cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Echocardiographic studies of mitral valve motion. Genesis of the opening snap in mitral stenosis.

Abstract In an effort to delineate the origin of the mitral opening snap, 29 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis and audible opening snaps were studied by means of simultaneous external recordings including phonocardiography, mitral echocardiography, and apex cardiography. Comparison was made with 10 normal volunteer subjects. Discrepancies were noted when the apex cardiogram was utilized to time the opening snap or isovolumic relaxation of the left ventricle. This method, however, remains a useful tool for differentiation of heart sounds. Echocardiographic timing of the opening snap is more precise than heretofore available reference methods. Opening snap and completion of anterior mitral leaflet opening movement were simultaneous within the error of measurement, 5 msec., in all patients with clinically pure mitral stenosis and in 74 per cent of those with mixed or bivalvular lesions. In the remainder of the latter group these events occurred within 10 msec. apart. This study supports the hypothesis that opening snap originates from the diseased mitral leaflets as they reach completion of their opening movement.
Cogenital cardiovascular defects in infants with Down syndrome.

Editor9s note: In response to a reader9s question about cardiac evaluation of patients with Down syndrome, we asked Dr Clark for a review and recommendation for workup by the general pediatrician. RJH Infants with Down syndrome are at 50% risk for congenital cardiovascular malformations1 compared with a 0.3% (3 of 1000) risk for infants with normal chromosomes.2 These data confirm the original estimates of Rowe and Uchida3; other estimates have ranged from 20% to 70%. The types of heart defects found in persons with Down syndrome are severe: complete atrioventricular canal, ventricular septal defect, partial atrioventricular canal, atrial septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and patent ductus arteriosus.4
Factors influencing medication adherence in patients with heart failure

Background The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing adherence to the prescribed medical regimen in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods A convenience sample of 7 women and 9 men with HF participated in in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and checked for accuracy. Content analysis strategies were used to analyze the data. Results The desire to be healthy was the primary motivator in the decision to take medications as prescribed. The process of making connections enhanced medication adherence. Participants connected knowledge of their illness and their symptoms with their medication’s effectiveness in decreasing these symptoms. Connections to a health care provider and family enhanced treatment adherence. Participants relied on environmental cues as reminders to take their medications, resulting in a habit of daily medication use. Conclusions Education that helps clients understand their illness, particular symptoms and how medications help them may be beneficial in promoting adherence. A positive working relationship with the health care provider may result in improved adherence.
The sclerotia of Coprinus lagopus.

Sclerotia of Coprinus lagopus were produced in the laboratory and observed microscopically from initiation to maturity. Isolated bulbous hyphal cells appeared below or on the agar surface as the primary sclerotial initials. Short interhyphal cells had expanded lateral walls and increased in number at their isolated locations, and were surrounded by a thick network of normal mycelium. Increasing in numbers, the bulbous cells developed a tightly compact colony devoid of agar if submerged below the agar surface and lacked normal hyphal filaments. The outer cells thickened formed cell lumina and developed as a protective rind to the mature sclerotium.
The spectrum of mycobacterial infection

The purpose of this paper is to review the historical background, pathogenesis, and radiographic appearance of mycobacterial infections with emphasis on the major presentations (pulmonary, musculoskeletal, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system) of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections most likely to present in the acute care setting.
Efficient non-equireplicate design obtained by merging of treatments

Abstract Non-equireplicate designs are obtained by merging of treatments in an initial equireplicate design, and a lower bound to the efficiency factor of a treatment contrast in such designs is derived. Special consideration is given to factorial designs. The results presented show that efficiency factors of various factorial effects can be controlled by suitably choosing the initial design.
Internal Structure, Factor Satisfaction, and Reliability of the Body Cathexis Scale:

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the internal structure and dimensionality of the Body Cathexis Scale, while secondary problems were to compare the relative satisfaction of each fac...
Gli3 Repressor Controls Cell Fates and Cell Adhesion for Proper Establishment of Neurogenic Niche

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) rely on environmental signals provided by the neurogenic niche for their proper function. However, little is known about the initial steps of niche establishment, as embryonic radial glia transition to postnatal NSCs. Here, we identify Gli3 repressor (Gli3R), a component of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway, as a critical factor controlling both cell-type specification and structural organization of the developing SVZ. We demonstrate that Gli3R expressed in radial glia temporally regulates gp130/STAT3 signaling at the transcriptional level to suppress glial characteristics in differentiating ependymal cells. In addition, Gli3R maintains the proper level of Numb in ependymal cells to allow localization of cell adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) and E-cadherin. Thus, our findings reveal a role for Gli3R as a mediator of niche establishment and provide insights into the conditions required for proper SVZ neurogenic niche formation.
Multiview access protocols for large-scale replication

The article proposes a scalable protocol for replication management in large-scale replicated systems. The protocol organizes sites and data replicas into a tree-structured, hierarchical cluster architecture. The basic idea of the protocol is to accomplish the complex task of updating replicated data with a very large number of replicas by a set of related but independently committed transactions. Each transaction is responsible for updating replicas in exactly one cluster and invoking additional transactions for member clusters. Primary copies (one from each cluster) are updated by a cross-cluster transaction. Then each cluster is independently updated by a separate transaction. This decoupled update propagation process results in possible multiple views of replicated data in a cluster. Compared to other replicated data management protocols, the proposed protocol has several unique advantages. First, thanks to a smaller number of replicas each transaction needs to atomically update in a cluster, the protocol significantly reduces the transaction abort rate, which tends to soar in large transactional systems. Second, the protocol improves user-level transaction response time as top-level update transactions are allowed to commit before all replicas have been updated. Third, read-only queries have the flexibility to see database views of different degrees of consistency and data currency. This ranges from global, most up to date, and consistent views, to local, consistent, but potentially old views, to local, nearest to users but potentially inconsistent views. Fourth, the protocol maintains its scalability by allowing dynamic system reconfiguration as it grows by splitting a cluster into two or more smaller ones. Fifth, autonomy of the clusters is preserved as no specific protocol is required to update replicas within the same cluster. Clusters are, therefore, free to use any valid replication or concurrency control protocols.
Comparison of recrystallization and recrystallization textures in cold-rolled DC and CC AA 5182 aluminum alloys

The recrystallization and recrystallization textures in cold-rolled direct chill cast (DC) and continuous cast (CC) AA 5182 aluminum alloys were investigated. The recrystallization behavior of cold-rolled DC and CC AA 5182 aluminum alloys was evaluated by tensile properties. The evolution of recrystallization textures in cold-rolled DC and CC AA 5182 aluminum alloys was determined by X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the recrystallization temperature of cold-rolled DC AA 5182 aluminum alloy was somewhat lower than that of cold-rolled CC AA 5182 aluminum alloy. The resulting recrystallization textures of cold-rolled AA 5182 aluminum alloy were characterized by the strong R orientation and the cube orientation with strong scattering about the rolling direction towards the Goss orientation. CC AA 5182 aluminum alloy showed slightly weaker recrystallization textures than DC AA 5182 aluminum alloy.
Complications Associated with Uni-portal Endoscopic Gastrocnemius Recession in a Diabetic Patient Population: An Observational Case Series

The purpose of this article was to report the complications associated with uni-portal endoscopic gastrocnemius recession for surgical treatment of pathologic soft tissue ankle equinus contracture in diabetic patients. This is an observational case series involving a retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 23 uni-portal endoscopic gastrocnemius recessions used to treat pathologic soft tissue ankle equinus contracture in 18 consecutive diabetic patients between November 2006 and January 2009. Each patient underwent uni-portal endoscopic gastrocnemius recession under general or spinal anesthesia with thigh tourniquet control in combination with soft tissue and/or osseous reconstructive foot and/or ankle surgery. Patients were kept non-weight bearing based on the index procedure and followed until clinical healing occurred or failure was declared. There were 9 male and 9 female patients with a mean age +/- SD of 69.0 +/- 7.4-years (range: 47.0 to 71.0 years). There were 11 right and 12 left lower limbs involved, with 5 procedures performed bilateral. Complications included 3 conversions to an open incision secondary to difficulty dissecting through excessive adipose tissue, delayed healing of 3 incision sites in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus at the time of surgery, and 3 undercorrections in patients with spastic contractures. The remainder of the procedures were deemed successful with no saphenous nerve, sural nerve, or lesser saphenous vein related injuries occurring. When properly performed, uni-portal endoscopic gastrocnemius recession represents a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive technique useful for correcting pathologic soft tissue ankle equinus contracture in patients with diabetes. A percutaneous tendo-Achilles lengthening should be performed in patients who have marginal arterial inflow that precludes tourniquet use or have a spastic contracture. An open rather than endoscopic gastrocnemius recession should be performed in patients with excessive adipose tissue. Before surgery, the risk of delayed wound healing should be discussed with patients who have uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and in-patient management with tight glycemic control considered.
Evaluation of On-Site Wastewater Treatment Technology to Remove Estrogens, Nonylphenols, and Estrogenic Activity from Wastewater

A series of five on-site wastewater treatment systems were monitored for the removal of steroid estrogens, nonylphenols, and total estrogenic activity through several stages of pretreatment including aerobic and anaerobic sand filters. The objectives of this study were (1) to examine the ability of traditional septic systems and different types of pretreatment add-ons to remove nonylphenols (NPs) and the steroid estrogens estrone (E1), 17β- estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α- ethinylestradiol (EE2) from the final effluent prior to discharge into the environment and (2) to examine the ability of each system and each stage of treatment within the system to remove total estrogenic activity as measured by a yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay. YES data and instrumental data are compared in the context of analyte recovery and estradiol equivalents. Results indicate excellent removal of NPs and total estrogenic activity to near or below detection limits when multiple stages of pretreatment including aerobic sa...
Whatever Happened to the Id

There has been a strong tendency in structural and symbolic anthropology to assume that sex and aggression are of no concern to cultural symbol systems. Even when cultural beliefs, myths, or rituals are explicitly and preponderantly sexual or aggressive in content, they are typically interpreted as metaphors for social structural themes. This thesis is illustrated with respect to aggression by an analysis of Levi-Strauss' interpretation of a Bororo myth, after which the assumptions that structural theory makes concerning the place of aggression in cultural symbol systems are contrasted with the opposing assumptions of psychoanalytic theory. [structuralism, psychoanalysis, cultural symbol systems, myth]
Caring About Caring

Nurses are with people as they experience a variety of life situations that are paradoxical in nature. In other words, these life experiences hold happiness and sadness, opportunities and limitations all at once.
Buying In: Testing the Rational Model of Candidate Entry

Most studies of candidate entry focus on the general election challenger, ignoring all other candidates. This limits the study of entry in two ways. First, results are not generalizable. Variables which have been found to correlate with the presence of an experienced challenger in the general election might not correlate with amateur entry or the entry of incumbent-party challengers. Second, existing tests of the “Rational Model of Candidate Entry” are weak tests. Studies regularly find a correlation between the presence of experienced challengers in the general election and the outparty's prospects of winning, but this is not a sufficient condition of the model. Amateurs are also more likely to run when the probability of winning is high, and if this correlation is as strong as that between experienced challenger entry and the prospects of winning, this would violate a prediction of the model. I address both issues by separately estimating the entry of experienced challengers and amateurs. Two primary re...
A note on singularity approximation

A simple method is considered for approximating the locations of singularities and the associated jumps of a piecewise constant function. The locations of jump discontinuities of a function are recovered approximately, one by one, by means of ratios of so called higher order Fourier-Jacobi coefficients of the function. It is shown that the location of singularity of a piecewise constant function with one discontinuity is recovered exactly and the locations of singularities of a piecewise constant function with multiple discontinuities are recovered with exponential accuracy. The method is applicable to piecewise smooth functions as well, however the accuracy of the approximation sharply declines. In addition, the stability and complexity of the method is discussed and some numerical examples are presented.
Effects of prior experience with dehydration and water on the time course of dehydration-induced drinking in weanling rats.

Although cellular dehydration increases oral responding and swallowing of orally infused water in rats as young as 2 days old, it is not until well after the time of weaning that dehydration stimulates immediate water-seeking and initiation of drinking in situations where the water source must be approached voluntarily. Recent work has shown that the goal-directed appetitive sequence for drinking—orienting, approaching, and initiating contact with water—matures much later than the more precocial oral licking and swallowing behaviors, and normally comes to be elicited by dehydration only after post-weaning experience with dry food. In the current experiments we evaluate some critical features of post-weaning experience with dehydration and drinking, and find that prior experience with initiating drinking while dehydrated, but not experience with dehydration nor water per se, alters the time course of water intake during a subsequent hydrational challenge. The effects of experience are manifested as an increased proportion of water consumed in the early portion of the test, rather than a general increase in total consumption. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that prior experience is necessary for the coordination of water-oriented appetitive behaviors that lead to the initiation and maintenance of drinking bouts, and provide further evidence for an associative learning account of the acquisition of dehydration-induced drinking. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 38: 145–153, 2001
User and Topical Factors in Perceived Self-Efficacy of Video Digital Libraries

A survey measured users' perceived self-efficacy about interactively retrieving digital video, both overall and according to different factors potentially related to user confidence preceding an actual video search session. A total of 270 surveys, with quantifiable responses, were collected and analyzed. T-tests and correlation tests produced significant findings about users' levels of perceived self-efficacy, including associations with topic familiarly, type or nature of the information need, and system context. Findings give researchers a better understanding of users' confidence and preconceptions prior to interactive information retrieval (IIR) sessions for video, providing valuable insight about users' attitudes which can be used to promote initial and continued use of interactive tools like digital libraries.
Output feedback adaptive command following and disturbance rejection for nonminimum phase uncertain dynamical systems

In this paper, we develop an output feedback adaptive control framework for continuous-time nonminimum phase multivariable systems for output stabilization, command following, and disturbance rejection. The approach is based on a nonminimal state space realization that generates an expanded set of states using the filtered inputs and filtered outputs and their derivatives of the original system. Specifically, a direct adaptive controller for the nonminimal state space model is constructed using the expanded states of the nonminimal realization and is shown to be effective for multi-input, multi-output nonminimum phase systems with unstable dynamics. The adaptive controller does not require any model information nor does it require information of the system poles and system zeros or estimation of the system Markov parameters. Several illustrative numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nephrolithiasis and bone involvement in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare patients with primary hyperparathyroidism with and without nephrolithiasis with regard to (1) biochemical profile, and (2) presence and extent of bone involvement. patients and methods: Of 70 unselected patients enrolled in a longitudinal study on the natural history of primary hyperparathyroidism, 62 who underwent complete bone densitometry evaluation were considered. The patients had mild hypercalcemia (2.77 ± 0.02 mmol/L), as well as elevated parathyroid hormone levels by mid-molecule, N-terminal, and immunoradiometric assays. Bone densitometry was assessed by dual-photon absorptiometry of the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and single-photon absorptiometry of the forearm. results: Eleven of the 62 patients (18%) had nephrolithiasis. There was no difference in serum parathyroid hormone levels, calcium, phosphorus, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 between those with and without kidney stones. Total daily urinary calcium excretion was higher among those who formed stones (8.2 ± 1.0 mmol versus 6.1 ± 0.4 mmol, p 3 (r = +0.32, p 3 levels were elevated in a similar proportion of (1) all patients (31%, n=19); (2) those with nephrolithiasis (27%); and (3) those without stones (31%). Bone mineral density was less than 80% of normal in 61% of patients, but forearm, femoral neck, and lumbar spine density were indistinguishable among those with and without stones. conclusions: Cortical bone demineralization occurs to the same extent and frequency in patients with and without nephrolithiasis, and these two subgroups share similar biochemical and bone densitometric profiles. The pathophysiologic events leading to renal and skeletal involvement in primary hyperparathyroidism may be less selective than previously believed, as evidenced by: (1) increased urinary hydroxyproline in patients with nephrolithiasis, and (2) documentation that urinary calcium excretion reflects not only vitamin D status, but bone resorption was well.
The source of Central American lavas: inferences from geochemical inverse modeling

The rate earth element chemistry of a large suite of samples from the Central American volcanic front has been determined to understand their petrogenesis. Different segments of the volcanic front are compared on the basis of their calculated source rare earth patterns as deduced from inverse modeling. The results yield a range in the extent of light rare earth enrichment of the source, as well as in source mineralogy. Moderateto-strong LREE enrichment and high modal garnet contents are observed for the sources of both Guatemala and central Costa Rica, whereas slight LREE depletion and little or no garnet occurs in the Nicaraguan source region. Although distinct source regions beneath each Central American segment are permitted by the modeling, it is more likely that the mantle wedge is broadly homogeneous but locally heterogeneous. Small volume, relatively enriched, garnet-bearing veins surrounded by a matrix of isotopically depleted mantle periodotite could exist throughout the mantle wedge. Apparently distinct sources occur due to the variation in partial melting beneath the different segments, controlled by the amount of subduction-generated flux per unit wedge volume, which in turn is a function of the dip of the subducted lithosphere.
The bottlewasher and the ambassador.

“If he says his hand hurts, put it on his hand; if his head hurts, put it on his head. That's what your father does.” I had just completed a year of internship and, with all the knowledge and wisdom of a new graduate, I had joined my father in family practice It seemed strange, returning to the old familiar surroundings in a new garb. From the time I was a toddler I had visited my father in his office, looking in admiration at the huge oak desk behind which he sat. In one corner was a pile of copies of the BMJ and the Lancet , some obviously read, others unopened. There was a profusion of pens and pencils with a jar of royal blue Quink—ball point pens had not yet been invented. By his right hand was a heavy ledger which served as medical record, account book, and anything else worth writing about, all rolled into one tome. Just outside his office, and a little beyond what we would now call a treatment room, was the dispensary. This resembled a pharmacy of old, a large glass fronted cabinet with some bottles containing liquids of varying color and viscosity. Other widemouthed bottles contained crystals, large and small. I was intrigued by the curious names on the labels: Aq Menth Pip Conc , Tr Card Co , Sodii Sal , Extr Thyr Sic , to name some. A few large jars contained ointments such as Antiphlogistine , Whitfield's , and Icthyol c. Belladonna . Private …
Comments on "Stability criterion for N-dimensional digital filters

In the above mentioned paper, a stability theorem is given for n -dimensional recursive filters. We show that for a certain class of filters, the theorem is open to misinterpretation, and consequently has frequently been applied incorrectly in the literature. Since the theorem has found greatest application in the context of two-dimensional (2-D) filtering, the 2-D case is examined in detail.
KEEPING AN EYE ON RETINAL CLOCKS

Circadian pacemakers that drive rhythmicity in retinal function are found in both invertebrates and vertebrates. They have been localized to photoreceptors in molluscs, amphibians, and mammals. Like other circadian pacemakers, they entrain to light, oscillate based on a negative feedback between transcription and translation of clock genes, and control a variety of physiological and behavioral rhythms that often includes rhythmic melatonin production. As a highly organized and accessible tissue, the retina is particularly well suited for the study of the input-output pathways and the mechanism for rhythm generation. Impressive advances can now be expected as researchers apply new molecular techniques toward looking into the eye's clock.
Information Seeking Pattern and "Googlization" of Information: the Issues Facing Libraries

With the advent of the information revolution and the shear bulk of information that are freely available on the Web, many of our user's perception of information is that if it is not easily accessible, it's not worth the effort. It is therefore imperative that librarians and information providers find out why this preference is so dominant especially among undergraduate students and use this information in a way to design parallel information systems. This paper presents the results of two case studies and identify (1) information-seeking behaviors of life sciences and chemistry students in the fast-paced digital environment and what is meant by "cool" as it relates to information retrieval, and (2) users' preferences for scholarly material via traditional electronic databases and search engines, especially Google Scholar. In so doing, it presents the findings of the undergraduate students' preferences and discuss implications for library instruction, the design of Web pages and offerings of databases that would encourage lifelong learning skills.
TIGRA: Timely Sensor Data Collection Using Distributed Graph Coloring

In this paper we present a protocol for sensor applications that require periodic collection of raw data reports from the entire network in a timely manner. We formulate the problem as an NP-hard graph coloring problem. We then present TIGRA - a distributed heuristic for graph coloring that takes into account application semantics and special characteristics of sensor networks. TIGRA ensures that no interference occurs and spatial channel reuse is maximized by assigning a specific time slot for each node to transmit. Although the end-to-end delay incurred by sensor data collection largely depends on specific topology, platform, and application, TIGRA provides a transmission schedule that guarantees near-optimal delay on sensor data collection.
Becoming National: Classroom Language Socialization and Political Identities in the Age of Globalization

Although schools have long been recognized as primary sites for creating citizens of the modern nation-state, in recent years traditional assimilationist and exclusionist notions of national identity have been challenged by competing values of multiculturalism, hybridity, and transnationalism. This article surveys recent language socialization research that has examined classrooms as sites for socializing novices into political identities associated with membership in a national or transnational community. It explores five broad themes: (a) socialization into the national language, (b) socialization of immigrants, (c) socialization into new forms of national identity, (d) socialization of minority political identities within nation-states, and (e) socialization and transnational identities. The survey concludes with a review of the contributions of a language socialization approach to the study of these issues as well as suggested directions for future research.
Effect of species, breed and route of virus inoculation on the pathogenicity of H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI) viruses in domestic ducks

H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses continue to be a threat to poultry in many regions of the world. Domestic ducks have been recognized as one of the primary factors in the spread of H5N1 HPAI. In this study we examined the pathogenicity of H5N1 HPAI viruses in different species and breeds of domestic ducks and the effect of route of virus inoculation on the outcome of infection. We determined that the pathogenicity of H5N1 HPAI viruses varies between the two common farmed duck species, with Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) presenting more severe disease than various breeds of Anas platyrhynchos var. domestica ducks including Pekin, Mallard-type, Black Runners, Rouen, and Khaki Campbell ducks. We also found that Pekin and Muscovy ducks inoculated with two H5N1 HPAI viruses of different virulence, given by any one of three routes (intranasal, intracloacal, or intraocular), became infected with the viruses. Regardless of the route of inoculation, the outcome of infection was similar for each species but depended on the virulence of the virus used. Muscovy ducks showed more severe clinical signs and higher mortality than the Pekin ducks. In conclusion, domestic ducks are susceptible to H5N1 HPAI virus infection by different routes of exposure, but the presentation of the disease varied by virus strain and duck species. This information helps support the planning and implementation of H5N1 HPAI surveillance and control measures in countries with large domestic duck populations.
"Turning on" other persons to drugs.

Data obtained in a recent national survey are examined to test two hypotheses about drug transmission. The hypothesis that transmission of drug use to others is most likely to occur within a short period of time after initial use is supported. For each drug or drug class, at least one-half of the users who transmitted drug use to others did so within a span of 2 years after they began to use the drug. One-fourth of the marijuana users “turned on” others. Marijuana users are more likely to transmit their drug use than are users of other illicit drugs, but most drug users never “turn on” others. The hypothesis that drug transmission occurs only within a short period of time after onset of use is rejected. Among marijuana users who “turned on” others, 29% of them did so 5 or more years after they first used marijuana.
Atrial Fibrillation Through the Years: Contemporary Evaluation and Management

Information about a real patient is presented in stages (boldface type) to an expert clinician (Dr Valentin Fuster), who responds to the information, sharing his reasoning with the reader (regular type). A discussion by the authors follows. A 61-year-old man presents with 2 weeks of exertional dyspnea. Pertinent medical history includes hypertension, nephrolithiasis, and internal hemorrhoids. He takes no medications and has no known drug allergies. His father died after a myocardial infarction at 57 years of age. He formerly smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for 15 years but ceased tobacco use 10 years before presentation. He ingests 2 glasses of alcohol weekly and denies illicit drug use. His caffeine intake is limited. He is an architect and is married, with healthy children. On physical examination, his temperature is 98.0°F, blood pressure is 130/85 mm Hg bilaterally, pulse is irregular at 130 beats per minute, and respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute with an oxygen saturation of 97% while breathing room air. He is a slender white man in no distress. His jugular venous pressure is elevated at 14 cm H 2 O. There is no thyromegaly, and the carotid upstrokes are brisk, without bruits. Cardiovascular examination reveals a rapid and irregular heart rhythm with variation in the intensity of the first heart sound. The point of maximal impulse is not displaced. The remainder of the chest and abdominal examination is within normal limits. The extremities are warm and show mild pitting edema. Laboratory testing is significant for normal renal function and electrolytes, but a hemogram reveals a mild thrombocytopenia of 90 000 platelets/μL. ECG demonstrates atrial fibrillation (AF) with an average ventricular rate of 123 bpm ( Figure 1 ). Figure 1. The 12-lead ECG showing atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate. Dr Valentin Fuster : This is a …
Nickel Regulatory Transcription Factor, NikR

The variety of roles that transition metals fulfill within the cell is staggering, but the concentrations of these metals must be tightly regulated to maintain minimal requisite levels and simultaneously prevent metal-induced oxidative stress or inappropriate metal-binding events. A variety of bacteria control the concentration of the transition metal nickel using the transcriptional repressor NikR. To suppress the import of nickel, the NikR protein binds nickel ions, inducing NikR's affinity for a promoter region upstream of a gene encoding a nickel-specific importer. This binding event blocks RNA polymerase from attaching to the DNA, preventing the expression of further nickel-specific importers. A variety of biochemical, structural, and spectroscopic studies on NikR have provided interesting insight into the overall function and structure of this regulatory protein. 3D Structure Keywords: NikR; nickel regulation; transcription factor; ribbon–helix–helix; beta sandwich
A Simple and Effective Protein Folding Activity Suitable for Large Lectures

This article describes a simple and inexpensive hands-on simulation of protein folding suitable for use in large lecture classes. This activity uses a minimum of parts, tools, and skill to simulate some of the fundamental principles of protein folding. The major concepts targeted are that proteins begin as linear polypeptides and fold to three-dimensional structures, noncovalent interactions drive this folding process, and the final folded shape of a protein depends on its amino acid sequence. At the start of the activity, students are given pieces of insulated wire from which they each construct and fold their own polypeptide. This activity was evaluated in three ways. A random sample of student-generated polypeptides collected after the activity shows that most students were able to create an appropriate structure. After this activity, students (n = 154) completed an open-ended survey. Their responses showed that more than three-quarters of the students learned one or more of the core concepts being demonstrated. Finally, a follow-up survey was conducted seven weeks after the activity; responses to this survey (n = 63) showed that a similar fraction of students still retained these key concepts. This activity should be useful in large introductory-level college biology or biochemistry lectures.
Efficiency in coalition games with externalities

A natural extension of superadditivity is not sufficient to imply that the grand coalition is efficient when externalities are present. We provide a condition, analogous to convexity, that is sufficient for the grand coalition to be efficient and show that this also implies that the (appropriately defined) core is nonempty. Moreover, we propose a mechanism which implements the most efficient partition for all coalition formation games and characterizes the resulting payoff division.
Linearity performance of multi-stage TWT amplifiers: Cascade vs. series

Key performance characteristics that guide the selection of an amplifier for various applications are gain, power, linearity, and efficiency. In this paper, these parameters are contrasted for two amplifier configurations: a single-beam amplifier with stages placed in series vs. a multi-beam amplifier with cascading stages. Based on MAGIC-3D simulations, while gain and efficiency are comparable, the novel cascading amplifier configuration provides significant improvements in terms of power for a given level of linearity, both AM/AM and intermodulation distortions, over those of a conventional serial approach.
Does Institutional Reform of Intellectual Property Rights Lead to More Inbound FDI? Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract Leveraging a 14-year panel of 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries, we advance the institution-based view in international business research by focusing on how institutional reform of intellectual property rights (IPRs) matters in developing countries. We propose how the adoption timing of an international treaty, the Paris Convention on Industrial Property Rights, leads to more inbound foreign direct investment (FDI). Further, we propose how time spent with this IPR reform interacts with the host country's innovation base to affect inbound FDI. Our findings indicate that more reform time is negatively associated with inbound FDI, but FDI increases for more reform time within countries with substantial domestic innovation bases.
Automatic Inference of Structural Changes for Matching across Program Versions

Mapping code elements in one version of a program to corresponding code elements in another version is a fundamental building block for many software engineering tools. Existing tools that match code elements or identify structural changes - refactorings and API changes - between two versions of a program have two limitations that we overcome. First, existing tools cannot easily disambiguate among many potential matches or refactoring candidates. Second, it is difficult to use these tools' results for various software engineering tasks due to an unstructured representation of results. To overcome these limitations, our approach represents structural changes as a set of high-level change rules, automatically infers likely change rules and determines method-level matches based on the rules. By applying our tool to several open source projects, we show that our tool identifies matches that are difficult to find using other approaches and produces more concise results than other approaches. Our representation can serve as a better basis for other software engineering tools.
Roles of Wee1 and Nim1 protein kinases in regulating the switch from mitotic division to sexual development in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

In self-fertile strains of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, nitrogen starvation initiates a program of sexual development in which cells express mating pheromones and receptors, arrest cell cycle progression in G1, and conjugate. This process is dependent on Rum1, an inhibitor of the Cdc2-Cdc13 and Cdc2-Cig2 cyclin B kinases. The M-phase induction activity of Cdc2-Cdc13 is inhibited by Wee1 tyrosine kinase, which phosphorylates Cdc2 on tyrosine-15. We report here that Wee1 activity is also important for mating. This discovery arose from studies of Nim1, a kinase which promotes mitosis by inhibiting Wee1. Nim1 was previously thought to have an important role in promoting mitosis during nitrogen starvation, but our studies revealed that Nim1 protein drops to an undetectable level within 15 min of nitrogen depletion. In contrast, Wee1 remains abundant, and tyrosine-phosphorylated Cdc2 is detected for at least 4 h after resuspension of cells in nitrogen-free medium. This suggested that maintenance of Wee1 activity may be important during the early stages of nitrogen starvation, a proposal confirmed by the observation that mating efficiency is reduced ca. fivefold in wee1- cells. Transcriptional induction of genes encoding mating factors and receptors is also delayed in wee1- cells. The wee1- mating defect is suppressed by deletion of cig2+, which encodes a B-type cyclin that promotes the onset of S and inhibits conjugation. These findings indicate that Wee1 and Rum1 act jointly to inhibit Cdc2 and promote sexual development in nitrogen-starved cells.
Osteoporotic Skull Lesions in Moose at Isle Royale National Park

Osteoporotic lesions were evaluated in the skulls of moose (Alces alces) collected in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan (USA), from 1958 to 1994. Circular lesions which penetrated the outer table of the skull were distributed over the frontal and nasal bones asymmetrically in both sexes. About 32% of skulls recovered had some porotic lesions with slightly greater prevalence among males.
Endpoint Detection in Cu-CMP Detection of Ta Layer to Low- k Layer Transition Using Fluorescence

Introduction of low-dielectric constant (k) materials, replacing silicon dioxide, has reduced the time delay (RC delay) and enhanced the performance of integrated circuits (IC) significantly. The two most common ways of depositing these low-k materials are spin-on and chemical vapor deposition. Chemical-vapor-deposited low-k materials use an organic precursor consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as the main constituents. Some of these precursors yield a significantly large fluorescence signal when irradiated with an appropriate laser. This signal can be successfully utilized to detect the transition from the barrier layer to dielectric layer in chemical mechanical polishing, which is now typically done using reflectivity measurements in the industry. In this work, sensitivity of the fluorescence technique in detecting the transition is demonstrated and compared with the conventional reflectivity method. An abrasion cell integrated with a spectrometer was used to make the measurements. Capabilities and limitations of the fluorescence techniques are discussed.
Does the gut drive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progress

Department of Physiology, Kansas City University of Medicine & Bioscience, 1750 Independence Ave, Dybedal Research Center Kansas City, MO 64106, USA Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S Wood Street, Room 704 CSB, Chicago, IL, USA *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 816 654 7608; jzhou@kcumb.edu **Author for correspondence: 60612, USA; Tel.: +1 312 996 5020; junsun7@uic.edu Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons and severe skeletal muscle atrophy. Currently, there is no cure for ALS. Most patients die within 5 years after disease onset. The lifetime risk of ALS is about 1 in 472 in women and 1 in 350 in men [1]. Treatment with the only US FDA approved drug, Riluzole, extends patient life span only for a few months with little improvement in ALS symptoms [1]. Thus, there is an urgent need to further understand the pathogenic mechanisms in order to develop novel interventions for alleviating disease progression and improving the quality of life for ALS patients. Although the massive decline of the neuromuscular system is the most overwhelming phenomenon in ALS, other organs may also actively contribute to the progressive loss of neuromuscular function in the disease progression. In a recently published study on an ALS mouse model, for the first time we noticed that changes in intestinal function occurred in young ALS mice before the disease onset, indicating a possibility that altered intestinal homeostasis takes place along the decline of neuromuscular function in ALS. We reasoned that an impaired gut–neuromuscular cross talk may actively contribute to ALS progression. This editorial article discusses a potential contribution of gut defects in the course of ALS.
Historical Risk Factors Associated with Seizure Outcome After Surgery for Drug-Resistant Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Objective To investigate the possible influence of risk factors on seizure outcome after surgery for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). Methods This retrospective study recruited patients with drug-resistant MTS-TLE who underwent epilepsy surgery at Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and were followed for a minimum of 1 year. Patients had been prospectively registered in a database from 1986 through 2014. After surgery outcome was classified into 2 groups: seizure-free or relapsed. The possible risk factors influencing long-term outcome after surgery were investigated. Results A total of 275 patients with MTS-TLE were studied. Two thirds of the patients had Engel's class 1 outcome and 48.4% of the patients had sustained seizure freedom, with no seizures since surgery. Patients with a history of tonic-clonic seizures in the year preceding surgery were more likely to experience seizure recurrence (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval 1.19–4.80; P = 0.01). Gender, race, family history of epilepsy, history of febrile seizure, history of status epilepticus, duration of disease before surgery, intelligence quotient, and seizure frequency were not predictors of outcome. Conclusions Many patients with drug-resistant MTS-TLE respond favorably to surgery. It is critical to distinguish among different types and etiologies of TLE when predicting outcome after surgery.
Mathematical development: the role of broad cognitive processes

AbstractThis study investigated the role of broad cognitive processes in the development of mathematics skills among children and adolescents. Four hundred and forty-seven students (age mean [M] = 10.23 years, 73% boys and 27% girls) from an elementary school district in the US southwest participated. Structural equation modelling tests indicated that calculation complexity was predicted by long-term retrieval and working memory; calculation fluency was predicted by perceptual processing speed, phonetic coding, and visual processing; problem solving was predicted by fluid reasoning, crystallised knowledge, working memory, and perceptual processing speed. Younger students’ problem solving skills were more strongly associated with fluid reasoning skills, relative to older students. Conversely, older students’ problem solving skills were more strongly associated with crystallised knowledge skills, relative to younger students. Findings are consistent with the theoretical suggestion that broad cognitive proce...
Relative longevity of adult Nezara viridula in field cages of cotton, peanut, and soybean

Producers in the southeastern USA face significant crop losses from the stink bugs Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), and Chinavia hilaris (Say) (all Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Cotton, peanut, and soybean are major agronomic crops and host plants of stink bugs in the region. We conducted a field plot study to measure the relative longevity of adult, unmated N. viridula males and females caged on peanut, cotton, and soybean to test three hypotheses: (1) differences in mortality are associated with differences in host plant food suitability, (2) mortality rates increase with age, and (3) males have higher mortality than females. Using survival analysis, we found that the sex of the individual did not affect survival rates on any of the three host plants. Survival was significantly higher in cotton and soybean than in peanut. Mortality rates increased with age in peanut, but not in soybean or cotton. The frequency of canopy temperatures above 35 °C was higher in peanut than in soybean. Peanut appears to be a less than ideal habitat in terms of canopy temperature and/or food quality for N. viridula adults. Both, cotton and soybean were equally suitable food resources for N. viridula adults prior to maturation of the plants.