cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Farsite project: a retrospective

The Farsite file system is a storage service that runs on the desktop computers of a large organization and provides the semantics of a central NTFS file server. The motivation behind the Farsite project was to harness the unused storage and network resources of desktop computers to provide a service that is reliable, available, and secure despite the fact that it runs on machines that are unreliable, often unavailable, and of limited security. A main premise of the project has been that building a scalable system requires more than scalable algorithms: To be scalable in a practical sense, a distributed system targeting 105 nodes must tolerate a significant (and never-zero) rate of machine failure, a small number of malicious participants, and a substantial number of opportunistic participants. It also must automatically adapt to the arrival and departure of machines and changes in machine availability, and it must be able to autonomically repartition its data and metadata as necessary to balance load and alleviate hotspots. We describe the history of the project, including its multiple versions of major system components, the unique programming style and software-engineering environment we created to facilitate development, our distributed debugging framework, and our experiences with formal system specification. We also report on the lessons we learned during this development.
Identification and Characterization of a Protein Destruction Signal in the Encephalomyocarditis Virus 3C Protease

The amino acid sequence LLVRGRTLVV, which is probably located in a strand-turn-strand structure, has been identified as a protein destruction signal in the rapidly degraded encephalomyocarditis virus 3C protease. Mutations within this sequence reduced the susceptibility of the 3C protease toward ubiquitination and degradation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. This signal is transferable, since poliovirus 3C protease, which is a poor ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic system substrate, was found to be ubiquitinated and degraded when the signal sequence was either generated at an internal location in the protein or fused to the N terminus. An evaluation of the behavior of 3C protease proteins containing mutations in the signal region indicates that considerable variability in the primary structure is tolerated, although the conservation of certain features appears to be required for signal function. Two E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases that recognize the encephalomyocarditis virus 3C protease as a substrate were also partially purified. One of these was identified as the previously described E3alpha, and this was shown to require the destruction signal sequence to catalyze efficiently the ubiquitination of the 3C protease. The other is a Ubc5-dependent E3 that appears to recognize a different, unidentified feature of the 3C protease.
Adverse childhood event experiences, fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle characteristics.

AbstractIntroduction: Increased childhood adversity may be affect adult fertility, however, the mechanism through which this occurs is unclear. Menstrual cycle abnormalities are predictive of fertility difficulties, and stress influences menstrual cycle characteristics. Here, we assess whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle dysregulation, offering a plausible mechanism for the link between lifetime stress and fertility.Methods: From April 2012 to February 2014, 742 pregnant and non-pregnant women aged 18–45 years residing in southeastern Louisiana provided information on childhood adversity and reproductive history. Associations between ACEs and fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle patterns were evaluated.Results: As the number of ACEs increased, risk of fertility difficulties and amenorrhea increased (RR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.05–1.13 and RR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04–1.10, respectively), while fecundability decreased [fecundability ratio (FR)...
Ciprofloxacin in the treatment of pseudomonas infection in cystic fibrosis patients

Ten patients with cystic fibrosis received 19 therapeutic courses of ciprofloxacin at a dose of 750 mg orally twice daily. The length of therapy ranged from two to five weeks except for one patient who was treated for six weeks. The mean peak serum concentration of ciprofloxacin was 3.41 mg/l and the mean trough level was 1.11 mg/l. For comparison nine patients were treated with the combination of azlocillin at a dose of 350 mg/kg/day in four divided doses and tobramycin at an initial dose of 9 mg/kg/day in three divided doses. All patients were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa except for one patient in whom P. cepacia grew in the sputum cultures; the MICs of ciprofloxacin ranged from 0.05 to 1.56 mg/l. The results obtained with these two therapeutic regimens were comparable. The patient treated for P. cepacia infection developed resistance to ciprofloxacin (MIC greater than 6.24 mg/l) during the course of treatment. Ciprofloxacin appears to be an alternative treatment to the use of an aminoglycoside and a penicillin in cystic fibrosis patients.
Channel Bed Slope Effect on the Height of Gravity Waves Produced by a Sudden Downstream Discharge Stoppage

We derive a simple analytical correction of a well-known standard formulation of the gravity wave height produced in a prismatic channel due to a sudden discharge stoppage at the downstream end of the channel. The proposed analytical correction considers the vertical growth of the wave and, as a result, takes into account the effect of the channel bed slope on the wave height. This simple correction is useful to be considered in preliminary designs of relatively long channels subject to unsteady flow conditions.
Monitoring consciousness: EEG-based measures of anesthetic depth

The current clinical practice of balanced anesthetic technique has obscured many of the observed physiologic parameters that once indicated the depth of anesthesia. Consequently, there is an increased need for assessing anesthetic effects on consciousness with processed electroencephalography (EEG). This article discusses the concept of anesthetic depth and the principles of EEG-based monitors, with a particular focus on bispectral analysis.
Understanding biological and social influences on religious affiliation, attitudes, and behaviors: a behavior genetic perspective.

Although the transmission of religiousness has been assumed to be purely cultural, behavior genetic studies have demonstrated that genetic factors play a role in the individual differences in some religious traits. This article reviews the extant behavior genetic literature and presents new analyses from the “Virginia 30,000” on the causes of variation in religious affiliation, attitudes, and practices, and relates these to personality as construed by Eysenck. Results indicate that religious affiliation is primarily a culturally transmitted phenomenon, whereas religious attitudes and practices are moderately influenced by genetic factors. Further, Eysenck’s personality traits do not mediate genetic influences on religiousness, but significant negative genetic correlations are found between church attendance and liberal sexual attitudes. Implications and possibilities for future studies are discussed.
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infection: Overview and Nursing Implications:

Abstract Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection are a new diagnostic classification that is applied to children or adolescents in whom tic disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder develop and are repeatedly exacerbated after group A [beta ]-hemolytic streptococcal infections. Research indicates that this classification may be an autoimmune disorder that affects the basal ganglia in much the same manner as Sydenham[apos ]s chorea. In this review of the literature, a description of this [ldquo ]new[rdquo ] construct is presented, with the hypothesized etiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment, and nursing considerations for this pediatric phenomenon outlined. (J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc [lsqb ]2001[rsqb ]. 7, 35-8.)
Improved information maximization based face and facial feature detection from real-time video and application in a multi-modal person identification system

In this paper an improved face detection method based on our previous Information-Based Maximum Discrimination approach is presented that maximizes the discrimination between face and non-face examples in a training set without even using color or motion information. A short review of our previous method is given together with the description of the intuition behind and our recent improvement on its detection speed. A person identification system has been developed that performs multi-modal person identification in real-time video based on this newly improved face detection method together with speaker identification.
The Role of Development Banks in the Process of Economic Development—Two Latin American Experiences: Mexico and Brazil

This article aims to show the role of financing in economic development in two countries, Brazil and Mexico, after World War II (WWII) to present day. We do a careful historical review to see what sort of policies and what kind of structure two national development banks (Nacional Financiera (NAFINSA) from Mexico and Banco Nacional de desenvolvim- ento Economico e Social (BNdES) from Brazil) carry out in order to spark industrialization. Our research shows that these banks were successful at promoting growth (but not human development) in particular periods in their country's history (import substitution) and not successful in other periods (neoliberalism).
A bluetooth-based architecture for android communication with an articulated robot

In industrial robotic environments, there are many different robots performing a variety of tasks. Each robot is controlled by its own teach pendant or via a networked socket application. However, to monitor the status or make minor changes to the programming of the robot, the user must obtain access to the teach pendant or terminal. In an effort to eliminate this need, this paper introduces an android platform that communicates with robots over a Bluetooth connection.
Dependable and Secure Sensor Data Storage with Dynamic Integrity Assurance

Recently, distributed data storage has gained increasing popularity for efficient and robust data management in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). But the distributed architecture also makes it challenging to build a highly secure and dependable yet lightweight data storage system. On the one hand, sensor data are subject to not only Byzantine failures, but also dynamic pollution attacks, as along the time the adversary may modify/pollute the stored data by compromising individual sensors. On the other hand, the resource-constrained nature of WSNs precludes the applicability of heavyweight security designs. To address the challenges, we propose a novel dependable and secure data storage scheme with dynamic integrity assurance in this paper. Based on the principle of secret sharing and erasure coding, we first propose a hybrid share generation and distribution scheme to achieve reliable and fault-tolerant initial data storage by providing redundancy for original data components. To further dynamically ensure the integrity of the distributed data shares, we then propose an efficient data integrity verification scheme exploiting the technique of algebraic signatures. The proposed scheme enables individual sensors to verify in one protocol execution all the pertaining data shares simultaneously in the absence of the original data. Extensive security and performance analysis shows that the proposed schemes have strong resistance against various attacks and are practical for WSNs.
Histidine‐rich glycoprotein from the hemolymph of the marine mussel Mytilus edulis L. binds Class A, Class B, and borderline metals

Few studies have directly addressed the question of how metals (both essential and nonessential) are transported in the circulatory system of bivalve mollusks. One potential metal-transport protein, histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG), has previously been isolated and characterized from the blood plasma of the marine mussel Mytilus edulis L. The present study was undertaken to investigate the extent to which mussel HRG can bind a variety of essential and nonessential metals in vitro, using immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The equilibrium metal speciation model MINTEQA2 was used to compute the amount of metal that bound to the IMAC packing material during the charging and initial wash steps. Results demonstrated that HRG can bind all seven of the metals tested (Ca, Cd, Hg, Mg, Ni, Pd, and Zn) and that HRG is the only metal-binding protein in IMAC eluents. Because HRG-metal binding strengths (log Ka) likely correspond with histidine-metal binding strengths, and because HRG is the predominant mussel plasma protein, the majority of each of the seven metals probably would be present in mussel blood as protein-bound metal rather than as free metal ion. The finding that a single mussel plasma protein may be responsible for binding all these metals raises important questions about how these different metals are subsequently transferred from HRG to different tissues of the mussel, where they may exhibit tissue- specific patterns of utilization, sequestration, elimination, and toxicity. Keywords—Histidine-rich glycoprotein Immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography Metal binding Metal transport Mussel
Opciones de universalización y cobertura efectiva en México

ictar la Conferencia Miguel E. Bustamante es el maximo honor al que puede aspirar un practicante de la salud publica en nuestro pais. La figura del maes-tro Bustamante evoca ante todo vision y compromiso. En efecto, tuvo la vision acertada de especializarse en el naciente campo academico de la salud publica, siendo el primer mexicano en doctorarse en esta disciplina, en 1930, en la Universidad de Johns Hopkins. Pasaron mas de 50 anos para que otros connacionales le siguieran en ese ejemplo. Tuvo la vision de cofundar el Instituto de Salubridad y Enfermedades Tropicales, y el acierto de proponer una relevante agenda de investigacion; tuvo la vision de centrarse en las grandes epidemias que en-tonces aquejaban a Mexico: fiebre amarilla, viruela, tifo, asi como el compromiso de contribuir grandemente a su eliminacion en nuestro territorio. Finalmente, su compromiso por ensenar salud publica a las nuevas generaciones no tiene paralelo. Fue un gran honor conocerlo, y ahora recibir la distincion de dar esta conferencia que lleva su nombre.
RESIDENCE TIME DISTRIBUTION (RTD) AND GOODNESS OF MIXING (GM) DURING CO2-INJECTION IN TWIN-SCREW EXTRUSION PART I: RTD STUDIES

The residence-time distribution (RTD) studies are needed to characterize mixing conditions, flow patterns, and the extent of conversions and reactions of the biopolymers in any plasticating or cooking extruder. For the supercritical fluid extrusion process (SCFX), mixing of the fluid and starch-based biopolymers is an important step affecting cell nucleation and growth. RTD was studied in the mixing zone of the extruder, where CO 2 and gelatinized starch are brought together. Three levels of each of the process variables (screw speed and CO 2 injection pressure) were investigated, using specially designed apparatus for color-dye injection, and a die-restrictor to change the pressure profile and holdup volume in the extruder. Control RTD plots were for no CO 2 injection conditions at the same pressure, and the RTD of the full extruder section. Experimental RTDs were evaluated by: (1) the Wolf-White model, (2) a cascade of continuously stirred reactors (CSTR) model and (3) a model based on plug-flow in series with cascade of CSTRs. The last approach was most successful in capturing all aspects of the observed RTD curves including their tails. Injection of CO 2 at the highest pressure (110.3 bar) increased the RTD compared to no CO 2 -injection conditions. There were significant differences in the plug flow component of the RTD as well as differences in average residence time as a function of both screw speed and CO 2 injection pressure conditions.
Transaction cost economics, resource dependence theory, and customer–supplier relationships

This study develops and then tests an expanded conceptual framework for understanding relational customer--supplier exchanges. The explanatory power of transaction cost economics and resource dependence theory is examined, first individually, and then the theories are unified to provide a more comprehensive model for understanding of firms' decisions to pursue relational exchanges. Regression analyses performed on data from 372 pulp, paper, and paperboard mills indicate that the combined framework provides a better explanation of customer choices than either theory individually. Implications and future research are discussed. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Whole proteomes as internal standards in quantitative proteomics

As mass-spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics approaches become increasingly powerful, researchers are taking advantage of well established methodologies and improving instrumentation to pioneer new protein expression profiling methods. For example, pooling several proteomes labeled using the stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) method yields a whole-proteome stable isotope-labeled internal standard that can be mixed with a tissue-derived proteome for quantification. By increasing quantitative accuracy in the analysis of tissue proteomes, such methods should improve integration of protein expression profiling data with transcriptomic data and enhance downstream bioinformatic analyses. An accurate and scalable quantitative method to analyze tumor proteomes at the depth of several thousand proteins provides a powerful tool for global protein quantification of tissue samples and promises to redefine our understanding of tumor biology.
Productive Activities and Development of Frailty in Older Adults

Objective. Our aim was to examine whether engagement in productive activities, including volunteering, paid work, and childcare, protects older adults against the development of geriatric frailty. Methods. Data from the first (1988) and second (1991) waves of the macArthur Study of Successful Aging, a prospec- tive cohort study of high-functioning older adults aged 70-79 years ( n = 1,072), was used to examine the hypothesis that engagement in productive activities is associated with lower levels of frailty 3 years later. Results. Engagement in productive activities at baseline was associated with a lower cumulative odds of frailty 3 years later in unadjusted models (odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.96) but not after adjusting for age, disability, and cognitive function (adjusted OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.60-1.01). Examination of productive activity domains showed that volunteering (but neither paid work nor childcare) was associated with a lower cumulative odds of frailty after adjusting for age, disability, and cognitive function. This relationship diminished and was no longer statisti - cally significant after adjusting for personal mastery and religious service attendance. Discussion. Though high-functioning older adults who participate in productive activities are less likely to become frail, after adjusting for age, disability, and cognitive function, only volunteering is associated with a lower cumulative odds of frailty.
Tetrahydrobiopterin in Pulmonary Hypertension Pulmonary Hypertension in Guanosine Triphosphate-Cyclohydrolase–Deficient Mice

The regulation of pulmonary vascular tone is a complex process and represents a balance between constrictor and dilator influences. In pulmonary hypertension, whether caused by hypoxia or flow- and pressure-induced remodeling, the balance is tilted predominantly toward vasoconstriction. Despite decades of research, the initiating events in most patients with primary pulmonary hypertension remain unknown. The causes are probably diverse, and clinical recognition of the disease often occurs after the process is fairly advanced. On presentation, initiating events are obscured by the adaptations that occurred in the pulmonary circulation in response to the hypertension. Thus, the clinically evident disease may be quite distant from the initial cause(s) of pulmonary hypertension. Laboratory investigations of specific biochemical defects that can lead to pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling should help us understand these proximate causes. In this issue of Circulation , 2 independent studies1,2 report that a defect in the synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a cofactor required for the synthesis of nitric oxide (·NO) through the catalytic activity of NO synthase (NOS), results in pulmonary hypertension. The studies confirm that a defect in endothelial NOS (eNOS) function can be an initiating event leading to both pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular remodeling. Their results are consistent with observations of impaired NOS activity and NOS-dependent vasodilation in both patients and animal models with pulmonary hypertension. Such studies provide proof of concept that a specific biochemical defect can cause eNOS uncoupling to remodel the pulmonary vasculature. See pp 2086 and 2126 The mechanisms involved in the opposing responses of pulmonary and systemic vascular beds to hypoxia and oxygen remain unknown; however, rapid progress has been made in understanding the vascular biology of the pulmonary circulation since the discovery of how ·NO plays a protective role in the circulation nearly 2 decades ago. All …
Four-legged broiler chicken with two cloacae and three ceca.

SUMMARY. This case report examines an Arbor Acres female × Peterson male crossbred 6-wk-old female broiler chicken with four legs, two cloacae, and three ceca. The intestines occupied the caudodorsal portion of the abdominal cavity with three ceca attached to the terminal end of the ileum. The left lateral cecum was larger and had a divided distal end that terminated into 2-cm-long blind sacs. The rectum was dilated and divided into two cloacae that each opened on the dorsolateral aspect of both the right and left cloacal elevator muscles. The two extra legs were attached to the pygostyle by cartilage and skin tissue. Both femoral heads of the extraneous legs were fused together. The extra legs were smaller in size (approximately 17 cm in length) compared with the normal legs (approximately 22 cm). The femoral heads of the two normal legs were disarticulated from the acetabulum.
Developing students' self-assessment skills using lab-centric instruction

This study is a continuation of previous work that looked at the benefits of lab-centric instruction, a collection of pedagogical techniques enabled by converting class time in lecture to time in a supervised closed lab. While previous work highlighted learning outcomes, here we investigate the intermediate goal of supporting students' in developing skills of self-assessment. We found that students in a lab-centric section were more accurate in their self-assessment of competence with topics appearing on the final exam.
Study and Evaluation of the Possible Improvements for Terra-LM through the Comparison with Other Models SVAT

Inside the first deliverable, we have faced the study of the soil module TERRA-LM. From this study, some critical points have come out. Through this work, we have the objective of investigating if and how these critical points are faced inside other models of evaluation of the hydrologic and thermal processes concerning the soil and we have the objective of comparing the different approaches used in the parameterization of the principal physical processes.
Modelling Ettringite Induced Heaving in Cement Stabilized Soils within a Chemo-mechanical Constitutive Framework

Several recent construction projects in Northeast Ohio have experienced significant sulfate induced heaving in cement stabilized soils. It is well known that the reaction between the sulfate and alumina in soils and calcium of a lime or cement stabilizer often leads to the formation of ettringite, an expansive sulfate mineral that may contribute to the expansion. This subject has been extensively researched in the past but most of the studies have been focused on the experimental aspects. This paper presents a numerical approach to understanding the observed heaving in stabilized soils. A chemo-mechanical constitutive model is employed to address the chemically induced swelling strain. Kinetics of gypsum water reaction is used to explore the evolutionary processes involved. A number of important studies have shown that multiple mechanisms may be involved in addition to formation of ettringite. Consequently, in the present study numerical simulations are performed to explore different scenarios characterized by different predominant mechanisms. The results have shown that ettringite formation and osmosis swelling can act as separate dominant mechanisms or play comparable roles in this heaving process.
Cognitive Styles and Feedback in Computer-Assisted Instruction

Feedback during student practice is considered a fundamental component of well-designed computer-assisted instruction (CAI). This project focuses on the appropriate applications of feedback in a CA...
Emergency Department Resource use by Patients with Migraine and Asthma in a Health Maintenance Organization

Objective:To identify and compare the resources consumed by patients with symptoms of asthma or migraine who presented to the Walk-In Emergency Department (WIED).Design:Chart review.Setting:WIED, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA.Patients:Identified via WIED records as having visited the WIED between October 1991 and February 1992 for migraine or asthma.Main Outcome Measures:Time spent in the WIED, medications administered during visit and prescribed at discharge, diagnostic procedures performed, referrals, and hospitalizations.Results:Of 16 755 WIED visits during the study period, 323 (1.9%) were migraine related and 159 (1.0%) were asthma related. Ninety percent of the asthma patients and 62% of the migraine patients reported having self-medicated prior to going to the WIED; 89% of the migraine patients received additional medication at the WIED versus 57% of the patients with asthma. Fifty-four (35.5%) of the migraine patients and 7 (4.6%) of the asthma patients had more than 1 WIED ...
Inhibition of transmitter release shortens the duration of the excitatory synaptic current at a calyceal synapse

1. We investigated the effect of reducing transmitter release on the time course of multiquantal, evoked synaptic currents to test for transmitter “cross talk” between neighboring synaptic release ...
The AneuRx modular endograft device for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Overview of 7 years of clinical use

Open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has been performed for over 40 years now with good results. However, the procedure continues to be high-risk with numerous potential complications. The AneuRx modular bifurcated endograft was one of the first to be tested to exclude AAAs via an endovascular approach. Data from multiple clinical trials show that treatment of AAAs with the AneuRx device is comparable to open repair with regards to mortality and may have improved short-term and long-term morbidities rates. The following review discusses clinical use of the AneuRx stent graft system from the initial clinical trial in 1996 to its current commercial use.
Integrative Experience in ‘The Great Good Place’

As early as 1892, in his preliminary notes for ‘The Middle Years’, James had conceived of a dream sequence in which his writer-artist would fall asleep and, in a dream, come to understand that what he had dreamed of doing with his life was what he had, in fact, done (Notebooks, p. 122). In the dream, the great longing of his life would be satisfied. James omitted the dream from ‘The Middle Years’ but returned to it as the central element of a later story, ‘The Great Good Place’, published in 1900.1
Enhancement of the Specific Cytotoxicity of Anti-Carcinoembryonic Antigen Immunotoxins by Adenovirus and Carboxylic Ionophores

Publisher Summary The use of monoclonal antibodies directed against the tumor cell surface to carry toxic moieties specifically to cancer cells remains an attractive approach towards more selective anti-tumor therapy. In constructing immunotoxins, the disulfide bond between the two subunits in ricin is reduced by treatment with mercaptoethanol, and the chains are separated by affinity chromatography. Purified A chain is coupled to a chemically introduced sulfhydryl moiety on the monoclonal antibody via a disulfide bond, thus mimicking the native toxin. The new composite molecule retains the specificity of the antibody and the potent toxic activity of the A chain. Immunotoxins are cytotoxic only to cells expressing the appropriate antigen. The utility of constructing immunotoxins with antibody directed against the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been explored. CEA is a tumor-associated antigen of adult human solid malignancies. This antigen is present on the cell membrane of many adult cancers, particularly colorectal cancers, and in the fetal intestine.
Abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst: occurrence after intraperitoneal urological surgery in children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

AbstractIncreasingly, children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts are undergoing urinary tract reconstructive surgery with bowel. The peritoneal end of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt tubing usually is exposed during the procedure, making the system vulnerable to infections and malfunction. The records of 103 myelomeningocele children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts and bowel-bladder reconstructive surgical procedures (27) were reviewed for evidence of an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst (6). Pseudocyst formation occurred in only 1 of 76 ventriculoperitoneal shunt patients (1.3%) who had not undergone versus 6 of 27 (22%) who had undergone an intra-abdominal procedure. The 6 children had a total of 8 pseudocysts, including 7 pseudocysts that developed 8 days to 47 months (average 15.1 months) after the reconstructive surgery and 1 that developed before reconstructive surgery. All patients had abdominal symptoms (pain or mass) or symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Treatment included compute...
Stomatal and physiological response of contrasting Z. mauritiana (Lamk.) clones to water stress.

Water stress is one of the major limitations to fruit production worldwide. Identifying suitable indicators, screening techniques, and quantifiable traits would facilitate the genetic improvement process for water stress tolerance. In the present study, we evaluated the ability of physiological parameters (Transpiration, E; Fv/Fm; Leaf Water Potential, LWP; leaf temperature, LT; and, leaf relative water content, RWC) to distinguish between contrasting Z. mauritiana clones subjected to a 30-d drought cycle. Four field-grown clones Seb and Gola (tetraploid) and Q 29 and B 5/4 (diploid) were studied. By 30 d after the onset of water stress treatment, the E, Fv/Fm, LWP and RWC of drought-stressed plants had declined significantly in all genotypes compared to values of well-watered treatments. However, the reductions were more severe in leaves of diploid clones. Under drought stress, the Seb and Gola, maintained higher E (31.5%), Fv/Fm (6.28%), LWP (11.2%), and RWC (9.3 %) than Q 29 and B 5/4 clones. In general, LT of drought-stressed plants was higher (around 4 degree Celsius) than that of well-watered plants but the relative increase was greater among later than former ones. Under maximum drought stress, LT of Seb and Gola clones was on average 3.0 degree Celsius lower than that of Q 29 and B 5/4. Former clones yielded 20% more than later ones, mainly reason being (14.8%) less fruit drop as an effect of water stress. The results indicate that presented parameters can be reliable in screening for water stress tolerance ability, with Fv/Fm, LWP, RWC and LT having the added advantage of being easily and quickly assessed.
Gaseous sensors with area- and energy-efficient microhotplates through silica aerogel for heat insulation

Arrays of microsensors may be employed for accurate detection of multiple gases possibly existing simultaneously in an environment. They can be made reconfigurable for improving efficiency and reliability. Constituent microsensors in such a reconfigurable array are highly desirable to operate in an ultra low power regime, have a short response time, and take as small chip area as possible. Metal oxide (MOX) materials used for detecting gaseous species usually operate at high temperatures, say, 350° C or beyond. In this work, we introduce and evaluate the use of silica aerogel as the insulating material of choice over the air gap (commonly produced by costly micromachining). Superior properties of aerogel lead to considerable reduction in power consumption and in array chip area while lowering the fabrication cost, based on our extensive simulation evaluation using IntelliSuite software. Silica aerogel is compatible with the CMOS process, ensuring a low overall production cost.
Liver resection for early hepatocellular cancer: Comparison of centers in 3 different countries.

Liver resection for early hepatocellular cancer: Comparison of centers in 3 different countries
Prevention of recurrent affective episodes using extinction training in the reconsolidation window: A testable psychotherapeutic strategy

Stressors may initially precipitate affective episodes, but with sufficient numbers of recurrences, episodes can occur more autonomously. It is postulated the memory engram for these recurrent depressions moves from the conscious representational memory system to the unconscious habit memory system encoded in the striatum. If this were the case, cognitive behavior therapy targeted toward extinction of habit memories could be an effective maneuver for helping reverse the automaticity of affective episode recurrence. Extinction training in the reconsolidation window (which opens about 5min to 1h after active memory recall) can revise, reverse, or eliminate the long term memories associated with PTSD and other anxiety disorders and with drug abuse craving. We hypothesize that similar cognitive behavioral work in the reconsolidation window could inhibit stress-induced and spontaneous affective episodes. Some initial formulations of possible therapeutic strategies are presented and discussed, as well as caveats. It is hoped that preliminary exposition of this theoretical approach to recurrences in the affective disorders based on principles dependent on work in the reconsolidation window will lead to more detailed elaboration of the therapeutic maneuvers most likely to be successful and ones that can be specifically tested for their clinical efficacy.
Measuring microgel swell ratio by cryo-SEM

Abstract The swell ratio is a key parameter characterizing the structure and properties of a hydrogel. In macroscopic gels, the swell ratio can be determined by straightforward measurements of the gel weight in the dry and hydrated states. However, measuring the swell ratio characteristic of microgels (gel particles with dimensions of 0.1–100 μm) is substantially more challenging because of their small size and polydispersity. We use cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) to measure microgel diameter both in the frozen-hydrated and fully dry states using pH-responsive poly(ethylene glycol)-co-acrylic acid microgels. The volume swell ratios characteristic of the various microgels are essentially the same as those measured from otherwise-identical macroscopic gels. Hence we can conclude that, at least in this case where the macroscopic gel and microgel synthesis methods are similar, the simple measurement of a macroscopic swell ratio provides a reasonable approximation to the microgel swell ratio.
An unpaired pickup and delivery problem with time dependent assignment costs: Application in air cargo transportation

Abstract This study considers a freight forwarder's operational implementation of alternative access airport policy in a multi-airport region for cargo transportation. Given a set of heterogeneous air cargo customers, the forwarder's problem is to simultaneously select air cargo flight itineraries and schedule the pickup and delivery of customer loads to the airport(s). This problem is formulated as a novel pickup and delivery problem, where the delivery cost is both destination and time dependent. A mixed-integer linear model in presented and an efficient solution method based on decomposition is developed. The performance of the solution algorithm is evaluated by computational experimental study.
Heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula oxygen after thoracic surgery - A randomized prospective clinical pilot trial.

Abstract Background Thoracic surgery patients are at high-risk for adverse pulmonary outcomes. Heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HHFNC O2) may decrease such events. We hypothesized that patients randomized to prophylactic HHFNC O2 would develop fewer pulmonary complications compared to conventional O2 therapy. Methods and patients Fifty-one patients were randomized to HHFNC O2 vs. conventional O2. The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications. Secondary outcomes included oxygenation and length of stay. Continuous variables were compared with t-test or Mann-Whitney-U test, categorical variables with Fisher's Exact test. Results There were no differences in postoperative pulmonary complications based on intention to treat [two in HHFNC O2 (n = 25), two in control (n = 26), p = 0.680], and after exclusion of patients who discontinued HHFNC O2 early [one in HHFNC O2 (n = 18), two in control (n = 26), p = 0.638]. Discomfort from HHFNC O2 occurred in 11/25 (44%); 7/25 (28%) discontinued treatment. Conclusions Pulmonary complications were rare after thoracic surgery. Although HHFNC O2 did not convey significant benefits, these results need to be interpreted with caution, as our study was likely underpowered to detect a reduction in pulmonary complications. High rates of patient-reported discomfort with HHFNC O2 need to be considered in clinical practice and future trials.
Acute Stress Disorder Following Diagnosis of Cancer

We conducted a study to examine prevalence, predictors, and concomitants of acute stress disorder (ASD) following diagnosis of cancer among 89 patients. In addition to other measures, each participant completed the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ). One-third (33%) of the sample met all ASD symptom criteria. Significantly more women than men met criteria for ASD. For women, predictors for ASD symptoms included being of a younger age, having no prior life-threatening illness, perceiving less social support from friends, and reporting less satisfaction with how the diagnosis got communicated to them. A statistical trend was evident between higher religious/spiritual commitment and fewer ASD symptoms. For men, no factors were significantly related to ASD symptoms. Overall among cancer patients, those who met symptom criteria for ASD reported significantly more impulsive spending, desire to run away to avoid contact with people, giving away personal belongings, thinking about suicide, and forgetting medical information following cancer diagnosis than did cancer patients who did not meet criteria for ASD.
Biofilm of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe surface is resistant to lauroyl arginate ethyl and sodium hypochlorite.

Biofilms formed by Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe rind were characterized in this study. Cantaloupe rind pieces inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 B6-914 was sampled after 2, 12, and 24h incubation for imaging with cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) or treating with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) or sodium hypochlorite (SHC). Cryo-SEM images showed that E. coli O157:H7 formed a biofilm within 12h on the rind surface. For rind samples treated with LAE or SHC, the residual cell counts were significantly different (p 5-log reduction) after treatment with 2000μg/mL of LAE or SHC. In contrast, for 12h incubation samples, 2000μg/mL of LAE or SHC could only achieve 1.74 or 1.86-log reduction, respectively. The study showed the low efficacy of LAE and SHC on cantaloupe rind surface to reduce the E. coli biofilm, suggesting the needs for cantaloupe cleaning methods beyond washing with conventional antimicrobial agents.
Propagation and Transplant Production Technology of New Floral Crops

In 1982 the new crops research program was initiated in the Florist and Nursery Crops Laboratory to increase the diversity of florist crop germplasm in the United States. Anigozanthos, Chamelaucium, Correa, a dwarf form of Eustoma grandiflorum ‘Little Blue Belle’, Chamelaucium, Cupressus, and other crops have been introduced to the industry with information that describes propagation, culture, and controlled flowering. Rooting of cutting or in vitro tissue culture propagation of new crops had included Achimenantha, Chamelaucium uncinatum, ‘Purple Pride’, and Eustoma grandiflorum, ‘Little Belle Blue’, Ornithogalum dubium, Lachenalia aloides, and Lilium. In addition, a new production technology using bulbils as propagules was developed for Lilium elegans, Asiatic hybrid lily. This production technology is discussed.
Individual particle measurements to monitor ecological processes in the Indian River Lagoon, FL

Suspended particles are important components of coastal marine ecosystems that are often the target of environmental sensing efforts (e.g. harmful algae blooms, suspended sediments). Automated measurements of individual particles provide advantages over traditional manual methods of particle analysis and sensors that measure bulk water properties commonly used for coastal ecosystem monitoring. However, the large, multidimensional data sets provided by automated particle measurement techniques can be difficult to analyze and interpret without the use of automated algorithms to classify large numbers of particles. In this paper we demonstrate efficient methods for classifying particles using an unsupervised, watershed transform based, clustering algorithm. The methods were applied to samples collected from the Indian River Lagoon, Banana River Lagoon, and St. Lucy Estuary located along the eastern coast of Florida. Samples were analyzed by flow cytometry and by imaging in flow (FlowCam). Results of analyses reveal patterns of distribution for distinct particle populations over space and time, and in relation to environmental characteristics. These methods represent a highly efficient strategy for monitoring coastal waters that can improve our understanding of ecosystem structure and function.
Analysis of Cell Motility in Living Cells

We have been studying how cell divide by employing a variety of optical methods to determine what cytoskeletal elements are used and how their position is determined. Cell division consists of two main processes: (1) mitosis, the separation of the daughter chromosomes to the distal ends of the mother cell, and (2) cytokinesis, the contraction of the area between the two sets of separating chromosomes to form two new daughter cells (Fig. 1; Sanger et al. 1994). These two processes involve two different cytoskeletal systems, i.e., microtubules and microtubule motors, and actin and myosin motors. Phase-contrast microscopy allows a clear view of the two motile processes (Fig. 2; Sanger et al. 1989). Numerous studies have indicated that the plane of the cytokinesis is determined by the position of the mitotic spindle in the cell (see review by Rappaport 1986). Whereas phase-contrast microscopy allows the visualization of the chromosomes and sometimes the vesicular components of the cell, fluorescence microscopy and fluorescent dyes allow the visualization of individual cytoskeletal and membranous components of the living cells. The microinjection of fluorescently labeled actin and myosin probes allowed us to follow the timing of the deposition of actin and myosin in the cleavage furrows (Fig. 3; Sanger et al. 1989a, 1994), showing that actin and myosin begin to accumulate at the cell surfaces above the former metaphase plate at mid-anaphase. If the mitotic spindle is displaced to one side of the cell, the cleavage furrow proteins assemble on the same side (Fig. 3). Our working hypothesis is that the interzonal microtubules that emanate from opposite centrosomes must interact with the cell surfaces to allow actin and myosin cytoskeleton units to localize and assemble contractile units.
ARD1/NAA10 acetylation in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in prostate development and homeostasis. Dysregulation of this pathway activates AR leading to PCa pathogenesis and progression. AR binds testosterone and other male hormones, which then undergoes post-translational modification for AR nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation. AR activation by post-translational modification is thus imperative for PCa cell growth and survival. Identification and understanding of the pathological and mechanistic roles of AR modifications may increase our understanding of AR activation in PCa and provide new therapeutic options. Recently, AR acetylation has been described as an important step for AR activation. Upregulation of several acetyltransferases has been reported to be associated with PCa progression. Herein, we provide a general understanding of AR acetylation, with a special emphasis on ARD1, and potential therapies that may be exploited against the ARD1-AR axis for PCa treatment.
Pity and Lamentation in the Authorial Personae of John Kaminiates and Anna Komnene

Neville offers a fresh look at the ways historical figures constructed their gender in their writing. Analysing both John Kaminiates’s narration of the capture of Thessalonike and Anna Komnene’s Alexiad, she shows how the two authors used emotion to adjust the balance of power between themselves and their audiences. Kaminiates’s emotional discourse as a powerless captive constructs him as dispassionate and evokes pity from his audience, which he directs towards others and away from himself, hence attenuating the emasculation caused by his captivity and the enslavement of his family. Anna, in contrast, asks for pity from her audience. As a woman of great power, she mitigates the self-aggrandisement of her project. By presenting herself as subject to pathos, she constructs herself as feminine and powerless.
Quantifying, Locating, and Following Asperity-Scale Wear Processes Within Multiasperity Contacts

Wear tests are inherently destructive and wear surfaces are often consumed before the worn volume can be detected with traditional methods. Elucidating the subtler features of incipient wear requires improvements in our ability to quantify, locate, and follow wear at the asperity scale. The topographic difference method provides a possible solution, but its use is limited by the difficulty in perfectly repositioning samples and the uncertain effect of imperfect repositioning on the wear measurement. This paper quantified the detection limits of the topographic difference method under the conditions of typical repositioning errors, surface topographies, and measurement approaches. With repositioning errors on the order of 2 μm, the raw/uncorrected topographic difference method reliably detected worn volumes as small as 10 μm3, which rivals the most sensitive macroscale wear measurements reported in the literature. Following virtual posttest realignment, wear volumes as small as 0.1 μm3 were detected. Using standard topographic difference methods in an interrupted wear test allowed us to map asperity-scale wear onto features of the unworn surface profile, observe a complex distribution of real contact areas, and follow the gradual removal of individual asperities with a resolution of 0.1 μm3. To our knowledge, these are the first direct observations of the asperity-scale wear process within a multiasperity macroscale contact.