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250870100 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-07-21T12:12:00.854Z | 2010-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Maximal Violation of Bell Inequality for Any Given Two-Qubit Pure State
In the case of bipartite two-qubit systems, we derive an analytical expression of bound Bell operator for any given pure state. Our result not only manifests some properties of Bell inequality, for example, which may be violated by any pure entangled state and only be maximally violated for a maximally entangled state, but also gives the explicit values of maximal violation for any pure state. Finally we point out that any mixed states which can produce maximal violation of Bell inequality must have a maximal concurrence value. |
206146800 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:14:57.187Z | 2017-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | Lithium and cognition in those with bipolar disorder.
Although a percentage of patients report cognitive side-effects when taking lithium, it can be difficult to determine from the literature whether any cognitive changes reflect lithium itself, the lithium serum level, residual mood symptoms, the underlying nature of bipolar disorder, or biological alterations such as hypothyroidism. This review was carried out to synthesize and evaluate relevant literature examining any cognitive impact of lithium in those with bipolar disorder. The effect of lithium in those with bipolar disorder was examined across the cognitive domains of attention, psychomotor speed, processing speed, working memory, intellectual functioning, verbal memory, visual memory, and executive functioning by reviewing the published empirical literature. Any impact of hypothyroidism and lithium toxicity was also examined. The literature supports the conclusion that lithium has a distinct impact on psychomotor speed in participants with bipolar disorder. In contrast, there appears to be no impact on attention. Any impact of lithium on memory in patients with bipolar disorder is unclear as the literature is contradictory and any such effect may be overshadowed by the greater impact of residual mood symptoms. The impact on processing speed, intellectual abilities, and executive functioning also remains unclear. Several clinical management strategies are recommended. |
15915300 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2015-07-15T00:15:54.000Z | 2005-11-21T00:00:00.000Z | Does time heal?: a longitudinal study of usability
We report from a longitudinal laboratory-based usability evaluation of an interactive system. A usability evaluation was conducted with novice users when a large commercial electronic patient record system was being deployed in the use organization. After the users had used the system in their daily work for 15 months, same evaluation was conducted again. Our aim was to inquire into the nature of usability problems experienced by novice and expert users over time, and to see to what extends usability problems may or may not disappear over time, as users get more familiar with the system. On the basis of our two usability evaluations, we present key findings on the usability of the evaluated system as experienced by the two categories of users at these two different points in time. Based on our findings, we discuss implications for evaluating usability. |
191896550 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-06-14T15:15:20.432Z | 2019-05-15T00:00:00.000Z | Taboo and Stigma in Praying for Mental Health: An Empirical-Theological Investigation into the Practice of Public Intercession
Most churches intercede every Sunday in their public worship for the needs of the world and for their fellow members. However, it seems that some topics are consistently left out from the prayers, such as prayers for mental health. This article addresses the question whether some topics are taboo, by investigating what churches pray for or not. Empirical research in this area is largely absent. Through the gathering and analysis of prayers, and interviews and focus groups with prayer leaders in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium this article shows reasons why certain topics, such as mental health, are indeed absent from public intercession. A significant finding is that the prayer leaders explain this in terms of pastoral sensitivity rather than taboo. This article suggests that the pastoral sensitivity does indicate a taboo, or stigma, on these topics. |
19929550 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T06:08:15.718Z | 2007-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | Intracerebral Transplantation of Genetically Engineered Cells for Parkinson's Disease: Toward Clinical Application
Over the last decade, molecular biology has progressively developed, leading to new technology with subsequent clinical application for various cerebral diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD), one of the most investigated neurodegenerative disorders. The therapy for PD is mainly composed of medication, including drug replacement therapy, surgical treatment, and cell transplantation. Cell therapy for PD has been explored by using fetal nigral cells as an allo- or xenograft, autologous sympathetic ganglion, adrenal medulla, and carotid body in clinical settings. In addition, neurotrophic factors, including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), have a strong potency to rescue degenerating dopaminergic cells. Protein and/or gene therapy also might be a therapeutic option for PD. In this review, genetically engineered cell transplantation for animal models of PD, including catecholamine/neurotrophic factor-secreting cell transplantation with or without encapsulation, as performed in our laboratories, and their potential future as clinical applications are described with recent clinical studies in this field. |
1763000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-10-20T06:17:36.262Z | 1988-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | Rapid latex agglutination test for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins A to E that uses high-density latex particles
A rapid reversed passive latex agglutination method that uses high-density latex particles for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) A to E was developed. It took 3 h for incubation, much less than the 16 h needed with a customary latex agglutination test for SE detection such as a commercial test kit (SET-RPLA; Denka Seiken Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The rapid test was shown to be highly specific and sensitive for SE detection (detection limit, about 0.5 ng of SE per ml), comparable to the SET-RPLA test. The rapid test was also efficient in SE detection in foods and culture supernatants of staphylococcal strains, similar to the SET-RPLA test. This showed that a rapid test with high-density latex particles is fully reliable for use. |
206558400 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T06:01:48.085Z | 2016-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Nanowire-Modified Three-Dimensional Electrode Enabling Low-Voltage Electroporation for Water Disinfection.
More than 10% of the people in the world still suffer from inadequate access to clean water. Traditional water disinfection methods (e.g., chlorination and ultraviolet radiation) include concerns about the formation of carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), pathogen reactivation, and/or excessive energy consumption. Recently, a nanowire-assisted electroporation-disinfection method was introduced as an alternative. Here, we develop a new copper oxide nanowire (CuONW)-modified three-dimensional copper foam electrode using a facile thermal oxidation approach. An electroporation-disinfection cell (EDC) equipped with two such electrodes has achieved superior disinfection performance (>7 log removal and no detectable bacteria in the effluent). The disinfection mechanism of electroporation guarantees an exceedingly low operation voltage (1 V) and level of energy consumption (25 J L(-1)) with a short contact time (7 s). The low operation voltage avoids chlorine generation and thus reduces the potential of DBP formation. Because of irreversible electroporation damage on cell membranes, no regrowth and/or reactivation of bacteria occurs during storage after EDC treatment. Water disinfection using EDCs has great potential for practical applications. |
18684950 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2002-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | MDA and programming languages
One of the open issues in Model Driven Architecture (MDA) is how to automatically transform the Platform Independent Model (PIM) over the Platform Specific Model (PSM) into source code currently this is only possible for a few domains using UML profiles, but the major goal is to minimize the required interaction by the programmer / designer at these steps in the general case. The idea is to define high level constructs in programming languages which are related to the PIM. This will make it easier to transform the PIM into source code, will boost the understandability of the code, and will make the integration of independent modules possible. |
28302950 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-06-18T04:34:13.831Z | 2013-02-06T00:00:00.000Z | Large-scale mesoscopic transport in nanostructured graphene.
Through exponential sample-size scaling of conductance, we demonstrate strong electron localization in three sets of nanostructured antidot graphene samples with localization lengths of 1.1, 2, and 3.4 μm. The large-scale mesoscopic transport is manifest as a parallel conduction channel to 2D variable range hopping, with a Coulomb quasigap around the Fermi level. The opening of the correlation quasigap, observable below 25 K through the temperature dependence of conductance, makes possible the exponential suppression of inelastic electron-electron scatterings and thereby leads to an observed dephasing length of 10 μm. |
47566250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-20T06:28:55.824Z | 2006-10-09T00:00:00.000Z | Feedback Stabilization of High-Speed Planing Vessels by a Controllable Transom Flap
This paper focuses on the mitigation of porpoising instability of high-speed planing vessels using controllable transom flap and dynamic feedback. A control oriented model that captures both steady-state and dynamic characteristics is presented and used to facilitate the model-based control design. A nonlinear controller is developed based on the feedback linearization method to achieve asymptotic stability of the planing boat, thus avoiding porpoising at high speeds. We first show that the full-state nonlinear dynamic model describing the ship motion is not feedback linearizable. A state transformation is then constructed to decompose the model into a linearizable subsystem and a nonlinear internal dynamic subsystem. A reduced order state feedback is shown next to stabilize the planing vessel motion around the equilibrium point. Analysis of the region of attraction is also performed to provide an assessment of the effective safe operating range around the equilibrium point |
216383850 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-03-05T10:21:38.799Z | 2020-02-28T00:00:00.000Z | A práxis no trabalho de campo: uma experiência em biogeografia
The text aims to reflect on how fieldwork can serve as a methodological resource for teacher praxis. For this, we present a methodological path developed within the scope of Biogeography in the city of Florianopolis, which was based on three phases: office (discussion of the menu of the discipline and collection of bibliographic and cartographic materials about the study area), fieldwork (observation, description and interpretation of data) and the laboratory (analysis, understanding and representation reflected in the field report). Finally, the reflections taken from the field work show that the territory is constantly changing in its various social, cultural, and economic aspects, so to understand how these transformations materialize in the places still remains the essential one for the formation of critical and reflective professionals about their field of study from the perspective of praxis. |
123235200 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-21T13:07:34.433Z | 1990-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | "From the Phenomena of Motions to the Forces of Nature": Hypothesis or Deduction?
This paper examines Newton's argument from the phenomena to the law of universal gravitation-especially the question how such a result could have been obtained from the evidential base on which that argument rests. Its thesis is that the crucial step was a certain application of the third law of motion-one that could only be justified by appeal to the consequences of the resulting theory; and that the general concept of interaction embodied in Newton's use of the third law most probably evolved in the course of the very investigation that led to this theory. |
154554360 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-16T13:01:57.123Z | 2004-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Economic Globalization and the Environment in China: A Comparative Case Study of Shenyang and Dalian
This article examines the effects of trade and investment liberalization on the environment in two Chinese cities—Shenyang and Dalian. Theoretically, it draws insights from literature on trade and environment on one hand, and norm diffusion study in the international relations literature on the other hand. It attempts to show that economic openness has played a significant role in facilitating the diffusion of global environmental norms in China. In addition, it examines how global economic integration shapes the ways in which major actors in the environmental policy process interact, change their perceptions, and thus find ways to minimize risks and maximize benefits of globalization. Contrary to the race-to-the-bottom hypothesis, this article finds that economic openness positively affected domestic environmental policy by providing the necessity and opportunities for strengthening environmental institutions. |
20239910 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:22:21.817Z | 2001-02-15T00:00:00.000Z | Orientation of a Novel DNA Binding Site Affects Human Papillomavirus-Mediated Transcription and Replication
ABSTRACT A consensus binding site for the human papillomavirus (HPV) E2 protein was determined from an unbiased set of degenerate oligonucleotides using cyclic amplification and selection of targets (CASTing). Detectable DNA-protein complexes were formed after six to nine cycles of CASTing. A population of selected binding sites was cloned, and a consensus was determined by statistical analysis of the DNA sequences of individual isolates. Starting from a pool with 20 random bases, a consensus binding site of ACAC-N5-GGT was derived. CASTing and electrophoretic mobility shift analyses demonstrate that human but not bovine papillomavirus E2 proteins recognize this sequence. The presence of this sequence in papillomavirus genomes suggests a role for its function. We demonstrate that this site functionally substitutes for the canonical E2 binding site (ACCG-N4-CGGT) in both transient-transcription and DNA replication assays. This sequence, in most instances, is interchangeable with the resident E2 binding sites in the context of the HPV type 16 long control region. Where the novel sequence does not support E2-mediated effects on gene expression or DNA replication, we demonstrate that changing the orientation of the novel sequence restores this effect. |
105298210 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-10T13:11:39.730Z | 2018-08-03T00:00:00.000Z | Catalytic 3D polymerization of C60
ABSTRACT The present study addresses the problems of catalytic synthesis of C60-based 3D polymers in the presence of carbon disulfide CS2. It is shown that CS2 lowers the pressure of fullerite 3D polymerization at room temperature. In particular, the pressure at which the 3D ultrahard fullerite C60 phase is formed decreases from 18 GPa to 7 GPa. The catalyst plays no significant role at room temperature and low pressures up to 6 GPa. When the C60 + CS2 is heated to 1200 K, the pressure of the 3D C60 polymerization is further reduced to 2–4 GPa. Based on the TEM data, we propose a 3D polymer structure based on C60 obtained by the catalytic synthesis. |
72878760 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-10T13:06:26.123Z | 1988-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Detecting retinal lesions with automated perimetry
This paper considers the clinical problems associated with the detection of localized retinal lesions using automated perimeters. We present four case studies of patients who had documented macular lesions, some about the size of the papilla, but who had normal visual field results when tested with automated perimeters using central threshold programs. Three factors were identified that limit an automated perimeter in detecting a lesion. These are: 1. misalignment between the test grid and lesion, 2. subject threshold fluctuations and, 3. inappropriate use of grey scales. |
23196110 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T06:00:39.003Z | 1980-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Peripheral muscarinic control of norepinephrine release in the cardiovascular system.
Activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors located at the terminal adrenergic nerve fiber inhibits the process of exocytotic norepinephrine (NE) release. This neuromodulatory effect of acetylcholine and related compounds has been discovered as a pharmacological phenomenon. Subsequently, evidence for a physiological role of the presynaptic muscarinic inhibition was obtained on organs known to be innervated by the autonomic ground plexus (Hillarp, Acta. Physiol. Scand. 46, Suppl. 157: 1-68, 1959) in which terminal adrenergic and cholinergic axons run side by side. Thus, in the heart electrical vagal stimulation inhibits the release of NE evoked by stimulation of sympathetic nerves, and this is reflected by a corresponding decrease in the postsynaptic adrenergic response. On the other hand, muscarinic antagonists such as atropine enhance the NE release evoked by field stimulation of tissues innervated by the autonomic ground plexus. The presynaptic muscarine receptor of adrenergic nerve terminals probably restricts the influx of calcium ions that triggers the release of NE. However, the sequence of events between recognition of the muscarinic compound by the receptor and the process of exocytosis still remains to be clarified. |
27920560 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:04:13.100Z | 2006-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Drug‐eluting stents for coronary bifurcations: Bench testing of provisional side‐branch strategies
The objective of this study was to bench‐test provisional bifurcation stenting strategies to provide insights on how best to perform these with drug‐eluting stents (DESs). Bifurcation stenting with DESs reduces restenosis compared with bare metal stents (BMSs). Outcomes with a single DES are better than with two DESs but if the main branch is stented, there needs to be a reliable strategy for provisionally stenting the side‐branch with full ostial scaffolding and drug application. Stents were photographed in a phantom after deployment with different strategies. With provisional T‐stenting, placement of the side‐branch stent without gaps is difficult. The internal (or reverse) crush strategy fully scaffolds the side‐branch ostium but is experimental. The culotte technique providing excellent side‐branch ostial coverage is easier to perform with open‐cell or large‐cell stent design. In general, kissing balloon postdilatation improves stent expansion, especially at the ostium, and corrects distortion. However, a main‐branch kissing balloon of smaller diameter than the deploying balloon causes distortion. Final main‐branch postdilatation or sequential postdilatation prevents distortion after the internal crush strategy. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. |
251606810 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-08-17T15:20:51.903Z | 2022-08-14T00:00:00.000Z | Conjoined subjects and verbal agreement resolution in Akebu
The paper deals with conjoined subjects and verbal agreement resolution in Akebu and contributes to the typology of noun phrase coordination and agreement resolution in Niger-Congo. Akebu demonstrates both inclusory and compositional coordination with pronominal conjuncts, the former being typical for animate conjuncts, the latter being obligatory for inanimate conjuncts. Semantic person agreement resolution of the verb is possible, and semantic noun class agreement resolution is obligatory with animate conjoined 3rd person subjects, while inanimate conjoined 3rd person subjects trigger syntactic or mixed agreement resolution. |
228875600 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-11-12T09:09:08.734Z | 2020-11-05T00:00:00.000Z | Depressive Disorders Among Adults with Hemophilia a
INTRODUCTION
Depression can impact quality of life, functioning, and treatment adherence. However, depression in persons with hemophilia A (PwHA) is not uniformly examined nationwide. We report on depression and treatment-related hemophilia symptoms and utilization in a sample from six geographically representative U.S. Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs).
METHODS
Hematology Utilization Group Studies part Va (HUGS Va, 2005-2007) was an observational study that collected data on sociodemographics and 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) via patient survey, and clinical characteristics via medical chart review for adults (≥18 years old) with hemophilia A. Depressive disorders were assessed by the SF-12 mental component score (MCS), a validated population-based measure including depressive disorders. MCS≤45 has been identified as a depressive symptom threshold suggestive of a disorder. MCS≤36 indicate more severe psychological symptomatology and/or impairment. Demographic and clinical characteristic associations with depression were assessed using Chi-square tests.
RESULTS
The analysis included 147 adults with mean age 33.0±12.5 years old, 64% with severe hemophilia. Using the criteria of MCS≤45, 27.9% of sample had depressive disorder, and 10.2% had more severe depression at MCS≤36, higher than the 9.0% prevalence of current depression in the general U.S. population studied by CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data (2006 and 2008). Compared with individuals with no depressive disorder, those with depression were less likely to complete their high school education (51.2% vs. 75.2%, P<0.01), had lower income<$40,000 (65.0% vs. 51%, P=0.20), were unemployed (56.1% vs. 31.1%, P<0.01), and lower rates of private health insurance coverage (41.5% vs. 61.0%, P=0.06). Those with depression were less likely to be treated prophylactically (22.0% vs. 31.1%, P=0.27), more likely to have joint pain or range of motion limitation (70.7% vs. 60.4%, P=0.24), and more likely to report barriers to hemophilia care (26.8% vs. 15.1%, P=0.1). The proportion of depressive disorders was not significantly different among levels of hemophilic severity (25.0% in mild/moderate hemophilia and 29.5% in severe, P=0.56).
CONCLUSIONS This sample of PwHA reported higher rates of potentially depressive disorders than the general USA population. Lower educational levels, joint problems, and barriers to accessing care may be high-risk factors for depressive disorders.
Wu: Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company), CSL Behring L.L.C., and Octapharma USA, Inc.: Research Funding. Curtis:USC Hemophilia Utilization Group Study (HUGS): Consultancy; Patient Reported Outcomes, Burdens and Experiences: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy. Tran:Bayer: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Bioverativ: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy. Nichol:Octapharma: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Baxalta US Inc., Bannockburn, IL (a Takeda Company): Research Funding; Genentech Inc.: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Global Blood Therapeutics: Research Funding.
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242613550 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-09-19T09:09:04.943Z | 2019-09-10T00:00:00.000Z | Durability and Physical Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Elevated Temperatures
Addition of glass fibers into concrete significantly modifies its tensile strength. The fibers are placed at desired locations and orientations by the matrix surrounding it, thereby making the fibers as principal load carrying members and also protecting them from environmental damage. Glass fibers provide resistance to high temperature, and the ease of incorporating them into the matrix either in continuous or discontinuous lengths. In this work, carbonation test representing the durability of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) was carried out, and then experimental program determines the properties like compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength of GFRC for 7 days and 28 days of curing, with percentage of fibers in ratios 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% and performance of GFRC at elevated temperatures of 300°c, 500°c, 700°c, 1000°c are compared with conventional concrete. The results depict that, the residual compressive strength capacity of GFRC is greater than unreinforced concrete both at elevated and normal temperatures. |
7604000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-07-07T01:35:50.497Z | 1996-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis sp. nov., a new species of Nocardia which groups bacterial strains previously identified as Nocardia brasiliensis and associated with invasive diseases.
We studied five strains of a new Nocardia taxon recently identified among Nocardia brasiliensis strains associated with invasive diseases (R. J. Wallace, Jr., B. A. Brown, Z. Blacklock, R. Ulrich, K. Jost, J. M. Brown, M. M. McNeil, G. Onyi, V. A. Steingrube, and J. Gibson, J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:1528-1533, 1995) to determine their taxonomic status. Several characteristics of these organisms, including the presence of chemotype IV cell walls, nocardomycolic acids, a predominant menaquinone similar to that of Nocardia asteroides ATCC 19247T (T = type strain), and G+C contents ranging from 67 to 68 mol%, are characteristics of the genus Nocardia. Phylogenies based on small-subunit ribosomal DNA sequences clearly confirmed that all five strains belong to the genus Nocardia and occur on a single branch that is clearly distinct from N. brasiliensis. This branch forms a clade with Nocardia vaccinii, Nocardia nova, Nocardia otitidiscaviarum, and Nocardia seriolae. The five new strains exhibited high levels of DNA relatedness with each other, as determined by DNA-DNA hybridization experiments (S1 nuclease procedure), but not with N. brasiliensis strains or with strains of the four phylogenetically related Nocardia species mentioned above. The five new strains differ from N. brasiliensis in the following characteristics: mycolic acid pattern, decomposition of adenine, nitrate reduction, and antimicrobial agent susceptibilities. Therefore, we propose that these strains belong to a new species, Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis. The type strain is strain ATCC 51512, which was isolated from a leg abscess on a patient suffering from ulcerative colitis. |
2780150 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:22:11.971Z | 1981-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Mechanism of various degrees of tumor sensitivity to olivomycin].
Efficiency and duration of suppression of the synthesis of low-polymer (4S) and ribosomal (18S and 28S) fractions of total RNA due to exposure of the cells of Ehrlich's carcinoma and Zajdela's hepatoma to olivomycin were studied. The tumors differed in their sensitivity to the antibiotic. The efficiency of the rRNA synthesis inhibition by olivomycin on its addition to the cells of Ehrlich's carcinoma and Zajdela's hepatoma in vitro was of the same order. Study on the kinetics of rRNA synthesis after addition of olivomycin showed that the maximum inhibition of rRNA synthesis in the cells of Ehrlich's carcinoma was achieved 1 hour after the drug addition. After 2 hours the inhibition level returned to normal. The most efficient inhibition of rRNA synthesis in the cells of Zajdela's hepatoma was observed 2 hours after addition of the drug. The inhibition level in this case did not return to normal after 24 hours. It is concluded that tumor sensitivity to olivomycin is determined by the duration of the affection of the DNA template activity during the synthesis of RNA. |
25824350 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:44:28.862Z | 1996-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | d-Cycloserine enhances implicit memory in Alzheimer patients
We tested the ability of d-cycloserine, a partial glycine agonist acting at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex, to improve implicit memory in Alzheimer patients in a parallel-group, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. One-hundred eight patients with probable Alzheimer's disease of mild to moderate severity received d-cycloserine (5, 15, or 50 mg) or placebo twice daily for 10 weeks. We then evaluated their ability to identify perceptually degraded words, some of which were repeated over multiple trials across 3 days. Implicit memory performance of words repeated across trials was significantly enhanced for the patients who received 15 mg d-cycloserine compared with those who received placebo. These findings support development of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic interventions for the treatment of Alzheimer-related memory disorders. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 420-424 |
149306550 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-11T13:04:52.330Z | 2017-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | The purgatorial ethic and the spirit of welfare
Drawing on the Weberian spirit, our key problem is trying to understand the irrational rationality of Active Labour Market Policies adopted across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, despite their limited utility. Rather than explaining these as inefficient policy formation or reflecting neo-liberal ideology, we suggest that the experience and governmentality of welfare is historically informed by the idea of purgatory. Drawing from the genealogical impulse in Weber, Foucault and Agamben, and adapting Weber’s concept of ‘world-images’, we suggest that the history of welfare, from workhouses to Active Labour Market Policies, is animated by the purgatorial logic of judging, punishing and purifying individuals. This resonance is clearest in the interpretation that jobseekers give to the time they spend unemployed, but also in political speeches, policy making and the creation of welfare systems. Counter-intuitively, this analysis is drawn from Ireland, a latecomer to Active Labour Market Policies, where the imposition of an increasedly purgatorial conception of welfare is clearly visible. |
37084050 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:56:09.488Z | 2012-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Association of the IL-18 gene polymorphism with susceptibility to colorectal cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and haplotypes of interleukin-18(IL-18) gene associated with the susceptibility to colorectal cancer(CRC).
METHODS
Two SNPs of IL-18 gene promoter -137G/C and -607C/A in 170 patients with CRC and 160 healthy controls matched by age and sex in a Chinese population were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) strategy. Frequency of haplotypes and linkage disequilibrium of IL-18 gene in different groups were analyzed by SHEsis programs.
RESULTS
The distributions of IL-18 gene -607C/A polymorphism did not differ between CRC patients and healthy controls, but IL-18 gene -137G/C polymorphism was significantly different(P<0.05). The relative risk of C allele for CRC was 1.814 times of the G allele (OR=1.814,95% CI:1.246-2.642). Consistent with the results of the genotyping analyses, IL-18 -137G/C and -607C/A polymorphisms showed strong linkage disequilibrium(|D'|=0.945), frequency of the -137C/-607A haplotype in patients with CRC was significantly higher than that in healthy controls(P<0.05). The -137C/-607A haplotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of CRC(OR=1.637, 95% CI:1.100-2.437).
CONCLUSIONS
IL-18 gene -137G/C polymorphism and -137C/-607A haplotype are associated with CRC. -137C allele may be an important genetic susceptibility gene for CRC. |
28148400 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:06:46.011Z | 2014-01-28T00:00:00.000Z | Summary of the 9th meeting of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies
The 9th meeting of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies (Euro aPL Forum) was held in Krakow, Poland, on 16–18 May 2013. This was an excellent occasion for the exchange of information on current research in the area of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), as well as a starting point for many new research projects. About 120 physicians and researchers from various medical specialities representing 15 European countries, USA, Argentina and Israel attended the event. This report summarizes the major studies and new research projects presented during the Forum. |
8168800 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-10-10T23:49:13.845Z | 2012-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Parathyroid incidentaloma detected during thyroid sonography - prevalence and significance beyond images.
INTRODUCTION
Parathyroid incidentaloma (PTI) designates a nodule discovered incidentally during thyroid sonography, and whose location and aspect suggests an abnormal parathyroid. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of PTI, their functional characteristics and to identify the factors correlated with their presence.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We recorded all patients detected with PTI between January 2009 and December 2011, in our department. Serum calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroine (FT4) and anti thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO Ab) were measured.
RESULTS
From a total of 2662 thyroid ultrasounds, 32 patients were identified with PTI (prevalence 1.2%). The diagnosis of a functional parathyroid adenoma was confirmed in 12 patients (37.5%). There was no significant difference in size, location, echogenicity or vascular pattern between the functioning adenomas and the other PTI. The only parameter correlated with the non functioning lesion was the multinodular pattern of the thyroid (multinodular goiter or macronodular autoimmune thyroiditis).
CONCLUSIONS
Although rare, the ultrasound identification of an image suggestive for a pathological parathyroid gland requires the evaluation of the functioning character of the lesion, more than one third PTI being hyperfunctional. The concomitance of a nodular goiter decreases the probability of a primary hyperparathyroidism. |
44665050 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-04-01T18:52:20.850Z | 2008-08-15T00:00:00.000Z | Improved sectioning in a slit scanning confocal microscope.
We describe a simple implementation of a slit scanning confocal microscope to obtain an axial resolution better than that of a point-scanning confocal microscope. Under slit illumination, images of a fluorescent object are captured using an array detector instead of a line detector so that out-of-focus light is recorded and then subtracted from the adjacent images. Axial resolution after background subtraction is 2.2 times better than the slit confocal resolution, and out-of-focus image suppression is calculated to attenuate with defocus faster by 1 order of magnitude than in the point confocal case. |
9506520 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:11:43.775Z | 1990-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Axillary artery damage from shoulder trauma--a report of 2 cases.
Various shoulder injuries can give rise to axillary artery complications. Two such cases were admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital late last year. Both were young adult males, who had developed axillary artery thrombosis secondary to shoulder injuries. The following is a short discussion on the common types of shoulder injuries, how they result in axillary artery compromise and a short section on their management and treatment. |
34385620 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-12T00:25:23.743Z | 2009-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Frequency selective harmonic balance analysis
The authors have developed a new way to set up circuit harmonic balance equations in a circuit simulator. The new method flexibly assigns different analysis frequencies to different parts of the circuit according to user input. The improved multi-tone analysis method was implemented in the circuit simulator APLAC by the authors. Memory consumption and simulation times were smaller. |
82798120 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-19T13:03:36.393Z | 2012-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Defining the role of acylation in the cytoplasmic quality control of an engineered substrate
Newly synthesized proteins undergo chaperone‐assisted folding into a functional conformation. However, various insults can disrupt protein folding, including environmental stressors, defects in translation and/or post‐translational processing, or genetic mutations. Improperly folded proteins may either attain their proper conformation or undergo chaperone‐mediated selection and targeting for degradation by cytoplasmic quality control (cyto QC). Aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins can be toxic to cells due to aggregation. Therefore, investigating how the inherent motifs within a substrate (degrons) influence degradation is critical for understanding protein homeostasis. Currently, it is unknown how acylation influences the machinery involved in degradation. To elucidate the chaperones required for the cytoQC of an acylated substrate, we employed a novel yeast degron with or without a motif to induce acylation. To compare and contrast the factors required for degradation, protein stability was measured in mutant yeast strains. These experiments revealed that degradation is dependent on the proteasome and two E3 ubiquitin ligases, San1p and Ubr1p. Furthermore, degradation relies heavily on the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), Ssa1p. Ongoing work is defining how this and other chaperones function to select these substrates. Funded by NIH F32‐GM090364 and GM75061. |
7564950 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-01-23T22:46:29.474Z | 2005-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Data Presentation for Quality Improvement
Efforts to improve quality of medical care often involve large data sets. Reviewing laboratory results over time for a cohort of patients is particularly problematic: traditional statistics conflate case to case variations with day to day variations (within a case). To help solve this problem, we propose using sparklines for case by case review and a modified box-plot for overall data review. We demonstrate these data presentations using fingerstick glucose values. |
119664100 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-18T13:11:25.446Z | 2006-04-03T00:00:00.000Z | Genetic Algorithm and Fuzzy Logic Based Optimal Location of Facts Device in a Power System Network
The flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) in a power system improves the stability, reduces the losses, reduces the cost of generation and also improves the loadability of the system. In the proposed work, a non-traditional optimization technique, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is conjunction with Fuzzy logic (FL) is used to optimize the various process parameters involved in introduction of FACTS devices in a power system. The various parameters taken into consideration were the location of the device, their type, and their rated value of the devices. The simulation was performed on a 30-bus power system with various types of FACTS controllers, modeled for steady state studies. The optimization results are compared to the solution given by another search method. This comparison confirms the efficiency of the proposed method which makes it promising to solve combinorial problem of FACTS device location in a power system network. |
232298150 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-03-22T17:18:35.673Z | 2021-03-18T00:00:00.000Z | The effects of job demands and job resources on the safety behavior of cabin crew members: a qualitative study
Job demands are viewed as the physical, psychological and social effects of the physical and mental efforts required by the job on the employee, while job resources refer to the gains and opportunities that reduce these effects, support employee development and help him/her achieve successful results. The aim of this study is to explain the effects of job demands and job resources perceived by cabin crew members on their safety behavior. To this end, using the qualitative research method, the data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 14 cabin crew members in a medium-sized airline business in Turkey. The findings were presented under four themes: ‘working conditions’, ‘factors related to cabin crew members’, ‘passenger behaviors’ and ‘purser attitudes’. In conclusion, various recommendations are made for airline management by comparing the findings with those reported in the related literature. |
5572850 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2016-10-26T03:31:20.546Z | 2004-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Prefrontal cortical involvement in verbal encoding strategies
The lateral prefrontal cortex is critical for the control and organization of information in working memory. In certain situations, effective reorganization can attenuate task difficulty, suggesting a dissociation between lateral prefrontal activity and basic memory demand. In a verbal working memory task, we investigated the enhancement of performance that occurs when incoming information can be reorganized into higher‐level groups or chunks. In the fMRI scanner, volunteers heard and repeated a sequence of digits. Mathematically structured sequences, encouraging ‘chunking’, were compared with unstructured, random sequences. Though structured sequences were easier to remember, fMRI showed increased lateral prefrontal activation for these sequences. Specifically, both the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices were activated preferentially for the structured sequences during encoding. When visual stimuli that can be chunked using spatial structure are used, similar results are observed. These results demonstrate that cognitively less demanding tasks may elicit greater lateral prefrontal recruitment. Thus, the lateral prefrontal cortex appears to play a general role in strategically recoding information from memory, in order to optimize performance. |
96975600 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-06T00:44:30.895Z | 2013-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Protective Effects of Processing Condition and Antioxidant on Vitamin A in Chicken Liver Sausage
In this study, the protective effects of processing conditions and antioxidants on vitamin A in chicken liver sausage were investigated. The optimal cooking conditions were determined: 80°C 30min. Under this condition, vitamin A loss rate was lowest. Different types of antioxidants vitamin C (ascorbic acid)EDTA-2Na (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt)BHT (2,4-di-tert.-butyl hydroxytoluene) were added to protect vitamin A. The results indicated the added antioxidants have obvious protective effects on vitamin A, and the protection effect of BHT is better than the others. |
13961200 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2004-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Calce Electronic Products and Systems Center College Park, Md
Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program, a unique industry and government cooperative technology transfer effort that improves the competitiveness of America's industrial base both here and abroad. Our main goal at BMP is to increase the quality, reliability, and maintainability of goods produced by American firms. The primary objective toward this goal is simple: to identify best practices, document them, and then encourage industry and government to share information about them. The BMP Program set out in 1985 to help businesses by identifying, researching, and promoting exceptional manufacturing practices, methods, and procedures in design, test, production, facilities, logistics, and management – all areas which are highlighted in the Department of Defense's 4245.7-M, Transition from Development to Production manual. By fostering the sharing of information across industry lines, BMP has become a resource in helping companies identify their weak areas and examine how other companies have improved similar situations. This sharing of ideas allows companies to learn from others' attempts and to avoid costly and time-consuming duplication. BMP identifies and documents best practices by conducting in-depth, voluntary surveys such as this at CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Center in College Park, Maryland, conducted during the week of November 1, 2004. Teams of BMP experts work hand-in-hand on-site with the company to examine existing practices, uncover best practices, and identify areas for even better practices. The final survey report, which details the findings, is distributed electronically and in hard copy to thousands of representatives from industry, government, and academia throughout the U.S. and Canada – so the knowledge can be shared. BMP also distributes this information through several interactive services which include CD-ROMs and a World Wide Web Home Page located on the Internet at http:// www.bmpcoe.org. The actual exchange of detailed data is between companies at their discretion. Established in 1986, the CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Center is recognized internationally as a founder, driving force, and leader in the development and implementation of physics-of-failure analysis and approaches to reliability and life-cycle prediction. Over the past 15 years, the CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Center has invested more than $50 Million in developing methodologies, models, and tools that address the design, manufacture, analysis, and management of electronic systems. The BMP Program is committed to strengthening the U.S. industrial base. Survey findings in reports such as this on the CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Center expand BMP's contribution toward its goal of a stronger, … |
247231250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-03-05T14:09:00.178Z | 2021-10-31T00:00:00.000Z | Implementation of spatially consistent channel models for real-time full stack C-ITS V2X simulations
Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) wireless communication is expected to play a key role in enabling complex Advanced Driving Assistance Applications, including the support of emerging autonomous vehicles. The development of V2X applications, especially safety-related, requires rigorous verification. Field trials, though, have to be supplemented with less expensive and more repeatable methods. Thorough V2X modeling could be an efficient approach to boost V2X development. However, to be helpful, V2X modeling has to be realistic and properly capture the signal propagation in a complex V2X environment. To this end, Geometry Based Stochastic Models (GSCM) have been derived to account for the influence of the environment as well as small yet critical details, where we typically lack information about their physical and geometrical properties. In this paper, we present an implementation of a GSCM in the Unity3D game engine. Due to extensive signal path search in a 3D environment with ray-tracing, the GSCM computation has to be further optimized to enable real-time V2X simulations. Thus, we also propose the approach for GSCM computation optimization and explain the practicalities of its implementation. The results show that optimization can accelerate the simulation framework up to a few thousand times without losing the precision in modeling channel characteristics. |
38527700 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:18:19.161Z | 2015-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Improvement of Neurofeedback Therapy for Improved Attention Through Facilitation of Brain Activity Using Local Sinusoidal Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field Exposure
Traditional neurofeedback (NF) is a training approach aimed at altering brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) rhythms as feedback. In NF training, external factors such as the subjects’ intelligence can have an effect. In contrast, a low-energy NF system (LENS) does not require conscious effort from the subject, which results in fewer attendance sessions. However, eliminating the subject role seems to eliminate an important part of the NF system. This study investigated the facilitating effect on the theta-to-beta ratio from NF training, using a local sinusoidal extremely low frequency magnetic field (LSELF-MF) versus traditional NF. Twenty-four healthy, intelligent subjects underwent 10 training sessions to enhance beta (15-18 Hz), and simultaneously inhibit theta (4-7 Hz) and high beta (22-30 Hz) activity, at the Cz point in a 3-boat-race video game. Each session consisted of 3 statuses, PRE, DURING, and POST. In the DURING status, the NF training procedure lasted 10 minutes. Subjects were led to believe that they would be exposed to a magnetic field during NF training; however, 16 of the subjects who were assigned to the experimental group were really exposed to 45 Hz–360 µT LSELF-MF at Cz. For the 8 other subjects, only the coil was located at the Cz point with no exposure. The duty cycle of exposure was 40% (2-second exposure and 3-second pause). The results show that the theta-to-beta ratio in the DURING status of each group differs significantly from the PRE and POST statuses. Between-group analysis shows that the theta-to-beta ratio in the DURING status of the experimental group is significantly (P < .001) lower than in the sham group. The result shows the effect of LSELF-MF on NF training. |
37250250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:00:42.037Z | 2004-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Responses to the 35% CO2 challenge in postpartum women
Lactation has been associated with suppression of some components of the neuroendocrine stress response. In humans, suppression of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis has been demonstrated in response to both a psychological and an exercise challenge, but appears to be limited to a short period of time following suckling. Information regarding other components of the stress response and to other challenges in humans is limited. We have evaluated the endocrine, autonomic and psychological response to a single breath of 35% CO2 during lactation. The 35% CO2 challenge is a safe and simple test that has been shown to stimulate the HPA axis, produce autonomic activation and emotional arousal. Eight breastfeeding and six bottle‐feeding mothers, 6 weeks’ postpartum, and eight control women were studied. Twenty minutes following the cessation of feeding, plasma cortisol levels were significantly reduced in the breastfeeding women (P = 0·002 compared with control and P = 0·003 compared with bottle‐feeders). Despite this, cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate and psychological responses to the challenge were no different in the breastfeeding group compared to either the control or bottle feeding groups. These results confirm that suckling is associated with short‐term suppression of cortisol, but this has no effect on the ability of the mother to mount a normal hormonal, autonomic and psychological response to the 35% CO2 challenge. |
110359250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-13T13:04:08.403Z | 2014-01-16T00:00:00.000Z | A Study of Application of Upholstered Furniture Design
the developing trend of upholstered furniture in years will be studied through the analysis of furniture aesthetic performance, combining personal designing case, applied human engineering, marketing, design methodology, graphics, statistics, Perceptive and cognitive principle in psychology in this thesis. Reference and relatively abundant, comprehensive support can be provided for designers through the value theory of aesthetic subject and object, which will improve the marketing competitiveness of independent research and development of China. This thesis also aims to light the law of upholstered furniture development. Such laws can explain how to adjust to the popular consumer demand under the current industry mode. |
1781250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:15:38.075Z | 1985-11-22T00:00:00.000Z | Control of directionality in lambda site specific recombination.
The simple relation between the substrates and products of site-specific recombination raises questions about the control of directionality often observed in this class of DNA transactions. For bacteriophage lambda, viral integration and excision proceed by discrete pathways, and DNA substrates with the intrinsic property of recombining in only one direction can be constructed. These pathways display an asymmetric reliance on a complex array of protein binding sites, and they respond differently to changes in the concentrations of the relevant proteins. The Escherichia coli protein integration host factor (IHF) differentially affects integrative and excisive recombination, thereby influencing directionality. A four- to eightfold increase in intracellular IHF coincides with the transition from exponential to stationary phase; this provides a mechanism for growth phase-dependent regulation of recombination that makes the cellular physiology an intrinsic part of the recombination reaction. |
56476700 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-12-20T14:03:11.642Z | 2019-01-10T00:00:00.000Z | Computational Study of the Reaction of Dimethyl Ether with Nitric Oxide. Mechanism and Kinetic Modeling.
To probe into the autoignition effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the combustion of dimethyl ether (DME), a detailed mechanism study and kinetic modeling for the reaction of DME with NO, which was considered to be very sensitive to the ignition delay time of DME, have been conducted using computational chemical methods. The CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df,2p)//B2PLYP/TZVP compound method was employed to obtain the potential energy surface along the reaction coordinate, with the geometries, gradients, and force constants of nonstationary points calculated at the B2PLYP/TZVP theoretical level. The temperature-dependent rate coefficients from 200 to 3000 K were calculated using multistructural canonical variational transition-state theory (MS-CVT) with torsional motions and multidimensional tunneling effects included. The CCSD(T) calculations with both 6-311+G(2df,2pd) and cc-pVTZ basis sets give a zero-point inclusive barrier of 197-201 kJ mol-1 using the BMK/MG3S, B2PLYP/TZVP, and mPW2PLYP/TZVP based geometries. A van der Waals postreaction complex appears on the products HNO + CH3OCH2 side of the transition state. Two highly coupled torsions lead to four conformers for the transition state, and contributions from multiple structures and torsional anharmonicities substantially affect the rate coefficient evaluations. Variational effects can be argued to play an important role, especially at high temperatures, and tunneling probabilities increase with decreasing temperature. Because of large temperature-dependent feature of activation energy, the four-parameter formula 1.912 × 1011( T/300)3.191 exp[-178.417( T - 2.997)/( T2 + 2.9972)] cm3 mol-1 s-1 is recommended for the MS-CVT calculated rate coefficients including small-curvature tunneling. The kinetic model is shown to give a satisfactory interpretation of the inhibited and accelerated effect of NO on the oxidation of DME. |
84700 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:03:58.856Z | 2004-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | A silence that kills.
Tobacco-related disease kills 178 000 women each year in the United States,1 yet a search for the public discourse on this fact reveals a profound silence. As a nation, we have failed to mount and support an organized public response to the ongoing public health tragedy of tobacco use. The public health community must find a way to give voice to the thousands of families who will experience the premature loss of a loved one because of tobacco use. In creative new ways, we must engage a broad range of partners, both public and private, and help them raise their voices to demand comprehensive action.
Although many of us are activists and many are working to counteract tobacco’s harm, the public remains largely silent, its lack of outrage evident in the daily news, in the public debate on smoking bans, and in the lack of pressure on our government to protect workers, families, and children. There is so little public demand for action. We must find ways to spark a national movement to demand the funding and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control programs. We must overcome apathy and public silence. Tobacco control advocates must learn from the AIDS activists that silence equals a continuing saga of disease, suffering, and death.
How can we as public health practitioners change this silence into a public demand for comprehensive tobacco control that includes prevention, cessation, and regulation? How can we join together to give voice to the women and men who die each year in America of tobacco-related diseases? How can we prevent the needless suffering of families across the nation that results from tobacco use? |
23901700 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:54:47.796Z | 2002-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Mature adipocytes inhibit in vitro differentiation of human preadipocytes via angiotensin type 1 receptors.
Recent studies suggest that angiotensin II (Ang II) plays a role in the adipogenesis of murine preadipocytes. Here, we examined the role of Ang II for the differentiation of primary cultured human preadipocytes. Preadipocytes were isolated from human adipose tissue and stimulated to differentiate. Quantitation of gene expression during adipogenesis was performed for renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes. The influence of the RAS on adipogenic differentiation was investigated by addition of either angiotensinogen (AGT), Ang II, or angiotensin receptor antagonists to the differentiation medium. We also examined the influence of adipocytes on adipogenesis by co-culture experiments. Expression of the RAS genes AGT, renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and Ang II type 1 receptor increased during adipogenesis. Stimulation of the Ang II type 1 receptor by Ang II reduced adipose conversion, whereas blockade of this receptor markedly enhanced adipogenesis. Adipocytes were able to inhibit preadipocyte differentiation in the co-culture, and this effect was abolished by blockade of the Ang II type 1 receptor. This finding points to a functional role of the RAS in the differentiation of human adipose tissue. Because AGT secretion and Ang II generation are characteristic features of adipogenesis, we postulate a paracrine negative-feedback loop that inhibits further recruitment of preadipocytes by maturing adipocytes. |
150120200 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-12T14:23:40.779Z | 2018-09-17T00:00:00.000Z | On Günther Anders, political media theory, and nuclear violence
Günther Anders was a philosopher concerned with the political and social implications of power, both as expressed in the media and its tendency to elide the citizenry and thus the very possibility of democracy and the political implications of our participation in our own subjugation in the image of modern social media beginning with radio and television. Anders was particularly concerned with two bombs dropped on Japan at the end of World War II, and he was just as concerned with the so-called ‘peaceful’ uses of nuclear power, what he named our apocalypse-blindness and the urgency of violence. To make this case I draw on Baudrillard on ‘speech without response’ and Gadamer on conversation. |
111065200 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-13T13:05:19.618Z | 1998-11-13T00:00:00.000Z | Three-dimensional nonlinear optical fiber simulation
In the development of nonlinear optical switching mechanisms, it would be very desirable to have a computer simulation of the electromagnetic pulse propagating in the nonlinear fiber. This would be helpful in understanding the underlying electromagnetics, and would also be helpful in designing new switching configurations. One method which has been widely used in electromagnetic simulation is the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Its effectiveness in optical fiber simulation is restricted by the fact that the short wavelengths of light dictate dense sampling, which becomes a logistical problem in three dimensional simulation. Techniques are described which allow 3D simulation of small sections of nonlinear optical fibers. The results of these simulations are used to predict behavior over longer distances. |
11301600 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:22:37.001Z | 2010-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Quantifying Self-Report Measures' Overestimation of Mobility Scores Postarthroplasty
Background Self-reports of function may systematically overestimate the ability of patients to move around postarthroplasty. Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude of systematic differences in Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function subscale (WOMAC-PF) scores before and after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) by referencing the values to Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distances and Timed “Up & Go” Test (TUG) times. Design This study was a secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study. Methods The LEFS, WOMAC, 6MWT, and TUG were administered to 85 patients prearthroplasty and once at 9 to 13 weeks postarthroplasty. Regression analysis was applied using a robust error term for clustered data. With the self-report measures as dependent variables and performance measures, occasion (prearthroplasty or postarthroplasty), and performance measure-by-occasion as independent variables, 3 propositions were examined: (1) the relationship between self-report and performance measures is identical prearthroplasty and postarthroplasty (ie, regression lines are coincident); (2) the relationship differs between occasions, but is consistent (ie, regression lines are parallel); (3) the relationship is not consistent (ie, the regression lines are not parallel). Results For all analyses, the results supported the second proposition (ie, the relationship differed between occasions, but was consistent). The systematic differences varied by location of arthroplasty, but were similar for both performance tests. For the LEFS, the difference was approximately 11 points for patients who received TKA and 13 points for patients who received THA. For the WOMAC-PF, the difference was approximately 12 points for patients who received TKA and 19 points for patients who received THA. These differences exceed the minimal clinically important change for an individual patient. Limitations The findings are specific to 9 to 13 weeks postarthroplasty. Conclusion Dependence on scores of self-report measures alone, without knowledge of the magnitude of the identified systematic differences, will result in overestimating the ability of patients to move around postarthroplasty. |
139056450 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-29T13:09:37.242Z | 2020-07-10T00:00:00.000Z | Properties of Linear Low Density Polyethylene
As result of the modification of polyolefin, composite
materials based on them were obtained for the use in special
equipment in order to entrain their heat resistance. Data analysis
DTA (differential thermal analysis) of the DTA curve of this
polyethylene sample suggests a bimodal nature of their MWD
(molecular weight distribution) which differs from polyethylene
with unimodal MWD and a series of endo oxidation effects with a
maximum temperature of 245, 335, 358 and 435 °С. X-ray
structural studies showed that the crystal system and the size of
the unit cells of the crystal lattice of LLDPE practically does not
differ from those of LDPE. LLDPE as well as LDPE and HDPE
has a layered structure with dense packing of macromolecules. In
terms of crystallinity and crystallite sizes, LLDPE are on par with
HDPE and significantly differ from LDPE. These data are in
agreement with published data. The parameters of the unit cells
of the crystal structure of UHMWPE are close to those of
LLDPE, and by crystallinity it occupies middle ground between
HDPE and LLDPE. |
9208350 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:00:38.021Z | 2010-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Early somatosensory evoked potential grades in comatose traumatic brain injury patients predict cognitive and functional outcome*
Objectives:To relate early somatosensory evoked potential grades from comatose traumatic brain injury patients to neuropsychological and functional outcome 1 yr later; to determine the day (within the first week after traumatic brain injury) that somatosensory evoked potential grade best correlates with outcome; to determine whether somatosensory evoked potential grade improvement in the first week after traumatic brain injury is associated with improved outcome. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:Critical care unit at a university hospital. Patients:Median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials were obtained from 81 comatose patients with traumatic brain injury. Somatosensory evoked potential grades were calculated from results obtained on days 1, 3, and 7 after traumatic brain injury. Glasgow Outcome Scale, Barthel Index, Rivermead Head Injury Follow-up Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Stroop Color-Word Test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, and Symbol-Digit Modalities Test scores were obtained 1 yr after injury. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Somatosensory evoked potential grade on days 1, 3, and 7 related significantly with Glasgow Outcome Scale and Barthel scores (day 3 better than day 1) but did not relate with Rivermead Head Injury Follow-up Questionnaire or General Health Questionnaire scores. Day 3 and day 7 somatosensory evoked potential grades related significantly with Stroop scores. Day 3 somatosensory evoked potential grades related significantly with Symbol-Digit Modalities Test scores. Patients with bilaterally present but abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials, whose somatosensory evoked potential grade improved between days 1 and 3, had marginally better functional outcome than those without somatosensory evoked potential grade improvement. Conclusions:Day 3 somatosensory evoked potential grade related to information-processing speed, working memory, and the ability to attend to tasks 1 yr after traumatic brain injury. Day 3 somatosensory evoked potential grade had the strongest relationship with functional outcome. Somatosensory evoked potential grades were not related to emotional well-being. |
39149650 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:29:14.282Z | 1994-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Paget's disease of bone.
Risk factors for Paget’s disease of bone While the cause of Paget’s disease is not known, risk factors include: ethnicity – it’s more common in people from England, Scotland, central Europe and Greece — as well as countries settled by European immigrants (such as Australia and New Zealand) age – the condition becomes more common with increasing age genetics – you’re more likely to develop it if you have a family history of Paget’s disease. |
42820800 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T05:25:16.276Z | 1984-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Effects of a shielding antacid on changes in the gastric potential difference induced by aspirin in man].
Acetyl salicylic acid (AAS) disrupts the gastric mucosal barrier, causing a drop in the transmural potential difference (PD) and mucosal injuries. The decrease of PD correlates with endoscopic assessment and mucosal damage. The gastric PD may be used as a sensitive model for the assessement of drug-induced damage to the gastric mucosa. We have studied the effects of a shielding antacid ( Gelox ) on PD modifications induced by 500 mg of AAS in 12 healthy volunteers. Measures were performed after administration of one unit of Gelox and after a 3 day treatment period (1 unit, three times daily). Gelox induced a significant decrease of maximal PD drop (10.7 +/- 3.1 mV and 7.5 +/- 2.8 mV respectively; p less than 0.001) and of PD recovery time (p less than 0.05). After the 3 day treatment period and 14 h after the last intake, there was an increase of basal PD values and a very significant decrease (p less than 0.001) of maximal PD drop induced by AAS alone and AAS + Gelox (5.33 +/- 2.42 mV and 3.66 +/- 2.18 mV, respectively). Since the antacid effect had disappeared 14 h after the last intake of Gelox ; these results suggest an increase of the gastric mucosal barrier and a real "shielding effect". |
218988350 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-05-30T13:38:05.174Z | 2007-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Mass violence and mental health -- Recent epidemiological findings
There is growing awareness of the mental health impact of all types of mass violence. The exposure of large population groups, mostly having no mental health problems prior to the exposure, and the subsequent development, in a significant proportion of the population, of a variety of psychiatric symptoms and disorders represent both a challenge and an opportunity for psychiatrists. There is sufficient evidence from the variety of mass violence/conflict situations, that a significant proportion of the exposed population develop different mental disorders. There are vulnerable groups like women, children, widows, orphans, elderly, disabled, those exposed to severe pain and loss of body parts. There is also a consistent finding of the dose-response to the amount of trauma and the prevalence of mental disorders. There is growing recognition that there is need to consider a variety of syndromes, in addition to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) like acute stress disorder (ASD), depression, complicated bereavement reactions, substance use disorders, poor physical health, fear, anxiety, physiological arousal, somatisation, anger control, functional disability and arrest or regression of childhood developmental progression. The challenge is to reach all of the ill persons and provide mental health services. The opportunity provided by this field is to develop a better understanding of issues of resilience, recovery and effectiveness of public health approaches to mental health care. |
38003350 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:09:58.496Z | 2011-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | The 'packing of the groin' technique: an innovative approach for groin lymphocele.
Groin lymphocele is a serious complication of vascular and cardiac surgery as well as of interventional procedures that cannulate the femoral vessels, whose treatment lacks standardization because of high risk of failure. The aim of the technique we describe is the sealing of open lymphatic channels thanks to prolonged external compression of the groin by application of prolene or silk stitches tied upon plastic pledgets. We have used our technique, called 'packing of the groin', as first treatment in 10 patients affected by lymphocele of the groin: nine patients had complete resolution of the lymph leakage, followed by normal healing of the wound whereas one patient had infective complication with treatment failure. Our technique is simple and safe with appreciable results in terms of success and it does not require immobilization with positive effects on patient's management. |
35124250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:48:44.983Z | 2000-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on non-diseased myocardium of experimental animals: potential clinical implications.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors protect the hearts of patients with different levels of cardiac disorder. The greatest benefit seems to be achieved in subjects with most severe heart failure. Moreover, ACE inhibition is protective also in patients without manifested heart failure but with severe systolic left ventricular dysfunction. Data are presented that ACE inhibitors can alter the composition of the myocardium also in control: healthy animals. In rats and rabbits with non-diseased heart, chronic ACE inhibition reduced fibrotic tissue concentration in the left ventricle. We speculate that if this were applied to humans, ACE inhibition may prove to be of potential benefit in subjects with normal systolic function but with a trend to left ventricular filling abnormalities caused by increased ventricular stiffness. In these patients reduction of myocardial fibrotic tissue might prevent deterioration of diastolic function. |
155169550 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-17T13:46:35.497Z | 2019-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | Attitudes and Conceptions of Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene among Schoolgirls (Morocco)
Menstruation is an important part of a girl’s life, and inadequate knowledge about this process can have an impact on reproductive health. Menstrual hygiene is the aspect given the most importance in health education for girls. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Marrakesh among a population of schoolgirls. A total of 364 schoolgirls 12–20 years of age and attending middle and high schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. The data were collected anonymously in direct confidential interviews and analysed with SPSS.21. Our descriptive findings show that many of the girls lacked adequate knowledge about the origin of menstrual blood (54.7%) and about the physiological cause of menstruation (77.2%). More than half of the respondents (69.2%) reported a negative reaction to their first menstruation. There was a significant correlation between their knowledge about menstruation and the education level of both their mothers (P < 0.001; X2 = 25.15) and fathers (P < 0.001; X2 = 26.01). We conclude that the girls had misconceptions about some physiological menstrual traits but that their menstrual hygiene was generally sound. |
6138600 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-07-10T09:50:43.385Z | 2017-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | A secure and reliable coding scheme over wireless links in cyber-physical systems
Cyber-physical systems connect the physical world and the information world by sensors and actuators. These sensors are usually small embedded systems which have many limitations on wireless communication, computing and storage. This paper proposes a lightweight coding method for secure and reliable transmission over a wireless communication links in cyber-physical systems. The reliability of transmission is provided by forward error correction. And to ensure the confidentiality, we utilize different encryption matrices at each time of coding which are generated by the sequence number of packets. So replay attacks and other cyber threats can be resisted simultaneously. The issues of the prior reliable transmission protocols and secure communication protocols in wireless networks of a cyber-physical system are reduced, such as large protocol overhead, high interaction delay and large computation cost. |
15715900 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-04-05T03:28:18.778Z | 2010-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | Parenting as A “package deal”: Relationships, fertility, and nonresident father involvement among unmarried parents
Fatherhood has traditionally been viewed as part of a “package deal” in which a father’s relationship with his child is contingent on his relationship with the mother. We evaluate the accuracy of this hypothesis in light of the high rates of multiple-partner fertility among unmarried parents using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a recent longitudinal survey ofnonmarital births in large cities. We examine whether unmarried mothers’ and fathers’ subsequent relationship and parenting transitions are associated with declines in fathers ’ contact with their nonresident biological children. We find that father involvement drops sharply after relationships between unmarried parents end. Mothers’ transitions into new romantic partnerships and new parenting roles are associated with larger declines in involvement than fathers’ transitions. Declines in fathers’ involvement following a mother’s relationship or parenting transition are largest when children are young. We discuss the implications of our results for the well-being ofnonmarital children and the quality of nonmarital relationships faced with high levels of relationship instability and multiple-partner fertiliy. |
22389800 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:34:10.672Z | 1995-05-27T00:00:00.000Z | Oral versus intravenous antibiotics for community acquired lower respiratory tract infection in a general hospital: open, randomised controlled trial
Abstract Objective: To see whether there is a difference in outcome between patients treated with oral and intravenous antibiotics for lower respiratory tract infection. Design: Open controlled trial in patients admitted consecutively and randomised to treatment with either oral co-amoxiclav, intravenous followed by oral co-amoxiclav, or intravenous followed by oral cephalosporins. Setting: Large general hospital in Dublin. Patients: 541 patients admitted for lower respiratory tract infection during one year. Patients represented 87% of admissions with the diagnosis and excluded those who were immunocompromised and patients with severe life threatening infection. Main outcome measures: Cure, partial cure, extended antibiotic treatment, change of antibiotic, death, and cost and duration of hospital stay. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in clinical outcome or mortality (6%). However, patients randomised to oral coamoxiclav had a significantly shorter hospital stay than the two groups given intravenous antibiotic (median 6 v 7 and 9 days respectively). In addition, oral antibiotics were cheaper, easier to administer, and if used routinely in the 800 or so patients admitted annually would lead to savings of around pounds sterling176000 a year. Conclusions: Oral antibiotics in community acquired lower respiratory tract infection are at least as efficacious as intravenous therapy. Their use reduces labour and equipment costs and may lead to earlier discharge from hospital. Key messages Key messages In patients who are not immunocompromised and do not have severe life threatening infections—that is, most—co-amoxiclav by the oral route is as effective as intravenous co-amoxiclav or third generation cephalosporins Oral treatment is easier to administer, cheaper, and associated with earlier discharge from hospital The continued routine use of intravenous antibiotics in these patients cannot be justified |
13993050 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-05-03T02:35:10.209Z | 2018-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | From spaceflight to blood doping: Devices for assessing haemoglobin mass and intravascular volumes
As highlighted recently in this journal,1 but also in others, quantification of total haemoglobin mass (Hbmass ), red blood cell volume (RBCV), plasma volume (PV), and blood volume (BV) is common and relevant in a clinical and scientific context.1-5 For instance, a decline in BV is observed in artificial microgravity and during spaceflight, while a PV reduction is observed when sojourning to high altitude.2 Moreover, Hbmass and RBCV are two major determinants of physical performance,1 and measuring Hbmass might be a potential technique to detect blood doping. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. |
40633000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-16T21:52:41.766Z | 2015-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Design & development of air bearing table for on ground testing of AOCS hardware
Air bearing table is used to validate attitude control strategies for small satellites and to validate the performance of satellite sensors and actuators on ground with frictionless environment before launch. It can only be done by using a test platform that floats on the continuous airstream and hence allowing free rotation around all three axes. The system is employed to develop, improve, and carry out tests of sensors (magnetometer, sun sensor), actuators (reaction wheel, magnetic torquer), and algorithms in the experimental framework. In order to simulate weightlessness, it is essential for the platform to be completely balanced in all axes. Another important consideration is that the combined center of gravity (COG) of the lifted structure should be coincident or very close to the center of rotation (COR) of bearing. In this paper the design detail of developed air bearing table is discussed. It provides a cost effective mean to test small satellites and their AOCS hardware. The diameter of air bearing is selected as 5 inch as it fulfilled the loading requirement which is integrated with the platform. The designed load is selected to be 100kg class satellites. Modular design approach is adopted in order to accommodate different sizes of air bearing and hence enhancing the lifting capability of the platform. The sensitivity of platform is tested to be as small as 5 grams. The vertical balancing of the system (Z-axis) is done by adding counter weights at each corner of the platform, while horizontal balancing is carried out with the help of trimming masses in two axes(X, Y). The platform allows tilt angle of 30° about X and Y axes while free rotation of 360° about Z-axis. The system is tested for the dummy weight of 75kg at continuous pressure of 4bar. For the desired lifting mass, appropriate air compressor is selected that can supply maximum pressure of 8 bar. A control panel is also provided to regulate the air flow according to the experimental needs. FEM analysis is carried out for the platform to check the maximum lifting capability of the system. The results were found within safe limits. |
212635000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-03-05T10:20:04.510Z | 2018-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | A Preliminary Study on Civil Aircraft Post-flight Automatic Maintenance Test Philosophy and Design
Civil aircraft maintenance tests are used to detect latent failures in the Flight Control System (FCS) that cannot be detected through continuous monitoring. And each maintenance tests have their required exposure time intervals. The exposure time intervals are used to determine whether the maintenance tests will be executed automatically or manually. This Paper focused on the study of automated tests hosted in the FCS, which do not require the maintenance user intervention, and these tests will be automatically initiated following rollout phase. Automated tests are capable of commanding the primary surfaces and injecting failures into the FCS components, therefore they will be allowed to execute only when the aircraft is in a safe state. The suite of logic that manages and controls automated tests could contribute to hazardous or catastrophic hazards. This logic is referred as post flight and needs to be investigated to ensure the safety of the civil aircraft. |
23684820 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:13:55.239Z | 2000-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | Immunohistochemical study of dental pulp applied with 4-META/MMA-TBB adhesive resin after pulpotomy.
The purpose of this study was to investigate nerve regeneration and proliferative activity in amputated pulp tissue after the application of 4-META/MMA-TBB adhesive resin (4-META resin). Calcium hydroxide was used as a control material. At 3 days, fibroblast-like cells were positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in both 4-META resin- and calcium hydroxide-treated groups and were located mainly within 0.5 mm from the cut surface. Only a few fragmented neurofilament protein (NFP)-positive nerve fibers were observed in this area. At 7 and 14 days, the number of PCNA-positive cells had gradually decreased and regenerated NFP-positive nerve fibers were observed close to the cut surface of the pulp in both groups. At 21 days in the experimental group, several PCNA-positive cells were still found in the area 0.5 mm from the cut surface, and NFP-positive nerve fibers were detected about 0.15-;0.2 mm from the cut surface. In contrast, a dentin bridge was produced under the necrotic layer at 21 days in the control group. PCNA-positive cells were not found underneath the dentin bridge, but NFP-positive nerve fibers had regenerated close to it. These results suggest that although cell differentiation and nerve regeneration are delayed, wound healing occurred even after the application of 4-META resin to exposed pulp surface the same as calcium hydroxide application. |
202556570 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-09-12T13:06:37.512Z | 2019-09-11T00:00:00.000Z | Cr3C2 Nanoparticles-Embedded Carbon Nanofiber for Artificial Synthesis of NH3 through N2 Fixation under Ambient Conditions.
Industrial production of NH3 heavily depends on the conventional Haber-Bosch process under rigorous conditions with a large amount of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Electrocatalysis exhibits an intriguing prospect for the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) at ambient conditions. Wherein, a high-efficiency and low-cost catalyst is paramount. In this letter, Cr3C2 nanoparticles and carbon nanofiber composite (Cr3C2@C NF) is proposed as a noble metal-free NRR electrocatalyst for converting N2 to NH3 c with an excellent selectivity. The optimal faradic efficiency and NH3 yield rate achieve as high as 8.6% and 23.9 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 at -0.3 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 M HCl. Theoretical calculations show a low reaction barrier of merely 0.53 eV in the enzymatic route for this catalyst. |
166716070 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-28T13:15:28.396Z | 2012-11-21T00:00:00.000Z | Earnings Management and Goodwill Accounting: Implications on Dividend Policy in Italian Listed Companies
In this paper, we investigate the effects of goodwill accounting under IAS 36 on dividend policy in Italian Listed Companies. The technical areas of discretion in impairment test accounting enable pursuing three typical forms of earnings management: earnings smoothing, earnings increasing and earnings decreasing. Possible earnings manipulations could be concealed in the five phases of the impairment test: identification of cash generating units, allocation of goodwill to each CGU, determination of carrying amount, estimation of fair value less cost to sell and measurement of value in use. We develop and test some hypotheses that allow us to demonstrate the existence of earnings management practices in relation to the goodwill impairment test. The evidence suggests that the economic and equity effects of goodwill accounting under IAS 36 can be observed - as we demonstrate - in the distribution of dividends determined on the basis of earnings that are "inflated" by the failure to write-down goodwill. |
240401570 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-11-02T15:08:19.133Z | 2021-10-30T00:00:00.000Z | Blood Banks Negotiation Framework
The shortage of blood components is a problem on a global scale. Allied to this issue, there is no substance that can, in its totality, substitute the blood tissue. Because of its perishable characteristic and, considering that it comes from voluntary donation in most of the countries, bringing a big load of uncertainty, this supply chain is complex to be managed. The lack of blood products represents a risk to the health and life of the population, due to its potential to increase the mortality rate and the aging of the population worldwide. In this context, it is necessary to develop strategies to increase the supply and reduce the waste of this material. This research proposes a negotiation protocol based on linear programming in order to support blood components’ exchange among blood banks. The solution was developed based on the transportation problem model, considering the amount of blood components offered or demanded and their respective expiry date and stock levels, represented by a criticality level. The model was implemented using the CPLEX solver and the computational tests were performed with randomly generated data. The model promotes the reduction of blood products waste, since they can be negotiated with a blood bank that need it, who will not suffer from the lack of the corresponding product. It is also observed that the products offered with short expiration date are prioritized over those with a longer period, an important factor due to the high perishability of the blood product. Moreover, for the demanded products, the model prioritizes those that are more critical, in relation to those that are only for the replacement of the stock bank. The protocol developed is an intelligent negotiation tool able to support the blood bank managers when deciding about blood components exchange, improving the quality of the negotiations among blood banks stocks, reducing the waste and improving the offer of these products. |
29203070 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:21:36.116Z | 2010-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Gene expression of proteolytic systems and growth regulators of skeletal muscle in horses with myopathy associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate gene expression of the major proteolytic systems and growth regulators in skeletal muscle of horses with myopathy associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID).
ANIMALS
14 horses with PPID-associated myopathy and 7 healthy control horses.
PROCEDURES
Horses with PPID and controls were age matched (15 to 28 years old). Muscle biopsy specimens were collected from both groups and processed for RNA and cDNA extraction. Validation of the most stable housekeeping genes for skeletal muscle was performed and used to compare gene expression of the following proteolytic systems: cysteine aspartate protease-dependent systems (caspases), lysosomal-dependent systems (cathepsins), non-lysosomal calcium protease-dependent systems (calpains), and ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent systems (ubiquitins). Gene expression of negative regulators of muscle growth (myostatin and inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) was also determined.
RESULTS
No significant difference between groups was detected in expression of the major proteolytic systems except for m-calpain, which was greater in horses with PPID. No differences in gene expression of myostatin and interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were detected between groups.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Greater expression of m-calpain may suggest that calpains play an important role in development of muscle atrophy in horses with PPID. However, because posttranslational events may alter protein activation, inactivation, and functions not studied here, other mechanisms of muscle atrophy cannot be excluded. |
245207720 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-12-16T18:08:22.709Z | 2021-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Testing of the developed methodology of comparative analysis on the example of foreign and domestic documents of strategic planning in the sphere of energy security
Energy security is currently one of the key components of national security of any country. The object of this research is the basic documents of strategic planning of the European Union in sphere of ensuring energy security (Roadmap of the European Union “Final 10-year ETIP SNET R&I roadmap covering 2017-26”) in the context of comparative analysis of the existing approaches towards ensuring energy security of the Russian Federation (Energy Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation). The analysis is conducted from the perspective of comparison of two documents of strategic planning for the purpose of identification of threats and risks to the economic security. The subject of this research is the threats and risks to energy security of the countries, and thus, their national security. The scientific novelty consists in examination of the documents of strategic planning in the sphere of energy security using methodology of comparative analysis developed by the authors, which is based on the dynamic semantic network. In accordance with the aforementioned methodology, analysis is carried out on the structure of documents that encompasses the processes, the manifestation of which can be observed through objective and subjective methods of monitoring. The authors developed the expert analytical apparatus of comparative analysis, as well as the methodology for assessing the objectivity of comparative analysis. The developed methodology of comparative analysis is tested on the example of strategic planning documents in the sphere of energy security of the European Union and the Russian Federation. The conclusion is made on the need for further research of the methodological foundations of comparative analysis in order to detect the risks and threats to the economic security of the Russian Federation.
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209232500 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-11-14T17:09:27.886Z | 2019-11-11T00:00:00.000Z | RBTT-12. A PHASE I STUDY OF EGFRVIII-DIRECTED CAR T CELLS COMBINED WITH PD-1 INHIBITION IN PATIENTS WITH NEWLY, DIAGNOSED, MGMT-UNMETHYLATED GLIOBLASTOMA: TRIAL IN PROGRESS
This study builds on the results of the University of Pennsylvania sponsored phase I study of a single peripheral infusion of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) (NCT02209376). A dose of 5x108 CART-EGFRvIII cells was safe, and the cells were able to expand in the host and reach the GBM tumor in the brain. In addition, there was no cross-reactivity of CART-EGFRvIII cells with wild-type EGFR normally expressed by human tissues. Some patients required tumor resection after CAR T cell infusion. In situ evaluation of the tumor microenvironment demonstrated increased and robust expression of inhibitory molecules, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), compared to pre–CART-EGFRvIII tumor specimens. Therefore, we hypothesized that using a combination of CART-EGFRvIII cells and a PD-1 inhibitor would improve the outcome of the treatment.
This single-center study (NCT03726515) has a single-arm, open-label, phase 1 design and will enroll 7 patients with newly diagnosed, O6-methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT)-unmethylated, EGFRvIII+ GBM. Following maximal safe tumor resection, patients receive a short course of adjuvant radiation with a total dose of 40 Gy administered in 15 fractions. Peripheral IV infusions of 2x108 CART-EGFRvIII cells and 200mg pembrolizumab begin 2–3 weeks after completing radiation therapy. Thereafter, subjects receive CART-EGFRvIII cells + pembrolizumab in 3-week cycles for up to 3 infusions of CART-EGFRvIII cells and 4 infusions of pembrolizumab. The primary endpoint of the study is the safety and tolerability of administering multiple infusions of CART-EGFRvIII cells in combination with pembrolizumab, as measured by the occurrence of study-related adverse events. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rate. PROGRESS: At 5 June 2019, 2 patients have been enrolled and treated on study.
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109567370 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-12T13:53:32.186Z | 1996-12-02T00:00:00.000Z | Memoryless stabilizing controller designing of uncertain time-delayed systems
This paper deals with a class of uncertain linear dynamic systems. The class of systems under consideration is described by a continuous-time uncertain model with multiple time-varying delays in both states and controls. The uncertainties are unknown but satisfy the rank-one conditions. It is shown that the construction of the memoryless stabilizing controller involves solving a certain algebraic Riccati equation or a certain linear matrix inequality. Several previous results can be derived as interesting special cases (only one is given in this paper). |
38344670 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-03-27T23:43:04.375Z | 2017-01-02T00:00:00.000Z | Temperature-Induced Degradation of Thin-Film III–V Solar Cells for Space Applications
High-efficiency, thin-film III–V solar cells offer excellent characteristics for implementation in flexible solar panels for space applications. In order to investigate the space compatibility of such cells, the temperature-induced degradation of both substrate-based cells with Au and Au/Cu contacts and thin-film cells on Au and Cu carriers was studied by accelerated ageing testing (AAT) at 200 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>C. With less than a 3% decrease in efficiency after 37 days at 200 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>C (equivalent to 10 years at 100 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>C for <italic>E</italic><inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{{a}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> = 0.70 eV), the substrate-based cells show excellent results. With a 10% decrease in efficiency after 37 days of AAT, the thin-film cells on an Au carrier exhibit promising results, given the early stage of development of the thin-film cells. On the other hand, severe degradation is observed for thin-film cells on a Cu carrier (decrease in efficiency <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$>$</tex-math></inline-formula> 60% after 37 days of AAT). At least two factors contribute to this severe degradation: thermally induced stress and Cu diffusion. |
51720870 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-08-06T13:39:54.169Z | 2018-07-25T00:00:00.000Z | Investigation of Oxidation Reaction Products of 2-Phenylethanol Using Synchrotron Photoionization.
A photolytically Cl-initiated oxidation reaction of 2-phenylethanol (2PE) was carried out at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Using the multiplex photoionization mass spectrometer, coupled with the tunable vacuum ultraviolet radiation of the ALS, data were collected at low pressure (4-6 Torr) and temperature (298-550 K) regimes. Data analysis was performed via characterization of the reaction species photoionization spectra and kinetic traces. Products and reaction pathways are also computed using the CBS-QB3 composite method. The present results suggest primary products m/ z = 30 (formaldehyde), 106 (benzaldehyde), and 120 (phenylacetaldehyde) at 298 K, and m/ z = 120 (phenylacetaldehyde) at 550 K. Branching fractions at room temperature are 27 ± 6.5% for formaldehyde, 24 ± 4.5% for benzaldehyde, and 25 ± 5.8% for phenylacetaldehyde and 60 ± 14% for phenylacetaldehyde at 550 K. |
95751170 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-05T03:31:51.301Z | 2003-12-03T00:00:00.000Z | 2,7‐Bis(diarylamino)‐9,9‐dimethylfluorenes as Hole‐Transport Materials for Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes
2,7‐Bis(p‐methoxyphenyl‐m′‐tolylamino)‐9,9‐dimethylfluorene (1′), 2,7‐bis(phenyl‐m′‐tolylamino)‐9,9‐dimethylfluorene (2′) and 2,7‐bis(p‐fluorophenyl‐m′‐tolylamino)‐9,9‐dimethylfluorene (3′) have been synthesized using the palladium‐catalyzed reaction of the appropriate diarylamines with 2,7‐dibromo‐9,9‐dimethylfluorene. These molecules have glass‐transition temperatures 15–20 °C higher than those for their biphenyl‐bridged analogues, and are 0.11–0.14 V more readily oxidized. Fluorescence spectra and fluorescence quantum yields for dimethylfluorene‐bridged and biphenyl‐bridged species are similar, but the peaks of the absorption spectra of 1′–3′ are considerably red‐shifted relative to those of their biphenyl‐bridged analogues. Time‐of‐flight hole mobilities of 1′–3′/polystyrene blends are in a similar range to those of the biphenyl‐bridged analogues. Analysis according to the disorder formalism yields parameters rather similar to those for the biphenyl species, but with somewhat lower zero‐field mobility values. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the enforced planarization of the fluorene bridge leads to a slightly larger reorganization energy for the neutral/cation electron‐exchange reaction than in the biphenyl‐bridged system. Organic light‐emitting diodes have been fabricated using 1′–3′/polystyrene blends as the hole‐transport layer and tris(8‐hydroxy quinoline)aluminium as the electron‐transport layer and lumophore. Device performance shows a correlation with the ionization potential of the amine materials paralleling that seen in biphenyl‐based systems, and fluorene species show similar performance to biphenyl species with comparable ionization potential. |
162241300 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-24T13:08:07.213Z | 2009-04-03T00:00:00.000Z | Salvation through Slavery: Chiricahua Apaches and Priests on the Spanish Colonial Frontier (review)
essays, and so forth) they produced, and the quantity of their writings. Astorgano also points out certain limitations. Hervas, for example, devotes a mere paragraph to describe Rafael Landívar’s Rusticatio Mexicana, for which Landívar became Guatemala’s national poet.Also, since the work concludes in 1799, it does not contain references to Juan Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán and his Carta a los españoles americanos, anonymously published in 1799 in French.All in all, however, this newly published edition of Hervas’s Biblioteca jesuítico-española, with Astorgano’s excellent preliminary study, greatly enhances the body of works on the exiled Jesuits. |
4844000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-14T06:23:52.419Z | 2016-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Atom Probe Tomography of Interfacial Segregation in CdTe-based Solar Cells
1. Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA. 3. Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 4. Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. 5. National University of Singapore, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Singapore. |
8591600 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-04-10T11:43:44.381Z | 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Modeling STT-RAM fabrication cost and impacts in NVSim
Reducing power consumption of computational systems in the use-phase has become a significant focus to decrease thermal impacts and overall energy consumption of computing systems while having battery life benefits for increasingly mobile computing products. It is also a major driver of the sustainability of these systems due to the environmental impacts incurred through electricity generation. STT-RAM is a promising candidate to reduce use-phase power consumption due to its non-volatile data storage that dramatically reduces static power common in deeply scaled CMOS while maintaining high speed operation and excellent CMOS compatibility. However, augmenting CMOS chips with STT-RAM incurs an additional manufacturing cost through the extra materials and fabrication steps necessary to create the chip. In this paper we describe several extensions to the widely used NVSim tool that estimates area, performance, and use-phase power of STT-RAM to include calculations for manufacturing costs and environmental impacts such as energy usage, global warming potential, and other emissions. To demonstrate the value of these NVSim extensions, we provide a case study to experimentally determine the time it takes for replacing a SRAM cache with an ISO-capacity and ISO-area STT-RAM cache to overcome the manufacturing cost overhead. Our results indicate it can take an average of 80 and 160 days, respectively at 100% utilization to recover the manufacturing energy overhead. |
27494400 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-01-23T22:48:01.515Z | 2004-06-22T00:00:00.000Z | Genome Scale Identification of Regulons
The DNA sequences of organisms are becoming available at an increasing rate and the biological information derived from the genome sequence data has been proven to be very useful in improving our understanding of cellular regulatory patterns. Detection of transcription factor binding sites in the promoter regions of genes helps to identify the potential regulons of transcriptional regulators, and this information can be used to establish the regulatory networks of organisms. In this study, we apply a motif pattern searching technique to detect the possible DNA binding sites in the intergenic upstream sequences of the genes of a bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, to investigate the interplay between the three known transcription factors. In contrast to PpsR and FnrL, we find that the PrrA acts as a global regulator in controlling the gene transcription in the R. sphaeroides organism. |
29338300 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2006-04-21T00:00:00.000Z | A haptic memory game using the STRESS2 tactile display
A computer implementation of a classic memory card game was adapted to rely on touch rather than vision. Instead of memorizing pictures on cards, players explore tactile graphics on a computer-generated virtual surface. Tactile sensations are created by controlling dynamic, distributed lateral strain patterns on a fingerpad in contact with a tactile display called STRESS2. The tactile graphics are explored by moving the device within the workspace of a 2D planar carrier. Three tactile rendering methods were developed and used to create distinct tactile memory cards. The haptic memory game showcases the capabilities of this novel tactile display technology. |
33815510 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:31:40.929Z | 2010-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Brain-machine interface--current status and future prospects].
Recent advances in brain activity analysis and computational algorithms have enabled people with severe motor disorders to control external devices via brain activity. Brain-machine interface (BMI)/brain-computer interface has gained importance as the ultimate strategy for functional compensation because it improves impaired neuromuscular systems. Invasive BMI performed using needle arrays can best control robotic arms or computer cursors because it records neural activity in the primary motor cortex in detail. The extensive and validated physiological background of recorded signals enables researchers to develop highly accurate BMI systems with needle electrodes. Less invasive neural recording with an electrocorticogram (ECoG)-electrode array provides good temporal and spatial information for use in prosthetic control. ECoG electrodes have wide clinical applications in pain control and epilepsy; therefore, techniques for electrode implantation are well established compared to those for needle arrays. These electrodes may find wide clinical applications if their accuracy level reaches that suitable for practical use. Noninvasive BMI involving neural recording by electroencephalography (EEG) is the most widely used technique because of a convenient experimental setup, although it provides a limited range of decodable motor outputs. In EEG, arc-shaped mu rhythms of 8-12 Hz appear around the sensorimotor area in the resting state and diminish in amplitude during motor imagery. Thus, the mu rhythm amplitude may correlate with cortical excitability of the sensorimotor area, and EEG-BMI may be useful in the neurorehabilitation of patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia. Research on BMI as a therapeutic tool though emergent, may widen the scope of conventional BMI. |
110549250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-13T13:06:09.276Z | 2014-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Application of Low-Strain Dynamic Detection to Concrete Piles
The concept and the testing method of dynamic pile testing and the rationale, preparation, data collection, and data processing of the low-strain reflection wave method are described. In addition, some of the disadvantages inherent to low-strain detection and experiences related to the correlation between detection data and pile realities are discussed. |
9777000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:11:24.508Z | 2005-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Improving feature detection and analysis of surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectra
Discovering valid biological information from surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI‐TOF MS) depends on clear experimental design, meticulous sample handling, and sophisticated data processing. Most published literature deals with the biological aspects of these experiments, or with computer‐learning algorithms to locate sets of classifying biomarkers. The process of locating and measuring proteins across spectra has received less attention. This process should be tunable between sensitivity and false‐discovery, and should guarantee that features are biologically meaningful in that they represent chemical species that can be identified and investigated. Existing feature detection in SELDI‐TOF MS is not optimal for acquiring biologically relevant data. Most methods have so many user‐defined settings that reproducibility and comparability among studies suffer considerably. To address these issues, we have developed an approach, called simultaneous spectrum analysis (SSA), which (i) locates proteins across spectra, (ii) measures their abundance, (iii) subtracts baseline, (iv) excludes irreproducible measurements, and (v) computes normalization factors for comparing spectra. SSA uses only two key parameters for feature detection and one parameter each for quality thresholds on spectra and peaks. The effectiveness of SSA is demonstrated by identifying proteins differentially expressed in SELDI‐TOF spectra from plasma of wild‐type and knockout mice for plasma glutathione peroxidase. Comparing analyses by SSA and CiphergenExpress Data Manager 2.1 finds similar results for large signal peaks, but SSA improves the number and quality of differences betweens groups among lower signal peaks. SSA is also less likely to introduce systematic bias when normalizing spectra. |
116122700 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-16T13:28:41.737Z | 2018-09-05T00:00:00.000Z | Conceptual Three-Dimensional Modeling Using Intuitive Gesture-Based Midair Three-Dimensional Sketching Technique
We introduce an intuitive gesture-based interaction technique for creating and manipulating simple three-dimensional (3D) shapes. Specifically, the developed interface utilizes low-cost depth camera to capture user's hand gesture as the input, maps different gestures to system commands and generates 3D models from midair 3D sketches (as opposed to traditional two-dimensional (2D) sketches). Our primary contribution is in the development of an intuitive gesture-based interface that enables novice users to rapidly construct conceptual 3D models. Our development extends current works by proposing both design and technical solutions to the challenges of the gestural modeling interface for conceptual 3D shapes. The preliminary user study results suggest that the developed framework is intuitive to use and able to create a variety of 3D conceptual models. |
144118250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-04T13:08:52.203Z | 2009-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | What me? Teach music to my primary class? Challenges to teaching music in primary schools in five countries
Current preservice teacher education students are tomorrow's teachers and what they believe about the priority and challenges of music education in elementary schools is important, as it will impact on their attitudes and practice when they are teaching in schools. This study examines the state of primary music education and investigates the perceptions of almost 1000 preservice teachers from five countries in relation to the priorities and challenges associated with teaching music in elementary schools. Challenges identified included teachers’ lack of musical experience; the low priority given to music in schools; the lack of resources, time to teach music, subject knowledge and adequate preparation time. This study highlights the need for a higher priority for, and more experience in music education in both preservice teacher education and in primary school classrooms. |
53963900 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-11-25T16:32:21.131Z | 2013-10-16T00:00:00.000Z | Comparison of modeled and observed effects of radiation belt electron precipitation on mesospheric hydroxyl and ozone
Observations have shown that mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) is affected by energetic electron precipitation (EEP) at magnetic latitudes connected to the outer radiation belt. It is not clear, however, if the current satellite‐based electron flux observations can be used to accurately describe EEP in atmospheric models. We use the Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry (SIC) model to reproduce the changes in OH and ozone observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS/Aura) during four strong EEP events. The daily mean electron energy‐flux spectrum, needed for ionization rate calculations, is determined by combining the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector fluxes and spectral form from the instrument for the detection of particles high‐energy electron detector on board the DEMETER satellite. We show that in general SIC is able to reproduce the observed day‐to‐day variability of OH and ozone. In the lower mesosphere, the model tends to underestimate the OH concentration, possibly because of uncertainties in the electron spectra for energies >300 keV. The model predicts OH increases at 60–80 km, reaching several hundred percent at 70–80 km during peak EEP forcing. Increases in OH are followed by ozone depletion, up to several tens of percent. The magnitude of modeled changes is similar to those observed by MLS and comparable to effects of individual solar proton events. Our results suggest that the combined satellite observations of electrons can be used to model the EEP effects above 70 km during geomagnetic storms, without a need for significant adjustments. However, for EEP energies >300 keV impacting altitudes <70 km, correction factors may be required. |
29036000 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-10-19T16:24:50.140Z | 2013-08-12T00:00:00.000Z | Genomic in situ hybridization in plants.
Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), which is a modification of fluorescent in situ hybridization, has been widely used in the study of plants. It has become one of the most important techniques for molecular cytogenetics. GISH is a technique that allows distinguishing the genomes in a cell. With this technique, it is possible to differentiate the genomes in a hybrid; consequently, this tool has been applied to the study of hybrid lineages, genetic improvement programs, and studies of the evolution of polyploids. Moreover, GISH can be applied to the analysis of the meiotic behavior in hybrids and polyploids, providing information concerning the relationship between species. This review presents the wide application of this technique in plants. |
5766850 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-04-19T09:00:42.371Z | 1996-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | Cell signalling in pulmonary vascular cells: do not shoot the messenger!
Pulmonary hypertension is associated with pulmonary vascular remodelling, rendering the vessels unresponsive to vasodilators. An understanding of the mechanisms which cause this remodelling is required, which is likely to be linked to changes in vascular tone whether stimulated by hypoxia or other factors. One way to approach this is to try to understand the intracellular signalling pathways associated with hypoxia in pulmonary artery cells. This understanding could provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention using agents which will interfere with the signalling systems. |
103453050 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-09T13:04:11.395Z | 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Can a certain concentration of rotundone be undesirable in Duras red wine? A study to estimate a consumer rejection threshold for the pepper aroma compound
Background and Aims
Rotundone is responsible for peppery aroma in wine. This note is not appreciated by all consumers, which indicates that rotundone might be considered as a taint above a certain concentration. The current study aimed at determining a consumer rejection threshold for rotundone in Duras red wine.
Methods and Results
Consumers (n = 62) received pairs of samples consisting of a base wine and the base wine spiked with an ascending concentration of rotundone and were asked to indicate which sample they preferred. Anosmic respondents detected through triangle tests represented 31% of the panellists. For these panellists, the wine spiked at the lowest concentration was significantly rejected suggesting that rotundone might induce a trigeminal sensation and/or is involved in molecular mechanisms of flavour reduction. For remaining panellists, we were not able to determine any consumer rejection threshold. We identified three clusters of consumer profiles. The first cluster preferred a moderate concentration of rotundone and rejected a high concentration. The second cluster, mainly composed of young consumers, preferred the Control. The last group appreciated peppery wines especially at high concentration.
Conclusions
The response of consumers to rotundone is complex, and peppery notes are perceived positively or in a neutral manner by most consumers with the exception of young panellists.
Significance of the Study
Our results may assist grape growers producing Duras and other cultivars, where rotundone makes a sensory contribution, to adapt their products to consumer profiles. They also open new fields of investigation into mechanisms involved in specific anosmia to rotundone. |
31398250 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 1996-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Theory of computing: a scientific perspective
Theory of Computation (TOC) seeks to understand computational phenomena, be it natural, man-made or imaginative. TOC is an independent scientific discipline of fundamental importance. Its intrinsic goals (those which were achieved, those which are yet to be achieved, and those which are yet to be defined) transcend the immediate applicability to engineering and technology. Research in TOC has been extremely successful and productive in the few decades of its existence, with continuously growing momentum. This research has revolutionized the understanding of computation and has deep scientific and philosophical consequences which will be further recognized in the future. Moreover, this research and its dissemination through education and interaction was responsible for enormous technological progress. Much of the full version of our manuscript [2] is devoted to substantiating the strong statements made above. Here, due to space limitations, we merely list a few of the fundamental achievements of TOC. |
23595200 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:05:23.668Z | 2014-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Use of partial venovenous cardiopulmonary bypass in percutaneous hepatic perfusion for patients with diffuse, isolated liver metastases: a case series.
OBJECTIVES
Diffuse isolated liver metastases are the dominant mode of tumor progression in a number of cancers and present a major treatment challenge for oncologists. An experimental treatment, percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP), utilizes partial venovenous cardiopulmonary bypass to allow administration of high-dose chemotherapy directly and solely to the liver with filtration of chemotherapeutic agents from the blood prior to its return to the systemic circulation, thereby minimizing toxic systemic effects. The following case series describes the management of 5 patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing serial PHPs.
DESIGN
A single-center experience from a national multi-center random-assignment trial comparing PHP to best alternative care (BAC) in patients with diffuse melanoma liver metastases.
SETTING
A tertiary care hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
Five patients with metastatic melanoma to the liver.
INTERVENTION
Five patients underwent a total of fifteen PHPs using a venovenous bypass circuit with hemofiltration, receiving hepatic intra-arterial melphalan, 3 mg/kg of ideal body weight, for 30 minutes with a total of 60 minutes of hemofiltration.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Five patients tolerated the procedure well with transient hemodynamic and metabolic changes.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with diffuse isolated liver metastases, PHP is a safe and well-tolerated procedure that can be performed more than once and is associated with marked anti-tumor activity in some patients. |
44087050 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-06-07T12:41:42.798Z | 2016-06-05T00:00:00.000Z | [Clinical research on the treatment for benign lesions in maxillary sinus by endoscopic prelacrimal duct recess approach].
Objective:To explore thecomplication and clinical effects of treatment for benign lesions in maxillary sinusby endoscopic prelacrimal duct recess approach. Method:A retrospective analysis of 82 patients with benign lesions in maxillary sinus.Among them there were 37 cases of inverted papilloma，45 cases of maxillary cyst. According to surgical approaches，they were divided into observation group in which 39 cases were treated by combined middle meatus and prelacrimal duct recess approachunder endoscope,contrast group1in which 22 cases were treated by combined middle meatus and inferior meatus approach and contrast group 2 in which 21 cases were treated bycombined middle meatus and Caldwell-Luc approach. Operation time, amount of bleeding during operation, length of hospitalization, postoperative complications and postoperative curative effect,were observed, recorded and compared among the three groups．Result:The 82 patiengs were successfully treated by surgery and followed up of 3 months to 24 months.There were no significant difference between observation group and contrast group1 in operation time, amount of bleeding during operation,length of hospitalization（P >0.05）, there were statistical difference in post-operative complicationand recurrence rate(P <0.05).There were statistical difference between observation group and contrast group 2 in operation time, amount of bleeding during operation,length of hospitalization andpost-operative complication(P <0.05),there were no significant difference in recurrence rate(P >0.05).Conclusion:Anterior lacrimal recess with the nasal endoscopyis is useful to the lesions of maxillary sinus anterior wall, anterior lower internal wall, anterior lacrimal recess and alveolar crypt. Theoperation time, bleeding and surgical injuries are less. Patients recover fast with less recurrence. Thus, this method is an idealoperation method to deal with benign diseasesin maxillary sinus. |
253117970 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-10-27T06:16:41.899Z | 2022-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | Evaluation of a Web-Based Culturally Sensitive Educational Video to Facilitate Informed Cervical Cancer Screening Decisions Among Turkish- and Moroccan-Dutch Women Aged 30 to 60 Years: Randomized Intervention Study
Background In the Netherlands, since 1996, a national cervical cancer (CC) screening program has been implemented for women aged 30 to 60 years. Regional screening organizations send an invitation letter and information brochure in Dutch to the home addresses of targeted women every 5 years. Although this screening is free of charge, Turkish- and Moroccan-Dutch women, especially, show low screening participation and limited informed decision-making (IDM). As Turkish- and Moroccan-Dutch women indicated their need for information on the practical, emotional, cultural, and religious aspects of CC screening, we developed a culturally sensitive educational video (CSEV) as an addition to the current information brochure. Objective In this study, we aimed to evaluate the added effect of the CSEV on IDM regarding CC screening participation among Turkish and Moroccan women aged 30 to 60 years in the Netherlands through a randomized intervention study. Methods Initial respondents were recruited via several social media platforms and invited to complete a web-based questionnaire. Following respondent-driven sampling, respondents were asked to recruit a number of peers from their social networks to complete the same questionnaire. Respondents were randomly assigned to the control (current information brochure) or intervention condition (brochure and CSEV). We measured respondents’ knowledge and attitude regarding CC screening and their intention to participate in the next CC screening round before and after the control or intervention condition. We evaluated the added effect of the CSEV (above the brochure) on their knowledge, attitude, intention, and IDM using intention-to-treat analyses. Results The final sample (n=1564) included 686 (43.86%) Turkish and 878 (56.14%) Moroccan-Dutch women. Of this sample, 50.7% (793/1564) were randomized to the control group (350/793, 44.1% Turkish and 443/793, 55.9% Moroccan) and 49.3% (771/1564) to the intervention group (336/771, 43.6% Turkish and 435/771, 56.4% Moroccan). Among the Turkish-Dutch women, 33.1% (116/350) of the control respondents and 40.5% (136/336) of the intervention respondents consulted the brochure (not statistically significant). Among Moroccan-Dutch women, these percentages were 28.2% (125/443) and 37.9% (165/435), respectively (P=.003). Of all intervention respondents, 96.1% (323/336; Turkish) and 84.4% (367/435; Moroccan) consulted the CSEV. The CSEV resulted in more positive screening attitudes among Moroccan-Dutch women than the brochure (323/435, 74.3% vs 303/443, 68.4%; P=.07). Women, who had never participated in CC screening before, showed significantly more often a positive attitude toward CC screening compared with the control group (P=.01). Conclusions Our short and easily implementable CSEV resulted in more positive screening attitudes, especially in Moroccan-Dutch women. As the CSEV was also watched far more often than the current brochure was read, this intervention can contribute to better reach and more informed CC screening decisions among Turkish- and Moroccan-Dutch women. Trial Registration International Clinical Trial Registry Platform NL8453; https://tinyurl.com/2dvbjxvc |
41993320 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T05:12:36.954Z | 1984-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Computer simulation for the stereotactic placement of interstitial radionuclide sources into computed tomography-defined tumor volumes.
This report describes a method for the preoperative determination of radioactive interstitial source placement within computed tomography (CT)-defined tumor boundaries. The method utilizes CT data obtained under stereotactic conditions. Tumor boundaries are digitized from CT slices and are retained in a three-dimensional computer matrix. A solid tumor volume is created by an interpolation program and may be sliced orthogonal to any specific stereotactic surgical view line. The surgeon may simulate radioactive source placement within the slices and view the resultant isodose configuration against tumor contours on successive slices. Once the best source placement has been determined, the computer outputs the mechanical adjustments that will be necessary on a stereotactic frame located in the operating room for the stereotactic placement of each source and gives the length of each source. Sources are stereotactically implanted utilizing a double-catheter afterloading technique. |
27522020 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-15T23:06:17.829Z | 2014-10-13T00:00:00.000Z | Atomic force microscope base nanolithography for reproducible micro and nanofabrication
Atomic force microscopy nanolithography (AFM) is a strong fabrication method for micro and nano structure due to its high spatial resolution and positioning abilities. Mixing AFM nanolithography with advantage of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology provides the opportunity to achieve more reliable Si nanostructures. In this letter, we try to investigate the reproducibility of AFM base nanolithography for fabrication of the micro/nano structures. In this matter local anodic oxidation (LAO) procedure applied to pattern a silicon nanostructure on p-type (1015 cm-3) SOI using AFM base nanolithography. Then chemical etching is applied, as potassium hydroxide (saturated with isopropyl alcohol) and hydrofluoric etching for removing of Si and oxide layer, respectively. All parameters contributed in fabrication process were optimized and the final results revealed a good potential for using AFM base nanolithography in order to get a reproducible method of fabrication. |
24597920 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:43:20.874Z | 2009-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Taxomyces andreanae: a presumed paclitaxel producer demystified?
The 1990s brought an abundance of reports on paclitaxel-producing endophytes, initially heralded as a discovery having tremendous implications for cancer therapy. As the vision of large-scale fermentation tanks producing vast quantities of relatively inexpensive paclitaxel and novel taxanes has faded and has been replaced by controversial silence, we carried out an in-depth investigation of Taxomyces andreanae - the very first presumed endophytic synthesizer of the diterpenoid. On one hand, metabolic profiling by means of chromatographic, spectroscopic and immunoenzymatic techniques predominant in literature was taken up. On the other, the experimental procedure was brought to an alternative, previously unattempted level aiming at revealing the genetic background of paclitaxel biosynthesis in the endophyte. The profound PCR-based screening for taxadiene synthase (TXS) - a gene unique to the formation of the primary taxane-skeleton, as well as phenylpropanoyl transferase (BAPT) encoding for the catalyst of the final acylation of the core structure rendering the ultimate efficacy of the drug, confirmed the molecular blueprint for paclitaxel biosynthesis to be an inherent genetic trait of the endophyte. However, as the thorough metabolic analysis of Taxomyces andreanae commercial isolate brought no confirmation of endophytic paclitaxel production even after considerable up-scaling endeavors, we postulate that proclaiming the strain "a fungus factory for Taxol" might have been premature. |
206433770 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:07:31.541Z | 2017-01-30T00:00:00.000Z | Highly Sensitive Wearable Textile-Based Humidity Sensor Made of High-Strength, Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Filaments.
Textile-based humidity sensors can be an important component of smart wearable electronic-textiles and have potential applications in the management of wounds, bed-wetting, and skin pathologies or for microclimate control in clothing. Here, we report a wearable textile-based humidity sensor for the first time using high strength (∼750 MPa) and ultratough (energy-to-break, 4300 J g-1) SWCNT/PVA filaments via a wet-spinning process. The conductive SWCNT networks in the filaments can be modulated by adjusting the intertube distance by swelling the PVA molecular chains via the absorption of water molecules. The diameter of a SWCNT/PVA filament under wet conditions can be as much as 2 times that under dry conditions. The electrical resistance of a fiber sensor stitched onto a hydrophobic textile increases significantly (by more than 220 times) after water sprayed. Textile-based humidity sensors using a 1:5 weight ratio of SWCNT/PVA filaments showed high sensitivity in high relative humidity. The electrical resistance increases by more than 24 times in a short response time of 40 s. We also demonstrated that our sensor can be used to monitor water leakage on a high hydrophobic textile (contact angle of 115.5°). These smart textiles will pave a new way for the design of novel wearable sensors for monitoring blood leakage, sweat, and underwear wetting. |
251219210 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-08-01T21:37:12.470Z | 2015-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 4 WRIGHT AND RouND ' s BRAss BAND NEws . SEPTEMBER 1 , 1923 JBrass :fBan () 1 Rews
Also Mansfield (2nd); Abram Colliery (3rd); Denton (5th) all played BESSON SETS BBSSOR & CO. Ltd., 19& & 19s, EustoN RD., London, N. W.l BIGBA��-�E -S TA-B LI S H-E D-1 84_2 . �-BIGBA� Brass Band Instruments At the DUNEDIN CONTEST, 1923, the Wood Instruments and Drums QUALITY Trombone Championship ol New Zealand DURABILITY WAS WON BY dUST THE DIFFERENCE Mr. Thos. Goodall on a "HIGHAM" Trombone. dUST THE DIFFERENCE Between an ordinary Instru ment and one embodying Brilliance of Tone, Perfect Tune, Ease of Blowing, Perfect Valves and Valve Action-that's the At the New Plymouth Contest, Feb. 1923Southern Counties Championship Contest, Whit Monday, 1923Between an ordinary Instru ment and one giving years of solid service and satisfaction, low upkeep, and always a treat to play on-that's the SPECIAL MEDALS for BASS SECTION. Won by the HORSHAM BORO' P. BAND on a set of "HIGHAM" BASSES. 1st PRIZES : BARITONE SOLO. Eb BASS. G TROMBONE. TROMBONE TRIO. 2nd PRIZES :CORNET SOLOS and QUARTETTES. Were won on " HIGHAM " Instruments. HIGHAM HIGHAM Fairford Contest, duly 14th, 1923- |
61818060 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-02-15T14:16:14.974Z | 2000-10-31T00:00:00.000Z | On the SFDR performance of BJT RF circuits, an analytical approach
A simple analytical approach for nonlinear distortion in RF bipolar circuits is utilized in the evaluation of spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) in BJT circuits. Simple closed-form expressions can predict the critical bias conditions corresponding to minimum or maximum SFDR. This method is applied to low noise amplifier (LNA) and single balanced mixer (SBM) circuits to study and optimize the dynamic range. The proposed method can predict the dynamic range with less than 10% error in most cases. The validity of this technique is examined by comparing the results of SPICE simulations to the calculations of the proposed method under different operating conditions. |
55822760 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-12-10T21:52:43.022Z | 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 3D Mesh Compression and Transmission for Mobile Robotic Applications
Mobile robots are useful for environment exploration and rescue operations. In such applications, it is crucial to accurately analyse and represent an environment, providing appropriate inputs for motion planning in order to support robot navigation and operations. 2D mapping methods are simple but cannot handle multilevel or multistory environments. To address this problem, 3D mapping methods generate structural 3D representations of the robot operating environment and its objects by 3D mesh reconstruction. However, they face the challenge of efficiently transmitting those 3D representations to system modules for 3D mapping, motion planning, and robot operation visualization. This paper proposes a quality-driven mesh compression and transmission method to address this. Our method is efficient, as it compresses a mesh by quantizing its transformed vertices without the need to spend time constructing an a-priori structure over the mesh. A visual distortion function is developed to govern the level of quantization, allowing mesh transmission to be controlled under different network conditions or time constraints. Our experiments demonstrate how the visual quality of a mesh can be manipulated by the visual distortion function. |
15931360 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2016-01-29T17:58:53.149Z | 2004-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Regional cooperation: A tool for addressing regional and global challenges
In this article, the two complex phenomena of poverty and conflict are problematised and linked to each other with the purpose of exploring possible causal relationships, which may have policy relevance for conflict resolution as well as for international development assistance. The complexity of the poverty-conflict relationship is multiplied by the inherent diffuseness of the two phenomena in question. The fact that a generalised connection between reducing poverty and enhancing security can be taken for granted - simply because of common sense reasons - does not tell us very much about what particular patterns of poverty would lead to particular varieties of social violence, and what specific development activities would have a positive role to play in conflict reduction. There is thus no alternative but to go further into the various meanings of the two concepts. |