cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
History of the Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor and its impact in ophthalmic optics

The Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor is a technology that was developed at the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona in the late 1960s. It is a robust technique for measuring wavefront error that was originally developed for large telescopes to measure errors induced by atmospheric turbulence. The Shack Hartmann sensor has evolved to become a relatively common non-interferometric metrology tool in a variety of fields. Its broadest impact has been in the area of ophthalmic optics where it is used to measure ocular aberrations. The data the Shack Hartmann sensor provides enables custom LASIK treatments, often enhancing visual acuity beyond normal levels. In addition, the Shack Hartmann data coupled with adaptive optics systems enables unprecedented views of the retina. This paper traces the evolution of the technology from the early use of screen-type tests, to the incorporation of lenslet arrays and finally to one of its modern applications, measuring the human eye.
Effect of mean reaction time on saccadic responses to two-step stimuli with horizontal and vertical components

Abstract Saccadic responses to target movements containing two horizontal, two vertical and paired horizontal-vertical steps were measured in three human subjects. In all three target conditions, subjects made predominantly one saccade for short interstep intervals (ISI) and two saccades for long ISIs. However, the percentage of two-saccade responses (% 2 saccades) at each ISI varied substantially among target conditions and subjects due to inter-experiment variability in mean single step reaction times ( RT ). Correlation of % 2 saccades with the normalized interval RT minus ISI reduced interexperiment variability and suggested a sigmoid curve that applied to all our subjects and most other data taken from the literature.
I—Graeme Forbes

In I, I summarize the semantics for the relational/notional distinction for intensional transitives developed in Forbes (2000b). In II-V I pursue issues about logical consequence which were either unsatisfactorily dealt with in that paper or, more often, not raised at all. I argue that weakening inferences, such as ‘Perseus seeks a mortal gorgon, therefore Perseus seeks a gorgon’, are valid, but that disjunction inferences, such as ‘Perseus seeks a mortal gorgon, therefore Perseus seeks a mortal gorgon or an immortal gorgon’, are invalid. Since ‘a gorgon’ and ‘a mortal gorgon or an immortal gorgon’ are extensionally and intensionally the same quantifier, it is not completely trivial to arrange the semantics of intensional transitives so that this classification of the inferences is obtained. (This paper is an abridged version of Forbes (2001a); the latter will be incorporated into a forthcoming monograph, Attitude Problems .)
Fully programmable ultra-complex 2-D pulse shaping

We demonstrate programmable control of a pulse shaper that achieves both fine resolution and broad bandwidth operation by dispersing light into two dimensions. We show line-by-line pulse shaping at 5 GHz in a closed-loop configuration.
Infrared and Raman spectra of methyl trifluoroacetate

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra were obtained for methyl trifluoroacetate and a vibrational assignment has been made. This compound exists in a single molecular conformation and it has been concluded from the depolarization ratio (0.63) of the Raman CCO 2 out-of-plane bending band that the molecule is unsymmetrical.
Air-fluid level in axillary vein simulating abscess

Demonstration of an air-fluid level in the body wall on a computed tomography examination usually suggests the presence of an abscess or a postoperative fluid collection. However, the small amount of air that frequently is injected during intravenous contrast administration may result in a similar computed tomography appearance.
Prostate cancer incidence in relation to time windows of exposure to metalworking fluids in the auto industry.

Background: Exposure to metalworking fluids has been previously associated with prostate cancer mortality in a cohort of autoworkers. Our objective was to further explore this finding in a study of prostate cancer incidence in the same cohort, with reduced misclassification of outcome. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study in the General Motors cohort of autoworkers. Incident cases of prostate cancer (n = 872) were identified via the Michigan Cancer Registry from 1985 through 2000. Controls were selected using incidence-density sampling with 5:1 ratio. Using cumulative exposure (mg/m 3 -years) as the dose metric, we first examined varying lengths of lags (0-25 years). Then, we evaluated consecutive windows of exposure: 25 or more years before risk age, and fewer than 25 years. We used penalized splines to model the relative risk as a smooth function of exposure, and adjusted for race and calendar year of diagnosis in a Cox model. Results: Risk of prostate cancer increased with exposure to soluble and straight fluids 25 years or more before risk age but not with exposure in the last 25 years. The relationship with soluble fluids was piecewise linear, with a small increase in risk at lower exposures followed by a steeper rise. By contrast, the relationship with straight fluids was linear, with a relative risk of 1.12 per 10 mg/m 3 -years of exposure (95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.20). Conclusions: Exposure to oil-based fluids, soluble and straight, is modestly associated with prostate cancer risk among autoworkers, with a latency period of at least 25 years.
New data on magmatic H 2 O contents of pantellerites, with implications for petrogenesis and eruptive dynamics at Pantelleria

Infrared spectroscopic analyses of melt inclusions in quartz phenocrysts from pantellerites erupted at Pantelleria, Italy, show that the magmas contained moderate pre-eruptive H2O contents, ranging from 1.4 to 2.1 wt.%. Melt H2O concentrations increase linearly with incompatible elements, demonstrating that H2O contents were not buffered significantly during fractionation by any crystalline or vapor phase. The relatively low H2O contents of pantellerites are consistent with an origin by partial melting of alkali gabbros rather than fractional crystallization of basalt. Preeruptive H2O concentrations do not correlate with the volume or explosivity of pantellerite eruptions; decompression history is critical in determining the style of pantellerite (and other) eruptions.
Morphoangiogenesis: a unique action of growth hormone.

A new form of angiogenesis, morphoangiogenesis (M-A), produces stem cells in vivo in adults. M-A was first identified in the knees of adult rabbits used to test intraarticular growth hormone (IAGH) injections as a method of regenerating articulophyseal cartilage (APC). M-A produces two structures capable of generating the stem cells. The first structure, which resembles cartilage canals normally observed only in fetuses, starts to develop 24 h after an IAGH injection. The second structure, which resembles renal glomeruli, develops several weeks later. Both structures contained thin-walled fenestrated capillaries and produced stem cells which contributed to the cascade generating articular cartilage. It was thought that other uses for morphoangiogenesis could be developed. These include tissue and organ formation using stem cells produced by M-A and the obstruction of neovascularization of cancers by M-A's ability to form structures which would obstruct nutritive vessels and thereby starve tumors.
Composite Mandibulectomy A Novel Animal Model

Several pathologic processes of the head and neck including benign and malignant neoplasms require the through-and-through resection of a segment of mandible as a component of their management.1,2 Occasionally, the resection of a segment of abnormal tissue in conjunction with adjacent bone is required. This procedure, termed composite mandibulectomy, invariably includes a large intraoral defect and, thus, direct communication with the site of mandibular resection. As a consequence, any reconstructive effort must take into consideration the increased potential for salivary contamination and postoperative complications that may result.3–6 The primary reconstructive modality for composite mandibular resections is the free vascularized bone flap; however, several limitations to this procedure exist. Consequently, there is now a significant research effort focused on alternative methods of osseous reconstruction. A small-animal model that accurately represents the composite mandibulectomy has not been previously described. We present a reliable small-animal model that can be effectively used to study the reconstruction of composite mandibular defects. A detailed, stepwise description of surgical technique and relevant intraoperative anatomy is presented. Intraoperative considerations, perioperative complications, and postoperative care are discussed.
Corrosion-fatigue crack-growth rates in austenitic stainless steels in light water reactor environments

Abstract Widespread intergranular stress corrosion cracking has occurred at welds in BWR piping systems. ASME Section XI requires that these service flaws be fully evaluated against fatigue crack growth. This paper discusses a data analysis model aimed at developing a correlation for available crack-growth data for stainless steel in PWR as well as BWR environments. Useful presentations of fatigue crack-growth data are obtained by plotting the time rate of crack growth for water environments as a function of the predicted time rate for air environments. The analysis suggests that fatigue crack growth in some stainless/water systems is a time-dependent, corrosion-related phenomenon. However, data for deoxygenated water environment do not indicate time-dependent characteristics. The data also indicate that the ASME Section XI Task Group recommendation for estimating corrosion fatigue crack-growth rates in austenitic piping materials may be unreasonable under certain loading conditions. Additional data are needed to confirm this conclusion.
Protein and Energy Requirements of the Young Calf

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to study the protein and energy requirements of the young calf and the relative efficacy of various milk replacers, by using 88 three-day-old male Holstein calves from 4 to 60 days of age. The energy requirement for maintenance was 48.2kcal digestible energy daily per kilogram of body weight; the requirement for growth was 370kcal per 100g gain in body weight. The nitrogen retention was 2.56g per 100g gain in weight. The digestibilities of nitrogen, ether extract and energy; weight gains and fecal consistency showed significant (P
Glial-derived proteins activate cultured astrocytes and enhance beta amyloid-induced glial activation

A prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is an abundance of activated glia (astrocytes and microglia) in close proximity to the amyloid plaques. These activated glia overexpress a number of proteins that may participate in the progression of the disease, possibly by propagation of inflammatory and oxidative stress responses. The beta-amyloid peptide 1-42 (Aβ), a major constituent of neuritic plaques, can itself induce glial activation. However, little is known about whether other plaque components, especially the upregulated glial proteins, can induce glial activation or modulate the effects of Aβ on glia. In this study, we focused on four glial proteins that are abundant in amyloid plaques and/or that are known to interact with Aβ: α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), S100β, and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). We examined the ability of these proteins to activate rat cortical astrocyte cultures and to influence the ability of Aβ to activate astrocytes. Treatment of astrocytes with ACT, IL-1β, or S100β resulted in glial activation, as assessed by reactive morphology, upregulation of IL-1β, and production of inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide. The ability of Aβ to induce astrocyte activation was also enhanced in the presence of each of these three proteins. In contrast, BChE alone did not activate astrocytes and had no effect on Aβ-induced activation. These results suggest that certain proteins produced by activated glia may contribute to the chronic glial activation seen in AD through their ability to stimulate astrocytes directly or through their ability to modulate Aβ-induced activation.
Metformin Exhibits Radiation Countermeasures Efficacy When Used Alone or in Combination with Sulfhydryl Containing Drugs

Metformin, a biguanide drug used in the treatment of type II diabetes, was evaluated alone and in combination with amifostine, captopril, MESNA or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) for its ability to protect when administered 24 h after irradiation. Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF), human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC) and SA-NH mouse sarcoma cells were exposed to 4 Gy in vitro. C3H mice were exposed to 7 Gy and evaluated utilizing an endogenous spleen colony assay system. Amifostine and WR1065, administered 30 min prior to irradiation, were used as positive controls. Treatment of MEF, HMEC and SA-NH cells with metformin elevated survival levels by 1.4-, 1.5- and 1.3-fold compared to 1.9-, 1.8- and 1.6-fold for these same cells treated with WR1065, respectively. Metformin (250 mg/kg) was effective in protecting splenic cells from a 7 Gy dose in vivo (protection factor = 1.8). Amifostine (400 mg/kg), administered 30 min prior to irradiation resulted in a 2.6-fold survival elevation, while metformin administered 24 h after irradiation in combination with NAC (400 mg/kg), MESNA (300 mg/kg) or captopril (200 mg/kg) enhanced survival by 2.6-, 2.8- and 2.4-fold, respectively. Each of these agents has been approved by the FDA for human use and each has a well characterized human safety profile. Metformin alone or in combination with selected sulfhydryl agents possesses radioprotective properties when administered 24 h after radiation exposure comparable to that observed for amifostine administered 30 min prior to irradiation making it a potentially useful agent for radiation countermeasures use.
Normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegia reduce inotropic requirements and creatine kinase-MB after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Purpose To determine whether normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegia preserve myocardial function, reduce inotropic requirements, and reduce markers of myocardial ischemia following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG).
Ammonium chloride and viral penetration

Quantitation of the effect of NH4Cl on viral penetration was done under conditions of single-cycle replication in a system using Krebs-2 ascites cells and influenza virus, which produces only unassembled viral structural protein. Penetration was measured by neutralization of adsorbed virus in the presence or absence of NH4Cl and comparison of yields of hemagglutinins after a 24 hour growth period.
Solid-State Light-Emitting Devices Based on the Tris-Chelated Ruthenium(II) Complex. 2. Tris(bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) as a High-Brightness Emitter

We report high-brightness, high-efficiency, solid-state light-emitting devices based on small-molecule Ru(bpy)3(PF6)2 and its derivatives. These devices operate at low voltage (as low as 2.5 V), su...
Does Morphology In Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease Correspond to Response in Reduction in Immunosuppression Therapy? |[dagger]| 777

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) occurs in solid organ transplant patients. Recent efforts have led to a classification system with a primary morphologic basis, polymorphic versus monomorphic group (lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease). To test the hypothesis that patients with polymorphic morphology are more likely to respond to a reduction in immunosuppression, we recently reviewed the records of 30 pediatric solid organ transplant patients with PTLD (12 lung, 8 liver, 5 heart, 5 kidney).
Common Femoral Artery Endarterectomy for Lower-Extremity Ischemia: Evaluating the Need for Additional Distal Limb Revascularization

Background The role of common femoral artery endarterectomy (CFE) and the need for distal revascularization is challenging in certain clinical scenarios. For some patients with claudication or rest pain CFE alone may suffice, however, some surgeons advocated that in-line flow must be re-established in patients with major tissue loss for wound healing purposes. The decision when to perform CFE with or without distal revascularization is sometimes difficult. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of common femoral artery endarterectomy (CFE) to define predictive factors for additional distal revascularization. Methods Retrospective review of 262 consecutive CFEs in 230 patients with lower-extremity ischemia between 1997 and 2008. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (n = 169; CFE alone) and group B (n = 93; CFE + distal revascularization). Concomitant iliac intervention was included only if performed by endovascular approach. Patients were analyzed by Rutherford category (RC) and TransAtlantic InterSociety Consensus (TASC) II classification. Primary end points were mortality, patency, reintervention, and limb salvage. Results Demographics, preoperative Society for Vascular Surgery score assessment, and TASC II classification did not differ between groups. Mean follow-up was 75 months (range: 1–128 months). Technical success was obtained in all patients. RC (3 ± 1.2 vs. 5 ± 1.4; P = 0.001), diabetes (33% vs. 52%; P = 0.005), mean operative time (+154 minutes; P Conclusion CFE alone is sufficient for patients with lower-extremity ischemia who present with life-limiting claudication regardless of TASC lesion and for those with RC 5 and TASC lesions A to C. Patients with RC 5 and TASC D lesions and those with major tissue loss (RC 6) regardless of TASC lesion are better served with additional distal revascularization to improve limb salvage, reintervention, and survival rates.
Simultaneous measurement of runoff and leaching losses of bromide and phosphate using tilted beds and simulated rainfall

Abstract Small beds packed with soil were used to study intertill soil erosion and chemical transport processes. We compared the partitioning of bromide and phosphate between runoff and leaching, and related sediments rates (g/min) to bromide and phosphate concentrations in the runoff. Stainless steel tilted beds (1.0 x 0.5 x 0.1 m) with 2% slope were equipped with leaching and surface runoff collection funnels. A Tifton loamy sand was hand‐packed in the beds to a bulk density of 1.7 Mg/m3. Chemicals were sprayed uniformly to the soil surface and followed by a 2 h, 10 cm simulated rainfall. Runoff and leaching started after 27 min of rainfall and remained constant. Change in sediment rate, and bromide and phosphate concentrations from the first to the second runoff sample was related to splash transport. Breakthrough curves for leaching of bromide and phosphate were different and related to their affinity for the soil particle surfaces. This experimental technique may be useful for estimation of pesticide...
A Three Megavolt Transformer for PFL Pulse Charging

High voltage pulse transformer powered by low voltage capacitor banks have proven to be simple reliable systems for charging pulse forming transmission lines (PFL) up to the one megavolt range. A new transformer has been developed which will operate up to three megavolts in a PFL charging application. This transformer establishes the feasibility of multimegavolt operation and retains the features of compactness and high energy transfer efficiency that has been characteristic of lower voltage systems. This report includes a description of the physical features of the transformer, its electrical characteristics and a discussion of the operational results.
Allyl Sulfones as Precursors to Allylzincs in the Palladium-Catalyzed Zinc-ene Cyclization: Highly Efficient Synthesis of Enantiopure (−)-Erythrodiene†

Easily prepared allyl phenyl sulfones, capable of introduction of the alkene by electrophilic α-substitution, are superior to allyl acetates as substrates for Pd-catalyzed Zn-ene cyclizations, providing C5 or C4N rings with cis-1,2-vinyl and -CH2Zn substituents. Several examples, with different methods of substrate preparation, are presented.
Plasma metabolomics identifies lipid abnormalities linked to markers of inflammation, microbial translocation, and hepatic function in HIV patients receiving protease inhibitors

Metabolic abnormalities are common in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART), but the biochemical details and underlying mechanisms of these disorders have not been defined. Untargeted metabolomic profiling of plasma was performed for 32 HIV patients with low nadir CD4 counts (<300 cells/ul) on protease inhibitor (PI)-based ART and 20 healthy controls using liquid or gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Effects of Hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection and relationships between altered lipid metabolites and markers of inflammation, microbial translocation, and hepatic function were examined. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), Random forest, pathway mapping, and metabolite set enrichment analysis (MSEA) were performed using dChip, Metaboanalyst, and MSEA software. A 35-metabolite signature mapping to lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism distinguished HIV patients with advanced disease on PI-based ART from controls regardless of HCV serostatus (p<0.05, false discovery rate (FDR)<0.1). Many altered lipids, including bile acids, sulfated steroids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and eicosanoids, were ligands of nuclear receptors that regulate metabolism and inflammation. Distinct clusters of altered lipids correlated with markers of inflammation (interferon-α and interleukin-6), microbial translocation (lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and LPS-binding protein), and hepatic function (bilirubin) (p<0.05). Lipid alterations showed substantial overlap with those reported in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD). Increased bile acids were associated with noninvasive markers of hepatic fibrosis (FIB-4, APRI, and YKL-40) and correlated with acylcarnitines, a marker of mitochondrial dysfunction. Lipid alterations in HIV patients receiving PI-based ART are linked to markers of inflammation, microbial translocation, and hepatic function, suggesting that therapeutic strategies attenuating dysregulated innate immune activation and hepatic dysfunction may be beneficial for prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders in HIV patients.
symbolic and empirical reality: a new approach to the analysis of food avoidances

Food avoidances have been explained either as fitting into a cognitive system which operates through symbolic logic, or as part of a society's largely unconscious codification of pragmatic strategy. An examination of the Malay humoral system and the concept of bisa shows that pragmatic and symbolic reasoning are not mutually exclusive. On the most abstract level, the strength of the system comes from its internal logic and coherence; on a middle level of abstraction, it provides metaphors for reasoning and understanding; on the most concrete level – that of direct sensory experience – the system is reinforced by moorings in empirical reality that act as structural supports to the symbolic edifice. [food avoidances, humoral systems, cultural ecology, symbolism, Malay studies]
Reduced Prefrontal Efficiency for Visuospatial Working Memory in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective Visuospatial working memory impairments have been implicated in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, most ADHD research has focused on the neural correlates of nonspatial mnemonic processes. This study examined brain activation and functional connectivity for visuospatial working memory in youth with and without ADHD. Method Twenty-four youth with ADHD and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an N-back test of working memory for spatial position. Block-design analyses contrasted activation and functional connectivity separately for high (2-back) and low (1-back) working memory load conditions versus the control condition (0-back). The effect of working memory load was modeled with linear contrasts. Results The 2 groups performed comparably on the task and demonstrated similar patterns of frontoparietal activation, with no differences in linear gains in activation as working memory load increased. However, youth with ADHD showed greater activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), greater functional connectivity between the left DLPFC and left intraparietal sulcus, and reduced left DLPFC connectivity with left midcingulate cortex and PCC for the high load contrast compared to controls ( p k > 100 voxels). Reanalysis using a more conservative statistical approach ( p k > 100 voxels) yielded group differences in PCC activation and DLPFC-midcingulate connectivity. Conclusion Youth with ADHD show decreased efficiency of DLPFC for high-load visuospatial working memory and greater reliance on posterior spatial attention circuits to store and update spatial position than healthy control youth. Findings should be replicated in larger samples.
Combining Water Percolation Analysis and Molecular Dynamics Simulations for Protein-Protein Binding Interface Prediction

We consider ab initio prediction of protein-protein binding interfaces of weakly-associating proteins in aqueous environment. Systems of interest are important in cellular signalling pathways and manifest Kd values in the micromolar range (weak binding). We use molecular dynamics simulations of individual proteins at varying hydration levels to determine percolation thresholds for water networks. By mapping average local water density around all residues at the percolation threshold, we are able to determine clusters of residues with low water density which we consider as potential binding regions. We have performed analysis on a series of 20 proteins and compare to existing automated protein-protein binding interface prediction servers.
Efficient Hardware Implementation of Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-3) Finalist - Skein

Cryptographic hash functions are widely used in many information security applications like digital signatures, message authentication codes (MACs), and other forms of authentication. In response to recent advances in cryptanalysis of commonly used hash algorithms, NIST USA announced a publicly open competition for selection of new standard Secure Hash Algorithm called SHA-3. One important aspect of this competition is evaluation of hardware implementations of the candidates. Skein is one of the 5 candidates that have been promoted to final round of the competition. In this paper we present an efficient hardware implementation of Skein-256 algorithm and compare our results with other published hardware implementations of Skein. This work serves as performance investigation of hardware implementation of Skein on modern FPGAs.
Lung transplantation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: patient selection and special considerations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Lung transplantation is one of the few treatments available for end-stage COPD with the potential to improve survival and quality of life. The selection of candidates and timing of listing present challenges, as COPD tends to progress fairly slowly, and survival after lung transplantation remains limited. Though the natural course of COPD is difficult to predict, the use of assessments of functional status and multivariable indices such as the BODE index can help identify which patients with COPD are at increased risk for mortality, and hence which are more likely to benefit from lung transplantation. Patients with COPD can undergo either single or bilateral lung transplantation. Although many studies suggest better long-term survival with bilateral lung transplant, especially in younger patients, this continues to be debated, and definitive recommendations about this cannot be made. Patients may be more susceptible to particular complications of transplant for COPD, including native lung hyperinflation, and development of lung cancer.
The Eckhaus instability in hexagonal patterns

Abstract The Eckhaus instability of hexagonal patterns is studied within the model of three coupled envelope equations for the underlying roll systems. The regions of instability in the parameter space are found analytically from both the phase approximation and a full system of amplitude equations. Beyond the stability limits of hexagons two different modes go unstable. Both provide symmetry breaking of an initially regular pattern via splitting of a triplet of rolls into two triplets of growing disturbances. The parameters of fastest growing disturbances (wavelength, orientation, growth rate) are determined from the full set of linearized amplitude equations. The nonlinear stage of the Eckhaus instability is investigated numerically. Symmetry breaking due to the Eckhaus instability indeed occurs within a certain range of parameters, which for small supercriticality parameter μ leads to a metastable disordered hexagonal state with numerous line and point defects. For larger μ the Eckhaus instability triggers the transition of regular hexagonal pattern to disordered roll state. The roll phase originates in the cores of defects and then spreads all over the pattern.
Art-making as place-making following disaster

The study investigates how the arts and humanities facilitate the recovery of places following catastrophe. It contends that personal engagements with humanistic activities enable place-making by h...
New insights into the relationship between suture closure and craniofacial dysmorphology in sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis

Premature closure of the sagittal suture occurs as an isolated (nonsyndromic) birth defect or as a syndromic anomaly in combination with other congenital dysmorphologies. The genetic causes of sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) remain unknown. Although variation of the dysmorphic (scaphocephaly) skull shape of sagittal NSC cases has been acknowledged, this variation has not been quantitatively studied three-dimensionally (3D). We have analyzed the computed tomography skull images of 43 infants (aged 0.9–9 months) with sagittal NSC using anatomical landmarks and semilandmarks to quantify and characterize the within-sample phenotypic variation. Suture closure patterns were defined by dividing the sagittal suture into three sections (anterior, central, posterior) and coding each section as ‘closed’ or ‘fused’. Principal components analysis of the Procrustes shape coordinates representing the skull shape of 43 cases of NSC did not separate individuals by sex, chronological age, or dental stages of the deciduous maxillary first molar. However, analysis of suture closure pattern allowed separation of these data. The central section of the sagittal suture appears to be the first to fuse. Then, at least two different developmental paths towards complete fusion of the sagittal suture exist; either the anterior section or the posterior section is the second to fuse. Results indicate that according to the sequence of sagittal suture closure patterns, different craniofacial complex shapes are observed. The relationship between craniofacial shape and suture closure indicates not only which suture fused prematurely (in our case the sagittal suture), but also the pattern of the suture closure. Whether these patterns indicate differences in etiology cannot be determined with our data and requires analysis of longitudinal data, most appropriately of animal models where prenatal conditions can be monitored.
Complex ambiguity function based on fourth-order statistics for joint estimation of frequency-delay and time-delay of arrival

The complex ambiguity function based on second-order statistics (CAF-SOS) has been used to simultaneously estimate the frequency-delay of arrival (FDOA) and time-delay of arrival (TDOA) between two signal measurements. But, its performance is sensitive do the effect due to the cross-correlation between noise sources. We develop the complex ambiguity function based on fourth-order statistics (CAF-FOS) to suppress the Gaussian noise-correlation effect. We also suggest a non-stationary estimate of the fourth-order cross-cumulants for implementing the CAF-FOS algorithm. Through simulations, we show that the CAF-FOS method can suppress the effect of spatially correlated Gaussian noise sources and produce good joint estimates of the PDOA/TDOA. >
A Wolbachia-associated fitness benefit depends on genetic background in Drosophila simulans.

The α-proteobacteria Wolbachia infect a number of insect species and influence host reproduction to favour the spread of infected females through a population. The fitness effect of this infection is important in understanding the spread and maintenance of Wolbachia within and among host populations. However, a full elucidation of fitness effect requires careful control of host genetic background. Here, I transferred a single clone of Wolbachia (the w Ha strain) into three genetically distinct isofemale lines of the fly Drosophila simulans using microinjection methodology. These lines carried one of the three described mitochondrial haplogroups ( si I, si II or si III) and differ in nuclear genome as well. Population cage assays showed that w Ha-infected si III flies enjoyed a dramatic fitness benefit compared to uninfected si III. In contrast, w Ha did not affect the fitness of si I or si II flies. This study points to the importance of host-by-symbiont interaction terms that may play an important role in organismal-fitness.
Incoherent Optical Correlators

Optical correlators utilizing spatially incoherent light are examined and compared with coherent correlators. Frequency and image domain optical correlator architectures are discussed. The effect of speckle noise and input noise is examined. Simplified linear systems and Fourier transform descriptions of incoherent processors are provided. Simulation results are presented to quantitatively compare the performance of coherent and incoherent systems processing inputs containing additive noise. We consider pattern recognition correlator applications, rather than imaging systems in which the SNR of incoherent systems is better. For pattern recognition applications, SNR, PSR, and discrimination effects are very different as we show.
Fault-Driven Re-Scheduling For Improving System-level Fault Resilience

The productivity of HPC system is determined not only by their performance, but also by their reliability. The conventional method to limit the impact of failures is checkpointing. However, existing research shows that such a reactive fault tolerance approach can only improve system productivity marginally. Leveraging the recent progress made in the field of failure prediction, we propose fault-driven rescheduling (FARS) to improve system resilience to failures, and investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing failure prediction to dynamically adjust the placement of active jobs (e.g. running jobs) in response to failure prediction. In particular, a rescheduling algorithm is designed to enable effective job adjustment by evaluating performance impact of potential failures and rescheduling on user jobs. The proposed FARS complements existing research on fault-aware scheduling by allowing user jobs to avoid imminent failures at runtime. We evaluate FARS by using actual workloads and failure events collected from production HPC systems. Our preliminary results show the potential of FARS on improving system resilience to failures.
Instructional Strategy Change and the Attitude and Achievement of Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Science Students.

This sequential methodologic elaboration study investigated differences between the middle school and the junior high instructional strategies and the effects on adolescent attitude toward science in school and science achievement. Subjects of the quantitative phase were 570 seventh- and eighth-grade students in one school in an urban school district in the midwest United States during a transition year from junior high to middle school. Germann's Attitude toward Science in School Assessment and the school district's Benchmark Exams were employed to measure student pre- and posttest attitude and achievement. Variations within grade level, gender, race, general ability, and socioeconomic group were evaluated. Results of split plots revealed no significant differences in science attitude between the experimental middle school group and the junior high control group at this phase. However, there was significant improvement in attitude in both seventh-grade populations, but no change in attitude in either eighth-grade population. No significant differences in attitude were found between males and females, Caucasian students and students of color, or students of different ability or socioeconomic groups. Significant increases in science achievement were revealed in the seventh-grade junior high control group, the eighth-grade middle school, and the eighth-grade junior high, but not in the seventh-grade middle school. No significant differences in achievement were found between males and females. Caucasians scored significantly higher in achievement than students of color. Average and high ability students scored significantly higher pretest to posttest, but low ability students did not. High ability students scored significantly higher than both average and low ability groups. There was significant improvement in science achievement for students in the sufficient socioeconomic status group, but not in the low socioeconomic status group. These results were discussed with the five science teachers, the principal, and a university consultant in the setting, who were the informants of the qualitative elaboration phase of the study. Ethnographic methods uncovered themes explaining differences and similarities within the two instructional strategies. Teachers' feelings and stages of concern were identified. The results are discussed in terms of effectively implementing changes in instructional strategies and assessing science achievement of early adolescents.
Bayesian analysis of overprediction of insanity.

Summary.-Decision-making under uncertainty is visualized as a two-action game against nature. The psychiatrist is the player and has two actions from which to choose: predict violent behavior or predict sanity. The two states of nature are (i) the accused is in fact guilty and (ii) the accused is in fact innocent. The psychiatrist aas as if he evaluates a loss function which is such that overprediction of violent behavior is the natural consequence of a rational person who wishes to minimize his personal risk. Society's loss function, however, differs from the psychiatrist's loss function to such an exrent that a rational society would want to underpred~cr v~olrnt behavior in order to minimize the risk of false confinements. It is suggested that the player of this game (the psychiatrist) has been ill-advisedly chosen. Civil commitment of the mentally ill is determined in part by a psychiatric assessment of the "likelihoad of harm." Is it likely that the person being exarnined will commit harm to society if he is not confined to a mental institution? The psychiatrist's prediction of the likelihood of harm reflects his personal judgment and his estimate of the probability involved, being subjective, can be viewed as a Bayesian subjective probability. This decision to deprive or not deprive a person of his civil liberties is a decision making under uncertainty problemperfect prediction is not possible. Errors of prediction will be made and the question posed in this paper is, "Is it better to underpredict or overpredict the likelihood of harm?" Bayejian Decision Theory A suitable framework for an answer to this question is the Bayesian decision theory model. This model, which is named after the 18th century English minister Reverend Thomas Bayes, includes one or more of the following elements: ( 1 ) subjective probability; (2) Bayes Theorem; and (3) loss functions. The emphasis in this paper is on the loss function. The subjective probability is the decision maker's estimate of the true proportion of the population that is capable of violent behavior (which for ease of literary exposition has been termed "insanity"). Since definitions of insanity vary from psychiatrist to psychiatrist, this probability estimate will be necessarily subjective. Although classical statisticians might be reluctant to assign numerical factors to such things as danger to society, Bayesian statisticians are quite willing to elicit this information by asking, "What are the betting odds?" If the odds are high enough, willingness to bet obtains and subjective probabilities are established. Lest our use of the term insanity be misunderstood, certain qualifications
Expression and Function of Recombinant Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene in Canine Basilar Artery

Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is an enzyme responsible for the production of a potent vasodilator and a key regulator of vascular tone, NO. In peripheral arteries, expression of a recombinant eNOS gene increases production of NO in the blood vessel wall. This approach appears to be a promising strategy for gene therapy of cerebrovascular disease. The major objective of the present study was to determine whether a recombinant eNOS gene (AdCMVNOS) can be functionally expressed in cerebral arteries. Replication-defective recombinant adenovirus vectors encoding bovine eNOS and Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase (AdCMVLacZ) genes, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, were used for ex vivo gene transfer. Rings of canine basilar artery were incubated with increasing titers of the vectors in MEM. Twenty-four or forty-eight hours after gene transfer, expression and function of AdCMVNOS were evaluated by (1) immunohistochemical staining, (2) isometric tension recording, and (3) cGMP radioimmunoassay. Transfection with AdCMVNOS resulted in the expression of recombinant eNOS protein in the vascular adventitia and endothelium, associated with significantly reduced contractile responses to UTP and enhanced endothelium-dependent relaxation to calcium ionophore A23187. Basal production of cGMP was significantly increased in the transfected vessels. The reduced contractions to UTP with increased cGMP production were reversed by a NOS inhibitor, N G -monomethyl-L-arginine. Contractions to UTP or production of cGMP were not affected in arteries transfected with AdCMVLacZ reporter gene. The results of the present study represent the first successful transfer and functional expression of recombinant eNOS gene in cerebral arteries. Our findings suggest that cerebral arterial tone can be modulated by recombinant eNOS expression in the vessel wall. (Circ Res. 1997;80:327-335.)
Complication rates of radiation on tissue expander and autologous tissue breast reconstruction.

Background To evaluate risk factors for complications of tissue expander/implant and autologous tissue breast reconstructions and determine if radiation increases complication rates.
Features of Mammalian microRNA Promoters Emerge from Polymerase II Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Data

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA regulators of protein coding genes. miRNAs play a very important role in diverse biological processes and various diseases. Many algorithms are able to predict miRNA genes and their targets, but their transcription regulation is still under investigation. It is generally believed that intragenic miRNAs (located in introns or exons of protein coding genes) are co-transcribed with their host genes and most intergenic miRNAs transcribed from their own RNA polymerase II (Pol II) promoter. However, the length of the primary transcripts and promoter organization is currently unknown. Methodology: We performed Pol II chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-chip using a custom array surrounding regions of known miRNA genes. To identify the true core transcription start sites of the miRNA genes we developed a new tool (CPPP). We showed that miRNA genes can be transcribed from promoters located several kilobases away and that their promoters share the same general features as those of protein coding genes. Finally, we found evidence that as many as 26% of the intragenic miRNAs may be transcribed from their own unique promoters. Conclusion: miRNA promoters have similar features to those of protein coding genes, but miRNA transcript organization is more complex.
Student misconceptions in writing balanced equations for dissolving ionic compounds in water

The goal of this study was to identify student misconceptions and difficulties in writing symbolic-level balanced equations for dissolving ionic compounds in water. A sample of 105 college students were asked to provide balanced equations for dissolving four ionic compounds in water. Another 37 college students participated in semi-structured interviews where they provided balanced equations for dissolving the same four ionic compounds in water and were asked to explore their thought processes at the particulate level associated with writing these equations. Misconceptions identified from these data included (i) the notion that water reacts with the ionic salts through double displacement to form a metal oxide and an acid; (ii) the notion that ionic salts dissolve as neutral atoms or molecules in water; (iii) confusion regarding the proper use of subscripts and coefficients; and (iv) the notion that polyatomic ions will dissociate into smaller particles in water. This study also describes the possible sources of these misconceptions.
Graft copolymer modification of polyethylene--polystyrene blends. II. Properties of modified blends

The use of graft copolymers of styrene onto polyethylene as additives to improve the mechanical properties of polyethylene–polystyrene blends is described. Blends containing equal proportions of low-density polyethylene and polystyrene were selected for this study since this composition represents the poorest balance of properties in this system. Graft addition generally increased both the yield strength and the elongation at break of the blend. Of the grafts employed, those prepared at an irradiation dose near 0.5 megarad appear optimal for this purpose. These conditions apparently balance the beneficial effects of grafting extent and the detrimental effects of crosslinking, both of which increase with irradiation dose.