cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of calcium on iron absorption

The experimental and epidemiological evidence demonstrating that Ca inhibits Fe absorption was reviewed, with the objectives of estimating the potential impact of variations in Ca intake on dietary Fe bioavailability and of providing some guidelines for predicting the effects on Fe status of recent recommendations for higher dietary Ca intake. In animal models Ca salts reduced both haem- and non-haem-Fe absorption, the effect being dependent on the amount of Ca administered rather than the Ca:Fe molar ratio; dairy products had a variable effect; factors other than Ca may have been important. In single-meal human absorption studies, both haem- and non-haem-Fe absorption was inhibited by Ca supplements and by dairy products, the effect depending on the simultaneous presence of Ca and Fe in the lumen of the upper small intestine and also occurring when Ca and Fe were given in the fasting state. The quantitative effect, although dose dependent, was modified by the form in which Ca was administered and by other dietary constituents (such as phosphate, phytate and ascorbic acid) known to affect Fe bioavailability. The mechanism by which Ca influences Fe absorption has not been elucidated. The effects of factors that modulate Fe bioavailability are known to be exaggerated in single-meal studies, and measurements based on several meals are more likely to reflect the true nutritional impact. The results of most multiple-meal human studies suggest that Ca supplementation will have only a small effect on Fe absorption unless habitual Ca consumption is very low. Outcome analyses showed that Ca supplements had no effect on Fe status in infants fed Fe-fortified formula, lactating women, adolescent girls and adult men and women. However it should be noted that the subjects studied had adequate intakes of bioavailable Fe and, except in one study, had relatively high habitual Ca intakes. Although cross-sectional analyses in Europe have shown a significant inverse correlation between Ca intake (derived primarily from dairy foods) and Fe stores, the quantitative effect was relatively small. The general conclusion is that dietary Ca supplements are unlikely to have a biologically significant impact on Fe balance in Western societies unless Ca consumption is habitually very low; however, increased consumption of dairy products may have a small negative effect that could be functionally important in pregnancy if Fe supplements are not taken. It is uncertain whether the inverse relationship between consumption of dairy products and Fe status is due entirely to increased Ca intake; substitution of milk proteins for meat may also have negative effects on Fe balance.
Strategic Networks: Information Dissemination and Link Formation Among Self-Interested Agents

This paper presents the first study of the endogenous formation of networks by strategic, self-interested agents who benefit from producing and disseminating information. This work departs from previous works on network formation (especially in the economics literature) which assume that agents benefit only by acquiring information produced by other agents. The strategic production and dissemination of information have striking consequences. We show first that the network structure that emerges (in equilibrium) typically displays a core-periphery structure, with the few agents at the core playing the role of eeconnectorsee, creating and maintaining links to the agents at the periphery. We then determine conditions under which the networks that emerge are minimally connected and have short network diameters (properties that are important for efficiency). Finally, we show that the number of agents who produce information and the total amount of information produced in the network grow at the same rate as the agent population; this is in stark contrast to the "law of the few" that had been established in previous works which do not consider information dissemination.
Bringing Holistic Treatments to the Attention of Medicine: Acupuncture as an Effective Poststroke Rehabilitation Tool

This article reviews 3 studies that explore the effects of acupuncture on poststroke patients suffering from chronic stroke symptoms. The 3 studies selected strive to show how acupuncture can be a safe, noninvasive, and cost-effect rehabilitation tool useful in adjunct with traditional rehabilitation. Chou et al (2009), Hopwood et al (2008), and Wayne et al (2005) all studied acupuncture's effects on quality of life. Additionally, both Hopwood et al and Wayne et al studied acupuncture's effects on mobility and activities of daily living. While the frequency, duration, and length of the entire treatment varied by study, overall, the results of all 3 studies suggest that acupuncture increases quality of life and improves mobility and activities of daily living.
Statistical Tests for Optimization Efficiency

Learning problems, such as logistic regression, are typically formulated as pure optimization problems defined on some loss function. We argue that this view ignores the fact that the loss function depends on stochastically generated data which in turn determines an intrinsic scale of precision for statistical estimation. By considering the statistical properties of the update variables used during the optimization (e.g. gradients), we can construct frequentist hypothesis tests to determine the reliability of these updates. We utilize subsets of the data for computing updates, and use the hypothesis tests for determining when the batch-size needs to be increased. This provides computational benefits and avoids overfitting by stopping when the batch-size has become equal to size of the full dataset. Moreover, the proposed algorithms depend on a single interpretable parameter -the probability for an update to be in the wrong direction - which is set to a single value across all algorithms and datasets. In this paper, we illustrate these ideas on three L1 regularized coordinate descent algorithms: L1-regularized L2-loss SVMs, L1-regularized logistic regression, and the Lasso, but we emphasize that the underlying methods are much more generally applicable.
Documentation of Dual Sensory Impairment in Electronic Medical Records

Purpose of the Study: To examine the documentation of sensory impairment in the elec tronic medical records (EMRs) of Veterans with both hearing and vision losses (dual sensory impairment [DSI]). Design and Methods: A retrospective c hart review of the EMRs of 20 patients with DSI was conducted. Providers’ documentation of the presence of sensory impairment, the use of assistive technology during clinical appointments, and the content of notes mentioning communication issues were extracted from each chart note in the EMR for the prior 6 years. Results: Primary care pro viders documented DSI in 50% of EMRs, vision loss alone in 40%, and hearing loss alone in 10% of EMRs. Audiologists documented vision loss in 50% of cases, whereas ophthalmologists/optometrists documented hearing loss in 15% of cases. Examination of two selected cases illustrates that care can be compromised when providers do not take note of sensory impairments during planning and provision of clinical care. Implications: Sensory impairment is poorly documented by most pro viders in EMRs. This is alarming because vision and hearing affect patient–physician communication and the use of medical interventions. The results of this study raise awareness about the need to document the presence of sensory impairments and use the information when planning treatment for individuals with DSI.
Distribution and classification of soils with clay-enriched horizons in the USA

article i nfo Article history: In Soil Taxonomy three diagnostic subsurface horizons reflect clay enrichment: the argillic, kandic, and natric horizons. Clay illuviation is recognized in Soil Taxonomy at some level in 10 of the 12 orders, including the order (Alfisols, Ultisols), suborder (Aridisols), great group (Aridisols, Gelisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Vertisols), and subgroup (Andisols, Aridisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Spodosols). Forty-four percent of the soil series in the USA contain taxonomically defined clay-enriched horizons. However, many other soils contain Bt horizons that do not qualify as an argillic or related horizons. Several soil-forming factors are important in their development, including udic and ustic soil climates, lithological discontinuities, parent materials enriched in carbonate-free clays and coarse fragments, well-drained conditions, backslopes rather than eroding shoulders, and a time interval of N2000 yr or more. The genesis of argillic, kandic, and natric horizons is also dependent on electrolyte concentration, the amount and distribution of precipitation, clay charge, and microfabric.
Function and strength of electrically stimulated hip flexor muscles in paraplegia

In this study hip flexion moments and fatigue were measured in paraplegic individuals that were implanted with percutaneous intramuscular electrodes as part of their functional electrical stimulation (FES) system for walking. The largest average hip flexion moment (36% of normal) was measured at small hip flexion angles. This percentage decreased with an increase in hip flexion angle until only an extension moment was measured above 90/spl deg/. Except for the sartorius, all hip flexors including the gracilis, adductor longus, tensor fasciae latae, and iliopsoas produced extension moments at large hip flexion angles. The current iliopsoas implantation technique utilizing stimulation of the second and third lumbar motor roots resulted in recruitment of the adductor longus and brevis or pectenius causing extension moment that negated any iliopsoas creating flexion component at large hip flexion angles. Even though measured moments were minimal, the paraplegic subject was able to maintain cyclic hip flexions above 40/spl deg/ at the rate of 30/min over 30 min. At the slower rate a much greater flexion such as required for stair climbing can be maintained for a prolonged period. A new implantation technique using soft tissue endoscopy is being developed to isolate recruitment of iliopsoas and to extend the range of hip flexion. >
The potential of an earthworm avoidance test for evaluation of hazardous waste sites

An earthworm avoidance test has potential advantages for use in evaluation of hazardous wastes sites. Because organisms often exhibit behavioral responses at lower levels of stress than those that acute toxicity tests are able to detect, avoidance tests could provide increased sensitivity to hazardous chemicals. Avoidance is an ecologically relevant endpoint that neither acute nor sublethal tests measure. Avoidance can potentially indicate sublethal stress in a short period of time, testing is easily done in a soil matrix, and an avoidance test has the potential for specialized applications for soil testing. Dual-control test data established that, in absence of a toxicant, worms did not congregate, but instead distributed themselves fairly randomly with respect to the two sides of the test chambers, that is, they did not display behavior that might be mistaken for avoidance. In tests with artificial soil spiked with reference toxicants and hazardous site soils, worms avoided soils containing various toxic chemicals. Avoidance behavior proved in most cases be a more sensitive indicator of chemical contamination than acute tests. Determination of avoidance was possible in 1 to 2 d, much less than the current duration of acute and sublethal earthworm tests.
Calcium signalling in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells: additive effects of histamine and nicotine.

In a previous report, we described the ability of two secretogogues, histamine and nicotine, to stimulate additive effects on catecholamine (CA) release and synapsin II phosphorylation in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells (BACC) [Firestone and Browning (1992), J. Neurochem., 58:441–447]. We hypothesized that these results were due to the combined effects on cytosolic Ca++ of the two distinct signalling pathways. We therefore examined the intracellular Ca++ signals stimulated by histamine and nicotine, alone and together. In Ca++ -deficient medium, nicotine-stimulated signals were abolished, whereas histamine-stimulated signals were maintained, demonstrating that nicotine depended entirely on Ca++ influx for its effects. Indeed, the nicotine-stimulated signal could also be prevented using a Ca++ channel blocker, nicardipine. Further, the observation that exposure of BACC to thapsigargin reduced histamine-stimulated Ca++ signals verified that histamine mobilizes Ca++ from intracellular stores. Thus, the two secretogogues mobilize Ca++ from distinct pools. When BACC were stimulated with the two secretogogues together, the resulting Ca++ signal was greater than that from either alone. These data are consistent with a model in which two distinct sources of Ca++ can summate within the cell, producing a greater Ca++ signal and, hence, a greater effect on neurotransmitter release. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effects of Divided Attention on Visual Monitoring of Multi- Channel Displays

This study Investigated the effects of divided attention on monitoring multi-channel alpltamerlc displays for signals defined on the basis of the simltuaneous Values of all channels, i.e., multi-channel signals as opposed to single-channel signals. Variables Investigated Included (a) three methods of dividing attention (a short writing task, a long writting task, and blanking out the display), (b) number of channels monitored (4, 8, 12, and 16), (c) rate of display change (6 or 12 times per minute), (d) number of different signals simultaneously watched for (8 or 24), and (e) number of levels within channels (2 or 8). The main results were: (a) divided attention did not lead to a decrease in monitoring, compared to a control study without divided attention; (b) the rate of display change had the greatest effect upon performance, followed by the number of channels monitored; (c) even at the faster rate of display change, untrained subjects detected 80% or more of the signals when they monitored up to 12 ch...
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using Conventional Instruments: Early Experience in Comparison with the Gold Standard

Background The aim of this pilot study was to describe our initial experience with single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) using conventional laparoscopic equipment in comparison with concurrent patients undergoing conventional multiincision laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Study Design During the 7-month study period, data from all consecutive patients undergoing SILC by two surgeons were retrospectively analyzed and compared with data from patients undergoing conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy by the same surgeons during the same time period. Outcomes measures included completion rate of attempted SILC, operative time, length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, and assessment of complications. Results From 51 laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed during the study period, 29 were attempted using single-incision technique and 22 were performed using the conventional four incisions. Of the attempted SILC cases, 14 (48%) were successfully completed, with the remainder requiring one to three additional skin incisions. There were no conversions to open in either group. Operative time was significantly longer in SILC cases compared with conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (85 versus 67 minutes; p=0.01). There was a tendency toward greater postoperative pain in the SILC group. No substantial difference in complications was identified. Conclusions SILC using conventional laparoscopic instrumentation is an effective alternative to standard four-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy in selected patients. Development of a standardized technique and additional experience is needed for more consistent success. Additional studies of SILC are needed to demonstrate safety, define selection criteria, and determine any benefits over conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Survivable transparent Flexible optical WDM (FWDM) networks

We propose an efficient survivable FWDM network design algorithm for the first time. Survivable FWDM networks are efficient in terms of spectral utilization, power consumption, and cost compared to the conventional survivable fixed grid networks.
Infill Development And Affordable Housing: Patterns from 1996 to 2000

The amount of residential development in cities has been much greater than the media coverage of suburban sprawl suggests. Unfortunately, there is also some evidence that cities with higher levels of infill development have more expensive new housing construction than their suburbs. The average price differential is not substantial, but it does suggest that tensions between achiev- ing the two goals of greater infill development and more affordable city housing do exist. In the past few years, the problems of suburbia as well as the central city have risen on the public agenda. Suburban sprawl appears to be growing at a rampant rate, with commuting times increasing, housing prices accelerating out of the reach of many working-class families, and stubborn pockets of city blight remaining. Infill residential development has been touted as one solu- tion for these related city and suburban problems. In various forms, it has become part of the "smart growth" agenda being advocated by more politi- cians, including former presidential candidate Al Gore. More than 200 com- munities adopted some form of suburban growth management policy in the November 1998 elections. As attention focuses on the negative effects of continued development on the metropolitan fringe, redevelopment of vacant land or abandoned buildings in the central city becomes a more critical public policy goal. In addition, city politicians see infill development as a way to expand their tax base, attract more middle-class residents to the city, and build more affordable housing. Although infill is proposed as a partial solu- tion for a multitude of suburban and inner-city problems, addressing all of
Presentation Modality of Glycoconjugates Modulates Dendritic Cell Phenotype

The comparative dendritic cell (DC) response to glycoconjugates presented in soluble, phagocytosable, or non-phagocytosable display modalities is poorly understood. This is particularly problematic, as the probing of immobilized glycans presented on the surface of microarrays is a common screen for potential candidates for glycan-based therapeutics. However, the assumption that carbohydrate–protein interactions on a flat surface can be translatable to development of efficacious therapies, such as vaccines, which are delivered in soluble or phagocytosable particles, has not been validated. Thus, a preliminary investigation was performed in which mannose or glucose was conjugated to cationized bovine serum albumin and presented to DCs in soluble, phagocytosable, or non-phagocytosable display modalities. The functional DC response to the glycoconjugates was assessed via a high throughput assay. Dendritic cell phenotypic outcomes were placed into a multivariate, general linear model (GLM) and shown to be statistically different amongst display modalities when comparing similar surface areas. The GLM showed that glycoconjugates that were adsorbed to wells were the most pro-inflammatory while soluble conjugates were the least. DC interactions with mannose conjugates were found to be calcium dependent and could be inhibited via anti-DC-SIGN antibodies. The results of this study aim to resolve conflicts in reports from multiple laboratories showing differential DC profiles in response to similar, if not identical, ligands delivered via different modalities. Additionally, this study begins to bridge the gap between microarray binding data and functional cell responses by highlighting the phenotypes induced from adsorbed glycoconjugates as compared to those in solution or displayed on microparticles.
A New Complexity Result on Solving the Markov Decision Problem

We present a new complexity result on solving the Markov decision problem (MDP) with n states and a number of actions for each state, a special class of real-number linear programs with the Leontief matrix structure. We prove that when the discount factor I¸ is strictly less than 1, the problem can be solved in at most O(n1.5(log 1/(1 - I¸)+log n)) classical interior-point method iterations and O(n4(log 1/(1 - I¸)+log n)) arithmetic operations. Our method is a combinatorial interior-point method related to the work of Ye (1990. A "build-down" scheme for linear programming. Math. Programming46 61-72) and Vavasis and Ye (1996. A primal-dual interior-point method whose running time depends only on the constraint matrix. Math. Programming74 79-120). To our knowledge, this is the first strongly polynomial-time algorithm for solving the MDP when the discount factor is a constant less than 1.
Absenteeism and business costs: Does substance abuse matter?

We conducted an empirical test of the assertion that absenteeism related to substance abuse and dependence among workers is an important contributor to the cost of doing business among American companies, a cost sufficient to motivate firms to aggressively intervene to eliminate abuse and dependence among their employees. The results of this analysis, based on relevant national data sets, suggest that such abuse-based absenteeism is, at best, an incidental cost to business and is insufficient to justify significant prophylactic or therapeutic investments of scarce human resource dollars to achieve an abuse and dependence free workplace. These findings force both public and private sector policymakers to turn to a "hazardous use"/"critical incident" rational as the basis of their argument that American business should invest human resource dollars in specific programs and technologies designed to achieve a drug-free workplace.
Participatory Economic Research: Benefits and Challenges of Incorporating Participatory Research into Social Economics

Participatory action research (PAR) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) involve traditional subjects of research in the co-creation of research design, data collection, and analysis. PAR has been used in the fields of public health, education, and geography. A case study of a local economy CBPR project will be discussed. The increasing use of field and behavioral experiments in economics together with recent critiques of the ethical commitments of economic policy raises important questions about the role of expert knowledge, indigenous knowledge, and the relationships of power and privilege involved in mainstream academic research. The applicability of the PAR method for economics will be investigated in light of the epistemological and ethical commitments of social economics.
Using big data safety analytics for proactive traffic management

The advent of the Big Data era has transformed the outlook of numerous fields in science and engineering. The transportation arena also has great expectations of taking advantage of Big Data enabled by the popularization of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The challenges in the transportation system are many, ranging from increase in travel demand, growth in congestion, need to improve safety to the reality of limited resources. Thus there is a need for more Pro-Active Traffic Management to dynamically manage recurrent and non-recurrent incident-related congestion based on prevailing traffic conditions. Processing this large data requires different analytical and data mining techniques. The presentation addresses several concepts and examples of using big data analytics. Dr. Abdel-Aty presents examples from many projects currently ongoing at the University of Central Florida (UCF). These projects deal with applications of big data analytics in safety and operation. The speech shows examples of UCF research using big data in safety analysis, adverse weather conditions and safety planning. Real-time safety, operation and adverse weather analysis are presented. For example, the viability of monitoring and improving traffic safety and operation on urban expressways in Central Florida using real-time Microwave Vehicle Detection System (MVDS) data is researched. From the perspectives of volume, velocity and variety, the MVDS should be regarded as one of the main sources of Big Data. The detection system archives spot speed, volume, lane occupancy, and vehicle type per lane on a minute basis. Real-time safety risk evaluation was developed for several expressways based on these data. Other big data applications involve combination of census, planning, safety, roadway and land use data to improve safety planning. This extensive research shows the promise and possibilities for the development of real time applications to primarily improve road safety in the context of Pro-active traffic management. It also demonstrates the transformation occurring in safety research and applications based on big data. 0
Collecting Information from Sensor-augmented RFID Systems

In this section, we first introduces the information collection problem in sensor-augmented RFID systems and make assumptions. Then a theoretical lower bound on the execution time is provided as a basis to evaluate the protocols.
Slope Efficiency Measurements of Chromium-Doped Forsterite Laser

Chromium-doped forsterite (Cr:Mg2SiO4) is an important tunable solid state laser which fills the void in the spectral region between 1100 - 1350 nm. Pulsed1-4 and continuous-wave5 laser action was obtained and tunability over the 1167 - 1345 nm was demonstrated.6 Recently, even broader tuning range covering the 1130 - 1367 nm range was reported.7 The unique property of chromium-doped forsterite is that the lasing center was identified as tetravalent chromium (Ci4+) substituting for tetrahedrally coordinated Si4+.8,9
Brandeis, Business Ethics and Enron

Before joining the Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis built his reputation as a “trust buster” and the “People’s Lawyer.” This short essay, was originally presented as the Andrew Cecil Lecture on Values in a Free Society at the University of Texas at Dallas. It examines the Enron and WorldCom bankruptcies in light of the principles of “business ethics” that informed Brandeis’s jurisprudence. The essay finds that Brandeis would have found these modern frauds neither novel nor unusual. It then explores whether we should revisit Brandeis’s ideas about transparency, interlocking directorates, bigness and business as a profession and whether we should apply them to the modern economy.
Including H-Bonding in Depth-Dependent Membrane Burial Potentials for Improving Folding Simulations

We introduce a new method to derive depth- and residue-dependent, membrane burial potentials from known structures of trans-membrane helical bundles (TMHs) and beta-barrels (TMBs). The potential for a whole protein is evaluated at a series of z positions along the membrane normal at different tilt and rotational angles, denoted as E(z,tilt,rot), for each protein in the dataset. In addition to standard amino acid terms, we incorporate z-dependent energies for unsatisfied H-bond acceptors and donors. The parameters that maximizes the probability of the native positions are obtained by five-fold cross-validation, dropout regularization and stochastic gradient descent. Specifically, we minimize the gap energy between E(z,tilt,rot) when placed at its native state and log(Σe-E(z,tilt,rot)). Comparison tests to existing membrane potentials are conducted for the correct reproduction of the native orientation. The addition of the H-bonding effects produces notable enhancement. Additional tests consider the free energy change in transition between trans-membrane and surface-bound states for model TMHs (KmLnKm, m=2,4, n=16,18,…,30; GLnRLnG, n=5,6,…,9) and TMBs (OmpA, OmpT, OmpLA) from MD simulation. Trimerization of TMBs is also studied by the changes in the interfacial residues’ burial potential from the monomeric state. In conclusion, our potentials that include H-bonding effects successfully predict the orientations of membrane proteins. The potentials are employed in our new dynamics package to enable simulation of the insertion and folding of membrane proteins.
The fine structure ofCristispira from the lamellibranchCryptomya californica conrad

The fine structure ofCristispira from the lamellibranchCryptomya californica Conrad was examined by Nomarski differential interference, Hoffman modulation contrast, phase contrast, polarizing, and darkfield optics, which were useful for observing the motility, morphology, and organelles of livingCristispira within the crystalline style. Transmission electron microscopy studies of double-stained sections and negatively stained whole cells revealed details of the outer sheath, axial filament, and the protoplasmic cylinder. Hundreds of periplasmic flagella were observed, as well as membrane-bound vesicles and lipid accumulations in the protoplasm, which may help to explain the mutualistic relationship which seems to exist betweenCristispira spp. and their molluscan hosts. Also described are a dialysis method for producing concentrated populations of viableCristispira from the clam, and a minimal-salts medium for their short-term maintenance.
Anatomy of Phase Locking in Parametric Frequency Combs

We investigate the dynamical origin of phase locking of optical frequency combs in Kerr-nonlinear media using few-mode approximations of the Lugiato-Lefever equation. We find analytical expressions which reveal the essence of phase locking.
Henry James at the Ethical Turn: Vivification and Ironization in The Ambassadors

Matthew Flaherty, “Henry James at the Ethical Turn: Vivification and Ironization in The Ambassadors” (pp. 366–393) Taking its cue from recent work by Dorothy J. Hale, this paper begins by exploring the extent to which Levinasian, deconstructive, and Aristotelian critical approaches have associated Henry James’s fiction, and the ethical import of reading literature more broadly, with an array of related values including particularity, impulsiveness, and indeterminacy. Seeking to complicate this characterization of the ethical effects of Jamesian fiction, this paper emphasizes the debt of The Ambassadors (1903) to a form of dialectical narration that privileges an array of antithetical values including abstraction, analysis, and understanding. Attending in particular to the novel’s opposition between Lambert Strether’s imagination and Maria Gostrey’s discrimination, I argue that The Ambassadors uses perspectival relations between characters to clarify and challenge the judgments of its characters and, by extension, its readers. By building dialectical oppositions like these into his novels, James does not disrupt structures of thought with immediate feeling so much as he shapes immediate feelings into structures of thought. The paper makes the case that it is through juxtaposition to characters like Maria that the full significance of Strether’s feeling—that is, the perspective of value that motivates his practice—can be grasped by readers seeking to refine their own ethical thinking. By emphasizing how James’s fiction facilitates thoughts that attend to the whole, rather than just provoking feelings that attend to the particular, the paper seeks to expand both received understandings of James’s fiction and of ethical approaches to literary criticism more broadly.
Empirical analysis of the relationship between structural change,efficiency improvement and electric power consumption of China

Economic growth and energy consumption have been a concerned point of present society,electricity consumption is the main embodiment.Econometric model with structural variables is used to study the relationship between electric power consumption and economic growth of China,and the influence of economic structural change before and after the implementation of reform and open policy on electric power consumption is analyzed.The results show that the long-term,balanced and stable relation between electric power consumption and economic growth exists and that industrial structure adjustment has active influence on promoting electric use efficiency and saving electric power.With the developing of economy and further industrial structure adjustment,the electric power use efficiency will be obviously promoted.
Electrical insulation for application at cryogenic temperatures

The electrical properties of several magnet wire insulations at room and cryogenic temperatures are given in Tables 1 and 2. The felted asbestos is bonded with aluminum phosphate to provide a totally inorganic, radiation-resistant insulation. The glass fiber is impregnated with a polyimide solution. In Table 1 it is apparent that the dissipation factor for all of the wire insulations is extremely low at liquid He temperatures. In liquid N2 the values are still quite low. Other data as a function of frequency, however, indicate the presence of small absorption peaks at both liquid nitrogen and liquid helium temperatures. Table 2 gives the short time electric breakdown of twisted wire pair samples. The values for film-coated wire are relatively little affected by cryogenic temperatures. Immersion in liquid nitrogen increases the breakdown of glass fiber and asbestos, probably because the nitrogen impregnates the porous structure. In liquid He, however, the values for porous insulations are very low, apparently because liquid helium is a poor dielectric (see Figure 1). In confirmation, values in vacuum at 7.2°K are nearly as high as in liquid nitrogen.
410 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THROMBOXANE AND PROSTACYCLIN LEVELS AND RESPONSE TO INHALED NITRIC OXIDE THERAPY IN NEONATES WITH HYPOXEMIC RESPIRATORY FAILURE: A PILOT STUDY

Objective Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has revolutionized the treatment of hypoxemic respiratory failure caused by persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn (PPHN). However, analysis of large randomized trials proving the efficacy of iNO has shown that it is effective in approximately 60% of the infants. The reason for this variable response is unknown. Prostanoids, thromboxane and prostacyclin have been implicated in the pathophysiology of PPHN. But their role in failure of iNO therapy has not been studied. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that newborns with PPHN not responding to iNO have higher blood levels of thromboxane and prostacyclin compared to those who do not respond to iNO. We also examined the ratio of thromboxane (vasoconstrictor) to prostacyclin (vasodilator) in these groups. Methods Infants > 34 weeks gestation with PPHN on mechanical ventilation and with hypoxemic respiratory failure were enrolled. Blood samples for thromboxane and prostacyclin were obtained just prior to and 4 hours after starting iNO. Based on the response to iNO, infants were divided in two groups: responders (increase in PaO2 by > 20% and decrease in oxygenation index by 20%) or nonresponders. Serum levels of thromboxane and prostacyclin were measured using commercially available ELISA assays. Results We have enrolled 9 patients so far; 5 of them were responders and 4 were nonresponders. Mean gestational age in responders and nonresponders was 38 weeks and 37 weeks respectively. Mean birth weight in responders and nonresponders was 3.8 kg and 3.3 kg respectively. Analysis of the samples shows that thromboxane levels were higher in nonresponders as compared to responders (responders: mean: 78.74 pg/mL SD ± 50.17 pg/mL, nonresponders: mean 4,870.94 pg/mL, SD ± 7451 pg/mL). In addition, we found that thromboxane to prostacyclin ratios were lower in responders in comparison to nonresponders (responders: mean 0.34, SD ± 0.18, nonresponders: mean 93.97, SD ± 137.61). Conclusion This preliminary study suggests that thromboxane may play a role in determining the response to iNO therapy in hypoxemic respiratory failure. Furthermore, the balance between vasoconstrictors (like thromboxane) and vasodilators (such as prostacyclin) may also be involved.
Sulfonamide residues in pork: past, present, and future.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been involved for a number of years with the problem of sulfonamide residues in pork. In the 1970s, concern was raised regarding the use of sulfonamides when food safety criteria used for premarketing approval of new animal drugs and the safety data base for sulfonamides were found to be inadequate. Regulatory analytical methods for monitoring sulfonamides were developed and put to use by FSIS. With educational efforts by government and industry, by 1980 it was thought that the problem was being solved. In the 1980s, however, the sulfonamide violation rate began to increase; the USDA strengthened its educational programs, developed a rapid test for sulfonamides and pursued regulatory initiatives. By 1987 sulfonamide violations in liver tissue (i.e., greater than .1 ppm) had declined to 3.8%; however, new toxicological information associating sulfamethazine with the development of follicular cell adenomas of the thyroid gland in rats and mice led the FSIS to begin an enhanced sulfamethazine control program in the spring of 1988. The FSIS believes that production quality assurance is the key to prevention. The Agency's initiatives toward this end are designed both to encourage industry accountability and to provide disincentives for violators. The current approaches to the sulfonamide problem hold the clear promise of a satisfactory solution.
Inactivation of Food-borne Pathogens with Magainin Peptidesa

The antimicrobial activity of magainin 2 (mag 2) and magainin 2 amide (mag 2 amide) was determined for 13 pathogenic bacterial test strains associated with food-borne disease. Magainin 2 (100 μg/ml) initially inhibited the growth of some of the test strains, but recovery of the cells occurred between the 5th and 24th h of exposure to the peptide. Of the 13 bacterial strains tested, Salmonella heidelberg 3432-2 demonstrated the greatest recovery (from an initial reduction of ~7 log cycles). Magainin 2 amide exhibited greater inactivation across all bacterial test strains compared to mag 2. After 24 h of exposure, all 13 test strains were completely inactivated with log10 reductions in the cell population exceeding 8.7. The minimal inhibitory concentration of mag 2 amide (total inactivation after 24 h of exposure to mag 2 amide) was determined for the 13 test strains and ranged from <3μg/ml to 50 μg/ml. At 4° and 20°C, mag 2 amide exhibited less bactericidal activity than at 37°C for the organisms tested. W...
On the VLSI Implementation of low complexity K-best MIMO decoders

The VLSI implementation of maximum likelihood (ML) detection for higher order multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems continues to be a major challenge. Battery driven handheld devices impose strict area and power constraints while demanding guaranteed performance over a wide range of operating conditions. This paper presents a modified, low complexity K-best detector for a 4×4, 64 QAM MIMO system , which uses a modified path extension algorithm to bring down the computational complexity by more than 50%. It also exploits the structure of a QAM constellation to achieve low power operation by reducing the number of costly multiplication operations while computing the path metrics. The two new approaches, combined with a resource shared architecture leads to the implementation of a very efficient FPGA based system, where we verify the performance of the algorithm.
All roads lead to weediness: Patterns of genomic divergence reveal extensive recurrent weedy rice origins from South Asian Oryza

Weedy rice (Oryza spp.), a weedy relative of cultivated rice (O. sativa), infests and persists in cultivated rice fields worldwide. Many weedy rice populations have evolved similar adaptive traits, considered part of the 'agricultural weed syndrome', making this an ideal model to study the genetic basis of parallel evolution. Understanding parallel evolution hinges on accurate knowledge of the genetic background and origins of existing weedy rice groups. Using population structure analyses of South Asian and US weedy rice, we show that weeds in South Asia have highly heterogeneous genetic backgrounds, with ancestry contributions both from cultivated varieties (aus and indica) and wild rice. Moreover, the two main groups of weedy rice in the USA, which are also related to aus and indica cultivars, constitute a separate origin from that of Asian weeds. Weedy rice populations in South Asia largely converge on presence of red pericarps and awns and on ease of shattering. Genomewide divergence scans between weed groups from the USA and South Asia, and their crop relatives are enriched for loci involved in metabolic processes. Some candidate genes related to iconic weedy traits and competitiveness are highly divergent between some weed-crop pairs, but are not shared among all weed-crop comparisons. Our results show that weedy rice is an extreme example of recurrent evolution, and suggest that most populations are evolving their weedy traits through different genetic mechanisms.
Recall the Recall: How to Fix Nhtsa's Recall Program

In his 1965 bestseller, Unsafe at Any Speed, Ralph Nader wrote: The regulation of the automobile must go through three stages - the stage of public awareness and demand for action, the stage of legislation, and the stage of continuing administration. Forty years later, the regulation of the automobile has traveled many times through each of these three stages. The result of this travel is a recall system that has run amok. If secret recalls were part of the concern expressed in 1966 when Congress created what would later become the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to oversee the auto industry, by 2006 the pendulum has swung the other direction to over-recalling. The legal standard requiring automakers and others to conduct a recall in cases where a defect presents an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety is now essentially meaningless because the agency, backed by the courts, has stripped out the unreasonable element. As a result, automakers routinely have more annual recalls than annual sales. In 2004, for example, automakers conducted nearly 600 recalls covering more than 30 million vehicles, an increase of 57% from 2003. Compared to the 17 million vehicles sold, that equates to nearly 1.75 recalled vehicles for every new vehicle sold. The volume of recalls is not improving motor vehicle safety. In fact, when one considers the risks of crash posed by otherwise unnecessary trips to car dealerships to repair safety defects, NHTSA's recall program is probably exposing motorists to more hazards than it is correcting. The problematic effect of recalls on vehicle safety is highlighted by NHTSA's consistent refusal to study the issue. Thirty years ago NHTSA's own Advisory Council concluded that: The question naturally arises - do the safety benefits of the [recall] program justify its cost? Curiously, no one knows. Indeed, the scarcity of hard facts and the abundance of unknown factors make any definitive evaluation of the defect-recall program very difficult. Driven by dogma, NHTSA has nonetheless charged forward each year with its recall program. Driven by fear, reluctant auto companies have continually acquiesced. And so the vicious circle is complete: vehicles must constantly be recalled to fix the most inane safety risks. And consumers, shareholders, employees, and the motoring public all pay the price.
Broadcasting Yourself (and Others): How YouTube and Blogging have Changed the Rules of the Campaign

In 2004, a new medium, unregulated and unchecked by federal election laws, rocked the political landscape, forever changing the tactics of the campaign. â€œBloggingâ€ grabbed the attention of voters across the nation, as online diaries and forums influenced the election like no one could have predicted. In 2006, a new term was added to the campaign managerâ€™s list: YouTube. YouTube and blogging have changed the rules of campaigning, and provided constituents and onlookers alike with access to information and actions that otherwise may have gone overlooked or undetected in the past.
Team Entrepreneurial Alertness: Initial Testing of an Emergent Model

Entrepreneurial activities are frequently undertaken by a team rather than by individuals acting alone. Building on the entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial teams literatures, this study seeks to a) provide empirical evidence for the construct validation and measurement of entrepreneurial alertness at the team level, and b) examine the relationship of two specific team processes - team reflexivity and team monitoring - with team entrepreneurial alertness dimensions. The empirical work is done using a sample of 25 entrepreneurial teams. The values of the aggregation indexes, Rwg(j), ICC(1) and ICC(2), support the aggregation of the individual answers at the team level for the entrepreneurial alertness construct. Initial results indicate that team reflexivity is more associated with team alertness scanning and search, and team alertness association and connection; and team monitoring is more associated with team evaluation and judgment. These results are preliminary but open important research aven...
Techniques for root cause analysis.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has begun requiring root cause analyses for all sentinel events. These analyses can be of enormous value. They capture both the big-picture perspective and the details. They facilitate system evaluation, analysis of need for corrective action, and tracking and trending. Regarding trending, managers will be able to determine how often a particular error— such as an instrument error—occurs or how often a particular floor or unit of the hospital is involved. This information may provide clues to the problem. Root cause analysis is as useful and perhaps even more efficacious in the near-miss scenario. The technique is applicable not only to laboratory medicine but to all health care–associated disciplines. A root cause analysis should be performed as soon as possible after the error or variance occurs. Otherwise, important details may be missed. All of the personnel involved in the error must be involved in the analysis. Without all parties present, the discussion may lead to fictionalization or speculation that will dilute the facts. Asking for this level of involvement may cause staff to feel hostile, defensive, or apprehensive. Managers must explain that the purpose of the root cause analysis process is to focus on the setting of the error and the systems involved. Managers should also stress that the purpose of the analysis is not to assign blame. The comfort level with the technique increases with use, but the analysis will always be somewhat subjective. In this article, several different techniques for root cause analysis are applied to an employee safety event that occurred within the Department of Pathology.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Factors Affecting Healing, Range of Motion, Strength, and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair:

Background:Rotator cuff repair (RCR) leads to improved patient outcomes, which may or may not coincide with biological healing of the tendon. Many patient factors may play a role in subjective and ...