cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of vaginal bleeding on the sexual behavior of urban, Hispanic women and men.

Abstract Irregular menstrual bleeding associated with use of hormonal contraceptives is a leading cause of contraception discontinuation. If bleeding disrupts sexual activity, this could contribute to contraceptive discontinuation. The impact of bleeding on sexual activities other than intercourse is unknown. A self-administered questionnaire in Spanish or English was used to collect information on demographics and the practice of various sexual behaviors during times of vaginal bleeding or spotting. The questionnaire was offered consecutively to 86 men and 75 women attending urban family-planning and young men’s clinics. The men and women were approached individually, not as couples. Women reported a mean age of 25 years, a wide range of educational attainment, described themselves as mostly Hispanic (89%), and most chose the Spanish version of the questionnaire (67%). Men also described themselves as mostly Hispanic (80%), and reported a similar range of educational attainment, but were younger (mean age of 21, p Kissing, breast touching, and receiving non-genital touching did not change during bleeding or spotting. Forty-five percent of women reported usually receiving genital touching, which declined to 6% during bleeding and to 10% during spotting (p The presence of vaginal bleeding or spotting is associated with decreases in genital sexual behaviors among urban, Hispanic women and men. Such disruptions in sexual behavior could contribute to contraceptive discontinuation.
Some effects of laser radiation on the skin of the Syrian hamster

Abstract In preliminary studies Syrian hamsters were exposed to radiation emitted by a laser utilizing a neodymium-doped glass rod. Lasered beams at 30 joule and 50 joule were focussed onto the surface of the anterior abdominal wall and of the exteriorized cheek pouch. Lesions resembling thermal burns were induced. The animals showed no other ill effects. Current studies deal with the manner in which dyes may modify the effects of lasered radiation, and with the actions of lasered radiation of higher intensities.
Could isoenzyme-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors render bronchodilator therapy redundant in the treatment of bronchial asthma?

Bronchial asthma is predominantly a disease of industrialized countries. Recently compiled statistics indicate that greater than 5% of the population suffers from asthma and that, unlike other common treatable conditions [ 11, the prevalence and severity of asthma are increasing [2] as is the number of reported cases of fatal asthma [3,4]. These are particularly alarming statistics given the marked increase in the prescribing of various anti-asthma therapies [5,6]. At least two explanations can be advanced to explain why currently available drugs fail to control asthma adequately: (1) they may be inactive or provide an inappropriate therapy, or (2) while efficacious, they are not being used optimally. It is the view of the author that in many cases the drugs prescribed while providing symptomatic relief are essentially inactive at controlling the progression of the disease. This may be due to the more recent realization that bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder [7,8] rather than an intrinsic or acquired abnormality of airways smooth muscle function. Indeed, widespread submucosal inflammation, characterized by the infiltration of proinflammatory cells in particular eosinophils and Tlymphocytes together with epithelial sloughing, has been reported not only in individuals who have died from asthma [9] but in patients with only mild symptoms of the disease [lo, 111. Furthermore, the chronicity of the inflammation in asthma may lead eventually to a state of irreversible airways obstruction brought about by structural changes in
Packed capillary column supercritical fluid chromatography of fat-soluble vitamins using liquid crystal polysiloxane coated particles

Liquid crystal polysiloxane stationary phases were prepared by coating two different polymers on deactivated porous silica particles (10 μm diameter, 80 A pores). Deactivation of the silica particles before coating was necessary to prepare highly efficient and inert stationary phases for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Fat-soluble vitamins E, A, K1, K2, D2, and D3 were separated on these columns using neat supercritical CO2 as mobile phase. The analyses were completed within 40 min at 70 °C. The results were compared to those obtained using a capillary column packed with less ordered liquid crystalm,m-cyanobiphenyl-substituted polysiloxane coated particles. Reduced shape selectivity was observed with this cyanobiphenyl phase. The response factors of vitamins A, E, K1, K2, D2, and D3 when using the flame ionization detector (FID) were determined to be very similar.
A Multistream Feature Framework Based on Bandpass Modulation Filtering for Robust Speech Recognition

There is strong neurophysiological evidence suggesting that processing of speech signals in the brain happens along parallel paths which encode complementary information in the signal. These parallel streams are organized around a duality of slow vs. fast: Coarse signal dynamics appear to be processed separately from rapidly changing modulations both in the spectral and temporal dimensions. We adapt such duality in a multistream framework for robust speaker-independent phoneme recognition. The scheme presented here centers around a multi-path bandpass modulation analysis of speech sounds with each stream covering an entire range of temporal and spectral modulations. By performing bandpass operations along the spectral and temporal dimensions, the proposed scheme avoids the classic feature explosion problem of previous multistream approaches while maintaining the advantage of parallelism and localized feature analysis. The proposed architecture results in substantial improvements over standard and state-of-the-art feature schemes for phoneme recognition, particularly in presence of nonstationary noise, reverberation and channel distortions.
Technical manpower for the next hundred years

A long-range view of world needs — considering such factors as population expansion, food and energy requirements, natural resources, and the rise in standard of living — indicates that the technical manpower shortage is here to stay.
The vascular effects of cilostazol

Cilostazol is a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor with pharmacological effects that include vasodilation, inhibition of platelet activation and aggregation, inhibition of thrombosis, increased blood flow to the limbs, improvement in serum lipids with lowering of triglycerides and elevation of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell growth. Cilostazol has been shown in multiple randomized clinical trials to result in decreased claudication and improved ability to walk in patients with peripheral arterial disease. In addition, cilostazol has been shown in multiple randomized clinical trials to decrease restenosis in the setting of coronary stent implantation. The purpose of the present paper was to review the vascular effects of cilostazol and to present results of the major clinical trials of the use of cilostazol in peripheral arterial disease and percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation.
The generating function of Whitworth runs

Abstract Let G be a graph. The number of ways of selecting k vertices in G such that the subgraph induced by the k selected vertices containing l edges may be considered as Whitworth runs. For two arbitrary graphs G 1 and G 2 we show that the generating function of G 1 can be written as a sum of the generating function of G 2 . As an application we derive a difference equation satisfied by the generating function of a line graph and that of a cycle graph. Two independent solutions in the closed-form are found. One is equivalent to the Whitworth bracelet problem with two colors. Furthermore, a line and a cycle graph and a two-line graph have been studied. We show that all solutions can be written as a sum of the solutions for single-line cases.
A Software-Based Sonar Ranging Sensor for Smart Phones

We live in a 3-D world. However, the smart phones that we use every day are incapable of sensing depth, without the use of custom hardware. By creating new depth sensors, we can provide developers with the tools that they need to create immersive mobile applications that take advantage of the 3-D nature of our world. In this paper, we propose a new sonar sensor for smart phones. This sonar sensor does not require any additional hardware, and utilizes the phone’s microphone and rear speaker. The sonar sensor calculates distances by measuring the elapsed time between the initial pulse and its reflection. We evaluate the accuracy of the sonar sensor by using it to measure the distance from the phone to an object. We found that we were able to measure the distances of objects accurately with an error bound of 12 cm.
Rethinking Spanish Visual Cultural Studies through an ‘Untimely’ Encounter with the Dance/Performance Art of La Ribot

This article focuses on the dance/performance art of La Ribot in order to conceive her work as a ‘theoretical object’ that articulates and reformulates key conceptual concerns in visual culture, enabling us to engage with questions that relate directly to the medium of dance/performance art and to think in a trans-disciplinary manner about other visual media. Through an exploration of La Ribot's formal and conceptual concerns in relation to embodiment and subjectivity, including sovereign power and resistance, language and silence, movement and stillness, repetition and difference, choreographic commands and contingencies, horizontality and verticality, gender ambivalence, or presence and erasure, La Ribot's dance/performance art transforms our perceptions and reconfigures our way of relating to our own and other bodies, potentially leading to the capacity for political action in an unpredictable futurity. Finally, I argue that La Ribot embodies the significance of dance/performance art for reformulating ...
Is 6 months of neuroleptic withdrawal sufficient to distinguish drug-induced parkinsonism from Parkinson's disease?

ABSTRACTBackground: Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is the second commonest cause of akinetic-rigid syndrome in the western world. Differentiating DIP from Parkinson's disease (PD) may be a challenge to clinicians. One of the factors distinguishing DIP from PD is that discontinuation of the neuroleptic agent in DIP should relieve the symptoms of parkinsonism. The majority of the literature uses the 6-month timeframe between the neuroleptic withdrawal and resolution of the symptoms of parkinsonism. Methods: We report two cases of DIP wherein the symptoms of parkinsonism persisted more than 6-months from withdrawal of the dopamine receptor blocking agent (DRBA) and the results of their ioflupane iodine-123 (DaT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan. DaT scan is a newly approved radiopharmaceutical in the United States indicated for striatal dopamine transporter visualization to assist in the evaluation of adult patients with suspected parkinsonian syndromes. Results: The first case is a p...
Evaluating HIV prevention efforts to reduce new infections and ensure accountability.

Never has the evaluation of HIV prevention programs been more important. Accountability questions about HIV prevention programs have been raised and this has lead to multiple, simultaneous audits now being undertaken on all federally-funded HIV prevention activities. Some advocacy groups critical of HIV prevention efforts have called for the redirection of HIV prevention resources into other areas of health,
Networked Distributed Source Coding

The data sensed by different sensors in a sensor network is typically correlated. A natural question is whether the data correlation can be exploited in innovative ways along with network information transfer techniques to design efficient and distributed schemes for the operation of such networks. This necessarily involves a coupling between the issues of compression and networked data transmission that have usually been considered separately. In this work we review the basics of classical distributed source coding and discuss some practical code design techniques for it. We argue that the network introduces several new dimensions to the problem of distributed source coding. The compression rates and the network information flow constrain each other in intricate ways. In particular, we show that network coding is often required for optimally combining distributed source coding and network information transfer and discuss the associated issues in detail. We also examine the problem of resource allocation in the context of distributed source coding over networks.
Multi-functional core-shell hybrid nanogels for pH-dependent magnetic manipulation, fluorescent pH-sensing, and drug delivery.

US Agency for International Development [PGA-P280422]; Xiamen University; Scientific User Facilities Division, Department of Energy of the US
Intelligent unit commitment with vehicle-to-grid —A cost-emission optimization

A gridable vehicle (GV) can be used as a small portable power plant (S3P) to enhance the security and reliability of utility grids. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology has drawn great interest in the recent years and its success depends on intelligent scheduling of GVs or S3Ps in constrained parking lots. V2G can reduce dependencies on small expensive units in existing power systems, resulting in reduced operation cost and emissions. It can also increase reserve and reliability of existing power systems. Intelligent unit commitment (UC) with V2G for cost and emission optimization in power system is presented in this paper. As number of gridable vehicles in V2G is much higher than small units of existing systems, UC with V2G is more complex than basic UC for only thermal units. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed to balance between cost and emission reductions for UC with V2G. PSO can reliably and accurately solve this complex constrained optimization problem easily and quickly. In the proposed solution model, binary PSO optimizes on/off states of power generating units easily. Vehicles are presented by integer numbers instead of zeros and ones to reduce the dimension of the problem. Balanced hybrid PSO optimizes the number of gridable vehicles of V2G in the constrained parking lots. Balanced PSO provides a balance between local and global searching abilities, and finds a balance in reducing both operation cost and emission. Results show a considerable amount of cost and emission reduction with intelligent UC with V2G. Finally, the practicality of UC with V2G is discussed for real-world applications.
Characteristics and Expression of Tetracycline Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria Carrying the Pseudomonas R Factor RP1

The Pseudomonas R factor RP1 determines an inducible tetracycline resistance similar to that described for Escherichia coli R factors. The level of RP1-determined resistance measured by minimal inhibitory concentration testing is dependent on the host bacteria and corresponds to the magnitude of decrease in tetracycline accumulation by RP1-containing organisms. The tetracycline resistance mechanism is inactivated at low temperatures. The effect of metabolic inhibitors on tetracycline accumulation by susceptible organisms under various conditions indicates a possible nonspecific effect of cellular energy metabolism on tetracycline uptake.
Cell-pattern disordering during convergent extension in Drosophila

Convergent extension is the cell-rearrangement process by which a developing embryo elongates to establish the head-to-tail body axis. In the early Drosophila embryo, this process occurs within a one-cell-thick epithelial layer. Using confocal microscopy, images were collected of the two-dimensional cell pattern at four stages during convergent extension in wild-type embryos and at one stage in two classes of mutant embryos. The cellular topology was analysed in terms of the statistical distribution p(n), the frequency of occurrence of n-sided cells. For wild-type embryos, the results demonstrate progressive cell-pattern disordering during convergent extension. The second moment (variance) of p(n) triples to 1.1 while the peak at p(6) drops from 0.65 to 0.38. The fraction of fourfold vertices (four edges meeting) increases from 2% to 8%. Quantitative analysis of interface orientations reveals that the initial degree of hexatic edge-orientational order essentially disappears during the course of convergent extension. The degree of cell-pattern disordering in the two mutants resembles distinct stages in the wild type and correlates with the extent of axis elongation.
Characterization of Drosophila Insulin Receptor Substrate

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are phosphorylated by multiple tyrosine kinases, including the insulin receptor. Phosphorylated IRS proteins bind to SH2 domain-containing proteins, thereby triggering downstream signaling pathways. The Drosophila insulin receptor (dIR) C-terminal extension contains potential binding sites for signaling molecules, suggesting that dIR might not require an IRS protein to accomplish its signaling functions. However, we obtained a cDNA encodingDrosophila IRS (dIRS), and we demonstrated expression of dIRS in a Drosophila cell line. Like mammalian IRS proteins, the N-terminal portion of dIRS contains a pleckstrin homology domain and a phosphotyrosine binding domain that binds to phosphotyrosine residues in both human and Drosophilainsulin receptors. When coexpressed with dIRS in COS-7 cells, a chimeric receptor (the extracellular domain of human IR fused to the cytoplasmic domain of dIR) mediated insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of dIRS. Mutating the juxtamembrane NPXY motif markedly reduced the ability of the receptor to phosphorylate dIRS. In contrast, the NPXY motifs in the C-terminal extension of dIR were required for stable association with dIRS. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated insulin-dependent binding of dIRS to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and SHP2. However, we did not detect interactions with Grb2, SHC, or phospholipase C-γ. Taken together with published genetic studies, these biochemical data support the hypothesis that dIRS functions directly downstream from the insulin receptor in Drosophila.
On the optimality of an index policy for bandwidth allocation with delayed state observation and differentiated services

In this paper we study the optimality of an index policy for a bandwidth allocation problem, where a single server is allocated among N queues in a slotted system based on the queue backlog information. Due to the physical nature of the system this information is delayed, in that when the allocation decision is made, the server only has the backlog information from an earlier time. This results in imperfect and partial state observation. Queues have Bernoulli arrival processes with different probabilities of arrival, as well as different buffering/holding costs to differentiate heterogeneous classes of traffic/service. The objective is to minimize the expected total discounted holding cost over a finite or infinite horizon. We introduce an index policy with indices defined as functions of the state of a queue. We first show that when the state of the system is away from the boundary, i.e., no empty queues, the index policy is optimal. When there are empty queues, we show that under sufficient separation of the indices the index policy is still optimal. We show by example that if the separation does not hold, the index policy is not necessarily optimal. We then formulate the optimal bandwidth allocation as a restless bandit problem and show under what conditions the index policy calculated using Whittle's heuristics, which in general is only asymptotically optimal, is optimal for the finite case
Built-in TPG with designed phaseshifts

In this paper, we present built-in test pattern generation (TPG) mechanisms that can enforce a prescribed exact set of phaseshifts, or channel separations, on the bit sequences produced by their successive stages, while still requiring low hardware overhead. Such mechanisms are used in controlling the amount of correlations and/or linear dependencies that are problematic for pseudorandom and pseudoexhaustive TPG in a two-dimensional TPG architecture. The reduction in hardware overhead is achieved by a new technique that merges the logic of the original TPG mechanism with that of the required phase shifter network in order to yield an improved compact structure.
Response of ovine uterine blood flow to angiotensin II: Effect on the fetus

Abstract The effect of intravenous infusion of angiotensin II (2 to 200 ng/kg/min) on uterine flow and cardiovascular performance was studied in the normotensive, unenesthetized pregnant owe. With low rates of infusion (2 to 4 ng/kg/min), only a transient increse in uterine blood flow, lasting 1 to 3 minutes, was observed. Higher rates (110 to 200 ng/kg/min) of infusion caused a decrease in uterine blood flow; this decrease was significantly correlated to the dose. Angiotensin II also caused a significant decrease in the maternal heart rate and an increase in mean maternal artificial blood pressure as rate of infusion was increased. A high rate of infusion resulted in decresed fetal heart rate Pa O 2 ., probably a marked reduction in uteroplacental blood flow. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 141:495, 1981.)
Design and analysis of a terahertz SSPP switch using piezoelectric materials

In this paper, a terahertz switch, consisting of a single-sided corrugated metallic structure, has been designed and analyzed. It demonstrates that it can support spoof surface plasmon polaritons propagation and has multiple band-gaps. We have shown that the band-gap can be altered by changing the groove's height. Piezoelectric material has been implemented to control the groove's height and, as a result, the band-gap of the switch can be controlled. By applying voltage across the piezoelectric layer, the switch can go from conducting (ON) state into blocking (OFF) state
Vascular complication can be minimized with a balloon-expandable, re-collapsible sheath in TAVR with a self-expanding bioprosthesis

Objective This study evaluates the feasibility and safety of a balloon-expandable, re-collapsible sheath for TAVR patients, including those with small iliofemoral access (≤5.0 mm). Background The recommended iliofemoral diameter for the CoreValve TAVR system is ≥6.0 mm, but the lowest limit has not been determined. Methods Of 322 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR from 1/2014 to 8/2015 at two institutions, 64 underwent transfemoral CoreValve implantation, using an 11/19-French balloon-expandable, re-collapsible sheath, which has a 4.45 mm outer diameter (OD) on arterial entry, expands to 7.67 mm, then re-collapses upon removal. Valve sizing and vascular access were determined by computed tomography, and outcomes were assessed using the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC-2) definitions. Results Thirteen of 64 patients had a minimal iliofemoral artery luminal diameter (MLD) of ≤5.0 mm (mean 4.38+/−0.59 mm, range 3.1–5.0 mm), with vessel calcification ≤90° to 360° and tortuosity 90°. At the MLD point, the sheath-to-artery ratios, based on the fully expanded 7.67 mm OD, ranged 1.53–2.47, higher than previously reported ratios that risk vascular complications. Major comorbidities included chronic renal failure, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, extreme thrombocytopenia, cirrhosis, prior cardiac surgery, poor ventricular function, and frailty. All 64 patients had TAVR with IV sedation and local anesthesia, with 0% sheath malfunction, 0% vascular complications, and 0% bleeding in-hospital and at 30 days per VARC-2 definitions. Conclusions TAVR using a balloon-expandable, re-collapsible sheath is safe, including in small iliofemoral access ≤5.0 mm, thus considerably expanding the population suitable for transfemoral approach. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Elementary School Inter-Nation Simulation: Impacts on Developing Orientations to International Politics

(1975). Elementary School Inter-Nation Simulation. Teaching Political Science: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 300-320.
Examining Wedding Rituals through a Multidimensional Gender Lens: The Analytic Importance of Attending to (In)consistency

This paper examines weddings, which are rife with gendered conventions, as a window into processes of gender (re)production. More specifically, it addresses the theoretical question of the relationships among dimensions of gender—individual, interactional, and institutional—via ethnographic data evidencing both consistency and contradiction among levels. While there is evidence that the institutional dimension is reflected in individuals’ assumptions regarding what a wedding should be, and this leads to reproduction of convention in the interactional dimension, I also find ways in which the institutional dimension is inconsistent with individuals’ understandings and their gendered relationships. I identify these inconsistencies as “visibility cues” that make assumptions evident and allow for alternative gender performances. In all, this research answers calls for a more complex understanding of gender as multidimensional and provides an analytic tool for continuing this work, while utilizing a micro-level...
The Essential Need for Protein Chemists

*Although still a comparatively small overall percentage, protein therapeutics (protein “biopharmaceuticals”) are the fastest-growing category of new drugs approved by the U.S. FDA (1,2). In 2002 the U.S. Biotechnology Industry Organization reported FDA approval of 130 biotechnology-derived proteins, with over 350 in additional clinical trials. By 2005 the number of FDA approved protein biopharmaceuticals had almost doubled, and currently target over 200 human diseases, including cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, and arthritis (2). Recent data shows that there are over 1,500 biotechnology companies in the U.S. alone, with a market capitalization in excess of $410 billion (2). The impact of protein biopharmaceuticals upon global healthcare and economy is substantial and growing rapidly. Proteins are a novel type of compound in comparison to traditional small molecule pharmaceuticals, and present new and significant challenges to the realization of their full potential as therapeutics. One fundamental difference is that proteins are potentially capable of adopting different structural conformations, and this can profoundly influence critically-important properties such as function, solubility, bioavailability, half-life, aggregation, toxicity, and immunogenicity (3-5). In the simplest case, proteins can exist in either a native (folded) or denatured (unfolded) state. The native state is associated with function and is generally considered to represent the global Gibbs energy minimum. The denatured state (an ensemble of “disordered” structures) is associated with loss of function and (under normal physiological conditions) is higher in Gibbs energy. The transition between these states is a physical process (modulated by heat, pH or solutes), and thus potentially reversible, with the partition function defined by the Gibbs energy difference ( ΔG unfolding ). The formal “thermodynamic stability” (or thermostability) of a protein refers to the magnitude of ΔG unfolding , an intrinsic property of the protein. This simplified view becomes more complex when the properties of the denatured (or partially-denatured) state are considered. The denatured state typically has reduced solubility (and potential residual structure) that can promote aggregation, resulting in an irreversible pathway from the denatured state. The denatured state is also much more accessible to proteolytic attack and chemical modification, which contribute to additional irreversible processes leading from the unfolded state. Thus, while reversible folding is associated with recovery of function, irreversible processes are often the primary determinants of observed functional half-life (often referred to in the literature as “functional stability”). From this simplified analysis it can be appreciated that the formal thermodynamic stability and the observed functional stability of a protein are distinct but inter
Eucaloric Ketogenic Diet Reduces Hypoglycemia and Inflammation in Mice with Endotoxemia

Dietary strategies to alter the immune response to acute inflammation have the potential to improve outcomes in critically ill patients. A eucaloric ketogenic diet (EKD), composed predominantly of fat with very small amounts of carbohydrate, can provide adequate caloric support while minimizing spikes in blood glucose and reducing oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an EKD on glycemic control and the inflammatory response after acute endotoxemia in mice. Mice received either an EKD or a carbohydrate-based control diet (CD) for 4 weeks. Animals subsequently underwent either a 2-h fast (postprandial) or an overnight fast (postabsorptive), and half of the animals in each diet group were randomized to receive either intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (1 mg/kg) or an equivalent volume of saline. Glycemic response, insulin resistance, inflammatory cytokine levels, and the expression of key inflammatory and metabolic genes were measured. After endotoxin challenge, hypoglycemia was more frequent in mice fed a CD than an EKD in the postprandial period. This was due in part to the preservation of hepatic glycogen stores despite endotoxin exposure and prolonged fasting in mice fed an EKD. Furthermore, mice fed the CD had higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the postabsorptive period, with a fivefold higher expression of hepatic NFκB compared to mice fed the EKD in both fasting periods. These results suggest that the unique metabolic state induced by an EKD can alter the response to acute inflammation in mice.
POWER SYSTEM FULL DYNAMIC SIMULATION PART III: LONG TERM DYNAMIC MODELS

In power system full dynamic simulation besides the electric-mechanical transient processes of dynamic elements of power system should be simulated in detail, the detailed dynamic models of mid- and long-term processes are necessary. The dynamic models, such as thermal power plant, hydroelectric power plant, nuclear power plant and the automatic generation control (AGC), which are necessary for power system full simulation are implemented in power system full dynamic simulation software.
China's Rapeseed Trade Growth and Determinants

Having the evolution of China's rapeseed trade policies and the prediction of rapeseed trade growth over the next 10 years by the international agencies as background,the paper studied China's rapeseed trade determinants in the future,and explained the economic phenomena of China's rapeseed import continuous growth,especially the import surge in 2009.The results showed that China's trade policies on oilseed crops settled the trade quantity and trade structure of rapeseed and its products.In addition,the price differentials between domestic and international market,the increasing opportunity cost of engaging in rape production and China's resources endowments in agricultural sector all determined the long-term trade trend of China's rapeseed and its products.
Comparison of tissue culture cells and histological sections for use in screening monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies have been screened using either tissue culture cells or histologic sections as a source of antigen. We evaluated and compared these two methods using six murine monoclonal antibodies on human kidney cultures and histologic sections of human normal kidney and renal carcinoma. Antibody binding demonstrated shared antigens on kidney culture cells, renal tubular cells and renal carcinoma cells. The patterns of antibody binding were generally similar with either cultured cells or histologic sections. However, certain antibodies demonstrated significant differences in antibody binding depending on the method used for screening.
Leading Socially Neglectful, Alienated Organizations

This chapter demonstrates the importance of socially responsible executive leadership by modeling the absence of it. It builds on the new model of corporate social performance (CSP) in Chapter 3 to illustrate the downfalls of amoral executive decision making. More specifically, this chapter illustrates the organizational dynamics that are inevitable when the executive manager ignores, suppresses, or denies the role of values in decision making, a mind-set dubbed “normative myopia.”1 This mind-set inevitably leads to socially neglectful organizations that cannot respond to the value-based expectations of the company’s stakeholders. As will be seen, the executive’s influence on corporate culture drives this outcome.
Experimental Nephritis—Other Models and Future Directions

Almost all of the advances in understanding the nephritogenic process responsible for human immune, glomerular, and tubulointerstitial renal injury have their basis in animal models. A large number of model systems are now available, with recent interest focused on producing selective glomerular cell injury. Antimesangial cell and anti-epithelial cell surface antigens participate in these processes. An almost parallel set of models are available for understanding the immune processes responsible for tubulointerstitial nephritis. These processes, which include immune deposit formation through antibody reactions with structural and cellular antigens, immune complex formation, and cellular immune reactions, are reviewed. Possible future directions for model use are described. A search for models of disease produced by antigens present only in activated or stimulated cells is suggested and should lead to a better understanding of the immunopathogenesis of vasculitis. Extensions of current model systems to better define the contribution of cytokine and growth factor cascades responsible for glomerular and renal cell contributions to injury are discussed, including the use of the isolated perfused kidney. A number of other possible extensions are mentioned, including selective immunotherapies using antibodies to the T cell receptor Vbeta gene, utilization of SCID mice for development of models of human autoimmunity, the possible role of transgenic mice, and, finally, the utilization of models of selective renal cell injury to further the understanding of renal pathophysiology.
Models of medieval chivalry

The ideal process for reconstructing the working chivalric notions we seek would require the assistance of Merlin, with whose incomparable help we might assemble in one room a group of leading knights from various periods and regions. Prudently requiring these heroic if slightly touchy men to check their swords at the door, we could pose basic questions and surreptitiously record their eloquent answers, and perhaps even their grand gestures as they spoke with knowledge and feeling. This chapter will argue that considerable agreement on basics would emerge from such a group, whatever the differences in point of view on some particulars. Since Merlin, sadly, is no longer available, we might best arrive at this understanding of working notions of chivalry – rather than abstract reform plans – by assembling information from and about a set of knights undoubtedly regarded as models in their lifetimes. They ideally should be drawn from various regions of Europe and various chronological points in the “age of chivalry.” Finding suitable great knights is not difficult, though surviving evidence does not provide as fully satisfying a chronology and regional distribution as might be desired. To be most useful, those chosen should represent men highly praised by contemporary practicing men-at-arms as well as by clerics or intellectuals. We seek figures who were, in fact, elevated as model knights suitable for emulation. Clearly their lives and views must be recoverable. This requires that they formed the subjects of extensive accounts by others who knew them well (or had access to such knowledge) or wrote serious discussions on chivalry themselves. In short, we are searching for knights with detailed evidence available on active historical careers and as much information as possible about motivating ideals. Five figures come quickly to mind as amply meeting these criteria. The first must be the cross-Channel hero William Marshal (d. 1219), whose life is recounted in the Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal , our earliest nonroyal, nonclerical biography (completed in 1226) by an anonymous writer employed by the Marshal's family. Second, we can turn to the warrior-king Robert Bruce of Scotland (d. 1329), whose biography, Barbour's Bruce , was written in 1375–1377.
Influence of food subsidies on the foraging ecology of a synanthropic species in protected areas

The expansion of many synanthropic species is linked to changes in the abundance and distribution of human-derived foods, and understanding how food subsidies influence the foraging ecology of synanthropes can facilitate reducing impacts to rare species. We combined stable isotope analyses and radiotelemetry information to characterize space-use and dietary patterns in Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), a known nest predator of marbled murrelets, sampled at both campground and forest sites in California state parks. We classified jays into four groups based on patterns of space use: (1) campground (jays captured in campgrounds that predominantly used these areas), (2) periphery (jays captured in campgrounds that commonly used adjacent forests), (3) intermediate (jays captured at forest sites that made long-distance movements between forests and campgrounds), and (4) forest (jays captured and only detected in forests). In the most heavily visited park, human foods comprised more than half of the diet of campground jays based on stable isotopes; moreover, campground jays consumed a greater proportion of human foods than periphery or intermediate jays, which both consumed more human foods than forest jays. Campground jays exhibited a functional response to human foods as park visitation increased, and breeding individuals preferentially provisioned their young with human-derived foods. Based on space-use patterns of intermediate jays, we estimated that the “ecological footprint” of campgrounds extended 2 km beyond their spatial footprint. Thus, the impacts of seemingly spatially constrained human recreational activities can have spillover effects on animal communities at relatively broad spatial scales within protected areas.
Freirean Principles for E-learning

Learning is a transformative process as much for the e-learner as for the more traditional learner. In the process of helping our students grow, the transformative potential of our work can be enhanced by humanizing, participatory, and emancipatory methods. These methods, as portrayed in this article, have foundations in the work of Paulo Freire and are presented here to give specific guidelines for e-learning applications of Freire's ideas.
Differences in pain, symptom burden, and opioid use among cancer pain patients with active versus non-active disease.

e20568 Background: Many cancer survivors with non-active disease suffer with pain and other symptoms. This study investigated differences in symptoms and opioid use among cancer pain patients with ...
Attenuation of the volume-outcome relationship for gastrointestinal cancer surgery over time: Is a push towards continued regionalization justified?

131Background: Research demonstrating a volume-outcome relationship has resulted in regionalization of complex cancer surgery to high volume hospitals. A simultaneous national trend towards improved surgical outcomes brings into question whether the potential benefits of regionalization are still relevant. We hypothesize that the difference in adjusted post-operative mortality between low and high volume hospitals has decreased over time. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify patients with colon, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer undergoing curative intent surgery from 2003-2011. Hospitals were divided into low ( 75thpercentile) volume groups depending on annual volume of cancer-specific surgery. Year-specific hospital averaged observed/expected (O/E) ratios were calculated for 90-day mortality. Poisson regression was used to model hospital averaged O/E ratios over time. Results: Our study population included 343,929 patients ...
The Ethical Problems of Altered Nuclear Transfer and Human-Animal Chimeras: We Can Find a Better Way

Despite the progress that has been made in the use of human adult stem cells for medical therapy, scientists continue to view human embryonic stem cells with their pluripotent ability as the real future of stem cell therapy. However, because it requires the destruction of living embryos, human embryonic stem cell research is beset by ethical controversy. This has led some scientists to search for alternative methods of obtaining pluripotent stem cells. Two such alternatives are considered here: altered nuclear transfer [ANT], including ANT with oocyte-assisted reprogramming [ANT-OAR], and the production of human-animal chimeras. Supporters argue that ANT and ANT-OAR do not produce actual human embryos, so their use to derive pluripotent stem cells would be ethically permissible. But counter to this, it is argued that ANT and ANT-OAR would still produce a human embryo—albeit, a damaged or handicapped one. And so, the ethical controversy remains. In regards to human-animal chimeras, there is a general acceptance of their use provided researchers are careful not to produce an actual human, or otherwise rational, organism. But it is questioned here whether chimerism is an appropriate use of human tissue, regardless of the purpose. The ethical discussion of these alternatives, and other forms of human tissue research in general, is then framed within a unique approach to human dignity developed by the author. The chapter concludes with a discussion about finding a better way to proceed towards improving human health and well-being.
Chapter 13 – Open Root Finding Methods

Using open root-finding methods we can find a zero of nonlinear function using a single initial guess. The most famous of these is Newton's method, which uses the function's derivative to where the tangent line to the root estimate crosses zero. Newton's method is rapidly convergent for many functions, though it does require knowledge of the derivative. The inexact Newton and secant methods are presented for cases where the derivative is not known. The secant method, however, is not self-starting and needs to use another method for the first iteration. Finally, we demonstrate how Newton's method can be used for systems by extending the notion of a derivative to define a Jacobian matrix.
Effective Teaching: A Communicative Nonrecursive Causal Model

(1981). Effective Teaching: A Communicative Nonrecursive Causal Model. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 5, Communication Yearbook 5, pp. 737-749.
Differences in postural loading between primary and assistant surgeons during vaginal surgery

Abstract While increasing attention has been given to the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDs) among surgeons in various medical specialties, there is no quantitative information about the potential work-related risk factors that contribute to WMDs among vaginal surgeons in the operating room (OR). This study aimed to quantify the frequency and duration of awkward postures, as well as musculoskeletal discomfort experienced by primary and assistant vaginal surgeons during surgery in order to provide a first step of informing ergonomics interventions that reduce postural loading during surgery. Thirteen primary and 14 assistant surgeons were evaluated during 13 surgical cases. Surgeon pre- and post-operative musculoskeletal discomfort ratings were collected with surveys. During surgery, real-time observations systematically characterized the frequency and duration of awkward neck, trunk and shoulder postures using tablet-based ergonomics software. Surgeons experienced postoperative increases in musculoskeletal discomfort of the neck, wrists, hands, back and feet. Assistant surgeons experienced greater right and left shoulder discomfort than primary surgeons (p Relevance to industry Surgeons provide a valuable healthcare service to the public, but surgeons are at high risk of musculoskeletal problems due to their work demands. This study provides new information about the physical requirements of vaginal surgeries to inform ergonomics interventions that prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders among primary and assistant surgeons.
Effect of Differing Ingredients and Packaging Technologies on the Color of High-Pressure Processed Ground Beef

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a nonthermal pasteurization technique to control pathogens, like Escherichia coli. However, color changes in raw beef induced by HPP restrict its use within the beef industry. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of adding curing agents (nitrite) and packaging with or without reducing compounds (ascorbic acid/erythorbate) on color retention in high-pressure processed ground beef. Color was measured (CIE L a b ) before HPP and on days 3, 7, 12, 14, 19, and 21 after HPP. Statistical analysis (SAS GLIMMIX) was run to identify the main effects of adding curing agents, packaging, and reducing agents on color retention. HPP resulted in a detrimental effect on the color of the beef patties for all treatments. Lightness and yellowness increased ( ) and redness decreased ( ) after high-pressure processing. The effect remained the same throughout the course of the study. However, there were less color changes in samples treated with reducing compounds. Both synthetic and natural sources of nitrite and ascorbic acid/erythorbate performed similarly in terms of their ability to maintain redness. Treatments leading to formation of nitrosylmetmyoglobin (Fe3+) had less severe color change compared to the treatments leading to the generation of nitrosylmyoglobin (Fe2+).
Blue Roses and Black Tulips: Is the New Plant Genetics only Ornamental?

There have been, and I expect will continue to be, discussions concerning the relevance of the newly-emerging techniques in plant genetics (viz. in vitro cell culture, somatic cell genetics, recombinant DNA, and the application of the experimental systems of molecular biology) for crop improvement. From a number of recent reports and recommendations has come the expectation and even the anticipation that newly-emerging analytic and genetic biological techniques will contribute to the production of improved varieties of crop species (Brown, et al., 1975). Can the experimental approach and reductionistic assumptions of molecular biology be utilized for the solution of problems in agricultural plant biology and crop improvement? Will a correlation of in vitro events with the responses of crop plants in the field allow a better understanding and, more importantly, allow manipulation of biological processes underlying crop productivity?
Partial characterization of an inducible amylase produced by Pseudomonas cellulosa.

The products secreted byPseudomonas cellulosa were examined to determine if this bacterium could be used in a fluidized-bed bioreactor system to produce enzymes for converting waste cellulose to chemical feedstocks. P.cellulosa grows on a minimal salts medium supplemented with starch. P.cellulosa was found to secrete an amylase that was not produced when grown on media where cellulose was the only substrate. Therefore, the amylase produced by this bacterium is inducible, whereas production of cellulase was found to be constitutive. The amylase was found to have an apparent molecular weight of approx 97,000 Daltons. The activity of the amylase was found to be highest at alkaline pH values from 7.0 to 8.0, which is similar to the optimal pH for the cellulase.