cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic assessment in coronary artery disease: role of radionuclide angiography.

Left ventricular function is one of the most important determinants, if not the most important determinant, of outcome in paients with coronary artery disease. The ability of radionuclide angiography to assess resting and exercise ejection fraction accurately and reproducibly has been shown to be a critical determinant of survival in large-scale studies of survivors of myocardial infarction, as well as patients with chronic stable angina. In addition, several centers have demonstrated that the exercise ejection fraction is an extremely valuable (and perhaps the most valuable) noninvasive parameter in predicting survival among patients with coronary artery disease. The prognostic insights gained from the exercise ejection fraction add incremental predictive information to the coronary anatomic information obtained from coronary arteriography, especially in patients with multivessel disease and those with left ventricular dysfunction at rest.
A method of reducing aliasing in a built-in self-test environment

A method of reducing aliasing in built-in self-test of VLSI circuits is proposed. The method is based on the use of transition count testing. A new formulation of the problem is given in terms of finding a test generator as opposed to solving the problem at the data compaction end. An algorithm is proposed which can be used to find a counter-based test pattern generator. This test generator tests a circuit exhaustively or pseudo-exhaustively so that the aliasing is reduced substantially provided the data compactor used is a transition counter. Experimental results are presented to substantiate these claims. >
Electron magnetic moment from geonium spectra: Early experiments and background concepts.

The magnetic moment of a free electron has been measured by observing both its low-energy spin and cyclotron resonances (at ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{s}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}$/2\ensuremath{\pi} and ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{c}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$/2\ensuremath{\pi}, respectively) by means of a sensitive frequency-shift technique. Using radiation and tuned-circuit damping of a single electron, isolated in a special anharmonicity-compensated Penning trap, also cooled to 4 K, the electron's motion is brought nearly to rest, thus preparing it in a cold quasipermanent state of the geonium ``atom.'' The magnetic-coupling scheme, described as a continuous Stern-Gerlach effect, is made possible through a weak Lawrence magnetic bottle which causes the very narrow axial resonance, at ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{z}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z}$/2\ensuremath{\pi} for the harmonically bound electron, to change in frequency by a small fixed amount \ensuremath{\delta} per unit change in magnetic quantum number.Spin flips are indirectly induced by a scheme which weakly drives the axial motion at the ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{a}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{a}$/2\ensuremath{\pi} spin-cyclotron difference frequency within the inhomogeneous magnetic field, thus yielding a measure of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{a}$\ensuremath{\equiv}${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}$-${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$. The magnetic moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{s}$ in terms of the Bohr magneton ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ equals (1/2) the spin's g factor, which in turn is described by ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$: g=2${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{s}$/${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$=2${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}$/${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$. In a Penning trap, however, these resonance frequencies are obtained from the observed cyclotron frequency at ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{\mathcal{'}}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$-${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{e}$ and the observed anomaly frequency at ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{a}^{\mathcal{'}}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{s}$-${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{\mathcal{'}}$, which are related by the small electric shift ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{e}$ computed using the measured axial frequency and 2${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{e}$${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{\mathcal{'}}$=${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z}$${\mathrm{}}^{2}$. This last expression, derived for a perfectly axially symmetric trap, happens to be practically invariant against small imperfections in the electric quadrupole field (error in ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$${l10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}16}$). The magnetic-bottle-determined line shapes are analyzed and found to have sharp low-frequency edge features which correspond to the electron being temporarily at the trap center and at the bottom of the magnetic well. Relativistic shifts are considered and found to be ${l10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}11}$. Our result at the time of submission, g/2=1.001 159 652 200 (40), is the most accurately determined parameter of any elementary charged particle which in addition can be directly compared with theory.
Ultrasonic attenuation in superconducting cadmium

Ultrasonic-attenuation measurements have been conducted on high-purity cadmium single crystals in both the normal and superconducting states. These studies have been made with longitudinal sound waves propagated in the 0001, 1010, and 1120 crystallographic directions. Analysis of the data indicates the presence of a single frequency-independent superconducting energy gap associated with each crystallographic direction studied. (AIP)
Religion, punitive justice, and support for the death penalty

The increased punitiveness in the criminal justice system, stimulated at least to some extent by public opinion, has coincided with the revival of Protestant evangelicalism and fundamentalism and with their followers' active involvement in politics and policy debates. Previous research on the determinants of preferred justice policies in the public either ignored religion or relied on a simple distinction among Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. The present study argues that evangelical/fundamentalist Protestants are more inclined to attribute crime to offenders' dispositional characteristics than to situational factors. Consequently they are expected to be more punitive than members of other groups. Survey data from a sample of adults in a southwestern city reveal greater punitiveness among evangelical/fundamentalist Protestants on four of five policy issues, including support for the death penalty both for adults and for juveniles.
Challenges of implementing digital technology in motion picture distribution and exhibition: testing and evaluation methodology

The process of distributing and exhibiting a motion picture has changed little since the Lumiere brothers presented the first motion picture to an audience in 1895. While this analog photochemical process is capable of producing screen images of great beauty and expressive power, more often the consumer experience is diminished by third generation prints and by the wear and tear of the mechanical process. Furthermore, the film industry globally spends approximately $1B annually manufacturing and shipping prints. Alternatively, distributing digital files would theoretically yield great benefits in terms of image clarity and quality, lower cost, greater security, and more flexibility in the cinema (e.g., multiple language versions). In order to understand the components of the digital cinema chain and evaluate the proposed technical solutions, the Entertainment Technology Center at USC in 2000 established the Digital Cinema Laboratory as a critical viewing environment, with the highest quality film and digital projection equipment. The presentation describes the infrastructure of the Lab, test materials, and testing methodologies developed for compression evaluation, and lessons learned up to the present. In addition to compression, the Digital Cinema Laboratory plans to evaluate other components of the digital cinema process as well.
The Conductivity and Dielectric Constant of a Sphere Determined by Scattered Field Measurements

Modeling the human skull as a homogeneous sphere, a method is presented whereby the unknown conductivity and dielectric constant associated with the sphere can be determined through measurements of the Stokes polarization parameters of the angularly scattered radiation, when the sphere is irradiated by an electromagnetic plane wave. The wavelength of the incident field is on the order of the diameter of the sphere so that the Mie description of the scattered field is employed. The technique requires the minimization of the square of the differences between the measurement and its theoretically computed counterpart. A simple systematic variation in the unknown parameters (complex refractive index) is utilized for the minimization process. Numerical illustrations of the method are presented for computer simulated measurements.
Interface morphology and phase distribution in the Cu2−xS/CdS heterojunction: A transmission electron microscope investigation

Abstract The Cu2−xS/CdS photovoltaic device is the most thoroughly studied and developed polycrystalline thin-film solar cell. However, many of the fundamental relationships between processing, microstructure and device performance are essentially unknown. Critical to understanding these relationships is the determination of the Cu2−xS/CdS interface morphology and the phase distribution in the Cu2−xS absorber. In this study electron-optical methods are applied to the structural characterization of single-crystal Cu2−xS/CdS heterojunctions prepared by the aqueous ion-exchange process. Results obtained by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and diffraction, and cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (XHRTEM) are combined to develop a detailed description of the effect of surface texture on heterojunction morphology. The XHRTEM images reveal the two-phase nature of the Cu2S absorber. The tetragonal phase, a high-pressure polymorph of low chalcocite (Cu2S), is found to form the metallurgical junction with CdS if the local surface orientation is nearly basal. However, only low chalcocite is detected in the absorber layer if the surface is steeply inclined to the basal plane. These results are rationalized on the basis of lattice misfit, structural compatibility and the nucleation of hcp-tp-fcc transformation dislocations. The implications of these results for the reproducible fabrication of high-efficiency Cu2−xS/CdS solar cells are discussed.
Dynamics of dislocation pile-up formation

Abstract The time dependent formation of single-ended dislocation pile-ups from the sequential emission of dislocations from a stress-activated source is considered. Results are obtained by numerical integration of the equations of motion in the particular case where the inertia terms are negligible and the obstacle is represented by a single dislocation locked on the slip plane. The calculations suggest that the process of pile-up formation occurs by the cooperative motion of dislocations, and that for non-transition metals such as copper, it is essentially complete in an extremely short time.
Traumatic Grief among African American Soldiers Exposed to Combat: Implications for Social Work Education

Grief and loss issues are major concerns that trauma-affected African American service personnel may present to social workers. MSW graduate degree programs typically include context-specific and evidence-based training specific to the practice of effective work with families adversely affected by the same. Unfortunately, very little has appeared in the literature regarding either the content or the method for teaching grief and loss counseling in these preparation programs. According to the Congressional Quarterly Weekly, more U.S. servicemen committed suicide than were killed in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2010.
Responses of rat adrenal glomerulosa and inner zone cells to synthetic ACTH analogs and proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides.

Abstract A comparison of the responsiveness of isolated rat adrenal decapsular and glomerulosa cells to corticotrophin 1–39 (ACTH 1–39), synthetic ACTH analogs (characterized by a shorter amino acid chain length, the substitution of certain amino acids in the natural sequence by other amino add residues, the replacement of the C-terminal carboxyl group by an amide), and proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides was performed by measuring corticosterone and aldosterone production, respectively. The potencies of the synthetic ACTH analogs correlated closely with the length of the peptides, similarly in both zones. No activity was observed with the proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides in either zone, with the exception of β-LPH and α-MSH.
Gyromagnetic ratio of a massive body.

It is well known that the gyromagnetic ratio (g factor) of a classical, slowly rotating body whose charge density is proportional to its mass density must be equal to unity. However, if the body is very massive, the spacetime curvature effects of general relativity become important and the result g = 1 is no longer valid. We calculate here the gyromagnetic ratio of a slowly rotating, massive shell with uniform charge density. When the shell is large compared with the Schwarzschild radius we have g = 1, but as the shell becomes more massive the g factor increases. In the limit as the shell approaches its Schwarzschild radius we obtain g approaching 2 (the same value as for an electron).
Closeness, Expenditures, and Turnout in the 1982 U.S. House Elections.

Students of elections have repeatedly found that the closeness of an election is modestly correlated with turnout. This may be due to a direct response of instrumentally motivated voters, but recent theoretical work casts doubt on the adequacy of this explanation. Another possibility is that elite actors respond to closeness with greater effort at mobilization. We explore the latter possibility by using FEC and state data on campaign expenditures in House, Senate, and gubernatorial races. Our results indicate that closeness has an effect at both the mass and elite levels. We also provide quantitative estimates of the effect of Senate and gubernatorial expenditure on House turnout.
Long-term changes in pulmonary function tests after definitive radiotherapy for lung cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the long-term changes in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in patients surviving at least 2 years after definitive radiotherapy (RT) for unresectable lung cancer. Methods and materials Between 1992 and 2000, 277 patients were enrolled in a prospective clinical study to relate RT-induced changes in lung function with dosimetric and functional metrics. Of these, 128 received definitive RT for lung cancer, and 13 of these had follow-up PFTs for approximately ≥2 years without evidence of recurrent or progressive cancer. PFTs were obtained before RT and approximately every 6 months after RT. The results were evaluated on the basis of each study’s “percentage of predicted” of normal values (i.e., adjusted for age, gender, height), and a patient’s sequential examinations were compared with their initial study and a percentage of the baseline value was calculated. Follow-up PFTs were available for a median of 38 months (range 23–95). The median patient age was 65 years (range 40–74), 6 patients were men, and 10 were white. Most had Stage T2–T4 and N2–N3. The median RT dose was 71.4 Gy (range 60–73), 6 had twice-daily RT. Four patients received chemotherapy, one concurrent and three neoadjuvant. None of the patients continued to smoke after their treatment. The median pre-RT PFT results were (percentage of predicted) forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 67% (range 24–121); forced vital capacity, 72% (range 45–116); and diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide, 70% (range 41–129). Results At 6 months, all PFT values had declined, with some stabilization by 1 year. However, after 1 year, a gradual reduction occurred in all three parameters. Ten patients (77%) developed RT-induced respiratory symptoms (2 cough only, 8 dyspnea) at 2–21 months (median 5) after treatment. Two patients required inhalers, another required long-term steroids and oxygen. Of the 8 patients with dyspnea, 7 had an increase in symptoms beyond 2 years. No patient died of RT-induced pulmonary insufficiency. Conclusion RT caused a decline in PFTs that was apparent at 6 months and continued well beyond 1 year. The continued decline in PFTs is suggestive of progressive/evolving RT-induced lung injury. “Late” pulmonary symptoms have also occurred in these patients. Because of the high mortality rate of unresectable lung cancer, few patients can be evaluated for long-term analysis. Additional studies and pooling of data from multiple institutions may help to clarify better the long-term impact of RT on pulmonary function in this subset of patients.
ON THE FORMATION AND SUPPRESSION OF VORTEX 'SHEDDING' AT LOW REYNOLDS NUMBERS

Vortex 'shedding' behind circular cylinders can be altered and suppressed altogether (or 'controlled') over a limited range of Reynolds numbers, by a proper placement of a second, much smaller, cylinder, in the near wake of the main cylinder. This new and dramatic suppression of vortex 'shedding' is the subject of this paper. Details of the phenomenon are documented through parallel experimental and numerical investigations, including flow visualisation. Temporal growth rate measurements of the velocity fluctuations reveal that the presence of the smaller cylinder reduces the growth rate of the disturbances leading to vortex 'shedding' and that its suppression, accompanied by the disappearance of sharp spectral peaks, coincides with negative temporal growth rates. It is argued that the presence of the secondary cylinder has the effect of altering the local stability of the flow by smearing and diffusing concentrated vorticity in the shear layers behind the body; a related effect is that the secondary cylinder diverts a small amount of fluid into the wake of the main cylinder. A united explanation of the formation and suppression of the vortex street is attempted, and it is suggested that the vortex 'shedding' is associated with temporally unstable eigenmodes which are heavily weighted by the near field. It is also shown that absolute instability is relevant up to a point in explaining vortex 'shedding', whose suppression can similarly be associated with altering the instability in the near wake region from absolute to convective.
Global legal pluralism as fact and norm

This article interrogates the intellectual foundations of global legal pluralism as a descriptive and normative position, and assesses its core claims with reference to the changing status of individuals in the postnational realm. In order to uncover the normative core of the pluralist position, the article turns to the rich tradition of value pluralism in political philosophy, particularly as articulated by Isaiah Berlin. It argues that as a normative position, pluralism – whether applied to the abstract sphere of values or the concrete realm of legal regimes – is normatively underdetermined, offering too little guidance as to how the conflicts endemic to a pluralistic world ought to be resolved. Unless it is supplemented by other, more substantive principles of political legitimacy such as democracy, freedom, equality, or justice, the principle of pluralism applied to the global legal realm is poised to reproduce, even exacerbate, existing inequalities of power and resources among those whom it affects.
Using ‘big data’ to validate claims made in the pharmaceutical approval process

Big Data in the healthcare setting refers to the storage, assimilation, and analysis of large quantities of information regarding patient care. These data can be collected and stored in a wide variety of ways including electronic medical records collected at the patient bedside, or through medical records that are coded and passed to insurance companies for reimbursement. When these data are processed it is possible to validate claims as a part of the regulatory review process regarding the anticipated performance of medications and devices. In order to analyze properly claims by manufacturers and others, there is a need to express claims in terms that are testable in a timeframe that is useful and meaningful to formulary committees. Claims for the comparative benefits and costs, including budget impact, of products and devices need to be expressed in measurable terms, ideally in the context of submission or validation protocols. Claims should be either consistent with accessible Big Data or able to support observational studies where Big Data identifies target populations. Protocols should identify, in disaggregated terms, key variables that would lead to direct or proxy validation. Once these variables are identified, Big Data can be used to query massive quantities of data in the validation process. Research can be passive or active in nature. Passive, where the data are collected retrospectively; active where the researcher is prospectively looking for indicators of co-morbid conditions, side-effects or adverse events, testing these indicators to determine if claims are within desired ranges set forth by the manufacturer. Additionally, Big Data can be used to assess the effectiveness of therapy through health insurance records. This, for example, could indicate that disease or co-morbid conditions cease to be treated. Understanding the basic strengths and weaknesses of Big Data in the claim validation process provides a glimpse of the value that this research can provide to industry. Big Data can support a research agenda that focuses on the process of claims validation to support formulary submissions as well as inputs to ongoing disease area and therapeutic class reviews.
Structures and syntheses of framework triuranyl diarsenate hydrates

Two homeotypic hydrated uranyl arsenates, (UO2)[(UO2)(AsO4)]2(H2O)4, UAs4; and (UO2)[(UO2)(AsO4)]2(H2O)5, UAs5 were synthesized by hydrothermal methods. Intensity data were collected at room temperature using MoKa X-radiation and a CCDbased area detector. Their crystal structures were solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques on the basis of F 2 to agreement indices (UAs4; UAs5) wR2 ¼ 0:116; 0.060, for all data, and R1 ¼ 0:046; 0.033, calculated for 3176, 5306 unique observed reflections (jFoj44sF ) respectively. UAs4 is monoclinic, space group P21=c; Z ¼ 4; a ¼ 11:238ð1Þ; b ¼ 7:152ð1Þ; c ¼ 21:941ð2Þ A ˚ , b ¼ 104:576(2) � , V ¼ 1706:8ð1Þ A ˚ 3 , Dcalc ¼ 4:51 g/cm 3 . UAs5 is orthorhombic, space group Pca21; Z ¼ 4; a ¼ 20:133ð2Þ; b ¼ 11:695ð1Þ; c ¼ 7:154ð1Þ A ˚ , V ¼ 1684:4ð1Þ A ˚ 3 , Dcalc ¼ 4:65 g/cm 3 . Both structures contain sheets of arsenate tetrahedra and uranyl pentagonal bipyramids, with composition [(UO2)(AsO4)] 1� and the uranophane sheet anion-topology. The sheets are connected by a uranyl pentagonal bipyramid in the interlayer that shares corners with an arsenate tetrahedron on each of two adjacent sheets, resulting in open-frameworks with isolated H2O groups in the larger cavities of the structures. The uranyl arsenate sheet in UAs4 is relatively planar, and is topologically identical with the uranyl phosphate sheet in (UO2)[(UO2)(PO4)]2 (H2O)4. The uranyl arsenate sheet in UAs5 is the same geometrical isomer as in UAs4; but is highly corrugated, exhibiting approximately right angle bends of the sheet after every second uranyl arsenate chain repeat.
Bidirectional reflectance measurements of sediments in the vicinity of Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

In situ measurements of bidirectional reflectance factors (REFFs) are presented for submerged carbonate sediments at six sites in the vicinity of Lee Stocking Island. Sediment grain sizes ranged from 400 m mt o.1000 mm. Several features were common to all data sets. Although overall sediment reflectance varied spectrally, normalized REFF was independent of wavelength within the natural sample variability. This allowed us to derive a model REFF which, when multiplied by REFF(ui 5 08, ur 5 458, f) at a specific wavelength, represented the data well. In addition, normally illuminated samples were almost Lambertian, but samples with larger grain sizes had an REFF that decreased with increasing view angles. As the illumination angle increased, samples became increasingly nonLambertian. The dominant feature of the REFF in these non-Lambertian surfaces is in the backscattering direction. In this direction the REFF was significantly larger than the nadir value. The largest backscattering REFFs correspond to large grain sizes and increases with increasing illumination angles. The empirical model, which represents the data within one standard deviation of sample variation, is presented for these sediments. This model is well behaved at angles out to 908 and thus can be used in radiative transfer models. This model provides a realistic bottom reflectance that can be used to improve light field predictions in shallow water.
Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis presenting as impending airway obstruction

The presence of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis in the pediatric patient remains a diagnostic challenge to the emergency physician. The variability of both patient presentation and laboratory parameters often obscures the diagnosis. We describe a child who presented to the emergency department with subglottic edema and the possibility of impending airway compromise. The child was admitted to the hospital under close observation, and several days later, the diagnosis of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis was made.
THE ECONOMICS OF DENTAL CARE

On first reading, this report may strike the reader as abrupt and ruthless, but be advised to read it a second time.
Resolution of the Galphimia langlassei Complex (Malpighiaceae) from the Pacific Slope of Mexico

Abstract Four species were discerned in a complex of Galphimia Cav. (Malpighiaceae) from the Pacific slope of Mexico. Three are newly described (G. arenicola, G. mexiae, and G. radialis). One is transferred from Thryallis L. (nom. rejic.) to Galphimia, and the new combination G. langlassei is proposed.
Determination of Vitamin B-6 Compounds by Semiautomated Continuous-Flow and Chromatographic Methods

The development of instrumental methods for the quantitative analysis of the various vitamin B-6 compounds has been the subject of extensive research. The need for alternative analytical methods stems largely from the limitations of many of the conventional procedures and the requirement for accurate, rapid, and simple methods for food analysis, research, and nutritional assessment purposes. Microbiological methods for the biologically active B-6 vitamers are often limited by the cumbersome nature of the analysis, poor precision, and potential variation in growth response. Enzymatic procedures for the vitamin B-6 coenzymes (pyridoxal 5’-phosphate, PLP and pyridoxamine 5’-phosphate, PMP), while extremely sensitive, are not well suited for multiple routine analyses and may be subject to certain interferences. Likewise, conventional methods for the determination of 4-pyridoxic acid (4PA), the primary excretory form of vitamin B-6, have not been widely employed because of their lengthy nature.
Degradation of passivated iron particles in humid atmospheres

The interaction of water vapor with passivated iron particles used in magnetic recording was studied under different temperature and humidity conditions using a flow microcalorimetric (FMC) technique. Water uptake by passivated iron particles increased linearly with relative humidity ranging from 30% to 70% RH in the temperature range 30/spl deg/C to 70/spl deg/C. Mossbauer measurements showed that the ratio of core iron to oxide iron decreased during aging. Particles coated with hydrophobic WC exhibited much less water uptake than particles coated with a less hydrophobic polymer, poly(vinyl alcohol). >
Non-canonical fibroblast growth factor signalling in angiogenesis

Whereas fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) classically transmit their signals via high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFR1-4), recent evidence strongly implicates non-tyrosine kinase receptors (NTKR) or cell-surface FGFR-interacting proteins as important players in FGF signalling. Although NTKR have lower affinity for FGFs in comparison with cognate tyrosine kinase receptors, because of their high abundance they can effectively bind FGFs and produce unique biological effects independent of FGFRs. A prime example of such NTKR is the syndecan family of plasma membrane proteoglycans and, in particular, syndecan-4, which transmits FGF signalling via a protein kinase Calpha pathway. Another NTKR, alpha(v)beta(3) integrin, functions as an FGF signalling modulator by binding both FGF2 and FGFR1. Yet another NTKR, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), can serve as an FGFR ligand and assemble an FGFR signalling complex in the absence of FGFs. Furthermore, N-cadherin, which has been reported to associate with FGFR, appears to activate FGFR in both ligand (FGF)-dependent and ligand-independent manners. Finally, gangliosides are implicated as a co-receptor system of FGFs. The biological consequence of non-canonical FGF signalling tends to be less discernable compared to the canonical FGFR activation because of the overlap between these two pathways; nevertheless, non-canonical signalling is important and sometimes essential for cellular functions. Given the diversity of FGF activities through embryonic development to adult physiology, the existence of the non-canonical signalling system may account for the different cellular response to the FGF input in different biological contexts. In this review, we will discuss recent findings related to non-canonical FGF signalling with emphasis on the endothelial biology and angiogenesis.
Active periodic noise control using a single FPGA chip

Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) offer a quick and cost effective implementation for medium to large size digital designs that traditionally have been carried out by ASIC or DSPs. We present a simple design for an active periodic noise control system using only one FPGA. Experimental results show that with proper adjustment of the acoustic delay substantial noise reduction is achieved.
All-Female Species of the Lizard Genus Cnemidophorus, Teiidae

Six species of lizards in the genus Cnemidophorus, Teiidae, have been found to be all-female or virtually all-female. The species are C. costatus exsanguis Lowe, C. deppei cozumelus Gadow, C. inornatus Baird (western population), C. perplexus Baird and Girard, C. tessellatus (Say), and C. velox Springer. It is hypothesized that the explanation of these virtually all-female populations is genetic.
The AhR and NF-κB/Rel Proteins Mediate the Inhibitory Effect of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin on the 3′ Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Regulatory Region

Transcriptional regulation of the murine immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain gene (Igh) involves several regulatory elements including the 3'Igh regulatory region (3'IghRR), which is composed of at least 4 enhancers (hs3A, hs1.2, hs3B, and hs4). The hs1.2 and hs4 enhancers exhibit the greatest transcriptional activity and contain binding sites for several transcription factors including nuclear factor kappaB/Rel (NF-κB/Rel) proteins and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Interestingly, the environmental immunosuppressant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), which potently inhibits antibody secretion, also profoundly inhibits 3'IghRR and hs1.2 enhancer activation induced by the B-lymphocyte activator lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but enhances LPS-induced activation of the hs4 enhancer. Within the hs1.2 and hs4 enhancers, the AhR binding site is in close proximity or overlaps an NF-κB/Rel binding site suggesting a potential reciprocal modulation of the 3'IghRR by AhR and NF-κB/Rel. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the role of NF-κB/Rel and the AhR on the 3'IghRR and its enhancers using the AhR ligand TCDD, the AhR antagonist CH223191, and toll-like receptor agonists LPS, Resiquimod (R848), or cytosine-phosphate-guanine-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG). Utilizing the CH12.LX B-lymphocyte cell line and variants expressing either a 3'IghRR-regulated transgene reporter or an inducible IκBα (inhibitor kappa B-alpha protein) superrepressor (IκBαAA), we demonstrate an AhR- and NF-κB/Rel-dependent modulation of 3'IghRR and hs4 activity. Additionally, in mouse splenocytes or CH12.LX cells, binding within the hs1.2 and hs4 enhancer of the AhR and the NF-κB/Rel proteins RelA and RelB was differentially altered by the cotreatment of LPS and TCDD. These results suggest that the AhR and NF-κB/Rel protein binding profile within the 3'IghRR mediates the inhibitory effects of TCDD on Ig expression and therefore antibody levels.
Calling Site Fidelity and Call Structure of a Neotropical Toad, Rhinella ocellata (Anura: Bufonidae)

Rhinella ocellata is a relatively unknown species of toad that occurs in Brazilian cerrado, a savanna-like biome. We studied home range and calling behavior of a population of this species in the state of Tocantins, Brazil, in 2004. Unlike most other species of bufonids, male R. ocellata did not migrate to ponds or other aquatic sites and form choruses for reproduction. Instead, R. ocellata had a prolonged breeding period during which males called from terrestrial sites typically on bare sandy soil near grass clumps or other shrubby vegetation. Calling sites were within open gallery forest in cerrado and ranged from 10-64 m from the shoreline of a river; similar calling sites were observed at another site in Tocantins in 2005. Home-range size was small compared to other toads that have been studied. Most individual R. ocellata remained within a small area during the study, typically calling nightly except during hot, dry periods. Calling bouts of R. ocellata consisted of an average of 36.9 short calls with fairly long intervals between bouts. Calling bout length averaged 31 sec. Neighboring individuals frequently alternated calls. One clutch of eggs found in a backwater pool of the river was tentatively identified as that of R. ocellata. The derived breeding behavior of R. ocellata is consistent with the historical difficulty in placing this species phylogenetically. RESUMO.—Rhinella ocellata euma especie relativamente desconhecida que ocorre no Cerrado brasileiro. Nos estudamos a area de vida e o comportamento de vocalizacao de uma populacao dessa especie no estado do Tocantins, norte do Brasil, no ano de 2004. Diferentemente de outras especies de bufono ´deos, os machos de R. ocellata nao migraram para pocas ou outros ambientes aquaticos formando agregacoes reprodutivas. Ao inves, R. ocellata teve um pero ´odo de reproducao prolongado durante o qual machos vocalizaram em ambientes terrestres, tipicamente sobre solo arenoso proximo a gramo ´neas ou moitas de vegetacao. Os so ´tios de vocalizacao se encontraram dentro de matas de galeria e estiveram localizados de 10 a 64 m de distancia da margem de um rio. So ´tios de vocalizacao com caractero ´sticas similares foram observados em outra localidade em Tocantins em 2005. O tamanho medio da area de vida foi de 163.3 m 2 , valor considerado pequeno quando comparado ao de outras especies de bufono ´deos jaestudadas. A maioria dos indivo ´duos de R. ocellata permaneceu limitada a uma area pequena durante todo o estudo, vocalizando todas as noites, exceto em dias muito quentes e secos. A sequencia de canto de R. ocellata consistiu em media de 36.9 cantos curtos, com intervalos relativamente longos entre as sequencias. Cada sequencia durou em media 31 segundos. Indivo ´duos proximos alternavam o canto frequentemente. Uma posso ´vel desova de R. ocellata foi encontrada em uma poca proxima ao rio. O comportamento reprodutivo derivado de R. ocellata econsistente com a dificuldade em posicionar essa especie filogeneticamente.
Trial of Divalproex for Bipolar Disorder

The safety and effectiveness of divalproex sodium (Depakapote®) in the treatment of 40 children and adolescents, aged 7 to 19 years, with a primary diagnosis of bipolar disorder were evaluated by open-label study (2-8 weeks) at the University of Texas, Galveston; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; SUNY Stonybrook, NY; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and University of Texas, San Antonio.
Assimilation paths of immigrant children: Asian Indians and Filipinos compared

Modes of accommodation and adaptation may influence minority immigrants’ assimilation outcomes. Using census data from 1980, 1990, and 2000, we follow the Asian Indians and Filipinos who were 0–19 years old in 1980 and immigrated to the US in the 1970s. We apply cohort analysis to compare their educational attainment when they became 20–39 years old in 2000 with that of their parents in 1980 and 1990. Educational attainment, on average, was lower among Filipino immigrant children than among their parents but higher among Asian Indian immigrant children than among their parents. We then explore differences in educational attainment and intermarriage patterns between Asian Indians and Filipinos. Asian Indians were much more likely to complete college, but far less likely to marry whites than Filipinos. These findings offer the basis for the discussion of different paths of assimilation among middle-class immigrants.
3-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrates in Infants With Refractory Bleeding After Cardiac Surgery.

From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Duke Children’s Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center, Duke University, Durham, NC; †Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, NC; ‡Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Duke Children’s Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center, Duke University, Durham, NC; and §Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC. Address reprint requests to Edmund Jooste, MBChB, Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center Box 3094, Durham, NC, 27710. E-mail: Edmund.jooste@duke.edu © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1053-0770/2602-0033$36.00/0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.jvca.2016.01.029
Initial strain energy-based thermo-elastoviscoplastic two-parameter damage self-healing model for bituminous composites—Part II: Computational aspects*:

This paper describes the implementation of the initial strain energy-based thermo-elastoviscoplastic two-parameter damage self-healing models for bituminous materials to compare the model predictions with experimental measurements. Computational algorithms based on the two-step operator splitting methodology are proposed and employed for numerical results. The elastic two-parameter damage self-healing predictor and the viscoplastic corrector are coupled with the Arrhenius-type temperature term via the net stress concept in conjunction with the hypothesis of strain equivalence and then systematically used for numerical implementation of the models. Four numerical examples of three-dimensional problems are first demonstrated for the effect of temperature and rest period for healing phenomenon. Second, experimental validation of the proposed model against monotonic constant-strain test at different temperatures and controlled-strain cyclic tension test is presented. It is observed that numerical simulations ...
Mechanisms That Generate Resource Pulses in a Fluctuating Wetland.

Animals living in patchy environments may depend on resource pulses to meet the high energetic demands of breeding. We developed two primary a priori hypotheses to examine relationships between three categories of wading bird prey biomass and covariates hypothesized to affect the concentration of aquatic fauna, a pulsed resource for breeding wading bird populations during the dry season. The fish concentration hypothesis proposed that local-scale processes concentrate wet-season fish biomass into patches in the dry season, whereas the fish production hypothesis states that the amount of dry-season fish biomass reflects fish biomass production during the preceding wet season. We sampled prey in drying pools at 405 sites throughout the Florida Everglades between December and May from 2006–2010 to test these hypotheses. The models that explained variation in dry-season fish biomass included water-level recession rate, wet-season biomass, microtopography, submerged vegetation, and the interaction between wet-season biomass and recession rate. Crayfish (Procambarus spp.) biomass was positively associated with wet-season crayfish biomass, moderate water depth, dense submerged aquatic vegetation, thin flocculent layer and a short interval of time since the last dry-down. Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) biomass increased with increasing rates of water level recession, supporting our impression that shrimp, like fish, form seasonal concentrations. Strong support for wet-season fish and crayfish biomass in the top models confirmed the importance of wet-season standing stock to concentrations of fish and crayfish the following dry season. Additionally, the importance of recession rate and microtopography showed that local scale abiotic factors transformed fish production into the high quality foraging patches on which apex predators depended.
Issues in the Assessment of Physical Activity in Children

Most people are aware of the important influence that physical activity has on health outcomes and quality of life, and it has become increasingly important to be able to determine how much physical activity individuals participate in on a regular basis so that tracking of behavior change can occur and individual or population interventions can be implemented to modify behaviors and health outcomes. Many professionals, including teachers, administrators, nurses and recreational program leaders are interested in the amount of physical activity that takes place in their programs. Understanding methods of assessing physical activity behaviors in children and youth is important to those delivering physical activity-related programming. Assessing physical activity behaviors in children and adolescents is particularly problematic due to the nature of children's physical activity behaviors and their cognitive capacity to self-report their activity. This article describes the background and issues that often aris...
Personnel safety with pressurized gas systems

In this article, selected aspects of safety with compressed gas systems are discussed. Several accident case histories are described that illustrate the potential modes of injury from gas jets, pressure-driven missiles, and asphyxiants. Using high-pressure helium and nitrogen, estimates of safe exclusion distances to prevent skin injuries from gas leaks are calculated for differing pressures, temperatures, and breach sizes. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2016
Branching ratio of ϒ ( 1 D ) → ϒ ( 1 S ) π π

We consider the branching ratio of $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1D)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$, which is related to the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ spectrum in $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(2S)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$. Fixing the gluonic contribution to $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(2S)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ from the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ spectrum in $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(2S)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$, we find that the decay rate of $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1D)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ can be an order of magnitude larger than the previous calculations. Then, we can have 70 to 90 events of $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1D)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(1S)\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ in ${10}^{6}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(3S)$ decays, which is at the limit of detectability.
FEC Code Anchored Robust Design of Massive MIMO Receivers

Massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems have been proposed to support high rate multiple access. As channel estimation in massive MIMO suffers from the well-known impairment of pilot contamination, we propose a novel approach to multi-user detection by exploiting forward error correction (FEC) code diversity. Unlike traditional approaches solely based on worst-case or probabilistic channel estimation errors, we develop a joint quadratic-programming (QP) receiver anchored with a set of FEC code constraints. Exploiting the user signatures presented by FEC channel codes of distinct permutations, our receiver can effectively recover signals from pilot-interfering users. The code-anchored robust design (CARD) method can also be applied to a chance-constrained receiver, which shows further performance gain compared with the direct integration of FEC code constraints in joint QP receiver. The effectiveness of CARD receivers is demonstrated by numerical results that establish substantial performance gain of the proposed receivers over existing robust designs. In addition, we present a distributed multi-cell processing scheme for enhanced performance via alternating direction method of multipliers.
Predictors of in-hospital mortality in surgically treated valvular infective endocarditis cases at National Heart Institute, Egypt

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to review the surgical experience in the cardiothoracic surgical department, National Heart Institute (NHI), Egypt regarding patients with native or prosthetic valve endocarditis and determining predictors of mortality. Methods A prospective study of fifty consecutive patients diagnosed with definite infective endocarditis (IE) and underwent cardiac surgery from September 2012 till September 2014 were included. We tested preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data as potential predictors of mortality. Results Rheumatic heart disease was the most common underlying cardiac disease (n = 27, 54%). Native valve endocarditis was present in 37 (74%) and prosthetic valve endocarditis in 13 (26%). Mean EuroSCORE II was 5.71%. The in-hospital mortality was 20%. Congestive heart failure (P = 0.014), embolization (P = 0.011), and periannular extension of infection (P = 0.029) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. According to the ROC curve, EuroSCORE II > 5.93% was associated with the best predictive value for in-hospital mortality (AUC: 0.813). In the group of patients selected for valve repair strategy, only one mortality (11%) was recorded and no recurrence occurred. Conclusions Surgery for IE continues to be challenging. EuroSCORE II has a good discrimination ability to predict in-hospital mortality in IE surgery. Satisfactory results can be obtained with valve repair in IE.
Undecidable Problems for Probabilistic Network Programming

The software-defined networking language NetKAT is able to verify many useful properties of networks automatically via a PSPACE decision procedure for program equality. However, for its probabilistic extension ProbNetKAT, no such decision procedure is known. We show that several potentially useful properties of ProbNetKAT are in fact undecidable, including emptiness of support intersection and certain kinds of distribution bounds and program comparisons. We do so by embedding the Post Correspondence Problem in ProbNetKAT via direct product expressions, and by directly embedding probabilistic finite automata.
Microscopic diffusion processes measured in living planarians

Living planarian flatworms were probed using quasielastic neutron scattering to measure, on the pico-to-nanosecond time scale and nanometer length scale, microscopic diffusion of water and cell constituents in the planarians. Measurable microscopic diffusivities were surprisingly well defined in such a complex system as living animals. The overall variation in the microscopic diffusivity of cell constituents was found to be far lower than the variation in the microscopic diffusivity of water in planarians in a temperature range of 284.5 to 304.1 K.