cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modulatory Action of serotonin on glutamate-induced excitation of cerebellar purkinje cells

Abstract The effects of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) on glutamate-induced excitation of Purkinje cells were examined. Pulsatile iontophoretic applications of glutamate (1–25 nA) induced consistent increases in the spontaneous activity of Purkinje cells. When serotonin was applied continouusly with currents that elicited minimum changes in the spontaneous rate, it inhibited or blocked glutamate-induced excitations significantly in most Purkinje cells. We also examined the effects of high currents of serotonin on spontaneous activity of Purkinje cells. High currents of serotonin induced 3 different effects: inhibitions, biphasic effects comprising transient inhibition followed by excitation, and excitations. Nonetheless, whether it inhibited or excited the activity of Purkinje cells, serotonin inhibited glutamate-induced excitations consistently. The effect of a putative 5-HT antagonist methysergide (UML) was also examined. Methysergide consistently attenuated or antagonized the inhibitory effects of serotonin on glutamate-induced excitations. This findings suggests strongly that inhibitory effects of 5-HT on glutamate excitations observed in the present study is the specific action of serotonin.
Urban economic reform and access to health care coverage in the People's Republic of China

While the economic reforms since 1978 have brought about substantial changes in the rural health care system, there have been many and far-reaching implications for the urban health insurance system as well. This paper describes the evolving urban economy and examines the implications of these changes for access to health care coverage. Provided first is a brief description of the Chinese urban health care system. Three major areas of urban economic reform since 1984 are outlined and the possible effects of these reforms on health care coverage are discussed. The analysis reveals, first, the emergence of insurance coverage inequities under employment-based health insurance as China moves toward a open market economy. Second, the process of focusing on health services in rural and urban areas as separate systems is unnecessary and even counter-productive in light of the emerging integration of China's urban and rural-economies. Finally, some reasons for why China continues to search for employment-based health financing approaches are offered.
Sharq Al-Adna/The Voice of Britain The UK’s ‘Secret’ Arabic Radio Station and Suez War Propaganda Disaster

This study of Sharq al-Adna - The Near East Broadcasting Station - attempts to review the history of the British government-operated radio station in light of political and military developments in...
Dietary accumulation of PCBs from a contaminated sediment source by a demersal fish (Leiostomus xanthurus)

Abstract Accumulation and dietary transfer of PCBs from contaminated harbor sediments were studied in a laboratory food chain consisting of sediments, polychaetes (Nereis virens) and a predatory fish (Leiostomus xanthurus). The study was conducted in two phases to distinguish dietary uptake from PCB accumulation resulting from sediment exposure alone. In phase I fish and polychaetes were separately exposed to field-collected PCB contaminated sediments (5.2 μg/g dry weight as Aroclor 1242 and 1254) in flow-through sea-water systems for 40 days to allow organisms to attain steady state concentrations. In Phase II the dietary fraction of PCB accumulation was determined by selectively feeding exposed and control groups of fish polychaetes having a known PCB body burden. In addition the effect of direct sediment contact on PCB accumulation by L. xanthurus was investigated. Results demonstrate that contaminated sediments can serve as a source of PCBs for uptake and trophic transfer in marine systems. Fish exposed to PCB-contaminated sediments and fed a daily diet of polychaetes from the same sediment accumulated more than twice the PCB whole-body residues than fish exposed to similar conditions but fed uncontaminated polychaetes. The dietary contribution of PCBs accounted for 53% of the total body burden measured in fish fed for 20 days, and this percentage appeared to be increasing. Results also indicate that fish isolated from direct contact with PCB-contaminated sediment do not significantly (P ≤ 0.05) accumulate PCB residues when compared with fish allowed contact with sediment.
Integrated device with diffractive polarization components for a magneto-optical disk head

The optical components in the detection train of a conventional magneto-optical (MO) disk head include a half-wave plate and a polarization beamsplitter. These polarization components are bulky and require specialized mounting hardware. In order to realize a more compact head, we propose that these elements be replaced by an integrated device composed of cascaded volume and surface-relief gratings. Herein, the proposed system is described in detail for the individual elements, theoretical and prototype element performance are compared, and the operational tolerances of these elements are discussed.
Division-of-wave-front thin-film beam splitter for generating binary patterns of orthogonal elliptical polarization states

A division-of-wave-front thin-film beam splitter is described that reflects monochromatic light at oblique incidence with orthogonal elliptical polarization states. It consists of a metallic substrate partially covered with a transparent thin film that inverts the ratio ρ of the complex p and s reflection coefficients at the principal angle of the metal. Any pattern of coated and uncoated areas of the substrate is imprinted upon the reflected wave front as a corresponding two-dimensional spatial binary polarization pattern. A specific design is given that uses a Au substrate at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. The effects of small errors in the film refractive index, the film thickness, and the angle of incidence are discussed. It is noted that a layer that inverts ρ at a certain (especially high) angle of incidence is an effective ρ-inverting layer at all angles.
The electronic spectra of diphenylmethane dyes

Abstract The absorption and emission spectra, along with their relative polarizations have been obtained for several diphenylmethane dyes. When the transitions are correlated with those of the triphenylmethane dyes, such as Crystal Violet, it is found that the number of observed transitions decreases, as do the number of low-energy resonance structure. The absorption intensities are calculated for the low-energy transitions, and good agreement is found with those observed.
Boundary behavior of ring Q-homeomorphisms on Riemannian manifolds

We study the problems of continuous and homeomorphic extensions to the boundary for so-called ring Q-homeomorphisms between domains on the Riemannian manifolds and establish conditions for the function Q(x) and the boundaries of the domains under which every ring Q-homeomorphism admits a continuous or homeomorphic extension to the boundary. This theory can be applied, in particular, to the Sobolev classes.
Design and development of the d.c. plasma reactor for the synthesis of ultrafine powders

After analysing different plasma processes, we have designed and developed a 14kW d.c. plasma unit for generating ultrafine powders. Experiments to characterize the torch demonstrated that it is possible to operate the plasma unit over a wide range of conditions without losing its discharge stability. Temperature distribution profiles were determined radially as well as axially in the reaction chamber, and the efficiency of the torch was calculated for a fixed power input. Ultrafine powders of Ta, Mo and W were synthesized, and size and size distribution obtained. The particle size was found to be 0.03–0.1 μm, with a perfect spherical shape. The analysis of the samples is discussed.
The structure and content of APL data

The complementary data attributes of structure and content are analyzed. Two special classes of functions, structural and pervasive, are defined in terms of their actions on these attributes. As an application of the definitions, a proposal is made for a modification to the nature of fill items and empty arrays.
Relations between young Mexican American children and play paradigms.

Etude portant sur les differences interculturelles chez des enfants d'origine africaine, mexicaine, asiatique et americaine dans le langage utilise lors du jeu. L'influence du statut socio-economique est egalement evaluee
Two-dimensional elastic wave front shape caused by a circular source in transversely isotropic media

Abstract The two-dimensional wave front emitted by a circular impulsive source in a transversely isotropic elastic solid is analyzed with respect to its geometric shape. It is found that the concept of slowness curve, previously used to explain features of a point source wave front, can be generalized so as to include a circular source. This generalized slowness curve is time-dependent.
Authigenic Chlorites in Sandstones as Indicators of High-temperature Diagenesis, Arkoma Foreland Basin, USA

ABSTRACT Abundant authigenic chamosite associated with higher-than-average porosities is present in a deep gas reservoir (Spiro sandstone) of the Arkoma Basin, east-central Oklahoma. Three types of chlorite can be distinguished petrographically, all of which appear texturally to have formed early: chlorite peloids, diffuse matrix, and grain coatings. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron microprobe studies show that most chlorites are composed of two distinct polytypes, Ib (s = 90°) and IIb. A third structure, Ia polytype, was identified in only one sample. The relative percentage of the high-temperature IIb structure increases gradually with increasing thermal maturity, from = 40% at 3.5% R SUB>o. IIb chlorite forms rather thick, blocky crystals distinct from the thin, pseudohexagonal plates typical of low-temperature Ib chlorite. Temperature estimates based on data on vitrinite reflectance and fluid inclusions suggest that IIb chlorite formed at burial temperatures >= 150-180°C. Higher contents of tetrahedral Al3+ and slightly higher Fe/[Fe+Mg] ratios in IIb chlorite are consistent with precipitation temperatures higher than those of the Ib structure. A higher-temperature origin for the IIb structure is also consistent with oxygen isotope data.
Alcohol Brand References in U.S. Popular Music, 2009–2011

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and context of alcohol brand references in popular music. Billboard Magazine year-end charts from 2009 to 2011 were used to identify the most popular songs in four genres: Urban, Pop, Country, and Rock. Of the 720 songs, 23% included an alcohol mention, and 6.4% included an alcohol brand mention. Songs classified as Urban had the highest percentage of alcohol mentions and alcohol brand mentions. The context associated with alcohol brand mentions was almost uniformly positive or neutral. Public health efforts may be necessary to reduce youth exposure to these positive messages about alcohol use.
REMOTE: a tool for automatic remote execution of CSIM simulation models

CSIM18 simulation models are often built as Microsoft Windows console-mode programs. A tool named REMOTE was developed to enable automatic, remote execution of CSIM18 models (and of other console mode programs) in a Windows environment. A master PC distributes the programs to remote PCs and collects the output files as the remote model executions complete. The status of remotely executing models can be viewed at the master. The REMOTE tool utilizes idle non-dedicated PC CPU cycles during nights and weekends to speed-up the model execution phase of a large modeling project. The REMOTE executable can be distributed via email attachment and does not need any special installation or configuration. REMOTE is currently being used in an ongoing investigation of new variable-length packet switch architectures. REMOTE is freely available from the author.
Ranching As A Conservation Strategy: Can Old Ranchers Save The New West?

Working ranches are often promoted as means of private rangeland conservation because they can safeguard ecosystem services, protect open space, and maintain traditional ranching culture. To understand the potential for generating broad social benefits from what have come to be called “working landscapes,” one must consider the synergies of people, environment, and institutions needed to accomplish conservation, as well as complicating factors of scale and uncertainty. Focusing on the problem as it has unfolded in the western United States, we review the state of knowledge about the extent of ranchland conversion; reasons why maintaining working ranches may benefit conservation; and the challenges and opportunities of rancher demographics, attitudes, values, and propensities for innovation. Based on this review, we explore whether the supply of traditional, full-time ranch owners is likely to be sufficient to meet conservation demand, and conclude that although demographic trends seem to suggest that it is not, there exist alternative enterprises and ownership forms that could achieve the goals of ranch conservation. We offer suggestions on how potential shortfalls might be addressed.
Incremental nonmonotonic parsing through semantic self-organization

Subsymbolic systems have been successfully used to model several aspects of human language processing. Subsymbolic parsers are appealing because they allow combining syntactic, semantic, and thematic constraints in sentence interpretation and non-monotonically revising that interpretation while incrementally processing a sentence. Such parsers are also cognitively plausible: processing is robust and multiple interpretations are simultaneously activated when the input is ambiguous. Yet, it has proven very difficult to scale them up to realistic language. They have limited memory capacity, training takes a long time, and it is difficult to represent linguistic structure. A new connectionist model, INSOMNet, scales up the subsymbolic approach by utilizing semantic self-organization. INSOMNet was trained on semantic dependency graph representations of the recently-released LinGO Redwoods HPSG Treebank of sentences from the VerbMobil project. The results show that INSOMNet accurately learns to represent these semantic dependencies and generalizes to novel structures. Further evaluation of INSOMNet on the original VerbMobil sentences transcribed with annotations for spoken language demonstrates robust parsing of noisy input, while graceful degradation in performance from adding noise to the network weights underscores INSOMNet's tolerance to damage. Finally, the cognitive plausibility of the model is shown on a standard psycholinguistic benchmark, in which INSOMNet demonstrates expectations and defaults, coactivation of multiple interpretations, nonmonotonicity, and semantic priming.
A Full-Depth Amalgamated Parallel 3D Geometric Multigrid Solver for GPU Clusters

Numerical computations of incompressible flow equations with pressure-based algorithms necessitate the solution of an elliptic Poisson equation, for which multigrid methods are known to be very efficient. In our previous work we presented a dual-level (MPI-CUDA) parallel implementation of the Navier-Stokes equations to simulate buoyancy-driven incompressible fluid flows on GPU clusters with simple iterative methods while focusing on the scalability of the overall solver. In the present study we describe the implementation and performance of a multigrid method to solve the pressure Poisson equation within our MPI-CUDA parallel incompressible flow solver. Various design decisions and algorithmic choices for multigrid methods are explored in light of NVIDIA’s recent Fermi architecture. We discuss how unique aspects of an MPI-CUDA implementation for GPU clusters is related to the software choices made to implement the multigrid method. We propose a new coarse grid solution method of embedded multigrid with amalgamation and show that the parallel implementation retains the numerical efficiency of the multigrid method. Performance measurements on the NCSA Lincoln and TACC Longhorn clusters are presented for up to 64 GPUs.
‘‘I learn and I grow big’’: Chinese preschoolers’ purposes for learning

Despite much research on Chinese children’s learning achievement, little research exists on their early development of beliefs about learning. This study examined the perceptions of purposes for an...
The Impact of the Irish on British Labor Markets During the Industrial Revolution

The Irish immigrations during the First Industrial Revolution serve to complicate any assessment of Britain's economic performance up to the 1850s. This paper estimates the size of the Irish immigrations and explores its impact on real wages, rural-urban migration, and industrialization. Using a general equilibrium model, the paper finds that the Irish did not play a significant role in accounting for rising inequality, lagging real wages, or rapid industrialization.
A Primal-Dual Heuristic for a Heterogeneous Unmanned Vehicle Path Planning Problem

We consider a path planning problem where a team of Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) is required to visit a given set of targets. The UVs are assumed to carry different sensors, and as a result, there are vehicle-target constraints that require each UV to visit a distinct subset of targets. The objective of the path planning problem is to find a path for each UV such that each target is visited at least once by some vehicle, the vehicle-target constraints are satisfied and the total distance travelled by the vehicles is a minimum. This path planning problem is a generalization of the Hamiltonian path problem and is NP-Hard. We develop a primal-dual heuristic and incorporate the heuristic in a Lagrangian relaxation procedure to find good, feasible solutions and lower bounds for the path planning problem. Computational results show that solutions whose costs are on an average within 14% of the optimum can be obtained relatively quickly for the path planning problem involving five UVs and 40 targets.
Radiogenomics: Using Genetics to Identify Cancer Patients at Risk for Development of Adverse Effects Following Radiotherapy

Normal-tissue adverse effects following radiotherapy are common and significantly affect quality of life. These effects cannot be accounted for by dosimetric, treatment, or demographic factors alone, and evidence suggests that common genetic variants are associated with radiotherapy adverse effects. The field of radiogenomics has evolved to identify such genetic risk factors. Radiogenomics has two goals: (i) to develop an assay to predict which patients with cancer are most likely to develop radiation injuries resulting from radiotherapy, and (ii) to obtain information about the molecular pathways responsible for radiation-induced normal-tissue toxicities. This review summarizes the history of the field and current research. Significance: A single-nucleotide polymorphism–based predictive assay could be used, along with clinical and treatment factors, to estimate the risk that a patient with cancer will develop adverse effects from radiotherapy. Such an assay could be used to personalize therapy and improve quality of life for patients with cancer. Cancer Discov; 4(2); 155–65. ©2014 AACR .
Legal Cynicism, Legitimacy, and Criminal Offending The Nonconfounding Effect of Low Self-Control

Prior research suggests that legal orientations (or domains of legal socialization), such as legitimacy and legal cynicism, influence compliance with the law (or criminal offending). The aim of this study was to assess a potential threat to the internal validity of these findings. Specifically, the authors test whether one potential confounder, low self-control, attenuates the observed effects of legal orientations on self-reported criminal offending. Using cross-sectional survey data from 626 adult participants, the results of regression models show that criminal offending is significantly shaped by both legal cynicism and legitimacy, even after taking into account individual variations in self-control. In short, the findings demonstrate that legitimacy and legal cynicism exert direct independent effects on law-violating behavior and that these relationships are not confounded by low self-control.
P-selectin, carcinoma metastasis and heparin: novel mechanistic connections with therapeutic implications

Metastasis is a multistep cascade initiated when malignant cells penetrate the tissue surrounding the primary tumor and enter the bloodstream. Classic studies indicated that blood platelets form complexes around tumor cells in the circulation and facilitate metastases. In other work, the anticoagulant drug heparin diminished metastasis in murine models, as well is in preliminary human studies. However, attempts to follow up the latter observation using vitamin K antagonists failed, indicating that the primary mechanism of heparin action was unrelated to its anticoagulant properties. Other studies showed that the overexpression of sialylated fucosylated glycans in human carcinomas is associated with a poor prognosis. We have now brought all these observations together into one mechanistic explanation, which has therapeutic implications. Carcinoma cells expressing sialylated fucosylated mucins can interact with platelets, leukocytes and endothelium via the selectin family of cell adhesion molecules. The initial organ colonization of intravenously injected carcinoma cells is attenuated in P-selectin-deficient mice, in mice receiving tumor cells pretreated with O-sialoglycoprotease (to selectively remove mucins from cell surfaces), or in mice receiving a single dose of heparin prior to tumor cell injection. In each case, we found that formation of a platelet coating on cancer cells was impeded, allowing increased access of leukocytes to the tumor cells. Several weeks later, all animals showed a decrease in the extent of established metastasis, indicating a long-lasting effect of the short-term intervention. The absence of obvious synergism amongst the three treatments suggests that they all act via a common pathway. Thus, a major mechanism of heparin action in cancer may be inhibition of P-selectin-mediated platelet coating of tumor cells during the initial phase of the metastatic process. We therefore suggest that heparin use in cancer be re-explored, specifically during the time interval between initial visualization of a primary tumor until just after definitive surgical removal.
Potential Distribution Computation in Conducting Prolate Spheroidal Shells Using the Exodus Method

This paper presents the use of the Exodus method to compute the potential distribution in a conducting prolate spheroidal shell. The transition probabilities for the Exodus method simulation were obtained from the finite-difference scheme transformation of the prolate spheroid Laplace equation. This method is independent of the random number generation from the computing facility and gives more accurate results than the fixed random walk Monte Carlo method. The results obtained matched perfectly with those obtained by using an exact solution and explicit finite-difference solution method.
The Jovian magnetosphere

Research on Jovian magnetospheric physics from 1979 through 1982 is surveyed, with a focus on the observations of Voyagers 1 and 2. Jovian fields and plasmas are characterized in the order of their distance from the planet, and special emphasis is given to the Io plasma torus (IPT) in the 4.9-8-Jovian-radius region and to the extended Jovian magnetotail. Topics reviewed include synchrotron radiation, magnetic-field models, Na and S emissions in the IPT, aurora, the magnetic-anomaly model, IPT plasma diffusion-convection, Io-generated Alfven wave, plasma configuration beyond the IPT, low-energy charged particles, cosmic-ray-energy particles, particle acceleration, magnetic configuration, tail current sheet and plasma disc, magnetopause and magnetosheath, interplanetary ions of Jovian origin, and the Jovian magnetosphere at Saturnian distances.
A multiple shared memory switch

One of the problems that shared memory switches have is that in order to build large switches the memory access requirements become stringent. One way to overcome this is to utilize multiple buffers which space division multiplex the input lines and thereby alleviate the memory access requirements. However, previous attempts to implement multi-buffered shared memory switches have suffered from serious limitations. The authors describe in this work a multi-buffered architecture that offers tremendous potential. It is able to fully share the buffer, it guarantees the minimum delay switching of all cells, it can accomplish multi-cast and multi-channel switching, it can accommodate various priorities and classes of traffic while maintaining high performance on account of very efficient buffer utilization.
Optimized fuzzy transformation for image deblocking

In this paper, the concept of fuzzy transformation is developed based on fuzzy ordering theory. The clustering property of the fuzzy transformation is investigated by deriving the distribution function of the fuzzy samples and is exploited to address the DCT coded image deblocking problem. In this application, the fuzzy transformation is actually a highly data-adaptive smoothing and sharpening process. The spread parameter of the fuzzy transformation controls the smoothing level and can be optimized to fit images at different compression levels. The simulation results show that the fuzzy transformation can effectively remove various blocking artifacts and restore the original image monotone surfaces as well as edges with low computational complexity.
A Clinical and Diagnostic Approach to the Patient With Seizures

Seizures are one of the most common neurologic problems encountered by the small animal practitioner. Successful management of the patient with seizure is facilitated by an appropriate diagnostic workup to identify underlying causes when they exist. Veterinary patients with seizures can be divided in to 3 main categories based on underlying cause: those with primary epilepsy, those with structural epilepsy, and those with reactive seizures. Additionally, some patients may be given a label of unknown epilepsy when they do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of primary epilepsy, but no structural or reactive cause of seizures can be identified. This article reviews the key clinical findings associated with each of the 3 main categories of seizures and suggests a standardized approach to the diagnostic workup for patients with seizure based on their signalment and neurologic examination findings.
Two-dimensional small-angle deflection theory

The aberrations resulting from the deflection of an electron beam by two similar, mutually perpendicular magnetic fields have been evaluated. The beam is assumed to be composed of noninteracting, nonrelativistic particles converging, when undeflected, to a single point in the center of the target. If dynamic focusing is used, the field shapes can be adjusted to eliminate astigmatism and minimize coma. Field optimization procedures are presented with a numerical example. The correct densities and boundaries are recorded by a computer-controlled plotter.
Realistic Representations of Companion Animals in Comic Art in the USA

Comic art reflecting cultural and social values serves as social commentary. Cartoons and comics in the USA portraying dimensions of the human-companion animal bond, were examined to determine the ...
Sex Steroids Do Not Modulate TRPM2-Mediated Injury in Females following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

Calcium-permeable transient receptor potential M2 (TRPM2) ion channel activation contributes to cerebral ischemic injury specifically in males. In male mice, circulating androgens are required for TRPM2 inhibition with clotrimazole (CTZ) to provide protection following experimental stroke. Sufficient levels of circulating androgens are necessary to support ischemia-induced activation of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and consequent activation of TRPM2 channels. In this study, we tested whether differences in sex steroids contribute to the lack of CTZ neuroprotection in females. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed using adult female mice that were hormonally intact, ovariectomized (OVX) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treated. CTZ or vehicle was administered at the time of reperfusion, animals were euthanized 24 h later and brains and serum were collected. Infarct analysis revealed no effect of CTZ in intact females or females lacking endogenous sex steroids (OVX). Interestingly, treatment of female mice with the potent androgen receptor agonist DHT had no effect on ischemic injury and did not permit CTZ neuroprotection. Similarly, DHT-treated females did not exhibit increased levels of ADPribose, the TRPM2 ligand generated by PARP, following ischemia. No differences in TRPM2 or androgen receptor expression were observed between males and females. These data suggest that the lack of TRPM2 activation in females following experimental stroke is not due to the presence of estrogen or the absence of androgens. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that while circulating androgens are necessary for PARP-mediated TRPM2 injury in males, they are not sufficient to produce TRPM2 activation in females.
The Excretion of 17-Ketosteroids in Patients with Hyperthyroidism and Myxedema1

THE EVIDENCE now available indicates that the urinary 17-ketosteroids are the excretion products of substances produced by the adrenal cortex and the testicles. In women, therefore, the measurement of the 17-ketosteroids is considered to be an index of some phases of the activity of the adrenal cortex alone; in men, it is an index of the combined activities of the adrenal glands and the testicles. The evidence for these conclusions was obtained from studies on eunuchs (1), on normal and castrate women (2, 3), on normal men (4), on patients who had adrenal cortical tumors and those who had adrenal hyperplasia (5–8), on patients who had Addison's disease (8, 9), on a man who had an interstitial cell tumor of the testicle (10) and on hypogonad men receiving testosterone (11,12). The exact significance of the total urinary 17-ketosteroids or of their individual components can not be assessed without more fundamental knowledge of their precursors and intermediary metabolism.
Ab Initio Protein Structure Prediction: Progress and Prospects

■ Abstract Considerable recent progress has been made in the field of ab initio protein structure prediction, as witnessed by the third Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP3). In spite of this progress, much work remains, for the field has yet to produce consistently reliable ab initio structure prediction protocols. In this work, we review the features of current ab initio protocols in an attempt to highlight the foundations of recent progress in the field and suggest promising directions for future work.
Detection of repolarization alternans with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator lead

It has been suggested that repolarization alternans (RPA) may be mechanistically linked to the onset of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF). The detection and control of RPA may therefore be important in the development of a defense against sudden cardiac death. Here we investigate whether RPA could be detected using an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead prior to the onset of ischemia-induced VT or VF in pigs. In three animals, the RPA magnitude was computed from a signal acquired using an ICD lead placed in the right-ventricular apex. In each trial, the right main (n=2) or the left anterior descending (n=1) coronary artery was occluded for 10 min using a balloon catheter, followed by reperfusion for 30 min, and re-occlusion for 30 min. RPA magnitude was computed using the Modified Moving Average (MMA) method in a continuous manner over the entire duration of the experiment. RPA magnitude in each animal showed a sharp increase during the first occlusion phase. Two animals exhibited a prominent increase in RPA magnitude prior to the onset of VT or VF. In the one animal that did not show such an increase during re-occlusion, VT did not occur spontaneously. Our results thus indicate that it is indeed possible to detect and track the dynamics of RPA using an ICD lead in a consistent and robust manner. Furthermore, these results suggest that RPA occurs prior to VF during ischemia. In future ICDs, such an approach may be useful in formulating improved arrhythmia detection and control algorithms.
INTRODUCING PERSPECTIVES IN FAMILY LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

This article provides an editorial introduction to the following three related articles on the growing use and influence of social science research in family law. It first considers why this has become problematic and identifies some common strategies used by advocates, sometimes under the guise of scholarship, to destroy the standing of research findings contrary to their ideological or political position. Then it discusses briefly the remedies proposed to mitigate these kinds of problems within the following three articles.
Laser-induced fluorescence study of two weak vibrational bands of the O2+A2Πu–X2Πg system

Abstract Two weak vibrational bands, the (8,0) and (8,1) bands of the O 2 + A 2 Π u –X 2 Π g system, are characterized by laser-induced fluorescence for the first time. Preliminary laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) determinations on the O 2 + ( v =0,1) distributions from the reactions of Ar + and Xe + with oxygen are presented.
Sedative-Hypnotics and Anxiolytics

The sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics are central nervous system depressants that have a wide array of uses in psychiatry, neurology, anesthesiology, and general medicine. These medications include the benzodiazepines, the new-generation non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, the barbiturates, and other agents. Despite their therapeutic value, they have been associated with misuse, abuse, and dependence, and may cause an array of medical and psychiatric adverse events. In this chapter, we introduce this group of medications and discuss the epidemiology of their non-medical use, as well as recommendations pertaining to the prevention and management of their deleterious effects, including: intoxication and overdose, tolerance and withdrawal, abuse and dependence, mood and anxiety disorders, cognitive disorders, psychotic manifestations, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunction.
Not as different as we want to be: Attitudinally-consistent trait desirability leads to exaggerated associations between personality and sociopolitical attitudes

Researchers seeking to understand differences in sociopolitical attitudes in terms of associated personality traits have typically relied exclusively on self-report measures of personality. A recently-discovered mechanism of bias in self-reports highlights a particular challenge for this approach. Specifically, individuals tend to report exaggerated levels of a trait to the extent that they view that trait as desirable. In a community sample of 443 participants whose personality was also rated by three peers, we show that people with different sociopolitical attitudes tend both to overclaim different traits and to hold different views of the desirability of those traits. Further, the tendency to overclaim traits in a manner consistent with one’s sociopolitical attitudes is mediated by differences in views of trait desirability. Thus, although meaningful personality differences do exist between those with differing sociopolitical attitudes, those differences are not as large as people with opposing sociopolitical attitudes would like them to be.
A survey of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in lymphoid tissue. Frequent detection in Hodgkin's disease.

A total of 151 unselected malignant and nonmalignant lymphoid tissue samples were surveyed by Southern blotting for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA. Eight of 28 Hodgkin’s disease (HD) samples (29%) had detectable EBV DNA. Both nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity histologic results were positive. The tumor type with the next highest frequency, 8%, was diffuse large cell lymphoma. The presence of EBV DNA in some HD biopsies suggests that EBV may be a factor in the pathogenesis of this disease. Alternatively, its presence may be secondary to the immune deficiency characteristic of HD. The clonal B-lymphocyte expansions reported in some cases of HD may result from EBV infection.
Computation of Turbulent Flows in Complex and Moving Geometries Using Immersed Boundary Method

A solution methodology for complex turbulent flows of industrial interests is developed using Immersed Boundary Method (IBM). IBM combines the efficiency inherent in using a fixed Cartesian grid to compute the fluid motion, along with the ease of tracking the immersed boundary at a set of moving Lagrangian points. IBM relies upon the body force terms added in the momentum equations to represents the complex geometry on a fixed Cartesian mesh. Resolution issues for turbulent flows can be addressed by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique provided an accurate and robust Subgrid Stress (SGS) model is available. Higher order of numerical accuracy schemes for turbulent flows can be maintained as well as the geometrical complexities can be rendered physically by combining LES with IBM. The proposed methodology is simple and ideally suited for the moving geometries involving no-slip walls with prescribed trajectories and locations. IBM is validated for the laminar flow past a heated cylinder in a channel and LES is validated for the turbulent lid-driven cavity flow. LES-IBM is then is used to render complex geometry of trapped vortex combustor to study fluid mixing inside trapped vortex cavity. To demonstrate the full potential of LES-IBM, a complex moving geometry problem of stator-rotor interaction is solved.© 2003 ASME
Stereocontrolled photodimerization with congested 1,8-bis(4'-anilino)naphthalene templates.

Suzuki cross-coupling of a 1,8-dihalonaphthalene with 4-methoxy-3-methylphenylboronic acid or 4-acetamidophenylboronic acid and subsequent functional group transformation gave 1,8-bis(3′-methyl-4′-anilino)naphthalene, 16, and 1,8-bis(4′-anilino)naphthalene, 21, in 65% and 90% overall yield, respectively. These congested compounds exhibit two cofacial aniline rings that favor a proximate, parallel arrangement of covalently attached cinnamoyl units suitable for stereoselective photodimerization. The [2 + 2]cycloaddition was found to proceed with high yield and exclusive formation of cis,trans,cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acids. Amide formation with cinnamoyl chloride and template 21 followed by photochemical dimerization and acidic hydrolysis gave β-truxinic acid, 10, in 69% overall yield. Coupling of 21 and (E)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)acrylic acid in the presence of EDC, UV irradiation, and cleavage gave cis,trans,cis-3,4-bis(3,4-dimethylphenyl)cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, 26, in 60% yield. In both...
From the Soviet Bloc to the European Union: Transformation and social shock

Longing for Western life and starting to adopt it Social transformation was part and parcel of regime change, inseparable from political and economic modernization following the Western model. From occupational and income structure to household spending, lifestyle, and behavioral patterns, the entire social fabric loosened into a state of permanent change. Although radical, the post-1989 transformation did not begin from a tabula rasa. Instead, existing trends, generated by postwar, state socialist industrialization, were accelerated as well as changed by exogenous factors. The pull effect of the envied and admired West, strengthened by geographical proximity, facilitated the spread of Western influences. It proved overwhelmingly attractive to follow the West's lead down the modernization path first laid out in the nineteenth century. The “Westernizers” of the region from the early nineteenth century consistently advocated imitative development: Count Istvan Szechenyi of Hungary in 1830 praised Britain as the “core of the world,” and recommended adoption of British practices based on the logic that “copying others presents no danger; we can adopt their century-long experiences” (Szechenyi, 1830: 258). A century and a half later, Bronislaw Geremek, one of Solidarity's leaders, made the same argument: Poland had to make the difficult and painful adjustment to Europe to “secure the chances for Poland of getting a place” in the European order (cited in Kowalik, 1994: 122).
Spinel in planetary systems

Spinel is ubiquitous as a rock-forming mineral in terrestrial, lunar, and planetary basalts and closely associated meteoritic equivalents. A major unknown is whether these rocks formed under similar conditions of partial melting of primary or modified mantle, whether redox environments played a role in evolutionary trends, and did mineral crystal chemistry have any influence on elemental partition between solids and liquids? In a novel approach by Papike et al. (2015), spinel is used as an informative, albeit complex indicator of oxygen fugacity, site occupancy of multiple valence elements, and spinel structural types. Planetary basalts may be reduced (IW-3), oxidized (Earth at FMQ), or of intermediate redox state (Mars). Taking an expansive view, the spinel approach holds enormous promise in understanding the magmatic differentiation of asteroids.
Vaccination of Large Dose of BCG Live Vaccine Treating Late Stage of Melanoma

Objective To discuss the effects and technological details of vaccination of large dose of BCG live vaccine treating late stage of melanoma.Method 4 cases of melanoma with metastasis or recurrence after operations were vaccinated with large dose of BCG live vaccine.The long term efficacy was observed and summarized.Results Case 2 lost follow up after 18 years.Other three cases had survived 12 years,18 years and 31 years separeately.One case who accepted chemotherapy suffered from recurrence.Conclusions It is possible to cure late stage of melanoma by vaccinating large dose of BCG live vaccine,but large sample is needed to verify the definite effect.
A Stochastic Framework for Multiprocessor Soft Real-Time Scheduling

Prior work has shown that the global earliest-deadline-first (GEDF) scheduling algorithm ensures bounded deadline tardiness on multiprocessors with no utilization loss; therefore, GEDF may be a good candidate scheduling algorithm for soft real-time workloads. However, such workloads are often implemented assuming an average-case provisioning, and in prior tardiness-bound derivations for GEDF, worst-case execution costs are assumed. As worst-case costs can be orders of magnitude higher than average-case costs, using a worst-case provisioning may result in significant wasted processing capacity. In this paper, prior tardiness-bound derivations for GEDF are generalized so that execution times are probabilistic, and a bound on expected (mean) tardiness is derived. It is shown that, as long as the total expected utilization is strictly less than the number of available processors, the expected tardiness of every task is bounded under GEDF. The result also implies that any quantile of the tardiness distribution is also bounded. The uploaded paper is from the upcoming RTAS. I would like to hear suggestions about how to ease the assumption of independent execution times in this analysis.
Adequacy and Tissue Preservation of Small Biopsy and Cytology Specimens

Greater numbers of minimally invasive procedures are being performed to diagnose, stage, and/or treat lung cancer. These procedures pose less risk to patients but greater challenges for pathologists and clinicians alike. Specimens derived from minimally invasive procedures are small and comprised of fine-needle aspirates and/or core biopsies. Standardized criteria have been developed for classifying small biopsies and cytology specimens and performing molecular testing. However, similar protocols for adequacy and tissue preservation of these small samples are lacking yet are crucial as these specimens frequently represent the only sample in a vast majority of cases upon which diagnoses are rendered. This chapter discusses methods, including rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), telecytology, various fixatives/media, and cell block techniques, available to optimize small biopsy and cytology acquisition and preservation.
Development of a Reversible Vas Deferens Occlusive Device: V. Flexible Prosthetic Devices *

In contrast to the results with rigid-ended prosthetic devices implanted in the vas deferens of the dog, effective sperm transport was obtained for prolonged periods of time with flexible-ended (all soft) devices. Such transport could be halted by device occlusion with clips or shuttle stem valves. Opening the devices resulted once again in the passage of spermatozoa, indicating that these devices may be potentially useful as reversible male contraceptives. More research is necessary to determine the cause of an overall decrease in sperm output after device implantations and to evaluate any adverse side effects of such devices. Dacron velour-covered suture rings on the devices permitted effective tissue ingrowth and prevented leakage or recanalization.
Spinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Evaluation of Preoperative and Postoperative Severity of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Systematic Review of Literature

Background Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is increasingly investigated as a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for symptomatic degenerative cervical pathology; however, it is yet to be validated for this purpose. Objective To investigate the association of preoperative DTI signal changes and postoperative outcomes in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods We performed a systematic literature review using PubMed for clinical studies using DTI in adults undergoing operative management for CSM. Data on preoperative clinical status, preoperative DTI metrics, and postoperative clinical outcomes were abstracted. Preoperative DTI parameters were correlated with preoperative severity and postoperative outcomes and pooled across studies. Results Nine studies met inclusion criteria for 238 patients who underwent operative management with mean follow-up time 310 days. Higher preoperative fractional anisotropy (FA) at the level of maximal compression correlates strongly with a higher preoperative modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score ( n = 192 patients, rho = 0.62, P n = 27, rho = −0.42, P = 0.02) but a greater recovery rate ( n = 93, rho = 0.32, P n = 15, rho = −0.61, P = 0.04). Preoperative fiber tract ratio had a large positive correlation with a postoperative recovery rate ( n = 20, rho = 0.61, P = 0.005). When reported, an apparent diffusion coefficient showed an inverse correlation compared with FA. Conclusion DTI is associated with preoperative severity and postoperative outcomes in CSM patients, suggesting that DTI may become useful in identifying those most likely to benefit from operative intervention (Level 3 Evidence). Prospective trials with standardized DTI acquisition techniques and patient selection are required for higher-level evidence.
“This Is My Home”: Representing Race, Ethnicity, and the American Experience in American Girl

Which American stories are told, by whom, and with what intention? How are racial and ethnic identities represented by American Girl in narrative and material form? And, at what point do the market interests of American Girl impact the brand mission of historical accuracy and diversity? Zaslow analyzes the representations of Native American, Latino, Jewish, and immigrant protagonists in the historical collection and explores the narrative positioning of readers in the simultaneous performance of noticing and not-noticing racial and ethnic difference. Readers are encouraged to notice ethnicity and to celebrate cultural diversity, but remain blind to the social structures that maintain hierarchies around which social relations are organized. American status is conferred, through colorblind narratives in these books, to those who embrace American industriousness.