, microbial and plant responses to warming. Future studies also may include implementation of multifactorial climate manipulations, examination of interactions across trophic levels and quantification of changes in ecosystem processes.
Preservation of continence after ileoanal anastomosis by the coordination of ileal pouch and anal canal motor activity

Nocturnal incontinence may occur after ileoanal anastomosis and may be related to loss of an effective anal canal pressure barrier during sleep; how pressure and contractions in the proximal bowel influence this barrier is unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between anal canal pressure and contractions and contractile activity of the pouch in continent subjects after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) and of the rectum in normal controls. A fully ambulatory system for 24-hour pressure recording was used. A flexible transducer catheter was introduced endoscopically so that sensors were at 2, 3, 8, 12, 16, and 24 cm from the anal orifice in 12 healthy controls (7 men, 5 women, mean age: 35 years) and 7 fully continent IPAA patients (4 men, 3 women, mean age: 34 years) more than 12 months postoperatively. Twenty-four hour spontaneous motor activity was stored in a 2.5 megabyte (MB) digital portable recorder. Mean anal canal pressure was calculated, and rectal motor complexes and ileal pouch large pressure waves were characterized. During sleep, resting anal canal pressures were similar in the two groups (72 +/- 12 mm Hg in controls versus 66 +/- 9 mm Hg in IPAA patients [mean +/- standard deviation (SD)], p = NS), but anal canal pressure showed cyclic relaxations (periodicity: 95 +/- 11 min in controls, 54 +/- 18 min in IPAA patients, p less than 0.05), during which the mean pressure trough was 15 +/- 4 mm Hg in controls and 14 +/- 5 mm Hg in IPAA patients (p = NS). In the control patients, during sleep, a mean of six rectal motor complexes were identified (range: 3 to 9). In patients with IPAA, during sleep, a mean of eight large pressure waves per hour were identified (range: 2 to 20). Importantly, in both controls and patients, rectal motor complexes or large pressure waves were always accompanied by rapid return of anal canal pressure from trough to basal values and increased contractile activity. We concluded that, in healthy patients and in continent patients after IPAA, motor activity of the rectum and of the ileal pouch was associated with changes in pressure and contractile activity of the anal canal so that rectal- and neorectal-anal canal pressure gradient, and, in turn, fecal continence were preserved.
The mini mobile environmental monitoring unit: a novel bio-assessment tool

This paper introduces a new bio-assessment tool, the mini-mobile environmental monitoring unit (MMU). The MMU is a portable, lightweight, energy-efficient, miniaturized laboratory that provides a low-flow system for on-site exposure of aquatic animals to local receiving waters in a protected, controllable environment. Prototypes of the MMU were tested twice in week-long studies conducted during the summers of 2008 and 2009, and in a 12-day study in 2010. In 2008, fathead minnows and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were deployed downstream from the Hastings, Nebraska wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), a waterway known to contain estrogenic contaminants in biologically active concentrations. In 2009, minnows and POCIS were deployed downstream, upstream and within the Grand Island, Nebraska WWTP, a site where the estrogenic contaminants had been detected, but were found at levels below those necessary to directly impact fish. In 2010, an advanced prototype was tested at the Sauk Center, Minnesota WWTP to compare its performance with that of traditional fish exposure methods including caged fish and static-renewal laboratory testing of effluent. Results from the prototype illustrate the capabilities of the MMU and offer an inexpensive monitoring tool to integrate the effects of pollutant sources with temporally varying composition and concentration.
Integrated GaAs microsensors

The compatible integration of planar-processed microsensor structures with GaAs MESFET depletion-mode, operational amplifiers is described. Circuits using 2.0 mu m-gate FETs are formed in a planar, direct, ion-implantation process. The main features of this process include a lightly-doped shallow channel layer, selective n/sup +/ contact layers, and planar isolation by proton implantation. A deformable microsensor structure using the piezoelectric thin-film zinc oxide is formed over a micromachined air gap over the GaAs substrate. The circuit and fabrication issues of integrated GaAs microsensors are described and compared with equivalent implementations using silicon technology. >
The Decrease in Socioeconomic Differences in Mortality from 1920 to 2000 in the United States and England

This study found that the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on mortality decreased steadily during the twentieth century. It examined trends in age-specific adult mortality rates for employed men and infants in a number of social classes based on occupation in England and Wales and for black, white, and immigrant nationality groups of men, women, and infants in the United States. Both countries experienced continuing decreases in mortality rates and narrowing of SES differences in mortality rates from 1920 to the end of the century. Most of the decrease and narrowing in England and Wales occurred before the establishment of the National Health Service and the unprecedented improvements in clinical and preventive medicine after midcentury. Current cancer mortality rates in both countries show no consistent relationship with SES. The very low mortality rates of some low SES immigrant nationality groups in the United States throughout the century demonstrate that other social factors can have a greater effect on health than SES.
Combustor Stability & Lean Blowout

*University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 The design and development of low-emissions, lean premixed aero gas turbine combustor entail many compromises involving combustor stability, efficiency, pattern factor, and relight capability. In this paper, we report on the combustor performance (efficiency and stability), lean blowout, and emissions of CO and NOx using a well-stirred reactor, bluff body combustor, and a gas turbine combustor. The reactor combustion efficiency was 99 percent over a wide range of mixture ratios and reactor loading and decreased slightly as fuel carbon number increased. A simple global reaction rate analysis provided good predictions of the lean blowout limits. CO emissions reached a minimum at a flame temperature of 1600K and NOx increased rapidly with an increase in flame temperature and moderately with increasing residence time. Detailed kinetic modeling provided satisfactory predictions of CO and NOx emissions. Finally, emissions maps of different combustors demonstrated differences in their emissions performance.
Short-pulse plane-wave scattering from buried perfectly conducting bodies of revolution

The method of moments is used to analyze short-pulse plane-wave scattering from perfectly conducting bodies of revolution buried in a lossy, dispersive half space. The analysis is performed in the frequency domain, with the time-domain fields synthesized via Fourier transform. To make this analysis efficient, the method of complex images is used to compute the frequency-dependent components of the half-space dyadic Green's function. Results are presented for short-pulse scattering from buried spheres and cylinders, using measured frequency-dependent soil parameters (permittivity and conductivity).
Encapsidated hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase is poised on an ordered RNA lattice

Assembly of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) virion begins with the formation of an RNA-filled core composed of a symmetrical capsid (built of core protein), viral pregenomic RNA, and viral reverse transcriptase. To generate the circular dsDNA genome of HBV, reverse transcription requires multiple template switches within the confines of the capsid. To date, most anti-HBV therapeutics target this reverse transcription process. The detailed molecular mechanisms of this crucial process are poorly understood because of the lack of structural information. We hypothesized that capsid, RNA, and viral reverse transcriptase would need a precise geometric organization to accomplish reverse transcription. Here we present the asymmetric structure of authentic RNA-filled cores, determined to 14.5-A resolution from cryo-EM data. Capsid and RNA are concentric. On the interior of the RNA, we see a distinct donut-like density, assigned to viral reverse transcriptase, which pins the viral pregenomic RNA to the capsid inner surface. The observation of a unique ordered structure inside the core suggests that assembly and the first steps of reverse transcription follow a single, determinate pathway and strongly suggests that all subsequent steps in DNA synthesis do as well.
Simple DC Power Supply

I you want to make a neon-bulb relaxation oscillator,1 but don’t have a dc power supply that will produce the required 80 V or so, here is another option. I created a 95-V battery to use with a relaxation oscillator by connecting ten 9-V alkaline batteries in series (see Fig. 1). The batteries snap together like Lego bricks, and the leads on the end batteries each use half of a twoterminal battery connector (see Fig. 2). This dc power supply is safer and more convenient than one running on 110 VAC.
Extraordinary colors of asteroidal object (5145) 1992 AD

The colors of the recently discovered 1992 AD indicate a heretofore unknown spectral class, with colors that are far redder than those of any asteroids and comets thus far studied. It is suggested that the redness may be due to the exposure of organic substances that are purer than those associated with C, P, and D asteroids and comets, and therefore more likely to exhibit diagnostic spectral features in the IR.
International criminal law's incongruity in Colombia: why core crime prosecution in national jurisdictions should be included in analyses of transnational criminal law

Using Colombia as a case study, this article tests the merits of the proposed delineation between transnational criminal law and international criminal law. The demarcation is based in part on the existence of the International Criminal Court to repress international core crimes as a direct enforcement scheme. However, most judicial activity relative to this type of criminal conduct takes place in national jurisdictions, subject to immense diversity in practice, and not in the International Criminal Court. The critical use of the transnational lens to monitor and evaluate this activity complements the current focus on international criminal law and provides a methodology that allows consideration of legal and cultural pluralism that is at play in the national repression of core crimes. National practice involves the indirect application of international law, and results in an amalgamation of international criminal law and national criminal law, which, in the end, can impact the content and the form that i...
Laban's Ghost: On Writing and Transgression

When writing is viewed simply as a source of enlightenment it conceals a network of possibly exploitative social relations. In the case of Mormonism, writing both conceals and shapes social relations. The Book of Mormon was presented by Joseph Smith as a history of the American Indians, a bridge between the historical Judeo-Christian tradition and a people not originally part of that written history. Although the author of this new scripture proclaimed that God was impartial, the text masked disparate power relations between American Indians and European colonizers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints challenged the revelatory monopoly that the Protestant Reformation had assigned to the Bible and attached eternal significance to the written word. It thus reified the practice of writing, which has since shaped Mormon practice and belief through the production of new scriptures, extensive record keeping, and an emphasis on correlated instructional materials and genealogical production of salvation. In the past few years Mormon scholars, including feminists, have used the written word to challenge and limit the power and authority of male church leaders. In so doing they have offended those general authorities who claim to represent the God of the record keepers. The writings of scholars, like those of church leaders, also disguise contested social relations hidden within the written word. This contest over the written word is itself shaped by the reification or fetishization of writing as an administrative and an enlightening device of both humans and gods.
Factor Rotation and Standard Errors in Exploratory Factor Analysis.

In this article, we report a surprising phenomenon: Oblique CF-varimax and oblique CF-quartimax rotation produced similar point estimates for rotated factor loadings and factor correlations but dif...
Assessing empathy development in medical education: a systematic review.

Context Empathy in doctor–patient relationships is a familiar topic for medical scholars and a crucial goal for medical educators. Nonetheless, there are persistent disagreements in the research literature concerning how best to evaluate empathy among physicians, and whether empathy declines or increases across medical education. Some researchers have argued that the instruments used to study ‘empathy’ may not measure anything meaningful to clinical practice or patient satisfaction. Methods We performed a systematic review to learn how empathy is conceptualised in medical education research. We examined how researchers define the central construct of empathy and what they choose to measure, and investigated how well definitions and operationalisations match. Results Among the 109 studies that met our search criteria, 20% failed to define the central construct of empathy at all and only 13% used an operationalisation that was well matched to the definition provided. The majority of studies were characterised by internal inconsistencies and vagueness in both the conceptualisation and operationalisation of empathy, constraining the validity and usefulness of the research. The methods most commonly used to measure empathy relied heavily on self-report and cognition divorced from action, and may therefore have limited power to predict the presence or absence of empathy in clinical settings. Finally, the large majority of studies treated empathy itself as a ‘black box’, using global construct measurements that are unable to shed light on the underlying processes that produce an empathic response. Conclusions We suggest that future research should follow the lead of basic scientific research that conceptualises empathy as relational – an engagement between a subject and an object – rather than as a personal quality that may be modified wholesale through appropriate training.
Plant Mutagenesis and Crop Improvement

To increase the production of food by a minimum of 70 % for the next decades is a big challenge. There is an urgent need to eradicate the hunger of an increasing human population, which is becoming disturbing because of climate change, decreasing water resources, a decline of arable land, and by the serious health and environmental hazard due to the use of agrochemicals. Increased production of quality food with low input is deemed to be a very fascinating option. On the other hand, the limitation of variations in plant crops, especially staple crops, limits the options of uncovering new alleles of genes. Hence, new variations among plant crops with new gene combinations and induced mutation is the better option thus far. Induced mutation uncovers the new combination of genes that result in a new breed with superior traits to the parents. In addition to that, cell and molecular biology methods are increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of mutation induction and detection of novel alleles of genes. Different mutagens mainly include physical and chemical mutagens and are now being applied by researchers for plant mutagenesis. This chapter reviews the methodology of mutation induction, mutagens that are being used for this purpose, and how they help us to improve the crop.
High Fidelity Dynamic Analysis of Launch Vehicles on Single -Image Supercomputers

** Understanding the transonic buffet condition during launch is important for the mission of any launch vehicle to be successful. Accurate computational modeling of this flight condition requires software based on high fidelity solution modules that s imulate the occurring transient fluid/structure interaction using CFD/CSD methods. The necessary software to model these types of atmospheric launch conditions was cost effectively generated by extending the capabilities of the current NASA software HiMA P. HiMAP is an efficient super modular process to simulate the aeroelastic behavior of aerospace vehicles using high -fidelity flow equations such as the Euler or Navier -Stokes equations. In this project, a dynamic transient structural sub -domain analysis capability was created. This Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) software module uses 9 -degree -of freedom triangular finite elements and a consistent mass matrix for dynamic transient analysis. A post -processing routine was added to calculate the str ess distributions in the structural model. The CSD module was designed in such a way that it could be plugged directly into the CFD code for accurate fluid -structure interaction analysis. The CFD grid set -up as provided for flow analysis in HiMAP and the e xisting fluid -structure interface in the CFD code were used as is. The CSD module was formulated for parallel implementation, using the MPI library. All aspects of the code were and continue to be tested in stand -alone and integrated mode, both in series a nd in parallel. Since the resulting CFD/CSD based transient aeroelastic simulation is very time consuming, it is most cost -effectively performed using closely coupled cluster computers. In this research, computational resources built on commodity PC and/o r work - station clusters were utilized. Specifically, the resulting new code was implemented on the Linux based High Performance Computer Boomer at the OU Supercomputing Center for Education and Research (OSCER) of the University of Oklahoma - an Aspen Lin ux cluster with 270 Pentium4 XeonDP processors - and will also be implemented on a single -image Linux processor cluster within Columbia at NASA Ames Research Center. The performance of the new aeroelastic code is presently being evaluated by performing hig h-fidelity computations of the fluid -structure interaction of four simple examples: bodies of revolution in a hemisphere -cylinder, a cone -cylinder, a blunted cone -cylinder, and an ogive -cylinder configuration, which all represent typical vertical launch ve hicle models.
isoMETLIN: A Database for Isotope-Based Metabolomics

The METLIN metabolite database has become one of the most widely used resources in metabolomics for making metabolite identifications. However, METLIN is not designed to identify metabolites that have been isotopically labeled. As a result, unbiasedly tracking the transformation of labeled metabolites with isotope-based metabolomics is a challenge. Here, we introduce a new database, called isoMETLIN (http://isometlin.scripps.edu/), that has been developed specifically to identify metabolites incorporating isotopic labels. isoMETLIN enables users to search all computed isotopologues derived from METLIN on the basis of mass-to-charge values and specified isotopes of interest, such as 13C or 15N. Additionally, isoMETLIN contains experimental MS/MS data on hundreds of isotopomers. These data assist in localizing the position of isotopic labels within a metabolite. From these experimental MS/MS isotopomer spectra, precursor atoms can be mapped to fragments. The MS/MS spectra of additional isotopomers can then ...
MULTICENTER VALIDATION OF TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE SCORE AS A QUALITY ASSESSMENT TOOL IN CONGENITAL CARDIAC SURGERY

Technical Performance Score (TPS), a novel tool for assessing adequacy of repair of congenital cardiac defects based on clinical and echocardiographic data, has been validated and correlates with outcomes in single center studies. This study aims to validate TPS in a multicenter environment.
Cell-mediated immune reactivity to hepatitis B surface antigen in liver diseases.

The cellular immune reactivity to hepatitis Β surface antigen (HBsAg) was studied in patients with liver diseases using a purified preparation of HBsAg and the leukocyte-migration agarose test. Inhibition of leukocyte migration by HBsAg was found in all 9 patients in the acute phase of viral hepatitis but not during convalescence. HBsAg inhibited migration of leukocytes in only 1 of 15 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, in none of 16 with chronic periportal hepatitis, and in 2 of 21 with nonhepatic liver diseases. In normal control subjects inhibition of migration was found only in 1 physician exposed to HBsAg. Similar but not identical results were obtained with HBsAg-positive serum used as antigen. In patients with chronic hepatitis there was no correlation between reactivity to HBsAg and the presence of autoantibodies or anti-HBs. While further investigations using other preparations of antigens associated with HBV (e.g., hepatitis Β core antigen) may better clarify the role of hepatitis Β virus in some liver diseases, the present investigations suggest that a reactivity to HBsAg in patients with acute viral hepatitis may indicate clearing of the antigen, whereas in patients with chronic hepatitis it may reflect a state of specific tolerance to this antigen.
Analysis on Incentive Principle and Applicable Conditions of EPR Policy Tools

The essence of EPR policy is through a series of policies arrangement to encourage producers to undertake the corresponding "extension" responsibility. Based on the marginal analysis method of microeconomics, the paper revealed the incentive principle of EPR policy tools including Pigovian Tax, deposit-refund, input-output tax, substitution and standard regulation. Besides, we explore how to set the incentive intensity of different policy tools to prompt eventual waste emissions reaching the social optimal status and discuss the applicable conditions of different EPR policy tools from the perspective of supervision cost, implement cost and so on. It indicates that the incentive principle of those policy tools is similar, while there are respective advantages and disadvantages. It's applicable according to the industry characteristics and market features to alternative or combination of each other in practical process.
Test research on K-node jointed by inserting plate in transmission tubular steel tower

K-node jointed by inserting plate are researched by full-scale model testing research and nonlinear finite element analysis,including three kinds of inserting plate as C-shaped,U-shaped and cross ones.The distribution and changing trends of stress is found out in steel tubular joints;and their reliabilities and safeties used in 1 000 kV Huainan to Shanghai UHV transmission tower are proven.Some suggestions for the use of C-shaped,U-shaped and cross inserting plates in design of steel tubular tower are presented.
An Implement of File System Based on IC Card

Providing a strategy to m anage file system of IC card. Besides achieving the operation of files system, more attention is put on safety of writing memory in case of power down.
Towards a Robot Computational Model to Preserve Dignity in Stigmatizing Patient-Caregiver Relationships

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with an expressive mask are particularly vulnerable to stigmatization during interactions with their caregivers due to their inability to express affect through nonverbal channels. Our approach to uphold PD patient dignity is through the use of an ethical robot that mediates patient shame when it recognizes norm violations in the patient-caregiver interaction. This paper presents the basis for a computational model tasked with computing patient shame and the empathetic response of a caregiver during “empathetic opportunities” in their interaction. A PD patient is liable to suffer indignity when there is a substantial difference between his experienced shame and the empathy shown by the caregiver. When this difference falls outside of acceptable set bounds (norms), the robotic agent will act using subtle, nonverbal cues to guide the relationship back within these bounds, preserving patient dignity.
Nimodipine Improves Learning and Sensorimotor Behaviors in Aging Mammals

Two troubling concomitants of aging for many individuals are a reduction in sensorimotor capacity and an impairment of learning and memory, which often occur even in “normal” aging. An important common factor associated with both age-related physiological deficits and with learning and memory deficits is the perturbation of calcium metabolism in neurons and other cells throughout the body (Khachaturian, 1984; Landfield, 1987). We have used nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, to modulate calcium action in aging rabbits, and have observed marked facilitation of associative learning (Deyo et al., 1989a) and alterations in open field behaviors, interpretable as an improvement of sensorimotor responsivity (Deyo et al., 1989b). In our experiments, aging rabbits given nimodipine behave more like young controls than their age-matched cohort group. Studies using other species and behavioral tasks also indicate that nimodipine facilitates learning tasks and sensorimotor tests which may have good face validity when generalized to humans. In general, learning tasks used are mediated by hippocampus, a structure known to be especially affected by Alzheimer’s disease (Van Hoesen and Damasio, 1987) as well as by aging (Geinisman et al., 1986; Barnes, 1988).
The crystal structure and cation ordering of Phase-X-(K1−x−n)2(Mg1−n[Al,Cr]n)2Si2O7H2x: A potential K- and H-bearing phase in the mantle

Phase-X, a potassium di-magnesium acid disilicate, is a high-pressure synthetic compound—a potential K-bearing silicate in the mantle—with space group P 6 3 cm (no. 185), a = b = 5.028(2) A, c = 13.216(3) A, V = 289.34 A 3 , Z = 2. The structure has been determined with 1521 CCD measured intensities and refined by the least-square method to R = 0.0187. The structure is built up of octahedral MgO sheets and layers containing disilicate groups, Si 2 O 7 , (with distinct Si1 and Si2 tetrahedra linked by the apical O2 atom) alternating along the c axis. The octahedral sheet is based on a hexagonal closest-packed array of two layers of non-equivalent O atoms, O1 and O3; two-thirds of all edge-sharing M octahedra are filled. Within the framework of the Si 2 O 7 groups are channel structures parallel to [100], [010], and [110] that contain K atoms disordered in the middle of a large trigonal cavity (the A site). The FTIR spectrum in the OH stretching region shows a sharp peak at 3602 cm −1 due to OH − ordered in one anion site; the position of hydrogen, which operates in a charge-balancing substitution for the partial occupancy of the A site (K 1− x □ x ) A ↔ H x □ 1−x ) H , is undetermined. Densification in phase-X is affected by the greater compression of the empty octahedra in the octahedral layer and by constraining the trigonal A cavity containing the K atom to the size of the Si 2 O 7 disilicate group. This dense packing contributes to the relatively high zero-pressure calculated density of 3.38 g/cm 3 .
Consolidative Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for Double Hit Lymphoma

Double hit lymphoma (DHL), defined as B cell lymphoma with a c-MYC rearrangement plus a IGH/BCL2 rearrangement, confers a poor prognosis. Outcomes with R-CHOP are dismal with reported 2 year EFS <30% in multiple series. To improve upon these results, Burkitt type regimens such as R-HyperCVAD and dose adjusted (DA) R-EPOCH have been attempted, but 2 year EFS remains < 50% in early reports. In addition, the SWOG-9704 study found a benefit for consolidative autologous stem cell transplant (autoSCT) in high risk DLBCL, likely including some DHL, although this reported benefit has not been confirmed in three other randomized European studies. Since 2010 the treatment algorithm at Oregon Health & Science University for fit patients with DHL has been DA-R-EPOCH followed by consolidative autoSCT in responding patients. Here we report the first 16 patients treated with consolidative autoSCT. At diagnosis, the median age was 58, and the median IPI was 3. All patients had rearrangements of c-MYC and IGH/BCL2. One of the c-MYC rearrangements was a classical t(8;14); the translocation partners in the other cases were unknown. Three patients also had a ‘triple hit’ with an additional BCL6 rearrangement. Fourteen patients received DA-R-EPOCH with intrathecal prophylaxis for induction. One received R-CHOP at another institution, and one received R-HyperCVAD. 15 of 16 patients were in CR after induction. Stem cell mobilization was performed with G-CSF +/- plerixafor, and BEAM was utilized as the high dose conditioning regimen. With a median follow-up of 18 months, the estimated 2 year PFS is 91 %, and the 2 year OS is 91 % in the 16 patients who underwent consolidative autoSCT. There were no deaths from non-relapse mortality, and the only relapse was 6 months post-transplant. All other patients undergoing autoSCT remain alive and in remission. An additional 15 patients also underwent induction with DA-R-EPOCH but did not proceed to autoSCT. Four patients who had intended to undergo autoSCT were refractory to induction. Of the remaining 11 patients, 9 did not pursue autoSCT because of age and/or comorbidities, and 1 each declined out of personal preference or insurance denial. Four of these 11 have relapsed or died. Our results suggest that consolidative autoSCT, especially after DA-R-EPOCH induction, is an effective treatment strategy for DHL in fit patients and should be explored in prospective studies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Survey on the Coordination of Connected and Automated Vehicles at Intersections and Merging at Highway On-Ramps

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to improve safety by reducing and mitigating traffic accidents. They can also provide opportunities to reduce transportation energy consumption and emissions by improving traffic flow. Vehicle communication with traffic structures and traffic lights can allow individual vehicles to optimize their operation and account for unpredictable changes. This paper summarizes the developments and the research trends in coordination with the CAVs that have been reported in the literature to date. Remaining challenges and potential future research directions are also discussed.