cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic hyperinsulinemia and blood pressure. Interaction with catecholamines

Although hyperinsulinemia and increased adrenergic activity have been postulated to be important factors in obesity-associated hypertension, a cause and effect relation between insulin, catecholamines, and hypertension has not been established. The aim of this study was to determine whether chronic hyperinsulinemia, comparable with that found in obese hypertensive patients, causes hypertension in normal dogs, increases plasma catecholamines, or potentiates the blood pressure effects of norepinephrine. In six normal dogs, insulin infusion (1.0 milliunits/kg/min) for 7 days, with euglycemia maintained, increased fasting insulin fourfold to sixfold. However, mean arterial pressure did not increase, averaging 99 +/- 2 mm Hg during the control period and 91 +/- 3 mm Hg during the 7 days of insulin infusion. Insulin did not alter plasma norepinephrine or epinephrine, which averaged 171 +/- 27 and 71 +/- 14 pg/ml, respectively, during the control period and 188 +/- 29 and 45 +/- 12 pg/ml during the 7 days of insulin infusion. In six dogs, norepinephrine was infused (0.2 microgram/kg/min) for 7 days to raise plasma norepinephrine to 2,940 +/- 103 pg/ml. Insulin infusion (1.0 milliunits/kg/min) for 7 days during simultaneous infusion of norepinephrine did not further increase mean arterial pressure, which averaged 101 +/- 3 during norepinephrine and 98 +/- 2 mm Hg during insulin plus norepinephrine infusion. Thus, chronic hyperinsulinemia did not increase mean arterial pressure or plasma catecholamines and did not potentiate the blood pressure actions of norepinephrine. These observations provide no evidence that chronic hyperinsulinemia or interactions between insulin and plasma catecholamines cause hypertension in normal dogs.
Impacts of laser beam diverging angle on free-space optical communications

A free-space optical (FSO) communication system that does not implement compensation strategies for the effects of beam wander may experience deep long-term channel fades or even severe communication outage when the laser spot wanders away from the receiver aperture due to the effects of atmospheric turbulence. The impacts of laser beam diverging angles on channel fading probability density function (pdf) and on bit-error-rate (BER) performance of both uncoded and coded FSO communication systems are studied for different receiver aperture sizes and propagation distances. The optimal diverging angles are determined according to the average uncoded and coded BER for both uncoded and coded system, respectively. For a fast-tracked FSO communication system, a focused beam always provides better channel fading, coded BER, and uncoded BER than beams with larger diverging angles. For an untracked system, smaller beam diverging angels have better BER performance and lower channel fading for short distances when beam wander is small compared with the receiver aperture size, and larger beam diverging angles are preferred for longer distances when beam wander becomes significant. The optimal beam diverging angles of the coded FSO communication systems are smaller than those of the uncoded systems.
Regulation and Substrate Specificity of the SR Protein Kinase Clk/Sty

SR proteins constitute a family of splicing factors that play key roles in both constitutive and regulated splicing in metazoan organisms. The proteins are extensively phosphorylated, and kinases capable of phosphorylating them have been identified. However, little is known about how these kinases function, for example, whether they target specific SR proteins or whether the kinases themselves are regulated. Here we describe properties of one such kinase, Clk/Sty, the founding member of the Clk/Sty family of dual-specificity kinases. Clk/Sty is autophosphorylated on both Ser/Thr and Thr residues, and using both direct kinase assays and SR protein-dependent splicing assays, we have analyzed the effects of each type of modification. We find not only that the pattern of phosphorylation on a specific SR protein substrate, ASF/SF2, is modulated by autophosphorylation but also that the ability of Clk/Sty to recognize different SR proteins is influenced by the extent and nature of autophosphorylation. Strikingly, phosphorylation of ASF/SF2 is sensitive to changes in Tyr, but not Ser/Thr, autophosphorylation while that of SC35 displays the opposite pattern. In contrast, phosphorylation of a third SR protein, SRp40, is unaffected by autophosphorylation. We also present biochemical data indicating that as expected for a factor directly involved in splicing control (but in contrast to recent reports), Clk/Sty is found in the nucleus of several different cell types.
Impact of Problem Solving Therapy on Brain Networks Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Poststroke Older Adults

Problem-solving therapy (PST) shows promise as an evidence- based approach to treat depression of stroke survivors. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of PST on brain networks associated with depressive symptoms in older stroke survivors. This study employed the use of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task, in which participants matched either emotion faces or neutral shape, which has been previously used in the study of depression. [1,2] This pilot study was designed as a two-arm randomized trial (intervention vs. attention-control group), where the treatment group received six weekly PST sessions each sessions (1-1.5 hrs each), and the attention-control group received six weekly stroke education sessions (1 hr each). Both groups underwent fMRI procedures before and after assigned interventions. Results of the Hariri task indicated that bilateral amygdala activity decreased among those receiving stroke education but increased in those receiving PST at post-treatment. Increased amygdala activation correlated with a drop in depression scores. This may explain mechanism of action of PST on amygdala by rejuvenating a blunted system of emotional reactivity.
cAMP Signal Transduction, A Potential Compensatory Pathway for Coronary Endothelial NO Production After Heart Failure

Objective— This study investigated whether cAMP signal transduction regulates coronary microvascular NO production after heart failure (HF), a state in which endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is downregulated. Methods and Results— Myocardial microvessels were isolated. Nitrite, the hydration product of NO, from these vessels was quantified by using the Griess reaction. Forskolin (10−4 mol/L), 8-bromo-cAMP (10−2 mol/L), isoproterenol (10−4 mol/L), or adrenomedullin (10−6 mol/L) significantly increased nitrite release by 78±8, 84±14, 71±11, and 73±15 pmol/mg, respectively, from isolated microvessels from normal canine hearts (P<0.05 versus control). Bradykinin (10−5 mol/L) and acetylcholine (10−5 mol/L) increased nitrite release by 83±13 and 72±6 pmol/mg, respectively (P<0.05 versus control). However, NO production induced by bradykinin and acetylcholine was markedly reduced after HF (46±7 and 39±7 pmol/mg, respectively; P<0.05 versus normal), reflecting eNOS downregulation (55% in eNOS protein). Surprisingly,...
Representations of Conditional Means

A unified treatment of integral representations of conditional ex- pectations, in terms of Bochner integrals, with specializations to Gaussian conditioning, is given. The integrals in the latter have deterministic ker- nels. Diculties in actual calculations of (even regular) conditional proba- bilities, and the inadequacy of methods related to L'Hospital's procedures, are exemplified. Limitations of the methods used and some new problems for investigation are indicated.
Modeling, Identification, and Control of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle

This paper describes planar motion modeling for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), including a comparative evaluation of several experimentally identified models over a wide range of speeds and planing conditions. The modeling and identification objective is to determine a model that is sufficiently rich to enable effective model-based control design and trajectory optimization, sufficiently simple to allow parameter identification, and sufficiently general to describe a variety of hullforms and actuator configurations. We focus, however, on a specific platform: a modified rigid hull inflatable boat with automated throttle and steering. Analysis of experimental results for this vessel indicates that Nomoto's first-order steering model provides the best compromise between simplicity and fidelity at higher speeds. At low speeds, it is helpful to include a first-order lag model for sideslip. Accordingly, we adopt a multiple model approach in which the model structure and parameter values are scheduled based on the nominal forward speed. The speed-scheduled planar motion model may be used to generate dynamically feasible trajectories and to develop trajectory tracking control laws. The paper describes the development, analysis, and experimental implementation of two trajectory tracking control algorithms: a cascade of proportional-derivative controllers and a nonlinear controller obtained through backstepping. Experimental results indicate that the backstepping controller is much more effective at tracking trajectories with highly variable speed and course angle. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stability of some indium-tin oxide coatings.

Un processus de depot de couches minces d'oxyde d'indium et d'etain en trois etapes a ete recemment rapporte. (Assadourian-Herczeg, Appl. Opt. 23, 1452 (1984)). On examine ici certains phenomenes associes a la stabilite de la resistivite de ces couches minces
The Convex algebraic geometry of linear inverse problems

We study a class of ill-posed linear inverse problems in which the underlying model of interest has simple algebraic structure. We consider the setting in which we have access to a limited number of linear measurements of the underlying model, and we propose a general framework based on convex optimization in order to recover this model. This formulation generalizes previous methods based on `1-norm minimization and nuclear norm minimization for recovering sparse vectors and low-rank matrices from a small number of linear measurements. For example some problems to which our framework is applicable include (1) recovering an orthogonal matrix from limited linear measurements, (2) recovering a measure given random linear combinations of its moments, and (3) recovering a low-rank tensor from limited linear observations.
A low-voltage high-gain wide-bandwidth class-AB differential difference amplifier

This paper presents a CMOS low-voltage high gain and wide bandwidth differential difference amplifier (DDA). It is based on a robust two-stage class-AB amplifier with cascode Miller compensation. The first stage is a folded-cascode OTA with improved wide swing biasing circuit and the second stage is class-AB output stage biased with translinear circuit. The two input pairs can be either NMOS or PMOS pair. It achieves a DC open loop gain of 80 dB and unity-gain bandwidth of 20 MHz with 380 muA current drawn from a single 1.5 V power supply in 0.13 mum CMOS. Its application for current feedback instrumentation amplifier is discussed.
Attracting "Otherwise Bright" Women to Economics: An Administrative Strategy for Small to Medium Size Economics Departments

This paper reports on a departmental strategy that targets students in the one-semester introductory economics survey course for non-majors by (1) aggressively marketing the economics degree, and (2) allowing high achieving students to waive the macroeconomic principles requirement for an economics degree. A detailed analysis of 602 student transcripts over a period of 33 years suggests that the waiver policy has not disadvantaged students in subsequent upperlevel economics courses. On the contrary, women entering the economics program through the survey course have both significantly improved gender balance and the overall academic performance of economics students.
Social Connection Modulates Perceptions of Animacy

Human survival depends on identifying targets potentially capable of engaging in meaningful social connection. Using sets of morphed images created from animate (human) and inanimate (doll) faces, we found converging evidence across two studies showing that the motivation to connect with other people systematically alters the interpretation of the physical features that signal that a face is alive. Specifically, in their efforts to find and connect with other social agents, individuals who feel socially disconnected actually decrease their thresholds for what it means to be alive, consistently observing animacy when fewer definitively human cues are present. From an evolutionary perspective, overattributing animacy may be an adaptive strategy that allows people to cast a wide net when identifying possible sources of social connection and maximize their opportunities to renew social relationships.
Skeletal and dental anatomy of lamniform shark, Cretalamna appendiculata, from Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas

Abstract Cretalamna ( = Cretolamna) appendiculata is an extinct lamniform shark primarily known by isolated teeth and traditionally classified into Cretoxyrhinidae. Here, a partial skeleton of C. appendiculata from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas is described. The reconstructed dentition partially corroborated with some articulated teeth on an upper jaw indicates that the shark had a lamnoid tooth pattern. Adjacent teeth apparently abutted each other without overlap and the dentition likely had a cutting function. The reconstruction presented here differs from previously published reconstructed dentitions of C. appendiculata based on isolated teeth or purely disarticulated tooth sets. The overall dental pattern of C. appendiculata is found to be more similar to the pattern of extant Lamna spp. than to that of a cretoxyrhinid, Cretoxyrhina mantelli, possibly indicating that Cretalamna appendiculata may not belong to Cretoxyrhinidae. The estimated jaw lengths indicate an upper jaw overbite, wh...
Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Pumping-Driven Liquid Film Flow Boiling on Bare and Nanofiber-Enhanced Surfaces

Liquid film flow boiling heat transfer driven by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping is experimentally studied on a surface with a novel metal-plated nanofiber-mat coating. The nanotextured surface is formed on a copper substrate covered by an electrospun polymer nanofiber mat, which is copper-plated as a postprocess. The mat has a thickness of about 30 μm and is immersed in saturated HCFC-123. The objective is to study electrowetting of the copper-plated nanofiber-enhanced surface via EHD conduction pumping mechanism for the entire liquid film flow boiling regime leading up to critical heat flux (CHF), and compare it to the bare surface without EHD-driven flow. The results show that with the combination of these two techniques, for a given superheat value, enhancement in heat flux and boiling heat transfer coefficient is as high as 555% compared to the bare surface. The results are quite promising for thermal management applications.
Symbiotic Human Gut Bacteria with Variable Metabolic Priorities for Host Mucosal Glycans

ABSTRACT Many symbiotic gut bacteria possess the ability to degrade multiple polysaccharides, thereby providing nutritional advantages to their hosts. Like microorganisms adapted to other complex nutrient environments, gut symbionts give different metabolic priorities to substrates present in mixtures. We investigated the responses of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, a common human intestinal bacterium that metabolizes more than a dozen different polysaccharides, including the O-linked glycans that are abundant in secreted mucin. Experiments in which mucin glycans were presented simultaneously with other carbohydrates show that degradation of these host carbohydrates is consistently repressed in the presence of alternative substrates, even by B. thetaiotaomicron previously acclimated to growth in pure mucin glycans. Experiments with media containing systematically varied carbohydrate cues and genetic mutants reveal that transcriptional repression of genes involved in mucin glycan metabolism is imposed by simple sugars and, in one example that was tested, is mediated through a small intergenic region in a transcript-autonomous fashion. Repression of mucin glycan-responsive gene clusters in two other human gut bacteria, Bacteroides massiliensis and Bacteroides fragilis, exhibited variable and sometimes reciprocal responses compared to those of B. thetaiotaomicron, revealing that these symbionts vary in their preference for mucin glycans and that these differences occur at the level of controlling individual gene clusters. Our results reveal that sensing and metabolic triaging of glycans are complex processes that vary among species, underscoring the idea that these phenomena are likely to be hidden drivers of microbiota community dynamics and may dictate which microorganisms preferentially commit to various niches in a constantly changing nutritional environment. IMPORTANCE Human intestinal microorganisms impact many aspects of health and disease, including digestion and the propensity to develop disorders such as inflammation and colon cancer. Complex carbohydrates are a major component of the intestinal habitat, and numerous species have evolved and refined strategies to compete for these coveted nutrients. Our findings reveal that individual bacteria exhibit different preferences for carbohydrates emanating from host diet and mucosal secretions and that some of these prioritization strategies are opposite to one another. Thus, we reveal new aspects of how individual bacteria, some with otherwise similar metabolic potential, partition to “preferred niches” in the complex gut ecosystem, which has important and immediate implications for understanding and predicting the behavioral dynamics of this community.
Administrative Procedure before the National Labor Relations Board

VER since it commenced to function in the fall of I935, the National Labor Relations Board has been so constantly the subject of vigorous attack and the center of widespread controversy that objective analysis of its methods of operation has been extremely rare. This has been unfortunate, since a great deal of the criticism would have been obviated if the critics had first made an effort to learn more about the Board's procedure. This procedure is set forth fully in the Board's Rules and Regulations' and is the key to the administrative policy adopted by the Board. A clear understanding of this administrative policy may help to dissipate the confusion which has been caused by the barrage of attacks against the Board. It is of prime importance to realize that there are really two policies involved in the Board's work. One is the policy with regard to substantive matters. This is contained in the National Labor Relations Act.2 The second is the procedural policy which has been adopted to give effect to the substantive rights contained in the Act. Over the first the Board exercised no control. The second was completely within the control of the Board There is only one standard by which the administrative policy of the Board can be judged, and that is its effectiveness in carrying out the policies adopted by Congress and set forth in the National Labor Relations Act.
Chemical communication of queen supergene status in an ant

Traits of interest to evolutionary biologists often have complex genetic architectures, the nature of which can confound traditional experimental study at single levels of analysis. In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, the presence of a Mendelian 'supergene' is both necessary and sufficient to induce a shift in a fundamental property of social organization, from single-queen (monogyne) to multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies. This selfish genetic element, termed the Social b (Sb) supergene, contains > 600 genes that collectively promote its fitness by inducing the characteristic polygyne syndrome, in part by causing polygyne workers to accept only queens bearing the Sb element (a behaviour termed 'worker Sb discrimination'). Here, we employ a newly developed behavioural assay to reveal that polygyne workers, many of which bear the Sb element, employ chemical cues on the cuticle of queens to achieve worker Sb discrimination, but we found no evidence for such pheromonally mediated worker Sb discrimination in monogyne workers, which universally lack the Sb element. This polygyne worker Sb discrimination was then verified through a 'green beard' effect previously described in this system. We thus have demonstrated that the Sb element is required both for production of relevant chemical cues of queens and for expression of the behaviours of workers that collectively result in worker Sb discrimination. This information fills a critical gap in the map between genotype and complex phenotype in S. invicta by restricting the search for candidate genes and molecules involved in producing this complex social trait to factors associated with the Sb element itself.
A Standard Method for Abbreviating the Names of Fishes of the United States, Canada, and Mexico

Abbreviations for fish names are used by fisheries biologists throughout the data life cycle, especially field data collection and entry, sharing, and reporting. However, use of nonstandard abbreviation systems across North America hinders data collection, sharing, and communication among agencies, programs, universities, and other data providers. An ideal abbreviation system would yield unique codes for all species, while being intuitive, memorable, and stable over time, as well as providing for a wide range of scenarios such as naming subspecies, hybrids, and unidentified species of a known taxon. A standard abbreviation system that meets these ideals was developed using a defined rule set and implemented for fishes of the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. Standard abbreviations were developed for 3,875 species, in addition to their respective genera and families. Use of the standard abbreviation system can improve data integrity by reducing worker training, use of ambiguous codes, and misi...
Near Infrared Fluorescent Quaterrylenediimide-cored Dendrimers for Bio-imaging

A series of photostable, hydrophilic and functional near infrared quaterrylenediimide-cored dendrimers (QR-4Gn-COOH, n=1-5) based on polyamides were developed. Preliminary in vitro fluorescence imaging of QR-4G5-COOH showed that the dendrimer was primarily located in cytoplasm.
Much awaited AREDS 2 results show lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation slow AMD progression only in subjects with low dietary intakes

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly and the primary cause in industrialized countries. With an increase in life expectancy, age-related eye diseases such as AMD and cataract are more prevalent and adequate treatment options are required to maintain quality of life. AMD affects the macula, a region 5-6 mm in diameter in the posterior pole of the retina that is responsible for sharp central vision. Dry AMD accounts for 90% of the cases and can advance slowly to advanced dry AMD or wet AMD (also known as choroidal neovascularization or exudative AMD). There are treatment options for wet AMD which delay AMD progression but none for dry AMD. Nutritional interventions are part of the efforts for preventing progression of dry AMD.
Relationship between nanoporosity and other properties of soil

A study of the nanoporosity of soils was conducted to determine the correlation between several soil properties and nanoporosity as measured by mercury-intrusion porosimetry. The volume of pores with diameters < 10 4 nm and the surface area of these nanopores differed greatly among 16 soils. The volume and surface area of nanopores in some soils were mainly in pores of diameters < 100 nm. In others, the volume and surface area were associated chiefly with pores of 10 3 -10 4 nm diameter. The volume was correlated with organic C content for pores of diameters of 10 3 -10 4 nm and 10 2 -10 3 nm (r values of 0.583 and 0.688, respectively) and clay content for pores with diameters < 10 2 nm (r value of 0.512). The surface area of the soils was correlated with volume of pores < 100 nm (r = 0.956). As a result of the abundance of nanopores and the large surface areas associated with them, we suggest that additional research be conducted to assess their importance in soil toxicology.
Design, synthesis, and diversification of ribosomally derived peptide macrocycles

Ring topologies are widespread structural motifs among biologically active peptides found in nature. The recurrence of this motif is linked to the inherent advantages resulting from backbone cyclization, which include increased resistance against proteolytic degradation, improved cell permeability, and tighter and more specific interaction with the respective biomolecular target. Inspired by these natural product topologies, a number of groups have recently focused on developing methodologies that hinge upon the chemical elaboration of ribosomally derived polypeptides toward the synthesis and diversification of macrocyclic peptide structures. In this review, we highlight recent advances in this emerging new area and discuss the opportunities created by these methods toward the discovery of new functional entities.
Long Range Hydrogen Motion, Evolution, and Bonding in a-Si:H and a-Ge:H

The results of secondary ion mass spectrometry and IR studies of hydrogen diffusion in a-Si:H and a-Ge:H are reviewed and discussed. In a-Si:H, the diffusion is significantly slower at low total H content. The exponent α of the power-law time dependent diffusion constant D(t) = Doo(ωt)−α does not decrease with temperature as 1-T/To. D(tL), for constant diffusion length L, thus deviates from an Arrhenius behavior. The “apparent” activation energy Ea and prefactor Do derived from lnD(tL) vs 1/T yield a Meyer-Neldel relation Do = Aooexp(Ea/kToo) irrespective of L, H content, or microstructure. Aoo ≅ 3.3 × 10−14cm2/s and Too ≅ 730K for 2.5 × 10−5 ≤ Do ≤ 102cm2/s and 1.3 ≤ Ea ≤ 2.2eV. The preliminary results on a-Ge:H are similar, with Aoo ≅ 1.3 × 10−15cm2/s and Too = 530K. It is suspected that deviations from an exponential distribution of H site energies, structural relaxation, and deep H trapping sites related to microvoids may all contribute to the deviation of α from a 1-T/To behavior. Measurements following prolonged annealing suggest structural relaxation that affects H-site energies.
Characteristics of patients with morbid obesity at an academic medical center.

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States, and its associated complications on health and health care utilization have been well described.[1][1]–[6][2] Obese patients are hospitalized longer once admitted to the hospital,[5][3],[7][4] and morbid obesity is associated with even larger increases
Activation of acid-secreting intercalated cells in rabbit collecting duct with ammonium chloride loading

In normal rabbit, immunolabeling of intercalated cells in the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) demonstrates band 3-like protein in the basolateral plasma membrane (15) and H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (H(+)-ATPase) in the apical plasma membrane and cytoplasmic vesicles (30). However, in type A intercalated cells in the cortical collecting duct (CCD), band 3-like protein is located primarily in multivesicular bodies and cytoplasmic vesicles (15), whereas H(+)-ATPase is present in cytoplasmic vesicles only in most intercalated cells (30). In this study, we observed the effect of chronic acid loading on immunolocalization of these transporters in the collecting duct. Adult New Zealand White rabbits received either normal tap water (controls) or 75 mM NH4Cl for 12 days plus eight daily gavages of 2-6 meq NH4Cl/kg body wt. At time of death, mean urine pH of acid-loaded animals was 5.96 (SD = 0.69), vs. 8.47 (SD = 0.07) in controls. Kidneys were fixed by in vivo perfusion and processed for light and electron microscopic immunoperoxidase localization of band 3-like protein and immunogold localization of H(+)-ATPase. In controls, band 3-like protein was largely confined to multivesicular bodies in the majority of positive-staining intercalated cells in the CCD and to the basolateral plasma membrane of intercalated cells in the OMCD. In acid-loaded rabbits, band 3 protein-positive intercalated cells in the inner CCD and the in the outer stripe of the OMCD (OMCDo) were strikingly stellate in form. Basolateral plasma membrane label was intensified, while the number of labeled multivesicular bodies was diminished. Morphometric analysis demonstrated an increase in the amount of basolateral plasma membrane in these intercalated cells. In control rabbits, H(+)-ATPase immunoreactivity in intercalated cells in the CCD was located predominantly over cytoplasmic vesicles. A minority of intercalated cells exhibited basolateral plasma membrane label, and only an occasional cell displayed apical plasma membrane label. In acid-loaded rabbits, H(+)-ATPase immunoreactivity was enhanced along the apical plasma membrane of intercalated cells in the inner CCD, and morphometric analysis demonstrated increased apical plasma membrane in band 3-positive intercalated cells in this segment. These results suggest that rabbits respond to acid loading via enhancement of both electrogenic proton secretion and Cl-/HCO3- exchange in intercalated cells in the inner CCD and the OMCDo.
Hydraulics Simulation on KR Stirring Technology

Pretreatment desuphurization of hot metal has become a necessary step in modern optimizing steelmaking process.At present,KR and injection powder are the main methods of desuphurization in hot metal.The physical and mathematical simulation on desulphurization are established according to the specific production situation of torpedo pot and hot metal ladle in Baogang steel site.In the experiment,hydraulics simulation system is designed according to hot metal ladle(130 t) prototype with geometrical ratio 1∶6.Through the water model experiment under KR condition,the optimizing parameters are obtained for instructing practical operation.With design of immersion mode rotator-nozzle with several gas exits,and other forms of nozzles,such as the one at the bottom of the stirring oar,although little carrier gas was used,high efficiency of Mg defining desulfurization can be achieved for low concentration of S and O in molten iron,by the bubble collapse result from blowing mixture of gas Mg and carrier gas.
Prentice medal lecture 2013: visual accessibility: a challenge for low-vision research.

The topic of this article is visual accessibility and low-vision research. Because I am a person with low vision, I have both a personal and professional interest in this topic. Low vision conveys the idea that vision has more than just the two states: sighted and blind. The term low vision was coined in the 1950’s by Eleanor Faye and Gerald Fonda. They and other mid-20th century pioneers concerned with vision impairment – including William Feinbloom and George Hellinger in the U.S., and Norman Bier in the U.K. – emphasized the importance of residual vision and the need to address functional limitations associated with low vision. Low vision is often defined as a letter acuity less than 20/60 (6/18) or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in the better eye. Sometimes we define low vision in more practical terms as the inability to read the newspaper at a distance of 40 cm with best refractive correction. This definition is used because most people with low vision have problems with reading. (This definition is becoming obsolete as hardcopy newspapers recede into history.) A third, more general definition of low vision is any chronic form of vision impairment not correctable by glasses or contact lenses, that adversely affects everyday function. According to the National Eye Institute, there are between 3.5 and 5 million Americans with low vision1, and the number is rising as our population ages. In 2013, the World Health Organization estimated that there are 285 million people worldwide with vision impairment, 39 million blind and 246 million with low vision.2 These worldwide figures include many people in less developed countries whose impaired vision is due to uncorrected refractive errors or untreated cataracts. Low-vision research focuses primarily on the role of vision in everyday activities, with less emphasis on clinical descriptions of the eye or vision. The two major research questions are: What basic principles explain the functional limitations of people with low vision? What strategies can be adopted to ameliorate these limitations? Low-vision research has played an important role in bringing topics such as reading and driving under scrutiny in vision science. My theme in this article is to propose that we embed low-vision research more explicitly in the real world where our findings can have a direct impact on the lives of people with low vision. I suggest that we extend our lab-based vision science in two ways: first, by addressing the complicated interactions among variables that affect real-world visual function, and second, by working in partnership with other disciplines to reduce the barriers to visual accessibility. Where we succeed, we will contribute to vision science by showing how vision functions in the real world, and we will find better ways to reduce barriers facing people with visual impairment. I’ll give examples from my current research projects on architectural accessibility and reading accessibility.
Cardiac status of adolescents tracking with high and low blood pressure since early childhood.

The risk of cardiovascular disease for children in the upper percentiles of the blood pressure distribution for age has not been determined. In this study echocardiographic evaluation was conducted at age 15 years in eight children tracking in the 89 +/- percentile for systolic blood pressure since age 8 years, and compared with nine children tracking in the 28 +/- 3 percentile over the same period. No significant differences were observed for left ventricular size, septal or posterior wall thickness or relative wall thickness using raw data, after adjustment for body mass index or after regression analysis using systolic blood pressure as the dependent variable. In contrast, stroke volume, cardiac output and left ventricular fractional shortening were greater in the high blood pressure group after adjustment for body mass index (P = 0.006, 0.075 and 0.08, respectively). These results suggest that changes consistent with previously reported findings in adults with essential hypertension (i.e. and increase in cardiac performance with normal peripheral resistance) are also early findings in adolescents tracking with high blood pressure.
Data compression for learning MRF parameters

We propose a technique for decomposing and compressing the dataset in the parameter learning problem in Markov random fields. Our technique applies to incomplete datasets and exploits variables that are always observed in the given dataset. We show that our technique allows exact computation of the gradient and the likelihood, and can lead to orders-of-magnitude savings in learning time.
Community College Students’ Awareness of Risk Factors for Mental Health Problems and Referrals to Facilitative and Debilitative Resources

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of school shootings and other campus violence incidents have called attention to the increasing number of college students who are living with Mental Health Disorders (MHDs). There is a substantial amount of literature on MHDs among college students who are attending 4-year universities. However, the literature is lacking research on MHDs among community college students. The purpose of the current study was to analyze archival data to investigate residential community college students’ awareness of MHDs and their willingness to refer a friend who was showing signs of an MHD to facilitative and debilitative resources. The results of a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that residential community college students who had high levels of awareness of MHDs were significantly more willing to refer a friend who was showing signs of an MHD to facilitative resources (for example taking them to the counseling center) compared to students with low levels of awareness. This...
Military Mapping Against All Odds: Topographical Reconnaissance in the United States from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War

Most map collections abound with cartographic items documenting military operations. On closer inspection, however, it becomes evident that the vast majority of these items are post festum drawings of what happened in the actual theatres of war. Much rarer are ante bellum mappings of possible theatres of war in response to the common wisdom that timely preparation does spare a good deal of trouble in time of need. This paper1 explores some aspects of anticipatory and reflective military mapping in the United States during the eight decades between the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and the Civil War (1861–1865).
Comparative Study of Three Approaches to Teaching Rates

This chapter has a special aim and organization. It presents the comparative study of three different approaches to the same theme of proportional reasoning, in particular of the concept of the rate. The idea for the study is related to the Chinese Keli lesson study method (Huang & Bao, 2006), whose one of the approaches is the observation of two classes taught by different instructors and presenting different approaches to the same theme (CTRAS 5, 2013) followed by the discussion comparing the instructional approaches.
Short-term exposures to ambient air pollution and risk of recurrent ischemic stroke.

Abstract Objective To investigate the association between short-term changes in ambient pollution (particulate matter 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 )) and the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke among individuals living in a bi-ethnic community. Methods We identified recurrent ischemic stroke cases from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project between 2000 and 2012. Associations between PM 2.5 (mean 24-h) and O 3 (maximal 8-h) levels, measured on the previous day, and odds of ischemic stroke were assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover design and modeled using conditional logistic regression. Results There were 317 recurrent ischemic strokes after excluding 41 strokes that occurred on days with missing air pollution data. Mean age was 72 years (SD=12) and median time to stroke recurrence was 1.1 years (IQR: 0.2–2.8 years). Median levels of PM 2.5 and O 3 over the study period were 7.7 μg/m 3 (IQR: 5.6–10.7 μg/m 3 ) and 35.2 ppb (IQR: 25.0–46.1 ppb), respectively. We observed no associations between previous-day PM 2.5 and O 3 and odds of recurrent stroke (OR=0.95 per 10 µg/m 3 of PM 2.5 , 95% CI: 0.71–1.28 and OR=0.97 per 10ppb of O 3 , 95% CI: 0.87–1.07) after adjusting for ambient temperature and relative humidity. Co-adjustment of both pollutants did not change the results. Conclusion We found no evidence of associations between previous-day air pollution levels and recurrent ischemic stroke. Research on the influence of air pollutants on risk of stroke recurrence is still in its infancy, and more research is necessary in studies that are adequately powered to understand the relation.
Failure to get into substance abuse treatment

Among substance abusers in the US, the discrepancy in the number who access substance abuse treatment and the number who need treatment is sizable. This results in a major public health problem of access to treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics of Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) that either hinder or facilitate access to treatment. 2646 participants were administered the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. The RBA included the dependent variable which was responses to the question "During the last year, have you ever tried, but been unable, to get into a drug treatment or detox program?" In multivariate analysis, factors associated with being unable to access treatment included: Previously been in drug treatment (OR=4.51), number of days taken amphetamines in the last 30days (OR=1.18), traded sex for drugs (OR=1.53), homeless (OR=1.73), Nonplanning subscale of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (OR=1.19), age at interview (OR=0.91), and sexual orientation, with bisexual men and women significantly more likely than heterosexuals to have tried but been unable to get into treatment. The answers to the question on "why were you unable to get into treatment" included: No room, waiting list; not enough money, did not qualify, got appointment but no follow through, still using drugs, and went to jail before program start. As expected, findings suggest that limiting organizational and financial obstacles to treatment may go a long way in increasing drug abuse treatment accessibility to individuals in need. Additionally, our study points to the importance of developing approaches for increasing personal planning skills/reducing Nonplanning impulsivity among PWUDs when they are in treatment as a key strategy to ensure access to additional substance abuse treatment in the future.
Interface Hypothesis and the L2 acquisition of quantificational scope at the syntax-semantics-pragmatics interface

ABSTRACTAccording to the Interface Hypothesis (IH) (e.g., Tsimpli & Sorace 2006; Sorace 2011), external interfaces are more challenging for L2 learners than internal interfaces. It is not clear, however, if linguistic phenomena associated with external interfaces are necessarily problematic and if internal interfaces are necessarily unproblematic. In order to test these issues, a bidirectional study was conducted with Turkish-speaking learners of English and English-speaking learners of Turkish on the same “quantificational scope” construction, which lies at the interface of semantics, syntax, and pragmatics and thus involves both internal and external interfaces. The task for the former group implicates greater involvement of pragmatics, an external interface, although, for the latter, it involves expunging a construction from the grammar. The results indicate, contra the IH, that whereas the former group has no problems restructuring their grammar, the latter has persistent difficulties.
Viral Infections in Organ Transplant Recipients

Solid organ transplantation (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) represent continually expanding fields of medicine, and, with many innovative methods for allograft management, new and unusual presentations of virus infections continue to occur. These new drugs or modalities aim to protect the SOT recipient from rejection of the newly acquired organ by the endogenous immune system or to protect the recipient from attack by the graft (Graft vs. Host Disease, GVHD). For example, in the mid-1960s, with the introduction of cytotoxic drugs such as azathioprine and cyclophosphamide in renal transplantation, pneumonitis associated with human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was first observed (1). Soon thereafter, it was noted that transplant recipients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection developed a previously unrecognized clinical syndrome, posttransplantation lymphoproliferative syndrome (PTLD) (2). In populations with a high prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection, Kaposi sarcoma became a problem following SOT (3). With time, most of the endogenous herpesviruses and polyomaviruses of humans have emerged as particular problems. At the same time, respiratory viruses and hepatitis viruses complicate successful management of the SOT and HCT recipient as methods of iatrogenic immunosuppression change. The donor tissue itself can be the source of transmission of virus infection, including rabies (4), West Nile virus (5), human T leukemia virus type I (6), human immunodeficiency virus (7), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (8), and B19 parvovirus (9).
The Influence of Health Insurance Policy on Radiation Oncology Physician SBRT/SABR Use Practices: A North American Survey

Purpose European data suggest that 8-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) regimens may be similar in efficacy with less toxicity than ≤5-fraction SBRT for central lung lesions. However, under current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines, SBRT in the United States (US) is reimbursed for only ≤5 fractions, whereas there are no such restrictions for reimbursement in Canada. We hypothesize that US-specific SBRT reimbursement policies influence the use of ≥5-fraction SBRT in US academic centers in comparison with comparable Canadian centers. Methods and Materials A 15-question electronic survey was distributed to radiation oncologists at National Cancer Institute–designated cancer centers in the US and the 10 highest research-funded cancer centers in Canada. Fisher exact test or exact logistic regression if applicable was used, where P Results Of the 143 radiation oncologists from 60 US cancer centers and 6 Canadian cancer centers who completed the survey (17.6% response rate), 125 routinely prescribe SBRT. Fifty percent of US physicians versus 0% of Canadian physicians indicated that there are instances when they would like to prescribe >5-fraction SBRT but prescribe ≤5 fractions because of insurance reimbursement (P=.076 and P=.001, respectively). Seventy percent (P=.006) of US radiation oncologists versus 0% (P=.001) of Canadian radiation oncologists report that SBRT clinical investigation is constrained by the insurance reimbursement. The most common reported deterrent to prescribing >5-fraction SBRT in the US was insurance reimbursement (49.5%). Conclusions US radiation oncologists are more likely than those in Canada to report that SBRT clinical investigation and >5-fraction SBRT use may be negatively influenced by health insurance reimbursement; this perception was not held by physicians in Canada. Health care environment may significantly affect radiation therapy decision making and practice patterns.
Water system unreliability and diarrhea incidence among children in Guatemala.

This article examines the effect of water system unreliability on diarrhea incidence among children aged 0–5 in Guatemala. We use secondary data from a nationally representative sample of 7579 children to estimate the effects of uninterrupted and interrupted water services on diarrhea incidence. The national scope of this study imposes some methodological challenges due to unobserved geographical heterogeneity. To address this issue, we estimate mixed-effects logit models that control for unobserved heterogeneity by estimating random effects of selected covariates that can vary across geographical areas (i.e. water system reliability). Compared to children without access to piped water, children with uninterrupted water services have a lower probability of diarrhea incidence by approximately 33 percentage points. Conversely, there is no differential effect between children without access and those with at least one day of service interruptions in the previous month. Results also confirm negative effects of age, female gender, spanish language, and garbage disposal on diarrhea incidence. Public health benefits of piped water are realized through uninterrupted provision of service, not merely access. Policy implications are discussed.