cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tax Transitions, Opportunistic Retroactivity, and the Benefits of Government Precommitment

What if the current federal income tax laws were repealed and replaced with a simple flat tax? What if the entire Internal Revenue Code (with its graduated rates and countless deductions, exclusions, and credits) were scuttled in favor of a broad-based consumption tax? Only a few years ago, such proposals would have seemed radical and extremely unlikely to be adopted. But times are changing. Calls for a drastic overhaul of the Internal Revenue Code have become commonplace, even at the highest levels in the tax-policy community.3 In addition, proposals that would replace the income tax with a flat-rate broad-based consumption tax have received substantial bipartisan support in Congress.4 And many
Transintestinal Intubation Technic for Measurement of Gut Length and Physiologic Sampling at Known Loci.

SummaryA technic is described for sampling the contents of the intestinal tract in human subjects repeatedly and at various intestinal levels over a 1-2 week intubation period. Prolonged transintes...
Socialization to dying: social determinants of death acknowledgement and treatment among terminally ill geriatric patients.

Although the vast majority of deaths occur among terminally ill geriatric patients, little is known about the etiology of these patients' death acknowledgement and ultimate type of treatment. Based on interviews with 76 triads composed of physicians, terminally ill patients, and primary caregivers, this study uses the socialization perspective to identify the actors and actions that most strongly affect the patient's death acknowledgment and receipt of exclusively palliative care (i.e., socialization to the dying role). Whereas patient preferences and sociodemographic characteristics do not influence significantly the patient's odds of death acknowledgment, these odds are increased if their primary caregivers accept death, their physicians are not affiliated with a teaching hospital, and the terminal prognosis is disclosed to them and disclosed "matter-of-factly." Patients who acknowledge death, whose agents value pain alleviation over life-prolongation, and whose physicians are not affiliated with a teaching hospital, are substantially more likely to receive exclusively palliative rather than curative terminal treatment.
Transport in multiterminal superconductor/ferromagnet junctions having spin-dependent interfaces

We study electronic transport in junctions consisting of a superconductor electrode and two ferromagnet (F) leads in which crossed Andreev reflections (CAR) and elastic cotunnelings are accommodated. We model the system using an extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk treatment with a key modification that accounts for spin-dependent interfacial barriers (SDIB). We compute current-voltage relations as a function of parameters characterizing the SDIB, magnetization in the F leads, geometry of the junction, and temperature. Our results reveal a rich range of significantly altered physics due to a combination of interfering spin-dependent scattering processes and population imbalance in the ferromagnets, such as a significant enhancement in CAR current and a sign change in the relative difference between resistance of two cases having a antiparallel or parallel alignment of the magnetization in the F leads, respectively. Our model accounts for the surprising experimental findings of positive relative resistance by M. Colci et al. [Phys. Rev. B 85, 180512(R) (2012)] as well as previously measured negative relative resistance results, both within sufficiently large parameter regions.
Does Science Undermine Morality

An influential contemporary argument holds that, since evolution provides a complete explanation of the origin of our ethical beliefs and practices, therefore morality cannot be objectively true. This chapter makes the case for the opposite position: that since evolution cannot provide an explanation of morality, then it follows that morality must have an objective source. We demonstrate that none of the suggested evolutionary explanations of ethics are plausible. Our moral beliefs and practices can best be explained by moral objectivism: the traditional belief that the pinnacle of human goals is the moral good.
Handling Objects in Natural History Collections

This essay makes the manipulation of objects in natural history collections a crucial part of scientific practice. It investigates the scientific uses and meanings of cabinets of naturalia using a few objects and a few collectors from the wide spectrum of natural history collecting in eighteenth-century France, looking especially at how objects were handled. How did the objects in collections enter into research agendas? They became the raw material for a variety of experimental and observational work, often pursued in the same space where objects were mounted, arranged, preserved and displayed.
The NMDA receptor/NO signaling as a therapeutic target in mood disorders: Three decades adventure

M disorders are chronic, recurrent mental diseases that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Although initial hypothesis of monoaminergic impairment in mood disorders is still valuable in long-term treatment of patients, accumulating data have demonstrated that glutamatergic/NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor/NO signaling plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. As pointed out in this critical review of the literature, the hypothesis has arisen from many observations by many investigators worldwide including (i) alterations in excitatory amino acids (especially glutamate and aspartate) levels, NMDA receptor levels and functioning as well as NO levels in patients with mood disorders; (ii) improving effects of NMDA receptor/NO signaling blockers in patients with mood disorders; (iii) pre-clinical antidepressant-like effects of NMDA receptor/NO blockers in a variety of animal behavioral studies; (iv) interaction between conventional antidepressants/ mood stabilizers and NMDA receptor/NO signaling modulators in several biochemical and behavioral studies; (v) biochemical/ physiological evidence of interaction between monoaminergic (serotonin and noradrenaline) system and NMDA receptor/NO signaling; (vi) interaction between neurotrophic factors (e.g. BDNF) and NMDA receptor/NO signaling in mood regulation and neuroprotection; (vii) interaction between NMDA receptor and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor signaling and finally (viii) a crucial role for NMDA receptor/NO signaling in the inflammatory processes involved in pathophysiology of mood disorders. These accumulating lines of evidence have provided a new insight into the novel approaches for the treatment of mood disorders.
Rhabdomyoma of the Larynx: Case Report and Clinical and Pathologic Review:

We describe a case involving a 79-year-old man with symptoms of slowly progressive hoarseness resulting from a rhabdomyoma originating deep to the right true and false vocal folds. We also review t...
A simple queueing network model of mobility in a campus wireless network

Although wireless networks have become ubiquitous, surprisingly few models of user-level mobility have been developed and validated against traces of measured user behavior. In this paper, we develop a simple, parameterized, open queueing network model of user mobility among access points in a campus network. Using CRAWDAD traces of user-access-point affiliation over time, we compare model predicted performance with the performance actually observed in the traces, and find that a simple queueing model can indeed be used to accurately predict a number of performance measures of interest.
Aggressive and Violent Behavior and Emotional Self-Efficacy: Is There a Relationship for Adolescents?

BACKGROUND In this cross-sectional study we explored relationships between aggressive and violent behaviors and emotional self-efficacy (ESE) in a statewide sample of public high school adolescents in South Carolina (N = 3836). METHODS The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey items on aggressive and violent behavior items and an adolescent ESE scale were used. Logistic regression analyses and multivariate models constructed separately, revealed significant race by sex findings. RESULTS Results suggest that carrying a weapon to school (past 30 days) and being threatened or injured with a gun, knife, or club at school (past 12 months) were significantly associated (p < .05) with reduced ESE for specific race/sex groups. CONCLUSIONS Results have implications for school- and community-based mental health services and social and emotional learning and aggression/violence prevention programs for adolescents. Measures of ESE as a component of comprehensive assessments of adolescent mental health, social and emotional learning and aggressive/violent behaviors in fieldwork, research, and program-evaluation efforts should be considered.
4-Cyano-3,5-bis­(phen­yl)pyrazole

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C16H11N3. The mol­ecules are linked by pairs of N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with an R22 (6) ring motif.
School Climate and College Attendance for Black Adolescents: Moving Beyond College-Going Culture.

Understanding how contexts promote positive educational outcomes is a critical objective of adolescent research. This study provides support for the established link between school climate and educational outcomes and expands our understanding of this association by examining multiple aspects of school climate in a sample of Black adolescents in the United States (N = 1,740). Data were drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, and multinomial logistic regression and multiple group modeling in a structural equation modeling framework revealed that Black high school students' perceptions of school safety, school liking, and academic press were associated with enrollment in higher education. Null moderation results suggest that these facets of school climate operate similarly for all students regardless of their gender or socioeconomic status.
Gene-by-Psychosocial Factor Interactions Influence Diastolic Blood Pressure in European and African Ancestry Populations: Meta-Analysis of Four Cohort Studies

Inter-individual variability in blood pressure (BP) is influenced by both genetic and non-genetic factors including socioeconomic and psychosocial stressors. A deeper understanding of the gene-by-socioeconomic/psychosocial factor interactions on BP may help to identify individuals that are genetically susceptible to high BP in specific social contexts. In this study, we used a genomic region-based method for longitudinal analysis, Longitudinal Gene-Environment-Wide Interaction Studies (LGEWIS), to evaluate the effects of interactions between known socioeconomic/psychosocial and genetic risk factors on systolic and diastolic BP in four large epidemiologic cohorts of European and/or African ancestry. After correction for multiple testing, two interactions were significantly associated with diastolic BP. In European ancestry participants, outward/trait anger score had a significant interaction with the C10orf107 genomic region (p = 0.0019). In African ancestry participants, depressive symptom score had a significant interaction with the HFE genomic region (p = 0.0048). This study provides a foundation for using genomic region-based longitudinal analysis to identify subgroups of the population that may be at greater risk of elevated BP due to the combined influence of genetic and socioeconomic/psychosocial risk factors.
Co-localization of Shaker A-type K+ channel (Kv1.4) and AMPA-glutamate receptor (GluR4) immunoreactivities to dendrites of OFF-bipolar cells of goldfish retina

Immunocytochemical methods were used to determine the comparative distribution of Shaker Kv1.4 and Shal Kv4.2 A-type voltage-gated K+ channels and AMPA-type GluR4 glutamate receptors in the goldfish retina. Kv1.4-immunoreactivity (IR) was restricted to a very narrow band of bright puncta and filamentous processes in the outer plexiform layer (OPL), whereas GluR4-IR was found in radial processes of Muller cells in addition to a narrow band in the OPL. Kv4.2-IR was most prominent over cell bodies of horizontal cell, amacrine cells and ganglion cells, with very weak labeling over the synaptic terminal of cone photoreceptors. Double label experiments revealed complete co-localization of Kv1.4-IR and GluR4-IR in the OPL and showed that the Kv1.4 puncta in the OPL appeared enclosed by the Kv4.2-IR cone terminals. Electron microscopical immunocytochemistry showed that Kv1.4-IR and GluR4-IR were restricted to the dendrites of OFF-bipolar cells that innervated cone photoreceptor terminals and thin processes that coursed between the rod and cone terminals in the OPL. These data are consistent with other studies demonstrating the selective clustering of A-type voltage-gated K+ channels and ionotropic glutamate receptors. However, they differ from mammalian preparations in which Shal-like Kv4.2 rather than Shaker-like Kv1.4 co-localize postsynaptically with glutamate receptors.
Protecting Caves and Cave Life

Some human activities threaten caves and cave life, causing disrepect for caves, habitat loss, declines in populations, or even extinction. The protection of these resources involves management of the landscape above the cave as well as the details of cave gates and security systems. Cave restoration can improve conditions for cave life but may also cause problems if not properly done. The spread of white-nose syndrome in North American bats has changed our approach to accessing caves for all activities. “Clean caving” and decontamination are precautions against the accidental spread of wildlife diseases. Public education about cave and karst conservation is essential because many are not aware of the gradual degradation of cave resources and threats against cave life.
The Role of the Physician-Medical Director in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services are physician-directed and implemented by an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals that include nurses, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, dieticians, and behavioral specialists (1-3) (Fig. 1). While day-to-day care issues in CR are coordinated by the interdisciplinary team, the overall plan of care, formal progress assessments, and backup plans for emergency management and medical management are coordinated by the Medical Director. The Medical Director should have a strong background and interest in clinical and preventive cardiology, exercise physiology, human behavior, and psychology and should be a team leader (4). The roles and duties of the Medical Director are summarized in Table 1 and discussed below.
Dynamic Partial State Feedback

The controllers we have designed thus far have been static (memoryless) and have employed state feedback either perfect or corrupted by additive measurement disturbances. Potential advantages of dynamic over static feedback have been explored in the nonlinear control literature, and several paradigms for dynamic feedback design have been introduced. Among them, paradigms for dynamic feedback linearization and disturbance decoupling [60, 111] are being developed elsewhere and will not be pursued here.
Organizational Learning and the Continuity of Adaptive Success

Organizational learning includes two distinct aspects of search: the rate of search and the extent of exploration. This paper shows that both of these aspects have unique implications for firm perf...
Molecular Complexity as a Driver for Chemical Process Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

A Perspective of our work in the development of innovative synthetic methods within the discipline of Process Research and Development is presented. Through an overview of some of the programs that we have worked on during the past decade, we have selected cases studies to illustrate the challenges faced in development of robust chemical processes for molecules on a multi-kilogram scale. The examples have been selected to demonstrate the innovative chemistry being developed within our laboratories with a focus on fragment design, asymmetric synthesis, new synthetic reagents, and the methods that have allowed us to deliver cost-effective syntheses under reduced timelines in an increasingly competitive environment. The technical challenges are presented in the context of molecule complexity that while increasing in the portfolio of small molecules being developed inspires us to deliver new solutions. Overall, our goal is to highlight the exciting work that can be done within our field to support the discove...
Academic Standards or Discriminatory Hoops? Learning-Disabled Student-Athletes and the NCAA Initial Academic Eligibility Requirements

This Article explores the impact of federal disability laws on the NCAA's authority to apply its initial academic eligibility requirements to learning-disabled student-athletes. Part II provides an overview of the three primary federal laws governing students with learning disabilities. Part III describes the NCAA and the standards and processes it employs to determine freshman eligibility for athletic scholarships and participation in intercollegiate sports. Part IV tracks the judicial responses to litigation brought by students with learning disabilities challenging the NCAA eligibility criteria under the ADA. Part V analyzes the ADA's application to the NCAA and identifies specific instances in which the NCAA's process and standards for determining eligibility disparately impact students with learning disabilities. This analysis further examines the extent to which, if at all, the NCAA is obliged to modify its eligibility academic standards in order to accommodate students with learning disabilities, and considers whether the traditional judicial deference given to academic institutions to set academic standards is similarly warranted in the case of the NCAA. The Article concludes by exploring options for balancing the interest of the NCAA and its member institutions to ensure academic integrity in the intercollegiate athletic competition with the right of students with learning disabilities to participate in such competition despite their learning impairments.
Employee Stock Options, Equity Valuation, and the Valuation of Option Grants Using a Warrant-Pricing Model

We investigate the use of a warrant-pricing approach to incorporate employee stock options (ESOs) into equity valuation and to account for the dilutive effect of ESOs in the valuation of option grants for financial reporting purposes. Our valuation approach accounts for the jointly determined nature of ESO and shareholder values. The empirical results show that our stock price estimate exhibits lower prediction errors and higher explanatory powers for actual share price than does the traditional stock price estimate. We use our valuation approach to assess the implications of dilution on the fair-value estimates of ESO grants. We find that the fair value is overstated by 6% if we ignore the dilutive feature of ESOs. Furthermore, this bias is larger for firms that are heavy users of ESOs, small, and R&D intensive, and for firms that have a broad-based ESO compensation plan.
The effects of habituation on boldness of urban and rural song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

As urban development continues to dominate landscapes across the United States, wildlifespecies are changing their behavior in many ways. Urban animals are often bolder, or less fearfulof new stimuli, than rural animals. While natural selection and adaptation can drive behavioralchanges in urban animals, other factors, such as learning or habituation, can also lead tobehavioral modifications. Habituation may play an important role, if urban individuals learnthrough repeated exposure that humans do not represent a threat. To determine how repeatedhuman exposure affects song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) populations in an urban and ruralhabitat, I measured boldness as flight initiation distance (FID), after repeated exposure to a nonthreatening human subject. FID measures the distance between human and bird, at which the bird flies away in fear of disturbance or predation. I collected FID data on male song sparrows in an urban and rural environment over 5 consecutive days. I found that after 5 days of successive trials, FID was individually repeatable in both urban and rural populations. Urban birds had consistently lower FID than their rural counterparts. I also found that FID went down over 5 days of repeated trials in the rural populations, but not the urban. These results suggest that habituation can occur quickly in rural birds and account for the greater boldness we typically see in urban populations.
Introduction: Prediction of F-16XL Flight Flow Physics

This special section is the result of fruitful endeavors by an international group of researchers in industry, government laboratories and university-led efforts to improve the technology readiness level of their CFD solvers through comparisons with flight data collected on the F-16XL-1 aircraft at a variety of test conditions. These 1996 flight data were documented and detailed the flight-flow physics of this aircraft through surface tufts and pressures, boundary-layer rakes and skin-friction measurements. The flight project was called the Cranked Wing Aerodynamics Project (CAWAP), due to its leading-edge sweep crank (70 degrees inboard, 50 degrees outboard), and served as a basis for the International comparisons to be made, called CAWAPI. This highly focused effort was one of two vortical flow studies facilitated by the NATO Research and Technology Organization through its Applied Vehicle Panel with a title of Understanding and Modeling Vortical Flows to Improve the Technology Readiness Level for Military Aircraft. It was given a task group number of AVT-113 and had an official start date of Spring 2003. The companion part of this task group dealt with fundamentals of vortical flow from both an experimental and numerical perspective on an analytically describable 65 degree delta-wing model for which much surface pressure data had already been measured at NASA Langley Research Center at a variety of Mach and Reynolds numbers and is called the Vortex Flow Experiment - 2 (VFE-2). These two parts or facets helped one another in understanding the predictions and data that had been or were being collected.
Bone and Joints

The chapter discusses several common orthopedic problems encountered by the surgical pathologist, in addition to some of the more commonly seen bone tumors and tumor-like lesions. Bone tumors are rare and not often seen on a day-to-day basis. Unfamiliarity with these tumors tends to make even relatively simple diagnoses more difficult. Additionally, it is important to have a team approach to the diagnosis of bone tumors and to include valuable information from the radiological studies and clinical details. The chapter emphasizes this and includes pertinent clinical and radiological details on the aforementioned tumors and systematically discusses trauma, infections, arthropathies, metabolic bone disease, and tumors using this integrated approach.
Factors associated with vaccination of medicare beneficiaries in five U.S. communities: Results from the racial and ethnic adult disparities in immunization initiative survey, 2003.

Objectives To examine vaccination in seniors in the five U.S. communities of the Racial and Ethnic Adult Disparities in Immunization Initiative. Design Cross-sectional telephone survey in spring 2003 using stratified sampling by ZIP code and race/ethnicity. Setting New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Mississippi. Participants Four thousand five hundred seventy-seven Medicare beneficiaries. Measurements Outcomes were pneumococcal vaccination ever and influenza vaccination in 2002/03 and were determined according to race/ethnicity, awareness of vaccination, and provider recommendation. Survey questions also asked about future plans for vaccination, whether respondents believed they had become sick from prior influenza vaccination, and whether unvaccinated respondents would be vaccinated if a health professional recommended it. Results Pneumococcal vaccination coverage was 70.3% for whites, 40.8% for blacks, and 53.2% for Hispanics, and the proportion reporting provider recommendation for vaccination differed significantly according to race/ethnicity. In multivariate regression, provider recommendation (risk ratio (RR) = 2.32, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 2.10-2.57) and awareness of vaccination (RR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.40-1.82) were associated with greater pneumococcal vaccination. Influenza vaccination coverage was 76.2% for whites, 50.7% for blacks, and 65.7% for Hispanics. A little more than half of respondents reported provider recommendation for influenza vaccination, with no differences according to race/ethnicity. Provider recommendation was associated with influenza vaccination (RR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.25-1.38). More blacks and Hispanics believed they had become sick from prior influenza vaccination than whites, and this belief was associated with lower vaccination rates. Conclusion This survey details vaccination patterns in an ethnically and geographically diverse sample of seniors and identifies some differences between blacks, Hispanics, and whites that may contribute to disparities in vaccination coverage. Survey findings highlight the importance of provider vaccination recommendations.
Identification and cloning of Bradyrhizobium japonicum genes expressed strain selectively in soil and rhizosphere.

Abstract The growth of Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 438 in soil extract-supplemented medium led to transcription of a large amount of DNA not expressed in basal medium. Strain USDA 438 was more competitive for the nodulation of soybean than strain USDA 110. To identify and isolate DNA regions which were expressed specifically in strain USDA 438 but not in strain USDA 110 in response to soil extract or soybean root exudate, we developed a subtractive RNA hybridization procedure. Several cosmid clones which showed strain-specific gene expression were isolated from a USDA 438 gene library. Two clones enhanced competitive nodulation when mobilized to USDA 110. The method described may be useful for identifying genes expressed in response to environmental stimuli or genes expressed differently in related microbial strains.
Vocational Schools Are No Vacation: Determining Who Really Benefits from Student Labor

On April 28, 2011, in Solis v. Laurelbrook Sanitarium & School, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that students who worked as part of the curriculum at a religious-based boarding school were not employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. In so holding, the Sixth Circuit expressly endorsed the “primary benefit” test for determining whether trainees are employees for purposes of the FLSA. The primary benefit test effectuates the purpose of the FLSA, provides courts with the flexibility to prevent employers from exploiting workers, and ultimately benefits employees and students like those at Laurelbrook. Nevertheless, the test does little to clarify Congress’s circular definitions of “employ” and “employee,” leaving employers and schools like Laurelbrook without much guidance.
On the separation principle for systems with partially noise-free measurements

An optimal dynamic output feedback problem for continuous-time systems with a quadratic cost functional is considered where some measurements contain impulsive disturbances while others are undisturbed. A solution to this problem is obtained by proving the separation principle. This result extends the proof recently reported by the authors (1992) for the noise-free measurement case. >
La Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de Madrid en la Secunda República. Arquitectura y universidad durante los años 30

It was a harrowing turn of the century for Spain; after the debacle of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the loss of her last overseas colonies, Spain had to face its diminished status as little ...
Hidden in plain view: emergence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy after treatment of CNS toxoplasmosis.

Multiple CNS infections can coexist in advanced AIDS, but are most commonly reported in autopsy case studies. We now describe the case of an HIV+ individual, who was first diagnosed with CNS toxoplasmosis, confirmed by brain biopsy. After initiation of combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) and successful treatment of CNS toxoplasmosis, he developed worsening neurological symptoms and was subsequently diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Retrospective analysis of the MRI scans indicated that PML was already present early on but was interpreted as edema associated with CNS toxoplasmosis. Clinicians should be aware that multiple pathologies may coexist in the brain of immunosuppressed individuals and that PML may develop and worsen despite the use of cART.
Long-duration signal detection in a noisy environment

A long-duration signal detector that can be used to alert a hearing-impaired person to the presence of the sound of a siren is developed. The design utilizes circuitry that allows the signal detector to discriminate between short-duration and long-duration signals. The combination of the effect of the long-duration 'gating' and the bandpass filtering process on the input signal causes the circuit to detect the presence of signals with long duration. >
Reliability perceptions and water storage expenditures: Evidence from Nicaragua

[1] Storing water at home has become a common practice in many areas with water delivery systems in developing countries. However, little is known about which factors motivate households to expend on water storage devices. Instrumental variable Tobit models are estimated to investigate the relationship between perceptions of water supply reliability and household expenditures on water storage devices in Leon, Nicaragua. Findings indicate that almost 80% of households use at least one storage device on which they expend an average of 0.87% of their income. Results show that reliability perceptions are the main factor driving household expenditures on storage devices, followed by home ownership and household income. Findings also indicate that reliability perceptions are associated with service performance and assessment of service hours relative to peers.
Three‐Dimensional Echocardiographic Analysis of Right Atrial Volume in Normal and Abnormal Hearts: Comparison of Biplane and Multiplane Methods

Background: Although right atrial size has clinical and prognostic importance, few data exist regarding the optimal three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) method for assessing right atrial volume (RAV). While measuring RAV in multiple planes may improve the accuracy, it also increases analysis time. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum number of planes required for optimal assessment of RAV, using eight-plane 3DE measurements as a reference standard. Methods: 3DE was performed in 70 subjects (35 normal and 35 abnormal). 3DE RAV was obtained from three methods by tracing right atrial endocardial borders at ventricular end-systole in two orthogonal planes (two-plane), four equiangular planes (four-plane), and eight equiangular planes (eight-plane) in each subject. The time required for analysis was recorded for each method. Results: Based on eight-plane RAV, mean RAV was 41±13 mL in the normal group, and 82±35 mL in the abnormal group. The average time for two-plane, four-plane, and eight-plane analysis was 69 ± 29, 118 ± 29, and 203 ± 37 s, respectively (P < 0.001 for comparisons between all groups). Four-plane approach had close agreement with eight-plane (2.6% underestimation for total group), while two-plane measurement underestimated RAV by an average of 19% for the total group, compared to eight-plane. Conclusion: Four-plane measurement of RAV shows good agreement with eight-plane measurement, while reducing the time required for analysis. Compared to eight-plane analysis, biplane measurement of RAV can result in underestimation of RAV, particularly in abnormal subjects with right atrial enlargement and remodeling. (Echocardiography 2012;29:608-613)
Intramedullary spinal cord astrolipoma: case report.

Objective and importance Reported is a case of a thoracic intramedullary astrocytoma with a lipomatous component, a so-called astrolipoma. This is the only known case of a single intraspinal astrolipoma in an otherwise healthy patient. Clinical presentation The patient was a 36-year-old woman with dorsal thoracic pain of more than 1 month's duration, mild lower extremity weakness, and incomplete sensory loss to the T10 level. Intervention Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracolumbar spine revealed a fusiform mass at the T9-T11 level. The patient underwent T9-T11 laminectomies and complete resection of the tumor. In the initial postoperative period, the patient's symptoms worsened. However, 3 months after surgery, the patient was clinically improved and was able to walk without assistance. Twelve months after surgery, imaging revealed no evidence of tumor. Conclusion The current treatment plan and recommendation, assuming this tumor will behave like a low-grade glioma or lipoma, is continued radiographic surveillance after gross total resection. Reresection is recommended for tumor recurrence or significant regrowth. The long-term prognosis for astrolipoma is unknown.
Shape tuning of adaptive structures for MEMS actuator applications

This paper describes a systematic shape tuning procedure of adaptive structures for MEMS actuator applications. Due to fabrication process variations, MEMS devices can have different shapes with varied deflections. Such shape variations should be corrected for specific applications. As a result, it is necessary to establish a shape tuning procedure. Finite element modeling and optimization approach were used to minimize the shape variations. The procedure integrated Python programming, ABAQUS, and optimization algorithm for engineering applications. It used the powerful Python scripts programming, the vast library of ABAQUS functions, and a robust preexisting optimization algorithm, NLPQL, which provides more efficient, flexible, and systematic tools for optimization problems. Optimization was used in the adaptive structural designs and the shape tuning procedure after the assembly. Using this approach, three bimorph, gold-on-polysilicon, samples with different initial shapes were studied for shape tuning. The shape was characterized by maximum tip deflection resulting from thermo-mechanical deformations. The standard deviation of the shape variations was reduced from 1.21 to 0.05 μm after tuning. This reduction was verified by experimental data. Another case with ten devices was studied to confirm the effectiveness of the procedure. The standard deviation of the deflections was reduced from 0.81 to 0.02 μm after tuning. These results demonstrated the effectiveness of the optimum procedure for shape tuning. This general-purpose systematic methodology can be applied to adaptive structures for a variety of aerospace applications.
The Terror that Failed: Public Opinion in the Aftermath of the Bombing in Oklahoma City

Did the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City affect the public's perception of terrorism as a political issue and their perceptions of individual risk and personal vulnerability? The author finds that the bombing in Oklahoma City altered neither the public's assessment of personal risk nor its reported behavior. Public opinion on terrorism and crime share three patterns: (1) perceived risk of victimization and the likely consequences affect public apprehension; (2) the voiced sense of personal security bears a direct relationship to the relative familiarity of the setting; and (3) the public shows resistance to the media's portrayal of risk. Opinion data indicate that domestic terrorism is likely to be seen as important in general and in the abstract, but with low personal risk, little impact on individuals' routine behavior, and, consequently, low political salience. In light of terrorism's purpose of inducing fear and the public's generally placid response on a personal level, the author concludes that the bombing failed as an act of domestic terrorism.
Celastrus obovatifolius sp. nov. (Celastraceae) from China

A new bittersweet species, Celastrus obovatifolius X. Y. Mu & Z. X. Zhang (Celastraceae) is described from China. It is morphologically most similar to C. orbiculatus Th unb., but diff ers in having lamellate pith, obovate leaves, fl ower stalk with an articulation in its upper half, and terminal and axillary infl orescences. Th is is the fi rst study using scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the seed micromorphology of Celastrus L., which can provide valuable characters for species identifi cation in the genus.
Assessing the Impact of Heart Failure Therapeutics on Quality of Life and Functional Capacity

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an increasingly common disorder with major impact on morbidity and mortality. Goals of therapy include improving survival, attenuating progression of disease, improving functional capacity, and improving health-related quality of life (HRQL). Although there are multiple HRQL instruments that are psychometrically valid, concerns exist on the ability to reliably measure HRQL concepts. Nevertheless, there has been an emphasis on improving HRQL and thus novel therapies and clinical trials have included HRQL assessment routinely. Nonpharmacologic interventions have made a greater impact on HRQL, including the use of transcutaneous aortic valve replacement, left ventricular assist devices, and cardiac resynchronization devices. Pharmacologic therapies have resulted in modest improvements in HRQL and these improvements are often not clinically meaningful to the patient and not lasting beyond 6 months. As novel therapies are developed for CHF patients, researchers must: (a) identify mechanisms that may meaningfully improve HRQL, (b) develop better instruments to measure HRQL, and (c) target the right population with enough impairment in their sense of well-being to enable an intervention to work. The recent publication of the Food and Drug Administration Draft Guidance for Use of Patient-Reported Outcome measures in clinical trials has served as the foundation for more robust trial design using these HRQL measures.
TU-C-AUD C-02: CT Scanner-Based IGRT

While small animal models of cancer have evolved to more closely resemble the corresponding human disease, radiation therapy (RT) techniques for small animals are dramatically different than those routinely used in the clinic. Recently there has been considerable interest in developing conformal radiotherapy methods for small animals so as to incorporate more clinically‐relevant treatment modalities into laboratory studies of cancer. An attractive approach to this engineering problem is to add radiotherapy capabilities to a micro‐computed tomography (microCT) scanner. This strategy exploits the high imaging performance of existing microCT units in order to produce a small animalimage‐guidedradiation therapy(IGRT) system employing a single X‐ray beam for imaging and treatment. If successful, this small animalIGRT option could be made available as an add‐on option to existing commercial microCT scanners, allowing widespread adoption of small animal conformal radiotherapy throughout the research community. Initial experiments demonstrated that the dose rate of a GE microCT system is suitable for delivering therapeutic radiationdoses in reasonable treatment times. A variable aperture collimator capable of restricting the microCT X‐ray beam to a variable pseudo‐circular profile has been developed and evaluated. This prototype microCT/RT system is now online for experimental use, and is currently being applied towards a variety of biological studies. In this lecture I will briefly describe the current status and future work for this approach to small animal conformal radiotherapy. I will then discuss initial biological applications of this system, including treatment of orthotopic models of disease and evaluation of positron emission tomography (PET)‐guided radiotherapy strategies. Educational Objectives At the end of this lecture, the audience will be able to: 1. Describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of developing small animalradiotherapy within the context of existing microCT scanners. 2. Identify biological applications of small animalIGRT where existing small animal irradiation techniques are inadequate, and 3. Discuss the use of small animalIGRT as both a tool for small animal research and a method for conducting clinical trials in an experimental setting.
N-cadherin is required for neural crest remodeling of the cardiac outflow tract.

Abstract Cardiac neural crest cells undergo extensive cell rearrangements during the formation of the aorticopulmonary septum in the outflow tract. However, the morphogenetic mechanisms involved in this fundamental process remain poorly understood. To determine the function of the Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion molecule, N-cadherin, in murine neural crest, we applied the Cre/loxP system and created mouse embryos genetically mosaic for N-cadherin. Specifically, deletion of N-cadherin in neural crest cells led to embryonic lethality with distinct cardiovascular defects. Neural crest cell migration and homing to the cardiac outflow tract niche were unaffected by loss of N-cadherin. However, N-cadherin-deficient neural crest cells were unable to undergo the normal morphogenetic changes associated with outflow tract remodeling, resulting in persistent truncus arteriosus in the majority of mutant embryos. Other mutant embryos initiated aorticopulmonary septum formation; however, the neural crest cells were unable to elongate and align properly along the midline and remained rounded with limited contact with their neighbors. Interestingly, rotation of the outflow tract was incomplete in these mutants suggesting that alignment of the channels is dependent on N-cadherin-generated cytoskeletal forces. A second cardiac phenotype was observed where loss of N-cadherin in the epicardium led to disruption of heterotypic cell interactions between the epicardium and myocardium resulting in a thinned ventricular myocardium. Thus, we conclude that in addition to its role in myocardial cell adhesion, N-cadherin is required for neural crest cell rearrangements critical for patterning of the cardiac outflow tract and in the maintenance of epicardial–myocardial cell interactions.
Dehydrogenases in diethylstilbestrol-induced kidney tumors of the syrian hamster

Vier oxidative Enzyme wurden in Schnitten von Diathylstilbestrol-induzierten Nierentumoren in Syrischen Hamstern nachgewiesen. Die Aktivitaten der Bernsteinsaure- und β-Hydroxybutter-Saure-Dehydrogenasen waren schwacher im Tumor als in der normalen Niere, diejenigen der Glucose-6-Phosphat- und Isocitronensaure-Dehydrogenasen dagegen starker.
Corneal graft survival and intraocular pressure control after penetrating keratoplasty and glaucoma drainage device implantation

Abstract Objective To investigate corneal graft survival rates and intraocular pressure (IOP) control in eyes after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation. Design Retrospective, comparative, consecutive case series. Participants All patients who underwent PK and GDD implantation at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1993 and October 31, 1998. Main outcome measures Graft clarity and IOP control. Results Of the 72 eyes in 72 patients identified, 47 (65%) underwent combined PK and GDD implantation, and 25 (35%) underwent GDD placement after PK (2–30 months after PK; median, 13 months). The GDD type was Baerveldt 350 mm 2 in 57 eyes, Ahmed in 9, Krupin in 2, and other in 4 eyes. The GDD was placed in the anterior chamber in 54 eyes (75%) and in the vitreous cavity in 18 eyes (25%). Preoperative IOP was 11 to 53 mmHg with or without antiglaucoma medications in 16 eyes (30%) with the GDD implanted in the anterior chamber and in 4 eyes (22%) with the GDD placed in the vitreous cavity ( P = 0.76). At 1 year after GDD implantation, the graft was clear in 26 eyes (48%) with the GDD in the anterior chamber compared with 15 eyes (83%) with the GDD in the vitreous cavity ( P = 0.013). Forty-eight eyes (89%) with the GDD in the anterior chamber and 18 eyes (100%) with the GDD in the vitreous cavity had IOP between 5 and 21 mmHg with or without antiglaucoma medications ( P = 0.33). The mean reduction in IOP, 1 year after surgery, was 12 mmHg among eyes with the GDD in the anterior chamber, compared with 17 mmHg among eyes with the GDD in the vitreous cavity ( P = 0.13) Conclusions Corneal graft survival at 1 year is significantly higher among eyes with the GDD implanted in the vitreous cavity compared with those in which the GDD is implanted in the anterior chamber. The IOP was significantly lower at 1 year after surgery compared with before surgery in both groups, and there was no significant difference between the groups in IOP control and amount of IOP reduction. There was no significant difference in corneal graft survival or IOP control between eyes with the GDD implanted concurrently with the PK versus after the PK.
Filtering and sampling for electrocardiographic data processing

Abstract Frank-lead electrocardiograms from 433 normal and abnormal adult males were recorded. Amplitude and time measurements were obtained after subjecting each record to eight different combinations of filters and equal sampling intervals. For each record, measurements were compared to those obtained with 200-Hz bandwidth and analog-to-digital conversion at 2-msec intervals. Amplitude errors were least for records filtered at 100 Hz and sampled at 4 msec, with R -wave errors ranging up to 120 and 55 μV for single beat measurements and measurements averaged over a 10-sec period, respectively. For 50-Hz digital filtering and 6-msec sampling intervals, these errors ranged up to 146 and 108 μV, and for 40-Hz digital filtering, they were 195 and 141 μV. Effects of analog and digital filtering were similar. When the sampling interval was increased to 10 msec with 40- or 50-Hz bandwidth, large errors in amplitude and time measurements were found, probably resulting from aliasing errors. It is concluded that: (1) 100-Hz bandwidth data cause significantly fewer amplitude errors than 50-Hz data, (2) sampling at 4-msec intervals is adequate for 100-Hz bandwidth data, but sampling at 10 msec is inadequate for 50- or 40-Hz data, and (3) averaging measurements over several seconds is a clear advantage over measurements obtained from a single beat.