cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporation of a Feed Network Into the Time-Domain Finite-Element Modeling of Antenna Arrays

An accurate and efficient numerical scheme is presented for incorporating a feed network into the time-domain finite-element modeling of antennas and antenna arrays. The feed network is represented in terms of a rational function form of its scattering matrix in the frequency domain that enables its interfacing with the time-domain finite-element modeling of the array through a fast, recursive time-convolution algorithm. The exchange of information between the antenna elements and the feed network occurs through the incident and reflected modal voltages/currents at properly defined port interfaces. The proposed numerical scheme significantly simplifies the simulation of an antenna system that comprises both antennas and a feed network and allows one to fully utilize the power of an antenna simulation technique to deal with large and complex antennas. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method.
Progress on the Investigation of Coal-Water Slurry Fuel Combustion in a Medium-Speed Diesel Engine: Part 5—Combustion Studies

This paper reports that in the GE 7FDL single-cylinder research diesel engine, coal-water slurry (CWS) fuel combustion optimization studies were conducted using electronically controlled CWS and pilot accumulator injectors. The most important performance parameters of peak firing pressure, combustion efficiency (coal burnout) and specific fuel consumption were evaluated in relationship to CWS and pilot injection timing, CWS injector hole size, shape, and number, CWS fuel injection spray angles and injection pressure. Heat release diagrams, as well as exhaust samples (gaseous and particulate), were analyzed for each case. Interesting effects of fuel spray impingement and CWS fuel Delayed Ignition were observed. With the engine operating at 2.0 MPa IMEP and 1050 rpm, it was able to obtain over 99.5 percent combustion efficiency while holding the cylinder firing pressure below 17 MPa and thermal efficiency equivalent to diesel fuel operation.
Metastatic Seminoma Simulating Malignant Lymphoma in an HIV Infected Hemophiliac

Although most common, malignant lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma are not the only malignancies encountered in lymph nodes from HIV-infected patients. An increased frequency of testicular germ cell tumors in HIV-infected individuals has been reported. We report here the first case, to our knowledge, of a metastatic seminoma in an HIV-infected hemophiliac. The atypical clinical presentation, cervical and axillary adenopathy, simulated malignant lymphoma. The diagnosis was first suspected when a fine needle aspiration biopsy from an enlarged cervical node revealed a mixture of benign appearing lymphocytes and loosely cohesive large tumor cells in a "tigroid" background. Immunocytochemistry and a subsequent excisional biopsy confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. Metastatic germ cell tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis of HIV-related lymphadenopathy.
States enact mammography coverage laws.

In 1988 and 1989, mammography topped the list of new state mandates for health insurance benefits. Following the lead taken by Maryland in 1986, over half of the states now mandate insurance benefits for breast cancer screening through the use of low-dose mammography. Mammography is one of several preventive and diagnostic procedures, together with cytology screening, well-baby care, child health supervision, and colon and rectal cancer screening, that has become an increasingly popular category of mandated benefit. The number of mandated benefit laws in all categories has rapidly multiplied since the early 1970s. The earliest of these covered specific medical conditions and diseases or the services of allied health practitioners; preventive or diagnostic services, such as mammography, are more recent coverage phenomena. State governments, responding to demands for coverage from a public preoccupied with wellness and expecting the maximum health care treatment intervention to be available and accessible in all cases, are clearly willing to use their authority to regulate the insurance industry so as to expand and improve access to health care services. Despite new concerns over the cost of mandated benefits generally and budget woes in many jurisdictions, the states' interest in improving access to preventive health services, such as mammography, remains strong as we enter the 1990s.
Taking Stock in Our Progress on Individualism-Collectivism: 100 Years of Solidarity and Community

The tension existing between an inherent desire for companionship and personal identity forms the basis for one of the most highly researched cultural and personal dimensions in the field of management. This dichotomy, commonly called individualism-collectivism, is the focus of our review. Although much attention has been drawn toward this construct, its operationalization and measure have been problematic. In our review, we examine the theoretical and empirical bases for individualism and collectivism and its application in the field of organizational studies.
Active formation of mixed–species grouse leks: a role for predation in lek evolution?

Behavioural ecologists have interpreted avian leks as products of sexual selection, in which males display socially to increase their opportunities to mate. However, without invoking reproductive queuing or kin selection, this paradigm does not necessarily explain why many males that fail to mate participate in leks. An alternative solution, that males also aggregate to reduce predation, has previously lacked compelling support. We show that mixed-species leks, comprising two congeneric grouse, form when single males or small groups of one species, the greater prairie chicken Tympanuchus cupido, join leks of another, the sharp-tailed grouse T. phasianellus. We documented the process by observing lek dynamics and comparing group sizes between mixed- and single-species leks. Joining implies that prairie chickens benefit from displaying with sharp-tailed grouse. The numbers of females of each species attending a lek increased with the number of conspecific, but not heterospecific, males. This suggests that the joining of heterospecifics is unlikely to increase mating opportunities, and leaves lowered predation risk as the most likely benefit of associating with heterospecifics. Active formation of mixed-species leks therefore suggests that predation may be sufficient to drive lek formation. The benefits of participation in mixed leks may be asymmetrical because prairie chickens display more and are less vigilant than sharp-tailed grouse.
Examining the effects of CU/PE overlap and synchronization overhead when using the complete sums approach to image correlation

A mixed-mode parallel machine's processing elements (PEs) are capable of operating in and switching between the SIMD and MIMD modes of parallelism. The paper analyzes various mappings of image correlation algorithms onto a mixed-mode parallel processing system. The trade-offs that exist between the SIMD and MIMD modes explain why some sequences of instructions are performed better in one mode than in the other and are the primary basis employed in comparing different mappings of a parallel algorithm onto a mixed-mode system. >
Clostridium difficile Infection Is Associated With Increased Risk of Death and Prolonged Hospitalization in Children

Summary: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and higher costs among a multicenter cohort of hospitalized children matched by important demographic and clinical characteristics. The impact of CDI is most significant among children with hospital-onset disease.
Group Identity, Individual Creativity, and Symbolic Generation in a BaKongo Diaspora

This article applies theories of group dynamics and individual agency to past material expressions of core symbols within particular African American religious beliefs. The past creation and use of such artifacts is analyzed using theories concerning modes of symbolic expression, the interplay of dominant and nondominant religions, formation and maintenance of social group identities, and the role of individual creativity and innovation within those processes. This analysis demonstrates the ways in which facets of the core symbolic expressions of the BaKongo people of West Central Africa evolved over time and across the trans-Atlantic region.
Advances, challenges and a developing synthesis of ecological community assembly theory

Ecological approaches to community assembly have emphasized the interplay between neutral processes, niche-based environmental filtering and niche-based species sorting in an interactive milieu. Recently, progress has been made in terms of aligning our vocabulary with conceptual advances, assessing how trait-based community functional parameters differ from neutral expectation and assessing how traits vary along environmental gradients. Experiments have confirmed the influence of these processes on assembly and have addressed the role of dispersal in shaping local assemblages. Community phylogenetics has forged common ground between ecologists and biogeographers, but it is not a proxy for trait-based approaches. Community assembly theory is in need of a comparative synthesis that addresses how the relative importance of niche and neutral processes varies among taxa, along environmental gradients, and across scales. Towards that goal, we suggest a set of traits that probably confer increasing community neutrality and regionality and review the influences of stress, disturbance and scale on the importance of niche assembly. We advocate increasing the complexity of experiments in order to assess the relative importance of multiple processes. As an example, we provide evidence that dispersal, niche processes and trait interdependencies have about equal influence on trait-based assembly in an experimental grassland.
Plasmonic-enhanced organic solar cells

Organic bulk-heterojunction solar cells have several good characteristics, such as ease of fabrication, and low-cost materials. However, the bottleneck in their adoption is their much lower efficiency as compared with their silicon counterparts. In our previous work, we demonstrated that by appropriately inserting AuNPs in the OPV device, the efficiency can be increased by 30% and that silanization of ITO positively impacts device performance, where we identified the field enhancement due to AuNPs as the main reason for the increase in the efficiency of the device. In this work, we further investigate the impact of self-assembly of the gold nanoparticles on the efficiency by also considering two other factors which can possibly contribute to the improvement of our structure’s performance. One is the change in the substrate’s workfunction after silanization, and the other factor is the variations in PEDOT: PSS characteristics due to the AuNPs’ plasmonic resonance. We conclude that the AuNPs not only increase the photon absorption efficiency but also increase the conductivity of the surrounding medium (PEDOT: PSS) thereby facilitating charge transport through PEDOT: PSS.
Of Warrior Chiefs and Indian Princesses: The Psychological Consequences of American Indian Mascots

Four studies examined the consequences of American Indian mascots and other prevalent representations of American Indians on aspects of the self-concept for American Indian students. When exposed to Chief Wahoo, Chief Illinwek, Pocahontas, or other common American Indian images, American Indian students generated positive associations (Study 1, high school) but reported depressed state self-esteem (Study 2, high school), and community worth (Study 3, high school), and fewer achievement-related possible selves (Study 4, college). We suggest that American Indian mascots are harmful because they remind American Indians of the limited ways others see them and, in this way, constrain how they can see themselves.
A Social Dilemma Perspective on Cooperative Behavior in Organizations The Efects of Scarcity, Communication, and Unequal Access on the Use of a Shared Resource

This study investigates groups' ability to manage resources under high and low scarcity. We offer a contingency model to reconcile competing predictions in the literature: Cooperative group behavior is moderated by group communication and the distribution of resources. A sample of 208 undergraduate students role-played I of 4 "division managers" in a fictional organization. They made independent organizational resource withdrawal decisions. Three independent variables were manipulated: (a) level of resource replenishment, (b) group communication prior to decision making, and (c) access to the resource. Our findings indicated strong support for the hypothesized effect of communication and moderate support for the effect of resource distribution. Results suggest that a decline in scarcity increases cooperation only when groups are allowed to communicate and when there is equal access to resources. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for group behavior in organizations are discussed, and...
FSMBO: Fast Time Series Similarity Matching Based on Bit Operation

In many domains, such as meteorology, space physics, geography, multimedia, and economics, there are a lot of time series data. People often use similarity matching to deal with time series data in practical application. DTW (Dynamic Time Warping) can provide the stretch ability along the time axis. Therefore, it becomes one of several popular similarity matching algorithms. But DTW incurs a heavy computation cost. Although several improved methods of DTW have been proposed in some literatures, it still can not meet the actual needs. This paper proposes FSMBO (Fast time series Similarity Matching based on Bit Operation). FSMBO algorithm efficiently prunes a significant number of the matching candidates, which leads to a direct reduction in the matching cost. Experiments reveal that FSMBO is significantly faster than the popular methods.
A compilation system that integrates High Performance Fortran and Fortran M

Task parallelism and data parallelism are often seen as mutually exclusive approaches to parallel programming. Yet there are important classes of application, for example in multidisciplinary simulation and in command and control, that would benefit from an integration of the two approaches. In this paper, we describe a programming system that we are developing to explore this sort of integration. This system builds on previous work on task-parallel and data-parallel Fortran compilers to provide an environment in which the task-parallel language Fortran M can be used to coordinate data-parallel High Performance Fortran tasks. We use an image processing problem to illustrate the issues that arise when building an integrated compilation system of this sort. >
Molecular Characterization of EGFR and EGFRvIII Signaling Networks in Human Glioblastoma Tumor Xenografts

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a malignant primary brain tumor with a mean survival of 15 months with the current standard of care. Genetic profiling efforts have identified the amplification, overexpression, and mutation of the wild-type (wt) epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR) in ∼50% of GBM patients. The genetic aberration of wtEGFR is frequently accompanied by the overexpression of a mutant EGFR known as EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII, de2–7EGFR, ΔEGFR), which is expressed in 30% of GBM tumors. The molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis driven by EGFRvIII overexpression in human tumors have not been fully elucidated. To identify specific therapeutic targets for EGFRvIII driven tumors, it is important to gather a broad understanding of EGFRvIII specific signaling. Here, we have characterized signaling through the quantitative analysis of protein expression and tyrosine phosphorylation across a panel of glioblastoma tumor xenografts established from patient surgical specimens expressing wtEGFR or overexpressing wtEGFR (wtEGFR+) or EGFRvIII (EGFRvIII+). S100A10 (p11), major vault protein, guanylate-binding protein 1(GBP1), and carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII) were identified to have significantly increased expression in EGFRvIII expressing xenograft tumors relative to wtEGFR xenograft tumors. Increased expression of these four individual proteins was found to be correlated with poor survival in patients with GBM; the combination of these four proteins represents a prognostic signature for poor survival in gliomas. Integration of protein expression and phosphorylation data has uncovered significant heterogeneity among the various tumors and has highlighted several novel pathways, related to EGFR trafficking, activated in glioblastoma. The pathways and proteins identified in these tumor xenografts represent potential therapeutic targets for this disease.
Shank Length as a Criterion of Inherent Size

Abstract THE writer has elsewhere presented a review of literature on the inheritance of size with particular reference to the domestic fowl (Lerner 1937). Most of the work recorded was based on body weight differences, a notable exception to this being the study made by Maw (1935). The latter used a number of skeletal measurements in crosses of Brahmas with Sebright Bantams and succeeded in demonstrating the existence of sex-linked factor differentials for length of bones in these breeds. Maw as well as Lerner and Asmundson (1932) in a similar study made measurements on prepared bones, dissected out from birds killed for this purpose. In the course of work on relative growth, the writer found it necessary to take shank measurements of live birds in successive stages of growth. Accordingly, Dr. B. R. Burmester designed a measuring device suitable to make these measurements. This device has been previously described (Burmester and . . .
The Not-So-Golden Years: Why Hate Crime Legislation Is Failing a Vulnerable Aging Population

Between April and August 2008, three individuals ranging in age from seventy-six to eighty-eight were attacked in the Hyde Park area of Boston, Massachusetts. In the first attack, an 88-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by a man who entered her home located in an elderly housing complex, beat her, and attempted to rape her. In a second attack in the same neighborhood later that week, a 76-year-old man suffered a broken jaw before being robbed. In a third attack several months later, an 84-year-old man was beaten, choked to the point of unconsciousness, and robbed. Police charged a 40-year-old man with the third attack and believed that he had committed the other two. The brutal attacks outlined above share a disturbing, common theme: the deliberate selection of a victim based on the victim's perceived age-related vulnerability. These targeted attacks cause fear and apprehension within the elderly community. Despite a general decline in the overall rate of violent crime in America across all age groups, violent crime against the elderly has increased each year since 2003. In response to attacks on the elderly, several states have elected to prosecute attacks against the elderly as hate crimes. This article examines the state and federal response to the observed increase in violent victimization of the elderly. Part I discusses ageism in America and the change in demographics that warrants a reevaluation of policies intended to protect the elderly population. Part II addresses the purpose of hate crime laws and their application to vulnerable populations. Part III evaluates existing state and federal responses to violent crimes against the elderly and examines existing hate crime laws applicable to violence against the elderly. Part IV provides recommendations and concludes that uniform hate crime legislation is needed to protect vulnerable members of a rapidly expanding elderly population.
Vector potential, gauge field and connection on a fiber bundle

A number of basic concepts in contemporary physics have deep relations with each other. In this talk I shall trace the early origins of some of these concepts.
The Intended and Unintended Effects of Dodd-Frank on Mortgage Broker Compensation

President Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July 2010. Numerous provisions were included to reform the mortgage lending industry with an emphasis ...
Centralized Coercive Force and the Economic Foundations of the Social Contract

Maintaining social and political order is perhaps the most important problem that can confront a society, and solving this problem requires a society to manage the execution of coercive force. A common answer to this challenge is to centralize coercive force under a single authority, but this solution creates a situation where individuals must protect themselves from the (potentially) predatory desires of the state. To analyze the foundation of the state as the sole executor of coercive force, I study a society composed of distinct factions that will initiate violent force unless the state can effectively constrain them. The social contract between the faction composing the state and civilian factions presents a problem of reciprocal agency where every faction simultaneously is a principal and an agent. I show that a Leviathan will extort rents for upholding the social contract --- the social contract tax --- which is increasing in the wealth of the richest faction, and decreasing in the wealth of all other factions. I also show that the faction who extorts the least is either the richest faction or the poorest, depending on the level of inequality. Finally, I examine the difficulties created by concentrating coercive force when attempting to facilitate a peaceful changeover of power.
Marital Status and Survival in Patients with Carcinoid Tumors

Background: Marital status is a known prognostic factor in overall and disease-specific survival in several types of cancer. The impact of marital status on survival in patients with carcinoid tumors remains unknown. We hypothesized that married patients have higher rates of survival than similar unmarried patients with carcinoid tumors. Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we identified 23,126 people diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor between 2000 and 2011 and stratified them according to marital status. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to compare the characteristics and outcomes between patient cohorts. Overall and cancer-related survival were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariable survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models (hazards ratio [HR]), controlling for demographics and tumor-related and treatment-related variables. Propensity score analysis was performed to determine surgical intervention distributions among married and unmarried (ie, single, separated, divorced, widowed) patients. Results: Marital status was significantly related to both overall and cancer-related survival in patients with carcinoid tumors. Divorced and widowed patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.33 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.08–1.33] and 1.34 [95% CI, 1.22–1.46], respectively) and cancer-related survival (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.00–1.31] and 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03–1.29], respectively) than married patients over five years. Single and separated patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.08–1.33] and 1.62 [95% CI, 1.25–2.11], respectively) than married patients over five years, but not worse cancer-related survival. Unmarried patients were more likely than matched married patients to undergo definitive surgical intervention (62.67% vs 53.11%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Even after controlling for other prognostic factors, married patients have a survival advantage after diagnosis of any carcinoid tumor, potentially reflecting better social support and financial means than patients without partners.
Calcium sensitivity of cell cultures derived from adenovirus-induced tumors.

SummaryCell lines derived from adeno-virus-induced tumors or adenovirus-trans-formed cell lines clumped or retracted in 7.5 mM calcium or less, a characteristic generally not shown by cells derived from other virus-induced tumors or cells transformed by other viruses. Similarly, standard primary, diploid, and heteroploid cell cultures were not sensitive to 7.5 mM calcium. In support of these observations, the use of a low calcium medium facilitated the passaging of adenovirus-trans-formed cells in tissue culture; however, the use of a completely calcium-free medium resulted in a deficiency which caused detachment of the culture. The calcium effect may be useful as a marker to substantiate other evidence that a tumor was induced by adeno-virus or that a cell line was transformed by adenovirus.
The epidemic situation analysis of HFRS in Yingkou from 1985 to 2007

Objective: The study is conducted to gain insight into the epidemiological characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) in Yingkou from 1985 to 2007 so as to provide scientific basis for preventive measures.Methods:Descriptive epidemiological approaches were used to analyze the disease.Results: 907 cases of HFRS with 13 deaths were reported from 1985 to 2007 in Yingkou,with the incidence of 1.81/10 0000 and mortality of 1.43%.The cases were primarily distributed among countryside.Predominating periods were March to June and October to December.People aged between 20 and 55 years old were the most easily affected,accounting for 82.14% of the total cases.Farmers were the majority with the rate of 54.69%.The ratio of male to female was 4.78∶1.Conclusion:According to the analytical results,we should strengthen the observation and deracination in the HFRS-stricken areas,stick to propagandism and immunity,take different precautious measures to different patients.
Predictors of Failure of the Laparoscopic Approach for the Management of Small Bowel Obstruction

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common cause of hospital admission. Our objective is to determine variables that correlate with failure of the laparoscopic approach for SBO. Twenty-three consecutive patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy with curative intent for treatment of SBO by a single surgeon over a 3-year period. The laparoscopic approach was successful in 18 patients (78%); there were five (22%) conversions to laparotomy. The causes of obstruction included adhesive band in 16 patients; and small bowel lymphoma, metastatic esophageal cancer, small bowel gangrene, Meckel diverticulum, gallstones ileus, and incarcerated incisional hernia in two. Using the Fisher two-sided test, no significant predictor for conversion was identified using gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, previous bowel obstruction, history of adhesiolysis, abdominal distention, pelvic surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, malignancy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, coronary artery disease, hypertension, or hypercholesterolenemia. The Wilcoxon two-sided test did not show significance for age, weight, number of previous abdominal surgeries, or small bowel diameter. The postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group compared with those who needed conversion (3 vs. 9 days) with P = 0.0019. No mortality was noted in any patients. The laparoscopic is safe and feasible for the management of SBO. We believe that the laparoscopic approach should be offered to all patients with SBO unless there is an absolute contraindication to laparoscopic surgery.
Should patients at the end of life be given the option of receiving CPR

This articles debates whether the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by healthcare professionals in situations when it is unlikely to be successful feeds an unhealthy appetite to intervene just because it is possible. It explores the problem of offering patients and relatives the choice about CPR at the end of life when it is likely to be unsuccessful.
Acid-induced denaturation of DNA in situ as a probe of chromatin structure.

Publisher Summary Free DNA in aqueous solution at physiological pH and ionic strength has double-stranded conformation. Its treatment with heat, acid, or alkali causes the two strands to separate. This is known as “denaturation,” “melting,” or “helix–coil transition,” and is the result of the destruction of hydrogen bonding between the paired bases of the opposite strands. DNA in chromatin is stabilized by interactions with histones and other nuclear proteins. Studies on the stability of DNA in situ therefore provide an insight into chromatin structure, making it possible to discern the double helix-stabilizing interactions. The classical biochemical methods to study DNA denaturation in chromatin are based on the measurements of ultraviolet (UV) light absorption changes during the heating of the sample. The newer calorimetric approach yields data that are difficult to interpret, because the method does not allow discrimination among the heat-induced destruction of nucleic acid–protein bonding from DNA interstrand bond breakage. A flow cytometric (FCM) method for the measurement of DNA in situ sensitivity to denaturation is also developed and is based on the metachromatic property of the dye acridine orange (AO).
Transport Across Normal-Metal/Superconductor Junctions

In this chapter, transport properties in hybrid structures involving a superconductor are discussed. The transport quantities are expressed in terms of reflection coefficients within the framework of the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory. These coefficients are evaluated in the scattering theory. The enhancement of conductance from Andreev reflection process is revealed, and its suppression due to the spin polarization is examined. Finally, the possible revelation of chiral Majorana modes through the tunneling differential conductance in a normal-metal-ferromagnetic insulator-s-wave superconductor junction is discussed.
Materials for Nuclear Thermal Rockets

Due to the harsh environment present during nuclear engine operation, the materials used for the fuel, moderator, and other components must be quite resilient in order to survive these severe conditions for any extended length of time. Temperatures within the fuel, for example, may reach 3000 K or even higher. Besides the extremely high temperatures, the corrosive effects of hydrogen or other propellant gases along with the extremely high-radiation environment must be considered during the materials selection process. As a result of these factors, the number of options available with regard to the fabrication of the fuel elements is, not surprisingly, quite limited. The moderator and other structural components must also survive a similarly harsh environment, although, generally not quite as severe as that encountered by the fuel. Since these are material limitations which constrain the ultimate performance of the nuclear engine, considerable effort will be required in the future if the operational envelope over which the nuclear engine can function is to be significantly expanded over that which is currently envisioned.
Abstract 025: Evidence for a Link between Gut Microbiota and Hypertension in the Dahl Rat Model

Gut microbiota play a critical role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. This study was designed to evaluate whether gut microbial composition impacts hypertension. 16S rRNA genes obtained from cecal samples of Dahl salt-sensitive (S) and Dahl salt-resistant (R) rats, were sequenced. Bacteria of the phylum Bacteriodetes were higher in the S rats compared with the R rats. Further, the family S24-7 of the phylum Bacteriodetes and the family Veillonellaceae of the phylum Firmicutes were higher in the S rats compared to the R rats. Analyses of the various phylogenetic groups of cecal microbiota revealed significant differences between S and R rats. Both strains were maintained on a high-salt diet, administered antibiotics for ablation of microbiota, transplanted with S or R rat cecal contents and monitored for blood pressure (BP). Systolic BP of the R rats remained unaltered irrespective of S or R rat cecal transplantation. Surprisingly, compared to the S rats given S rat cecal content, systolic BP of the S rats given a single bolus of cecal content from R rats was consistently and significantly elevated during the rest of their life and had a shorter lifespan. Lower level of fecal bacteria of the family Veillonellaceae and increased plasma acetate and heptanoate were features associated with the increased BP observed in the S rats given R rat microbiota compared with the S rats given S rat microbiota. These data demonstrate a link between microbial content and BP regulation and because the S and R rats differ in their genomic composition, provide the necessary basis to further examine the relationship between the host genome and microbiome in the context of BP regulation in the Dahl rats.
Wenckebach Phenomenon in the His-Purkinje System

The author discusses Wenckebach phenomenon (WP) in the His-Purkinje system (HPS). Subtle PR changes may be interpreted as no change, often seen in the HPS-WP. Changes in the QRS axis help to localize the site of delay and block along fascicles of the left bundle branch. Marked PR changes may occur during HPS-WP. All the QRS complexes that are conducted depict right bundle branch and left anterior superior fascicular block, so the visible changes in the HV interval suggest WP mostly occurring in the left posterior inferior fascicle.
Anger‐irritability as a mediator of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder risk for adolescent alcohol use and the contribution of coping skills

Background Research on susceptibility to alcohol use disorder within the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) population has begun to expand examination of putative moderators and mediators in order to develop effective treatments. Specific dysregulated emotions have been separately associated with ADHD and with alcohol use difficulties. The current study is the first to conjointly study these variables by testing anger-irritability as a mediator of ADHD risk for adolescent alcohol use. Methods Frequency of binge drinking, drunkenness, and alcohol problems were examined for 142 children with ADHD followed into adolescence and compared to 100 demographically similar youth without ADHD. Parent-rated anger-irritability was tested as a mediator. Behavioral and cognitive coping skills, which are key clinical treatment targets, were studied as moderators of these associations. Results Childhood ADHD was positively associated with anger-irritability and the drinking outcomes in adolescence. Anger-irritability mediated the association between ADHD and alcohol use problems, but not binge drinking or drunkenness. Behavioral and cognitive, but not avoidant, coping played a moderating role, but only of the association between childhood ADHD and anger-irritability. Conclusions Active coping strategies by adolescents with ADHD may reduce the vulnerability to alcohol problems through a reduction of negative emotions. Future research on additional mediators and treatments that target these skills is encouraged.
CyFuzz: A Differential Testing Framework for Cyber-Physical Systems Development Environments

Designing complex systems using graphical models in sophisticated development environments is becoming de-facto engineering practice in the cyber-physical system (CPS) domain. Development environments thrive to eliminate bugs or undefined behaviors in themselves. Formal techniques, while promising, do not yet scale to verifying entire industrial CPS tool chains. A practical alternative, automated random testing, has recently found bugs in CPS tool chain components. In this work we identify problematic components in the Simulink modeling environment, by studying publicly available bug reports. Our main contribution is CyFuzz, the first differential testing framework to find bugs in arbitrary CPS development environments. Our automated model generator does not require a formal specification of the modeling language. We present prototype implementation for testing Simulink, which found interesting issues and reproduced one bug which MathWorks fixed in subsequent product releases. We are working on implementing a full-fledged generator with sophisticated model-creation capabilities.
The Use of Offshore Companies in Emerging Market Economies: A Case Study

Companies registered in offshore jurisdictions play a persistent role in the intermediation of financial flows in and out of emerging market economies. There are competing explanations for the use of these structures; narratives include, at one end of the spectrum, the role of tax evasion and the laundering of criminal activity, and at the other, the legitimate quest for better institutions to reduce transaction costs and protect assets from predatory home governments. Drawing on publicly available English court proceedings, this Article examines how offshore companies were used in the specific case of BTA Bank of Kazakhstan versus Mukhtar Ablyazov. The case involved hundreds of offshore companies, extended corporate services supply chains, multiple nominee directors, and successive ostensible “ultimate beneficial owners.” Beyond the particular outcome of the proceedings, it examines how the offshore structures were administered, how concealment of beneficial ownership was achieved, and the type of transactions that were performed through them. On a wider level, the Article argues that the offshore corporate law model creates information asymmetry that is difficult to regulate ex post. It suggests that if the persistence of offshore company use is indeed a consequence of weak governance and institutions in emerging market economies, private law reform to reduce information asymmetry may have to be considered in addition to public law measures such as registries of beneficial owners. This would include reforming the role of registered agents for them to gain greater knowledge about the activities of the companies, reinvigorating the individual office of the company director, restricting corporate entity directorship and conferring greater fiduciary and private law accountability to natural person participants. The Article concludes by identifying other axes of research in this field, which include questioning the quasi-unconditional recognition at present of foreign companies in conflicts of laws, and gaining a better understanding of the place of political risk mitigation in the quest for anonymity.
Cellular Statistical Models of Broken Cloud Fields. Part III: Markovian Properties

AbstractIn the third part of the “Cellular Statistical Models of Broken Cloud Fields” series the cloud statistics formalism developed in the first two parts is interpreted in terms of the theory of Markov processes. The master matrix introduced in this study is a unifying generalization of both the cloud fraction probability distribution function (PDF) and the Markovian transition probability matrix. To illustrate the new concept, the master matrix is used for computation of the moments of the cloud fraction PDF—in particular, the variance—which until now has not been analytically derived in the framework of the authors’ previous work. This paper also serves as a bridge to the proposed future studies of the effects of sampling and averaging on satellite-based cloud masks.
EMG-based energy expenditure optimization for active prosthetic leg tuning

In recent years, active prosthetic legs have been developed and deployed commercially that help amputees to initiate gait with less effort and more symmetry in the pattern. However, the process of initial set up and tuning is highly time and cost consuming. It requires prosthetic experts to observe the gait and the feedback from amputees to manually tune the parameters subjectively. In this study, an electromyography (EMG)-based energy expenditure optimization method was presented to automatically tune the prosthetic limb. For this purpose, a wide variety of lower body muscles were observed and the energy expenditure was modeled based on their electrical activity. The tuning optimization was implemented based on a grid-searching protocol designed in this study. This method resulted in a power value comparable to manual tuning, which provided enough force to facilitate gait for amputees. This study shows the feasibility of automatic tuning and removal of the need for referral to an expert.
Snapping Pes Anserinus and the Diagnostic Utility of Dynamic Ultrasound

Snapping pes anserinus syndrome is an often encountered cause of medial knee snapping. It results from impingement and translation of the gracilis tendon or semitendinosus tendon over the osseous structures of the knee during active flexion and extension. Ultrasonography is often the diagnostic imaging test of choice in cases of mechanical snapping. We report 2 cases of painful snapping pes anserinus and highlight the value of dynamic ultrasound in making an accurate diagnosis so as to direct care.
Studies on Taiwan’s Democracy and Democratisation

Throughout its long democratic transition and two decades of democratic functioning, Taiwan’s political development has attracted attention from many political scientists. This review of recent scholarship finds that while some works suffer from political bias, there is no shortage of high-quality academic work on this topic. Well-crafted assessments of Taiwan’s democratic performance vary in their conclusions, but critical assessments outnumber laudatory ones. Topics that have attracted especially strong attention from scholars include Taiwan’s constitutional development (with the verdict that the island is ill-served by a pattern of politically motivated constitutional changes) and electoral reform (which is judged to have strengthened the two-party system). Finally, the paper identifies and categorises works that compare Taiwan to other new democracies and summarises work on how Taiwan’s democracy is perceived by the island’s public.
PTSD-Related Behavioral Traits in a Rat Model of Blast-Induced mTBI Are Reversed by the mGluR2/3 Receptor Antagonist BCI-838

Battlefield blast exposure related to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has become the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mental health problems are common after TBI. A striking feature in the most recent veterans has been the frequency with which mild TBI (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have appeared together, in contrast to the classical situations in which the presence of mTBI has excluded the diagnosis of PTSD. However, treatment of PTSD-related symptoms that follow blast injury has become a significant problem. BCI-838 (MGS0210) is a Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) antagonist prodrug, and its active metabolite BCI-632 (MGS0039) has proneurogenic, procognitive, and antidepressant activities in animal models. In humans, BCI-838 is currently in clinical trials for refractory depression and suicidality. The aim of the current study was to determine whether BCI-838 could modify the anxiety response and reverse PTSD-related behaviors in rats exposed to a series of low-level blast exposures designed to mimic a human mTBI or subclinical blast exposure. BCI-838 treatment reversed PTSD-related behavioral traits improving anxiety and fear-related behaviors as well as long-term recognition memory. Treatment with BCI-838 also increased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of blast-exposed rats. The safety profile of BCI-838 together with the therapeutic activities reported here, make BCI-838 a promising drug for the treatment of former battlefield Warfighters suffering from PTSD-related symptoms following blast-induced mTBI.
Corn stubble height and residue placement in the northern US Corn Belt: Part I. Soil physical environment during winter

Abstract Management of crop residue is important for sustaining biological activity in soils during winter and promoting soil water recharge and early spring thaw in cold regions. This study assessed the impact of stubble height and residue placement in a corn ( Zea mays L.) production system on the soil microclimate during winter in the northern Corn Belt of the USA. Residue treatments were established in a randomized block design after corn harvest in the autumn of 1993–1995 near Morris, MN. Corn was harvested using a combine that cut stalks at 60, 30 and approximately 0 cm above the soil surface and uniformly spread harvested residue over the soil. Treatments included: (1) 60 cm stubble, (2) 30 cm stubble, (3) 30 cm stubble with alternating bare and residue covered inter-rows, (4) 0 cm stubble, and (5) 0 cm stubble with all residue removed from the soil surface. Snow cover, depth of soil freezing and thawing, soil temperature and water content at various depths in the soil profile, and reflected global and net radiation were monitored during winter from November to March each year. Taller (60 cm) stubble trapped more snow, reduced the depth of frost penetration by at least 0.5 m, and hastened thawing of the soil profile by at least 25 days during winter as compared with short (0 cm) stubble and 0 cm stubble without residue treatments. Near surface, winter soil temperatures were moderated by at least 2 °C in the 60 cm stubble versus 0 cm stubble without residue treatments. Linear regression analysis suggested that 52, 93 and 40% of the variability in soil water recharge caused by residue treatments during successive winters, respectively, could be explained by differences in snow cover, soil water content and thaw depth among treatments. On clear days in autumn and spring, albedo was highest for the 0 cm stubble and lowest for the 0 cm stubble without residue treatments. Net radiation, however, was lowest for the 0 cm stubble and highest for the 0 cm stubble without residue treatments as compared with other residue treatments. Results from this study suggest that corn production systems in the northern Corn Belt which retain tall stubble on the soil surface will promote warmer soils during winter and earlier spring thaw as compared with those which retain short or no stubble on the soil surface.
The Role of Action Potentials in the Control of Capture Movements of Drosera and Dionaea

The first demonstration of action potentials in plants was of those that control the rapid movements of the trap of the carnivorous plant Dionaea. The experiments in which physician John Burdon-Sanderson made this discovery were stimulated by conversations with Charles Darwin (1). As a result of these discussions, Darwin sent Burdon-Sanderson on September 8, 1873 “two plants with five goodish leaves” (2). Burdon-Sanderson, using a galvanometer, recorded action events as currents from the surface of stimulated traps and demonstrated for the first time that these signals are not unique to the animal kingdom (3). In 1876 (4) he used a capillary electrometer to measure the events as action potentials. Only in posthumously published letters is Darwin’s role in this work recorded, but it must be included as one of Darwin’s significant contributions to the understanding of plant movements.