cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malignant Cough Equivalent Asthma: Definition and Case Reports

Background Cough equivalent asthma is a cause for chronic cough and usually responds to corticosteroid therapy. Oral corticosteroids are employed in a diagnostic-therapeutic trial and inhaled corticosteroids are employed in maintenance therapy. In certain cases the cough may be especially severe and require escalated doses of oral corticosteroids for initial control. This is labeled malignant cough equivalent asthma. Objective To define malignant cough equivalent asthma, provide two case reports, and identify features that should alert physicians to consider the possibility of malignant cough equivalent asthma. Case reports We report two patients who presented complaining of chronic cough that was disruptive of sleep and normal activities, and in one patient prompted an emergency room visit and later hospitalization. The patients underwent evaluation with history, physical examination, and laboratory testing as indicated. Other causes for chronic cough were ruled out by appropriate testing, or were treated, and patients did not respond to usual corticosteroid treatment for cough equivalent asthma. These patients were considered to have a more severe form of cough equivalent asthma and did respond to treatment with higher doses of oral corticosteroids. Conclusion Malignant cough equivalent asthma is a cause of chronic cough that is disruptive to sleep or normal activities, may lead to emergency room visits or hospitalization, and requires escalated doses of oral corticosteroids for initial control.
Multi-Cycle High Temperature Rapid Thermal Annealing for Dislocation Elimination in 4H-SiC Epitaxy

High temperature annealing of carbon capped SiC epilayers was performed using multi-cycle rapid thermal annealing technique to eliminate basal plane dislocations (BPD) and preserve the surface morphology. Annealing was performed in temperature range of 1750 oC – 1875 oC at N2 overpressure of 0.55MPa and 0.7MPa. BPDs in the epilayers were found to be eliminated for annealing at 1875 oC for 5 mins with 20 multiple heating cycles under 0.55MPa N2 overpressure. Under high temperature annealing, the BPDs convert to threading edge dislocations, which glides in the epilayers as the BPD retracts towards the substrate.
The formation of a crosslinked carboxyhemoglobin membrane at an organic-aqueous interface

A 30% carboxyhemoglobin solution was encapsulated with a membrane composed of crosslinked hemoglobin as a potential artificial red blood cell by adding a 25 μL droplet of 30% carboxyhemoglobin solution in phosphate buffer to a buffer-saturated toluene solution of a homobifunctional crosslinking agent. Disuccinimidyl glutarate, disuccinimidyl suberate, and terephthaldicarbox-aldehyde proved successful in crosslinking hemoglobin at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.08%, and 4.3%, respectively (saturated levels in buffer-saturated toluene). Disuccinimidyl glutarate exhibited maximal crosslinking of 11.0% in approximately 30 minutes. Disuccinimidyl suberate and terephthaldicar-boxaldehyde required at least 12 hours to form a viable sphere and crosslinked 39.4% and 37.8% of the hemoglobin in 18 hours. Membrane integrity was assessed by determining the permeability of uncrosslinked hemoglobin through the membrane as a function of time.
Fundamentals of fuel cell system in integration

Abstract Fuel cells are theoretically very efficient energy conversion devices that have the potential of becoming a commercial product for numerous uses in the civilian economy. We have analyzed several fuel cell system designs with regard to thermal and chemical integration of the fuel cell stack into the rest of the system. Thermal integration permits the use of the stack waste heat for the endothermic steps of fuel reforming. Chemical integration provides the steam needed for fuel reforming from the water produced by the electrochemical cell reaction. High-temperature fuel cells, such as the molten carbonate and the solid oxide fuel cells, permit this system integration in a relatively simple manner. Lower temperature fuel cells, such as the polymer electrolyte and phosphoric acid systems, require added system complexity to achieve such integration. The system economics are affected by capital and fuel costs and technical parameters, such as electrochemical fuel utilization, current density, and system complexity. At today's low fuel prices and the high fuel cell costs (in part, because of the low rates of production of the early prototypes), fuel cell systems are not cost competitive with conventional power generation. With the manufacture and sale of larger numbers of fuel cell systems, the total costs will decrease from the current several thousand dollars per kW, to perhaps less than US $100 per kW as production volumes approach a million units per year.
Detection of DNA structural motifs in functional genomic elements

The completion of the human genome project has fueled the search for regulatory elements by a variety of different approaches. Many successful analyses have focused on examining primary DNA sequence and/or chromatin structure. However, it has been difficult to detect common sequence motifs within the feature of chromatin structure most closely associated with regulatory elements, DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs). Considering just the nucleotide sequence and/or the chromatin structure of regulatory elements may neglect a critical feature of what is recognized by the regulatory machinery--DNA structure. We introduce a new computational method to detect common DNA structural motifs in a large collection of DHSs that are found in the ENCODE regions of the human genome. We show that DHSs have common DNA structural motifs that show no apparent sequence consensus. One such structural motif is much more highly enriched in experimentally identified DHSs that are in CpG islands and near transcription start sites (TSSs), compared to DHSs not in CpG islands and farther from TSSs, suggesting that DNA structural motifs may participate in the formation of functional regulatory elements. We propose that studies of the conservation of DNA structure, independent of sequence conservation, will provide new information about the link between the nucleotide sequence of a DNA molecule and its experimentally demonstrated function.
Thermal analysis of Tiwanaku raised field systems in the Lake Titicaca Basin of Bolivia

Abstract Raised field systems of agriculture in seasonally or perennially inundated landscapes have received increasing attention from scholars involved in the analysis of prehistoric agricultural intensification in the New World. This paper discusses the morphology and function of raised fields associated with the Tiwanaku civilization on the southern rim of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. The thermal properties, and specifically, the heat storage capacity of raised fields in this high altitude environment are analysed by means of an ANSYS finite element computer model. The analysis concludes that enhanced heat storage capacity was an essential design element of raised field agriculture in the Andean altiplano, and that this thermal effect served to mitigate the chronic hazard of frost damage to maturing crops in this rigorous environment. An experimental verification of this conclusion based on the performance of reconstructed raised fields subjected to severe sub-freezing conditions is briefly described.
Projected temperature changes indicate significant increase in interannual variability of U.S. maize yields

Climate change has the potential to be a source of increased variability if crops are more frequently exposed to damaging weather conditions. Yield variability could respond to a shift in the frequency of extreme events to which crops are susceptible, or if weather becomes more variable. Here we focus on the United States, which produces about 40% of the world’s maize, much of it in areas that are expected to see increased interannual variability in temperature. We combine a statistical crop model based on historical climate and yield data for 1950–2005 with temperature and precipitation projections from 15 different global circulation models. Holding current growing area constant, aggregate yields are projected to decrease by an average of 18% by 2030–2050 relative to 1980–2000 while the coefficient of variation of yield increases by an average of 47%. Projections from 13 out of 15 climate models result in an aggregate increase in national yield coefficient of variation, indicating that maize yields are likely to become more volatile in this key growing region without effective adaptation responses. Rising CO2 could partially dampen this increase in variability through improved water use efficiency in dry years, but we expect any interactions between CO2 and temperature or precipitation to have little effect on mean yield changes.
A universal equation of state for polymer liquids

Abstract Recently it has been shown that the compression response of polymer liquids, glasses and solutions satisfies a strong temperature—pressure superposition principle. Using a phenomenological argument, a new isothermal equation of state was developed to describe this new principle quantitatively. In this paper we extend the range of applicability of this new equation of sate, enabling it to describe quantitatively polymer liquids at any temperature. This is achieved by taking advantage of the empirical observation that for polymers both the density and the logarithm of the bulk modulus are linear functions of temperature. This allows the development of a corresponding states equation of state where each polymer is distinguished by a characteristic temperature T ∗ , pressure P ∗ and mass density ϱ ∗ . These parameters have been tabulated for 61 polymer liquids. The accuracy of the new equation of state approaches the accuracy of experimental PVT data. The equation of state parameters ( T ∗ , P ∗ , ϱ ∗ ) also have simple physical interpretations. One in particular is significant: the reduced temperature, T T ∗ , is shown to be equal to the free volume fraction at temperature T. This may prove to be useful for the interpretation of gas permeability through polymers. It is also shown that 1/ϱ ∗ is related to the calculated van der Waals' volume and that P ∗ is a measure of the cohesive energy density. The new equation of state will be useful for extrapolating equation of state properties and estimating bounds for negative pressures.
Erythrocytes and latex particles enhance blastogenesis of concanavalin—A stimulated spleen lymphoid cells from copper deficient rats

Abstract Male weanling Lewis rats were fed two concentrations of copper (0.6 or 5.6 ug Cu/g diet) for 42 days. Rats consuming the low copper diet had lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum ceruloplasmin activity, and copper and iron concentrations than those fed the adequate copper diet. Copper-deficient (CuD) rats had elevated liver iron. Concanavalin-A (Con-A)-induced incorporation of 3 H-thymidine ( 3 H-TdR) was suppressed in erythrocyte-free suspensions of splenic lymphoid cells from CuD rats, but not in spleen cell suspensions containing resident erythrocytes. Addition of either erythrocytes or latex particles to preparations of splenic lymphoid cells that had been treated with ammonium chloride (LSLC) enhanced the mitogenic reactivity of splenic T-lymphocytes from CuD rats relative to that of the controls. LSLC from CuD rats required four times as many latex particles per cell for maximal T-lymphocyte reactivity to Con-A than did cells from copper-adequate (CuA) rats. These results suggest that copper deficiency is associated with enhanced activity or number of suppressor macrophages in the spleen. Such an alteration may contribute to the immunocompromised state found in copper-deficient rodents.
Assessing state government financial transparency websites

Purpose – This study aims to examine the content of, and the extent to which, the 50 state governments make online spending data available to citizens. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the typical access points available for searching financial transparency websites and to evaluate each for the presence of learning aids to assist average citizens in deciphering the data provided.Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of 50 state government financial transparency websites was conducted to determine access points available for searching and the presence of learning aids and explanatory materials to facilitate citizen understanding of government spending.Findings – The study results revealed that, despite state government's efforts to provide increased access to financial information, little has been done to assist in improving citizens' skill in using the information and making it more understandable.Practical implications – Librarians can play an integral role in assisting average citizens in na...
Aperture synthesis observations of individual molecular clouds in M33

Aperture synthesis maps of six fields in the nearby spiral galaxy M33 have revealed the presence of a population of molecular clouds whose masses, sizes, velocity widths, and brightness temperatures are similar to Galactic giant molecular clouds. The masses of the clouds obtained from the virial theorem and from the integrated CO flux are in relatively good agreement, suggesting that the conversion factor from CO flux to molecular mass in M33 is unlikely to be much different from the value measured in our own Galaxy. The star formation properties of these regions are under study with deep optical CCD imaging and near-infrared data.
The Ambiguous Future of Professional and Technical Workers in Manufacturing: Some Hypotheses

In the current period of dramatic industrial restructunng afflicting virtually all advanced capitalist countries, much attention has focused on the steadily worsening situation of blue collar workers (Blackaby 1979, Frobel, Hein richs & Kreye 1980; Bluestone & Harrison 1982; Massey & Meegan 1982; Massey 1984; Martin & Rowthorn 1986) By contrast, the position of pro fessional and technical workers in manufacturing is perceived as relatively secure if not enhanced by the very same processes of economic restructunng, including the application of new production technologies in traditional sec tors and the rapid growth of new, 'high tech' industries. This security is derived from two main sources which show every sign of strengthening in the near to medium term. First is relative scarcity of supply, which stands to be exacerbated by rapid demand growth for workers in these categories (Leontief & Duchin 1986) Second is a classic skills monopoly which allows these workers considerable autonomy and discretion ove...
Anisogamy, sexual selection, and the evolution and maintenance of sex

In the present paper we distinguish between two aspects of sexual reproduction. Genetic recombination is a universal features of the sexual process. It is a primitive condition found in simple, single-celled organisms, as well as in higher plants and animals. Its function is primarily to repair genetic damage and eliminate deleterious mutations. Recombination also produces new variation, however, and this can provide the basis for adaptive evolutionary change in spatially and temporally variable environments.
Scaling criterion of questionnaire items

Abstract Criterion scaling is a technique for scaling questionnaire item responses so as to maximize their correlation with an external criterion. The correlation between the criterion and the scaled item is equal to the correlation ratio or η coefficient. The results of rescaling the ninth grade questionnaire of the “Equal Educational Opportunity Survey” is presented and compared to the subjective scaling used in the Report. Criterion scaling increased all correlations but the change is not substantial enough to change the interpretation of the Report.
Pathogenesis of renal sodium retention in congestive heart failure.

This article summarizes briefly some factors responsible for edema in chronic congestive heart failure. It is now generally thought that so-called ‘backward failure’ is a manifestation of diastolic dy
Investigation of the origin of tensile stress-induced rate enhancements in the photochemical degradation of polymers.

To investigate the effect of tensile stress on the photochemical degradation efficiencies of polymers, a modified PVC polymer with Cp(CO)3Mo−Mo(CO)3Cp (Cp = η5-C5H5) units along the backbone was synthesized. The polymer is photochemically reactive because the Mo−Mo bonds are photolyzed with visible light and the resulting radicals are captured with Cl atoms from along the polymer backbone. Of most importance from a mechanistic standpoint, the photochemical degradation reaction occurs in the absence of oxygen, which eliminates the kinetically complicating effect of rate-limiting oxygen diffusion. Tensile stress initially caused the quantum yield of polymer degradation to increase, but, after a certain point, additional stress caused a decrease in the quantum yield. This dependence of quantum efficiency on stress is consistent with a hypothesis in which stress affects the ability of the photochemically generated radicals to recombine. At low to moderate stress, the effect of stress is to increase the separa...
Encapsulation of low-refractive-index SiO(2) nanorods by Al(2)O(3) with atomic layer deposition.

Thin films composed of SiO2 nanorods or nanoporous SiO2 (np-SiO2) are attractive for use as a low refractive index material in various types of optical coatings. However, the material properties of these films are unstable because of the high porosity of the films. This is particularly apparent in dry versus humid atmospheres where both the refractive index and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) vary dramatically. In this article, we demonstrate that np-SiO2 can be encapsulated by depositing Al2O3 with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), stabilizing these properties. In addition, this encapsulation ability is demonstrated successfully in a 4-pair distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) design. It is hoped that this technique will be useful in patterning specific regions of a film for optical and mechanical stability while other portions are ambient-interactive for sensing.
Coping Self‐Efficacy and Psychological Distress Following the Oklahoma City Bombing1

Findings from a study of 27 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing are reported. This research focused on the importance of subjective appraisals of coping self-efficacy in predicting psychological distress following this tragedy. Results supported the hypothesis that judgments of coping self-eficacy taken 2 months after the bombing added significantly to the explanation of general and trauma-related distress after controlling for income, social support, threat of death, and loss of resources. Coping self-eficacy judgments taken I year later were also important in explaining psychological distress after controlling for loss of resources and social-support perceptions. Although coping self-efficacy perceptions taken at 2 months were related to distress levels 1 year later, they did not remain significant in a regression analysis controlling for loss of resources and income. Implications of these findings for post-terrorist bombing interventions are discussed.
Dataset from chemical gas sensor array in turbulent wind tunnel.

The dataset includes the acquired time series of a chemical detection platform exposed to different gas conditions in a turbulent wind tunnel. The chemo-sensory elements were sampling directly the environment. In contrast to traditional approaches that include measurement chambers, open sampling systems are sensitive to dispersion mechanisms of gaseous chemical analytes, namely diffusion, turbulence, and advection, making the identification and monitoring of chemical substances more challenging. The sensing platform included 72 metal-oxide gas sensors that were positioned at 6 different locations of the wind tunnel. At each location, 10 distinct chemical gases were released in the wind tunnel, the sensors were evaluated at 5 different operating temperatures, and 3 different wind speeds were generated in the wind tunnel to induce different levels of turbulence. Moreover, each configuration was repeated 20 times, yielding a dataset of 18,000 measurements. The dataset was collected over a period of 16 months. The data is related to “On the performance of gas sensor arrays in open sampling systems using Inhibitory Support Vector Machines”, by Vergara et al.[1]. The dataset can be accessed publicly at the UCI repository upon citation of [1]: http://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/Gas+sensor+arrays+in+open+sampling+settings
Epoxidation reactions with urea–hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by methyltrioxorhenium(VII) on niobia

Abstract Soybean oils (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids and their methyl esters) are epoxidized readily with urea–hydrogen peroxide (UHP) when methyltrioxorhenium(VII) supported on niobia is used as the catalyst in chloroform. Simple alkenes are epoxidized by the same method. The epoxide and not a diol is produced.
Electrophysiologic predictors of long-term clinical outcome with amiodarone for refractory ventricular tachycardia secondary to coronary artery disease

Fifty-four patients with a previous myocardial infarction and drug-refractory symptomatic ventricular tachycardia (VT) were treated with amiodarone on a long-term basis (range 6 to 54 months, mean 26) irrespective of the results of programmed ventricular stimulation, which was performed after high-dose oral amiodarone loading for more than 4 weeks. VT was rendered noninducible in 6 of 54 patients (11%) taking oral amiodarone. During a mean follow-up of 32 months, these 6 patients remained free of VT or sudden cardiac death. Forty-eight patients (89%) continued to have VT inducible by programmed ventricular stimulation. However, they could be separated into 2 groups: VT-modified (20 patients) and VT-unchanged (28 patients). In the VT-modified group, the induced VT with amiodarone was slowed or rendered nonsustained, and only 3 of 20 (15%) patients during a mean follow-up of 23 months had well tolerated VT recurrences. In the VT-unchanged group, 16 of 28 patients (57%) had recurrences of VT or ventricular fibrillation during a mean follow-up of 24 months. Sudden cardiac death occurred in 6 of these 16 patients. Thus, programmed ventricular stimulation in patients with VT taking long-term amiodarone may have prognostic implications.
The hippocampus as a stable memory allocator for cortex

It is suggested here that mammalian hippocampus serves as an allocator of neurons in cortex for memorizing new items. A construction of a shallow feedforward network with biologically plausible parameters is given that possesses the characteristics needed for such an allocator. In particular, the construction is stabilizing in that for inputs within a range of activity levels spanning more than an order of magnitude, the output will have activity levels differing as little as 1%. It is also noise tolerant in that pairs of input patterns that differ little will generate output patterns that differ little. Further, pairs of inputs that differ by much will be mapped to outputs that also differ sufficiently that they can be treated by cortex as distinct.
Hybrid optical implementation of discrete wavelet transforms: a tutorial

Abstract Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the use of wavelets to supplement or replace traditional Fourier transform signal processing. Because wavelet operations can be expressed as either a convolution/correlation operation or ā linear filter bank, they are well suited to optical implementations. This paper provides a tutorial on wavelets and the hybrid optical implementation of discrete wavelet transforms. Various approaches for implementing the wavelet transform are reviewed, including traditional Vander Lugt correlators, different types of spatial light modulators, joint time-frequency representations, holographic and interferometric implementations, and acousto-optic correlators. Finally, the concept for a new architecture is proposed using acousto-optic finite impulse response (FIR) filters to implement wavelets with perfect reconstruction properties.
Feature Detection in Images by Adaptive Random Sampling

Random sample theory is an effective tool for detecting features in images. This paper presents an adaptive random sampling scheme that clusters random samples into candidate features. The required trial number is reduced by adaptive sampling, thereby reducing the run time of the algorithm. The proposed method quickly finds rough regions in the image that may include features using adaptive random sampling and re-estimates the features using the Hough Transform (HT) within the smaller regions. The proposed algorithm is tested on both simulated and experimental subsurface seismic and GPR images to search for linear features like pipes or tunnels. Faster results are obtained as compared to standard feature detection algorithms, such as the HT or its variants, while maintaining the similar performance level as the HT.
Myoblasts and macrophages share molecular components that contribute to cell-cell fusion.

Cell–cell fusion is critical to the normal development of certain tissues, yet the nature and degree of conservation of the underlying molecular components remains largely unknown. Here we show that the two guanine-nucleotide exchange factors Brag2 and Dock180 have evolutionarily conserved functions in the fusion of mammalian myoblasts. Their effects on muscle cell formation are distinct and are a result of the activation of the GTPases ARF6 and Rac, respectively. Inhibition of ARF6 activity results in a lack of physical association between paxillin and β1-integrin, and disruption of paxillin transport to sites of focal adhesion. We show that fusion machinery is conserved among distinct cell types because Dock180 deficiency prevented fusion of macrophages and the formation of multinucleated giant cells. Our results are the first to demonstrate a role for a single protein in the fusion of two different cell types, and provide novel mechanistic insight into the function of GEFs in the morphological maturation of multinucleated cells.
Hands-On defibrillation-the end of "i'm clear, you're clear, we're all clear"?

The importance of closed-chest compression in maintaining at least a minimum of myocardial blood flow during cardiac arrest has been increasingly recognized. The adverse effect of interruptions of chest compressions on coronary perfusion pressure is immediate and important; Berg et al showed a 40%
The impact of synchronization and granularity on parallel systems

In this paper, we study the impact of synchronization and granularity on the performance of parallel systems using an execution-driven simulation technique. We find that even though there can be a lot of parallelism at the fine grain level, synchronization and scheduling strategies determine the ultimate performance of the system. Loop-iteration level parallelism seems to be a more appropriate level when those factors are considered. We also study barrier synchronization and data synchronization at the loop iteration level and found both schemes are needed for a better performance.
In vivo effect of aspirin on canine osteoarthritic cartilage

The in vivo effect of aspirin on degeneration of knee cartilage in a canine model of osteoarthritis was examined. When dogs were fed aspirin daily after anterior cruciate ligament transection, the degeneration of articular cartilage in the unstable knee was more marked 9 weeks later than that in the operated knee of dogs which did not receive aspirin. Compared with samples from the contralateral knees, the thickness of articular cartilage in the operated knees of aspirin-fed dogs was reduced, while it was increased in the operated knees of dogs not fed aspirin. In addition, the proteoglycan (uronic acid) content and the augmentation of proteoglycan synthesis in cartilage from the unstable knee were significantly lower when the dogs were fed aspirin than when they were not, and Safranin-O staining of the matrix was less intense. However, cartilage from the contralateral knees of aspirin-fed dogs was histochemically and biochemically normal in every respect. When metatarsal bones, with their overlying articular cartilage intact, were cultured in the presence of 10−4M and 10−5M salicylate, net glycosaminoglycan synthesis was suppressed by 25% and 15%, respectively. These concentrations of salicylate had previously been shown to have no effect on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in normal cartilage from the weightbearing region of the femoral condyle. Since the uronic acid content of metatarsal cartilage is lower than that of femoral cartilage, and that of osteoarthritic femoral cartilage is lower than that of normal femoral cartilage, the present results are consistent with the concept that cartilage is more permeable to aspirin when its matrix is depleted of proteoglycans.
Building community broadband: Barriers and opportunities for community‐based organizations in the federal BTOP and BIP broadband development programs

Despite $7.2 billion of recent federal investments in broadband infrastructure through the Broadband Technology Opportunities and Broadband Initiatives Programs (BTOP and BIP), questions around the effectiveness of such national-scale initiatives at the local level remain. Drawing on ethnographic interviews, observation, and documentary evidence, this paper charts the experience of twenty-seven grassroots and community-based organizations (CBOs) from around the country that have engaged the BTOP and BIP process. We explore the challenges CBOs have faced in initiating, developing partnerships, and executing BTOP and BIP grant applications. We find that CBOs often struggled to define the effective scope of potential BTOP projects; to align these with traditional organizational goals; to develop effective project partnerships, including with larger and more institutionalized partners; and to meet the formal evaluation, reporting, and management requirements of a large-scale and sensitive federal program. Despite these barriers, several community-based organizations have engaged in successful BTOP and BIP applications, which are now moving into operational stage. This paper documents these experiences, and concludes with recommendations for reform of the BTOP, BIP, or possible successor programs that could improve the inclusion and effectiveness of community-based organizations as agents of broadband development and social change.
Prediction of mortality in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy by clinical, exercise stress, and echocardiographic data.

Abstract Objectives This study evaluated the clinical, exercise stress test, and echocardiographic predictors of mortality and cardiac events in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Background Left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Methods Symptom-limited treadmill exercise echocardiography was performed for evaluation of coronary artery disease in 483 patients (age, 66 ± 11 years; 281 men) with LVH. End points during follow-up were all-cause mortality and hard cardiac events (cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI]). Results Forty-six patients died and 14 had nonfatal MI. The cumulative mortality rate was higher in patients with abnormal exercise echocardiography (3% vs. 0.4% at one year, 11.7% vs. 3.7% at three years, and 18.3% vs. 9.5% at five years, p Conclusions In patients with LVH, LV mass index and EF response to exercise are independent predictors of mortality, incremental to clinical and exercise test data and resting LV function. A normal exercise echocardiogram predicts a relatively low mortality rate during the following three years.
Regarding Numerical Considerations for Computational Aeroacoustics

This paper presents a potpourri of factors which are of concern in the numerical analysis of sound generation and propagation by fluid flows. It is shown that successful computational aeroacoustics (CAA) solutions require that careful attention be given to numerical algorithms, stability considerations, and gridding. In particular, difficulties inherent in high Mach and Reynolds number viscous calculations are discussed.
Probabilities as a bridge between classical and quantum-mechanical treatments

There are significant differences in the structures of course presentations of classical mechanics and quantum mechanics, but also essential links that connect the two approaches. A large part of the differences in approach do not involve quantization, but rather the traditional use of instantaneous values to describe macroscopic objects and position probability densities to describe microscopic objects. A pedagogic reformulation of the classical problem to bridge this gap is presented here. The method is numerical in nature, but for illustrative purposes it is herein applied to two specific cases for which analytic solutions also exist, the Kepler–Coulomb potential and the isotropic harmonic oscillator. Using this approach, classical systems can be examined in the presence of perturbations in the same way as is used in quantum mechanics courses. Semiclassical quantization can also be introduced to extend the connection to a quantum-mechanical treatment.
Learning mixed kronecker product graph models with simulated method of moments

There has recently been a great deal of work focused on developing statistical models of graph structure---with the goal of modeling probability distributions over graphs from which new, similar graphs can be generated by sampling from the estimated distributions. Although current graph models can capture several important characteristics of social network graphs (e.g., degree, path lengths), many of them do not generate graphs with sufficient variation to reflect the natural variability in real world graph domains. One exception is the mixed Kronecker Product Graph Model (mKPGM), a generalization of the Kronecker Product Graph Model, which uses parameter tying to capture variance in the underlying distribution [10]. The enhanced representation of mKPGMs enables them to match both the mean graph statistics and their spread as observed in real network populations, but unfortunately to date, the only method to estimate mKPGMs involves an exhaustive search over the parameters. In this work, we present the first learning algorithm for mKPGMs. The O(|E|) algorithm searches over the continuous parameter space using constrained line search and is based on simulated method of moments, where the objective function minimizes the distance between the observed moments in the training graph and the empirically estimated moments of the model. We evaluate the mKPGM learning algorithm by comparing it to several different graph models, including KPGMs. We use multi-dimensional KS distance to compare the generated graphs to the observed graphs and the results show mKPGMs are able to produce a closer match to real-world graphs (10-90% reduction in KS distance), while still providing natural variation in the generated graphs.
A problem with levels: how to engage a diverse IPE

Though welcome, Cohen's call for exchange across diverse perspectives in international political economy (IPE) evades the question: why have we remained unaware of or insensitive to the diversity that already exists? We follow John Hobson's claim that racism, imperialism and Eurocentrism disallow a western-dominated social science from engaging with diverse viewpoints. We argue further that a disciplinary bias towards a unit-level or atomistic understanding of social science precludes and disallows epistemological encounters in which actual diversity might be harnessed. We support this claim in two steps. First, we draw on Ghassan Hage's analysis of exigophobia, or the fear that social explanation inadvertently justifies horrendous actions and humanises their perpetrators. Exigophobia activates what we call the condemnation imperative: an eagerness to condemn an individual or group act, of fierce violence, for example, before one has tried to understand or explain it. Second, building on Nicholas Onuf's work on levels, we show that the disciplinary bias towards explanations which 'see' from the level of individual actors treats Europe or the west, in Hobson's terms, as 'self-constituting and exceptional'. When one neglects the structuring features of the whole, and assumes western 'pioneering agency', it is easy to treat non-western inferiority (irrationality, backwards culture, and so on) as an explanation of the relative successes and failures of a flattened planet of autonomous units. Though we endorse forms of social explanation that start from the whole as opposed to the parts, we favour the view that there are only simultaneous and continuous processes whose seeming mystical flow our descriptions cannot but freeze. We suggest that there are no levels, simply parts and wholes in process.
Book Review - At His Discretion: To Be Disposed of as He Thinks Fit; at His Disposal, at His Mercy; Unconditionally

Review of ANGELA J. DAVIS, ARBITRARY JUSTICE (Oxford University Press, Inc. 2007) 264 PP.
New pit scale species of Polea (Hemiptera: Asterolecaniidae)

The adult female and male of a new species of pit scale, Polea martini Lambdin, are described and illustrated with measurements included for the various morphological structures. P. martini was collected on Calophyllum sp. in Borneo. This new species is morphologically similar to P. selangorae Lambdin based on the lack of large 8-shaped pores on the venter, the appearance and number of multilocular pore clusters on submargin, and the shape of the anal ring and number of anal ring setae. A key to the species of Polea also is presented.
Study of Mental Health Conditions and Its Influencing Factors Among Soldiers in Forces stationed in Jinan

[Objective]To master the mental health of soldiers in Jinan,analyze the impact factors,and provide evidence for decision-making of the military mental health education and mental health interventions.[Methods]The integration of simple random sampling and stratified sampling was adopted to select 480 soldiers of 5 different branches of the military forces stationed in Jinan as study objects.All were investigated by Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire(EPQ),and conducted physical examination.The results were analyzed by SPSS 10.0.[Results]The difference of prevalence of psychological problems between new recruits and soldiers with more than 1 year military service was not significant,the main factors were age,armed branches and education.The SCL-90 factor scores of soldiers in Jinan were significantly lower than the Chinese military female group norm(P0.01).Interpersonal sensitivity,depression,hostility,terrorist factor scores among soldiers in Jinan were significantly lower than ordinary people in China 18～29 years old group norm(P0.01),somatization,psychotic factor scores were significantly higher than the norm(P0.05).A significant relationship existed between the recruits' factor score of SCL-90 and the score of its N,P,L factor.[Conclusion]Mental health factors between new recruits and soldiers with more than 1 year military service are different,the reasons should be analyzed to take targeted intervention measures.
Assessing Intellectual and Affective Development before Age Three: A Perspective on Changing Practices

Developmental assessment is an ongoing process of systematic observation and analysis, the purpose of which is to understand the child's competencies and resources and the caregiving and learning environments most likely to assist the child in making the best use of his or her developmental potential. for many years young children have been assessed with normative instruments that focus primarily on evaluating their intellectual development. Many myths surround the use of these instruments with very young children, including the following: intelligence can be defined and measured with confidence;\ intelligence test data have diagnostic relevance; early intelligence tests have predictive value; such tests are useful for assessing young children with special needs; practitioners value and use these tests in their clinical practice; and IQ tests fulfill the legal purposes and intent of public laws. Each of these statements represents a misstatement of fact, and none of them has a strong evidentiary basis. In place of the narrow classificatory function served by such tests, a variety of other approaches to assessing intellectual and affective development in the first three years of life are described. These instruments are consistent with a group of principles of responsive, developmentally oriented assessment that include recognizing the interdependence of development, understanding the importance of using multiple sources and multiple components in assessment, providing a meaningful sequence for assessment, respecting and evaluating child–caregiver relationships, basing assessments on a framework of typical development, emphasizing the organizational and functional capabilities of the child, focusing on the child's current and emerging competencies and strengths, viewing assessment as a process of collaboration and the beginning of an intervention, and understanding that assessment and intervention are two elements of a larger whole. Assessments that are defined in terms of these principles assist us in meeting our most important goal: assisting all children to achieve their potential.
The Theory of Light and Weight and Its Pratical Significance

The theory of light and weight is a special kind of economic theory in ancient China.It is regarded as typical theory of Goventment's Intervenism,which includes the power of light and weight、the theory of light and weight、the skill of light and weight,and so on.It is inspiring and referable for us to understand the related theories in modern economics and the government's policies.
Wavelet-Based Analysis of Circadian Behavioral Rhythms

The challenging problems presented by noisy biological oscillators have led to the development of a great variety of methods for accurately estimating rhythmic parameters such as period and amplitude. This chapter focuses on wavelet-based methods, which can be quite effective for assessing how rhythms change over time, particularly if time series are at least a week in length. These methods can offer alternative views to complement more traditional methods of evaluating behavioral records. The analytic wavelet transform can estimate the instantaneous period and amplitude, as well as the phase of the rhythm at each time point, while the discrete wavelet transform can extract the circadian component of activity and measure the relative strength of that circadian component compared to those in other frequency bands. Wavelet transforms do not require the removal of noise or trend, and can, in fact, be effective at removing noise and trend from oscillatory time series. The Fourier periodogram and spectrogram are reviewed, followed by descriptions of the analytic and discrete wavelet transforms. Examples illustrate application of each method and their prior use in chronobiology is surveyed. Issues such as edge effects, frequency leakage, and implications of the uncertainty principle are also addressed.
Fontan type operation for complex lesions: Surgical considerations to improve survival

Twenty-five of 49 patients who underwent a Fontan type operation had complex lesions other than tricuspid atresia with ventriculoarterial concordance. Three patients had significant subaortic stenosis. Thirty-four palliative operations, including nine Glenn shunts, were performed before the Fontan operation. Direct atriopulmonary anastomosis was performed in 21 patients. In four, valved conduits were used. Twelve patients had right atrioventricular valve patch closure (three had running and nine had interrupted suture technique). On the basis of the presence of increased or decreased pulmonary blood flow before any surgical intervention, patients were divided into Group 1 (previous pulmonary artery banding, N = 8) and Group II (pulmonic stenosis, N = 17). Postoperatively, in Group I, 87 % had significant effusions, mean right atrial pressure was higher (20.6 ± 6.5 torr), and hospital stay longer (31 days). In Group II, 40% had significant effusions, mean right atrial pressure was lower (16.5 ± 4.3 torr), and hospital stay shorter (15 days). Significant atrioventricular valve patch disruption occurred in three patients (two had running suture technique), and conduit occlusion occurred in two. Four patients (three with subaortic stenosis and pulmonary artery banding) without an established Glenn shunt required Fontan takedown for persistent low cardiac output, two of whom died (2/25 or 8 %). There were three late deaths (3/23 or 13 %). Nineteen of 20 surviving patients observed from 2 months to 6 years are doing well. We believe that early Fontan takedown in patients with persistent low cardiac output, interrupted suture technique for atrioventricular valve closure, avoidance of valved conduits, and a preliminary Glenn shunt in patients with pulmonary artery banding and/or subaortic stenosis can further improve the results with the Fontan operation for complex lesions.
Cognitive Learning Approaches

In a more recent rephrasing of the above view espoused by Plato, Sternbach has said, “all functioning and all disease are both mental and physical, because both mental and physiological processes are going on continuously” (1966, p. 139). Yet, modern medical training and practice continue to view the human organism as composed of physiological segments, anatomical parts, and isolated components, while neglecting the total organization (Jonas, 1978; Reiser, 1978). In short, medical practitioners often fail to heed the admonition of Plato.
A comparative case study: Network agenda setting in crisis and non-crisis news

In order to explore the Chinese traditional media role on social media platforms, this study examined the agenda-setting effects between the networked attribute agendas of Chinese traditional media...