cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can we clinically identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19?

Abstract Objectives COVID-19 has had a severe impact on morbidity and mortality among nursing home (NH) residents. Earlier detection of SARS-CoV-2 may position us to better mitigate risk of spread. Both asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic transmission are common in outbreaks, and threshold temperatures, such as 38C, for screening for infection could miss timely detection in the majority. Design Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records Methods We hypothesized that in long-term care residents, temperature trends with SARS-CoV-2 infection could identify infection in pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals earlier. We collected information about age and other demographics, baseline temperature, and specific comorbidities. We created standardized definitions, and an alternative hypothetical model to test measures of temperature variation and compare outcomes to the VA reality. Settings and participants Our subjects were 6,176 residents of the VA NHs who underwent SARS-CoV-2 trigger testing. Results We showed that a change from baseline of >0.4C identifies 47% of the SARS-CoV-2 positive NH residents early, and achieves earlier detection by 42.2 hours. Range improves early detection to 55% when paired with a 37.2C cutoff, and achieves earlier detection by 44.4 hours. Temperature elevation >0.4C from baseline, when combined with a 0.7C range, would detect 52% early, leading to earlier detection by more than 3 days in 22% of the residents. This earlier detection comes at the expense of triggering 57,793 tests, as compared to the number of trigger tests ordered in the VA system of 40,691. Conclusion and implications Our model suggests that current clinical screening for SARS-CoV-2 in NHs can be substantially improved upon by triggering testing using a patient-derived baseline temperature with a 0.4C degree relative elevation or temperature variability of 0.7C trigger threshold for SARS-CoV2 testing. Such triggers could be automated in facilities that track temperatures in their electronic records.
Magma propagation and emplacement within the central intrusive complex of Summer Coon stratovolcano, Colorado

Abstract A field-based study used geologic mapping and a ground-based magnetic survey to investigate the exhumed central intrusive complex (CIC) of Summer Coon stratovolcano in Colorado. The CIC comprises a group of diorite to granodiorite stocks and sub-vertical domains of conduit-filling breccia hosted within basaltic-andesite breccia associated with cone building. The stocks serve as the focal points for 53 basaltic-andesite (mafic) and 36 andesite to rhyolite (evolved) radial dikes mapped within the CIC. The evolved dikes with outcrop lengths (strike length) of 1600 m are excluded from the central areas of the CIC, do not cut through the stocks, and have terminal segments that plunge shallowly toward their focus. Assuming the dikes are blade-shaped and that they originated directly below the CIC, the propagation direction of the evolved dikes was estimated using the plunge angles, spatial distribution, and dike outcrop lengths. The relatively long dikes may have ascended toward the level of exposure along inclined paths. These dikes remained exclusively within the basaltic-andesite breccia and, probably due to the higher relative stiffness of the stocks, were unable to propagate through the stocks as they ascended. Upon approaching the level of exposure, the same dikes encountered a stress barrier likely generated by the gravitational load of the edifice. This barrier altered the dike propagation paths from inclined to sub-horizontal, significantly increasing their outcrop lengths. In contrast, the dikes with short outcrop lengths ascended along primarily sub-vertical paths, intersecting the level of exposure within the central portions of the CIC. To propagate sub-vertically through both the relatively stiff stocks and a potential stress barrier, the magma overpressures within the shorter dikes may have been higher relative to the longer sub-horizontally propagating dikes. It is probable that at active volcanoes, only dikes with sufficiently high overpressures can ascend through the central intrusive complex of mature stratovolcanoes to feed eruptions near the summit. Perhaps more frequently, stress barriers and existing intrusions stall or deflect dikes with lower relative overpressures toward the slopes of the volcano where they may feed flank eruptions.
Maritime filtering for images and videos

Abstract Maritime signal processing technologies have emerged as an important area of study because of the increasing popularity of autonomous ships and automatic maritime surveillance systems. However, the various techniques developed for detecting or tracking objects remain unable to address various maritime noise challenges that cause several types of false positives in maritime visual surveillance. Maritime signal processing is challenging because of the prevalence of noise sources such as severe dynamic backgrounds, wakes, and reflections, owing to the complex, unconstrained, and diverse nature of such scenes caused by the surface properties of water. Moreover, few studies have investigated specific maritime noise filtering as a general integrated processing approach with image and video technologies in the context of maritime visual surveillance. In this study, we propose a novel maritime noise prior (MNP) based on a dark channel prior and observations of the characteristics of the sea. A general maritime filtering technique is developed to suppress noise originating from the properties of water in maritime images and videos. The proposed method employs a noniterative, nonlinear, and simple maritime filtering approach based on MNP that does not require specialized knowledge of application scene conditions or structure. We conducted image and video experiments by applying our approach to three publicly available databases. In experiments with color images, our method successfully filtered related background noise and water, i.e., severe boat wakes and reflections, while preserving objects other than water in color images. In the experiments with video sequences, the results demonstrated that the proposed filter improved the overall performance of state-of-the-art background subtraction (BS) algorithms from 36.60%–50.63%. By combining BS algorithms and filtering to enhance foreground detection in video sequences, the proposed method ensures the universal applicability and flexibility required to eliminate noise from images and videos obtained in challenging maritime environments. The results indicate that the proposed method is appropriate for maritime surveillance applications implementing image segmentation and foreground detection, and it can potentially increase the accuracy of maritime visual surveillance.
A new test-generation methodology for system-level verification of production processes

The continuing growth in the complexity of production processes is driven mainly by the integration of smart and cheap devices, such as sensors and custom hardware or software components. This naturally leads to higher complexity in fault detection and management, and, therefore to a higher demand for sophisticated quality control tools. A production process is commonly modeled prior to its physical construction to enable early testing. Many simulation platforms were developed to assess the widely varying aspects of the production process, including physical behavior, hardware-software functionality, and performance. However, the efficacy of simulation for the verification of modeled processes is still largely limited by manual operation and observation. We propose a massive random-biased, ontology-based, test-generation methodology for system-level verification of production processes. The methodology has been successfully applied for simulation-based processor hardware verification and proved to be a cost-effective solution. We show that it can be similarly beneficial in the verification of production processes and control.
PI3Kδ Inhibition Augments the Efficacy of Rapamycin in Suppressing Proliferation of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)+ B Cell Lymphomas

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) continues to be a devastating and potentially life-threatening complication in organ transplant recipients. PTLD is associated with EBV infection and can result in malignant B cell lymphomas. Here we demonstrate that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is highly activated in EBV+ B cell lymphoma lines derived from patients with PTLD. Treatment with the mTORC1 inhibitor Rapamycin (RAPA) partially inhibited the proliferation of EBV+ B cell lines. Resistance to RAPA treatment correlated with high levels of Akt phosphorylation. An mTORC1/2 inhibitor and a PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor suppressed Akt phosphorylation and showed a greater anti-proliferative effect on EBV+ B lymphoma lines compared to RAPA. EBV+ B cell lymphoma lines expressed high levels of PI3Kδ. We demonstrate that PI3Kδ is responsible for Akt activation in EBV+ B cell lymphomas, and that selective inhibition of PI3Kδ by either siRNA, or a small molecule inhibitor, augmented the anti-proliferative effect of RAPA on EBV+ B cell lymphomas. These results suggest that PI3Kδ is a novel, potential therapeutic target for the treatment of EBV-associated PTLD and that combined blockade of PI3Kδ and mTOR provides increased efficacy in inhibiting proliferation of EBV+ B cell lymphomas.
Increased Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations but Normal Hippocampal-Default Mode Network Connectivity in Schizophrenia

Background: Clinical and preclinical studies have established that the hippocampus is hyperactive in schizophrenia, making it a possible biomarker for drug development. Increased hippocampal connectivity, which can be studied conveniently with resting state imaging, has been proposed as a readily accessible corollary of hippocampal hyperactivity. Here we tested the hypothesis that hippocampal activity and connectivity are increased in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Sixty-three schizophrenia patients and 71 healthy control subjects completed a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. We assessed hippocampal activity with the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations. We analyzed hippocampal functional connectivity using three common methods: group and single subject level independent component analysis, and seed-based functional connectivity. Results: In patients with schizophrenia, we observed increased amplitude of low frequency fluctuations but normal hippocampal connectivity using independent component and seed-based analyses. Conclusions: Our results indicate that although intrinsic hippocampal activity may be increased in schizophrenia, this finding does not extend to functional connectivity. Neuroimaging methods that directly assess hippocampal activity may be more promising for the identification of a biomarker for schizophrenia.
Organic matter transformation in the peat column at Marcell Experimental Forest: Humification and vertical stratification

We characterized peat decomposition at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF), Minnesota, USA, to a depth of 2 m to ascertain the underlying chemical changes using Fourier transform infrared (FT IR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy) and related these changes to decomposition proxies C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. FT IR determined that peat humification increased rapidly between 30 and 75 cm, indicating a highly reactive intermediate-depth zone consistent with changes in C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. Peat decomposition at the MEF, especially in the intermediate-depth zone, is mainly characterized by preferential utilization of O-alkyl-C, carboxyl-C, and other oxygenated functionalities with a concomitant increase in the abundance of alkyl- and nitrogen-containing compounds. Below 75 cm, less change was observed but aromatic functionalities and lignin accumulated with depth. Significant correlations with humification indices, identified by FT IR spectroscopy, were found for C:N ratios. Incubation studies at 22°C revealed the highest methane production rates, greatest CH4:CO2 production ratios, and significant O-alkyl-C utilization within this 30 and 75 cm zone. Oxygen-containing functionalities, especially O-alkyl-C, appear to serve as excellent proxies for soil decomposition rate and should be a sensitive indicator of the response of the solid phase peat to increased temperatures caused by climate change and the field study manipulations that are planned to occur at this site. Radiocarbon signatures of microbial respiration products in deeper pore waters at the MEF resembled the signatures of more modern dissolved organic carbon rather than solid phase peat, indicating that recently photosynthesized organic matter fueled the bulk of subsurface microbial respiration. These results indicate that carbon cycling at depth at the MEF is not isolated from surface processes.
Teaching Tools For Data Analysis

Companies rely on business intelligence and business analytics to support organizational decision making. Application software packages enable data analysis to help companies pursue a competitive advantage. Learning to use these tools is not trivial, however, and business schools have added assignments and classes to help their students develop rigorous analytical skills. This paper describes hands-on, data analysis exercises to support strategic decision making used in an Applied Business Research class that is required for MBA students. The assignment involves analyzing large volumes of data using the tools of Excel, SQL, and SPSS. We describe the assignment, data, and exercises that the students perform. They learn the benefit of analyzing a dataset using different tools and methods, and which tools are most appropriate for what type of analysis.
Performance Evaluation of Finite-Life Real Estate Investment Trusts

This study analyzes the investment performance of real estate investment trusts, comparing the finite-life trusts (FREIT) with traditional REITs and stock returns. The results indicate that the FRE...
Are interplanetary magnetic clouds manifestations of coronal transients at 1 AU

Using proxy data for the occurrence of those mass ejections from the solar corona which are directed earthward, the association between the post-1970 interplanetary magnetic clouds of Klein and Burlaga (1982) and coronal mass ejections is investigated. The evidence linking magnetic clouds following shocks with coronal mass ejections is striking; six of nine clouds observed at earth were preceded an appropriate time earlier by meter-wave type II radio bursts indicative of coronal shock waves and coronal mass ejections occurring near central meridian. During the selected control periods when no clouds were detected near earth, the only type II bursts reported were associated with solar activity near the limbs. Where the proxy solar data to be sought are not so clearly suggested, that is, for clouds preceding interaction regions and clouds within cold magnetic enhancements, the evidence linking the clouds and coronal mass ejections is not as clear; proxy data usually suggest many candidate mass-ejection events for each cloud.
Pain Scores Improve Analgesic Administration Patterns for Trauma Patients in the Emergency Department

Objective To determine the efficacy of pain scores in improving pain management practices for trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). Methods A prospective, observational study of analgesic administration to trauma patients was conducted over a nine-week period following educational intervention and introduction of verbal pain scores (VPSs). All ED nursing and physician staff in an urban Level I trauma center were trained to use the 0-10 VPS. Patients younger than 12 years old, having a Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) Results There were 150 patients studied (183 consecutive trauma patients seen; 33 patients excluded per criteria). Pain scores were documented for 73% of the patients. Overall, 53% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 45% to 61%) of the patients received analgesics in the ED. Of the patients who had pain scores documented, 60% (95% CI = 51% to 69%) received analgesics, whereas 33% (95% CI = 18% to 47%) of the patients without pain scores received analgesics. No patient with a VPS 4 and 82% with a VPS > 7 received analgesics. Mean time to analgesic administration was 68 minutes (95% CI = 49 to 87). Conclusions Pain assessment using VPS increased the likelihood of analgesic administration to trauma patients with higher pain scores in the ED.
Antibodies to DNA in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus

Antibodies to DNA have been measured in sera of patients with childhood systemic lupus erythematosus, using the Farr ammonium-sulfate technique. A mixture of serum and radioactive DNA in half-saturated ammonium sulfate contains insoluble radioactivity only if DNA is bound to immunoglobulins. Measurement of serum DNA antibodies is valuable in the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, particularly in differentiating this condition from glomerulonephritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Improvement in clinical status in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus is accompanied by reduction in serum anti-DNA activity.
Computer anxiety at a graduate computer center: computer factors, support, and situational pressures

Abstract Some people are comfortable using computers. For others, the encounter with the computer is emotionally unsettling, interrupts work flow, and decreases productivity (Landauer, T.K., 1995, The trouble with computers: usefulness, usability, and productivity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press). Computer anxiety (CA) research has paid little attention to the role that computer qualities, social networks, and information-support play in relation to people's fear or avoidance of the computer. The author's review of the CA research suggested that we can further our understanding of CA by expanding our conceptual framework beyond the individual to include variables such as system quality, computer training, and technical support. This exploratory-grounded study of graduate students revealed new issues implicated in CA that can be described using three additional levels of analysis: (1) the situation; (2) the computer; and (3) the information-support. Time and goal pressures aggravated CA at the level of the situation. At the level of the computer two problematic attributes aggravated CA: unreliability and poorly depicted filing processes. At the level of information-support graduate students took pro-active strategies to reduce their CA. However, being aware that information-support had both the potential to improve the situation or make matters worse, they were careful to avoid information-support that used computer jargon and to call on patient and understanding computer friends for help.
Monochloramine Impairs Caspase-3 Through Thiol Oxidation and Zn2+ Release

Background Caspase-3, a pro-apoptotic enzyme, represents a class of proteins in which the active site contains reduced thiol (S-H) groups and is modulated by heavy metal cations, such as Zn 2+ . We explored the effects of the thiol oxidant monochloramine (NH 2 Cl) on caspase-3 activity within cells of isolated rabbit gastric glands. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that NH 2 Cl-induced alterations of caspase-3 activity are modulated by oxidant-induced accumulation of Zn 2+ within the cytoplasm. Materials and methods Isolated gastric glands were prepared from rabbit mucosa by collagenase digestion. Caspase-3 activity was measured colorimetrically in suspensions of healthy rabbit gastric glands, following exposure to various concentrations of NH 2 Cl with or without the zinc chelator TPEN [tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylene diamine] for 1 h, and re-equilibration in Ringer's solution for 5 h. Conversion of procaspase-3 to active caspase-3 was monitored by Western blot. Results Monochloramine inhibited caspase-3 activity in a dose-dependent fashion. At concentrations of NH 2 Cl up to 100 μ m , these effects were prevented if TPEN was given concurrently and were partly reversed if TPEN was given 1 h later. Caspase-3 activity was preserved by concurrent treatment with a thiol-reducing agent, dithiothreitol. Conclusions At pathologically relevant concentrations, NH 2 Cl impairs caspase-3 activity through oxidation of its thiol groups. Independently from its thiol oxidant effects on the enzyme, NH 2 Cl-induced accumulation of Zn 2+ in the cytoplasm is sufficient to restrain endogenous caspase-3 activity. Our studies suggest that some bacterially generated oxidants, such as NH 2 Cl, impair host pathways of apoptosis through release of Zn 2+ from endogenous pools.
41.1: Invited Paper: How Might the Rules that Govern Visual Search Constrain the Design of Visual Displays?

search attention can be guided toward a target item among distracting items by a limited set of basic features. This talk will summarize the rules of effective guidance (e.g. you can efficiently guide attention toward a red and vertical item but not a red and green item). Humans are good at searching for things in a crowded visual world. Once, we searched the savannah for predators and prey. Today, we search the cabinet for a mug, the countertop for the coffeepot, and the refrigerator for the cream. Moreover, we create stimuli for others to search through - from web pages to medical images to panels of instrumentation. The rules, forged over evolutionary time, apply to these searches of our own time. The purpose of this paper is to review some of those rules in the hope that knowledge of the limits on human search will help in display design. 1. Basic Visual Search
Regulation of the Accumulation and Function of p53 by Phosphorylation of Two Residues within the Domain That Binds to Mdm2

The function and stability of the tumor suppressor p53 are tightly controlled by the negative regulator mouse double minute 2 (Mdm2), which binds to p53, blocking DNA binding and targeting p53 for proteosome-mediated degradation. Following DNA damage or cellular stress, p53 is phosphorylated within the Mdm2 binding domain on threonine 18 and serine 20. To analyze the roles of these phosphorylation events, residues 18 and 20 were mutated to alanines. Transient transfection into p53-null cells demonstrated that the T18A protein can be expressed stably, but the S20A protein is very unstable, precluding further analysis. When expressed stably at low basal levels in p53-null human fibroblasts or fibrosarcoma cells, the T18A mutant accumulated 5–10-fold less well than wild-type p53 following exposure to UV. Analysis of p53-dependent transcription following UV revealed that the phosphorylation of threonine 18 is required for transactivation of the p21, Hdm2 (the human ortholog of Mdm2), and GADD45 genes. The phosphorylation of serine 33, another early event following DNA damage, is not required for p53 accumulation or p53-dependent transactivation following UV.
One State's Approach: Ohio's Effective School Program

Effective schools expect to be effective schools. This writer de tails Ohio's plan to achieve this goal.
Parallel four-dimensional Haralick texture analysis for disk-resident image datasets

Texture analysis is one possible method of detecting features in biomedical images. During texture analysis, texture-related information is found by examining local variations in image brightness. Four-dimensional (4D) Haralick texture analysis is a method that extracts local variations along space and time dimensions and represents them as a collection of 14 statistical parameters. However, application of the 4D Haralick method on large time-dependent image datasets is hindered by data retrieval, computation, and memory requirements. This paper describes a parallel implementation using a distributed component-based framework of 4D Haralick texture analysis on PC clusters. The experimental performance results show that good performance can be achieved for this application via combined use of task- and data-parallelism. In addition, we show that our 4D texture analysis implementation can be used to classify imaged tissues. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Depth-Averaged Model for Electrokinetic Flows in a Thin Microchannel Geometry

We have developed a generalized electrokinetic model suitable for the study of microchannel flows with conductivity gradients and shallow channel depths. An asymptotic analysis was performed with channel depth-to-width ratio as the smallness parameter, and three dimensional transport equations are reduced to a set to depth-averaged equations governing flow dynamics in the streamwise-spanwise plane of a shallow channel. The momentum equation uses a Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer type formulation, and the convective-diffusive transport of the conductivity field in the depth direction manifests itself as a dispersion effect on in-plane motion. Accuracy of the model was assessed by comparing the numerical results with direct numerical simulations. These depth-averaged equations provide the accuracy of three-dimensional modeling with a convenient quasi-two-dimensional equation set applicable to a fairly wide class of microfluidic devices.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Long-Term Monitoring and Identification of Bridge Structural Parameters

Vibration of a new concrete bridge was mon- itored and change in the bridge structural stiffness was identified accordingly over a 5-year period. This three- span 111-m long bridge is instrumented with 13 acceler- ation sensors at both the superstructure and the columns. The sensor data are transmitted to a server computer wirelessly. Modal parameters of the bridge, that is, the frequencies and the modal shapes were identified by pro- cessing 1,707 vibration data sets collected under traffic excitations, based on which the bridge structural param- eters, stiffness and mass, and the soil spring values were identified by employing the neural network technique. The identified superstructure stiffness at the beginning of the monitoring was 97% of the stiffness value based on the design drawings. In the identified modal frequen- cies, a variation from −10% to +10% was observed over the monitoring period. In the identified stiffness values of the bridge superstructure, a variation from −3% to +3% was observed over the monitoring period. Based on the statistical analysis of the collected data for each year, 5% decrease in the first modal frequency and 2% decrease in the superstructure stiffness were observed over the 5-year monitoring period. Probability density functions were obtained for stiffness values each year. Stiffness threshold values for the collapse of the bridge under the operational loading can be determined. Then the number of years can be assessed for which the area under the proposed proba- bility density functions is greater than the threshold value. So the information obtained in this study is valuable for studying aging and long-term performance assessment of similar bridges.
Combined laparoscopic and open extraperitoneal approach to scrotal hernias

Laparoscopic repair of scrotal hernias is often a difficult endeavor to successfully complete. The longstanding nature of these hernias often results in significant adhesions and anatomic distortion of the inguinal floor. These two issues make reduction of the hernia arduous and subsequent reinforcement of the parietal sac difficult. We have previously described techniques to increase the chances of success when attempting laparoscopic repair of scrotal hernias. Here, we describe some of those techniques as well as a combined laparoscopic and open approach to achieve a robust preperitoneal repair of incarcerated scrotal hernias when the usual totally extraperitoneal approach does not work. We performed a retrospective review of 1890 TEP hernia repairs we performed from 1990 to 2010. Rate of conversion to an open approach or a combined laparoscopic and open approach was examined. Incidence of complications or recurrences was assessed over a 12-month follow-up period. Among the 1890 TEP repairs, 94 large scrotal hernias were identified. Of these, nine cases (9.5 %) required conversion to an open procedure due to an incarcerated and indurated omentum. Three were completed with a conventional open preperitoneal whereas six patients (6.4 %) underwent repair with the combined approach. In this group, no recurrences or complications were found over a 12-month period. In cases where a large scrotal hernia may be difficult or dangerous to reduce laparoscopically, immediate conversion to an open repair may not be necessary. A combined laparoscopic and open approach can greatly assist in the visualization and dissection of the preperitoneal space, thereby facilitating reduction of the hernia and placement of the mesh.
Functional principal component analysis reveals discriminating categories of retinal pigment epithelial morphology in mice.

PURPOSE To determine whether multivariate, functional principal component analysis of the size and shape of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell morphology allows discrimination of mouse RPE genotypes and age. METHODS Flatmounts of RPE sheets obtained from C57BL/6J (n = 50) and rd10 (n = 61) mice at postnatal days 30 to 720 were stained for zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and imaged with confocal microscopy. A total of 111 flatmounts were prepared. Twenty-one morphometric measurements were made on tiled, composite images of complete flatmounts, including cell location, area, and eccentricity, using automated image analysis software for quantitatively measuring cell phenotypes. RESULTS In young (≤61-day-old) C57BL/6J mice, the RPE morphology resembled a regular hexagonal array of cells of uniform size throughout the retina, except near the ciliary body, where the shapes of RPE resembled a soft network. Old (≥180-day-old) C57BL/6J eyes had a subpopulation of large cells. A clear disruption of the regular cell size and shape appeared in rd10 mutants. Aspect ratio and cell area gave rise to principal components that predictively classified mouse age and genotype. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative differences in the RPE sheet morphology allowed discrimination of rd10 from C57BL/6J strains despite the confounding effect of aging. This has implications for RPE sheet morphology as a potential early biomarker for diagnosis of eye disease and prognosis of the eye at early stages when disease is subtle. We conclude that an RPE cell's area and aspect ratio are very early quantitative indicators that predict progression to advanced RPE disease as manifested in rd10.
Generalized cohomological index theories for Lie group actions with an application to bifurcation questions for Hamiltonian systems

Abstract : A general index theory for Lie group actions is developed which applies in particular to subsets of a Banach space which are invariant under the action of a compact Lie group G. Important special cases occur when G is Z(2) or S(superscript 1). This theory should be useful for problems involving differential equations which are invariant under G, in particular in obtaining estimates for the the number of solutions of these equations. As an application a bifurcation problem for Hamiltonian systems of ordinary differential equations is studied and estimates are made on the number of periodic solutions bifurcating from an equilibrium solution. (Author)
Identifying the minimum-energy atomic configuration on a lattice : Lamarckian twist on Darwinian evolution

We examine how the two different mechanisms proposed historically for biological evolution compare for the determination of crystal structures from random initial lattice configurations. The Darwinian theory of evolution contends that the genetic makeup inherited at birth is the one passed on during mating to new offspring, in which case evolution is a product of environmental pressure and chance. In addition to this mechanism, Lamarck surmised that individuals can also pass on traits acquired during their lifetime. Here we show that the minimum-energy configurations of a binary ${A}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{B}_{x}$ alloy in the full $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}1$ concentration range can be found much faster if the conventional Darwinian genetic progression---mating configurations and letting the lowest-energy (fittest) offspring survive---is allowed to experience Lamarckian-style fitness improvements during its lifetime. Such improvements consist of $A\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}B$ transmutations of some atomic sites (not just atomic relaxations) guided by ``virtual-atom'' energy gradients. This hybrid evolution is shown to provide an efficient solution to a generalized Ising Hamiltonian, illustrated here by finding the ground states of face-centered-cubic ${\text{Au}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Pd}}_{x}$ using a cluster-expansion functional fitted to first-principles total energies. The statistical rate of success of the search strategies and their practical applicability are rigorously documented in terms of average number of evaluations required to find the solution out of 400 independent evolutionary runs with different random seeds. We show that all exact ground states of a 12-atom supercell (${2}^{12}$ configurations) can be found within 330 total-energy evaluations, whereas a 36-atom supercell (${2}^{36}$ configurations) requires on average $39\text{ }000$ evaluations. Thus, this problem cannot be currently addressed with confidence using costly energy functionals [e.g., density-functional theory (DFT) based] unless it is limited to $\ensuremath{\le}20$ atoms. The computational cost can be reduced at the expense of accuracy: Searching for all approximate-minimum-energy configurations (within 3 meV) of a 12- or 36-atom supercell requires on average 30 or 580 total-energy evaluations, respectively. Thus it could be addressed even by costly energy functionals such as density-functional theory.
Determinants of hospital charges for coronary artery bypass surgery: the economic consequences of postoperative complications.

Abstract This is a prospective study of 500 consecutive patients having coronary artery bypass surgery; mean hospital charge from time of surgery to discharge was $11,900 ± 12,700. Multiple regression analysis was performed using preoperative variables and postoperative complications. No preoperative clinical feature was a significant predictor of higher average charge. Sternal wound infection (p = 0.0001), respiratory failure (p = 0.0001) and left ventricular failure (p = 0.017) were associated with higher average hospital charge. The absence of any complication predicted a lower average charge, and postoperative death (4.4 ± 4.5 days after surgery) was also associated with lower average charge. A cost equation was developed: hospital charge equalled $11,217 + $41,559 for sternal wound infection, + $28,756 for respiratory failure, + $5,186 for left ventricular failure, − $1,798 for no complication and − $6,019 for death. Recognition of the influence of complications on charges suggests that low average charges can only be achieved by surgical programs with a low complication rate.
Critical Points with Asymmetric Schemes

Abstract If Pn(x, y) and Qn(x, y) are real homogeneous polynomials of degree n with no common real linear factors, then the system x = P n , y = Q n has a unique critica point at the origin. If the origin is a non-rotation point, the global structure of the system in the plane is a sequence of sectors separated by integral rays, which is symmetric with respect to the origin. Consider the problem of realizing a similar global picture for which the sequence of sectors is not symmetric, by polynomial vector fields of minimal degree. The schemes are characterized for which such a realization is possible and examples are constructed. For the homogeneous case, a method is given for finding Pn and Qn from the scheme which is simpler than the original method of Forster.
Discovery of ZIP transporters that participate in cadmium damage to testis and kidney

It has been known for decades that cadmium (Cd) must enter the cell to cause damage, but there was no mechanism to explain genetic differences in response to Cd toxicity until 2005. Starting with the mouse Cdm locus associated with differences in Cd-induced testicular necrosis between inbred strains, a 24.6-centiMorgan region on chromosome 3 was reduced ultimately to 880 kb; in this segment is the Slc39a8 gene encoding the ZIP8 Zn2+/HCO3− symporter. In endothelial cells of the testis vasculature, Cd-sensitive mice exhibit high ZIP8 expression, Cd-resistant mice exhibit very low expression. A 168.7-kb bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) from a 129S6 (Cd-sensitive) BAC library containing the Slc39a8 gene was inserted into the Cd-resistant C57BL/6J genome: Cd treatment produced testicular necrosis in BAC-transgenic BTZIP8-3 mice but not in non-transgenic littermates, thereby proving that the Slc39a8 gene is indeed the Cdm locus. Cd-induced renal failure also occurred in these BTZIP8-3 mice. Immunohistochemistry showed highly expressed ZIP8 protein in the renal proximal tubular epithelial apical surface, suggesting that ZIP8 participates in Cd-induced renal failure. Slc39a14, most closely evolutionarily related to Slc39a8, encodes differentially-spliced products ZIP14A and ZIP14B that display properties similar to ZIP8. ZIP8 in alveolar cells brings environmental Cd into the organism and ZIP14 in intestinal enterocytes carries Cd into the organism and into the hepatocyte. We believe these two transporters function endogenously as Zn2+/HCO3− symporters important in combating inflammation and carrying out other physiological functions; Cd is able to displace the endogenous cation, enter the cell, and produce tissue damage and disease.
Stress and Nutritional Quality of Broilers

Broiler chicks were reared in environmental chambers. All birds were started under ideal conditions, i.e., 30.6 C with 35% RH. Beginning at Day 36, half of the chicks were maintained at 24 C and 35% RH. The other half were subjected to a cyclic temperature-RH regime that approximated a typical August day in central Mississippi (heat treatment). Half of each of the described groups received implants of osmotic pumps that released adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) at 8 IU/kg BW/d for 7 d. The remaining birds received placebo pumps. The main effects of ACTH and heat treatments were similar. Both treatments caused reductions in BW, carcass weight (CW), carcass protein (CP), and muscle calorie (C) content. ACTH, but not heat, reduced carcass moisture (M). Carcass fat and ash, however, were not affected. Most changes were not reversed after 1 wk of recovery. Although visible signs of pale, soft, exudative muscle (PSE) were present, "white" areas of muscle were absent. The decreased meat yield and detrimental changes in meat quality suggest that stress, whether induced hormonally or by exposure to over-heating, caused losses that were as severe as those associated with PSE under field conditions.
Post-traumatic tics and tetrabenazine treatment: a blinded video assessment.

Traumatic head injury is a very rare cause of secondary tic disorders. We add another case by describing, for the first time, the response to tetrabenazine in a blinded video assessment. Our patient had a severe traumatic head injury and subsequently developed tics refractory to various agents including neuroleptics. We assessed tetrabenazine treatment by virtue of patient9s impression, the treating neurologist9s non-blinded (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) and a second neurologist9s blinded assessment (modified Rush Video Scale). The Yale Global Tic Severity Score improved by 24% on 12.5 mg twice daily and 45% on 12.5 mg thrice daily. Subjective improvement was 50% and 70%, respectively. The modified Rush Video scores improved by 21% and 28.5%, respectively. Post-traumatic tourettism can respond to tetrabenazine. The magnitude of benefit though, may be overestimated with open-label observations, thus there is a need for studies examining objectively the effect of tetrabenazine in tic disorders.
Computer simulation of diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation with an Epstein drag force.

The motion of particles, dispersed in a medium, between collisions with each other can, in limiting situations, be either ballistic (straight line) or diffusive (random walker). The diffusive regime can be divided into two distinct subregimes. The ``continuum regime'' exhibits Stokes-Einstein-type diffusion (no-slip surface boundary condition) with a frictional coefficient proportional to the particle size (linear dimension). The ``Epstein regime,'' as we shall refer to it, is characterized by a frictional coefficient proportional to the particle cross-sectional area, hence an Epstein-type diffusion (slip surface). The purpose of the current study is to illuminate the dynamics of dilute-limit aggregation in the Epstein regime. We present results from low volume fraction Monte Carlo simulations of cluster-cluster aggregation in the Epstein regime with the particle motion based on each particle's cross-sectional area. Our findings indicate that aggregates grown under Epstein conditions have a fractal dimension of $\ensuremath{\sim}1.8$, similar to that of diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregates (DLCA) in the continuum regime. The kinetic exponent $z$ in the Epstein regime is found to be $z\ensuremath{\approx}0.8$, lower than its value for both the continuum regime DLCA $(z=1)$ and for the ballistic cluster aggregation regime $(z\ensuremath{\approx}2)$. Cluster size distribution data for Epstein systems are found to scale at large cluster sizes with exponents consistent with the kinetic data. A scaling argument for predicting the kinetic exponent and kernel homogeneity based on the mass or size dependence of the particle velocity and collision cross section is presented and is seen to give accurate results for dilute and intermediate values of particle volume fractions not only for the current study, but also for work done by other researchers with various choices for the aggregation kernel.
Driver Deceleration and Response Time When Approaching an Intersection: Implications for Intersection Violation Warning:

It is estimated that as many as 2.7 million crashes per year occur at intersections or are intersection related. These crashes result in over 8,500 fatalities every year and have prompted substantial research of technologies that provide vehicle-based, infrastructure-based, or infrastructure-cooperative Intersection Violation Warnings (IVWs) to drivers. Such a system would use a pre-specified algorithm to identify drivers that have a high likelihood of violating a traffic control device and subsequently warn the driver to stop. However, prior to developing these algorithms, scientists must understand how drivers respond to traffic signals. The current study characterized this driver response in terms of driver deceleration rates and response time. Drivers approached a signalized intersection at 35 mph (56.3 km/h), while their state (baseline, distracted, and willful) was manipulated and the signal phase changed at various distances. Results indicate that the chosen level of deceleration varied with the st...
Validation of the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL) pulmonary hypertension prediction model in a unique population and utility in the prediction of long-term survival.

BACKGROUND The Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial (PAH) Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL) model was designed to predict 1-year survival in patients with PAH. Multivariate prediction models need to be evaluated in cohorts distinct from the derivation set to determine external validity. In addition, limited data exist on the utility of this model in the prediction of long-term survival. METHODS REVEAL model performance was assessed to predict 1-year and 5-year outcomes, defined as survival or composite survival or freedom from lung transplant, in 140 patients with PAH. RESULTS The validation cohort had a higher proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (7.9% vs 1.9%, p p p CONCLUSIONS The REVEAL model had adequate discrimination to predict 1-year survival in this small but clinically distinct validation cohort. Although the model also had predictive ability out to 5 years, prediction was limited among patients of intermediate risk, suggesting our prediction methods can still be improved.
Some Numerical Simulations and an Experimental Investigation of a Finger Seal

Finger seals (FS) are compliant seal configurations. Unlike brush seals, they exhibit hydrodynamic lifting capabilities which allow non-contact sealing between stationary and rotating members. The compliance combined with the non-contacting feature allows both axial and radial adjustment of the seal to the rotor excursions without endangering the integrity of the former. The embodiment of a two-layer finger seal with high pressure (1c) and low pressure (1b) laminates is shown in Figure1. In this paper we shall analyze the thermo-hydraulic and mechanical performance (axial and radial deformations and displacements) of a representative repetitive cell that contains four high pressure and four low-pressure fingers arranged axially in a staggered configuration, and subject to rotation and an axial pressure drop. We shall also present experimental results pertaining to the seal deformation under axial pressure differential and rotation.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Prosecution of Physicians for Prescribing Opioids to Patients

In this issue, Reidenberg and Willis1 highlight the legal dangers associated with prescribing opioids for patients when federal or state governments believe that such prescribing is outside the “usual course of medical practice.” This article expands on the themes identified by the authors and addresses the problems faced by both prescribers and patients when “Big Brother” enters the treatment room and looks over the physician's shoulder. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2007) 81, 797–798. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100115
On projections of Gaussian distributions using maximum likelihood criteria

Generative statistical models with a very large number of parameters are frequently used in real-world data applications, such as large-vocabulary speech recognition (LVCSR). Complex models are needed in order to capture the ubiquitous variability in the observed signal, but data sparsity causes significant problems in their training. One way of dealing with data sparsity is to perform dimensionality reduction of the observed features, with the goal of reducing the model parameter space without sacrificing performance. When the data are Gaussian distributed, the dimensionality reduction can be done efficiently using the maximum likelihood criterion; this leads to the Heteroscedastic Linear Discriminant Analysis (HLDA), which is a natural extension of Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to the case where the class-conditional Gaussians have unequal covariance matrices. A further extension of HLDA to multiple transforms (MLDA) can also be tackled efficiently. This paper presents the theory behind HLDA and MLDA, and demonstrates their performance with synthetic data.
Na Laser Guide Star Technologies for Adaptive Imaging

Atmospheric turbulence severely limits the resolution of groundbased astronomical telescopes. In good seeing conditions at the best observatory sites, resolution at visible wavelengths is typically limited to-1 s of arc. During the past 20 years adaptive optical systems using electrically deformable mirrors have been developed to compensate for turbulence effects. Unfortunately, these systems require bright reference sources adjacent to the object of interest and can be used only to observe the brightest stars. Artificial guide stars suitable for controlling an adaptive imaging system can be created in the upper atmosphere by using a laser to excite resonance backscattering in the mesospheric sodium layer. The design requirements of a laser-guided adaptive telescope, as well as the expected imaging performance, are reviewed in this paper.