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147241831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-08T13:30:26.923Z | 2014-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Global Climate Change Negotiations, the Treadmill of Destruction, and World Society
This study engages two sociological perspectives, treadmill of destruction and world society theory, to analyze the effects of militarization and connection to the world polity on the Kyoto Protocol ratification of countries. Although the original Kyoto Protocol expired at the end of 2012, a second commitment period was agreed upon at COP18 in Doha. Results from survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards models indicate that higher levels of militarization are associated with longer times until ratification or failure to ratify, which supports the propositions of treadmill of destruction theory. World society connections are found to have either weak or nonsignificant effects on ratification. Additional results are consistent with past research, including the effects of economic development and levels of country-level carbon emissions. |
19587031 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:52:39.892Z | 2000-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Reduced concentrations of thalamic N-acetylaspartate in male patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The authors measured N-acetylaspartate (a putative neuronal marker) in the right and left thalamus of 17 male patients with schizophrenia using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H MRSI).
METHOD
(1)H MRSI was performed on 17 medicated male patients with schizophrenia and 10 male comparison subjects. Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline were determined in the thalamic regions bilaterally.
RESULTS
The patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate than the comparison subjects in both the right and left thalamic regions. Right thalamic N-acetylaspartate and left thalamic N-acetylaspartate were significantly correlated in the patients but not in the comparison subjects. There was no association between N-acetylaspartate and duration of illness or medication dose. No group differences or lateralized asymmetries in choline or creatine were noted.
CONCLUSIONS
The finding of reduced concentrations of N-acetylaspartate bilaterally suggests neuronal dysfunction and/or loss in both the right and left thalamic regions in male patients with schizophrenia. |
24583981 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:32:50.237Z | 2009-08-26T00:00:00.000Z | [Diagnosis and therapy of depression in family practice].
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders, according to Hungarian and international data. In Western- Europe, lifetime prevalence of major depression is 13%, while one-year prevalence is 4%. The prevalence of severe depressive symptoms is similar in Hungary: approximately 5 to 8% of all patients seen by primary care physicians suffer from some kind of depressive disorders. Depression is more prevalent in women and in the elderly. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the third most common disabling disorder. Patients with depression experience impaired quality of life, anxiety, sleep disturbances, alcohol and drug abuse, and different somatic disorders. Furthermore, depression is the most important risk factor for suicide. Primary care physicians have a crucial role in the screening and diagnosing of depressive disorders. Depressive disorders can exist not only in patients complaining about depressed mood, but also in patients with "medically unexplained symptoms" (headache, fatigue, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, weight change). Primary care physicians should have appropriate knowledge about the different therapeutic options (including various psychotherapies, antidepressant medications and other treatment options) to be able to treat their patients properly. We review the literature about the significance and epidemiology of depression and summarize the diagnostic and therapeutic options of depressive disorders in primary care practice. |
251424131 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-08-09T15:28:18.826Z | 2022-08-05T00:00:00.000Z | Meditation-Induced After Death Communication: A Contemporary Modality for Grief Therapy
Meditation-induced after death communication (MI-ADC) was introduced as a potential modality for grief therapy. Traditional and contemporary approaches were compared in order to evaluate effective paradigms and theories of bereavement. The Continuing Bonds theory of attachment emerged as an adaptive framework for grief therapy, especially with attention to meaning-making and the strength of continued bonds. Considerations were implemented from research in psychomanteum, mediumship, and induced after death communication. Specifically, visual stimuli and timing of after death communications were emphasized. The discussion was encouraging for the conceptualization of MI-ADC as an effective construct and as an inquiry for empirical research. |
225816431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-07-02T10:15:49.248Z | 2020-05-20T00:00:00.000Z | Further steps in application of BIM for budgets of transportation constructions
The article focuses on new attitudes, which may create a shift in calculating budgets for transportation constructions. New attitudes rely on the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Current schemes of work have reached its limits and nowadays, it is necessary to define further steps leading towards a full match of BIM data to budget items. The author sees opportunities in defining graphic standards to be linked to construction shapes (realistic images of constructions as elements in BIM lead to generating accurate quantities for takeoff), as well as individual construction elements (an element in BIM relates 1:1 to a budget item). In the foreseeable future, it is possible to add classification codes of elements so that element parameters make it possible to match every single element to a budget item. This would link BIM model data directly to the budget of the construction project. The last of the author’s suggestions is to implement itemization of elements and include a larger scope of aggregation in the project’s budget. Itemized elements serve to match so-called carry items (such elements that may be linked to BIM model with ratio 1:1) to additional tie-in items. which are not commonly included in BIM models (e.g. formwork, reinforcement, etc.). This should simplify the import of data to software which calculates the budget of the project. The process focuses on aggregation of items to fit local price systems and budget calculation practices. Larger scope of aggregation enables us to reach 1:1 ratio of the model and its budget to a greater extent. The suggested shift in attitude has been tested on two transportation construction projects – namely, finishing of D1, the key motorway of the Czech Republic, and D4 motorway (also in the Czech Republic). Both of these projects have been carried out with BIM models. The goal is to summarize the total costs, which can be calculated by using BIM. BIM models are used in the same ways as the local market uses them. From this calculation, recommendations can be made. |
191571881 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-06-16T13:14:47.476Z | 1975-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Amzi Chapin: Frontier Singing Master and Folk Hymn Composer
Amzi Chapin was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in March 1768. From 1791 to 1795 he taught in Virginia and North Carolina. In 1795 Amzi moved to Kentucky where he resided and taught singing schools. The available evidence indicates that he and an older brother, Lucius, were among the first singing masters to teach sacred music west of the Alleghenies. In 1800 Amzi moved to western Pennsylvania where he farmed and taught singing schools periodically until 1831, when he and his family moved to Northfield, Ohio. Amzi resided there until his death on February 19, 1835. From the time of his death until 1969, Amzi Chapin remained a shadowy figure in the history of American music, although both his and his brother' s tunes were included in well-known collections of American sacred music during the nineteenth century. Although Mary O. Eddy did some research on Amzi Chapin in the 1940' s, her research has been relatively unknown to scholars in American music during the past twenty years. |
21572681 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:45:44.921Z | 2007-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | Accommodative response in pre-presbyopes with visual impairment and its clinical implications.
PURPOSE
There are isolated reports that accommodative response is reduced in some populations with low vision. The purpose of this study was to measure accommodative response in a wider range of pre-presbyopes with visual impairment and to examine what factors may affect accommodation among the low vision population.
METHODS
Accommodative responses for accommodative demands between 4 and 10 D were measured with dynamic retinoscopy in 21 subjects with low vision due to a variety of disorders and in 40 control subjects, aged 3 to 35 years. The control subjects were divided into age groups of 3 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 26, and 27 to 35 years, and the response of each subject with low vision was compared against the age-matched control group. The slope of the accommodative function and the mean error of the accommodative response were also calculated.
RESULTS
Eighty-six percent of the subjects with low vision showed responses that were outside the 95% range of normal. The deficit increased with increasing accommodative demand. Reduced accommodation was not predicted by age, visual acuity, presence of nystagmus, refractive error or time of onset of the disorder. The results show that the accommodation errors are often greater than predicted by increased depth of focus due to poor visual acuity.
CONCLUSIONS
It seems likely that accommodative response is based on many factors that may be present in an eye with low vision, which interact in a complex fashion. |
11662431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2005-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Fiber Aided Wireless Network Architecture : A SISO wireless-optical channel ∗
We introduce the concept of a fiber aided wireless network architecture (FAWNA), which allows high-speed mobile connectivity by leveraging the speed of optical networks. As a first step towards designing such network architectures, we consider a single-input, single-output (SISO) wirelessoptical communication link. This link consists of a wireless channel and a fiber optic channel, connected to each other by a wireless-optical interface. We propose a scheme where the received signal at the wireless-optical interface is quantized before being sent over the fiber. The achievable rate for this scheme approaches the SISO capacity exponentially with fiber capacity. We show that for fixed fiber capacity, there is an optimal wireless bandwidth of operation when our scheme is used. The wireless-optical interface has low complexity and does not require knowledge of the transmitter code book. Moreover, the loss in “soft” information, due to quantization, goes to 0 asymptotically with increase in fiber capacity. These properties make our scheme extendable to FAWNAs with large number of transmitters, radio-optic converters, variable rates, changing channel conditions and node positions. |
33854881 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-07-27T00:26:06.789Z | 2017-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Chapter 2 Slag In fi ltration , Lubrication and Frictional Forces
It is essential to lubricate the shell since inadequate lubrication leads to defects in the steel product (e.g. longitudinal cracks, sticker breakouts and star cracks). The liquid layer of the slag film, formed between the shell and the mould, lubricates the newly formed shell; the lubrication increases with increasing liquid slag thickness (dl). Lubrication is usually represented by the powder consumption (Qs in units of kg slag (or powder) m ) which is related to liquid film thickness (dl). However, there are several terms used for powder consumption and these terms are interrelated (e.g. Qs, Qt and QMR). The frictional forces acting on the shell are highest in the centre of slabs and thus slabs need more lubrication. The required powder consumption, Qs increases with increasing distance from the corner and thus Qs slab > Qs bloom > Qs . The required powder consumption can be calculated from the relation, Qs req = 2/(R* – 5) where R* = {2(w + t)/w t} = (surface area/volume) of the mould. However, the powder consumption, Qs, is also affected by other parameters, namely, the casting speed (Vc), slag viscosity (η), the break temperature of the slag and the oscillation frequency (f) and stroke (s). There is general agreement that Qs decreases with increasing casting speed and viscosity (e.g. empirical rules, Qsreq slag = 0.55/ η Vc). There is some dispute with regard to the effect of f, s and Tbr but most plant studies indicate that Qsreq slag decreases as f, s and Tbr increase. The required values of powder consumption and viscosity can be calculated for the given casting conditions using empirical rules. The predictions of a mathematical model indicate that slag infiltration into the model/ strand channel occurs when the mould and slag rim are descending but little powder consumption occurs when the mould is ascending. The changes in mould direction are accompanied by periods of confused flow in the mouth of the channel and little slag infiltration occurs in these periods. Frictional forces and the factors affecting them are also discussed; it was found that liquid friction increased with increasing mould dimensions, slag viscosity, casting speed and (Vm − Vc). Plots of liquid friction (Fl) versus casting speed exhibit a minimum since Fl increases with increasing Vc but decreases with decreasing (Vm − Vc). © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 K.C. Mills and C. Däcker, The Casting Powders Book, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-53616-3_2 19 Symbols, Abbreviations and Units A Area (m) %Cfree Percentage of free carbon %Ctotal Percentage of total carbon %LOI Percentage of loss on ignition DC Mean particle size of the carbon Dcorn Distance mould corner to centre (m) Dl Thickness of liquid slag film (m) Fl Frictional force (N) f Frequency (Hz or cycles min) f* Fraction of powder forming slag Qcycle Powder consumption (kg m −1 cycle) QMR Melting rate (kg/min or kg/s) Qs Powder consumption (kg/m ) Qt Powder consumption (kg/tonne ) R* Mould (surface area/volume) (m) s Stroke length (m) T Temperature (C) Tbr Break (or solidification) temperature t Time (s) or thickness of mould (m) tcycle Time for one cycle (s or min) tn Negative strip time (s) tp Positive strip time (s) Vc Casting speed (m/min) Vm Velocity of mould (m/min or m/s) w Width of mould η Slag viscosity (dPas) q Density (kg/m) |
62411831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2016-01-15T18:20:01.362Z | 2014-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Semantic equivalences in Romanian medical terminology
The present paper aims to underline some aspects concerning the presence of synonymy semantic relationship in specialized medical terminology, having as object of study Romanian medical terms. For this study we use a descriptive, conceptual and lexical semantic research method to provide the understanding of different couples, groups or synonymic series where medical terms have several variations: specialized/common terms, syntagms and patronyms of French or different origin. We propose a classification scheme of synonyms of medical lexicon, terms or synonymic syntagms, total and partial, in order to meet the accessibility needs in scientific communication. |
243946931 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-11-11T14:13:07.997Z | 2021-06-14T00:00:00.000Z | Detecting Network Intrusion Using Binarized Neural Networks
The rise of the internet of things will further increase the number of connected devices, which will provide a new attack surface for compromising computer networks. Network intrusion detection systems have already been proposed to help solve this problem, but they are typically computationally too expensive to run on embedded or IoT devices. In this research, we investigate how binarized neural networks can be used to monitor network traffic on such devices, and flag malicious behavior. We train a binarized neural network classifier on the UNSW-NB15 data set and achieve an 82.1% accuracy. We implement the binarized neural network in hardware using a generator written in Chisel and integrate it on a Zynq-7000 system-on-a-chip. We show that such a system can be implemented on even low-end FPGA devices and can increase the security of future networks. |
8824431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-18T08:04:58.367Z | 2009-01-22T00:00:00.000Z | Application of Modified Genetic Algorithm in Feature Extraction of the Unstructured Data
Since unstructured data’s quantity is huge and the form is not disunity, thus the extent mining algorithms are hard to mine them. This paper supposes a modified genetic algorithm which extracts the feature from the unstructured data in a high efficiency and makes the further mining conveniently. First of all, it discusses the characteristic of the unstructured data, and then introduces the preprocess of it such as word segmentation, establishing the stop words table and feature extraction. Furthermore, the modified genetic algorithm’s operation such as selection¿crossover as well as mutation is presented. Finally, the test of result of this modified genetic algorithm is shown, and the test result has proven that the algorithm is effective. |
33181981 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:18:46.374Z | 1970-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | Efficiency enhancement of light modulators.
Electrooptic modulators described in the literature employ an electric field 8 to cause a phase difference ø between the two perpendicularly polarized components of a beam of plane polarized light. Complete modulation may be achieved by varying ø between zero and π radians and then passing the beam through an appropriately oriented analyzer. I t will be shown that certain advantages could be obtained by physically separating the beam into two components, varying the optical path lengths of one or both components, and then recombining them to produce amplitude modulation. Conventional interferometers, of the Mach-Zehnder type, could be used for this purpose, although the light losses encountered at the beam split ters would be a disadvantage. A simple device using biref ringent crystals will be described because light losses can then be reduced to negligibly small amounts. In common-path modulators, where both the 0 and E polariza tion components traverse the same electooptic crystal, the phase difference may be expressed as |
38571431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:20:16.825Z | 2012-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Nurse practitioner workforce: a substantial supply of primary care providers.
For about 5 decades, nurse practitioners (NPs) have been utilized to deliver primary care, traditionally in underserved areas or to vulnerable populations. However, over the years, this workforce has experienced a steady growth and has expanded its reach to provide primary care in diverse settings. An additional 32 million patients will have access to primary care with full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It is unlikely that the scarce supply of primary care physicians will be able to properly meet the demand and the health care needs of the nation. NPs face challenges but practice, policy, and research recommendations for better utilizing NPs in primary care can mediate the workforce shortages and meet the demand for care. |
25793581 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:12:39.767Z | 2005-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Is the use of anything but MVAC justified in the evidence-based medicine era?
For the physician, external evidence is commonly in the form of published literature, for which there are various types: systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized controlled trials, case reports, clinical examples and consensus meetings [4]. The type of trial contributes to the quality of data. Generally, RCTs provide the most reliable data by limiting potential biases and confounding factors. Combining the data from multiple RCTs, as is done in meta-analyses, can potentially yield greater statistical power to find differences in outcomes between therapeutic choices. The evidence in the published literature can be ranked or assigned a level of importance using a system of criteria such as that described by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Table 1) [5]. The type of evidence determines the reliability of the data, but all types of evidence can play a role in patient management. For example, case studies of individual patients may be the only source of evidence for rare conditions. The physician practising EBM would appraise a case study and decide whether or not the information affects the management of a particular patient. Advanced bladder cancer is one tumor type in which EBM principles can be applied to determine the best treatment option. |
206360331 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:44:17.662Z | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | A systematic review of the global prevalence of personality disorders in adult Asian populations.
BACKGROUND
No systematic reviews have been conducted into the prevalence of personality disorders (PD) in Asian populations. This review aims to investigate the prevalence of all PD subtypes within community and clinical Asian (Chinese, Indian, Japanese and South Korean) populations worldwide.
METHOD
Seven databases were searched in addition to manual examination and reference tracking. Exclusion criteria were applied with the remaining studies subjected to quality appraisal.
RESULTS
Nineteen studies were included for review. Results were grouped by community studies in Asian countries, clinical studies in Asian countries and comparative studies. Prevalence of PD assessed by clinical judgement was lower than that by diagnostic tools. The highest rates of PD were found in suicidal cohorts within the various countries. Four of the five comparative studies found lower prevalence rates of PD in Asians compared with the overall sample.
CONCLUSION
Insufficient consistent research has been published to ascertain the prevalence of PD in Asians and whether it is higher or lower than in Western cohorts. Asians presenting with suicidal ideation may benefit from PD assessment. |
59456381 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2009-04-01T09:22:27.000Z | 2009-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Random unitary dynamics of quantum networks
We investigate the asymptotic dynamics of quantum networks under repeated applications of random unitary operations. It is shown that in the asymptotic limit of large numbers of iterations this dynamics is generally governed by a typically low dimensional attractor space. This space is determined completely by the unitary operations involved and it is independent of the probabilities with which these unitary operations are applied. Based on this general feature analytical results are presented for the asymptotic dynamics of arbitrarily large cyclic qubit networks whose nodes are coupled by randomly applied controlled-NOT operations. |
144921981 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-05T13:07:10.724Z | 2007-06-13T00:00:00.000Z | Hidden in Plain Sight: Reply to Commentary
Jill Salberg’s paper is a sparkling, beautifully written synthesis (not psychosynthesis) of the situation of Freud’s Jewish Vienna and the complicated relations to gender that obtained for Jews at that time and place. The paper, moreover, adds nuance and complexity where other scholars, notably me, have been perhaps crude. One of the major contributions of this paper is the refocus on Freud’s affect in relation to his mother, this particular mother—powerful mother of Jewish culture of eastern Europe. Although gender is a system, previous work on this theme has not treated it generally as such but rather focused on Jewish masculinity. Some queries are advanced on the relation of historicistic to psychobiographical modes of research in the paper. Let me begin by saying simply that it is a hard task to respond critically to a paper with which I agree so thoroughly. I think that Salberg has wonderfully captured and wonderfully presented so much of the cultural background and historical context within which Freud did his work and explored beautifully as well the ways that this background and context worked their way out in his texts. I come at this work from perhaps an odd angle, because, although I have the warmest sympathy for psychoanalysis—a practice that changed, perhaps saved, my life—I am simply not a psychoanalytic theoretician, nor even a historian of psychoanalysis. Why, you may well ask, have I been invited then to respond to this paper? About 10 years ago, I published a book called Unheroic Conduct: The Rise of Heterosexuality and the Invention of the Jewish Man (Boyarin, 1997). My main point in the book was to chart Jewish (actually Ashkenazi Jewish) ideals of masculinity historically, to argue that the dominant Ashkenazi ideal (modeled itself on at least some talmudic representations) was of a masculinity in which the values were nearly the |
222212831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-10-09T13:05:27.899Z | 2020-10-07T00:00:00.000Z | The Role of Patient Awareness and Knowledge in Developing Secondary Lymphedema after Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Surgery.
Background: This study aimed to compare the effects of awareness and knowledge on demographic and clinical factors in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) and gynecologic cancer-related lymphedema (GCRL) in the oncologic rehabilitation setting. Methods and Results: A total of 506 female patients with upper or lower extremity lymphedema, were evaluated for lymphedema education in their postoperative period. Only 74 survivors (25%) with BCRL and 34 survivors (16.83%) with GCRL reported that they had received information about lymphedema by physicians/primary health care providers. In breast cancer survivors, the time of diagnostic delay for lymphedema was shorter in the informed group (p < 0.001), and there was a higher rate of cellulite attacks in uninformed patients (p = 0.021). Duration between surgery and lymphedema was longer and duration of diagnostic delay for lymphedema was shorter in the informed group than uninformed group in gynecologic cancer survivors (p = 0.019, p < 0.001). There was a higher rate of cellulite history in the uninformed patients than informed patients in gynecologic cancer survivors (p < 0.001). In gynecologic cancer survivors who were educated about lymphedema were at an earlier stage than noneducated patients (p = 0.024). Conclusion: The rate of awareness about lymphedema among patients with a history of surgery for gynecologic malignancies is lower compared with those for breast cancer. In female cancer survivors, awareness and knowledge about lymphedema may lead to a later onset of lymphedema, lower lymphedema grades, and fewer infection. |
245335631 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-12-21T14:09:48.418Z | 2021-10-26T00:00:00.000Z | Control charts based on MATLAB statistical and visualization tools as a compatible with e-learning methodology in the context of quality control.
The advanced tools for statistical process control in the context of management and quality control are very important for students of technology degrees, even more so in the current industry 4.0 context and considering the new strategies and quality philosophies like Six Sigma. This work shows a learning activity compatible with e-learning methodology based on the use of Matlab® to improve the teaching-learning process for quality control based on the generation of different random datasets in matrix form so that they are processed by each student using different statistical and data visualization tools. Three different real situations are addressed based on the nature of the data: one case of a fully statistically controlled process, one case of a process with a violation in the variability, and finally, one case of a process with violation either in the centering and variability. A pilot study with a small group of students is addressed and subsequently the perception of the activity is evaluated using a questionnaire. The activity was perceived by the students as useful and scalable. |
122143181 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-19T13:11:24.701Z | 2011-07-09T00:00:00.000Z | Nondipole parameters of TDCS for electron impact ionization and drag current
A comprehensive study is undertaken of angular distributions of electron knock-out from atomic targets by fast electrons with a small transfer of momentum. The general expressions for the parameters of the triple differential cross-section of impact ionization in the optical limit are derived. The calculated parameters are compared with those of the angular distribution of electrons ejected from an atom in the process of photoionization. In these processes, when the multipole transitions are involved, the one-to-one correspondence between the photoionization and impact ionization parameters disappears. The nondipole transitions lead to the backward/forward asymmetry of the angular distribution of ejected electrons that is absent in the dipole approximation for ionization by both fast electrons and photons. Using the He atom as an example, the character of the asymmetry for these two processes is qualitatively different and the backward/forward asymmetry results in macroscopic directed motion of secondary electrons accompanying the passing of a fast electron beam through gas or plasma. The general formulas for this drag current are derived and applied to gaseous He. |
22683431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:51:19.138Z | 1994-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | ω‐Contoxin binding sites and regulation of transmitter release in cerebellar granule neurons
The protective action of Ca2+ and a series of other divalent cations on heat inactivation (48°C, 30 min) of [125I]ω‐conotoxin (CTX) binding sites was investigated in membranes prepared from rat forebrain. Moreover, the influence of GABA (500 ω) on this protection was studied. Binding of [125I]CTX as well as its inhibitory action on K+ (55 mM) stimulated, Ca2+‐dependent transmitter release were studied in rat cerebellar granule neurons cultured in the presence or absence of the GABAA receptor agonist THIP (4,5,6,7‐tetratydroisoxazolo[5,4‐c]pyridin‐3‐ol). In cells cultured in the presence of THIP (150 ω) it was investigated whether the ability of THIP to inhibit evoked transmitter release could be influenced by CTX. Ca2+ and other divalent cations could effectively protect against heat inactivation of [125I]CTX binding sites in rat forebrain membranes, but this protective action was not influenced by the presence of 500 ω GABA. The cultured cerebellar granule neurons exhibited specific binding sites for [125I] CTX, the number of which was independent of exposure of the cells to THIP during the culture period. Evoked transmitter release was inhibited by CTX with an IC50 value of 13 nM. In neurons cultured in the presence of 150 ω THIP, THIP could dose‐dependently inhibit evoked transmitter release, but this inhibitory action was not influenced by CTX (20 nM). The results show that cerebellar granule neurons exhibit functionally meaningful CTX binding sites. An association between such sites and GABA receptors is not apparent. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. |
39318381 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:30:09.459Z | 1993-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | Chylomicrons enhance endotoxin excretion in bile
Chylomicrons prevent endotoxin toxicity and increase endotoxin uptake by hepatocytes. As a consequence, less endotoxin is available to activate macrophages, thereby reducing tumor necrosis factor secretion. To determine whether the chylomicron-mediated increase in hepatocellular uptake of endotoxin results in increased endotoxin excretion into bile, we examined bile after endotoxin administration. A sublethal dose (7 micrograms/kg) of 125I-endotoxin was incubated with either rat mesenteric lymph containing nascent chylomicrons (500 mg of chylomicron triglyceride per kg of body weight) or an equal volume of normal saline (controls) for 3 h and then infused into male Sprague-Dawley rats. Bile samples were collected via a common bile duct catheter for 24 h. Infusion of endotoxin incubated with chylomicrons increased biliary excretion of endotoxin by 67% at 3 h (P < or = 0.006) and by 20% at 24 h (P < or = 0.01) compared with infusion of endotoxin incubated in saline. Endotoxin activity, as measured by the Limulus assay, was not detected in the bile of test animals. However, endotoxin activity was detected after hot phenol-water extraction of bile, demonstrating that endotoxin is inactive in the presence of bile but retains bioactivity after hepatic processing. Since the majority of an intravenous endotoxin load has been shown to be cleared by the liver, acceleration of hepatocyte clearance and biliary excretion of endotoxin may represent a component of the mechanism by which chylomicrons protect against endotoxin-induced lethality. |
242144581 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-09-13T18:45:26.035Z | 2019-03-20T00:00:00.000Z | CONCEPT OF INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF MISSILE AND SPACE DEFENSE OF RUSSIA
The paper discusses the principles of creating an integrated system of missile and space defense (MSD) of the Russian Federation, as well as the tasks and areas for the development of its components: missile attack warning system, space control system and missile defense system. The importance of MSD as a basic component of the aerospace defense of Russia is noted, which necessitates the coordinated development of these systems. It is emphasized that modern ground and space based information and measuring systems of the MSD system can be effectively used in peacetime in order to solve a wide range of scientific and socio‑economic problems. The conclusion is made about the importance of accelerated coordinated development of the domestic MSD, which requires concentration of the potential of industry research organizations and manufacturing enterprises. |
102849831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-09T13:07:38.853Z | 2018-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Imidazoline and imidazolidine nitroxides as controlling agents in nitroxide-mediated pseudoliving radical polymerization
Controlled, or pseudoliving, radical polymerization provides unique opportunities for the synthesis of structurally diverse polymers with a narrow molecular-weight distribution. These reactions occur under relatively mild conditions with broad tolerance to functional groups in the monomers. The nitroxide-mediated pseudoliving radical polymerization is of particular interest for the synthesis of polymers for biomedical applications. This review briefly describes one of the mechanisms of controlled radical polymerization. The studies dealing with the use of imidazoline and imidazolidine nitroxides as controlling agents for nitroxide-mediated pseudoliving radical polymerization of various monomers are summarized and analyzed. The publications addressing the key steps of the controlled radical polymerization in the presence of imidazoline and imidazolidine nitroxides and new approaches to nitroxide-mediated polymerization based on protonation of both nitroxides and monomers are considered. The bibliography includes 154 references. |
110377331 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-13T13:02:19.323Z | 1999-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Defense Spending and Economic Growth in South Korea: The Indirect Link
Due to the lingering food crisis, speculations about the collapse of the North Korean regime have intensified in recent years. The collapse of the North Korean regime is expected to generate a tremendous economic burden on the South Korean economy. Moreover, the current economic crisis in South Korea requires a tight fiscal policy. Thus, on the basis of the peace dividend argument, some suggest that South Korea should reduce its military expenditures to prepare for the upcoming extra economic burden. For this reason, the economic effects of defense spending on growth in South Korea are a significant concern for policymakers as well as scholars. I examined the economic effects of defense spending on growth in terms of time and magnitude by investigating the direct effects as well as the indirect impacts (via investment and export) of military spending on economic growth. A three-equation econometric model was specified and empirically tested using South Korean data for 1954-95. The findings of this study reveal that the overall economic effects of defense spending on growth are negative although they seem to be indirect or delayed. |
216419581 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-04-02T09:31:25.032Z | 2020-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Neurologist, Psychotherapist, Yoga Teacher, 5 years’ experience, Germany
This chapter details the personal experience of a neurologist and psychotherapist who had Non-Epileptic Seizures (NES). Her personal experience supports the neurologist’s efficacy as a psychotherapist. Patients tend to open up and trust this neurologist’. This neurologist greatly admires patient’s efforts to integrate painful particles of their past during the psychotherapeutic process. The ultimate step toward healing means to step up to self-responsibility, and not all patients are able to build up to that step. The chapter then briefly addresses the stigma carried by NES. Ultimately, building up the internal qualities to withstand the external limitations of the neurological work routine and further exploring what professional authenticity looks like for the neurologist when interacting with colleagues have become this neurologist’s current objectives. |
213724581 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-03-19T20:00:59.398Z | 2019-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | P020 An audit of sleep study results in patients undergoing pre-operative assessment
Introduction Undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) presents a significant risk to patients undergoing general anaesthesia. The STOP-BANG questionnaire is a useful screening tool for predicting a high probability of OSA. This study examines the results of the pre-operative screening at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. Methods The sleep study results from 857 patients (658 male) aged 20–87 years (57.1±0.4 years) who underwent a pre-operative assessment and scored ≥3 on the STOP-BANG questionnaire were retrospectively analysed. Patients were categorised as have no, mild, moderate or severe OSA according to their Apnoea Hypopnoea Index (AHI) (n=675) or Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) (n=182). using AASM criteria b (4% desaturation). The effects of gender, age, body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC) and Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) were independently assessed and differences between groups were compared using One Way ANOVA. Results are reported as mean ± standard error. Results The number of patients having no, mild, moderate or severe OSA were 215 (25%), 250 (29%), 214 (25%) and 178 (21%), respectively. The proportion of males increased as severity increased. The percentage of males who had no, mild, moderate or severe OSA was 64.6%, 72.0%, 86.0 and 87.0%, respectively. Mean age was significantly lower (P Those with severe OSA had a significantly higher average BMI compared to all other categories (P Average neck circumference significantly increased with severity of OSA. There was no significant difference in average ESS between groups. Conclusion Seventy-five percent of pre-operative patients with a STOP-BANG score ≥3 had some degree of OSA. The severity of OSA was dependent on gender, age, BMI and neck circumference. ESS was not helpful in predicting presence or severity of OSA. |
38222281 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:13:09.314Z | 2015-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | [The role of zinc ions and structural polymorphism of β-amyloid in the Alzheimer's disease initiation].
Aggregation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) underlies the development of Alzheimer's disease. Here we review the main stages of Aβ formation and aggregation. We highlight the importance of interaction of zinc ions with the metal-binding domain 1-16 of Aβ as a molecular mechanism that leads to Aβ aggregation. We analyze recent studies of the native modifications of the Aβ metal-binding domain that determine its structural polymorphism. The prospects for further studies of these modifications aimed at revealing the pathogenic mechanism of Aβ aggregation are discussed. |
22842981 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-01-23T22:42:21.292Z | 2009-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Transmission surveillance and self-restoration against fibre fault for time division multiplexing using passive optical network
This study proposes a practical transmission surveillance and self-protection scheme for time division multiplexing using passive optical network (TDM-PON) with centralised monitoring and self-restorable apparatus. Troubleshooting a TDM-PON involves locating and identifying the source of an optical problem in what may be a complex optical network topology that includes several optical line terminals (OLTs), optical splitters, fibres and optical network units (ONUs). Since most components in the network are passive, a large part of the issues are due to dirty/damaged/misaligned connectors or breaks/macrobends in optical fibre cables. These will affect one, some or all subscribers in the network, depending on the location of the problems. The proposed scheme is able to prevent and detect the occurrence of fibre faults in a network system through centralised monitoring and remotely operate from a central office via Ethernet connection. Even with fibre fault prevention mechanisms, failures will still occur. Therefore fibre fault detection is required in order to detect potential faults and precisely localise the exact failure location. Whenever any failure occurs on the primary entity, the proposed system can protect and switch the failure line to the protection line to ensure that traffic flows continuously. Meanwhile, the failure information will be delivered to field engineers for taking appropriate recovery action to treat the fibre fault and failure link. One suggestion in point-to-multipoint (P2PM) applications has been proposed with the experimental results as the feasibility approach. This approach has bright prospects for improving the survivability and reliability as well as increasing the efficiency and monitoring capabilities in TDM-PON. |
26998831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:52:29.352Z | 2011-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Metabolic footprint in conditioned culture medium of placental explants: a comparison between early-onset and late-onset severe preeclampsia].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the differences of metabolic footprint in the conditioned culture medium of placental explants between early-onset and late-onset severe preeclampsia.
METHODS
In 13 cases of early-onset severe preeclampsia and 14 cases of late-onset severe preeclampsia, the placentas were sampled at the surface of the maternal placenta. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to determine the differences in the metabolites in the conditioned culture medium of the placental villous explants cultured in 6% atmospheric O(2) for 96 h. Standard samples were used to establish the tryptophan and kynurenine chromatography library by HPLC-MS to analyze the concentration of tryptophan and kynurenine in the conditioned culture medium.
RESULTS
Thirty-six metabolites showed statistically significant differences between early-onset and late-onset severe preeclampsia (P<0.05). The concentration of kynurenine was significantly higher in early-onset severe preeclampsia than in late-onset severe preeclampsia (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Early-onset and late-onset severe preeclampsia may have different pathogeneses. By detecting the concentration of metabolites, metabolomic strategies provide a new means for predicting the onset time of severe preeclampsia. |
21350731 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T05:34:39.363Z | 1982-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Pharmacokinetics of ticarcillin during cisplatin chemotherapy.
Cancer chemotherapeutic agents and antimicrobial antibiotics are often given concomitantly. Cisplatin, which has become increasingly important in cancer treatment, has shown nephrotoxicity as a dose-limiting feature. The alpha-carboxy-penicillin ticarcillin (tc) has a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity, especially against Pseudomonas. The plasma half-life of tc is correlated with renal function. The combined use of cisplatin (20 mg/m2, days 1-5) and tc (3 X 5 g/24 h, days 1-5) with renal protection by vigorous hydration (2400 ml of 0.9% NaCl/24 h continuous infusion, days 1-5) in a group of 12 cancer patients did not alter the BUN and creatinine serum levels. The mean serum concentration of tc, which was monitored in a patient 15, 30, and 45 min after injection of 5 g on 4 consecutive days together with cisplatin, did not differ from the levels of tc reported when used without concomitant cisplatin therapy. Thus these preliminary data show that the pharmacology of tc may not be altered significantly when applied together with cisplatin and that cumulative nephrotoxicity must not be expected with this combination when sufficient hydration is used. |
8855331 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2004-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Learning to detect objects in images via a sparse, part-based representation
We study the problem of detecting objects in still, gray-scale images. Our primary focus is the development of a learning-based approach to the problem that makes use of a sparse, part-based representation. A vocabulary of distinctive object parts is automatically constructed from a set of sample images of the object class of interest; images are then represented using parts from this vocabulary, together with spatial relations observed among the parts. Based on this representation, a learning algorithm is used to automatically learn to detect instances of the object class in new images. The approach can be applied to any object with distinguishable parts in a relatively fixed spatial configuration; it is evaluated here on difficult sets of real-world images containing side views of cars, and is seen to successfully detect objects in varying conditions amidst background clutter and mild occlusion. In evaluating object detection approaches, several important methodological issues arise that have not been satisfactorily addressed in the previous work. A secondary focus of this paper is to highlight these issues, and to develop rigorous evaluation standards for the object detection problem. A critical evaluation of our approach under the proposed standards is presented. |
44255531 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T05:42:01.306Z | 1985-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Use of fluorescence flow cytometry to study the binding of various ligands to platelets.
Fluorescence flow cytometry can be used to analyze the binding of different ligands to platelets. However careful choice of volume gates is essential in selecting the population of platelets for analysis. The use of fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated to staphylococcal protein A or F(ab')2 fragments of immunoglobulin G anti-immunoglobulin offers no advantage in sensitivity or specificity in fluorescence studies of platelets and prefixation of washed platelets with paraformaldehyde has no effect on nonspecific fluorescence. The application of this technology to platelets facilitates quantitation of fluorescence intensity and may yield additional useful information. |
70185831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-02-19T14:07:53.117Z | 2018-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | Joint clock synchronization and position estimation in time of arrival–based passive positioning systems
A widely used scheme for target localization is to measure the time of arrival of a wireless signal emitted by a tag, which requires the clocks of the anchors (receivers at known locations) to be accurately synchronized. Conventional systems rely on transmissions from a timing reference node at a known location for clock synchronization and therefore are susceptible to reference node failure. In this article, we propose a novel localization scheme which jointly estimates anchor clock offsets and target positions. The system does not require timing reference nodes and is completely passive (non-intrusive). The positioning algorithm is formulated as a maximum likelihood estimation problem, which is solved efficiently using an iterative linear least square method. The Cramér–Rao lower bound of positioning error is also analyzed. It is shown that the performance of the proposed scheme improves with the number of targets in the system and approaches that of a system with perfectly synchronized anchors. |
152200131 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-10T13:08:18.134Z | 2005-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | The Digital Sublime: Myth, Power, and Cyberspace
prehensive and complex system of control established and maintained by an influential leader, which forces them to expunge their previous self and adopt a new self acclimated in the beliefs of the group. Although hinted at, Lalich never fully explains why people join cults, or why people establish them for that matter, both crucial elements in a discussion of how cults and a system of bounded choice develop. Lalich’s research is quite extensive, drawing on interviews with former Heaven’s Gate and DWP members, literature and media reports on and by the two groups, and an adequate theoretical discussion. In the case of the DWP, she also draws on her own experiences within the group. Her revelation of former cult membership, in the Preface, certainly garnered my attention, opening up the possibility for a rich, firsthand social psychological account from a former cult member, perhaps somewhat of a quasi auto-ethnography. That could have been used to explain some of the motives individuals have for cult membership. However, even though such an engagement is largely absent, Lalich cogently establishes a comprehensive theoretical framework and accurately applies it to two seemingly disparate, yet overwhelmingly similar American cults while including her own experiences and avoiding the dangerous road of solipsism. Although not the focus, Lalich occasionally integrates current events, such as September 11, 2001, into her theoretical analysis, which, along with her clear prose and narratives, makes this book widely attractive for various academics (sociologists, religious scholars) and interested laypeople alike. Lalich does not suggest that cults such as Heaven’s Gate and the DWP should be compared to groups like Al-Qaeda, or that their members should be compared to people as extreme as suicide bombers, but she does show that the organization and behavior of these groups is not altogether dissimilar. She demystifies the cultic group and provides a thorough understanding of its nature and potential consequences (both positive and negative) for the individual and society as a whole. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURAL PRODUCTION |
226251331 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-11-05T09:07:51.536Z | 2020-11-03T00:00:00.000Z | Thermosensitive Polymer Dot Nanocomposites for Trimodal Computed Tomography/Photoacoustic/Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Synergistic Chemo-Photothermal Therapy.
Precision delivery of theranostic agents to the tumor site is essential to improve their diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy and concurrently minimize adverse effects during treatment. In this study, a novel concept of near-infrared (NIR) light activation of conjugated polymer dots (Pdots) at thermosensitive hydrogel nanostructures is introduced for multimodal imaging-guided synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. Interestingly, owing to the attractive photothermal conversion efficiency of Pdots, the Pdots@hydrogel as theranostic agents is able to undergo a controllable softening or melting state under the irradiation of NIR laser, resulting in light-triggered drug release in a controlled way and concurrently hydrogel degradation. Besides, the novel Pdots@hydrogel nanoplatform can serve as the theranostic agent for enhanced trimodal photoacoustic (PA)/computed tomography (CT)/fluorescence (FL) imaging-guided synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of tumors. More importantly, the constructed intelligent nanocomposite Pdots@hydrogel exhibits excellent biodegradability, strong NIR absorption, bright PA/CT/FL signals, and superior tumor ablation effect. Therefore, the concept of a light-controlled multifunctional Pdots@hydrogel that integrates multiple diagnostic/therapeutic modalities into one nanoplatform can potentially be applied as a smart nanotheranostic agent to various perspectives of personalized nanomedicine. |
14772531 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-14T03:37:54.874Z | 2011-04-18T00:00:00.000Z | Thermal mechanical modeling and assessment for a novel power system module with vertical input capacitor
In this paper, a novel power system module (PSM) is developed by integrating the vertical input capacitor inside the package. Comparing with the traditional PSM, the novel PSM has better electrical performance with less parasitic inductance and switching loss, due to a small loop from the input capacitor to the MOSFETs. A comprehensive modeling study is carried out to assess the assembly stress, thermal performance and reliability performance of the novel PSM. The impact of input capacitor height of the novel PSM is studied by building models with different input capacitor height designs. The modeling of the traditional PSM without the input capacitor is also conducted for comparison. The molding cure process is simulated to study the thermal stress induced by the CTE mismatch of different materials. The non-linear elastic plastic material constitutive model is applied to solder, clip and lead frame. The stress on die, solder paste and solder bump is evaluated and analyzed. Thermal characterization of all the package models is conducted to calculate the thermal resistance Rthja according to the JEDEC standards. The matrix method is used to obtain the thermal resistance of all dies, by applying power on different dies separately. The reliability performance is simulated and compared for all package models, including the autoclave (ACLV) test and preconditioning test. An equivalent CTE method is used to simulate the total stress after the ACLV and reflow process, including the hygroscopic stress, vapor pressure induced stress, and the CTE mismatch induced stress. Finally, the possible failure modes of the novel PSM are discussed. |
95710931 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-05T03:31:57.043Z | 2011-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Luminescence imaging for inline characterisation in silicon photovoltaics
Luminescence imaging is a very rapid technique for the characterisation of silicon samples. Megapixel luminescence images on silicon bricks, unprocessed wafers, partially processed wafers and fully processed cells can be captured with acquisition times of typically a few seconds or less than one second. A number of specific luminescence imaging applications have been developed over the last three years, allowing quantitative spatial information to be gained about a variety of crucial material and device parameters. This paper reviews some of the intriguing possibilities for inline monitoring in PV production at an early stage of production that result from the above mentioned short measurement times. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) |
8089131 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2015-07-17T22:55:48.000Z | 2014-02-13T00:00:00.000Z | Microstructures and Crackling Noise of AlxNbTiMoV High Entropy Alloys
A series of high entropy alloys (HEAs), AlxNbTiMoV, was produced by a vacuum arc-melting method. Their microstructures and compressive mechanical behavior at room temperature were investigated. It has been found that a single solid-solution phase with a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure forms in these alloys. Among these alloys, Al0.5NbTiMoV reaches the highest yield strength (1,625 MPa), which should be attributed to the considerable solid-solution strengthening behavior. Furthermore, serration and crackling noises near the yielding point was observed in the NbTiMoV alloy, which represents the first such reported phenomenon at room temperature in HEAs. |
182226331 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-06-07T23:31:52.769Z | 2019-05-16T00:00:00.000Z | Entrepreneurs’ characteristics impact on proactive environmental strategy: Enterprise ownership as a moderator
With the continuous development of China’s economy, environmental problems are becoming more and more prominent. Since the 18th Party Congress, environmental protection has been incorporated into the national strategy, also the government has come up with development ideas of innovation, harmony, green, open and sharing during the 13th five-year period. As the microeconomic entities, companies are the main resource of environmental pollution. Therefore, enterprise have become the focus of environmental pollution control. Enterprises’ choices of environmental strategy have important meanings to the whole society’s economic and environmental development. It is important to take the study on the influential factors of proactive environmental strategy choice under the constant restraint of environmental rules. In this context, the external environment puts forward high requirements on the entrepreneurs. Facing the changes and demands of environmental strategies, entrepreneurs have to identify risks and opportunities and make decisions to respond in good time. However, the different characteristics and traits of entrepreneurs also influence the coping styles and strategies of entrepreneurs facing changes of environment. In addition, the differences in the nature of the entrepreneur’s enterprise have an impact on the implementation of the relevant business strategy. The enterprise ownership is worth further exploration. Based on the review on the theory of upper echelons, the paper selected entrepreneurs from 6 kinds of industry and 126 companies as the research objects. The paper explored the education level and work experience of entrepreneurs’ characteristics impact on proactive environmental strategy, and investigated the effect of enterprise ownership on the relationship between entrepreneurs’ characteristics and proactive environmental strategy. The paper considered the enterprise ownership as state-owned and non-state-owned. The results showed that entrepreneurs’ environmental education level and environmental work experience have a positive impact on proactive environmental strategy. The results of the regression analysis of the moderating variables show that the different ownership of the enterprise will have different moderating effects on the influence of entrepreneurs’ characteristics on proactive environmental strategy. That is to say, the regulation effect of non-state-owned enterprises on the relationship between entrepreneurs’ characteristics on proactive environmental strategy is greater than that of state-owned enterprises. On this basis, this paper puts forward suggestion as follows: at the entrepreneurial level, entrepreneurs should pay attention to practical knowledge and ability, to accumulate environmental experience, to respond to changes in the environment effectively. At the same time, not only should the entrepreneur have a correct understanding of the environmental protection, but also they have a strong sense of responsibility and mission to transform the concept of environmental protection for practical action, taking environmental protection as a long-term strategic mission. At the government level, they need to help and support enterprises to enhance their experience and innovative ability to cope with external challenges actively. Also, the government should formulate strict and reasonable environmental rules and truly implement environmental strategies.With the continuous development of China’s economy, environmental problems are becoming more and more prominent. Since the 18th Party Congress, environmental protection has been incorporated into the national strategy, also the government has come up with development ideas of innovation, harmony, green, open and sharing during the 13th five-year period. As the microeconomic entities, companies are the main resource of environmental pollution. Therefore, enterprise have become the focus of environmental pollution control. Enterprises’ choices of environmental strategy have important meanings to the whole society’s economic and environmental development. It is important to take the study on the influential factors of proactive environmental strategy choice under the constant restraint of environmental rules. In this context, the external environment puts forward high requirements on the entrepreneurs. Facing the changes and demands of environmental strategies, entrepreneurs have to identify risks and opport... |
2094031 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2011-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | A First Study on a Fuzzy Rule-Based Multiclassification System Framework Combining FURIA with Bagging and Feature Selection
In this work, we conduct a preliminary study considering a fuzzy rule-based multiclassification system design framework based on Fuzzy Unordered Rule Induction Algorithm (FURIA). This advanced method serves as the fuzzy classification rule learning algorithm to derive the component classifiers considering bagging combined with feature selection. We develop a study on the use of both bagging and feature selection to design a final FURIA-based fuzzy multiclassifier applied to ten popular UCI datasets. The results obtained show that this approach provides promising results. |
67845031 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-12-24T23:15:01.518Z | 2015-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | Clay Minerals – Mineralogy and Phenomenon of Clay Swelling in Oil & Gas Industry
Abstract Among the minerals found in the earth's crust, clay minerals are of the widest interest. Due to the specific properties such as plasticity, absorbing and catalytic properties clay minerals are used in many industries (oil & gas, chemistry, pharmacy, refractory technology, ceramics etc.). In drilling, a phenomenon of swelling clays is frequently observed. It has an important impact on the cementing quality. During the last few decades clays have been the subject of research on a scale unprecedented in the history of mineralogy. This paper presents review literature on mineralogy of clay minerals and phenomenon of swelling in oil and gas industry. Unique ion exchange properties and clay swelling mechanisms are also considered. |
1642981 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:29:19.135Z | 2016-05-03T00:00:00.000Z | Delayed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in a Japanese population
Abstract Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the period from symptom onset to diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Japanese patients and to examine possible reasons for delayed diagnosis. Methods: Seventy-two consecutive patients with AS were studied. Diagnostic delay was defined as the gap between the first spondyloarthropathic symptom and diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria. Results: The mean patient ages at disease onset and diagnosis were 25.6 ± 11.3 and 33.3 ± 13.2 years old, respectively, resulting in diagnostic delay of 6.7 years. The number of medical institutions to which patients were referred before diagnosis was 2.4, and orthopedic surgeons were most commonly visited (62%). Non-specific low back pain or lumbar spondylitis (33%) and degenerative arthritis (28%) were the primary diagnoses preceding that of AS. Absence of articular symptoms significantly correlated with diagnostic delay. The patients with disease onset on year 2000 or later had significantly shorter periods until diagnosis than those before 2000 (3.6 vs. 7.5 years). Conclusions: The present study showed a marked diagnostic delay among Japanese patients with AS. Although it has been improved, continuing medical education focusing on inflammatory back pain in adolescent is required for early diagnosis of AS. |
14368281 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2012-05-29T00:00:00.000Z | K-Stores: A Spatial and Epistemic Concurrent Constraint Interpreter
Concurrent constraint programming (ccp) is a mature formalism for reasoning about concurrent systems that exhibit a constrained behavior. Spatial ccp and epistemic ccp are two novel variants of ccp currently being developed by Knight and Valencia. These variants model systems with spatial hierarchies of group information and knowledge. These systems are ubiquitous due to the advent of social networks and cloud computing where agents may share certain information with certain groups. This paper introduces an interpreter for these extensions we call k-stores. The interpreter is a Prolog implementation of the operational semantics of the languages allowing the programmer to simulate distributed information systems. The main feature consists of an implementation of a spatial (distributed) store that allows epistemic information in it. The system supports the specification of (named) processes along with the ccp classic primitives, namely, ask and tell operations. The declarative view of processes is inherited from the ccp extensions. The orthogonal implementation of the local space abstraction and the epistemic constraint system makes further extensions possible. Special attention is paid to the representation of distributed knowledge and common knowledge |
14437781 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-10T12:35:13.724Z | 2005-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Can an Immuno-fuzzy Approach Detect Only a Few Non-self Cells Existed in an Enormous Amount of Self Cells?
In the context of network intrusion detection, we test a lately reported technique which generates a set of fuzzy rules to recognize unknown abnormal patterns using a test- function which we call a-tiny-island-in-a-huge-lake. Our concern is whether or not we can train the system only with a set of already known normal patterns. Yet another of our concern is what happens in an extreme case where a sample of abnormal patterns are very few comparing to the normal ones, and what if it eventually shrinks to zero, which is what they call a-needle-in-a-haystack. |
44871781 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T05:54:28.462Z | 1988-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | Polarizations and spin correlations in the NN-->N Delta reaction.
A systematic formalism is developed for the spin observables of the NN..-->..N..delta.. reaction, according to the polarization states of the four baryons involved in the transition. This formalism allows us to express all observables by means of a compact formula. Special emphasis is put on the search for relationships between different spin observables and particularly on relations equivalent to the so-called ''Bohr's rule'' in NN..-->..NN. These relationships are useful when choosing specific sets of orthonormalized ..delta..-spin operators adapted to analysis of experimental data. |
81202731 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-18T14:06:35.759Z | 2018-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | FRI0243 Anakinra for calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis: an efficient, safe alternative treatment
Background Calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) deposition is a frequent joint disease with increased prevalence in older people in whom treatment of acute CPP arthritis with conventional therapies such as colchicine, corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could be contraindicated or not used at an optimal dose. As recommended in gout, anakinra might represent an alternative treatment for acute arthritis. In contrast, the relevance of anakinra in acute CPP arthritis has not given much attention. Objectives We further aimed to analyse the efficacy and safety of anakinra in acute CPP arthritis in a large cohort. Methods We retrospectively included all patients receiving anakinra for acute CPP arthritis between January 2011 and 2017. Medical history data were collected including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, history of gastroduodenal ulcer, renal impairment and concomitant treatments including anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs. The following data were collected before and 4 days after the first anakinra injection: swollen joint count (SJC), tender joint count (TJC), pain score on a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0–100 mm) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. A good response was defined according the evaluation of the physician or documentation in the chart of the phrase “good response” after anakinra treatment. Results We included 33 patients (24 women; mean age 79.2±12.8 years). Mean duration of acute arthritis 13.2±12.9 days. CPP arthritis was confirmed by the presence of CCP crystals in synovial fluid in 28/33 (84.8%) patients. For the remaining 5 patients, the diagnosis was confirmed by CPP deposition features seen on imaging. Corticosteroids, NSAIDs and colchicine were previous treatments, without significant improvement in 12 (36.4%), 7 (21.2%) and 18 (54.5%) patients, respectively. The mean dose of corticosteroids was 20.8±8.2 mg/day. Among the 33 patients, 32 had a documented visit at day 4. The number of good responders was 27 (81.8%). At day 4, patients showed decreased mean VAS pain score (from 64.8±26.5 to 21.2±19.7 mm, p<0.0001), TJC (5.8±5.0 to 1.0±1.0, p<0.0001), SJC (3.9±2.7 to 0.9±1.0, p<0.0001) and CRP level (116.1±71.6 to 26.0±23.1 mg/L, p<0.0001). Anakinra was well tolerated. Only one patient had pneumonitis that was resolved with oral antibacterial agents. Conclusions Our results suggest that anakinra could be a relevant alternative for managing acute CPP arthritis, leading to rapid relief of inflammatory symptoms, with a good tolerance. Disclosure of Interest None declared |
2195481 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-03-31T08:35:36.427Z | 2007-06-06T00:00:00.000Z | Analysis of Cavity Tool Stresses in Channel Angular Extrusion
The Channel Angular Extrusion (CAE) technique is a process, in which a deformable solid material is led to yielding through the intersection of inclined channels. Compared to classic plastic deformation, the process is technically simple but the material experiences, instantly, large plastic deformation. The deformation occurs locally and high internal stresses develop during the process. In most cases the process is used for grain size refinement. Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) is a special case where the intersecting channels are of equal cross sections. In this paper, an analytical study of the internal stresses and those developed along CAE tools is presented. A deformation model is introduced for the general process of channel extrusion in which the intersecting channels are not necessarily equal. The procedure splits the material at the intersection of the channels into two zones; one causes the deformation while the other remains rigid. The analysis is also applied to the particular case of ECAE, and the results are compared with those obtained from a finite element analysis and the overall experimental pressure. |
28309681 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T01:09:49.815Z | 2014-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Mortality effects of prolonged heat waves in the 2000s in Finland].
Environmental heat is a health risk especially for the elderly and those with a pre-existing disease. Mortality effects of prolonged heat waves in Finland were studied for different age groups, genders, causes of death, and places of death. Mortality due to various causes of death increased significantly in people aged 75 or above. The increase in risk was higher in health care facilities than other places of death. In the future, more efficient mitigation of adverse health effects of heat is needed as the population ages and climate change proceeds. Special attention should be given to the conditions in health care facilities. |
252170581 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-09-10T15:35:42.961Z | 2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | TRAINING MODULES FOR ASSESSING EDUCATION QUALITY AS A FACTOR OF MOTIVATING TEACHERS TO USE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The article describes the experience of implementing a training course (module) aimed at familiarizing practical teachers and students of pedagogical profile with the content and results of international systems for assessing the quality of education. The main difficulties that arise during the passage of the module material for different students are identified, the main effects of the course are described, including those associated with a change in the cognitive position of students. Some technologies used in the course of training are given. |
18495731 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2016-01-13T18:10:52.408Z | 2015-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | An Approximate Sphere of the Four Anchor Nodes Positioning Method Based on RSSI
The utilizing of received signal strength indication (RSSI) in wireless sensor network (WSN) is a distance measurement method to compute the location of nodes, which needn’t additional hardware equipment. However, large errors of measurement may cause by the disturbance of environmental noise and inherent factors of hardware. Through analyzing the location information of anchor nodes and adaptive acquire the uncertain factors of RSSI in WSN to estimate the coordinate of unknown node accurately. We use MATLAB and ZSTACK-CC2530 protocol stack as simulation and real experiments prove that the method to locate nodes is effective and practical than other usual RSSI based strategies. Copyright © 2015 IFSA Publishing, S. L. |
244256831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-10-18T18:04:39.574Z | 2021-09-30T00:00:00.000Z | Change Detection of Lake Chad Water Surface Area Using Remote Sensing and Satellite Imagery
The
Lake Chad located in the west-central Africa in the Sahel region at the edge of
the Sahara experienced severe drought during 1970s and 1980s and overexploitation
(unintegrated and unsustainable use), which is a result of variant land uses
and water management practices during the last 50 years. This resulted in a
decline of the water level in the Lake and surrounding rivers. The present
study analyzed satellite images of Lake Chad from Landsat-MSS, Landsat-OLI to
investigate the change of the open water surface area during the years of 1973,
1987, 2001, 2013, and 2017. Supervised classifications were performed for the
land cover analysis. The open water area in 1973 was covering 16,157.34 km2 approximately, and that was 64.6% of the total lake area in the 1960s. As an
ultimate result of the extreme drought that the study area witnessed through
1970s-1980s, the open water area has decreased to 1831.44 km2, i.e. around 11.33%, compared to that in
1973. The dilemma that the study area is suffering from is believed to be a
catastrophic complication of the aforementioned drought crisis, which arose as
an ultimate result the climate change, global warming, and the unintegrated and
unsustainable use of water challenges the study area is still encountering. |
141010831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-01T13:02:21.319Z | 2009-12-16T00:00:00.000Z | Bottle-shaped container provided with a fixing ring, preform, operating apparatus and method of operation
A a simple bottle-shaped container provided with a fixing ring with reduced material consumption and costs, preform, to provide an operating apparatus and method of operation. A comprises a thermoplastic material that is blow molded, with an opening portion 2 and the fixed ring 3, the container having a bottle-like outer shape, the opening portion 2, the locking ring 3 and the container shoulder It was formed without a support ring between the parts. Furthermore, the opening portion 2 and the fixed ring 3 is formed by injection molding. |
245609831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-01-01T16:07:41.517Z | 2021-12-29T00:00:00.000Z | Heavy metals in private car dusts collected from Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Gambang Campus: Contamination and human health risks
A pilot study was conducted to investigate the concentrations of seven heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb) in private car dusts collected from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Gambang campus. Ten private cars were selected among UMP staffs and students, and the dust samples were obtained by using a conventional vacuum cleaner with a clean nylon sampling sock pre-inserted into the suction nozzle. All samples were acid-digested with aqua regia solution and analysed for metal concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). The highest mean concentrations were recorded for Fe (650± 480 mg/kg), followed by Zn (160 ± 110 mg/kg), Cu (76.2 ± 18.5 mg/kg), Pb (39.2 ± 99.1 mg/kg), Ni (6.39 ± 8.30 mg/kg), Cr (3.42 ± 5.90 mg/kg) and Cd (0.55 ± 1.40 mg/kg). Hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values lower than 1 indicated no potential non-carcinogenic risks to the adult drivers.
|
251623831 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-08-18T06:17:21.152Z | 2022-08-17T00:00:00.000Z | Device-based and subjective measurements of sleep in children with cerebral palsy: a comparison of sleep diary, actigraphy, and bed sensor data.
STUDY OBJECTIVES
To investigate how subjective assessments and device-based measurements of sleep relate to each other in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
METHODS
Sleep of children with CP, classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, was measured during 7 consecutive nights using one subjective (i.e. sleep diary), and two device-based (i.e. actigraphy and bed sensor) instruments. The agreement between the instruments was assessed for all nights, and separately for school- and weekend nights, using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots.
RESULTS
A total of 227 nights from 38 children with CP (53% male; median age (range), 6 (2-12)), were included in the analyses. Sleep parameters showed poor agreement between the three instruments, except for total time in bed, which showed satisfactory agreement between i) actigraphy and sleep diary (ICC > 0.86), ii) actigraphy and bed sensor (ICC > 0.84) and iii) sleep diary and bed sensor (ICC > 0.83). Furthermore, agreement between sleep diary and bed sensor was also satisfactory for total sleep time (ICC > 0.70) and wakefulness after sleep onset (ICC = 0.55; only during weekend nights).
CONCLUSIONS
Researchers and clinicians need to be aware of the discrepancies between instruments for sleep monitoring in children with CP. We recommend combining both subjective and device-based measures to provide information on the perception as well as an unbiased estimate of sleep. Further research needs to be conducted on the use of a bed sensor for sleep monitoring in children with CP. |
220275531 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-08-20T03:49:42.070Z | 2006-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | Medifile drug Information bulletin
Heart failure, defined as a clinical syndrome caused by cardiac disease which compromises ventricular systolic or diastolic function or both, is a serious disease with high morbidity and mortality that is due primarily to progression of myocardial dysfunction. The occurrence of heart failure during hospitalisation for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important factor influencing shortand long-term morbidity and mortality. Myocardial infarction (MI) can be differentiated based on the anatomic, morphologic and diagnostic clinical information. A transmural MI is characterised by ischaemic necrosis of the full thickness of the affected myocardial muscle segment i.e. from the endocardium through the myocardium to the epicardium. On the other hand with a non-transmural MI, the area of necrosis is limited to either the endocardium or the endocardium and myocardium. |
36302181 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:44:48.021Z | 2017-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | Study of Cholesterol Repletion Effect on Nanomechanical Properties of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell Via Rapid Broadband Atomic Force Microscopy.
Abnormalities of blood cholesterol concentration are associated with increased risks for vascular disease, especially heart attacks and strokes. As one of the main lipid components of plasma membrane in all mammalian cells, cholesterol has a major impact on the mechanical properties of the membrane of endothelial cells. Although the effect of cholesterol depletion on cell mechanical properties has been studied, no results yet have been reported on quantitative investigation of cholesterol repletion effect. In this study, the cholesterol repletion effect on the nanomechanical properties of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (EA.hy926) was studied using a control-based atomic force microscope (AFM) nanomechanical measurement protocol. The viscoelasticity of EA.hy926 cells were measured over a large frequency range (0.1-100 Hz) using both constant-rate excitation force with different loading rates and a broadband excitation force. The viscoelasticity oscillation of the cell membranes under the cholesterol effect was also monitored in real-time. The experiment results showed that under the effect of cholesterol repletion, both the Young's modulus and the complex modulus of EA.hy926 cell were increased over 30%, respectively, and moreover, the amplitudes of both the elasticity oscillation and the viscosity oscillation at a period of around 200 s were increased over 70%, respectively. Therefore, this work is among the first to investigate the mechanical properties, particularly, the broadband viscoelasticity variations of EA.hy926 cells under cholesterol repletion treatment. The results revealed that cholesterol repletion may reinforce the coupling of F-actin to plasma membrane by increasing actin stability, and the cholesterol might have modified the submembrane cytoskeletal organization of EA.hy926 cell by causing the involvement of the motor protein nonmuscle myosin II. |
225733131 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-06-11T09:04:28.599Z | 2020-06-08T00:00:00.000Z | A Comparison of Aircraft Flyover Auralizations by the Aircraft Noise Simulation Working Group
The Aircraft Noise Working Group (ANSWr), comprised of the NASA, the DLR, and the ONERA, recently completed an analysis campaign to compare aircraft noise simulation tools, establish guidelines for noise prediction, and launched activities to assess uncertainties associated with the simulation. The campaign included the analyses of two DLR conceptual aircraft, a reference tube-and-wing aircraft, and a low noise aircraft with engines mounted above the fuselage-wing-junction. While the total predicted noise for each of the concepts compared favorably between analyses at the peak level, significant differences were noted at the component level. This paper aims to further that effort by auralizing the sounds associated with those predictions. Comparisons are made between the NASA, DLR/Empa, and ONERA generated sounds to determine how differences in the system noise prediction result in changes to the auralized sound. |
219317731 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-06-05T13:02:17.082Z | 2020-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | Sex-specific DNA methylation differences in people exposed to polybrominated biphenyl.
Aim: Michigan residents were exposed to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) when it was accidentally added to the food supply. Highly exposed individuals report sex-specific health problems, but the underlying biological mechanism behind these different health risks is not known. Materials and methods: DNA methylation in blood from 381 women and 277 men with PBB exposure was analyzed with the MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Results: 675 CpGs were associated with PBBs levels in males, while only 17 CpGs were associated in females (false discovery rate <0.05). No CpGs were associated in both sexes. These CpGs were enriched in different functional regions and transcription factor binding sites in each sex. Conclusion: Exposure to PBBs may have sex-specific effects on the epigenome that may underlie sex-specific adverse health outcomes. |
231938631 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-01-07T09:02:24.335Z | 2021-01-02T00:00:00.000Z | Predictors of spelling errors in expository texts written by Hebrew-speaking elementary school children (Predictores de errores ortográficos en textos expositivos escritos por alumnos de habla hebrea en escuela primaria)
ABSTRACT Spelling errors are considered a paramount criterion in the evaluation of written texts. The present study aimed: (a) to describe the developmental path of spelling errors in expository texts written by Hebrew-speaking children from the second to fifth grades and (b) to reveal the predictive power of cognitive, linguistic and reading variables on spelling accuracy. To this end, each child wrote three expository texts and completed a battery of tasks. Spelling errors were identified and classified into various categories. Findings revealed a consistent decrease in spelling errors as age increased with a greater leap from the third grade on. Proficiency in reading fluency (as measured by rate and accuracy) and good reading comprehension skills significantly reduced the chance of producing spelling errors of any kind. Additional variables, such as lexical knowledge, also contributed to explaining the reduction of spelling errors in content Hebrew words. Our findings of mutual relations clearly support the connectionist and comprehensive approach to spelling that incorporates various linguistic and literacy dimensions in order to reach the goal of correct spelling. |
201664931 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-08-30T16:45:36.244Z | 2020-07-01T00:00:00.000Z | Peri-operative morbidity and fertility outcome after repeat abdominal myomectomy for large fibroid uterus
Abstract This was a retrospective cohort study evaluating peri-operative morbidity of 66 women who underwent repeat abdominal myomectomy compared with 200 women who had primary myomectomy in the same period, matched for age and uterine size. We report the reproductive outcome of women seeking fertility after repeat myomectomy. More pre-operative GnRH analogues were used and midline abdominal skin incision performed in the repeat myomectomy group. The likelihood of major complication was three times higher in the repeat abdominal myomectomy group (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.67–5.5, p < .001). There was a significantly longer mean hospital stay (p < .01), higher incidence of bleeding (p < .01) and urinary or wound infection (p < .01) in the repeat abdominal myomectomy group. Of the 47 women who had repeat myomectomy for fertility reasons, six women conceived and two live birth at term (4%). Our study highlights the significant peri-operative morbidity and poor subsequent live birth rate associated with repeat abdominal myomectomy. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Repeat abdominal myomectomy is a major surgical procedure with significant morbidity. However, abdominal myomectomy for large fibroid uterus remains the preferred treatment method for women who wish to preserve fertility. Sufficient evidence related to the peri-operative morbidity and fertility outcome after repeat abdominal myomectomy is lacking. What do the results of this study add? This is the largest study reporting peri-operative morbidity and pregnancy outcome following repeat abdominal myomectomy. Our results highlight the three times increased risk of major complications associated with repeat abdominal myomectomy compared to primary myomectomy with the poor subsequent live birth rate. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our study complements the sparse existing data on the outcome of repeat abdominal myomectomy and underscore the potentially significant peri-operative morbidity and poor subsequent live birth rate associated with the procedure. This information should be used in counselling women with fibroid recurrence after primary myomectomy before they embark on repeat surgery. |
19032881 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-21T19:00:11.010Z | 2015-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | Modeling the Subjective Quality of Highly Contrasted Videos Displayed on LCD With Local Backlight Dimming
Local backlight dimming is a technology aiming at both saving energy and improving visual quality on television sets. As the rendition of the image is specified locally, the numerical signal corresponding to the displayed image needs to be computed through a model of the display. This simulated signal can then be used as input to objective quality metrics. The focus of this paper is on determining which characteristics of locally backlit displays influence quality assessment. A subjective experiment assessing the quality of highly contrasted videos displayed with various local backlight-dimming algorithms is set up. Subjective results are then compared with both objective measures and objective quality metrics using different display models. The first analysis indicates that the most significant objective features are temporal variations, power consumption (probably representing leakage), and a contrast measure. The second analysis shows that modeling of leakage is necessary for objective quality assessment of sequences displayed with local backlight dimming. |
185587681 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-06-12T15:02:12.063Z | 1978-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | Causal Determinants of Secular Orientation among Farmers of Three Villages in Andhra Pradesh : A Path Analytic Study ∗
The dynamics of developmental change has been the subject of analytical treatment and theoretical formulation as frequently at the individual level as it has been at the level of macro units of social organization. The individual-centred approach is typical particularly of the efforts of social psychologists and those sociologists who are concerned with matters of planning and social action. In deciphering developmental change at the actor level, a most useful point of departure is the hypothesis concerning the functional relationship between general and specific change. In its immediate extension to the field of adoption behaviour, the hypothesis translates itself into the assumption, characteristic of most sociological studies and writings in this area, that specific innovation adoption behaviour springs from general, abstract and pervasive change orientation among farmers. The categorisation of certain adopters as "Innovators" defined as relatively early in time to adopt particular recommended practices is the conceptual offshoot of this very assumption. Some general, change-favouring orientations identified as crucial to developmental change are (a) secular orientation which is the specific focus of this study, (b) achievement motivation, which is extensively discussed and investigated, and (c) planning orientation. Parsons' (1951) pattern variables of self-orientation and universalism are other examples of change promoting, generalised, abstract orientations. Some less general orientations, identified as favourable particularly to economic development, are risk-orientation, credit orientation and deferred gratification. Rogers' (1969 : 111-135) essay on the subculture of peasantry underscores the assumption of functional primacy of such orientations in agricultural development. In McClelland's extensive work (1961 and 1964 : 179-189) achievement |
136034131 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-28T13:13:36.257Z | 2014-12-01T00:00:00.000Z | Windbreak and Soil-Reinforcement Benefit Evaluation for Wind Erosion Area
In order to research the mechanical mechanism of plants anti-erosion and provide some basis to screen windbreak and soil-reinforcement specie for wind and water complex erosion area. This research selected Caragana microphylla Lam, Salix psammophila C.wang et Ch.Y.Yang, Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch and Hippophae rhamnides Linn four kinds of soil and water conservation plants of Inner Mongolia Ordos as the research object. During the period of spring gale, thirteen indicators (single shrub reduce wind velocity ration, shelterbelt reduce wind velocity ration, community reduce wind velocity ration, taproots tensile strength, represented root constitutive properties, represented root elasticity modulus, lateral roots branch tensile strength, accumulation surface area, root-soil interface sheer strength, interface friction coefficient, length of accumulative root, root-soil composite cohesive, root-soil composite equivalent friction angle) of foliage windbreak and root mechanical properties were evaluated by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results showed the index of windbreak and soil-reinforcement were in the sequence of Salix psammophila C.wang et Ch.Y.Yang (0.84) > Caragana microphylla Lam (0.45) > Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch (-0.47) > Hippophae rhamnides Linn (-0.83). Therefore, Salix psammophila C.wang et Ch.Y.Yang could be regarded as the important anti-erosion specie for wind erosion area. |
19581681 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:48:16.028Z | 1995-04-20T00:00:00.000Z | Superoxide from glucose oxidase or from nitroblue tetrazolium?
Glucose oxidase reduces nitroblue tetrazolium, or ferricytochrome c, faster anaerobically than aerobically. This result is inconsistent with the conclusion that GO2 can reduce O2 to O2- which is then responsible for the reduction of NBT and of cytochrome c. Nevertheless, the aerobic reductions are partially inhibitable by superoxide dismutase. A scheme of reactions is proposed which explains why these electron acceptors cause an O2- production which does not occur in their absence when O2 is the sole electron acceptor. |
242092281 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-08-19T02:08:28.378Z | 2018-06-21T00:00:00.000Z | Flexible education in Australia
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the extent to which the South Australian flexible learning option (FLO) secondary school enrolment strategy supports some of the most vulnerable and disengaged students to simultaneously engage in secondary- and higher-education, skills and work-based learning; second, to explore the degree to which this FLO enrolment strategy addresses the United Nations (UN) principles of responsible management education and 17 sustainable development goals.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach includes a practice perspective, field-notes and documents analysis.
Findings
This paper finds the flexibility inherent in the FLO enrolment strategy goes some way to addressing inequity in education outcomes amongst those who traditionally disengage from education and work-based learning. Findings also highlight ways in which the FLO enrolment strategy addresses some of the UN principals and 17 goals.
Research limitations/implications
This paper supports the work of HESWBL by calling for future research into the long-term benefits of flexible education strategies that support HESWBL, through exploring the benefits to young people, from their perspective, with a view to providing accountability.
Social implications
The paper offers an example of a way a practice perspective can explore an education strategy that addresses “wicked problems” (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Currently, “wicked problems” that pervade member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development include intergenerational poverty, under-education and unemployment.
Originality/value
This paper is valuable because it explores from a practice perspective, how a secondary education enrolment strategy supports vulnerable students engage in their secondary schooling, while simultaneously supporting students achieve higher education, skills and work-based learning.
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144589381 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-05T13:07:02.202Z | 2015-01-02T00:00:00.000Z | Three advantages of cross-national comparative ethnography – methodological reflections from a study of migrants and minority ethnic youth in English and Spanish schools
This paper discusses the strengths of using ethnographic research methods in cross-national comparative research. It focuses particularly on the potential of applying such methods to the study of migrants and minority ethnic youth in education, where large-scale quantitative studies or single-sited ethnographies are currently dominant. By linking findings and methodological reflections from a research study into the schooling experiences and life projects of migrants and minority ethnic youth in England and Spain, the paper shows how cross-national comparative ethnographies enable researchers to (1) contextualise and compare topics identified by research participants in the course of the fieldwork, (2) analyse topics, which only appear in one research setting and (3) explore and challenge how concepts and categories are employed by research participants in different settings. This, it is argued, makes such research methods particularly well placed to identify issues, which young people themselves find important to their schooling, and explore how these interlink with local practice. |
238056431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-08-24T21:10:17.681Z | 2021-03-03T00:00:00.000Z | A European Fault Database as a stepping stone towards improved subsurface evaluation of hazards and resources
<p>Faults are prominent features in the subsurface that define the geological development and distribution of geological formations and resources therein. Faults can define resources themselves (e.g. minerals, thermal conduits), but more often they can pose a hazard to subsurface drilling, injection and extraction activities . Well-known examples are Basel – Switzerland (geothermal stimulation), Oklahoma – US (waste water injection) and Groningen – The Netherlands (conventional hydrocarbon extraction).</p><p>Despite that faults are a typical product of geological mapping, there was, until now, no consistent insight in these structures in a pan-European context. There are some examples focusing on the publication of seismogenic faults (e.g. GEM Global Active Faults Database, SHARE  European Database of Seismogenic Faults, USGS Quaternary faults database), yet deeply buried faults are under-represented here. With the European fault database, the GeoERA-HIKE project addresses the following objectives: i) develop a consistent and uniform repository for fault data and characteristics across Europe, ii) Implement an associated tectonic vocabulary which provides a framework for future interpretation, modelling and application of fault data, and iii) assess the applicability of fault data in case studies.</p><p>The current fault database is envisioned to be a major stepping stone for a sustained and uniform development and dissemination of tectonic data and knowledge which will be applicable to a broad spectrum of subsurface research challenges. The database contains data from Geological Survey Organizations and partners in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, France, Ukraine, Portugal, Slovenia, Albania and various countries in the Pannonian Basin Area.</p><p>The GeoERA-HIKE project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under agreement No. 731166</p> |
14731731 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2016-10-08T21:04:35.663Z | 2008-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Subacute Alteration in Level of Con- Sciousness in a Woman with Psychotic Depression Psychopharmacology for the Clinician Psychopharmacologie Pratique
Hyponatremia secondary to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is an unusual cause of altered consciousness, although it has been described after treatment with various psychotropic medications. Clinicians therefore need to consider SIADH when patients taking psychotropic medications present with otherwise unexplained changes in their level of consciousness. NS was a 33-year-old single woman taken by her father to the emergency department. She was obtunded and unable to provide a history, with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 9 and no focal neurologic signs. NS was admitted to the intensive care unit for investigation and stabilization. NS had a 7-year history of psychotic symptoms associated with depressive episodes. Symptom onset coincided with a clinical presentation of Cushing’s syndrome, likely secondary to a left adrenal adenoma. The peripheral Cushingoid features resolved after successful left adrenalectomy 5 years before this hospitalization. NS received steroids only for 2 years after the unilateral adrenalectomy, after which her cortisol levels were maintained within the normal range. NS had acid reflux disease and had been treated with pantoprazole for several years, which included the time of presentation. Over time, NS had been treated with multiple antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, including bupropion SR up to a total of 450 mg daily, with partial response. Bupropion had been discontinued a year before this episode and restarted before this presentation. NS was taking quetiapine 300 mg and diazepam 20 mg daily for several months preceding admission. Buproprion was increased over 2 weeks, from 150 mg to 300 mg daily, after which NS began to show the signs of an altered level of consciousness that resulted in hospitalization. A computed tomography scan of her brain on admission revealed no abnormality, and lumbar puncture results were within normal ranges. Laboratory investigations revealed normal blood pH (7.46), low serum sodium (Na+) at 112 mmol/L, normal potassium (K+) at 3.5 mmol/L, low chloride at 79 mmol/L, low serum osmolality at 240 mOsm/kg, high urine osmolality at 468 mOsm/kg and high urinary Na+ at 82 mmol/L. Random cortisol was elevated at 927 nmol/L, reflecting an appropriate reaction to stress. Anion gap, complete blood count, thyroid-stimulating hormone, renal function and serum prolactin (12 ng/mL) were all normal. Sodium levels were corrected, and NS was discharged without further incident. Differential diagnoses included SIADH or SIADH-like syndrome; the preferred diagnosis was SIADH because there was no evidence for renal tubular acidosis. SIADH is diagnosed when serum osmolality is inappropriately lower than urine osmolality, with normal to high urinary Na+ and hyponatremia. SIADH has various causes, including antiepileptic and psychotropic medications that can stimulate the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or potentiate its actions. In this case, it is plausible that the increase in bupropion contributed to the development of SIADH. Bupropion has been associated with hyponatremia in at least 2 reported cases. In one, the patient was also taking antiepileptic medications. The other case described significant dietary modifications without further information. Both describe a gradual reduction in serum Na+ levels, and the hyponatremia was not as extreme as in our case (> 124 mmol/L). The possible contributing factors of concurrent medication use and the adrenelectomy must also be considered in this case. The mechanism of action of psychotropic medications on ADH is unknown. ADH is secreted by septoptic and paraventricular nuclei in the hypothalamus and transmitted via neuronal axons to the posterior pituitary. Hyponatremia induced by antiepilectics may result from increased secretion of ADH and increased distal collecting tubule sensitivity to ADH. Whether this can occur with bupropion is undetermined. A history of complex psychiatric symptoms can sometimes delay thorough medical investigation of changes in a patient’s mental status. In this case, there were no typical clinical features to suggest a priori that hyponatremia was the likely cause of the altered mental status. This case therefore emphasizes the importance of rapidly identifying and thoroughly investigating alterations in any patient’s level of consciousness. |
208561381 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-10-10T09:16:42.339Z | 2019-10-07T00:00:00.000Z | Variation and relationships between twig and leaf traits of species across successional status in temperate forests
ABSTRACT Relationships among twig size, leaf size and leafing intensity are essential for predicting structure and function of twigs and leaves and ability of plants to acquire different environmental resources. We aimed to test whether trade-offs between twig and leaf traits for species would be influenced by forest successional status and sampling orientation within canopy. We measured four twig and leaf traits for seven coexisting broadleaf species across successional statuses in mixed broadleaved-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forests in Northeast China. The results showed that both twig and leaf traits varied with successional status and twig level explained the largest variations in traits. Slopes of regression of leaf traits (i.e. individual leaf area, total leaf area and volume-based leafing intensity) against twig cross-sectional area were late-successional species > middle-successional species > early-successional species. Relationships between twig cross-sectional area and total leaf area in upper south and lower north canopy orientations did not vary with successional status of species. However, slopes of regression of twig cross-sectional area against total leaf area varied with successional status in other four sampling orientations. Our results highlight the importance of successional status and sampling orientation within canopy in controlling variations and trade-offs between twig and leaf traits. |
3265931 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:57:59.731Z | 2016-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Does the association between birth weight and blood pressure increase with age? A longitudinal study in young adults
Objectives: To assess whether the association between birth weight and blood pressure (BP) increases with age using three different statistical methods. Methods: A representative sample of 1232 study participants born between 1974–1978 in Limache, Chile were assessed in 2000–2002, of whom 796 were reassessed in 2010–2012. An ‘amplification effect’ was assessed by the change in the &bgr; coefficient in the two periods, the association between birth weight and the difference of BP overtime, and the interaction between birth weight and BP in the two periods. Results: Birth weight was negatively associated with SBP in 2000–2002 (&bgr; = −2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) −3.77 to −1.16) and in 2010–2012 (&bgr; = −3.64, 95% CI −5.20 to −2.08), and with DBP in 2000–2002 (&bgr; = −1.26, 95% CI −2.23 to −0.29) , and 2010–2012 (&bgr; = −1.64, 95% CI −2.84 to −0.45) after adjustment for sex, physical activity, and BMI. There was no association between birth weight and the difference in BP between the two periods or the interaction between birth weight, BP, and time interval. Conclusion: Birth weight is a factor associated with BP in adults. This association increased with age, but amplification was shown only with one of the three methods. |
86366031 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-30T13:10:10.732Z | 2004-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | From what depth do seeds emerge? A soil seed bank experiment with Mediterranean grassland species
Seed germination and emergence are influenced by the position of seeds in the soil bank profile. Mediterranean grasslands are heavily dependent on seed banks, as these systems are mainly composed of annual species. Seed bank germination experiments in a greenhouse were conducted to analyse the role played by burial depth on seed bank dynamics in annual Mediterranean grasslands. Specifically, they addressed two objectives: (1) to assess the ability of seeds in the shallow layer of the soil bank to emerge when they are buried at different depths, and (2) to ascertain the ability of seeds from deep layers to germinate and emerge to the surface. The study also produced a depth profile of species and seeds. The results show that: (1) all species (100%) and the majority of viable seeds (98.9%) are situated in the first centimetre, with a significant fall in the number of species and seeds in the soil bank as depth increases; (2) for the majority of species (92%) and seeds (85.4%) in the shallow bank, the emergence percentage declines significantly with burial depth; and (3) seeds that are present in deep layers need to rise to the surface in order to produce seedlings. In conclusion, the function of the seed bank in Mediterranean grasslands depends on the number of species and seeds in it, but also on the seed position in the profile and vertical movements that enable them to reach the surface. |
75607431 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-13T13:28:28.502Z | 2013-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | AB0047 The effects of KV1.3 and IKCA1 potassium channel inhibition on calcium influx of human peripheral T lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis
Background The transient increase of the cytoplasmic free calcium level plays a key role in the process of lymphocyte activation. Kv1.3 and IKCa1 potassium channels are important regulators of the maintenance of calcium influx during lymphocyte activation and present a possible target for selective immunomodulation. Objectives We aimed to characterize the effects of lymphocyte potassium channel inhibition on peripheral blood T lymphocyte activation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods We took peripheral blood samples from 10 healthy individuals and 9 recently diagnosed RA patients receiving no anti-rheumatic treatment. We evaluated calcium influx kinetics following activation in CD4, Th1, Th2 and CD8 cells applying a novel flow cytometry approach. We also assessed the sensitivity of the above subsets to specific inhibition of the Kv1.3 and IKCa1 potassium channels. Results The peak of calcium influx in lymphocytes isolated from RA patients is reached more rapidly, indicating that they respond more quickly to stimulation compared to controls. In healthy individuals, the inhibition of the IKCa1 channel decreased calcium influx in Th2 and CD4 cells to a lower extent than in Th1 and CD8 cells. On the contrary, the inhibition of Kv1.3 channels resulted in a larger decrease of calcium entry in Th2 and CD4 than in Th1 and CD8 cells. No difference was detected between Th1 and Th2 or CD4 and CD8 cells in the sensitivity to IKCa1 channel inhibition among lymphocytes of RA patients. However, specific inhibition of the Kv1.3 channel acts differentially on calcium influx kinetics in RA lymphocyte subsets. Th2 and particularly CD8 cells are inhibited more dominantly than Th1 and CD4 cells. Conclusions Inhibition of Kv1.3 channels does not seem to be specific enough in peripheral RA lymphocytes, since anti-inflammatory Th2 cells are also affected to a noteworthy extent. Further studies are needed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of lymphocyte potassium channel inhibition in RA. Disclosure of Interest None Declared |
234752631 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-05-18T13:59:42.486Z | 2021-05-14T00:00:00.000Z | Worms get the munchies: the endocannabinoid AEA induces hedonic amplification in C. elegans by modulating the activity of the AWC chemosensory neuron
The mammalian endocannabinoid system, comprised of the endocannabinoids AEA (N-arachidonoyl-ethanolamine) and 2-AG (2-Arachidonoylglycerol), their receptors, CB1 and CB2, and their metabolic enzymes, is believed to integrate internal energy state and external food cues to modulate feeding. For example, cannabinoids can increase preference for more palatable, calorically dense food: a response called hedonic amplification, colloquially known as “the munchies.” In mammals, cannabinoids can increase sensitivity to odors and sweet tastes, which may underlie amplification. We use C. elegans, an omnivorous bacterivore, as a model in which to investigate the neurophysiology of hedonic amplification. We found that exposure to AEA increases the worms’ preference for strongly preferred (more palatable) bacteria over weakly preferred (less palatable) bacteria, mimicking hedonic amplification in mammals. Furthermore, AEA acts bidirectionally, increasing consumption of strongly preferred bacteria while decreasing consumption of weakly preferred bacteria. We also found that deletion of the putative CB1 homolog, npr-19, eliminates hedonic amplification, which can be rescued by expression of wild type npr-19 or human CB1, establishing a humanized worm for cannabinoid signaling studies. Deletion of the olfactory neuron AWC, which directs chemotaxis to food, abolishes hedonic amplification. Consistent with this finding, calcium imaging revealed that AEA bidirectionally modulates AWC activity, increasing its responses to strongly preferred food and decreasing its response for weakly preferred food. In a GFP expression analysis, we found that npr-19 is expressed in approximately 21 neuron classes but, surprisingly, not in AWC. Although AEA’s effect could be mediated by NPR-19-expressing neurons presynaptic to AWC, nearly complete elimination of fast synaptic transmission, via the mutation unc-13(e51), had no effect on modulation. Instead, it appears that AEA modulates AWC by activating one or more npr-19-expressing neurons that release a diffusible neuromodulator to which AWC is sensitive. |
5058781 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-04-13T16:57:08.825Z | 2013-04-15T00:00:00.000Z | Fecal shedding of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: what should be done to prevent secondary cases?
Much of what is known about the shedding and person-to-person transmission of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection is specific to a single serogroup, O157 (H7 and nonmotile). In many countries, it accounts for the greatest number of severe STEC infections, including those associated with life-threatening postdiarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) [1–6]. Secondary cases, transmitted person-to-person through fecal shedding, are estimated to account for 11% of infections [7]. In certain settings, such as childcare centers, outbreaks result nearly entirely from person-to-person spread [8]. Ever since the association was first made between STEC and HUS in 1983, it has been known that some non-O157 STEC can also cause HUS [9]. However, non-O157 STEC strains are diverse; some are just as virulent as STEC O157, others tend to cause only mild diarrheal illness, and others are not human pathogens. This spectrum of virulence is governed in part by the type of Shiga toxin expressed [10–12] and the presence of genomic pathogenicity islands that contain virulence genes, including those for intestinal adherence [13, 14]. STEC strains that produce specific Shiga toxin (Stx) 2 subtypes, especially Stx2a, Stx2c, and Stx2d, tend to be more virulent [15–18]. Person-to-person transmission is an important mode of spread for at least some of the common non-O157 serotypes [19–27]. Over the past decade, the increasing use of assays that detect Shiga toxins or genes that encode them has markedly increased the detection of nonO157 STEC infections in the United States [28, 29] and has improved the detection and investigation of outbreaks worldwide [24, 30, 31]. With this surge in detection comes increasing questions from physicians, institutions, and health officials about reasonable and practical measures to prevent secondary transmission. The 2 primary strategies for preventing secondary cases can be challenging to implement and burdensome. First, patients and their caregivers are advised to practice careful hygiene. Second, statutory requirements that vary by location usually mandate exclusion of infected persons, including those who are asymptomatic, from situations that may facilitate transmission (such as attending childcare facilities) until the diarrheal illness is resolved and they are no longer shedding STEC. In many jurisdictions, lack of shedding is defined as documentation of 2 negative stool cultures on specimens collected at least 24 hours apart (and, when relevant, at least 48 hours after cessation of antibiotic therapy) [32]. Because shedding can be prolonged, this policy can be onerous for patients and families. Modifications could improve these strategies. Even in the most attentive households, preventing fecal-oral spread can be difficult, especially when young children are present. Hospitalization of patients acutely ill with virulent STEC strains can reduce secondary transmission through contact isolation [33, 34]. Return-to-work and return-to-school Received 20 December 2012; accepted 21 December 2012; electronically published 8 January 2013. Correspondence: Rajal Mody, MD, MPH, Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MS C-09, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333 ([email protected]). Clinical Infectious Diseases 2013;56(8):1141–4 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2013. DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis1222 |
133506881 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-26T14:20:28.041Z | 2014-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Study on the microorganisms of nitrogen cycle in Fenghe river
Nitrogen(N) is among the paramount interests to biogeochemistry and life on earth. But pollution of N in river water will make a threat to the ecological environment and human life.The transformation among organic nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen(ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) and molecular nitrogen(N2) in river water, called nitrogen cycling, depends on the nitrogen cycle microorganisms(nitrogen-fixing bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria). And these microorganisms and their activity of the nitrogen cycling are affected by a variety of environmental factors including the form and concentration of nitrogen, these factors affect the growth of microorganisms thus change the rate of transformation of nitrogen in water, which make a significant contribution to prevention of nitrogen pollution and removal of nitrogen pollutants. And thus a research of nitrogen cycle microbial and the related environmental factors is of great importance to removal of nitrogen pollutants in river water.Based on PCR-DGGE technology, water sampling points along the Feng River were set to study on the water quality and community of microorganisms related with nitrogen cycle. Then the related statistical softwares were used to analyze the relationship among the water quality and community of microorganisms related.In this study, during wet season, nitrifying bacteria community structure in the middle reaches is relatively rich in water, resulted from the agricultural COD, BOD, ammonia nitrogen, organic nitrogen emissions and high river water DO level. The increasing of BOD, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, T, TP promoted to the uniformity, richness of nitrifying bacteria in water, while the rising of p H reduced the uniformity and the abundance of nitrifying bacteria in water. Denitrifying bacteria community structure in the midstream and downstream is relatively rich in water, associated with organic matter and nitrate content. The increasing of BOD,COD, TP, nitrate nitrogen was the main related factor of the uniformity, richness of denitrifying bacteria in water. While the rising of DO was harmful to part of denitrifying bacteria, and reduced the uniformity, richness of denitrifying bacteria. The results of this study provided the basis for pollution control and ecological restoration based on microbial technology in Fenghe River and other rivers. |
239427701 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-03-12T10:16:49.195Z | 2019-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF REGIONAL FISCAL POLICY
. The objective of this work is to examine fiscal sustainability of the Russian regions by means of Bohn test based on the idea that strictly positive and statistically significant reaction of the primary budget balance to changes in public debt is a sufficient condition for fiscal sustainability. To that end we assembled panel data covering 81 subjects (regions) of the Russian Federation for 2006–2017, examined descriptive statistics and used LSDV method to estimate the two-way fixed effects model. Descriptive statistics show that in regional finance large and frequent deficit prevailed over long-term surplus for reasons rooted in fiscal relations between the federal government and regional authorities. The test revealed negative and statistically significant reaction of the primary balance to regional debt, which casts doubt on the ability of regional authorities to pursue sustainable fiscal policies. Their fiscal problems, however, do not boil down to official default on financial and expenditure commitments because the federal center provides generous financial support to the regions and absorbs much of their cost of financing through the system of soft budget constraints cultivated at both levels of government. The ultimate creditor is all tax-paying Russia and, if tax revenues are not enough, the holders of Russia’s public debt. |
24647401 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T04:12:30.077Z | 2010-11-01T00:00:00.000Z | The loss of tuberin promotes cell invasion through the ß-catenin pathway.
Mutations in the tumor suppressor tuberin (TSC2) are a common factor in the development of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). LAM is a cystic lung disease that is characterized by the infiltration of smooth muscle-like cells into the pulmonary parenchyma. The mechanism by which the loss of tuberin promotes the development of LAM has yet to be elucidated, although several lines of evidence suggest it is due to the metastasis of tuberin-deficient cells. Here we show that tuberin-null cells become nonadherent and invasive. These nonadherent cells express cleaved forms of β-catenin. In reporter assays, the β-catenin products are transcriptionally active and promote MMP7 expression. Invasion by the tuberin-null cells is mediated by MMP7. Examination of LAM tissues shows the expression of cleaved β-catenin products and MMP7 consistent with a model that tuberin-deficient cells acquire invasive properties through a β-catenin-dependent mechanism, which may underlie the development of LAM. |
115989651 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-16T13:28:19.770Z | 2018-06-06T00:00:00.000Z | A new procedure for determining the road surface reduced luminance coefficient table by on-site measurements
Numerous measurements have shown that the standard R classes do not represent adequately many road surfaces used nowadays. Therefore, the construction of portable reflectometers intended for on-site measurements of road surface reflection properties has been given particular attention during the last decade. This paper presents a new procedure for the improvement of the accuracy of such a portable reflectometer. Optimally extrapolating the values of the 20 luminance coefficients (q), each measured by the portable reflectometer for a set of angles of observation (α = 5°–80°), the 20 q-values referring to α = 1° are calculated. This enables their comparison with the corresponding q elements from each of the 447 reduced q-tables derived from the available r-table database, obtained by using a precise laboratory reflectometer on a wide variety of road samples. Selecting the closest reduced q-table, the corresponding r-table and the actual average luminance coefficient can be determined. In order to validate the proposed procedure, which can also be applied to other similar portable reflectometers, measurements of the luminance and overall and longitudinal luminance uniformities were carried out on eleven road-lighting installations. They showed that the results obtained by this procedure deviate only slightly from those obtained using r-tables determined by the laboratory reflectometer. |
211037151 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2020-02-06T09:08:34.882Z | 2020-02-04T00:00:00.000Z | To predict recurrence in cerebral amyloid angiopathy, look to the subarachnoid space
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), characterized by deposition of amyloid in the small arteries and arterioles of the cerebral cortex and leptomeninges, leads to superficial bleeding in lobar brain regions or the subarachnoid space. There are no disease-modifying treatments, and it has the highest recurrence rate of any stroke syndrome, with an average annual 7.4% risk of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after an initial ICH.1 |
95717801 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-05T03:28:46.364Z | 1986-08-01T00:00:00.000Z | Root cation exchange capacity of cotton cultivars in relation to aluminum toxicity
Abstract Root cation exchange capacity (CEC) was analyzed for four cotton cultivars (Pima S‐5, Stoneville 825, Deltapine 41 and Auburn 56) within tvo species (Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum) grown in control (O Al) and Al (1.5 mg/l) solution. Pima S‐5, a G. barbadense variety, had significantly (P < 0.10) lower root CEC than G. hirsutum cultivars in control (O Al) solution. Root CEC of Stoneville 825 was numerically but not significantly lower than Auburn 56 and Deltapine Al in control solution. Root CEC was significantly reduced in all cultivars when grown in Al solution. Compared to controls, Pima S‐5 and Stoneville 825 had either numerically or significantly less reduction in root CEC than Auburn 56 or Deltapine 41 in Al solution. Aluminum content of roots after CEC analysis was numerically greater in the former cultivars than the latter. The lower root CEC of Pima S‐5 and Stoneville 825 in non‐toxic conditions could provide an initially greater Al tolerance when roots grow into marginally Al tox... |
84913201 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-03-22T16:17:29.411Z | 2010-04-01T00:00:00.000Z | Expression pattern of a peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase gene from tomato (solanum lycopersicum) in response to abiotic and oxidative stresses
The cDNA clone, SlPMSR, which codes for a putative methionine sulfoxide reductase (PMSR), was isolated from the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The PMSR protein, which could reduce methionine sulfoxide back to methionine, shared a high degree of identity with those proteins isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana (76%), Gossypium barbadense (75%), and Lactuca sativa (70%). The SlPMSR gene exists as at least one copy in the tomato plant, and its transcription was expressed strongly in the leaves and red mature fruits. The SlPMSR gene could be induced constantly by abscisic acid (ABA). Relatively high levels of SlPMSR transcripts were detected 6 h after salicylic acid (SA) treatment, and the transcript levels decreased rapidly until 12 h. The expression of the SlPMSR gene increased at 3 h after H2O2 treatment, and maintained a constant expression until 24 h. The transcripts of SlPMSR were unchanged after exposure to cold and were induced by mannitol and NaCl, and were increased slightly after treatment. These results indicate that SlPMSR may perform an important function in protecting the plant against abiotic and oxidative stresses. |
52089801 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-08-28T09:51:17.028Z | 2018-03-29T00:00:00.000Z | The role of ultrasound-guided tissue sampling techniques in the management of extra-ocular orbital lesions
Background Multiple disease processes may arise within the orbit and imaging plays a vital role in the evaluation of such lesions. The anterior orbital contents are readily amenable to evaluation by ultrasonography. Furthermore, the modality can be used to guide tissue sampling (fine needle aspiration or core biopsy) and may obviate the requirement for invasive surgical biopsy. Methods We carried out a retrospective review of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirations/core biopsies of extra-ocular orbital lesions undertaken at our institution. The anatomical locations, sonographic appearances and sampling techniques were analysed. Results There were 7 fine needle aspirations and 1 core biopsy carried out during the period analysed. Multimodality imaging was available in all cases. The majority of lesions were located in the region of the lacrimal gland. All procedures were well-tolerated and there were no post-procedure complications. Conclusion Many extra-ocular, orbital neoplasms are amenable to ultrasound-guided tissue sampling and the procedure is well tolerated. However, a clear understanding of orbital anatomy, differential diagnosis and technique is required to enable safe sampling. Furthermore, a collaborative, multimodality approach is imperative for optimal patient management. |
164516401 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-05-26T13:46:51.225Z | 2019-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Variety selection in intensive alfalfa cutting management
Alfalfa is an autotetraploid, perennial forage crop adapted to different environments and management systems. Trial with 12 alfalfa populations was established in spring of 2014. The research involved 9 commercial alfalfa varieties from IFVCNS, Serbia, and included 3 experimental populations in the final phase of breeding program. The main objectives of this paper were to examine the impact of variety selection on alfalfa yield and plant height in intensive cutting management in order to define harvesting strategies (using 6 and 5 cuts per season), with main goal to maximize profit on alfalfa farms in Serbia and Southeast Europe. Our study clearly demonstrates that there is genetic potential in some Serbian varieties (NS Sila, Nera, NS Jelena, and Banat VS) for use in intensive cutting systems with 6 cuts per year that can meet farmers' needs in conventional or organic type of alfalfa hay production.This research represents an initial guideline for the alfalfa variety selection in intensive cutting management systems in Serbia and Southeast Europe. |
250009051 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-06-25T15:21:27.931Z | 2022-06-14T00:00:00.000Z | Noun Phrase and its Translation Found in the Novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
The paper analyzes the form of the noun phrase and its translation shift found in the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. The shift in translation is used in a major concept in a sentence analysis found in data source. The concept of translation shift is used to know a unit on a different level used to make interesting structures. This study applied the theory proposed by Catford (1978) and Quirk et all (1985). The qualitative method is the research method used by the researcher. In the data of noun phrases, we can see noun as head in the source language. In translating from source language into target language, translation shift occurred in the translation process. This study focuses on syntactic structure and the translation analysis of the noun phrase. This study aims to: (i) identify the types of the noun phrase and its constituent structure found in the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, (ii) analyze the types of translation shifts of the noun phrase in the translation process found in the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. This study found that structure shift and unit shift were used by the translator in translating from source language into target language. The study found that there are 8 data of noun phrases formed by determiner, adjective, and noun and noun. There is a noun phrase found in the data source that is formed by determiner and noun. In conclusion, the types of noun phrase found in the data source is formed by determiner, adjective, and noun. |
10706051 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2017-02-24T20:04:41.664Z | 2012-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Neural networks in feedforward control of a robot arm driven by antagonistically coupled drives
The paper deals with a rapidly growing trend in robotics - anthropomimetics. Following a human paragon, bio-inspired control of the robot arm is presented using artificial neural networks. This work demonstrates results achieved by feedforward control comparing feedforward backpropagation networks and radial bases networks. Use of radial bases network prevails as an efficient tool to evade the exact mathematical modeling and conventional control of the complex mechanical system that is highly nonlinear and includes passive compliance. |
18694401 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2015-07-15T00:15:54.000Z | 2013-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Optimal Control Methods and the Variational Approach to Differential Equations
The calculus of variations is an important tool in the study of boundary value problems for differential systems. A development of this approach, called the control variational method, is based on the use of the optimal control theory, especially of the Pontryagin maximum principle. In this presentation, we review the results established in the literature on the control variational method and its applications, in the last decade. |
114566601 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-15T13:11:35.888Z | 2017-05-01T00:00:00.000Z | Dual field combination for unmanned video surveillance
Unmanned systems used for threat detection and identification are still not efficient enough for monitoring autonomously the battlefield. The limitation on size and energy makes those systems unable to use most state- of-the-art computer vision algorithms for recognition. The bio-inspired approach based on the humans peripheral and foveal visions has been reported as a way to combine recognition performance and computational efficiency. As a low resolution camera observes a large zone and detects significant changes, a second camera focuses on each event and provides a high resolution image of it. While such biomimetic existing approaches usually separate the two vision modes according to their functionality (e.g. detection, recognition) and to their basic primitives (i.e. features, algorithms), our approach uses common structures and features for both peripheral and foveal cameras, thereby decreasing the computational load with respect to the previous approaches. The proposed approach is demonstrated using simulated data. The outcome proves particularly attractive for real time embedded systems, as the primitives (features and classifier) have already proven good performances in low power embedded systems. This first result reveals the high potential of dual views fusion technique in the context of long duration unmanned video surveillance systems. It also encourages us to go further into miming the mechanisms of the human eye. In particular, it is expected that adding a retro-action of the fovea towards the peripheral vision will further enhance the quality and efficiency of the detection process. |
23053551 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:46:55.285Z | 2005-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Inflammation and resistance to treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin.
Despite an increase in the use and average dose of recombinant human EPO (rh-EPO) over the last 15 years, a substantial percentage of patients still do not achieve hemoglobin targets recommended by international guidelines. The definition of rh-EPO resistance has been introduced to identify those patients in whom the target hemoglobin level is not attained despite a greater-than-usual dose of erythropoietin-stimulating agent (ESA). In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the relationship between dialysis, increased inflammatory stimulus, malnutrition, and ESA response. About 35% to 65% of hemodialysis patients show signs of inflammation that could be a cause of anemia through the suppression of bone marrow erythropoiesis by a number of cytokines. A large proportion of chronic kidney disease patients also have protein-energy malnutrition and wasting; low serum albumin levels, together with other more specific nutritional markers, are predictors of rh-EPO response. A diminished nutritional state could then be a feature of patients who are resistant to ESA treatment, with malnutrition probably being a consequence of a chronic inflammatory state. Starting from the hypothesis that anemia, partially attributable to a reduced response to ESA, could be the link among malnutrition, inflammation, and the poor outcome of chronic kidney disease patients, we designed a multicenter observational study, the Malnutrition-Inflammation-Resistance-Treatment Outcome Study (MIRTOS), aimed at evaluating the impact and possible causes of resistance to ESA in a large sample of hemodialysis patients. We hope the results of MIRTOS will represent a step forward toward a better understanding of the factors influencing the response to ESA in hemodialysis patients. |
108979201 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-12T13:58:44.763Z | 2014-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Estimation of Shoulder Joint Reaction Forces and Moments Using MBS Dynamic Modeling
The paper presents a dynamic model created for estimating the magnitude of reaction forces and moments in the shoulder joint of the human upper limb. Considering that the flexion-extension motion of the forearm is simulated under three different conditions, the reaction forces and moments are determined. The first actuating case is corresponding to the case in which the driving force is acting on the long end of the biceps muscle. In the second case the driving force is acting on the short end of the biceps muscle, and in the third case the driving force is acting on both ends of the biceps muscle. |
11621801 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:27:30.035Z | 2007-08-31T00:00:00.000Z | Hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry: a powerful tool for probing protein structure, dynamics and interactions.
Knowledge of the structure and dynamics of proteins and protein assemblies is critical both for understanding the molecular basis of physiological and patho-physiological processes and for guiding drug design. While X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are both excellent techniques for this purpose, both suffer from limitations, including the requirement for high quality crystals and large amounts of material. Recently, hydrogen/deuterium exchange measured using mass spectrometry (HXMS) has emerged as a powerful new tool for the study of protein structure, dynamics and interactions in solution. HXMS exploits the fact that backbone amide hydrogens can exchange with deuterium when a protein is incubated in D(2)O, and that the rate of the exchange process is highly dependent on the local structural environment. Several features of HXMS make it an especially attractive approach, including small sample requirements and the ability to study extremely large protein assemblies that are not amenable to other techniques. Here, we provide an overview of HXMS and describe several recent applications to problems of medical interest. After reviewing the molecular basis of the H/D exchange process, the different steps of the HXMS experiment--labeling, rapid proteolysis, fragment separation and mass measurement--are described, followed by a discussion of data analysis methods. Finally, we describe recent results on the application of HXMS to 1) mapping drug/inhibitor binding sites and detecting drug induced conformational changes, 2) studying viral capsid structure and assembly, and 3) characterizing the structure of pathological protein conformations, specifically amyloid fibrils. |
246888151 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2022-02-17T16:16:34.549Z | 2022-01-25T00:00:00.000Z | A Review of Current treatment for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
We reviewed about the Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and its treatment. We collected credible data from scientific database such as google scholar and Pubmed from published literatures between 2015 to 2020. According the collected literature, TNBC is one of breast cancer type can be found in women with breast cancer. It estimated about 170.000 of TNBC cases worldwide. The ER-/PR-/HER2- TNBC is the character for TNBC, and it has the poorest prognosis among other breast cancer. The risk factor of TNBC is gender, age, breastfeeding status, and special race such as African-American and Hispanic. Besides, the BRCA-1 mutation is related to TNBC. The treatment of TNBC is including surgery and radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. The surgery, including BCS (Breast-conserving surgery) or called as lumpectomy and mastectomy; chemotherapy agent sensitive to TBNC, including alkylator agents, anthracyclines, taxanes, platinum-based chemotherapy, vinca alkaloids, and antimetabolites; as well targeted therapy such as PARP1 and PARP2 inhibitor, CDK (Cyclin-dependent kinase) inhibitor, p%3 inhibitor, CHK1 inhibitor, androgen antagonist, DNMT1 (DNA Methyltransferase 1) inhibitor, Anti-EGFR, PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitor, and anti-VEGF. These treatments are used both in early and metastatic stage of TNBC, alone or in combination. |
36656201 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T03:50:09.862Z | 1999-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | Anticoagulation in neurosurgical patients.
OBJECTIVE
Few recommendations have been outlined in the neurosurgical literature regarding when it is safe to initiate postoperative or posthemorrhage anticoagulation (AC), or for what duration it is safe to discontinue AC therapy in patients with clear indications for AC therapy. Our objective was to formulate guidelines for managing AC in neurosurgical patients, based on patients' needs for AC and the risk of complications.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of the neurosurgical and general surgical literature pertaining directly to postoperative or posthemorrhage management of AC. In addition, we surveyed the general medical, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, and neurology literature to determine the risk of thromboembolic complications when AC is stopped in specific patient groups.
RESULTS
Postoperative bleeding complications occurred more frequently when correction of coagulation abnormalities was inadequate in the preoperative period, when AC was reinstituted in the early (24-48 h) postoperative period, and when AC was supratherapeutic in the postoperative period. Risk of significant thromboembolic complications while off AC varied significantly depending on the primary disease process necessitating AC.
CONCLUSION
Adequate preoperative correction of coagulation abnormalities and strict regulation of coagulation to avoid supratherapeutic AC is essential. Reintroduction of AC after an intracranial hemorrhage treated without surgery, or after a neurosurgical procedure, particularly an intracranial procedure, can be guided by determining whether the patient is at high, moderate, or low risk for thromboembolic complications. On the basis of experimental studies, the patient's thromboembolic risk, and the experience of other surgeons, we propose therapeutic options for use of AC in neurosurgical patients undergoing intracranial procedures. |
56172001 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-12-19T14:03:49.898Z | 2019-06-01T00:00:00.000Z | Weight status change from childhood to early adulthood and the risk of adult hypertension
Objective: Overweight/obesity in childhood is suggested to increase risk of hypertension later in life. However, few studies have assessed the effect of trajectories of weight status from childhood to adulthood on adult hypertension. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between weight status change from childhood to early adulthood and adult hypertension in the Chinese population. Methods: Data were from the China Health and Nutrition Survey cohort study including 2095 participants who had at least one measurement of BMI and blood pressure (BP) in childhood (6–17 years) and in early adulthood (aged 18–37 years) between 1991 and 2011. Poisson regression model was used to assess the effect of weight status change from childhood to early adulthood on risk of adult hypertension. Results: There were 235 participants (11.2%) with high BP in childhood and 114 participants (5.4%) with hypertension in early adulthood after a median follow-up of 11.0 years. Compared with normal weight in both childhood and early adulthood (n = 1604), relative risk (RR) of adult hypertension was 3.79 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.94–7.41] for overweight/obesity in both childhood and early adulthood (n = 79), and 3.75 (95% CI = 2.49–5.64) for normal weight in childhood but overweight/obesity in early adulthood (n = 301). In contrast, participants who were overweight/obese as children but had normal weight as adults (n = 111) had no increased risk of adult hypertension (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.33–3.40). Conclusion: Overweight/obesity in early adulthood was associated with adult hypertension irrespective of weight status in childhood. In contrast, the risk of adult hypertension could be reversed if overweight/obese children become normal weight adults. |
16609101 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2014-10-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2001-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Bargaining and Complex Preferences : Examining the Case of the Israeli Electorate
Most of the rational choice work in International Relations and Political Science is built on basic assumptions about individual preferences that are both empirically questionable and " not logically consistent with the basic assumptions on individual preferences made in economics. " (Milyo: 274) Two assumptions stand out in particular, that individuals have single-peaked, strictly quasiconcave preferences and that these are independent of other exogenous parameters. We argue in this paper that if voters do not have such well-behaved preferences, inter-group bargains will be much harder to strike. Not only may optima be very difficult to locate but such equilibria are also more likely to be unstable. We then offer a new method to assess whether these assumptions hold empirically and apply it to the Israeli electorate. We find that in 1992 and 1996 the Israeli electorate clearly did not have Euclidean preferences and the evidence also strongly suggests that issues were not separable. The problem of peace in the Middle East has held a prominent place on the desk of American presidents for at least the last 25 years. After the Oslo Accords and especially in the last year of the Clinton Administration many were starting to become cautiously optimistic that an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis finally was within reach. Such an agreement, it is widely thought, would fundamentally affect the incentives of the leaders of other Arab states and produce a dramatic change in the political landscape in the Middle East. However, it is also widely recognized that the status of Jerusalem, holy to Israelis and Arabs, the West Bank settlements, and the right of return of the Palestinian refugees present formidable obstacles on the road to a final agreement. Especially the future status of Jerusalem is considered to be a potential deal breaker. Israeli politicians have for years claimed, indeed, shouted from the rooftops, that Jerusalem is " the eternal capital of the Jewish people, never again to be divided " and, in effect, an indivisible good. (Newman, 16) But such claims had earlier also been made with regard to the Gaza and the Golan Heights and have been abandoned since. (Lustick, 1994: 41) It might be argued, therefore, that the credibility of the claim is of central importance in Palestinian-Israeli bargaining. One way to interpret the Al-Aksa Intifada is that it is designed to learn the true Israeli preferences on the issues connected with … |
93014351 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2019-04-04T13:04:50.649Z | 2014-03-01T00:00:00.000Z | The effect of carbon‐doped In3Sb1Te2 ternary alloys for multibit (MLC) phase‐change memory
One of the candidate materials for phase‐change memory, In3Sb1Te2 (IST), shows multilevel phase transformations from amorphous to several crystalline materials of IST, intermediate phases such as InSb, SbTe and InTe. However, its volume can change abruptly in the multilevel phase transformation, and this change can lead to vacancy movement and atomic migration, which are related to failures and reliability issues. We propose the carbon‐incorporated In3Sb1Te2 (IST‐C) alloy, which has higher retention ability than the IST ternary alloy. Carbon atoms delay crystallization and prevent volume change during the set/reset operation. The carbon concen‐ tration is 12.5%, and the activation energy increases from 5.1 eV to 5.4 eV. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) |
25549001 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T02:31:29.442Z | 1996-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | Distribution and signal transduction of angiotensin II AT1 and AT2 receptors.
The discovery of new pharmacologic and biochemical tools has prompted intensive research on the intracellular mechanisms conveying the physiologic message carried by angiotensin II (A II). Virtually all the cardiovascular effects of A II are activated by mobilization of the calcium messenger system through the AT1-receptor subtype. The AT2 subtype, which is highly expressed in fetal tissues, appears to be silent in adult tissues but may play a role in growth-related functions. Several functional domains that are involved in distinct processes have been identified in the AT1 receptor. Through a GTP-binding protein (Gq), A II activates a phospholipase C, which generates inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins[1,4,5]P3) and diacylglycerol. Ins(1,4,5)P3 releases calcium from intracellular stores, which is a signal for a "capacitative" calcium influx. The net result of the various processes of calcium trafficking is an initial transient peak of cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]c) followed by a sustained response. A II also induces a translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) from the cytosol to the cell membrane. PKC can either potentiate or counteract the responses elicited by the [Ca2+]c changes. A II also alters the activity of voltage-gated calcium channels and of the sodium-calcium exchanger. Finally, the activity of adenylyl cyclase can also be affected. By contrast, the signaling mechanisms linked to the AT2-receptor subtype are poorly understood. The integration of these multiple and variable signals, as well as the cell's enzymatic repertory, eventually determine the specific cellular response. The unraveling of these complex mechanisms opens new perspectives for the development of therapeutic tools that could interfere more specifically with the intracellular processes of A II and its effects on the cardiovascular system. |
231937651 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2021-02-17T06:16:45.908Z | 2021-02-15T00:00:00.000Z | Gradient Descent-Based Adaptive Learning Control for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles With Unknown Uncertainties
This article investigates the adaptive learning control problem for a class of nonlinear autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with unknown uncertainties. The unknown nonlinear functions in the AUVs are approximated by radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs), in which the weight updating laws are designed via gradient descent algorithm. The proposed gradient descent-based control scheme guarantees the semiglobal uniform ultimate boundedness (SUUB) of the system and the fast convergence of the weight updating laws. In order to reduce the computational burden during the backstepping control design process, the command-filter-based design technique is incorporated into the adaptive learning control strategy. Finally, simulation studies are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. |
12687901 | s2ag/train | v2 | 2018-04-03T00:33:46.365Z | 2002-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | [Skin diseases in organ transplant patients].
In Germany 3273 visceral organs were transplanted in the year 2000. Together with patients grafted abroad, it is estimated that between 70,000 and 100,000 organ transplant patients are currently living in Germany. With the provision of lifelong immunosuppression the survival-time of these patients can exceed more than 20 years. In the first year following transplantation special emphasis is given to the prevention of viral, bacterial and fungal infections. Regular dermatological screening can provide early diagnosis of even systemic infections. An increased incidence of skin cancer parallels the extended survival rates of grafted patients. Within the first 5 years of immunosuppression 40% of these patients develop pre-malignant skin tumors such as actinic keratoses, dysplastic nevi, squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinomas show an aggressive biology and an uncommon clinical morphology. The increased incidence of cancer is now responsible for a mortality rate of 5-8% in grafted patients. Against a background of lifelong immunosuppression, other risk factors include sun exposure and infections with oncogenic viruses. The rapidly growing numbers of allograft recipients as well as the rising long term survival rates of these patients demand the provision of high quality interdisciplinary and dermatological care in this field. |