cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct measurement of the hydration state of ambient aerosol populations

[1] During the summer of 2002 a modified tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) was used to examine the size-resolved hydration state of the ambient aerosol in southeast Texas. Throughout the study period the sampled aerosol had been exposed to a relative humidity (RH) greater than 80% before or soon after sunrise, while the ambient RH during sampling ranged from about 50 to 70%. To examine any possible size dependence, while also maximizing time resolution, 160 and 320 nm particles were analyzed. To assist in the interpretation of these data, a second, RH-scanning, TDMA was concurrently operated to directly characterize the deliquescence and crystallization properties of the aerosol. The hygroscopic growth of the more hygroscopic population of 160 and 320 nm particles was below that predicted for pure inorganics such as ammonium sulfate, suggesting the sampled particles were composed of mixtures of soluble and insoluble compounds. Although there were slight variations in the measured properties over the course of the study, those particles that were observed to exhibit hygroscopic growth hysteresis were almost always present as metastable aqueous solutions.
Early Enhanced Local Neutrophil Recruitment in Peritonitis-Induced Sepsis Improves Bacterial Clearance and Survival

Neutrophils are critical for the rapid eradication of bacterial pathogens, but they also contribute to the development of multiple organ failure in sepsis. We hypothesized that increasing early recruitment of neutrophils to the focus of infection will increase bacterial clearance and improve survival. Sepsis was induced in mice, using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); blood samples were collected at 6 and 24 h; and survival was followed for 28 d. In separate experiments, peritoneal bacteria and inflammatory cells were measured. Septic mice predicted to die based on IL-6 levels (Die-P) had higher concentrations of CXCL1 and CXCL2 in the peritoneum and plasma compared with those predicted to live (Live-P). At 6 h, Live-P and Die-P had equivalent numbers of peritoneal neutrophils and bacteria. In Die-P mice the number of peritoneal bacteria increased between 6 and 24 h post-CLP, whereas in Live-P it decreased. The i.p. injection of CXCL1 and CXCL2 in naive mice resulted in local neutrophil recruitment. When given immediately after CLP, CXC chemokines increased peritoneal neutrophil recruitment at 6 h after CLP. This early increase in neutrophils induced by exogenous chemokines resulted in significantly fewer peritoneal bacteria by 24 h [CFU (log) = 6.04 versus 4.99 for vehicle versus chemokine treatment; p < 0.05]. Chemokine treatment significantly improved survival at both 5 d (40 versus 72%) and 28 d (27 versus 52%; p < 0.02 vehicle versus chemokines). These data demonstrate that early, local treatment with CXC chemokines enhances neutrophil recruitment and clearance of bacteria as well as improves survival in the CLP model of sepsis.
Determination of bound vitamin B12

Abstract A simple method has been developed for the determination of bound vitamin B12 in serum which uses activated charcoal to remove the free vitamin. Total and bound vitamin B12 activity was followed as a function of time for 24 hr. after oral or parenteral administration of the vitamin. It was found that 80–85% of the B12 activity is bound in serum from normal subjects. The data suggest that vitamin B12 is more rapidly bound in serum after parenteral administration than after oral administration of the vitamin.
An Overview of Recent Application Trends at the AAMAS Conference: Security, Sustainability, and Safety

A key feature of the AAMAS conference is its emphasis on ties to real-world applications. The focus of this article is to provide a broad overview of application-focused papers published at the AAMAS 2010 and 2011 conferences. More specifically, recent applications at AAMAS could be broadly categorized as belonging to research areas of security, sustainability and safety. We outline the domains of applications, key research thrusts underlying each such application area, and emerging trends.
Multiple structural types of gap junctions in mouse lens.

Gap junctions in the epithelium and superficial fiber cells from young mice were examined in lenses prepared by rapid-freezing, and processed for freeze-substitution and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. There appeared to be three structural types of gap junction: one type between epithelial cells and two types between fiber cells. Epithelial gap junctions seen by freeze-sub stitution were ~20 nm thick and consistently associated with layers of dense material lying along both cytoplas mic surfaces. Fiber gap junctions, in contrast, were 1516 nm (type 1) or 17-18 nm thick (type 2), and had little associated cytoplasmic material. Type 1 fiber gap junctions were extensive in f lat expanses of cell membrane and had a thin, discontinuous central lamina, whereas type 2 fiber gap junctions were associated with the balland-socket domains and exhibited a dense, continuous central lamina. Both types of f iber gap junction had a diffuse arrangement of junctional intramembrane particles, whereas particles and pits of epithelial gap junc tions were in a tight, hexagonal configuration. The type 2 fiber gap junctions, however, had a larger particle size (~9 nm) than the type 1 (~7.5 nm). In addition, a large number of junctional particles typified the E-faces of both fiber types but not the epithelial type of gap junction. Gap junctions between fiber and epithelial cells had structural features of type 1 fiber gap junctions. These structural features suggest that the epithelial and the type 2 fiber gap junctions are of the common communicating type, whereas the type 1 fiber gap junctions may represent a new type of intercellular contact, not necessarily even derived from gap junction proteins, which serves an adhesive function in the lens.
BIONOMICS OF SCYMNUS MARGINICOLLIS (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE)

Scymnus marginicollis Mannerheim was reared on green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). At 20°–25 °C and a 16-h photoperiod, durations of egg, larval, and pupal stages were about 5, 10, and 7 days, respectively. Adults survived more than 80 days. The ingestion of wax-producing prey was not required for the beetle larvae to produce their woolly wax covering. Larvae fed exclusively by sucking fluids from appendages of the aphid prey. The coccinellid consumed about 16 adult aphids during the larval stage. Adults fed on fluids and tissues of M . persicae . Female adults consumed about five aphids per day, nearly twice as many as did males. The beetle populations increased in July and reached peak abundance in August. The seasonal trend of S . marginicollis suggests one generation per year.
Nicardipine in the treatment of raynaud's phenomenon

A new calcium channel blocker, nicardipine, was studied for treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial during the winter months. Clinical response was assessed by a patient-kept diary of symptoms and finger systolic pressure that was measured at room temperature and during cold challenge. In vivo platelet activation was determined by measuring plasma levels of the platelet-specific proteins, beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4. When treatment with placebo was compared with treatment with nicardipine, no significant differences were found in the number of Raynaud's attacks per day, the severity of attacks, change in character in Raynaud's phenomenon, use of hands in winter months, patient assessment of medication or objective measurements of finger systolic pressure, and critical closing temperature. There was a reduction of plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 in the overall study group while taking nicardipine compared with that during the placebo period (mean change 5.0 +/- 2.4 ng/ml, P = 0.054, and 1.4 +/- 0.6 ng/ml, P less than 0.01, respectively). These results demonstrate that while nicardipine was not effective in reducing the episodes of Raynaud's phenomenon, it did inhibit in vivo platelet activation. These findings suggest that platelet activation is not the primary event in the pathogenesis of acute vasospasm in Raynaud's phenomenon, since reduction of platelet activation by the drug did not change the severity of vasospasm.
A Sufficient Condition of Robust Stabilization of Interval Plants with Compensators

It has been shown that a first-order linear compensator stabilizes an interval plant with numerator and denominator being Kharitonov polynomials if and only if sixteen extreme plants are Hurwitz. The sixteen extreme plants are generated by using the four extreme polynomials of the numerator and the four extreme polynomials of the denominator corresponding to the maximum or minimum values of real or imaginary parts of the polynomials. In this paper we provide a sufficient condition that for any given compensator if the derivative of the argument of the compensator with respect to frequency is zero or negative then it is necessary and sufficient to check the sixteen extreme plants for the closed-loop stability. Although only the sufficient condition is given here, many special forms of compensator satisfy the condition that the spin velocity of the Kharitonov rectangle is zero or negative. For example, if all the compensator poles are negative and all the compensator zeros are positive, it is enough to check the sixteen extreme plants for the Hurwitz stability of the closed-loop polynomial.
NeuroD1 in the endocrine pancreas: localization and dual function as an activator and repressor.

The basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor NeuroD1 regulates cell fate in the nervous system but previously has not been considered to function similarly in the endocrine pancreas due to its reported expression in all islet cell types in the newborn mouse. Because we found that NeuroD1 potently represses somatostatin expression in vitro, its pattern of expression was examined in both strains of mice in which lacZ has been introduced into the NeuroD1 locus by homologous recombination. Analysis of adult transgenic mice revealed that NeuroD1 is predominantly expressed in β-cells and either absent or expressed below the limit of lacZ detection in mature α-, δ-, or PP cells. Consistent with a previous report, NeuroD1 colocalizes with glucagon as well as insulin in immature islets of the newborn mouse. However, no colocalization of NeuroD1with somatostatin was detected in the newborn. In vitro, ectopic expression of NeuroD1 in TRM-6/PDX-1, a human pancreatic δ-cell line, resulted in potent repression of somatostatin concomitant with induction of the β-cell hormones insulin and islet amyloid polypeptide. Additionally, NeuroD1 induced expression of Nkx2.2, a transcription factor expressed in β- but not δ-cells. Transfection studies using insulin and somatostatin promoters confirm the ability of NeuroD1 to act as both a transcriptional repressor and activator in the same cell, suggesting a more complex role for NeuroD1 in the establishment and/or maintenance of mature endocrine cells than has been recognized previously. Developmental Dynamics 233:946–953, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A 3 $\mu$ W CMOS True Random Number Generator With Adaptive Floating-Gate Offset Cancellation

This paper presents two novel hardware random number generators (RNGs) based on latch metastability. We designed the first, the DC-nulling RNG, for extremely low power operation. The second, the FIR-based RNG, uses a predictive whitening filter to remove nonrandom components from the generated bit sequence. In both designs, the use of floating-gate memory cells allows us to predict and compensate for DC offsets and other nonrandom influences while minimizing power consumption. We also present an efficient digital post-processing technique for improving randomness. We fabricated both RNGs in a standard 0.35 mum CMOS process. The DC-nulling RNG occupied .031 mm2 of die area, while the FIR-based RNG occupied 1.49 mm2.
Side‐chain crystallinity. III. Influence of side‐chain crystallinity on the glass transition temperatures of selected copolymers incorporating n‐octadecyl acrylate or vinyl stearate

The influence of side-chain crystallinity on the glass transition temperatures of selected copolymers was investigated. The copolymers were selected, in part, from those whose crystallinity was treated in the preceding paper. These included the lower amorphous acrylate esters, such as methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylates, together with methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile, each copolymerized with n-octadecyl acrylate over the range of composition. The decline in the glass transition temperature was linear with increasing weight fraction of n-octadecyl acrylate for all systems in the composition range where the copolymers were essentially amorphous. The extrapolated Tg for the amorphous state of poly(n-octadecyl acrylate), and for amorphous poly(oleyl acrylate), was close to −111°C. This coincided with a value previously obtained by an extrapolation of data on homologs. Beyond a critical fraction of octadecyl acrylate (0.3 to 0.5), developing side-chain crystallinity in n-octadecyl acrylate raised the glass temperature steadily for all systems, up to a value of 17-C, obtained for the crystalline homopolymer. Crystallinity did not develop in stiff copolymers until Tg was about 30°C below the melting point of the most perfect crystals. In compositionally heterogeneous copolymers incorporating vinyl stearate, blocks of crystalline units appeared to be dispersed in a glassy matrix of amorphous co-units. An empirical equation was derived which fitted the experimental data for random copolymers, over all composition ranges, with fair accuracy.
Can Recent Extraordinary Stock Returns Be Repeated

This article considers the recent great years in the stock market and attempts to place them in perspective. A probability analysis of the historical returns on the S&P 500 index produces several conclusions that may help investors assessing probable returns in the future. Included in the analysis are brief comments on the time diversification argument and the proposition that the DJIA could soon reach a level of 36,000. While investors enjoy high returns over the next few years, an analysis of the relevant probabilities that the likelihood of continuing extraordinary performance is small.
Characterization for Source Rock Potential of the Bakken Shales in the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana

The lower and upper Bakken shales in the Williston Basin are world class source rocks, sourcing reservoirs in the Bakken, upper Three Forks, and lower Lodgepole formations, which comprise the economically significant Bakken Petroleum System (BPS). Based on the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and pyrolysis results of Bakken samples, lower and upper Bakken shales exhibit a wide range in TOC contents, laterally from 1 wt.% along shallower basin margins up to 20 wt.% in the deeper basin, and vertically with recurrent patterns in each shale section. This high variation of TOC content may result from mixed effects of the original depositional environment and progressive maturation. Based on the modified van-Krevelen diagram, the kerogen type present in Bakken shale is primarily Type II marine oil-prone kerogen, but along the shallow east flank of the basin there is Type III kerogen input. Original hydrogen index (HI) and original TOC across the basin are empirically and mathematically restored, which are averaged at ~580 mg hydrocarbon (HC)/g Carbon and ~19-20 wt.%, respectively. The pyrolysis temperature of 425oC, production index of 0.08, and conversion fraction of 0.1~0.15, correspond to a threshold of incipient bitumen generation from early mature shales. Due to maturation and HC generation, TOC contents are diminished by about 5~8 wt.% in thermally mature areas of the Williston Basin. Early results indicate that the upper and lower Bakken shales in the central, deeper Williston Basin are organic rich, contain oil-prone kerogen, and are thermally mature and in the oil generation window.
Targeted ablation of the phospholamban gene is associated with a marked decrease in sensitivity in aortic smooth muscle.

Abstract Phospholamban (PLB) is a protein associated with the Ca2+-ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in cardiac, slow-twitch skeletal, and smooth muscle. PLB inhibits the SR Ca2+-ATPase in cardiac muscle; this inhibition is relieved on phosphorylation. The role of PLB in smooth muscle contractility is less clear. To elucidate the role of PLB in vascular smooth muscle contractility in vivo, we used a model in which the PLB gene was targeted in murine embryonic stem cells, generating mice deficient in PLB (PLB−). The PLB− mice exhibited no gross developmental abnormalities, but marked changes in aortic contractility were observed. The time course of force development with phenylephrine stimulation was faster in the PLB− aorta, suggesting changes in SR Ca2+ release. No differences were observed for KCl contractures between tissue types for either maximum forces observed or time course of force production; relaxation was faster in 7 of 11 arteries, but this trend did not attain statistical significanc...
Balancing research and funding using value of information and portfolio tools for nanomaterial risk classification

Risk research for nanomaterials is currently prioritized by means of expert workshops and other deliberative processes. However, analytical techniques that quantify and compare alternative research investments are increasingly recommended. Here, we apply value of information and portfolio decision analysis-methods commonly applied in financial and operations management-to prioritize risk research for multiwalled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticulate silver and titanium dioxide. We modify the widely accepted CB Nanotool hazard evaluation framework, which combines nano- and bulk-material properties into a hazard score, to operate probabilistically with uncertain inputs. Literature is reviewed to develop uncertain estimates for each input parameter, and a Monte Carlo simulation is applied to assess how different research strategies can improve hazard classification. The relative cost of each research experiment is elicited from experts, which enables identification of efficient research portfolios-combinations of experiments that lead to the greatest improvement in hazard classification at the lowest cost. Nanoparticle shape, diameter, solubility and surface reactivity were most frequently identified within efficient portfolios in our results.
Geomys tyrioni, a new species of early Pleistocene dwarf pocket gopher from the Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas

A new early Pleistocene dwarf pocket gopher species is described from the Short Haul, Aries A, and Nash 72 assemblages in the Borchers Badlands of Meade County, Kansas. Geomys tyrioni is defined by its diminutive size and modern dental and mandibular masseter muscle configuration. G. tyrioni , currently known from the interval of about 2.0–1.70 millions of years ago (Ma), replaced the larger G. floralindae and G. quinni of the slightly earlier (2.11 Ma) Borchers assemblage. Mandibular and dental characters place G. tyrioni in the group of Geomys including the extant Great Plains G. bursarius . Within about 24,000 years after the Nash 72 assemblage, G. tyrioni was replaced by modern-sized Geomys cf. G. bursarius in the Rick Forester assemblage, the earliest record of the extant plains pocket gopher in the Meade Basin and North America. G. tobinensis Hibbard is synonymized with G. bursarius . An evolutionary scenario is provided for the Meade Basin geomyines based on current information, and it is suggested that ashfalls may have played a significant role in geomyine cladogenesis and turnover.
State political culture and the attitudes of state senators toward social, economic welfare, and corruption issues

The thesis of Daniel Elazar that the American political culture is composed of three distinct political subcultures is well known.' Elazar argues that intrinsic to each political culture are different but basic ideas about politics, such as the purpose of government, the reasons for political participation, and how policies and government should be conducted on a day-to-day basis.2 If these three subcultures exist today, one would expect to find evidence of them in a variety of ways. For example, one would expect to find in states characterized by different political subcultures, evidence of different public policies, or perhaps differing mass and elite attitudes toward politics. Policies may be the best indicators of subcultural variations among states because current policy patterns are so largely a function of past patterns of revenue and expenditure. Thus, even if the distinctiveness of the political subcultures in the United States is fading, current policies should still show the effects of historical cultural patterns. In fact, several studies have documented this relationship. Ira Sharkansky demonstrated that associations do exist between state political cultures and a number of state characteristics, including tax effort and expenditures.3 Robert Savage and Richard Gallagher found
Potential Value and Research Strategy of Autotetraploid Rice(O.sativa)

Characteristics of autotetraploid rice in Oryza are generalized in this paper.The particularity phenomena from autotetraploid rice should be particularly noticed.There are some technical puzzles and the disadvantages in the research of autotetraploid rice which should be seriously taken into account.The technological ideas of researching autotetraploid rice are put forward,according to the studying conditions.By excavating intrinsic value of autotetraploid rice,a new state will be produced in rice breeding and production.
Single index and composite index used for present evaluation of occupational hazards of a storage battery factory

Objective To study the method of single index and composite index used for present evaluation of occupational hazards.Methods A battery factory of Yangzhou was chosen,the occupational hygienic investigation and occupational hazards detection were conducted.The single index and composite index method were used for analysis and evaluation.Results Before the reformation,The qualified rate of lead dust was 57.1%,the highest exceeded the standard with 3.2 times(smearing site).The qualified rate of lead smoke was 37.5%,the highest exceeded the standard with 3.67 times(casting welding site).The qualified rate of noise was 90.9%,the highest exceeded the standard with 3.1 dB(A)(powder site).Sodium hydroxide,sulfuric acid,benzene,toluene,xylene and other projects were not exceeded the standard.Occupational hazard grade is IV,the hygienic protection project of this program was unqualified.After reformation,the qualified rate of lead dust was 87.5%,the highest exceed the standard with 0.92 times(smearing site).the qualified rate of lead smoke was 75%,the highest overweight of the standard with 0.67 times(pulling site).Combining all factors,I = 0.81,occupational hazard grade was I,the hygienic protection project of this program was qualified.Conclusion This method is available for less exceeding points and lower overweight level,on the basis of the present technology,equipment and protective level cannot or difficult to be qualified overall.On the other hand,this evaluation process must be considered with the actual situation to implement.
Epidemiological features of mumps in Shijingshan District of Beijing during 2007 to 2008

Objective To understand epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Shijingshan District of Beijing to provide scientific evidence for formulating strategies for its prevention and control. Methods Descriptive epidemiology method was used to describe and analyze incidence data of mumps in Shijingshan during 2007 to 2008. Results A total of 291 cases of mumps were reported to Shijingshan District from 2007 to 2008 with an average incidence of 24.89 per 100 000,75.95 percent of them occurred in January to July,higher in boys than that in girls. Of all the cases,78.69 percent occurred at age of three to 12 years,59.45 percent were students and 43.64 percent had history of chickenpox immunization.Conclusion It is the most effective and economical means to increase timely immunization coverage and strengthen booster immunization in time for its prevention and control.
Analysis of clinical efficacy of montelukast sodium in the treatment of asthma in children

Objective To improve the treatment of children with asthma in our hospital effect, increase the attempt on the way in the treatment of children with asthma in our hospital, the clinical curative effect analysis and discussion of montelukast sodium in the treatment of asthma in children. Methods 120 cases of children with asthma were selected in our hospital during November to 2012 in 2010 October, were randomly divided into observation group and control group, two groups were 60 cases, the control group were given routine treatment, the observation group with montelukast sodium on the basis of conventional therapy, were analyzed and compared adverse reactions in treatment observation group treatment of children and patients in the control group after treatment, and repeated. Results After analysis and comparison, the observation group treatment of children is much higher than the control group children with therapeutic effect, adverse reaction and repeated rate is significantly lower than the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion Montelukast has obvious effect on the treatment of children with asthma, effectively shortening the time of onset in children, reduce the pain of the patients, improve the quality of life of the patients, the promotion and application to a wider range of.
Survey on epidemic situation of recessive infection of HFMD in healthy children and adults in Zhengzhou

Objective:To analyze the epidemic situation of recessive infection of HFMD in healthy children and adults in Zhengzhou.Methods: In 2010 and 2011,the dejecta and throat swab samples from 100 health people in 10 age groups were collected for infection investigation.The viral RNA from these samples were extracted and amplified to detect nucleic acid of enterovirus 71,CoxA16 and other enterovirus by utilizing the technique of RT–PCR.Results: Among 200 healthy people,the inapparent infection rate was 24.5%.Conclusion: The main inapparent infection population were children under 6 years.The inapparent infection rates of EV71 and CoxA16 were low in healthy people.
Optimization Analysis of Circulating Water System in a Unit Deviating Design Point

The practical performance of units is usually deviated from the design point,which would distort the optimization of circulating water systems.For a 300MW unit,the thermal system configuration under the efficiency decrease of low pressure cylinder and the reduction of condenser clean coefficient are respectively established using the steady state modeling software.The effects of thermal parameters on condenser performance are investigated and the optimized operating table and regulation scheme for the circulating water system are suggested.The comparison of economic benefit under four running modes is also analyzed.
Practical considerations in the management of sedation for colonoscopy.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss the unique elements of providing anesthesia services for colonoscopy including the practical issues within an endoscopy suite, nothing by mouth status for colonoscopy, chronic medication instructions, appropriate anesthesia equipment, informed consent, pharmacology of agents for sedation, anesthetic techniques, and issues related to postprocedural care. Recent findings The national trend is toward increasing number and complexity of colonoscopy procedures using anesthesia services. Providing anesthesia services in a dedicated endoscopy suite has unique elements related to open scheduling and the rapid turnover environment. Agents for sedation and general anesthesia for colonoscopy are chosen for rapid onset, amnestic properties, and raid emergence/recovery. Summary Sedation for colonoscopy is a rapidly expanding subspecialty with special needs created by the increasing medical complexity of the patients, the demands of the endoscopy procedures, the challenges of the endoscopy suite, and the rapid turnover of the outpatient environment.
Fluoroscopically Guided Incision of Ureteral Strictures in Pigs with the Cautery-Wire Balloon Catheter: A Phase 1 Study

We investigated a catheter that can longitudinally incise ureteral strictures under fluoroscopic guidance without the need for ureteroscopy and its attendant risks. The catheter consists of a low-pressure balloon and an overlying cautery wire; the balloon allows precise localization of the stricture, seen as a waist in the balloon, and the overlying cautery wire can be fluoroscopically oriented at the stricture. One to two centimeter ureteral strictures were created in 6 swine. Two to four weeks later strictures were incised in a retrograde or antegrade fashion with the cautery-wire balloon catheter, and double J stents placed for a duration of three weeks. In 5 of 6 renal units strictures improved anatomically with resolution of hydronephrosis at 3 to 4 months' follow-up. Urodynamic absence of obstruction was verified by Whitaker testing. In one animal, the tip of the catheter dislodged in the ureter with subsequent loss of the renal unit. The engineering error that lead to this complication has since been rectified. With correction of the aforementioned problem, this Phase 1 study has demonstrated the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of the cautery-wire balloon catheter for endourologic management of ureteral strictures.
Sequencing and Assembly of the Transgenic Papaya Genome

Papaya is an excellent model for studying fruit tree genomics. Papaya has a short generation time of 9–12 months, a small genome of 372 Mbp, and little residual within genome heterozygosity, and it produces an abundance of offspring. Papaya is also significant agriculturally, as it produces one of the world’s most nutritious fruits, and it has a pair of incipient sex chromosomes that are well suited for studying sex chromosome evolution. These features spurred the papaya genome sequencing project. The papaya genome was sequenced using 2.8 million whole-genome shotgun reads from a female transgenic SunUp cultivar. The shotgun assembly and physical maps were integrated with a genetic map to generate the draft genome. Analysis of the draft genome revealed fewer genes than any other sequenced plant genome, making it an excellent candidate for studying biosynthesis pathways. Synteny analysis suggests that papaya has no recent genome-wide duplications, which could potentially make it a good model of the ancient angiosperm genome. Most gene families have fewer members in papaya, with several exceptions, including drastic expansion in the MADs-box family. The draft genome sequence of papaya accelerated papaya sex chromosome research and facilitated comparative genomic studies in angiosperm.
A Treatise to Computational Approaches Towards Prediction of Membrane Protein and Its Subtypes

Membrane proteins are vital mediating molecules responsible for the interaction of a cell with its surroundings. These proteins are involved in different functionalities such as ferrying of molecules and nutrients across membrane, recognizing foreign bodies, receiving outside signals and translating them into the cell. Membrane proteins play significant role in drug interaction as nearly 50% of the drug targets are membrane proteins. Due to the momentous role of membrane protein in cell activity, computational models able to predict membrane protein with accurate measures bears indispensable importance. The conventional experimental methods used for annotating membrane proteins are time-consuming and costly and in some cases impossible. Computationally intelligent techniques have emerged to be as a useful resource in the automation of prediction and hence the annotation process. In this study, various techniques have been reviewed that are based on different computational intelligence models used for prediction process. These techniques were formulated by different researchers and were further evaluated to provide a comparative analysis. Analysis shows that the usage of support vector machine-based prediction techniques bears more assiduous results.
Evaluation of Delayed Ejaculation

The evaluation of delayed ejaculation (DE) is aided by a comprehensive understanding of the various factors that impinge on ejaculatory response. In this chapter, we first review the sexual response cycle, and then provide foundational knowledge about the definition and prevalence of DE, along with characteristics that describe and differentiate men with DE from other men. Emphasizing the need to take a holistic (biopsychosocial) approach, we discuss biologic, psychologic, and relationship risk factors. A final section provides step-by-step guidance through the process of evaluation for men suspected of having DE.
Protection by Detection: A Signaling Game Approach to Mitigate Co-Resident Attacks in Cloud

Cloud computing is taking the technology world by storm because of the varieties of services offered by the cloud service providers (CSPs). Despite numerous benefits offered by CSPs, there are some security issues that may dissuade users from using it. In this service, different virtual machines (VMs) share the same physical resources, these VMs are known as co-resident VMs. The shared physical resources pose a significant threat to the users. As resources may belong to competing organizations as well as unknown attackers. From the perspective of a cloud user, there is no guarantee whether the co-resident VMs are trustworthy. The shared resources make privacy and perfect isolation implausible, which paves the way for co-resident attacks, where a VM attacks another co-resident VM. There is a risk that a covert side channel can be used to extract another user's secret information or launch denial of service attacks. In this paper, we analyze the co-resident attacks and corresponding defense strategies, with respect to benign and malicious VMs and the VM Monitor (VMM), using a signaling game model, named Co-resident Attacks Mitigation and Prevention. The solution to the game provides optimal defense strategies for the VMM. We evaluate the game results by conducting simulation and find that the defender can fail co-resident attacks effectively by distinguishing the benign and malicious VMs efficiently.
Cost and cost-effectiveness of computerized vs. in-person motivational interventions in the criminal justice system

Abstract Introduction Although substance use is common among probationers in the United States, treatment initiation remains an ongoing problem. Among the explanations for low treatment initiation are that probationers are insufficiently motivated to seek treatment, and that probation staff have insufficient training and resources to use evidence-based strategies such as motivational interviewing. A web-based intervention based on motivational enhancement principles may address some of the challenges of initiating treatment but has not been tested to date in probation settings. The current study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a computerized intervention, Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment (MAPIT), relative to face-to-face Motivational Interviewing (MI) and supervision as usual (SAU), delivered at the outset of probation. Methods The intervention took place in probation departments in two U.S. cities. The baseline sample comprised 316 participants (MAPIT = 104, MI = 103, and SAU = 109), 90% (n = 285) of whom completed the 6-month follow-up. Costs were estimated from study records and time logs kept by interventionists. The effectiveness outcome was self-reported initiation into any treatment (formal or informal) within 2 and 6 months of the baseline interview. The cost-effectiveness analysis involved assessing dominance and computing incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Implementation costs were used in the base case of the cost-effectiveness analysis, which excludes both a hypothetical license fee to recoup development costs and startup costs. An intent-to-treat approach was taken. Results MAPIT cost $79.37 per participant, which was ~$55 lower than the MI cost of $134.27 per participant. Appointment reminders comprised a large proportion of the cost of the MAPIT and MI intervention arms. In the base case, relative to SAU, MAPIT cost $6.70 per percentage point increase in the probability of initiating treatment. If a decision-maker is willing to pay $15 or more to improve the probability of initiating treatment by 1%, estimates suggest she can be 70% confident that MAPIT is good value relative to SAU at the 2-month follow-up and 90% confident that MAPIT is good value at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Web-based MAPIT may be good value compared to in-person delivered alternatives. This conclusion is qualified because the results are not robust to narrowing the outcome to initiating formal treatment only. Further work should explore ways to improve access to efficacious treatment in probation settings.
Minerva: A reinforcement learning-based technique for optimal scheduling and bottleneck detection in distributed factory operations

In manufacturing systems, the term bottleneck refers to a component that limits the entire throughput of a system. A number of approaches have attempted bottleneck detection. However, existing solutions have limitations, leaving the bottleneck identification still no trivial task. To address the shortcomings of prior works, we study Job Shop Scheduling Problems (JSSP) with the realistic extension that jobs are enqueued periodically, and propose a machine learning based solution to such a problem, named Minerva. Minerva first finds the optimal resource scheduling for a target interval, based on a model-free reinforcement learning technique. Then, using an artificial neural network classifier, Minerva identifies the constrained resources for each target interval. Minerva is evaluated on two representative benchmarks with the key result being that Minerva is able to detect the system bottleneck(s) with a high accuracy of 95.2%, which is almost 25% better than the best-in-class bottleneck identification methods.
GAS-LIQUID DISPERSION CHARACTERISTICS IN AIRLIFT FERMENTORS

ABSTRACT The axial variation of gas hold-up was experimentally investigated in a split cylinder airlift column using open end manometers. The effect of viscosity on gas holdup in the downflow section of the column was studied using 0 to 1.5% solutions of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) with apparent viscosities of up to about 2 poise. The gas hold-up was much lower at the higher viscosities. The hold-up was lower in the bottom part of the downflow section of the column because of coalescence. Addition of surfactant increased hold-up because of decreased coalescence. Comparison with distilled water showed that hold-up was higher for solutions with surfactant. Solutions containing 1% CMC and 10 mg/liter sodium lauryl sulfate had higher gas hold-ups in the down flow section than similar solutions without CMC under some operating conditions. When surfactant was present, the variation of gas hold-up with axial position was much smaller than for rapidly coalescing solutions of CMC and distilled water. The height of the ungassed liquid relative to the baffle height was investigated in order to examine the effect on hold-up in the downflow section. The effect of ungassed liquid height on hold-up was small. The greatest effects on hold-up appeared to occur when the ungassed liquid height was below the baffle height. Decreasing the ungassed liquid height usually resulted in larger values of hold-up in the down-flow section.
Perceived Quality of Life Research on Children and Youth: Implications for a System of National Indicators

Both the popular and social science literatures have tended to focus attention on the negative aspects of the status of children and youth, particularly youth in the USA. Literature abounds on such topics as the stresses of adolescence, risk behaviors, behavior problems, dysfunctional parent–child relationships, and so forth. Recently, several research initiatives have emerged that have shifted the focus to positive aspects of children and youth, such as the Positive Psychology, Positive Youth Development and Quality of Life (QOL) perspectives. From these perspectives, the status of children and youth should not be evaluated from simple dichotomous perspectives (e.g., health is the absence of disease) but rather from broader and more differentiated views. According to the Commission on Positive Youth Development (2005, p. 498), there is “a huge difference between a teenager who is not depressed or anxious and one who bounds out of bed in the morning with twinkling eyes; and between an adolescent who says no to drugs and one who says yes to meaningful involvement in family, school, and community activities.” From such a perspective, evaluations of child and adolescent well-being, including national indexes, require a focus on strengths, interests, and future potential as well as the traditional focus on symptoms, disorders, risk behaviors, and problems in general. Within such a context, calls have been issued for more comprehensive assessments of the health, well-being, and overall “status” of children and youth (Huebner et al. 2004).
KATP channels mediate adenosine-induced hyperemia in retina.

Purpose. The authors and others have shown previously that the purine nucleoside adenosine is a potent vasodilator in the retinal microcirculation, mediating increases in retinal blood flow (RBF) in response to several autoregulatory stimuli. The current experiments were undertaken to elucidate the involvement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels and the adenylate cyclase—cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) secondmessenger system in the transduction of adenosine's hyperemic response. Methods. Retinal fluorescein angiograms were videorecorded in isoflurane-anesthetized newborn pigs, and changes in arteriovenous transit times and retinal arteriolar and venular diameters were used to estimate stimulus-induced changes in RBF. Results. Intravitreal perivascular microsuffusion of 5 nmol and 50 nmol adenosine caused dose-dependent increases in RBF of 79% ± 4% (P < 0.05; n = 5) and 323% ± 61% (P < 0.05; n = 5), respectively. The KATP channel antagonist glibenclamide (0.5 nmol and 5 nmol) caused a significant, dose-dependent attenuation of the hyperemic response to 5 nmol adenosine. The specificity of glibenclamide for blocking KATP channels was demonstrated by its ability to block by 94% ± 6% (P < 0.05; n = 5) the increase in RBF (94% ± 7%; P < 0.05) elicited by the intravitreal microsuffusion of the KATP channel agonist cromakalim (5 nmol), whereas it had no effect on the 103% ± 12% increase in RBF (P < 0.05; n = 5) induced by the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (15 nmol). Adenosine-induced hyperemia was not potentiated by forskolin (1.7 nmol; n = 4), an adenylate cyclase activator, and was not attenuated by dideoxyadenosine (5 nmol; n = 4), an adenylate cyclase inhibitor. In addition, no significant increases in RBF could be elicited by 2.5 to 25 nmol 8-bromo-cAMP (n = 4), a membrane-permeable cAMP analog. Conclusions. These results in the piglet indicate that adenosine increases blood flow in the retina by activating KATP channels, not by increasing in cyclic AMP secondary to adenylate cyclase activation. They also underscore the potential importance of KATP channels in the transduction of retinal vasodilatative responses to other agonists. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996; 37:2624-2633.
Selective ablation of dental caries using coaxial Co2 (9.3-μm) and near-IR (1880-nm) lasers

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of image-guided laser ablation of demineralization from tooth occlusal surfaces using coaxial near-infrared (NIR) and CO2 lasers. Materials and methods A CO2 laser operating at a wavelength of 9.3-μm was combined with a thulium-doped fiber laser operating at 1880-nm for the selective removal of simulated occlusal caries lesions from 10 tooth samples. Serial NIR reflectance images at 1880-nm were used to guide the CO2 laser for image-guided laser ablation. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) was used to assess the initial depth of the lesions before removal and assess the volume of sound and demineralized tissue removed by the CO2 laser. Results PS-OCT scans indicated that roughly ∼99% of the lesion was removed by image-guided laser ablation. A mean volume of 0.191-mm3 or 11.9-μm/voxel of excess enamel was removed during lesion removal. Conclusion A co-aligned NIR/CO2 laser scanning system has great potential for the highly selective removal of dental decay (demineralization). Lasers Surg. Med. 51:176-184, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Currency Internationalization and the International Price System

Although China, now the world’s second largest economy and largest goods trading nation, has rolled out the ambitious currency internationalization protocol while maintaining strict capital controls for nearly a decade, the implications of this unique reform path on the international economy still present uncertainties. In this paper, we fill in this gap by developing a two country, two-goods model to investigate the impacts of currency internationalization on the international price system, which consists of goods market and factor market interactions. We propose a critical condition of sustainable currency internationalization and reveal high international price sensitivity to exchange rate adjustments.
Physics design for a lithium vapor box divertor experiment on magnum PSI

Abstract The lithium vapor box divertor is a potential solution for power exhaust in toroidal confinement devices. The divertor plasma interacts with a localized, dense cloud of lithium vapor, leading to volumetric radiation, cooling, recombination, and detachment. To minimize contamination of the core plasma, lithium vapor is condensed on cool (300–400°C) baffles upstream of the detachment point. Before implementing this in a toroidal plasma device with a slot divertor geometry, we consider an experiment with a scaled baffled-pipe geometry in the high-power linear plasma device Magnum-PSI. Three 15 cm-scale open cylinders joined by 6 cm diameter ‘nozzles’ are positioned on the plasma beam axis upstream of a target. The central box may be loaded with several tens of grams of lithium, which can be evaporated at 650°C to produce a vapor predicted, using a simple plasma-neutral interaction model, to be dense enough to cause volumetric detachment in the plasma. The power delivered to the target and box walls as measured by increases in their temperatures after a 10 s plasma pulse can be compared to determine the effectiveness of the vapor in detaching the plasma. Direct Simulation Monte Carlo simulations are performed to estimate the flow rates of lithium vapor between the boxes and to estimate the trapping of H2 delivered by the plasma in the boxes, which could inadvertently lead to detachment. Details of the geometry, simulations, and possible diagnostic techniques are presented.