cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Photobehavior of Daphnia Magna Exposed to Tributyltin

Photobehavior of Daphnia magna was examined when individuals were exposed to the antifouling toxicant tributyltin chloride (TBTC). Two separate experiments were performed in different types of containers in order to test the repeatability of the results. The major conclusion of the study is that at concentrations below that which cause mortality, individuals exhibit abnormal photobehavior. At lower concentrations of TBTC, the time to initiation of abnormal behavior was extended due to a possible threshold concentration at the site of action. The threshold concentration for sign reversal of phototaxis is approximately 0.5 ppb (ng/ml) after 96 to 144h exposure. The estimated LC50 value for this same time period is approximately 3.5 to 6 ppb (ng/ml) which shows that the sublethal response is about an order of magnitude below that of the standard acute mortality value. Effects on swimming speeds and ecological consequences are discussed.
The TFT A New Thin-Film Transistor

A thin-film transistor, TFT, fabricated by evaporation of all components on to an insulating substrate has been developed. Operation is based upon the control of injected majority carriers in a wide-band-gap semiconductor by means of an insulated control gate. Experimental units using microcrystalline layers of cadmium sulfide have yielded voltage amplification factors greater than 100, transconductances greater than 10,000 , ?mho, input impedances greater than 106 ? shunted by 50 pf and gain-bandwidth products greater than 10 Mc. Switching speeds of less than 0.1 ?sec have been observed. Simple evaporated thin-film circuits incorporating the TFT have been built. Direct coupling between stages is permitted since the insulated gate electrode can be biased positively as well as negatively without drawing appreciable gate current. Modified forms of the TFT have been built for use as a flip-flop, an AND gate and a NOR gate in computer applications.
Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men

Objective:To review the efficacy of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men.Data Sources:MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched (1970–August 2007) using the terms phosphodiesterase inhibitor, sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, tower urinary tract symptoms, and benign prostatic hypertrophy.Study Selection and Data Extraction:English-language clinical trials, case reports, and background material were evaluated for safety and efficacy data. References of reviewed articles were examined and used to identify additional sources.Data Synthesis:Erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms have numerous shared risk factors and are common in aging men. PDE-5 inhibitors may relax urinary tract smooth muscle tissue, which has led to interest in their utility for lower urinary tract symptoms. Six 12 week clinical trials were identified. Three uncontrolled trials (N = 158) examined the effects of on-demand sildenafil ED dos...
Tensions Between Conflicting Beliefs of an EFL Teacher in Teaching Practice

While it has been proposed that language teachers’ beliefs could filter the way they perceive their teaching and influence their practice, few studies have investigated how their beliefs interact with their teaching decisions and why some beliefs override others. When EFL teachers adapt the Western-based Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) model to Asian contexts, tensions between beliefs about different traditions of language teaching begin to surface and influence their perceptions and practice of new teaching methodologies. Therefore, exploring how EFL teachers’ beliefs interact with their teaching decisions could shed more light on EFL teacher development. This paper reports on the interactions between a pre-service EFL teacher’s beliefs about CLT and her teaching practice in a one-year postgraduate teacher education programme in Hong Kong. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, belief-inventory questionnaires, researcher’s field notes, classroom observations and stimulated recall inte...
Coalition Convex Preference Orders Are Almost Surely Convex

Abstract Let E be a separable linear topological space, which admits a complete metric compatible with the topology, and (Ω, A , μ) a complete probability space. Let ⩾∈A⊗B(E)⊗B(E). Then ⩾ is coalition convex if and only if for almost all ω, ⩾ ω is convex.
Effect of cardiac resynchronisation therapy on occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators undergoing upgrade to cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices

Background: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) improves outcomes in selected patients with heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction. One mechanism of benefit is believed to be favourable ventricular remodelling. Whether CRT also decreases the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias and risk of sudden death is unknown. Objective: To determine the effect of CRT on frequency of ventricular arrhythmias and appropriate ICD therapies. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Single-centre, tertiary care facility (Mayo Clinic). Patients: 52 patients (46 male), aged 70 (SD 10) years, who underwent upgrade from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to a CRT-defibrillator were included. Interventions: Upgrade of ICD to CRT-defibrillator. Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of ventricular arrhythmias prior to and following upgrade to CRT device. Results: Ejection fraction increased from 22% (SD 8%) to 27% (SD 11%) following CRT. However, the frequency of non-sustained ventricular arrhythmias, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and ventricular fibrillation was not significantly changed prior to and following CRT (2.38 (SD 9.78) vs 58.51 (SD 412.73) per patient per month, p = 0.66; 0.07 (SD 0.17) vs 0.16 (SD 0.52), p = 0.70; 0.05 (SD 0.12) vs 0.25 (SD 1.40), p = 0.12). Conclusions: CRT is not associated with a decrease in the frequency of ventricular arrhythmia or appropriate device therapy. Thus, use of CRT alone is not beneficial in decreasing the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias or the risk of appropriate ICD therapies.
Population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic model of CP‐101,606 following a 72‐hour infusion in acute ischemic stroke patients

CP-101,606 (CP) is an N-methyl-D-aspartate NR2B subunit selective receptor antagonist. Pathologic overactivation of NMDA receptors is implicated in the neurodegeneration following stroke. A 72-hr infusion of CP or placebo was started within 8 hours of onset of symptoms. NONMEM was used for pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling. A linear one-compartment mixture model describing fast and slow metabolizers with allometrically scaled clearance and volume described pharmacokinetics. Disease progression for stroke recovery (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)) was modeled with an Emax function for recovering subjects and a linear function for subjects that worsened. The results suggested higher initial NIHSS, larger lesion volumes and older age negatively impacted rate and extent of recovery. Exposure to CP resulted in faster rate of recovery and larger maximum recovery in a concentration dependent manner. The statistical significance of including the effect of CP on the rate of recovery was somewhat low but reduced inter-patient variability in the disease progression model. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P97–P97; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.370
Clusters of orthologous genes for 41 archaeal genomes and implications for evolutionary genomics of archaea

An evolutionary classification of genes from sequenced genomes that distinguishes between orthologs and paralogs is indispensable for genome annotation and evolutionary reconstruction. Shortly after multiple genome sequences of bacteria, archaea, and unicellular eukaryotes became available, an attempt on such a classification was implemented in Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs). Rapid accumulation of genome sequences creates opportunities for refining COGs but also represents a challenge because of error amplification. One of the practical strategies involves construction of refined COGs for phylogenetically compact subsets of genomes. New Archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Genes (arCOGs) were constructed for 41 archaeal genomes (13 Crenarchaeota, 27 Euryarchaeota and one Nanoarchaeon) using an improved procedure that employs a similarity tree between smaller, group-specific clusters, semi-automatically partitions orthology domains in multidomain proteins, and uses profile searches for identification of remote orthologs. The annotation of arCOGs is a consensus between three assignments based on the COGs, the CDD database, and the annotations of homologs in the NR database. The 7538 arCOGs, on average, cover ~88% of the genes in a genome compared to a ~76% coverage in COGs. The finer granularity of ortholog identification in the arCOGs is apparent from the fact that 4538 arCOGs correspond to 2362 COGs; ~40% of the arCOGs are new. The archaeal gene core (protein-coding genes found in all 41 genome) consists of 166 arCOGs. The arCOGs were used to reconstruct gene loss and gene gain events during archaeal evolution and gene sets of ancestral forms. The Last Archaeal Common Ancestor (LACA) is conservatively estimated to possess 996 genes compared to 1245 and 1335 genes for the last common ancestors of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, respectively. It is inferred that LACA was a chemoautotrophic hyperthermophile that, in addition to the core archaeal functions, encoded more idiosyncratic systems, e.g., the CASS systems of antivirus defense and some toxin-antitoxin systems. The arCOGs provide a convenient, flexible framework for functional annotation of archaeal genomes, comparative genomics and evolutionary reconstructions. Genomic reconstructions suggest that the last common ancestor of archaea might have been (nearly) as advanced as the modern archaeal hyperthermophiles. ArCOGs and related information are available at: ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/koonin/arCOGs/ . This article was reviewed by Peer Bork, Patrick Forterre, and Purificacion Lopez-Garcia.
Point mutation of estrogen receptor (er) in the ligand-binding domain changes the pharmacology of antiestrogens in er-negative breast cancer cells stably expressing complementary dnas for er

The antiestrogen tamoxifen is used in the treatment of hormone-responsive breast cancer. However, therapeutic failure has frequently been observed in both patients and animal models after long term treatment. We have studied the effect of a point mutation that leads to the substitution of Val for Gly at codon 400 in the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor (ER) on estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) and its derivatives. Stable ER transfectants derived from MDA-MB-231 CL10A, an ER-negative breast cancer cell line, have been used in these studies. 4-OHT and its fixed ring derivatives showed more estrogen-like activity in ER transfectants than in MCF-7, an ER-positive breast cancer cell line. In this study, 4-OHT was a partial agonist of cell growth in the transfectant S30 cells, which express the wild-type ER. However, it was a full agonist in the mutant ER transfectant ML alpha 2H, which expressed ER with Val at codon 400. The increased estrogenic activity of 4-OHT in ML alpha 2H cells was not due to the preferential isomerization of trans 4-OHT to cis 4-OHT, since the nonisomerizable fixed ring trans 4-OHT was a partial agonist for cell growth in S30 cells and was a full agonist in ML alpha 2H cells. Transient transfection using a reporter plasmid containing an estrogen response element demonstrated that fixed ring trans 4-OHT had estrogenic activity in ML alpha 2H cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Erratum: Dangerous liaisons: molecular basis for a syndemic relationship between Kaposi's sarcoma and P. falciparum malaria

The most severe manifestations of malaria (caused by P. falciparum) occur as a direct result of parasitemia following invasion of erythrocytes by post-liver blood-stage merozoites, and during subsequent cyto-adherence of infected erythrocytes to the vascular endothelium. However, the disproportionate epidemiologic clustering of severe malaria with aggressive forms of endemic diseases such as Kaposi’s sarcoma, a neoplasm that is etiologically linked to infection with Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus [KSHV]), underscores the significance of previously unexplored co-pathogenetic interactions that have the potential to modify the overall disease burden in co-infected individuals. Based on recent studies of the mechanisms that P. falciparum and KSHV have evolved to interact with their mutual human host, several new perspectives are emerging that highlight a surprising convergence of biological themes potentially underlying their associated co-morbidities. Against this background, ongoing studies are rapidly constructing a fascinating new paradigm in which the major host receptors that control parasite invasion (Basigin/CD147) and cyto-adherence (CD36) are, surprisingly, also important targets for exploitation by KSHV. In this article, we consider the major pathobiological implications of the co-option of Basigin/CD147 and CD36 signaling pathways by both P. falciparum and KSHV, not only as essential host factors for parasite persistence but also as important mediators of the pro-angiogenic phenotype within the virus-infected endothelial microenvironment. Consequently, the triangulation of interactions between P. falciparum, KSHV, and their mutual human host articulates a syndemic relationship that points to a conceptual framework for prevalence of aggressive forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma in malaria endemic areas, with implications for the possibility of dual-use therapies against these debilitating infections in resource-limited parts of the world
Cumulative estimates of sea turtle bycatch and mortality in USA fisheries between 1990 and 2007

Sea turtles interact with a variety of fishing gears across their broad geographic distributions and onto- genetic habitat shifts. Cumulative assessments of multi-gear bycatch impacts on sea turtle populations are critical for coherent fisheries bycatch management, but such estimates are difficult to achieve, due to low fisheries observer effort, and a single-species, single-fishery management focus. We compiled the first cumulative estimates of sea turtle bycatch across fisheries of the United States between 1990 and 2007, before and after implementation of fisheries-specific bycatch mitigation measures. An annual mean of 346,500 turtle interactions was estimated to result in 71,000 annual deaths prior to establish- ment of bycatch mitigation measures in US fisheries. Current bycatch estimates (since implementation of mitigation measures) are 60% lower (137,800 interactions) and mortality estimates are 94% lower (4600 deaths) than pre-regulation estimates. The Southeast/Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Trawl fishery accounts for the overwhelming majority of sea turtle bycatch (up to 98%) in US fisheries, but estimates of bycatch in this fishery are fraught with high uncertainty due to lack of observer coverage. Our esti- mates represent minimum annual interactions and mortality because our methods were conservative and we could not analyze unobserved fisheries potentially interacting with sea turtles. Although consid- erable progress has been made in reducing sea turtle bycatch in US fisheries, management still needs improvement. We suggest that sea turtle bycatch limits be set across US fisheries, using an approach sim- ilar to the Potential Biological Removal algorithm mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Estimating infertility: the devil is in the details

Self-reported data have serious limitations, particularly when the outcome is constructed from indirect questions. Policy decisions require clearly defined issues, validated tools, careful and comprehensive analysis, and cautious interpretation.
Reconstruction of a high-angle twist grain boundary by grand-canonical simulated quenching

A formalism for obtaining the zero-temperature structure of mono- component solids by simulated quenching in the grand-canonical ensemble is outlined. The structure of a high-angle twist grain boundary on the (110) plane of an fcc metal is investigated. The lowest energy structure is found to be a twinned structure with a density approximately 20% higher than the structure obtained from canonical-ensemble energy-minimization.
Effect of reduced heifer nutrition during in utero and post-weaning development on glucose and acetate kinetics

Energetic efficiency was evaluated in composite bred heifers born from dams receiving 1·8 or 1·2 kg/d winter supplementation for approximately 80 d before parturition. Heifers were then developed post-weaning and randomly assigned to heifer development treatments of either control (100 %; ad libitum; n 8/year) or restricted (80 %; fed 80 % of supplementation fed to controls adjusted to a common body weight: n 8/year) in a 2-year study. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) and acetate irreversible loss test (AILT) were administered to heifers at the termination of a 140 d development period when the heifers were approximately 403 d of age and consumed a silage-based diet, and again at 940 d of age when pregnant with their second calf and grazing dormant forage. No differences were measured (P.0·08) for dam winter nutrition or heifer development treatment for baseline serum metabolites or measures in either the GTT or the AILT. However, changes in baseline serum concentrations (P.0·05) were different between metabolic challenges, which occurred at different stages of development. No difference in acetate disappearance (P¼0·18) and half-life (P¼0·66) was measured between the two metabolic challenges. A trend for glucose half-life to be shorter in heifers born from dams receiving in utero winter treatments that supplied 1·2 kg/d of winter supplementation was observed (P¼0·083). Heifers developed with lower total DM intake during a 140 d development period had similar glucose and acetate incorporation rates as ad libitum-fed heifers when evaluated at two different production stages.
Bending effects in optical fibers

Mode coupling at bends in optical fibers supporting one or only a few guided modes is analyzed by considering the local normal modes for the corresponding straight waveguide. Matrix elements giving the strength of coupling between guided modes at a corner bend, and for coupling between guided modes and radiation modes, are calculated as a function of guiding strength for this "geometrical" effect. The correction to these matrix elements due to the longitudinal strain in a bent fiber is also determined. The increase in propagation constant for the fundamental mode of a fiber wrapped in a coil of constant radius is calculated from information on the coupling strengths and mode propagation constants. The phase shift and attenuation of the fundamental mode caused by a spatially periodic microbending of the fiber axis are also considered. Finally, potential applications of these effects in fiber-optic devices such as mode converters, phase shifters, switches, and sensors are discussed.
Genotypic Differences in Potassium Nutrition in Lowland Rice Hybrids

China imports most of its potassium (K) requirements for crop production. The objective of this study was to evaluate indica rice hybrids for K- use efficiency. Twenty-eight indica rice hybrids were evaluated in nutrient solution. The K influx rate was greatest in genotype Weiyou 64 (684.9 nmol K + plant 21 h 21 ) and least in genotype Xie A/909 (457.2 nmol K + plant 21 h 21 ). The K-use efficiency was greatest in genotype ShanA/909 (81.8 mg dry matter (DM) produced per mg K taken up) and least in genotype Shanyou 64 (55.9 mg mg 21 ). The maximum biomass was produced by genotype Shan A/4663-5 (100.8 mg DM per plant), and the least biomass was produced by genotype Xie A/4663-4 (59.1 mg DM per plant). These results suggest that K shortage for rice production can be alleviated by using K-efficient rice genotypes.
Low noise and stabilized mode-locked diode lasers for arbitrary waveform generation

Two types of low noise, stabilized mode-locked diode lasers will be discussed, as they pertain to arbitrary waveform generation. The lasers are optimized for either a time-domain or frequency domain architecture for waveform synthesis.
Sociodemographic Correlates of Tobacco Consumption in Rural Gujarat, India

Background. The purpose of this study was to examine occupation-, education-, and gender-specific patterns of tobacco use and knowledge of its health effects among 23,953 rural Asian Indians ≥18 years in Gujarat. Methodology. A statewide, community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 26 districts of Gujarat (December 2010-May 2015), using face-to-face interviews by trained community health workers called SEVAKS. Results. Mean age was 39.8 ± 15.2 years. Eighteen percent of respondents used tobacco in various forms. Tobacco consumption was significantly higher among males (32%), 18-34 years' age group (35%), those who were self-employed (72%), and those with elementary education (40%). The prevalence was 11 times higher among males than females (95% CI = 9.78, 13.13). Adjusted ORs for tobacco use showed strong gradient by age and educational level; consumption was lower among the illiterates and higher for older participants (≥55 years). Tobacco consumption also varied by occupation; that is, those who were self-employed and employed for wages were more likely to use tobacco than those who were unemployed. Knowledge of health effects of tobacco lowered the odds of consumption by 30-40%. Conclusions. Effective educational programs should be tailored by gender, to improve knowledge of health risks and dispel myths on perceived benefits of tobacco.
Guided Artillery Trajectory Simulation Model for Determination of Required Acquisition Proximity of a Moving Target

‡This paper presents a high-fidelity trajectory model and parametric study to determine the critical distance that a precision-guided, indirect-fire, artillery round can be from a moving target when it begins its guidance algorithm to maneuver to a moving target. Determining the critical target acquisition proximity at various levels of maneuver authority is critical to the development of the projectile’s airframe and the selection of its target-seeking instruments. This paper concentrates on simulating the aeroballistic free-flight, rocket-assist, and guidance phases of the weapon’s trajectory to determine the critical target acquisition proximity for this generic mortar airframe to strike a ground vehicle traveling in all directions. For a given baseline of aerodynamic properties, this model quantifies the relationship between target acquisition proximity and maneuver authority.
Ion Currents and Mechanisms of Modulation in the Radula Opener Muscles of Aplysia

Scott, Marsha L., Vladimir Brezina, and Klaudiusz R. Weiss. Ion currents and mechanisms of modulation in the radula opener muscles of Aplysia. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2372–2387, 1997. Numerous studies...
HOLOMORPHY OF RANKIN TRIPLE L-FUNCTIONS; SPECIAL VALUES AND ROOT NUMBERS FOR SYMMETRIC CUBE L-FUNCTIONS

In this paper we prove the holomorphy of Rankin tripleL-functions for three cusp forms on GL(2) on the entire complex plane, if at least one of them is non-monomial. We conclude the paper by proving the equality of our root numbers for the third and the fourth symmetric powerL-functions with those of Artin through the local Langlands correspondence. We also revisit Deligne’s conjecture on special values of symmetric cubeL-functions.
Capturing a Dynamic Chaperone–Substrate Interaction Using NMR-Informed Molecular Modeling

Chaperones maintain a healthy proteome by preventing aggregation and by aiding in protein folding. Precisely how chaperones influence the conformational properties of their substrates, however, remains unclear. To achieve a detailed description of dynamic chaperone–substrate interactions, we fused site-specific NMR information with coarse-grained simulations. Our model system is the binding and folding of a chaperone substrate, immunity protein 7 (Im7), with the chaperone Spy. We first used an automated procedure in which NMR chemical shifts inform the construction of system-specific force fields that describe each partner individually. The models of the two binding partners are then combined to perform simulations on the chaperone–substrate complex. The binding simulations show excellent agreement with experimental data from multiple biophysical measurements. Upon binding, Im7 interacts with a mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues on Spy’s surface, causing conformational exchange within Im7 to ...
A Survey of Ismaili Studies Part 1: Early Ismailism and Fatimid Ismailism

This article discusses the major scholarly developments in the study of Ismaili Muslim history and thought. Scholarship on the Ismailis, the second largest branch of Shi‘i Islam, once relied on hostile depictions produced by their adversaries. With the recovery of more primary sources over the last several decades, Ismaili studies is now progressing at a rapid pace. The Ismaili movement originated from a schism in the Imami Shi‘i community over the succession to Ja‘far al-Sadiq, the fifth Shi‘i Imam. The Ismailis upheld the succession rights of al-Sadiq's son and designated heir, Isma‘il, and his lineal descendants. The earliest Ismailis directed a revolutionary da‘wah in the ninth century and established the Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171). Ismaili doctrine during these periods evolved from a gnostic cosmology into a Neoplatonic metaphysics. It also featured cyclical conceptions of Prophethood and Imamat and stressed the distinction between the exoteric (zahir) and esoteric (batin) dimensions of Islam. Major scholarly debates and thematic areas in the study of the pre-Fatimid and Fatimid periods of Ismaili history pertain to the doctrinal character of early Imami Shi‘ism, Ismaili historiography, the origins of the earliest Ismailis, the emergence of the Ismaili da‘wah, the earliest Ismaili conceptions of Imamat, the different facets of Fatimid rule, the genealogy of the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs, and the philosophical dimensions of Fatimid Ismaili thought.
Physiological Effects of Spaceflight/Unloading and the Mitigating Effects of Flywheel-Based Resistive Exercise

The deleterious effects of spaceflight encompass numerous physiological effects that collectively undermine long-term goals of manned round-trip missions to Mars. Perhaps the greatest losses are to the human musculoskeletal system from limited mechanical/load-bearing activity. In-flight countermeasures seek to reduce physiological losses, the restoration of mechanical/load-bearing activity in μg is achieved with flywheel-based resistive exercise hardware. Research with spaceflight analogs showed exercise done with flywheel-based devices abated muscle mass and strength losses with modest increases in net energy costs. This led to the installment of flywheel-based hardware on The International Space Station. To date, exercise with flywheel-based hardware has reduced musculoskeletal losses, with greater success achieved for muscle-, as compared to bone-based, outcomes. More success as a bone loss countermeasure may be achieved with exercise hardware that imparts higher strain rates to the engaged musculoskeleton.
Power allocation to noise-generating nodes for cooperative secrecy in the wireless environment

The wireless transmission environment opens up opportunities for an eavesdropper to intercept a secret message from the source to the legitimate destination, particularly in the case when the eavesdropper is close to the source. Cooperative jamming, where nodes that are inactive serve as noise-generating nodes to disrupt an eavesdropper, has recently been considered in wireless communication networks to improve secrecy in such scenarios. Here we consider optimal power allocation to these jamming nodes (termed “chatterers”) in the case of an eavesdropper of known location. The optimal power allocation to the chatterer nodes is achieved via water-filling that, as one would expect, favors nodes that are close to the eavesdropper but will not impact the message to the destination significantly, either because the chatterer is located at a large distance from the destination or because the chatterer's signal is significantly faded at the destination. Numerical results compare the performance of the system employing the optimal power allocation to the performance of lower overhead schemes that employ only a single jamming node.
On close-range air combat based on hidden Markov model

Theory of air combat (AC) develops from geometry to energy, the AC process is analyzed more in terms of the fighter performance; nevertheless, a small amount of literature considers how fighter pilot's decision-making process affects AC. According to the variable characteristics of objective data recorded in AC training, analysis method of close-range air combat (CRAC) based on hidden Markov model (HMM) is proposed, Viterbi algorithm is used to predict the changing process of pilot's state sequence in AC, then the decision-making point is acquired. Through simulation, the feasibility of AC based on HMM is verified, it also shows whether the pilot can make decisions effectively and fast will affects the AC result eventually.
Calorimetry in the STAR Experiment at RHIC

The STAR Experiment at RHIC is doing both heavy ion physics, looking for the quark-gluon plasma, and also proton spin physics, primarily investigating the gluon contribution to the proton spin. The barrel and endcap electromagnetic calorimeters in STAR are nearing completion. These have already been used for jet triggering for jet quenching measurements in conjunction with the time projection chamber (TPC). Both of these calorimeters are of lead-scintillator sandwich construction, with small tower size appropriate to the multiplicities in heavy ion events. They have different types of shower-maximum detectors. The construction, operation, and present and planned physics from these detectors will be discussed. More information is available at the STAR web site, including lists of both physics and instrumentation publications.
Duplication of 19p13.3 in 11-Year-Old Male Patient with Dysmorphic Features and Intellectual Disability: A Review.

We present a clinical report of an 11-year-old male patient with an interstitial duplication of 19p13.3 (829 kb in size) at genomic coordinates 3,804,495–4,033,722 bp (hg19) identified by chromosomal microarray analysis and review the literature from nine published reports adding knowledge regarding this chromosomal anomaly and clinical outcomes. The size of the duplication ranged from 0.83 to 8.9 Mb in the nine individuals. The young boy in our report was dysmorphic with microcephaly, abnormal craniofacial features, intellectual disability, aggression, and a heart murmur. All patients were found to have a psychomotor developmental delay and/or intellectual disability with the majority having microcephaly, intrauterine growth retardation, and hypotonia. Common craniofacial findings included a tall, prominent forehead, an elongated face, epicanthal folds, hypertelorism, prominent low-set ears, philtrum anomaly, and a small mouth. Other less common features included abnormal digits, sparse hair, and cardiac defects. Clinical features, chromosome duplication sizes, locations, and the number of genes will be summarized in a tabular form.
Graves Orbitopathy: Update on Diagnosis and Therapy

Graves orbitopathy (GO) is an autoimmune disorder representing the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves disease. It is rare, with an age-adjusted incidence of approximately 16.0 cases per 100,000 population per year in women and 2.9 cases per 100,000 population per year in men. GO is an inflammatory process characterized by edema and inflammation of the extraocular muscles and an increase in orbital connective tissue and fat. Despite recent progress in the understanding of its pathogenesis, GO often remains a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. It has become increasingly important to classify patients into categories based on disease activity at initial presentation. A Hertel exophthalmometer measurement of >2 mm above normal for race usually categorizes a patient as having moderate-to-severe GO. Encouraging smoking cessation and achieving euthyroidism in the individual patient are important. Simple treatment measures such as lubricants for lid retraction, nocturnal ointments for incomplete eye closure, prisms in diplopia, or botulinum toxin injections for upper-lid retraction can be effective in mild cases of GO. Glucocorticoids, orbital radiotherapy, and decompression/rehabilitative surgery are generally indicated for moderate-to-severe GO and for sight-threatening optic neuropathy. Future therapies, including rituximab aimed at treating the molecular and immunological basis of GO, are under investigation and hold promise for the future.
Benefits and risks of P2Y12 inhibitor preloading in patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina.

Treatment with P2Y12 inhibitors is an integral part of the standard of care for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the most appropriate timing for P2Y12 inhibitor administration remains unclear, and the value of “preloading” with P2Y12 inhibitors prior to cardiac catheterization is controversial. While pre-catheterization treatment with P2Y12 inhibitors is performed with the goal of decreasing adverse cardiovascular events, this potential benefit must be weighed against the increased risk of bleeding complications and operative delay if coronary artery bypass graft surgery is indicated. A number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the utility of preloading with P2Y12 inhibitors prior to cardiac catheterization for varying indications including stable angina and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this article, we review the literature and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the preloading strategy. Several individual studies offer inconclusive and even conflicting findings. However, when taken in sum, these studies allow for several conclusions about the utility of P2Y12 inhibitor pretreatment. The existing literature demonstrate that preloading is associated with some degree of reduction in adverse ischemic events, although this benefit comes with an increased risk of bleeding complications. The appropriateness of preloading therefore varies based on the indication for catheterization, likely justified in patients with ACS but unlikely to benefit patients with stable angina.
The Role of the Outlying Laboratories: Outlying laboratories play a unique and vital role in the corporate R&D structure

(1969). The Role of the Outlying Laboratories: Outlying laboratories play a unique and vital role in the corporate R&D structure. Research Management: Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 141-148.
Voltage interval mappings for activity transitions in neuron models for elliptic bursters

Abstract We performed a thorough bifurcation analysis of a mathematical elliptic bursting model, using a computer-assisted reduction to equationless, one-dimensional Poincare mappings for a voltage interval. Using the interval mappings, we were able to examine in detail the bifurcations that underlie the complex activity transitions between: tonic spiking and bursting, bursting and mixed-mode oscillations, and finally mixed-mode oscillations and quiescence in the FitzHugh–Nagumo–Rinzel model. We illustrate the wealth of information, qualitative and quantitative, that was derived from the Poincare mappings, for the neuronal models and for similar (electro)chemical systems.
Ophthalmic examination findings and intraocular pressures in wild-caught African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys spp.).

Purpose To report ophthalmic examination findings and intraocular pressures (IOPs) in wild-caught African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei and gambianus) from Tanzania and Ghana. Procedures After being placed under general anesthesia for examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy before and after pharmacologic mydriasis and indirect ophthalmoscopy was performed. Eyes were fluorescein stained and IOPs measured by rebound tonometry using the TonoVet® . Results Thirty-two sexually mature pouched rats (64 eyes) were examined, including 16 males and 16 females. The mean IOP (± standard deviation) was 7.7 (±2.9) mmHg. Fluorescein staining was negative in all eyes. One or more ocular abnormalities were detected in 21 pouched rats (35 eyes). These ocular lesions included the following: lens opacities (n = 23 eyes), persistent pupillary membranes (n = 5), chorioretinal scarring (n = 3), corneal vascularization (n = 2), palpebral margin defect with focal trichiasis (n = 2), phthisis bulbi (n = 1), and posterior synechiae (n = 1). Lens opacities included incipient anterior cortical opacities (n = 7), immature cataract (n = 6), incipient nuclear opacities (n = 5), punctate pigment on anterior lens capsule (n = 2 eyes), incipient suture tip opacities (n = 2), and hypermature cataract (n = 1). Conclusions Ocular abnormalities were common in the evaluated population of giant pouched rats; however, most of the detected lesions were mild and believed to have minimal impact on vision. Rebound tonometry with the TonoVet® was a reliable and simple technique to measure IOPs in the anesthetized pouched rats.
Investigating connectivity in the urban food landscapes of migrant women facing food insecurity in Washington, DC.

Abstract The survival strategies of migrant women living in urban poverty are embedded in urban food landscapes (‘foodscapes’) characterized by dynamic social relationships and mobility. Relying on interviews with 31 migrant women in Washington, DC, this paper traces the socio-spatial conditions of their urban foodscapes to show that urban environments inhabited by low-income migrants are dynamic, stretching across multiple neighborhoods as they move throughout the city with social networks to obtain affordable, quality, and culturally appropriate food. Investigating these foodscapes demonstrates the relational nature of food provisioning strategies thus providing a critique of simplistic explanations of hunger that treat food insecure residents as static, ignorant, and individual economic actors. These explanations risk producing equally simplistic and inefficient approaches to addressing food insecurity such as increasing mainstream consumption opportunities in so-called food deserts or focusing on nutrition education and individual choice without considering residents’ dynamic urban experiences. As a result, this paper argues that programmatic responses to insecure urban foodscapes should be developed that foster social and physical connectivity while better addressing structural causes of hunger.
U.S. climate policy and the regional economics of electricity generation

Abstract We examine the interaction between price competition and policy in four ISO markets by modeling the economic dispatch of generation technologies and the evolution of generation resources over a fifteen year period beginning in 2016. Using a representative range of forward prices for natural gas and other generator costs, we model three potential pathways for federal policy: (1) the status quo, which assumes no new federal initiatives through 2031; (2) moderate and aggressive (national or regional) RPSs; and (3) carbon taxes that vary in timing and amount. The model assesses the impact of these policies on competition between electricity generators using a range of output variables, including the cost of electricity, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), retirement and construction trends for generation resources, and dispatch rates of generation technologies. We analyze conditions in four regional electricity markets with distinct starting generation portfolios, demand profiles (that differ seasonally and diurnally), wind and solar resources, and fuel costs. Our results provide new insights into the competitive barrier that low gas prices represent for renewables, the superior efficacy of carbon taxes (even at low rates) over RPSs, and the singular competitive advantage renewables enjoy by virtue of having near zero marginal costs.
Plant Cell and Tissue Culture Applications in Plant Breeding

Traditional plant-breeding procedures are based on manipulation of genes and chromosomes through sexual reproduction in whole plants. The procedures were developed from Mendelian genetic principles and were expanded with developments in cytology, polyploidy, mutation induction, quantitative genetics, heterosis, male sterility, and related areas. In recent years a technology for genetic manipulation at the cellular level has emerged, which has a unique potential for supplementing traditional plant-breeding procedures. This technology has been developed from advances in knowledge of cell culture and molecular biology. The nature of the cell culture techniques, benefits to plant breeding from their use, and problems associated with their use are discussed in this chapter. This is an intensely researched area of science, from which new information is rapidly emerging.
Semispaces of Configurations

A non-vertical hyperplane h, disjoint from a finite set P of points, partitions P into two sets P+ = P∩h+ and P- = P∩h - called semispaces of P, where h+ is the open half-space above hyperplane h and h- is the open half-space below h. Note that this definition includes the empty set and P itself as semispaces of P. Using geometric transformations and the face counting formulas for arrangements of hyper planes presented in Chapter 1, it is not hard to find tight upper bounds on the number of semispaces of P that depend solely on the cardinality of P. Unfortunately, little is known about the maximum number of semispaces with some fixed cardinality. This chapter addresses the latter counting problem and derives non-trivial upper and lower bounds.
Institutions and Economic Development: Structure, Process, and Incentive

Institutional economists have made important contributions to the study of economic development. At the same time, many development economists have stressed the importance of institutions in shaping national rates of growth and profiles of development. This affinity has meant that, in the field of development economics, many of the divisions that exist between institutionalists and orthodox economists are muted or absent. This chap- ter discusses the origins of economic development as a subject, arguing that its emergence grew from acceptance of the proposition that institu- tional differences are fundamental in explaining national development paths.
Tectonic and Magmatic Controls on Backarc Basin Sedimentation

Previous models for intraoceanic backarc basin sedimentation are static in that they focus on a long-lived, stationary, magmatic source along the arc axis. These models are adequate in the case of backarc rifting, but a more dynamic model is needed in the case of forearc rifting. We present a revised model for backarc basin sedimentation that reflects progressive shifts in volcanism and associated depocenters through the history of a backarc basin developed by forearc rifting. This model is based on recent Ocean Drilling Program results from the Lau Basin and a reexamination of the sedimentary sequences recovered on Deep Sea Drilling Project legs across the Mariana arc and backarc system. We report new petrographie data for volcaniclastic sand from the Mariana forearc and backarc regions and compare them to data collected from other backarc basins. The proportions of colorless, brown and black glassy volcanic fragments within coarse, sandy intervals associated with these arc systems suggest that the early rift phase of backarc basin formation is characterized by felsic (bimodal) volcanism and that volcanic centers become progressively more intermediate with time. This trend is consistent with the geochemical evolution of arc lavas. In the case of forearc rifting, this compositional trend may coincide with a shift in volcanism from the protoremnant arc, across the nascent backarc basin, toward the frontal arc.
Bioinspired Strategies for Water Collection and Water Purification

Fresh water sustains human life and is vital for human health. There is enough fresh water for everyone on Earth. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population and is projected to rise. It is estimated that more than 800 million people do not have access to clean water and over 1.7 billion people are currently living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge.
Investigation of Propagating Cortical Waves and Spirals Recorded by High Density Porous Graphene Arrays

Propagating waves along the cortical surface have recently attracted significant attention by the neuroscience community. However, whether these propagating waves imply network connectivity changes for the neural circuits is not known. In this work, we employ a high density porous graphene microelectrode array and perform in vivo experiments with rodents to investigate network connectivity during cortical propagating waves. The spatial-temporal analysis of the cortical recordings reveals various types of propagating waves across the recording area. Network analysis results show that these propagating waves are consistent with the functional connectivity changes in the neural circuits, suggesting that the underlying network states are reflected by the cortical potential propagation patterns.
Exploring records of Saharan dust transport and hurricanes in the western North Atlantic over the Holocene

Abstract Despite evidence for an anti-correlation between African dust emissions and Atlantic hurricane activity in the instrumental period, there is debate as to whether there is any direct causal relationship between these two parameters. In this study, we provide a focused review of available African dust and storm activity records over 3 increasing timescales: the past 200 years, the past 3000 years and the past 12,000 years. In all three timescales, we find evidence for non-stationary, weak or unexpected relationships between African dust emissions and tropical cyclone activity. We suggest future storm record compilations that can better distinguish the relative frequency of storms generated in the eastern versus western development region of the tropical North Atlantic will provide a better test of the radiative impact of African dust over the past 3000 years and Holocene. Additionally, high resolution dust deposition records from the western Atlantic measured in the same cores used to derive storm records may provide much more detailed insight into how the variability in magnitude and spatial extent of the African dust plume has co-evolved with Atlantic storm tracks over recent millennia.