cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of dopamine agonists in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease.

Levodopa is the gold standard for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, chronic treatment is associated with development of motor complications in the majority of patients. Recent laboratory studies suggest that pulsatile administration of a short-acting agent, such as levodopa, contributes to the development of these problems and that they might be mitigated through the use of longer-acting dopamine agonists. Placebo-controlled clinical trials have shown that dopamine agonists have anti-parkinsonian effects in patients with early PD. More importantly, four different prospective double-blind studies have demonstrated that initiating symptomatic therapy with a dopamine agonist is associated with a significantly reduced risk for development of motor complications than is initial treatment with a dopamine agonist. Furthermore, several lines of laboratory research suggest that dopamine agonists might protect dopaminergic neurons in PD and retard the rate of disease progression. Double-blind trials using clinical and imaging end points are now testing this hypothesis and the results should soon be available. On the basis of this evidence, a rational approach to the treatment of PD patients who are not elderly or cognitively impaired is to initiate therapy with a dopamine agonist and supplement with levodopa when dopamine agonist monotherapy can no longer provide satisfactory clinical control.
UNSATURATED PARTICULATE MATERIALS--PARTICLE-LEVEL STUDIES

Analyses and experiments are performed to gain further insight into the behavior of unsaturated particulate materials, with emphasis on the pendular stage. First, interparticle forces are computed based on Laplace's equation; soil particles are ideally considered spherical or flat to facilitate the identification of the most relevant factors that affect unsaturated soil behavior. Second, the small strain stiffness is continuously measured on specimens subjected to drying, and changes in stiffness are related to changes in interparticle forces; data show important differences with previously published trends based on remolded specimens. Third, microscale experiments are performed to assess the strain at menisci failure in multiple deformation modes; results indicate that the lower the water content, the lower the strain required to eliminate the effects of capillarity, therefore, while capillary forces affect small strain stiffness, they may not contribute to large strain stiffness or strength. Finally, the rate of menisci regeneration is studied after a perturbation; stiffness recovery decreases with decreasing water content, and full recovery may not be reached when the degree of saturation is low. Several phenomena associated with the evolution of capillary forces during drying are identified.
Public/Private Partnerships: Stimulating Competition in a Dynamic Market

This paper sets forth a public/private partnership competition policy that mitigates the appropriability problems associated with innovation that occur in a dynamic market when competitive pressures are present. We illustrate the applicability of our policy proposal using the results from an analysis of research projects jointly funded by the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and the private partners. Our analysis illustrates that in the absence of ATP funding these projects would not have been undertaken by private-sector firms, and that the social rate of return from the projects is substantial. We also posit a mechanism whereby ATP, or any public agency, can partner with industry to ensure that its public funds are being efficiently allocated.
Alcohol and Violence in a Nonmetropolitan College Town: Alcohol Outlet Density, Outlet Type, and Assault

This study examined the association between alcohol outlet density and violence in a nonmetropolitan college town. Nearly all prior empirical research examining this association has been undertaken...
A Comparison of the Light and Dark Portions of a Striated Muscle

SUMMARY— The levels of physio'ogically related muscle constituents were determined in the light (white) and dark (red) portions of a striated muscle from the pig (SW domcsticus). Myoglobin level, percent red fibers and succinic dehydrogenase activity were two-fold higher in the semitendinosus dark portion whereas ADP and inorganic phosphate levels were similar in both portions. Phosphorus levels were higher and sodium levels lower in the semitendinosus light portion than in the semitendinosus dark portion. Zinc and iron contents were greater in the dark portion than in the light portion; calcium, nickel, boron and potassium levels were similar in both portions. The semitendinosus light portion also had more lipid and more sarcoplasmic nitrogen than did the semitendinosus dark portion. These data suggest that the light (white) and dark (red) portions within the semitendinosus have physio-chemical properties similar to uniformly white and uniformly red muscles, respectively.
Procedural motor learning in Parkinson's disease

We have been investigating motor control and learning in parkinsonian subjects. In the current study, we sought to explore the existence of deficits in procedural motor learning, which is a form of implicit motor learning where skill improves over repetitive blocks of trials. We sought to determine, in particular, whether any such deficit is accentuated during specific types or phases of learning. We would expect that those specific learning tasks would require the greatest participation of the basal ganglia. Numerous studies have found that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients may show deficits in learning. Combined with information about basal ganglia neuronal connections and activity, this led some investigators to suggest that one of the key functions of the basal ganglia is to facilitate learning. To investigate these learning deficits, we used a robotic device to generate conservative force fields that disturbed the subjects' arm movements, thereby generating a "virtual mechanical environment" that subjects learned to manipulate. Movements were successively grouped into blocks comprising five different conditions: motor performance, early learning, late learning, negative transfer, and aftereffect motor performance. Our results with eight right-handed PD subjects and nine age-matched controls showed a relative decrease in the rate of learning for the PD patients in all blocks, but greater differences emerged between groups during novelty phases of learning. In particular, the difference in performance during the negative transfer condition reached statistical significance, suggesting that the basal ganglia might be a key center for "switching" motor patterns. Our results support the hypothesis that deficiencies in procedural motor learning are characteristic of PD. They add to existing evidence which has suggested a key role for the basal ganglia when new sensorimotor mappings are required by novel task environments. Better understanding of these deficits should facilitate the rehabilitation of PD patients.
Identification of class specific discourse patterns

In this paper we address the problem of extracting important (and unimportant) discourse patterns from call center conversations. Call centers provide dialog based calling-in support for customers to address their queries, requests and complaints. A Call center is the direct interface between an organization and its customers and it is important to capture the voice-of-customer by gathering insights into the customer experience. We have observed that the calls received at a call center contain segments within them that follow specific patterns that are typical of the issue being addressed in the call. We present methods to extract such patterns from the calls. We show that by aggregating over a few hundred calls, specific discourse patterns begin to emerge for each class of calls. Further, we show that such discourse patterns are useful for classifying calls and for identifying parts of the calls that provide insights into customer behaviour.
Channel capacity of fiber optics communications systems: WDM vs. TDM

We develop a theory of channel capacity for nonlinear fiber-optic communication systems. The nonlinearity always leads to suppression of information capacity, with a particularly strong effect on the performance of TDM systems and their derivatives.
Human squamous carcinoma cell invasion in organ-cultured skin

In a previous study we showed that normal human epidermal keratinocytes were capable of invading the dermis of organ cultured skin when the tissue was treated with an exogenous source of epithelial growth factors (Fligiel and Varani (1993) Invasion Metastasis, 13, 225-233). Here we examined human squamous carcinoma cells from three different tumors for ability to invade the dermis in the same model. Invasion occurred in 40-80% of the tissues, depending on the tumor line, and was observed with equal frequency under both growth factor-free conditions and in the presence of exogenous growth factors. These data demonstrate that malignant human epithelial cells have the capacity to invade the dermis of organ-cultured skin. Unlike normal keratinocytes, there appears to be no exogenous growth factor requirement for invasion by the malignant cells.
Cytogenetic Analysis of Chromosome 3 in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Isolation and Characterization of Four New Alleles of the Proboscipedia (pb) Locus.

Previous studies on proximal 3R have cytologically localized the dominant homeotic loci Antennapedia (Antp), Multiple Sex Comb (Msc), Nasobemia (Ns), and Extra Sex Comb (Scx). In this study we set out to find the site of the proboscipedia (pb) locus. In order to accomplish this, four new alleles of this homeotic gene were induced with gamma rays. Genetic and cytogenetic analyses have shown that the pb locus resides in polytene chromosome bands 84A1–6, immediately adjacent to the Antp gene complex in 84B1–2. An analysis of the morphology of the proboscis and the dose relationships of the four new alleles have shown that this homeosis is unusual in at least two respects. First, the two different developmental fates realized in the proboscis at 18° (labial palps → arista) and 29° (labial palps → leg) under the influence of pb1 grown at 18°, while the remaining three are like pb1 at 29°. Dosage studies reveal that this difference reflects a hypomorphic vs. amorphic condition. Second, like the original, these new alleles produce a prothoracic rather than a mesothoracic leg in the proboscis. Both of these results indicate that pb is unique among the homeotics, and as such it may offer some new insights into developmental processes.
THE ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF BURYING BEETLES

Burying beetles conceal small vertebrate carcasses underground and prepare them for consumption by their young. This review places their complex social behavior in an ecological context that focuses on the evolution of biparental care and communal breeding. Both males and females provide extensive parental care, and the major benefit of male assistance is to help defend the brood and carcass from competitors. As intensity and type of competition vary, so do the effectiveness and duration of male care. In many species, a single brood may be reared on large carcasses by more than one male and/or female. Limited reproductive opportunities, the greater effectiveness of groups in preventing the probability of brood failure (especially that caused by competing flies), and the superabundance of food on large carcasses have contributed to the evolution of this cooperative behavior.
Leakage conscious DVS scheduling for peak temperature minimization

In this paper, we incorporate the dependencies among the leakage, the temperature and the supply voltage into the theoretical analysis and explore the fundamental characteristics on how to employ dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) to reduce the peak operating temperature. We find that, for a specific interval, a real-time schedule using the lowest constant speed is not necessarily the optimal choice any more in minimizing the peak temperature. We identify the scenarios when a schedule using two different speeds can outperform the one using the constant speed. In addition, we find that the constant speed schedule is still the optimal one to minimize the peak temperature at the temperature stable status when scheduling a periodic task set. We formulate our conclusions into several theorems with formal proofs.
Low-power direct-sequence spread-spectrum modem architecture for distributed wireless sensor networks

Emerging CMOS and MEMS technologies enable the implementation of a large number of wireless distributed microsensors that can be easily and rapidly deployed to form highly redundant, self-configuring, and ad hoc sensor networks. To facilitate ease of deployment, these sensors should operate on battery for extended periods of time. A particular challenge in maintaining extended battery lifetime lies in achieving communications with low power. This paper presents a direct-sequence spread-spectrum modem architecture that provides robust communications for wireless sensor networks while dissipating very low power. The modem architecture has been verified in an FPGA implementation that dissipates only 33 mW for both transmission and reception. The implementation can be easily mapped to an ASIC technology with an estimated power performance of less than 1 row.
Phosphorylation of histone H2B at DNA double-strand breaks.

Posttranslational modifications of histone tails regulate numerous biological processes including transcription, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Although recent studies suggest that structural alterations in chromatin are critical for triggering the DNA damage response, very little is known about the nature of DNA damage-induced chromatin perturbations. Here we show that the serine 14 residue in the NH2-terminal tail of histone H2B is rapidly phosphorylated at sites of DNA double-strand breaks. At late time points after irradiation, the phosphorylated form of H2B, H2B-Ser14P, accumulates into irradiation-induced foci. H2B-Ser14P foci formation is not associated with the apoptotic phosphorylation of H2B but is strictly dependent on the phosphorylated isoform of H2AX. Our results broaden the spectrum of histone modifications that constitute the DNA damage “histone code” and suggest a model for the underlying chromatin structure within damage-induced foci.
New partial discharge detection method for live UHV/EHV cable joints

Partial discharge (PD) detection for live UHV/EHV power cables and accessories is the most important test on cable systems, to prevent problems caused by minor mistakes in jointing the cable. A new PD detecting method is proposed. A REDI (resonance type partial discharge) sensor was developed for detecting PD occurring inside the joints of live XLPE insulated cables. This sensor picks up the high frequency components of a PD pulse in the noiseless range (for example, for 10 to 50 MHz). This new method was employed to observe the initial AC breakdown tests applied to three different types of joints used in UHV/EHV power cables. PD pulse sequences were observed just before the breakdown in all cases. A PD pulse sequence against the phase of applied voltage (A gamma -q characteristic) changed with time or degree of deterioration of the sample. Results of these experiments show that a REDI sensor can be used for insulation diagnosis of live power cable joints. >
Murine minor histocompatibility antigens detected by helper T cells. Recognition of an endogenous peptide.

Minor histocompatibility (H) Ags, encoded by autosomal and sex-linked genes, have classically been identified by the cytolytic T lymphocyte response to class I-bound minor H Ags. A limited number of studies have identified minor H Ags (defined by congenic strains) that stimulate Th cells. We have selected a panel of minor H Ag-specific, CD4+ Th hybrids by the fusion of a BW5147 variant with a C57BL/6 anti-BALB.B T cell line. Studied hybrids secrete IL-2 following stimulation with BALB.B spleen cells and stimulation is blocked with anti-I-Ab Ab. These Th hybrids recognize a minimum of six different Ags (helper T target (HTT)) encoded by independently segregating genes as defined by stimulator cells from 11 CXB recombinant inbred strains. The CXB strain distribution patterns of detected Ags did not match the distribution pattern of the BALB/c MTV6 viral genome indicating that none of the detected Ags were known viral superantigens. Four tested HTT Ags appeared not to be acquired by stimulators as exogenous Ags as BALB.B spleen cells but not a mixture of BALB/c spleen cells and C57BL/6 APC stimulated IL-2 production by the respective Th hybrids. To determine whether Th hybrids recognized peptides bound to I-Ab, I-Ab molecules were immunoprecipitated from the LB27.4 cell line that stimulated the A6.5.5 hybrid (HTT-4 specific). Peptides were extracted from I-Ab molecules, ultrafiltered, and separated by HPLC. A single fraction (with flanking peaks of lower activity) sensitized syngeneic APC to stimulate A6.5.5 hybrid cells; sensitization was observed at pH 5.0 but not pH 7.0, consistent with HTT-4 peptide:I-Ab binding occurring in an endosomal compartment. These observations indicate that at least one class II-restricted minor H Ag is recognized by Th cells as a peptide bound to class II molecules.
Effect of fondaparinux on coagulation assays: results of College of American Pathologists proficiency testing.

Abstract Context.—Fondaparinux, a factor Xa inhibitor, is approved for thromboprophylaxis after orthopedic surgery and for treatment of venous thromboembolism. It may also be efficacious, safe, and cost-effective for other patients; thus, more widespread use of fondaparinux is likely. The effect of fondaparinux on coagulation testing needs to be thoroughly examined. Objective.—To report the effects of fondaparinux on coagulation tests (prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin, factor VIII, thrombin time, anti–factor Xa) across diverse methodologies. Design.—Samples with different concentrations of fondaparinux (0, 0.4, 0.8, and 2.0 μg/mL) were sent to laboratories participating in the College of American Pathologists Comprehensive Coagulation proficiency survey (N = 898). Laboratory-specific methods were used to assay coagulation parameters. Results.—Prophylactic or therapeutic fondaparinux prolonged the prothrombin time by approximately 1 second and the activated ...
Trapped Particle Distributions and Flux Mapping

So far we have been concerned with individual particle motion and with its properties, in arbitrary magnetic fields and in some special models of the magnetosphere. In this chapter we shall show how to relate this theory to actual observations on trapped particles, as might be performed by a spacecraft orbiting through the radiation belts.
Synthesis of Equalized Broadband Parametric Gain by Localized Dispersion Mapping

A record continuous-wave one-pump fiber-optic parametric amplifier was constructed using localized dispersion measurement of highly nonlinear fiber. Record 3-dB equalized gain bandwidth of 120 nm was measured for the first time. The second amplifier constructed using suboptimal segments of the identical fiber spool did not replicate the wideband performance, confirming the importance of accurate dispersion fluctuating fiber map.
Bi-level reconfigurations of fault tolerant arrays in bi-modal computational environments

Fault-tolerant architectures and algorithms are studied for processor arrays which are subject to computational loads that alternate between two phases-a strict phase, characterized by a heavy load and strict constraints on response time, and a relaxed phase, characterized by a light load and relatively relaxed constraints on response time. Under this type of load, a bilevel algorithm may be applied to reconfigure the system after faults. Specifically, at one level, called the fast response level, a local distributed fault-tolerant algorithm is used during the strict phase to achieve fast fault recovery at the expense of possible rapid degradation in the potential to tolerate future faults. In order to minimize the effect of this degradation, a second level, called the optimization level, is added. At that level, a global, relatively slow reorganization algorithm is applied during the relaxed phase to restore the system into a shape that ensures adequate fault-tolerance capability in the remaining part of the system's mission. Three examples are given for bilevel reconfiguration algorithms that emphasize three different restoration criteria. >
Using Open-Source Tools to Design and Develop the Online Component of a Blended-Learning, Instructor-Led Course

In the design case presented, an online component was designed for an existing introductory energy course targeted at providing pathways to employment in the utility industry. The online component included testing modules, scenario based assessments, and reading materials. The existing pencil and paper course was now to be an instructor-led, blended-learning course. While technologies have advanced in recent years, the question of how to blend computer technology with sound instructional design practices is very much alive and may be even more important when targeting content portability. This paper explores the challenges faced when attempting to use open-source applications in the design, development, and deployment of the online component of this course when primary objectives are outreach, access, portability of content, and ease of future updates.
Microarrays: Managing the Data Deluge

Over the last 10 to 20 years, the search for mechanisms responsible for cardiac remodeling during cardiac hypertrophy and failure has been hampered by the experimental tools available (primarily Western blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction). This is because these approaches only permit measurement of the expression levels of a few preselected genes at one time. However, there is increasing evidence that at the molecular level the changes that occur during development of heart failure represent a complex series of interrelated events.1 2 3 Thus, to identify the full scope and complexity of the subcellular changes that take place and thus make more rapid progress in identifying causes and cures of heart disease, we must depend on emerging high-throughput gene-profiling technologies. These newer approaches permit expression screening of very large numbers of genes simultaneously and then clustering of the results into functional gene families.4 5 As stated by Weinstein et al,6 “We will have to understand our favorite biological molecule in the context of many thousands of others … a wide net must be cast to be sure that we have, in fact, found the important ones …” (p. 627). Both cDNA7 and oligonucleotide arrays8 permit an unbiased assessment (ie, no preselection required) of expression levels of thousands of full-length genes, cDNAs, or expressed sequence tags. In a relatively short period of time, …
Imaging of Cerebrovascular Disease in Pregnancy and the Puerperium

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the unique physiologic changes that characterize pregnancy and the puerperium, some that substantially affect the cerebrovascular system. Conditions that can cause neurologic deterioration and share features with preeclampsia-eclampsia include postpartum angiopathy, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and amniotic fluid embolism. Other conditions not specific to this patient group include cerebral venous thrombosis, cervicocephalic arterial dissection, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke, which can pose specific diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. CONCLUSION. Radiologists must be familiar with the imaging findings of cerebrovascular complications and pathologic entities encountered during pregnancy and the puerperium. Ongoing improvements in understanding of molecular changes during pregnancy and the puerperium and advances in diagnostic tests should allow radiologists to continue to make im...
Do we need a bibliometrician to know which way the wind is blowing

From the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery,Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo. Disclosures: Authors has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Sept 28, 2015; accepted for publication Sept 28, 2015; available ahead of print Oct 26, 2015. Address for reprints: Bryan F. Meyers, MD, MPH, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes Jewish Hospital, One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, Suite 3108 Queeny Tower, St Louis, MO 63110-1013 (E-mail: meyersb@wustl.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:23-4 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.09.115 Bryan F. Meyers, MD, MPH
Approaches to interventional fluoroscopic dose curves

Modern fluoroscopes used for image-based guidance in interventional procedures are complex X-ray machines, with advanced image acquisition and processing systems capable of automatically controlling numerous parameters based on defined protocol settings. This study evaluated and compared approaches to technique factor modulation and air kerma rates in response to simulated patient thickness variations for four state-of-the-art and one previous-generation interventional fluoroscopes. A polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom was used as a tissue surrogate for the purposes of determining fluoroscopic reference plane air kerma rates, kVp, mA, and variable copper filter thickness over a wide range of simulated tissue thicknesses. Data were acquired for each fluoroscopic and acquisition dose curve within each vendor’s default abdomen or body imaging protocol. The data obtained indicated vendor- and model-specific variations in the approach to tech-nique factor modulation and reference plane air kerma rates across a range of tissue thicknesses. However, in the imaging protocol evaluated, all of the state-of-the-art systems had relatively low air kerma rates in the fluoroscopic low-dose imaging mode as compared to the previous-generation unit. Each of the newest-generation systems also employ Cu filtration within the selected protocol in the acquisition mode of imaging; this is a substantial benefit, reducing the skin entrance dose to the patient in the highest dose-rate mode of fluoroscope operation. Some vendors have also enhanced the radiation output capabilities of their fluoroscopes which, under specific conditions, may be beneficial; however, these increased output capabilities also have the potential to lead to unnecessarily high dose rates. Understanding how fluoroscopic technique factors are modulated provides insight into the vendor-specific image acquisition approach and may provide opportunities to optimize the imaging protocols for clinical practice.
De eso no se habla: aceptando el aborto en México

Anualmente tienen lugar en Mexico cientos de miles de abortos, muchos de ellos en condiciones de salud inadecuadas que llevan a la muerte a centenares de mujeres. Esta situacion fue estudiada minuciosamente a principios de la decada de 1970 y desde entonces resulto politicamente delicada y dificil tanto para la sociedad como para el Estado. El tema ha sido ocultado por una tregua no facil de sostener, y por tanto es periodicamente interrumpido por controversias. La polemica sobre el aborto se constituyo en debate nacional despues de que se presentaron iniciativas legales contrastantes y se hicieron notorios algunos casos de violacion a adolescentes, al tiempo en que el pais se inscribia en su cambio sistemico en el ano 2000. En este articulo se evaluan la accesibilidad a los servicios de aborto, la demografia medica del aborto, la evolucion y la construccion social del debate en torno al aborto, y las estrategias e influencias relativas de los principales actores implicados en el tema. Ademas, se examinan las caracteristicas internacionales de esta controversia y las barreras que existen para que la politica llegue a un acuerdo respecto de la practica del aborto. A pesar del creciente pluralismo politico y de la cada vez mayor conciencia social con relacion a los problemas existentes, por ahora la cuestion no ha sido suficientemente evaluada. Esto apremia a tomar acciones urgentes dado el sinnumero de razones cuya discusion se expone en este texto. Por otra parte, se han venido registrando cambios en los servicios de salud dedicados al cuidado del postaborto, de ahi que el tema ya no pueda ser ignorado.
On the ecology of turbellarians in a sheltered brackish shallow-water bay

Abstract The turbellarian fauna of the sediments of Niva Bay at the Danish Oresund coast was studied quantitatively and qualitatively and with respect to food relationships. Thirtythree species were studied. Most species occurred throughout the year. The highest densities were found in fall and early winter. The turbellarians play a small quantitative role, usually constituting about 5% of the total metazoan microfauna. The food relationships of the turbellarians are discussed in relation to the structure of their pharynx and in relation to the sediment ecosystem in general. The great majority of turbellarian species occupy a high level in the food chains and this is proposed to be the reason for their late occurrence in the year cycle of the community. The effect of an ice cover on the metazoan microfauna was studied. The most important effect of the ice cover is the deoxygenation of the underlying sediment resulting in a drastic decrease in the population sizes of most representatives of the metazoan mi...
The care and treatment of crippled children in the United States.

The author hopes that from this short discussion of our past and present activities the reader has been able to obtain some idea of the problems of the care and treatment of the crippled children in the United States. We are all working for the betterment of our programs, whether it is in Great Britain, America, or other parts of the world. As a result of our efforts, it can be hoped that there will everywhere be a continued rehabilitation of the greatest possible number of orthopaedically handicapped children. None of us will ever live to see the day of the perfect program in any state or nation; we can only hope that it can always be said that the orthopaedic surgeons of today are meeting their responsibility for the restoration of the crippled child to a normal life, or as nearly normal a life as possible.
The Solution of p-Adic Equations

(1943). The Solution of p-Adic Equations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 142-148.
SPONTANEOUS CORONARY ARTERY DISSECTION PATIENTS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FIT THAN THE AVERAGE PATIENT REFERRED FOR EXERCISE STRESS TESTING

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) patients represent a rare subgroup presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are often younger with fewer comorbidities than the average coronary artery disease patient. It is also a condition that disproportionately affects women who appear to
THE TECHNOLOGY OF DIRECT ROLLING FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING BLOCK(CC-DR)

This paper introduces the continuous-casting-direct-rolling(CC-DR )line designed with compact arrangement and suitable technology and process at Shenyang Steel Factory. The trial test has showed that the desirable continuous rolling rate, producting rate,energy consumption and product quality and profit can be achieved through the CC-DR line. This techno-logy might be widely used in China in the future.
IAS: Interaction Specific GO Term Associations for Predicting Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

Proteins carry out their function in a cell through interactions with other proteins. A large scale protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of an organism provides static yet an essential structure of interactions, which is valuable clue for understanding the functions of proteins and pathways. PPIs are determined primarily by experimental methods; however, computational PPI prediction methods can supplement or verify PPIs identified by experiment. Here, we developed a novel scoring method for predicting PPIs from Gene Ontology (GO) annotations of proteins. Unlike existing methods that consider functional similarity as an indication of interaction between proteins, the new score, named the protein-protein Interaction Association Score (IAS), was computed from GO term associations of known interacting protein pairs in 49 organisms. IAS was evaluated on PPI data of six organisms and found to outperform existing GO term-based scoring methods. Moreover, consensus scoring methods that combine different scores further improved performance of PPI prediction.
Treatment of affective illness in the elderly with drugs and electroconvulsive therapy

Affective illness is common, frequently debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening in the elderly. Considerations pertaining to treatment with heterocyclic drugs, MAOIs, lithium, psychostimulants and thyroid hormone, as well as ECT, have been reviewed. Amitriptyline and imipramine cause significant orthostatic hypotension and probably should be avoided in the elderly. In addition, amitriptyline is extremely anticholinergic. Amoxapine is essentially a neuroleptic sequelae, including tardive dyskinesia. If a patient has had a prior positive response or has a relative who had a good outcome from a particular drug, it may be best to begin treatment with that drug. Initial choice of antidepressant can be based largely on the clinical picture. For example, if a depressed patient is sleeping much more than usual, try a potentially activating agent like desipramine or protriptyline. if, on the other hand, the patient is unable to sleep, a more sedating agent like nortriptyline, maprotiline, trimipramine, or trazodone should be tried. Risks and side effects of these drugs, as well as their use in cardiac patients, have been reviewed in detail. Many clinicians avoid MAOIs in elderly patients because of fear of adverse reactions. This fear is largely unfounded. Precautions, side effects, and specific recommendations have been outlined. Using lithium in the elderly requires special precautions because of decreased GFR and potential interactions with concomitantly used drugs. This paper has discussed possible side effects and toxicity. The usage of psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine, to treat medically ill depressed patients is reviewed. These agents are also sometimes useful in demented individuals or in patients with abulic frontal lobe syndromes. Poststroke depressions are common, and recent evidence indicates that they can be adequately treated. Stroke patients have many difficulties dealing with rehabilitation and should not be forced to suffer concomitant depression when we have the tools at hand to effectively treat such symptoms. Recent data on the potentiation of antidepressant effects by lithium or T3 indicate that they may be useful adjuvants in some tricyclic-resistant patients. Risks, side effects, and recent procedural advances in the use of ECT have been reviewed. Electroconvulsive therapy is both more effective and faster-acting than drugs in the treatment of depression. Many depressed elderly patients, especially those with psychotic symptoms, do not respond to drugs but improve with ECT.
High-temperature thermoelectric properties of compounds in the system Zn x in y O x+1.5y

Based on results obtained utilizing combinatorial chemistry techniques to screen the thermoelectric power factor of materials in the system ZnxIny Ox+1.5y, several multiphase candidates were down-selected and investigated in terms of their thermoelectric response from room temperature to 1050°C. While the screening experiments suggested that peaks in the power factor occur at relatively high indium oxide content, only the thermoelectric properties of zinc-oxide-rich homologous layered phases in the system (In2O3)(ZnO)k have been well documented, since the phases where k < 3 cannot be easily formed. In the present study, indium-oxide-rich materials in the system In2O3–(In2O3)(ZnO)3 were fabricated and their figures of merit were determined. The results suggest that the indium-oxide-rich phases have improved figures of merit, especially at elevated temperatures, relative to the best performing k phases by combining the high power factor of In2O3 and the low thermal conductivity of (In2O3)(ZnO)k.
Screening for Sphingolipid-Storage Diseases

A simple fluorescence assay was used to detect cells from patients with sphingolipidoses in a masked study at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Perquimans: A Tool for Visualizing Patterns of Spreadsheet Function Combinations

Spreadsheet environments offer many functions to manipulate data, which users can combine into complex formulae. However, for both researchers and practitioners who want to study formulae to improve spreadsheet practices, anticipating these combinations is difficult. Therefore, we developed Perquimans, a tool that analyzes spreadsheet collections to visualize patterns of function combination as an interactive tree, representing both the most common and most anomalous patterns of formula construction and their contexts. Using spreadsheets from the Enron corpus, we conduct a case study and a user study to explore Perquimans' various applications, such as those in flexible smell detection and spreadsheet education.
Depth preferences and three-dimensional movements of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, on an artificial reef in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Several studies have examined the horizontal or two-dimensional (2-D) movements of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, but none have described the long-term depth preferences of this economically important fish species. Red snapper were tagged with depth transmitters and movements were tracked (n = 7; VR2W Positioning System, Vemco Ltd., Nova Scotia) on an artificial reef site 28 km south of Dauphin Island, Alabama in the northern Gulf of Mexico for two years. More than 3.5 million accurate positions (∼1 m) were obtained and used to assess red snapper depth patterns over monthly and hourly time periods. In addition, three-dimensional (3-D) patterns of red snapper volume use (m3) were estimated based on depth and location (latitude, longitude) from >700,000 3-D positions. Red snapper depth preferences and volume use varied over time periods. Red snapper tended to stay at deeper depths during the colder months (
Feature Illustration: Echogenicity, Composition, and Shape

Sonographic assessment of nodular features has emerged as the primary imaging means to evaluate the malignant potential of thyroid nodules. Although no single sonographic feature can be used to detect all cancerous nodules, some sonographic features such as microcalcifications, marked hypoechogenicity, infiltrative margins, and taller-than-wide shape are relatively specific for thyroid cancer. Other features, such as an entirely cystic nodule or a mixed cystic and solid nodule with spongiform composition, carry a very low risk of malignancy. By using sonographic criteria to stratify risk of malignancy, invasive and costly evaluations can be avoided in many patients with benign nodules.
Kinematic and Polarimetric Radar Observations of the 10 May 2010, Moore–Choctaw, Oklahoma, Tornadic Debris Signature

AbstractTornadoes are capable of lofting large pieces of debris that present irregular shapes, near-random orientations, and a wide range of dielectric constants to polarimetric radars. The unique polarimetric signature associated with lofted debris is called the tornadic debris signature (TDS). While ties between TDS characteristics and tornado- and storm-scale kinematic processes have been speculated upon or investigated using photogrammetry and single-Doppler analyses, little work has been done to document the three-dimensional wind field associated with the TDS.Data collected by the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (KTLX), and Norman, Oklahoma (KOUN), WSR-88D S-band radars as well as the University of Oklahoma’s (OU) Advanced Radar Research Center’s Polarimetric Radar for Innovations in Meteorology and Engineering (OU-PRIME) C-band radar are used to construct single- and dual-Doppler analyses of a tornadic supercell that produced an EF4 tornado near the towns of Moore and Choctaw, Oklahoma, on 10 May 2010. Thi...
Impacts of microtopographic snow-redistribution and lateral subsurface processeson hydrologic and thermal states in an Arctic polygonal ground ecosystem

Microtopographic features, such as polygonal ground, are characteristic sources of landscape heterogeneity in the Alaskan Arctic coastal plain. Here, we analyze the effects of snow redistribution (SR) and lateral subsurface processes on hydrologic and thermal states at a polygonal tundra site near Barrow, Alaska. We extended the land model integrated in the ACME Earth System Model (ESM) to redistribute incoming snow by accounting for microtopography and incorporated subsurface lateral transport of water and energy (ALMv0-3D). Three 10-years long simulations were performed for a transect across polygonal tundra landscape at the Barrow Environmental Observatory in Alaska to isolate the impact of SR and subsurface process representation. When SR was included, model results show a better agreement (higher R 2 with lower bias and RMSE) for the observed differences in snow depth between polygonal rims and centers. The model was also able to accurately reproduce observed soil temperature vertical profiles in the polygon rims and centers (overall bias, RMSE, and R 2 of 0.59 °C, 1.82 °C, and 0.99, respectively). The spatial heterogeneity of snow depth during the winter due to SR generated surface soil temperature heterogeneity that propagated in depth and time and led to ~10 cm shallower and ~5 cm deeper maximum annual thaw depths under the polygon rims and centers, respectively. Additionally, SR led to spatial heterogeneity in surface energy fluxes and soil moisture during the summer. Excluding lateral subsurface hydrologic and thermal processes led to small effects on mean states but an overestimation of spatial variability in soil moisture and soil temperature as subsurface liquid pressure and thermal gradients were artificially prevented from spatially dissipating over time. The effect of lateral subsurface processes on active layer depths was modest with mean absolute difference of ~3 cm. Our integration of three-dimensional subsurface hydrologic and thermal subsurface dynamics in the ACME land model will facilitate a wide range of analyses heretofore impossible in an ESM context.
Autonomous dynamic soaring

This project makes use of “biomimetic behavioral engineering” in which adaptive strategies used by animals in the real world are applied to the development of autonomous robots. The key elements of the biomimetic approach are to observe and understand a survival behavior exhibited in nature, to create a mathematical model and simulation capability for that behavior, to modify and optimize the behavior for a desired robotics application, and to implement it. The application described in this report is dynamic soaring, a behavior that certain sea birds use to extract flight energy from laminar wind velocity gradients in the shallow atmospheric boundary layer directly above the ocean surface. Theoretical calculations, computational proof-of-principle demonstrations, and the first instrumented experimental flight test data for dynamic soaring are presented to address the feasibility of developing dynamic soaring flight control algorithms to sustain the flight of unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs). Both hardware and software were developed for this application. Eight-foot custom foam sailplanes were built and flown in a steep shear gradient. A logging device was designed and constructed with custom software to record flight data during dynamic soaring maneuvers. A computational toolkit was developed to simulate dynamic soaring in special cases and with a full 6-degree of freedom flight dynamics model in a generalized time-dependent wind field. Several 3-dimensional visualization tools were built to replay the flight simulations. A realistic aerodynamics model of an eight-foot sailplane was developed using measured aerodynamic derivatives. Genetic programming methods were developed and linked to the simulations and visualization tools. These tools can now be generalized for other biomimetic behavior applications. This work was carried out in 2000 and 2001, and until now its results have only been available in an internal Sandia report.
Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems: Preliminary Discussion

In this section I will try to outline the ideas behind the proofs and indicate what facts need to be established about first order theories which are intended to formalize number theory in order to prove the theorems. The first argument will be a non-constructive version of the T-incompleteness of number theories — non-constructive in the sense that it does not produce a particular formula A which is such that neither A nor — A is a theorem, but only shows that some such A exists.
Biofuels in an Age of Cheap Oil: Community Capitals and Motivations to Participate in Biodiesel Value Chains

In this article we analyze the community capital implications of an emerging canola biofuel value chain within wheat-producing regions of the United States as radical changes are taking place in energy markets and prices drop. We analyze the intersections of the motivations that encourage and sustain value chain participation and stocks and investments of community capitals. We use the Community Capitals Framework (Flora et al. 2016) to analyze the ways that new biofuel value chains affect various types of capital within rural communities, and to understand the context, processes, and impacts of decision-making within the biofuel value chain. Interviews and focus groups with actors along the value chain including farmers, processors, transporters, plant breeders, extension professionals, and farm service suppliers identify motivational factors and how community resources affect participation decisions.
Discursive contestations and pluriversal futures: A decolonial analysis of educational policies in the United Arab Emirates

Most research on global transformations in education has focused on the actions of political and economic elites. As a result, attempts to contest and subvert globally circulated policies at subnational levels have received less attention. To address this gap, this study focuses on discursive contestations around educational reforms in the United Arab Emirates. Drawing on the theoretical framework of decoloniality (Mignolo, 2011), I explore how Western interventions into educational policies are justified by dominant discourses and challenged by their opponents through public media in the United Arab Emirates. Even though alternative discourses provide constructions of education useful for charting the trajectories of pluriversal futures, the struggle between different voices resolves in favor of global “best” practices. This happens not because they are more rational or universal, but because the voices of dissent are disconnected and fragmented. The significance of this paper lies in employing decolonial lens in the analysis of globally circulated policies and in attending to the voices that become marginalized in the implementation of global reforms.