cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition in a two-dimensional plane wall jet

Transition in a two-dimensional plane wall jet was examined for the range of exit Reynolds numbers between 100 and 600. The wall jet was produced by the flow of water, which issued either from a smoothly-contoured nozzle or from the end of a long parallel channel. Observations were recorded both visually and with a hot-film anemometer. Both natural and forced transition cases were studied. Natural transition generally occurred in the following stages: (i) formation of discrete vortices in the outer shear layer; (ii) coalescence of adjacent vortices in the outer shear layer, coupled with the rolling up of the inner shear layer; (iii) eruption of the wall jet off the surface of the flat plate into the ambient fluid; (iv) dispersion of the organized flow pattern by three-dimensional turbulent motions; and (v) re-laminarization of the upstream flow, until another vortex pairing occurred. The initial stages of transition are two-dimensional in nature; and are dominated by the mechanism of vortex pairing, which is commonly observed in free shear layers. The inner-region shear layer exerts a stabilizing influence on the velocity profile at low Reynolds numbers. Forced transition was essentially similar to natural transition, except for the elimination of the downstream intermittency and the establishment of a fixed downstream location for transition.
Rotation operator propagators for time-varying radiofrequency pulses in NMR spectroscopy: Applications to shaped pulses and pulse trains

Abstract The propagator for trains of radiofrequency pulses can be directly integrated numerically or approximated by average Hamiltonian approaches. The former provides high accuracy and the latter, in favorable cases, convenient analytical formula. The Euler-angle rotation operator factorization of the propagator provides insights into performance that are not as easily discerned from either of these conventional techniques. This approach is useful in determining whether a shaped pulse can be represented over some bandwidth by a sequence τ 1 – R ϕ ( β )– τ 2 , in which R ϕ ( β ) is a rotation by an angle β around an axis with phase ϕ in the transverse plane and τ 1 and τ 2 are time delays, allowing phase evolution during the pulse to be compensated by adjusting time periods prior or subsequent to the pulse. Perturbation theory establishes explicit formulas for τ 1 and τ 2 as proportional to the average transverse magnetization generated during the shaped pulse. The Euler-angle representation of the propagator also is useful in iterative reduction of pulse-interrupted-free precession schemes. Application to Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill sequences identifies an eight-pulse phase alternating scheme that generates a propagator nearly equal to the identity operator.
KR14 Emergent Behavior in Systems of Systems

As the development of systems of systems becomes more important in global ventures, so does the issues of emergent behavior. The challenge for systems engineers is to predict and analyze emergent behavior, especially undesirable behavior, in systems of systems. In this paper we briefly discuss definitions of emergent behavior, describe a large-scale system of system that exhibits emergent behavior, review previous approaches to analyzing emergent behavior, and then present a system modeling and simulation approach that has promise of allowing systems engineers to analyze potential emergent behavior in large scale systems of systems.
Assessment of Handover Communication among Neurology Residents: Utilization of a Handover OSCE and a Standardized Curriculum To Improve Transitions of Care (P07.237)

Objective: Our purpose was to assess changes in handover communication among PGY-2 neurology residents after completing a standardized handover curriculum. Background Handovers between housestaff during transitions of inpatient care are typically unstructured. Handover frequency has increased as a consequence of changes in resident duty hour standards. Omission of key handover information can adversely affect patient safety and outcomes. Formal handover training has not been widely adopted into resident education despite an ACGME mandate that programs ensure and monitor effective, structured handover procedures. Providing formal training in handover procedures achieves the core competencies of enhanced patient care, interpersonal communication, and systems based practice. Design/Methods: A two-part objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was used to assess handover communication. In Part I, the resident received a verbal handover lacking critical clinical information and was given the opportunity to request additional information from the examiner. In Part II, the resident provided a verbal handover after reading a patient vignette containing both core elements and superfluous information. For each part, a total score of 15 was possible with one point awarded for each of pre-specified15 core elements incorporated by the resident during the simulated handover communication. Following the initial OSCE, residents completed a structured handover curriculum and were re-assessed at 3 months. Results were compared using a paired t -test (GraphPad Software, Inc). Results: Four PGY-2 neurology residents completed the initial and follow-up OSCE. For Part I, the mean initial score was 7.75 and the mean follow-up score was 11.75 (4 point improvement; 95% confidence interval 2.16-5.84, p=0.0062). For Part II, the mean score was 13.25 on both initial and 3-month follow-up assessment. Conclusions: This study suggests that a standardized handover OSCE is sensitive to performance changes after completion of a structured handover curriculum. Standardized education with ongoing resident-to-resident feedback is effective in improving handover competency. Disclosure: Dr. Chiota has nothing to disclose. Dr. McCollum has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mauricio has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ditrapani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Capobianco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Barrett has nothing to disclose.
Exploring How the School Context Mediates Intern Learning in Underserved Rural Border Schools.

This research used poststructural theories to examine a crucial issue of teacher-learning in rural border schools that are under pressure from high-stakes school accountability, fewer resources, and significant numbers of English language learners (ELLs). The methodology was based on a multiple case study of four intern teachers who participated in the research for 16 weeks. The sources of data included classroom observation, interview, reflective essay, and field note. The findings showed that the interns deconstructed teacher-learning and constructed ways of teaching within contradictory and conflicting school policies and practices.
Post-Loss Adjustment and Funeral Perceptions of Parentally Bereaved Adolescents and Adults:

To explore the differential impact that a parent's death would have on persons who vary in age, 84 parentally bereaved adolescents and 79 parentally bereaved adults completed the Texas Revised Inve...
A speech emotion recognition framework based on latent Dirichlet allocation: Algorithm and FPGA implementation

In this paper, we present a speech-based emotion recognition framework based on a latent Dirichlet allocation model. This method assumes that incoming speech frames are conditionally independent and exchangeable. While this leads to a loss of temporal structure, it is able to capture significant statistical information between frames. In contrast, a hidden Markov model-based approach captures the temporal structure in speech. Using the German emotional speech database EMO-DB for evaluation, we achieve an average classification accuracy of 80.7% compared to 73% for hidden Markov models. This improvement is achieved at the cost of a slight increase in computational complexity. We map the proposed algorithm onto an FPGA platform and show that emotions in a speech utterance of duration 1.5s can be identified in 1.8ms, while utilizing 70% of the resources. This further demonstrates the suitability of our approach for real-time applications on hand-held devices.
Heliox in children with airway obstruction

Although helium offers an additional tool in the treatment of various airway and pulmonary problems, it has no inherent therapeutic effects. As such, it can be used only as a temporizing agent to allow time for therapeutic agents to work or for the natural resolution of the disease process. It may also allow time for optimal planning when dealing with difficult problems such as upper airway obstruction. While the majority of clinical experience describes its use for obstructive lesions of the glottic/subglottic areas, it may also be of benefit in conditions that narrow the more distal airways, including asthma. Given its beneficial physiologic effects, it seems that future studies are warranted to evaluate its efficacy in other disease processes.
A 2100-year trace-element and stable-isotope record at decadal resolution from Rice Lake in the Northern Great Plains, USA

A 2100-year multiple proxy record at decadal resolution from a topographically closed (but hydrolog ically open) lake basin was used to reconstruct changes in lake salinity and evaporative intensity and to evaluate the reliability of different proxies for inferring climatic change in the glaciated Northern Great Plains (NGP). At Rice Lake, North Dakota, the ostracode-Mg/Ca ratios show good correlation with other ostracode, diatom and aeolian proxy records from other sites in the NGP. All of these records show significant century-scale periodicities, which have been related to solar variability as inferred from atmospheric radiocarbon records. This coherent and consistent pattern suggests that these sites record climatic variability at regional scales. The interval of the Mediaeval Climatic Anomaly from|900 to 550 cal. yr BP contains two pronounced dry periods. During the following ‘Little Ice Age’, a single period of frequent drought that peaked at|300 cal. yr BP was bracketed by wet periods before and af...
Ionic Signaling in Plant Responses to Gravity and Touch

Touch and gravity are two of the many stimuli that plants must integrate to generate an appropriate growth response. Due to the mechanical nature of both of these signals, shared signal transduction elements could well form the basis of the cross-talk between these two sensory systems. However, touch stimulation must elicit signaling events across the plasma membrane whereas gravity sensing is thought to represent transformation of an internal force, amyloplast sedimentation, to signal transduction events. In addition, factors such as turgor pressure and presence of the cell wall may also place unique constraints on these plant mechanosensory systems. Even so, the candidate signal transduction elements in both plant touch and gravity sensing, changes in Ca2+, pH and membrane potential, do mirror the known ionic basis of signaling in animal mechanosensory cells. Distinct spatial and temporal signatures of Ca2+ ions may encode information about the different mechanosignaling stimuli. Signals such as Ca2+ waves or action potentials may also rapidly transfer information perceived in one cell throughout a tissue or organ leading to the systemic reactions characteristic of plant touch and gravity responses. Longer-term growth responses are likely sustained via changes in gene expression and asymmetries in compounds such as inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and calmodulin. Thus, it seems likely that plant mechanoperception involves both spatial and temporal encoding of information at all levels, from the cell to the whole plant. Defining this patterning will be a critical step towards understanding how plants integrate information from multiple mechanical stimuli to an appropriate growth response.
Modeling failure of heterogeneous viscoelastic solids under dynamic/impact loading due to multiple evolving cracks using a two-way coupled multiscale model

This paper presents a model for predicting damage evolution in heterogeneous viscoelastic solids under dynamic/impact loading. Some theoretical developments associated with the model have been previously reported. These are reviewed briefly, with the main focus of this paper on new developments and applications. A two-way coupled multiscale approach is employed and damage is considered in the form of multiple cracks evolving in the local (micro) scale. The objective of such a model is to develop the ability to consider energy dissipation due to both bulk dissipation and the development of multiple cracks occurring on multiple length and time scales. While predictions of these events may seem extraordinarily costly and complex, there are multiple structural applications where effective models would save considerable expense. In some applications, such as protective devices, viscoelastic materials may be preferred because of the considerable amount of energy dissipated in the bulk as well as in the fracture process. In such applications, experimentally based design methodologies are extremely costly, therefore suggesting the need for improved models. In this paper, the authors focus on the application of the newly developed multiscale model to the solution of some example problems involving dynamic and impact loading of viscoelastic heterogeneous materials with growing cracks at the local scale.
Effects of passive immunity on subsequent production in dairy heifers.

Dairy Herd Improvement data from a large, commercial dairy farm were used to evaluate the relationships of first lactation milk and fat yield and age at first calving on passively acquired immunity in Holstein heifers. Total serum Ig concentration was measured 24 to 48 h postpartum (mean = 25.5 mg/ml, SD = 19.2) on calves allowed to suckle their dams freely through 24 h postpartum. No additional colostrum was supplied and no attempt was made to ensure adequate colostrum intake. Calves were raised in Tucson, AZ until 6 mo of age, then transferred to Idaho to complete the growing phase and to be bred. Heifers were returned to Tucson during their 7th or 8th mo of gestation. Serum Ig concentration, measured shortly after birth, was an important source of variation for mature equivalent milk (b = 8.5 kg/Ig unit) and mature equivalent fat (b = .24 kg/Ig unit) production in the first lactation but did not affect age at first calving. It is impossible to ascertain from these data whether Ig concentration at birth was directly or indirectly related to production; regardless, supplying an adequate amount and concentration of colostrum at the appropriate time to dairy heifers may enhance their future productivity.
A Simple Procedure for the Isolation of γ-Oxobenzenebutanoic Acid Derivatives: Application to the Synthesis of Fenbufen†

A simple, convenient, and industrially viable process for the isolation of 4-oxobutanoic acid derivatives resulting from Friedel−Crafts acylation products of aromatic hydrocarbons with succinic anhydride is reported. The isolation procedure involves simple quenching of the reaction mixture followed by filtration of the product in good yield and with excellent purity. The generality of the procedure has been demonstrated with representative examples of aromatic hydrocarbon precursors and has also been applied to the isolation of fenbufen. The quantity of aluminum chloride used in the reaction has also been optimized to reduce the load on effluent.
Electrode Processes in a Thin Layer of Organic Solvent Covering a Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode. Effects on Metal Ion and Fullerene (C60) Reduction

A novel approach to electrochemistry in thin layers of organic solvents is presented. These layers are formed in situ from benzene, o-dichlorobenzene, or dichloromethane on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). Very thin organic layers are formed by the expansion of a mercury drop and an organic layer into an aqueous bulk phase. The process of expansion and formation of the thin organic layer on mercury was studied by optical microscopy. Modification of the HMDE by these thin layers of organic solvents significantly limits the reduction of metal ions from the aqueous bulk solution. The redox behavior of C 60 in these thin films is shown to be highly solvent dependent. This dependence is demonstrated by comparison of the cyclic voltammetry of C 60 in a benzene layer with that in an o-dichlorobenzene layer. In the potential range from 0 to -1200 mV, two reversible reduction processes are observed for C 60 . In benzene, with its very low dielectric constant, the electrode processes are complicated by the precipitation of fulleride salts.
Semantic map partitioning in indoor environments using regional analysis

Classification of spatial regions based on semantic information in an indoor environment enables robot tasks such as navigation or mobile manipulation to be spatially aware. The availability of contextual information can significantly simplify operation of a mobile platform. We present methods for automated recognition and classification of spaces into separate semantic regions and use of such information for generation of a topological map of an environment. The association of semantic labels with spatial regions is based on Human Augmented Mapping. The methods presented in this paper are evaluated both in simulation and on real data acquired from an office environment.
Multimodal analgesia therapy reduces length of hospitalization in patients undergoing fusions of the ankle and hindfoot.

Background:Multimodal postoperative analgesia employs multiple medications given perioperatively to block the generation and perception of pain at different points in the nociceptive pathway. This ...
THE YFE SYSTEM OF YERSINIA PESTIS TRANSPORTS IRON AND MANGANESE AND IS REQUIRED FOR FULL VIRULENCE OF PLAGUE

Iron acquisition in Yersinia pestis is fundamental to the success of plague pathogenesis. We have previously identified an approximately 5.6 kb region (yfe) of Y. pestis genomic DNA, capable of restoring iron-deficient growth but not siderophore production to an Escherichia coli mutant (SAB11) incapable of synthesizing the siderophore, enterobactin. The yfe locus of Y. pestis, found in both pigmented (Pgm+) and nonpigmented (Pgm-) strains, comprises five genes arranged in two distinct operons (yfeA-D and yfeE ). The larger of these, yfeABCD, encodes an ABC transport system, whose expression is iron and Fur regulated and is repressed in cells grown in the presence of manganese. Cells from a Pgm-, Yfe- (DeltayfeAB ) mutant strain of Y. pestis exhibited reduced transport of both 55Fe and 54Mn. Furthermore, cells containing an intact yfe locus showed reduced 55Fe uptake when competing amounts of MnCl2 or ZnCl2 were present, whereas 54Mn uptake was inhibited by FeCl3 but not by ZnCl2. Similarly, yfe mutants of Y. pestis exhibited growth defects on media supplemented with the iron chelators 2,2'-dipyridyl or conalbumin. These growth defects were not relieved by supplementation with MnCl2. A ybt-, DeltayfeAB mutant of Y. pestis was completely avirulent in mice infected intravenously (LD50 > 1.7 x 107 cfu) compared with its parental ybt-, yfe+ strain, which had an LD50 of < 12. In addition, compared with its ybt+, yfe+ parent, a ybt+, DeltayfeAB mutant of Y. pestis had an approximately 100-fold increase in the LD50 from a subcutaneous route of infection. These data suggest that the Yfe and Ybt systems may function effectively to accumulate iron during different stages of the infectious process of bubonic plague.
PARAMETER CONSISTENCY IN MULTIENERGETIC K.P MODELS

Standard derivations of multiband k\ensuremath{\cdot}p models rely on L\"owdin perturbation theory. Close examination of this method, however, reveals that it is unsuitable for treating systems with multiple zeroth-order energies. As a result, various perturbation sums in multienergetic k\ensuremath{\cdot}p models are not well defined, and a consistent set of k\ensuremath{\cdot}p parameters cannot be guaranteed. We inspect this difficulty and present an alternative derivation of the k\ensuremath{\cdot}p theory based on the method of infinitesimal basis transformations. This approach clearly demonstrates that a consistent k\ensuremath{\cdot}p matrix can be generated from an arbitrary number of zeroth-order wave functions regardless of their energies. In addition, we obtain a corrected expression for off-diagonal perturbation sums. The expression is applied to give the corrected form for the asymmetric B parameter in the s-p-coupled zinc-blende k\ensuremath{\cdot}p Hamiltonian.
Effects of cocaine on human aggression

Thirty male undergraduates received either a placebo, low dose (1 mg/kg), or high dose (2 mg/kg) of orally administered cocaine. Subjects were then given the opportunity to administer electric shocks to an increasingly aggressive fictitious opponent during a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was defined as the intensity of shock the subject was willing to set for his adversary. The results of this study indicate that subjects in the high-dose cocaine condition reacted more aggressively than placebo subjects irrespective of level of provocation.
Euclidean quantum field theory

Quantification de la theorie euclidienne. Particules de spin eleve. Probabilite et theorie du champ constructive
Characteristics of regenerating horizontal semicircular canal afferent and efferent fibers in the toadfish, Opsanus tau.

The horizontal semicircular canal nerve of the toadfish, Opsanus tau, was transected and allowed to regenerate. The time course, morphometrics, and projection patterns of regenerating afferent and efferent vestibular fibers were determined. Nerve transections were performed both pre- and postganglionically, and regeneration was assessed in afferent and efferent fibers by bulk labeling the peripheral axons of the horizontal semicircular canal nerve with biocytin after nerve regrowth. Afferent fibers regrew through the transection site within 14 days and projected to all vestibular nuclei within 3 weeks. Bouton and branch number, axon length, surface area, volume, fiber diameter, and internodal distance were quantified for afferent fibers from eight sites within the vestibular nuclei, and axon number and soma size was quantified for the efferent fibers. Extensive regeneration was seen within 5 weeks of transection in all nuclei, and most morphometric parameters approached or exceeded control levels within 10 weeks. Regeneration appeared to recapitulate morphogenesis with an initial overproduction of boutons and branch points followed by elimination of presumably superfluous structures. Internodal distance remained significantly shorter in regenerating afferent axons than in control fish throughout the 15-week observation period. Efferent fibers also were observed to regenerate. Efferent axon number, diameter, and soma size were indistinguishable from those in controls from 3 weeks posttransection through week 15. Electrophysiological recordings from the horizontal canal nerve during mechanical stimuli of the canal confirmed that the regenerated axons transmitted normal signals. The return of normal equilibrium and behavior coincided with the projection of afferent fibers into the central vestibular nuclei, indicating that functional connections had been reestablished.
Patient Safety: Let's Measure What Matters

Recent studies suggest that patient safety is not improving. The authors of this commentary believe that external top-down efforts to measure safety contribute to this lack of improvement. They cal...
A Practical Method for Vehicle Scheduling

The escalating cost per mile of large vehicle operation has increased the advantages of more efficient automatic scheduling. There has been a significant number of articles relating to computerized routing, but the gap between the literature and practice is still very wide. In this paper, the author provides a detailed description of a relatively simple routing algorithm which has been a proven cost saver in a number of applications. The technique can be used for manual routing in smaller firms and is suitable for computer implementation by firms without prior computer routing experience.
Chaotic oscillations of a cantilevered pipe conveying fluid

A pipe-beam is clamped at its upper end, and free at its lower end. Two permanent magnets are placed to the right and left of the free end of the pipe-beam. The system may exhibit chaotic oscillations both for free and forced vibration when fluid passes through the pipe. Chaotic behavior due to a flutter instability or forced response is studied in a theoretical and experimental investigation. Special attention is given to the effect of higher modes.
Neuronal activity in monkey primary somatosensory cortex is related to expectation of somatosensory and visual go-cues

The present study was to investigate whether neuronal activity in primary somatosensory cortical areas (SI) differs when monkeys expect go-cues of different sensory modalities. Two monkeys made wrist extensions and flexions after steadily holding wrist at a center position. Movements were guided by increases in vibration to the monkey's palm (VIB), visual targets (VIS), or both in combination (COM). Neuronal activity recorded in SI during the early and late phases (i.e., the first and last 250 ms) of the instructed delay periods (IDP) were analyzed. Of 406 neurons recorded during all three paradigms, 263 (64.8%) showed significant changes in firing rates (FR) between the early and late IDP phases during either VIB or VIS trials and were selected for further analyses. The selected neurons were classified as VIB- or VIS-biased, depending on the paradigm (VIB or VIS) in which the greater FR changes occurred. Both increases and decreases in FRs were observed during the analyzed epochs. Most VIB-biased neurons showed the biggest FR changes during VIB trials and the least during VIS trials. Conversely, most VIS-biased neurons had the biggest FR changes during VIS trials and the least during VIB trials. For both VIB- and VIS-biased neurons, however, the FR changes were intermediate during COM trials. These results suggest that SI neurons play an important role in initiating/executing wrist movements. Neurons involved in wrist movements showed biases to the modality of cueing signals. Most SI neurons were biased to only one sensory modality. The expectation-related FR changes suggest different involvement by SI in movement initiation when tasks are guided by vibratory and visual signals.
Sensitivity of summer stream temperatures to climate variability in the Pacific Northwest

Estimating the thermal response of streams to a warming climate is important for prioritizing native fish conservation efforts. While there are plentiful estimates of air temperature responses to climate change, the sensitivity of streams, particularly small headwater streams, to warming temperatures is less well understood. A substantial body of literature correlates subannual scale temperature variations in air and stream temperatures driven by annual cycles in solar angle; however, these may be a low-precision proxy for climate change driven changes in the stream energy balance. We analyzed summer stream temperature records from forested streams in the Pacific Northwest for interannual correlations to air temperature and standardized annual streamflow departures. A significant pattern emerged where cold streams always had lower sensitivities to air temperature variation, while warm streams could be insensitive or sensitive depending on geological or vegetation context. A pattern where cold streams are less sensitive to direct temperature increases is important for conservation planning, although substantial questions may yet remain for secondary effects related to flow or vegetation changes induced by climate change.
Deposit Insurance, Banking Reform, and Financial Sector Development in Several Nations of Southeastern Europe

Deposit insurance has spread to many sections of the world. In the newly formed nations of the former Yugoslavia, this has occurred under conditions of post-conflict reconstruction, hyperinflation, and several different governmental structures. Three cases are examined; Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro. They all have developed deposit insurance programs. The implementation process was compared to “best practice” recommendations. It is found that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was difficult due to the fractured nature of the Dayton Accord government structure on the one hand but easier to the strong international presence supporting required actions. In the case of Croatia, a unified state emerged from the war, but it was somewhat isolated. Its bank restructuring was costly, and a fragmented deposit insurance program was introduced in the middle of a banking crisis. In the case of Serbia and Montenegro, the bank restructuring process is still underway, and implementation of a functioning deposit insurance program properly awaits its completion.
PGC-1α and ERRα target gene downregulation is a signature of the failing human heart

Heart failure is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in developed nations, and results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. To discover gene regulatory networks underlying heart failure, we analyzed DNA microarray data based on left ventricular free-wall myocardium from 59 failing (32 ischemic cardiomyopathy, 27 idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy) and 33 non-failing explanted human hearts from the Cardiogenomics Consortium. In particular, we sought to investigate cardiac gene expression changes at the level of individual genes, as well as biological pathways which contain groups of functionally related genes. Utilizing a combination of computational techniques, including Comparative Marker Selection and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, we identified a subset of downstream gene targets of the master mitochondrial transcriptional regulator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha), whose expression is collectively decreased in failing human hearts. We also observed decreased expression of the key PGC-1alpha regulatory partner, estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha), as well as ERRalpha target genes which may participate in the downregulation of mitochondrial metabolic capacity. Gene expression of the antiapoptotic Raf-1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway was decreased in failing hearts. Alterations in PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha target gene sets were significantly correlated with an important clinical parameter of disease severity - left ventricular ejection fraction, and were predictive of failing vs. non-failing phenotypes. Overall, our results implicate PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha in the pathophysiology of human heart failure, and define dynamic target gene sets sharing known interrelated regulatory mechanisms capable of contributing to the mitochondrial dysfunction characteristic of this disease process.
Endophthalmitis Caused by the Coagulase-negative Staphylococci: 2. Factors Influencing Presentation after Cataract Surgery

Purpose: This study, comprising 60 patients with coagulase-negative staphylococcal endophthalmitis which occurred after cataract surgery, was designed to define the variation in disease presentation and visual outcome and to evaluate statistically the role of the primary surgery and its management. Methods: An intensive evaluation of microbiological, inpatient, outpatient, and cataract surgery charts was made retrospectively using a standardized protocol. The predictive value of surgical, iatrogenic, and clinical factors was analyzed for their influence on defined aspects of the disease pattern and of the visual results using multiple regression models, via a stepwise technique. Results: There was commonly a significant asymptomatic latent period after cataract surgery. The median diagnostic delay was 7 days; 22% of patients presented after 2 weeks and 12% after 1 month. Symptoms progressed longer than 3 days in 25% of patients. Ten percent had no pain. Clinical variation proved largely unrelated to cataract surgery events and postoperative management; bacterial factors were implicated. Good visual outcome was associated statistically with intensive topical corticosteroid in the symptomatic period, but was negatively associated with operative subconjunctival corticosteroid. Conclusions: The clinical variation in cases of postoperative coagulase-negative staphylococcal endophthalmitis poses particular problems for diagnosis in the outpatient setting. Surgical and perioperative events (except corticosteroid use) probably can be disregarded in studies of endophthalmitis management.
ORTHOGONALLY SCATTERED MEASURES.

Abstract : The report gives a coherent account of countably additive orthogonally scattered measures with values in a Hilbert space, and of the integration of complex-valued functions with respect to such measures. Some lacunae in the theory are cleared up. It is shown how the use of the concept of a basic orthogonally scattered measure in problems amenable to Hilbert space methods yields a unified treatment of the continuous and discrete aspects of such problems. The Fourier-Plancherel transformation over locally compact abelian groups is treated from this standpoint, and its bearing on the continuous eigenfunction expansions encountered in scattering theory is indicated. (Author)
Peptidomics of Cpefat/fat mouse brain regions: implications for neuropeptide processing

Quantitative peptidomics was used to compare levels of peptides in wild type (WT) and Cpefat/fat mice, which lack carboxypeptidase E (CPE) activity because of a point mutation. Six different brain regions were analyzed: amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, striatum, and thalamus. Altogether, 111 neuropeptides or other peptides derived from secretory pathway proteins were identified in WT mouse brain extracts by tandem mass spectrometry, and another 47 peptides were tentatively identified based on mass and other criteria. Most secretory pathway peptides were much lower in Cpefat/fat mouse brain, relative to WT mouse brain, indicating that CPE plays a major role in their biosynthesis. Other peptides were only partially reduced in the Cpefat/fat mice, indicating that another enzyme (presumably carboxypeptidase D) contributes to their biosynthesis. Approximately 10% of the secretory pathway peptides were present in the Cpefat/fat mouse brain at levels similar to those in WT mouse brain. Many peptides were greatly elevated in the Cpefat/fat mice; these peptide processing intermediates with C-terminal Lys and/or Arg were generally not detectable in WT mice. Taken together, these results indicate that CPE contributes, either directly or indirectly, to the production of the majority of neuropeptides.
Study of formation mechanism of nickel silicide discontinuities in high performance CMOS devices

We performed detailed analysis of Ni silicide discontinuities induced by agglomeration that causes the increasing electric resistance in high-performance CMOS devices by using advanced physical analysis techniques. We confirmed that the agglomeration of the Ni silicide is related to elongated-triangular- shaped-splits — which we call delta-shaped-splits — which cause discontinuities that occur at small-angle grain boundaries pinned by boron clusters even with small stress. We successfully determined the formation mechanism of the Ni silicide discontinuities in detail. It is essential to develop a highly reliable Ni salicide process, especially for 45 nm node high performance devices and beyond.
THE EFFECTS OF THREE STIMULUS-EQUIVALENCE TESTING CONDITIONS ON EMERGENT US GEOGRAPHY RELATIONS OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM

Two children with autism were trained in US geography using a match to sample procedure. Different testing procedures commonly used in stimulus equivalence research were compared, including some conditions with reinforcement for responding to enhance motivation. Both children were able to master the trained geography relations and emergent stimulus relations were also noted. All three testing procedures produced similar effects, suggesting that incorporation of procedures to enhance motivation to respond does not invalidate testing in a stimulus equivalence preparation. Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is a low-grade lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. It has an overall incidence of 2.5/million/year. The median age at diagnosis is 63 years. The clinical manifestations are hepatomegaly (20%), splenomegaly (15%), and lymphadenopathy (15%). The most common symptom is fatigue related to a normochromic, normocytic anemia, and the median hemoglobin value at diagnosis is 10 gm/dl. All patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia have a circulating tumor marker, the monoclonal IgM protein. Occasionally high levels of the IgM monoclonal protein can produce a hyperviscosity syndrome manifested by oronasal bleeding. Occasionally retinal hemorrhage or serious neurologic complications, such as somnolence or coma, may occur. The most important prognostic factors are hemoglobin, age, weight loss, and a cryoglobulin. Therapy has included alkylating agents, particularly chlorambucil, purine nucleoside analogs such as fludarabine or cladribine, and most recently the use of rituximab. The median survival of symptomatic patients is 65 months. Patients without symptoms should not be treated.
Aspen trees: balancing data center fault tolerance, scalability and cost

Fault recovery is a key issue in modern data centers. In a fat tree topology, a single link failure can disconnect a set of end hosts from the rest of the network until updated routing information is disseminated to every switch in the topology. The time for re-convergence can be substantial, leaving hosts disconnected for long periods of time and significantly reducing the overall availability of the data center. Moreover, the message overhead of sending updated routing information to the entire topology may be unacceptable at scale. We present techniques to modify hierarchical data center topologies to enable switches to react to failures locally, thus reducing both the convergence time and control overhead of failure recovery. We find that for a given network size, decreasing a topology's convergence time results in a proportional decrease to its scalability (e.g. the number of hosts supported). On the other hand, reducing convergence time without affecting scalability necessitates the introduction of additional switches and links. We explore the tradeoffs between fault tolerance, scalability and network size, and propose a range of modified multi-rooted tree topologies that provide significantly reduced convergence time while retaining most of the traditional fat tree's desirable properties.
Call Convergence within Groups of Female Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a promising model species for the study of adult vocal learning. To date, several studies have confirmed the existence of vocal plasticity and, more importantly, rapid imitation of contact calls by adult male budgerigars. Vocal learning has not been investigated in female budgerigars, however. Since one likely function of the contact call is to denote group affiliation, we tested the hypothesis that female budgerigars, when placed into groups, would develop a shared contact call. We recorded the contact call repertoires of eight adult female budgerigars that were unfamiliar with one another, then placed them into two groups. Each group was deprived of visual contact with other birds. Recording sessions continued for the subsequent 8 wks, and behavioral observations were also conducted during this time. Within 4-7 wks, females in both groups converged on a common call type. This rate of convergence is slower than that observed in prior experiments limited to male birds, and much slower than vocal imitation by male budgerigars paired with females. Therefore, while our study documents vocal plasticity in adult female budgerigars, it also suggests that female budgerigars learn new vocalizations more slowly than males do.
Barley yellow dwarf virus: Luteoviridae or Tombusviridae?

Summary Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), the most economically important virus of small grains, features highly specialised relationships with its aphid vectors, a plethora of novel translation mechanisms mediated by long–distance RNA interactions, and an ambiguous taxonomic status. The structural and movement proteins of BYDV that confer aphid transmission and phloem-limitation properties resemble those of the Luteoviridae , the family in which BYDV is classified. In contrast, many genes and cis -acting signals involved in replication and gene expression most closely resemble those of the Tombusviridae . Taxonomy: BYDV is in genus Luteovirus, family Luteoviridae. BYDV includes at least two serotypes or viruses: BYDV-PAV and BYDV-MAV. The former BYDV-RPV is now Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV). CYDV is in genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae. Genus Luteovirus shares many features with family Tombusviridae. Physical properties: ∼25 nm icosahedral (T = 3) virions. One major (22 kDa) and one minor (50–55 kDa) coat protein. 5.6–5.8 kb positive sense RNA genome with no 5′-cap and no poly(A) tail. Host range: Most grasses. Most important in oats, barley and wheat. Also infects maize and rice. Symptoms: Yellowing and dwarfing in barley, stunting in wheat; reddening, yellowing and blasting in oats. Some isolates cause leaf notching and curling. Key attractions: Model for the study of circulative transmission of aphid-transmitted viruses. Plethora of unusual translation mechanisms. Evidence of recombination in recent evolutionary history creates taxonomic ambiguity. Economically important virus of wheat, barley and oats, worldwide. Useful websites/meetings: International symposium: ‘Barley Yellow Dwarf Disease: Recent Advances and Future Strategies’, CIMMYT, El Batan, Mexico, 1–5 September 2002, http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/Research/wheat/Conf_BYD_02/invitation.htm http://www.cimmyt.org/Research/wheat/BYDVNEWS/htm/BYDVNEWS.htm Aphid transmission animation: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~sforza/tmv/bydv_aph.html
Hidden Markov tree modeling of complex wavelet transforms

Multiresolution signal and image models such as the hidden Markov tree aim to capture the statistical structure of smooth and singular (edgy) regions. Unfortunately, models based on the orthogonal wavelet transform suffer from shift-variance, making them less accurate and realistic. We extend the HMT modeling framework to the complex wavelet transform, which features near shift-invariance and improved angular resolution compared to the standard wavelet transform. The model is computationally efficient (with linear-time computation and processing algorithms) and applicable to general Bayesian inference problems as a prior density for the data. In a simple estimation experiment, the complex wavelet HMT model outperforms a number of high-performance denoising algorithms, including redundant wavelet thresholding (cycle spinning) and the redundant HMT.
Communicating with Constituents in 140 Characters or Less: Twitter and the Diffusion of Technology Innovation in the United States Congress

This paper affords an opportunity to study the early adoption, implementation and performance of an emerging technology by analyzing which members of Congress have been early adopters and extensive users of Twitter, and which have attracted the most followers. Our research questions and measures draw from the diffusion of innovation literature and early studies of online politics. Three multivariate analyses reveal that two motivators of adoption, party (Republican) and campaign resources are also drivers leading to extensive usage, but the other two, an urban constituency and the member’s own age do not. Instead, a large vote share in the last election joins party and funding in explaining high usage. The latter two plus high influential power differentiate between members with large and small numbers of followers. Collectively, these findings suggest that at this early developmental stage, Twitter is not a game changer, but an additional communications medium. They also underscore the contribution of diffusion of innovation literature to understanding how these interrelationships change depending upon whether we are examining adoption, implementation or performance.
Dynamics of Stability The Physiologic Basis of Functional Health and Frailty

Under basal resting conditions most healthy physiologic systems demonstrate highly irregular, complex dynamics that represent interacting regulatory processes operating over multiple time scales. These processes prime the organism for an adaptive response, making it ready and able to react to sudden physiologic stresses. When the organism is perturbed or deviates from a given set of boundary conditions, most physiologic systems evoke closed-loop responses that operate over relatively short periods of time to restore the organism to equilibrium. This transiently alters the dynamics to a less complex, dominant response mode, which is denoted "reactive tuning." Aging and disease are associated with a loss of complexity in resting dynamics and maladaptive responses to perturbations. These alterations in the dynamics of physiologic systems lead to functional decline and frailty. Nonlinear mathematical techniques that quantify physiologic dynamics may predict the onset of frailty, and interventions aimed toward restoring healthy dynamics may prevent functional decline.
Breast cancer in resource-limited countries.

As one of the major causes of morbidity, mortality and disease burden, breast cancer continues to receive significant attention. However, this attention is most conspicuous in resource-rich countries. In resource-limited countries, breast cancer has not yet been identified as a priority healthcare issue because infectious disease is still the major threat in these countries. There is also a remarkable diversity in the rate of economic growth, political and social conditions and the current status of the delivery of breast cancer care across the resource-limited countries. In addition, the emerging increase in the incidence rate of breast cancer by up to 5%/year is alarming and requires international attention. Breast cancer is becoming an urgent public health problem in resource-limited countries and requires comprehensive resource-appropriate strategies for breast cancer control and management, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion and nationality. There has been significant improvement in breast healthcare over the past few decades, primarily due to advances in health research by diverse teams of basic scientists, physicians, pharmacists, industry, nurses and social workers. This research has involved inquiries regarding fundamental biological alterations in breast cancer, differences in diagnostic modalities and treatment options in various outcome studies. An increase in public awareness of breast cancer, an interest in women’s health issues, advances in radiological imaging, the development of new chemotherapeutic agents and the availability of molecular genetic tests have brought remarkable opportunities to a new insight in breast cancer. These efforts have resulted in earlier breast cancer detection and better outcomes. However, at a global level, there are some countries in the