cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Joint optimization of rate allocation and BLAST ordering to minimize outage probability

We consider a wireless system over a MIMO Rayleigh-fading channel with successive-cancellation detection. The outage probability (OP) of such a system is strongly dependent on two choices: the order in which the layers are detected, and the rate-allocation strategy at the transmitter. We propose the rate-normalized ordering algorithm, a generalization of the BLAST ordering algorithm that is shown to minimize OP. We further optimize the allocation of rate and energy at the transmitter, for a variety of receiver ordering strategies. Finally, we jointly optimize the receiver ordering and transmitter rate and energy allocations. Our main conclusion is that, for a wide range of data rates and SNR, the OP is minimized by a combination of rate-normalized ordering and a partially uniform rate and energy allocation strategy. The jointly optimum system outperforms the BLAST architecture by 15 dB at 8 b/s/Hz and an outage probability of 10/sup -3/, when operating over a 4-input 4-output Rayleigh-fading channel. Also, this system shows an improvement of 1.5 dB over a recently proposed combination of optimum allocation and fixed ordering.
Tricyclic Antidepressant Use in Diabetic Neuropathy

OBJECTIVE:To determine whether all tricyclic antidepressants are equally effective in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search for randomized controlled studies was conducted from January 1966 to December 1998.CONCLUSIONS:Amitriptyline, imipramine, and desipramine are superior to placebo in relieving painful diabetic neuropathy. Desipramine has been shown in one small study to have efficacy equal to amitriptyline. Imipramine has been compared with amitriptyline in another small study, but the lack of statistics and adverse effect evaluation did not allow for critical comparison between the two agents. No randomized studies on nortriptyline monotherapy in diabetic neuropathy have been published. Data are insufficient to determine whether all tricyclic antidepressants are equally effective. Amitriptyline and desipramine are reasonable first choices in treating diabetic neuropathy.
Electron-hole collisions in concentrator solar cells

Point-contact solar cells are fabricated on high-resistivity silicon and consequently operate in high-level injection where both electrons and holes exist in large numbers. The authors analyze the effects of electron-hole collisions on device operation and conclude that the conventional treatments are theoretically inadequate. The reason for this is that the efficacy of electron-hole collisions in altering the current flow depends on the relative drift velocities of the two carrier, and not merely on their numbers, as is conventionally assumed. From thermodynamic considerations, the authors introduce the more general equations of current flow and consider their effect in practical solar cells. The differences between the proposed general theory and the conventional treatment are described, and both are compared to experimental data where available. A practical modeling method and the application of the general equations to the point-contact solar cell are discussed. It is shown that reductions in mobility due to electron-hole collisions should not have a significant impact on the ultimate energy conversions efficiencies obtainable. >
Direct estimation of shear‐wave interval velocities from seismic data

Conventional velocity analysis of seismic data is based on normal moveout of common‐depth‐point (CDP) traveltime curves. Analysis is done in a hyperbolic framework and, therefore, is limited to using the small‐angle reflections only (muted data). Hence, it can estimate the interval velocities of compressional waves only, since mode conversion is negligible when small‐angle arrivals are concerned. We propose a new method which can estimate the interval velocities of compressional and mode‐converted waves separately. The method is based on slant stacking or plane‐wave decomposition (PWD) of the observed data (seismogram), which transforms the data from the conventional T-X domain into the intercept time‐ray parameter domain. Since PWD places most of the compressional energy into the precritical region of the slant‐stacked seismogram, the compressional‐wave interval velocities can be estimated using the “best ellipse” approximation on the assumption that the elliptic array velocity (stacking velocity) is app...
C-shaped canal configurations in mandibular molars

The C-shaped canal configuration is a developmental anomaly that may not be identified on preoperative radiographs. Clinical findings include normal anatomy of the pulp floor, separate canal orifices, and continuous sensitivity and hemorrhage. In three cases, the preoperative radiographs and internal anatomies of the pulp chamber indicated normal anatomy of mandibular second molars. As treatment progressed, it became apparent that C-shaped roots and canals were present.
Systematic review of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form

Purpose Fatigue is a subjective complaint that is believed to be multifactorial in its etiology and multidimensional in its expression. Fatigue may be experienced by individuals in different dimensions as physical, mental, and emotional tiredness. The purposes of this study were to review and characterize the use of the 30-item Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) in published studies and to evaluate the available evidence for its psychometric properties. Methods A systematic review was conducted to identify published articles reporting results for the MFSI-SF. Data were analyzed to characterize internal consistency reliability of multi-item MFSI-SF scales and test-retest reliability. Correlation coefficients were summarized to characterize concurrent, convergent, and divergent validity. Standardized effect sizes were calculated to characterize the discriminative validity of the MFSI-SF and its sensitivity to change. Results Seventy articles were identified. Sample sizes reportedrangedfrom10to529andnearlyhalfconsistedexclusively of females. More than half the samples were composed of cancer patients; of those, 59 % were breast cancer patients. MeanalphacoefficientsforMFSI-SFfatiguesubscalesranged from 0.84 for physical fatigue to 0.93 for general fatigue. The MFSI-SF demonstrated moderate test-retest reliability in a small number of studies. Correlations with other fatigue and vitality measures were moderate to large in size and in the expected direction. The MFSI-SF fatigue subscales were positively correlated with measures of distress, depressive, and anxious symptoms. Effect sizes for discriminative validity ranged from medium to large, while effect sizes for sensitivity to change ranged from small to large. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the positive psychometric properties of the MFSI-SF, provide evidence for its usefulness in medically ill and nonmedically ill individuals, and support its use in future studies.
An index of the contribution of spatial community structure to the species-accumulation curve

A species-accumulation curve measures the increase in the number of species encountered with increased sampling. When quadrat or other kinds of area sampling designs are used, the contribution of spatial community structure to the species-accumulation curve can be investigated. This paper describes and illustrates a relatively simple index, based on a random-sampling model, that quantifies the role of spatial community structure in the species-accumulation curve.
In situ single bio-molecule recognition by atomic force microscopy using functionalized tip

Atomic force microscopy is a powerful and widely used imaging technique that can visualize single molecules both in air and solution. In this paper, by functionalizing the AFM tip with antibodies, atomic force microscopy is able to identify specific types of receptors such as angiotensin II type I receptors on cells' membrane. The antibody is tethered to the AFM tip through a spacer to form a strong but flexible binding. Due to the flexibility of the spacer, the antibody bond to the AFM tip has much more chance to interact with the antigen (receptor) on cell's surface than a direct antibody coating method. Because the AFM phase image is very sensitive to the interaction force between tip and surface, the single receptors can be easily identified by passing the phase information to a band-pass filter to remove the low frequency topography signal. After adding more antibodies to the solution to block all the specific type receptor, the disappearance of the receptors in the image verify the effectiveness of this method.
Gene Expression Induced by Copper Stress in the Diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Utilizing a PCR-based subtractive cDNA approach, we demonstrated that the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana exhibits a rapid response at the gene level to elevated concentrations of copper and that this response attenuates over 24 h of continuous exposure. A total of 16 copper-induced genes were identified, 11 of which were completely novel; however, many of the predicted amino acid sequences had characteristics suggestive of roles in ameliorating copper toxicity. Most of the novel genes were not equivalently induced by H2O2- or Cd-induced stress, indicating specificity in response. Two genes that could be assigned functions based on homology were also induced under conditions of general cellular stress. Half of the identified genes were located within two inverted repeats in the genome, and novel genes in one inverted repeat had mRNA levels induced by approximately 500- to 2,000-fold by exposure to copper for 1 h. Additionally, some of the inverted repeat genes demonstrated a dose-dependent response to Cu, but not Cd, and appear to belong to a multigene family. This multigene family may be the diatom functional homolog of metallothioneins.
A generalization of chordal graphs

In a 3-connected planar triangulation, every circuit of length ≥ 4 divides the rest of the edges into two nontrivial parts (inside and outside) which are “separated” by the circuit. Neil Robertson asked to what extent triangulations are characterized by this property, and conjectured an answer. In this paper we prove his conjecture, that if G is simple and 3-connected and every circuit of length ≥ 4 has at least two “bridges,” then G may be built up by “clique-sums” starting from complete graphs and planar triangulations. This is a generalization of Dirac's theorem about chordal graphs.
SMASH: a program for scheduling memory-intensive application-specific hardware

Addresses automatic synthesis of memory-intensive application specific systems, with emphasis on hierarchical storage architecture design. SMASH is a program which combines storage hierarchy design with data path synthesis. It uses appropriate system parameters in order to coordinate between the synthesis of different subarchitectures of the system and schedules data transfers between them. We have synthesized some design examples using SMASH and have included the results in this paper. >
A prospective comparison of digital image analysis and routine cytology for the identification of malignancy in biliary tract strictures.

Abstract Background & Aims: Digital image analysis (DIA) allows quantification of nuclear DNA content and may help distinguish benign and malignant strictures of the biliary tract. Methods: One hundred ten consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiography for suspicious biliary tract strictures were enrolled in a prospective study comparing the accuracy of DIA and routine cytology (RC). Standard brush cytology sampling was performed twice by using 2 cytology brushes per patient. Both brushes were fixed in a single-specimen vial. Each specimen was formed into 1 pellet, and the sample was equally divided for evaluation by DIA and RC. DNA histograms were generated for ploidy analysis. The DIA criterion for malignancy was demonstration of aneuploidy. Results: Two patients had inadequate samples obtained for DIA analysis, 7 benign patients were excluded because of inadequate follow-up of less than 75 days, and 1 patient was lost to follow-up to clarify malignant versus benign disease. Of the remaining 100 patients, 56 strictures were malignant and 44 were benign. The sensitivities of DIA and RC were 39.3% and 17.9%, respectively ( P = 0.014). The specificities of DIA and RC were 77.3% and 97.7%, respectively ( P = 0.003). The accuracy of DIA (56.0%) was equivalent to RC (53.0%). Conclusions: DIA is a valuable adjunct to RC for detecting malignant strictures of the biliary tract.
A bad data identification method for linear programming state estimation

The author presents a bad-data identification procedure for linear programming (LP) power system static state estimation. LP state estimators minimize the weighted sum of the absolute values of the measurement residuals. The proposed procedure first detects the bad data using the measurement residuals of those measurements rejected by the LP estimator. Then the bad measurement is identified and eliminated by estimating the measurement errors of the zero residual measurements. The residuals obtained from this second estimation step are made use of for this purpose. In order to minimize the computational burden during the elimination cycles, a fast way of eliminating measurements through weight changing is also presented. The performance of the proposed procedure is tested and the results are presented, using AEP's 14, 30, 57 and 118. >
Are We Selling Results or Résumés?: The Underexplored Linkage between Human Resource Strategies and Firm-Specific Capital

Over the last several decades, virtually every large law firm has adopted some variant of the Cravath system, which builds human capital by hiring the best students from the best schools and providing them with the best training. At the end of a multi-year tournament, the best associates are promoted to partner. In theory, this system delivers superior services to clients, thus creating firm-specific capital that generates higher profits. In recent years, however, the surge in demand for corporate legal services has outstripped the supply of one key input - elite law school graduates. The ensuing salary wars have significantly increased the cost structure of large corporate law firms and undercut clients' willingness to pay for associate training. These trends are unsustainable. More significantly, clients are unhappy and searching for ways to control costs.This essay draws upon the findings of an innovative study of engineers at the renowned Bell Laboratories to sketch out a plausible alternative law firm model that could profit from client discontent. In an exhaustive study that was designed to identify the various traits of star performers (so Bell Labs could recruit more of them), researchers found no relationship between performance and various social, psychological, and cognitive abilities, such as I.Q. Two years of observational fieldwork subsequently revealed that higher productivity among knowledge workers was attributable to several distinctive work strategies that were teachable. Further, controlled experiments showed large and persistent productivity gains for engineers who completed the training program, with women and minority workers posting the largest increases. I discuss whether these insights could be applied to law firms (the answer is yes) and why law firms nonetheless would resist despite the potential for higher profits. I then outline how the concept could be put to a market test.
Gaucher Disease Type 2 Presenting with Collodion Membrane and Blueberry Muffin Lesions

Collodion membrane is most closely associated with forms of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, but the differential diagnosis includes many other less common etiologies. Herein we present a case of Gaucher disease (GD) type 2 in a neonate presenting with collodion membrane in addition to blueberry muffin lesions. The clinical presentation and etiology of GD and the differential diagnoses for collodion membrane and blueberry muffin lesions are briefly reviewed.
Race and fall risk: data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)

OBJECTIVES: the objective of this study was to explore whether race-based difference in fall risk may be mediated by environmental and physical performance risk factors. METHODS: using data from a nationally representative longitudinal survey of 7,609 community-dwelling participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), we evaluated whether racial differences in fall risk may be explained by physical performance level (measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery), mobility disability, physical activity level and likelihood of living alone. Multivariate Poisson regression and mediation models were used in analyses. RESULTS: in whites and blacks, the annual incidence of 'any fall' was 33.8 and 27.1%, respectively, and the annual incidence of 'recurrent falls' was 15.5 and 12.3%, respectively. Compared with whites, blacks had relative risks of 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.6-0.8) and 0.6 (0.5-0.8) for sustaining any fall and recurrent falls, respectively, in adjusted analyses. Blacks had poorer performance on the SPPB (P CONCLUSIONS: relative to whites, blacks were at 30 and 40% decreased risk of sustaining any fall and recurrent falls, respectively. This difference in risk remains unexplained. Language: en
Effect of enzyme inhibitors on transformation of enzymes in the living cell.

SummaryThe effects of several enzyme inhibitors on the adaptation of yeast to galactose fermentation has been studied. The results strongly indicate that the process of adaptation involves the synthesis of one or more new enzymes.
Body Temperature of Newly Hatched Chicks

Abstract That the normal body temperature of the adult domestic fowl is fairly high (106° to 107°F.) is generally known, but so far as the writer has been able to determine, there are no statements in the literature as to the normal temperature of chicks when first hatched. A beginning was made on a study of this problem in 1918 while the writer was connected with the Poultry Department of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station. This paper reports certain phases of that study. Data were secured on a total of 119 S. C. White Leghorn chicks. These were pedigree-hatched, June 21, 1918, in Prairie State Incubators. Upon being taken from the hatching bags each chick was marked with a numbered leg-band in order that all data might be studied with reference to the parentage of the chicks. The chicks were grouped into four lots, on a basis of parentage, with as . . .
Belief Constraint and Belief Consensus: Toward an Analysis of Social Movement Ideologies—A Research Note

The purpose of this research note is to point toward procedures for the comparative analysis of social movement ideologies. The need for such procedures follows from our conviction that, to describe the outcomes of recent social movements, we need to understand their ideologies and the differential impact of those ideologies on subgroups within the general public. We have found, however, that adequate procedures for comparative study of social movement ideologies do not exist in the resource mobilization paradigm currently favored for the study of social movements. The techniques we use to characterize social movement ideology are borrowed from the study of political belief systems in political science (Converse). In adopting these procedures, we identify a methodological flaw in them that is particularly troublesome when studying groups that exhibit a great deal of consensus in their beliefs (e.g., social movements). Converse and his colleagues studied belief system differences between political elites and the public at large. They focused on differences in the consistency or constraint of political beliefs, where constraint is defined as the extent to which various beliefs can be predicted from each other. Typically constraint has been assessed by intercorrelating attitudes on different political issues and then averaging the resulting correlations across issues. Elites have generally been found to show much greater constraint than the public at large, although this conclusion and the procedures employed to reach it have been criticized. The greater belief constraint of political elites is assumed to be due to their high level of political involvement. Political activity and opposition make political issues salient and results in consistency across issues. The factors that lead to high levels of constraint in political elites are also found in social movements. Social movements typically demand high
Regional cholinergic differences between distal and proximal colonic myenteric plexus

We investigated differences in myogenic and neural response of proximal vs. distal guinea pig colon in longitudinal and circular muscle. Spontaneous phasic contractions were more intense in distal ...
Folic Acid for the prevention of neural tube defects.

Case study: A 36-year-old recently married woman comes to your office for a routine gynecologic examination. She tells you that she has been in generally good health since her last visit.
Case studies and comparative history

None of the inventories of the causes of democracy surveyed in Chapter 4 can be taken at face value because they summarize conclusions from disparate and poorly integrated sources of uneven rigor. Before giving credence to checklist items, it is essential to find out from where they came. The remainder of this book therefore evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and approaches employed by the scholars who have launched these propositions into our collective academic mind. If there were a way to measure quantities of information, there would be no doubt that the bulk of our knowledge of democratization comes from histories and case studies. It is ironic that noncomparative research so dominates a field known as comparative politics, but this is an irony that is long-standing and well known. The huge number of books and articles about the birth, death, or survival of democracy in dozens of countries in the twentieth century alone is more than any one scholar can digest. In fact, anyone unlucky enough to be buried under this small mountain of printed matter would surely be suffocated and crushed. To be sure, this literature does not satisfy all of the criteria for good theory. I argue in this chapter that histories and case studies produce a kind of knowledge that is unsurpassed in its thickness yet lacking in generality and theoretical integration. In this chapter, I also survey and critique a smaller but still sizable body of literature that consists of comparative histories: detailed comparisons of the historical development of a (usually) small number of cases. Comparative history has enough characteristics in common with case studies and histories to warrant discussing them jointly. Comparative history is a methodological compromise that preserves some thickness while reaching out toward generality and theoretical integration. Those who value thickness would be better off with histories and case studies, those who value generality would be better off with large-sample approaches, and those who value theoretical integration would better focus their efforts on deductive theorizing. Comparative history combines the weaknesses of case studies and quantitative methods when it comes to testing the general truth of a theory. Nevertheless, it has some advantages when the goal is theory development.
How does DEM resolution affect microtopographic characteristics, hydrologic connectivity, and modelling of hydrologic processes?

The resolution of a digital elevation model (DEM) is a crucial factor in watershed hydrologic and environmental modelling. DEM resolution can cause significant variability in the representation of surface topography, which further affects quantification of hydrologic connectivity and simulation of hydrologic processes. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of DEM resolution on (1) surface microtopographic characteristics, (2) hydrologic connectivity, and (3) the spatial and temporal variations of hydrologic processes. A puddle-to-puddle modelling system was utilized for surface delineation and modelling of the puddle-to-puddle overland flow dynamics, surface runoff, infiltration, and unsaturated flow for nine DEM resolution scenarios of a field plot surface. Comparisons of the nine modelling scenarios demonstrated that coarser DEM resolutions tended to eliminate topographic features, reduce surface depression storage, and strengthen hydrologic connectivity and surface runoff. We found that reduction in maximum depression storage and maximum ponding area was as high as 97.56% and 76.36%, respectively, as the DEM grid size increased from 2 to 80 cm. The paired t-test and fractal analysis demonstrated the existence of a threshold DEM resolution (10 cm for the field plot), within which the DEM-based hydrologic modelling was effective and acceptable. The effects of DEM resolution were further evaluated for a larger surface in the Prairie Pothole Region subjected to observed rainfall events. It was found that simulations based on coarser resolution DEMs (>10 m) tended to overestimate ponded areas and underestimate runoff discharge peaks. The simulated peak discharge from the Prairie Pothole Region surface reduced by approximately 50% as the DEM resolution changed from 2 to 90 m. Fractal analysis results elucidated scale dependency of hydrologic and topographic processes. In particular, scale analysis highlighted a unique constant–threshold–power relationship between DEM scale and topographic and hydrologic parameters/variables. Not only does this finding allow one to identify threshold DEM but also further develop functional relationships for scaling to achieve valid topographic characterization as well as effective and efficient hydrologic modelling. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of Fatty Acid Profiles Relevant to the Characterization of ErwiniaAmylovora

A total of 143 isolates of Erwinia amylovora from various rosaceous host plants were collected from 5 states and 10 foreign countries. The isolates were grown on trypticase soy broth with agar added for determination of the cellular fatty acids composition of the bacteria. Extracts were prepared by saponification of whole bacterial cells, followed by acidification of the solution, liberation of the fatty acids, and subsequent gas liquid chromatography analysis. Fatty acid peaks were identified by a computer-calculator. The most abundant fatty acids were straight-chain 12:0, 14:0 and 16:0; unsaturated 16:1 and 18:1; and 14:0 30H and 17:0 cyclopropane. Minor fatty acids included straight-chain 15:0, 17:0 and 18:0. The saturated even-carbon chains comprised about 49%, the unsaturated acids 28, cyclic acids 10, hydroxy substituted chains 9%, and saturated odd-carbon chains 1% of total fatty acids. The highest standard deviation was obtained on the unsaturated and cyclic fatty acids. Fatty acid class nalysis indicated relative uniformity within the E. amylovora group. A slight variation in the percentage cyclic acids was observed in isolates obtained from Belgium vs. those from England and the USA, as well as in isolates from Rubus vs. those from Pyrus, Crataegus and Cotoneaster.
Patterns of failure after reirradiation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy and the competing risk of out-of-field recurrences.

Abstract Purpose To describe patterns of failure (POF) after reirradiation (reRT) with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for recurrent/second primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Methods From 08/2004-02/2013, 75 consecutive patients received reRT with IMRT. Gross tumor was generally treated with a 5 mm planning target volume (PTV) margin. For postoperative cases, a 5 mm PTV was added to the clinical target volume which included the postoperative bed. Elective neck coverage was not standard. POF were characterized by correlating the recurrent tumor location on CT-imaging with the reRT IMRT plan. Results Patients received definitive reRT (55%) or postoperative reRT (45%) to a median 60 Gy (range, 59.4–70 Gy). Most patients (88%) received concurrent chemotherapy including induction (16%). The median overall survival was 1.8 years. Isolated local-regional recurrence (LRR) was the most common failure-type (2-year cumulative incidence [CI] 22.5% [95% C.I. 13.6–32.7%]), but concurrent LRR and distant-failure occurred frequently (2-year CI LRR + distant-failure 19.6% [95% C.I. 11.3–29.5%]); isolated distant-failure was rare (2-year CI 5.7% [95% C.I. 1.8–12.8%]). The 2-year in-field control was 65% (95% C.I. 52–81%) reflecting encouraging control within the irradiated target. Patients with gross disease were more likely to recur in-field (p = 0.02), whereas postoperative patients were more likely to recur out-of-field/marginally than in-field (p = 0.02). Conclusions POF after reRT differ when treating gross disease or postoperatively and should be considered when delineating reRT targets. Aggressive local therapy resulted in favorable in-field control, yet there remains a high competing risk of regional and distant micrometastatic disease. Better systemic agents are needed to control clinically occult local-regional and distant disease.
Microbial communities and diazotrophic activity differ in the root-zone of Alamo and Dacotah switchgrass feedstocks

Nitrogen (N) bioavailability is a primary limiting nutrient for crop and feedstock productivity. Associative nitrogen fixation (ANF) by diazotrophic bacteria in root-zone soil microbial communities have been shown to provide significant amounts of N to some tropical grasses, but this potential in switchgrass, a warm-season, temperate, US native, perennial tallgrass has not been widely studied. ‘Alamo’ and ‘Dacotah’ are cultivars of switchgrass, adapted to the southern and northern regions of the United States, respectively, and offer an opportunity to better describe this plant–bacterial association. The nitrogenase enzyme activity, microbial communities, and amino acid profiles in the root-zones of the two ecotypes were studied at three different plant growth stages. Differences in the nitrogenase enzyme activity and free soluble amino acid profiles indicated the potential for greater nitrogen fixation in the high productivity Alamo compared with the lower productivity Dacotah. Changes in the amino acid profiles and microbial community structure (rRNA genes) of the root-zone suggest different plant–bacterial interactions can help to explain differences in nitrogenase activity. PICRUSt analysis revealed functional differences, especially nitrogen metabolism, that supported ecotype differences in root-zone nitrogenase enzyme activity. It is thought that the greater productivity of Alamo increased the belowground flow of carbon into roots and root-zone habitats, which in turn support the high energy demands needed to support nitrogen fixation. Further research is thus needed to understand plant ecotype and cultivar trait differences that can be used to breed or genetically modify crop plants to support root-zone associations with diazotrophs.
Isolated diplopia associated with calcineurin inhibitor therapy in a patient with idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a case report

Neurotoxicity is a common side effect of treatment with calcineurin inhibitors. Tremors are frequently reported as the most common manifestation. Variable presentations can include headaches, seizures, visual hallucinations or blindness. Sixth nerve palsy has been reported in previous cases of bone marrow and cardiac transplant patients receiving calcineurin inhibitors. In many of these previously reported cases, the drug was administered intravenously and very high drug levels were found. We report the first case of isolated diplopia in a patient being treated for idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis. This is also the first report where the neurotoxicity induced by initial tacrolimus therapy persisted with subsequent cyclosporine therapy, two structurally different calcineurin inhibitors which share a common mechanism of action. In our case toxicity occurred after 3 months of therapy despite low serum concentrations and the symptoms resolved completely after discontinuation of the drugs. Our case provides further evidence that the neurotoxicity is a result of calcineurin inhibition. Monitoring of serum concentrations of these drugs has not been correlated with toxicity. The mean duration to onset of symptoms can be as much as 70 days suggesting accumulation of the drug in the central nervous system plays a role. Recognition of this condition is important for prompt diagnosis and appropriate management.
Multiagent Layered Formation Control Based on Rigid Graph Theory

Abstract We present a solution to the nonplanar, multiagent formation control problem using rigid graph theory. First we provide an overview of rigid graph theory, which is an abstraction of the rigidity of civil and mechanical structures and can be used in designing frameworks that are rigid or flexible (ie, nondeformable or deformable). The rigidity of a framework is determined by the number of edges in the graph for a given number of vertices. Then we use rigid graph theory to solve a formation control problem with one or more agents coordinating the actions of other interacting agents that are operating in a different plane. This can be referred to as layered formation control, where the objective is for the agents in both layers to cooperatively acquire a predefined formation shape using a decentralized control law. We consider formation control for both single-integrator and double-integrator models of mobile agents. The proposed control strategy is based on regulation of the interagent distances to desired distances and preservation of graph rigidity characteristics. We provide simulation examples for both single-integrator and double-integrator agent models to verify the theoretical results.
Time of Relapse after Initial Therapy Significantly Adds to the Prognostic Value of the IPI-R in Patients with Relapsed DLBCL Undergoing Autologous HSC Transplantation.

Background: High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is curative in about 40% of patients with relapsed chemosensitive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The international prognostic index obtained at the time of relapse (IPI-R) and the time from initial treatment to relapse (TTR) have been suggested in different series to be predictors of outcome after HSC transplantation. We explored the concomitant effect of IPI-R and TTR on therapeutic outcome in a modern and uniform cohort of patients with relapsed chemosensitive DLBC undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and peripheral HSC transplantation. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 80 consecutive patients treated at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN between 2001 and 2006 who received a peripheral HSC transplant (except for 3 patients who receive bone marrow) after being conditioned with BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (BEAM) for relapsed chemosensitive DLBCL. Results: Median follow-up of survivors was 31.4 months, Median age at the time of transplant was 62 (interquartile range 53–65; range 26–77), 65% were males; median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was 2. All patients had received at least one previous anthracycline-based regimen, 78% had been previously exposed to rituximab and all achieved at least CRu after the initial treatment. The median time from diagnosis to relapse was 19 months (interquartile range 10–43), 25% of patients had a high or high-intermediate IPI-R. The median survival from the time of transplant for patients with TTR>18 months v. ≤ 18 months was not reached and 50 months respectively (P=0.005). Median survival for patients with high or high-intermediate IPI-R at the time of relapse (IPI score ≥3) was 23.3 months and not reached for patients with low or low-intermediate IPI (P=0.01). These two factors were independent in multivariate analysis with RR for death of 1.8 (1.2–2.9; P=0.004) for TTR ≤ 18 months and 1.7 (1.1–2.5; P=0.017) for high or high-intermediate IPI and therefore combined in a prognostic system were patients with none (n=32), one (n=39) or two (n=9) of these prognostic factors had median disease free survival not reached v. 50 months v. 3.3 months (P=0.001) and overall survival not reached v. 50 months v. 5 months (P=0.0001) (Figure). Conclusion: TTR and IPI-R provide an easy and powerful prognostic system in patients with DLBCL undergoing modern high-dose chemotherapy with HSC support.
Oxygen Activation at the Active Site of a Fungal Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases have attracted vast attention owing to their abilities to disrupt glycosidic bonds via oxidation instead of hydrolysis and to enhance enzymatic digestion of recalcitrant substrates including chitin and cellulose. We have determined high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of an enzyme from Neurospora crassa in the resting state and of a copper(II) dioxo intermediate complex formed in the absence of substrate. X-ray crystal structures also revealed “pre-bound” molecular oxygen adjacent to the active site. An examination of protonation states enabled by neutron crystallography and density functional theory calculations identified a role for a conserved histidine in promoting oxygen activation. These results provide a new structural description of oxygen activation by substrate free lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and provide insights that can be extended to reactivity in the enzyme–substrate complex.
Sum-fit method of analysis of nuclear decay spectra affected by extending dead-time

Abstract We present a method of analysis of nuclear decay spectra affected by extending dead-time, in which a non-trivial, but relatively simple correction for dead-time losses is applied to produce an estimate of the spectrum in the absence of dead-time, with negligible bias and negligible deviation from the original Poissonian statistics. The method requires the measurement of arrival times of all observed decay events, but it does not require any knowledge about the dead-time or the nuclear decay. The parameters of nuclear decay can be determined in a subsequent straight-forward analysis of the estimated dead-time free spectra, individually or in combinations. In a typical realistic situation this approach is expected to contribute 0.001% or less to the systematic error of nuclear half-life or activity. Compared to the exact method of analysis presented in our earlier publication, the present method is much easier to implement and produces the results significantly faster.
Development of miniature robotic manipulators to enable SmallSat clusters

This paper presents the concept to provide a robust and scalable robotic solution to enable SmallSat clusters via Cluster Forming On-board Robotic Manipulators (C-FORM). Instead of dedicated launches of large science instruments, small science satellites could be piggybacked as secondary payloads. After deployment, the SmallSats will rendezvous. Miniature robot arms will deploy and perform docking to a second SmallSat, similar to robotic docking on the ISS or space shuttle. This docking method accommodates uncertainty in GNC while reducing risk of spacecraft collision through increased separation distance. Docking will be repeated until the cluster is completely formed, amplifying their capabilities. These clusters would be scalable in both the number and size of the cluster elements. The formation will be maintained without expending energy or fuel. This work addresses technology development areas of creating large, scalable structures in space. This assembly method allows for very small packing volumes that reduces mass and cost. Increased separation distance between cluster elements provide larger aperture per SmallSat, reducing number of total elements. It also enables scalable large structures that can be reconfigurable. Precise relative repositioning can accommodate alignment errors or thermal drift in addition to enabling variable baseline instruments. Individual cluster elements could be grossly repositioned to provide hardware reconfiguration. Applications include large, scalable RF and optical apertures, interferometry, in-space assembly, close formation flying, scanning and fixed “stare” imagers, and mother-daughter spacecraft. Four aspects addressed in this paper include the robotic arm, end effector, SmallSat bus, and rendezvous. The robotic arm is designed to meet SmallSat size (< 0.5U), weight (< kg), actuation, and power (∼ 15 W) (SWAP) constraints. The actuators can be driven using SmallSat processing and motor drivers. Manipulator position can be held without use of power. By maintaining these constraints, the miniature robotic arm can be used as a payload of a variety of science SmallSats. Accounting for general SmallSat bus trends, capabilities, and interfaces help to provide minimal integration efforts across different platforms. The compact end effector is designed to accommodate any positioning uncertainty and relative spacecraft motion during docking. After docking, the end effector remains engaged without the use of power. Docking can be released to allow for gross hardware reconfiguration. Modularity was another important aspect of the end effector design. While the focus of this work is on docking, modularity allows for a wide range of potential applications. A representative SmallSat bus was designed using COTS components. Finally, rendezvous and relative control of two SmallSats was investigated.
Component Importance Measures for Multi-Industry Vulnerability of a Freight Transportation Network

The multi-modal freight transportation network plays an important role in the economic vitality of states, regions, and the broader country. The functionality of this network is threatened by disruptive events that can disable the capacity of the network to enable flows of commodities in portions of nodes and links. This work integrates a multi-commodity network flow formulation with an economic interdependency model to quantify the multi-industry impacts of a disruption in the transportation network to ultimately measure and assess the importance of network components. The framework developed here can be used to measure the efficacy of strategies to reduce network vulnerability from the unique perspective of multi-industry impacts. The framework is illustrated with a case study considering the multi-modal freight transportation network consisting of inland waterways, railways, and interstate highways that connect the state of Oklahoma to surrounding states.
Frequency Domain Techniques in the Analysis of DNA Sequences

Abstract The concept of the spectral envelope for analyzing periodicities in categorical-valued time series was introduced in the statistics literature (Stoffer et al., 1993a) as a computationally simple and general statistical methodology for the harmonic analysis and scaling of non-numeric sequences. In the process of developing the technology, many possible interesting adaptations became apparent; for example, Stoffer and Tyler (1998) consider the maximal squared coherency between two categorical-valued time series. One of the most interesting directions was the use of the technology in the analysis of long DNA sequences. A benefit of the techniques was that it combined rigorous statistical analysis with modern computer power to quickly search for diagnostic patterns within long DNA sequences. The methodology is closely related to frequency domain principal component analysis and canonical correlation analysis of time series, and consequently, these topics are described and summarized in the appendix. In addition to presenting the theory and methods of the spectral envelope and related techniques, various analyses of DNA sequences are included. The investigations focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the analysis of viruses. The problems addressed concern about period lengths in nucleosome positioning signals, optimal alphabets in codon usage, and sequence alignment.
Evaluating strategies and outcomes following rotator cuff tears

IntroductionRotator cuff tear surgical repair techniques have significantly progressed. However, tendon retear following primary repair persistently occurs at high rates. Rehabilitation protocols, ...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Neighborhood Residency and Satisfaction, and Social Network Characteristics among Underserved Women in Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence is high, but not well-understood, among women living in urban, impoverished areas. Although previous studies have established social support as an important factor in PTSD development and maintenance, little is known about how perceptions of neighborhood are linked to PTSD. This study examined the relationship between PTSD and social network and neighborhood factors among women with a low socioeconomic status. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from a human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection peer network study in Baltimore, Maryland (n = 438). We used bivariate analyses to examine the associations between PTSD and social network characteristics and time in neighborhood and satisfaction. We then constructed multivariable regression models that controlled for the following with PTSD: homelessness, cocaine/heroin use, and unemployment. Main Findings Overall, 30% of women had PTSD symptom severity consistent with a clinical diagnosis. In the multivariable model, dissatisfaction with neighborhood block (odds ratio [OR], 1.80; p = .03) and living in one's neighborhood for more than 5 years (OR, 1.69; p = .03) were associated with PTSD. Social network factors that were significantly associated with PTSD included a higher number of network members in conflict with the participant (OR, 1.28; p = .02), presence of a network member who would let the participant stay with them (OR, 0.4; p = .004), and the number of network members with whom the participant socialized (OR, 0.6; p = .04). Conclusions In this sample of impoverished urban women with a high prevalence of PTSD, duration of residency, satisfaction with neighborhood, and network characteristics were found to be strongly associated with PTSD symptom severity.
Simulation for Endoscopy Training

Bronchoscopy is a common procedure, with an estimated 500,000 bronchoscopies performed annually in the United States. It is a vital procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of respiratory diseases. The apprenticeship model remains the major teaching method for bronchoscopy. Though clearly individual interaction with faculty represents a valuable experience in bronchoscopy, innovative methods are necessary to ensure comprehensive training and delivery of high-quality medical care. There is a mounting body of evidence that simulation-based training can enhance the speed of acquisition of bronchoscopy skills and provide a safe environment for structured training that is acquired away from patients and transferred to the bedside. Additionally, simulation can play a vital role in the continued education of practicing chest physicians as it relates to maintenance of learned skills and acquisition of new skills in technology that can tremendously improve their patient care.