cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discussion of combining biomarkers to optimize patient treatment recommendations

The problem of combining markers to optimize treatment selection has recently received significant attention among statistical researchers. We congratulate Kang, Jane, and Huang (2014; hereafter KJH) on an elegant contribution to this important area. KJH provide a novel application of boosting to find the best marker combination. In particular, with a binary outcome, the optimal treatment rule is determined by the conditional probability of having disease, i.e., the risk, given the covariates and the treatment. If the risk models are correctly specified, the optimal rule can be deduced accordingly. While a generalized linear model is a simple and popular option, it may suffer from model misspecification. The proposed method in KJH achieves a measure of robustness to such model misspecification through the use of boosting, combined with iteratively reweighting each subject’s potential misclassification based on treatment benefit in the previous iteration. Although KJH indicate that the purpose of the proposed method is to classify subjects according to the unobserved optimal treatment decision rule, the approach does not utilize a clear objective function for optimization. Risk modeling is required to estimate the optimal rules and to further update the weights at each step. As shown in the simulation results, the performances vary with different working models. An alternative approach is given in Zhao et al. (2012) who propose outcome weighted learning (OWL) which estimates the optimal treatment decision rule through a weighted classification procedure that incorporates outcome information. To be more specific, the optimization target, which directly leads to the optimal treatment decision rule, can be viewed as a weighted classification error where each subject is weighted proportional to his or her clinical outcome. In the next section, we will briefly introduce the idea of OWL and modify it to the binary outcome setup. In Section 3, we present simulation studies comparing OWL with the boosting method proposed by KJH. We conclude with a brief discussion in Section 4.
Influence of solvent structural variations on the mechanism of facilitated ion transfer into room-temperature ionic liquids

The predominant mode of strontium ion transfer from acidic nitrate media into a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids containing dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) shifts from cation exchange to strontium nitrato-crown ether complex partitioning as the hydrophobicity of the ionic liquid cation is increased.
Advances in Hip Imaging: 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Dynamic Imaging

Hip preservation surgery has grown tremendously over the past decade in large part because of the improved diagnostic tools and surgical techniques available to treat patients with prearthritic hip pain. The diagnosis of conditions in the prearthritic hip is made through a combination of systematic and stepwise history and physical examination as well as appropriate use of current diagnostic imaging modalities. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the advanced imaging techniques that are useful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with prearthritic hip pain. This article includes a comprehensive review of the imaging modalities used for preoperative planning, intraoperative evaluation, and postoperative rehabilitation of patients with prearthritic hip pain.
Endoscopic surveillance of barrett's esophagus: a cost-effectiveness comparison with mammographic surveillance for breast cancer

Endoscopic surveillance of barrett's esophagus: a cost-effectiveness comparison with mammographic surveillance for breast cancer
Evidence of interaction between the polymorphism of placental alkaline phosphatase and those ofRh and Abo systems

Evidence of interaction between the polymorphism of placental alkaline phosphatase and those ofRh and Abo systems
Isolation and characterization of different molecular and chromatographic forms of heparin-binding growth factor 1 from bovine brain☆

Bovine brain heparin-binding growth factor 1 (HBGF-1), a single polypeptide (Mr 17,400) with an amino-terminal acetylalanine and three cysteines within the sequence, isolates in multiple truncated and chromatographic forms. The relative yields of the various forms of HBGF-1 depend upon the methods used for purification. Extraction of brain tissue at neutral pH in the presence of protease inhibitors yielded intact acetylala-HBGF-1 and Asn21-HBGF-1 in a ratio of 2.3 to 1. Omission of the protease inhibitors during extraction markedly reduced the yield of acetylala-HBGF-1 and generated predominantly a mixture of Asn21-HBGF-1 and Phe15-HBGF-1. Acetylala-HBGF-1 and Asn21-HBGF-1 can be separated by cation-exchange chromatography prior to further purification. Isolated acetylala-HBGF-1 and Asn21-HBGF-1 distributed into three chromatographic peaks each on reverse-phase high-performance chromatography. Reduction of samples with dithiothreitol prior to reverse-phase chromatography reduced the three peaks of each molecular species into a single peak. Exposure of a single chromatographic peak of HBGF-1 to pH 8 in the absence of a reducing agent generated two or more additional chromatographic peaks upon subsequent chromatography. Although each chromatographic form of different molecular species of HBGF-1 exhibited potent mitogenic activity, reduction of HBGF-1 forms prior to reverse-phase chromatography appeared to increase the specific mitogenic activity of both purified molecular forms.
Infrared astronomy from the moon

The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the advantages and limitations to infrared astronomical observations form the moon. The most obvious apparent advantage is the lack of a lunar atmosphere; radiation arriving from the universe is neither extinguished nor refracted as it approaches the lunar surface. However, the Earth's atmosphere's protection against cosmic rays is also lost, and infrared detectors are highly sensitive to irradiation by energetic particles. A second apparent advantage is the relative ease with which beams from an array of telescopes can be interferometrically combined; again the vacuum environment with constant refractive index of unity throughout, permits combination without phase delay across the entire spectral range. But thermal radiation from optical components and stray radiation from the lunar environment, just outside the light path, tend to lessen that advantage, except in narrow-spectral-band spatial interferometry, in which only the radiation in individual spectral lines is mapped, and broad-band thermal emission can be effectively filtered out. On the Moon's night side, and in polar craters on the Moon, radiative cooling should permit the attainment of high sensitivity with large telescopes. Just as the proposed Edison spacecraft primary mirror is expected to reach temperatures around 40 K, so also large lunar primary mirrors might be expected to reach temperatures in that range, making the zodiacal glow the main source of noise at wavelengths shortward of 25 micrometers. The slow rota tion of the Moon, and the lack of vibrations from natural sources such as winds, should provide advantages in guiding on specific astronomical sources. To learn as much as possible about the difficulties of remote observations in a hostile environment, Antarctic observatories should be used as test beds for the rigors of lunar observations. The strenuous requirements for successful astronomical observations from the South Pole are similar to those expected to be encountered in observations conducted from the Moon.
Microbiology of Sanitized Broiler Hatching Eggs Through the Egg Production Period

Abstract Nest-clean and dirty eggs were sampled monthly across the productive period of a commercial broiler breeder flock. Eggshells and membranes were examined for total aerobic bacterial and Enterobacteriaceae counts per egg. Paired nest-clean and dirty eggs were spray sanitized in a two-stage commercial egg sanitizing machine (a chlorine detergent wash followed by a quaternary ammonia sanitizing spray) and tested for bacterial contamination. As the flock aged, numbers of bacteria per nest-clean egg fluctuated without a noticeable trend (from log10 4.1 to 5.3 aerobic bacteria). Bacterial populations were significantly lower on sanitized eggs (log10 0.8 to 3.2 cells total aerobic bacteria and 2 to 5 cells Enterobacteriaceae per egg) regardless of hen age. Those eggs classified as dirty had visible fecal contanmination and higher bacterial numbers than nest-clean eggs (log10 5.9 to 7.6 cells total aerobic bacteria per egg). After sanitization, previously dirty eggs had bacterial populations comparable to those of sanitized nest-clean eggs. When eggs were examined in the hatchery at transfer, sanitized dirty eggs were still microbiologically indistinguishable from sanitized net-clean eggs, though both groups had higher bacterial contamination levels than had been observed in samples taken immediately following sanitization.
Microstructural evolution during liquid phase sintering: Part II. Microstructural coarsening

During liquid phase sintering, microstructural coarsening takes place. One mechanism by which this occurs is Ostwald ripening. Alternatively, particle coalescence also leads to a concomitant reduction in the solid particle surface area per unit volume. In isolated structures in which particle-particle contacts are made, the rate of coarsening by coalescence is limited by the time between particle contacts, for this is long compared to the time to fuse two particles together. In skeletal structures the “coalescence time” limits coarsening by coalescence since this is long in comparison to the time between contacts. Expressions for the rate of particle coarsening are developed for the different mechanisms and different particle morphologies. The results of these calculations are combined with the microstructure maps developed in Part I of this paper to refine these maps so that they predict both the morphology developed and the dominant mechanism of coarsening in liquid phase sintered systems.
Stem cells as drug delivery methods: Application of stem cell secretome for regeneration☆

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a unique cell population defined by their ability to indefinitely self-renew, differentiate into multiple cell lineages, and form clonal cell populations. It was originally thought that this ability for broad plasticity defined the therapeutic potential of MSCs. However, an expanding body of recent literature has brought growing awareness to the remarkable array of bioactive molecules produced by stem cells. This protein milieu or "secretome" comprises a diverse host of cytokines, chemokines, angiogenic factors, and growth factors. The autocrine/paracrine role of these molecules is being increasingly recognized as key to the regulation of many physiological processes including directing endogenous and progenitor cells to sites of injury as well as mediating apoptosis, scarring, and tissue revascularization. In fact, the immunomodulatory and paracrine role of these molecules may predominantly account for the therapeutic effects of MSCs given that many in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated limited stem cell engraftment at the site of injury. While the study of such a vast protein array remains challenging, technological advances in the field of proteomics have greatly facilitated our ability to analyze and characterize the stem cell secretome. Thus, stem cells can be considered as tunable pharmacological storehouses useful for combinatorial drug manufacture and delivery. As a cell-free option for regenerative medicine therapies, stem cell secretome has shown great potential in a variety of clinical applications including the restoration of function in cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, oncologic, and genitourinary pathologies.
Intersections of gender and endangered languages: A commentary

In this commentary, I discuss this collection of articles by Wertheim, Ahlers, Adkins and Davis, and Leonard focusing on gender and language revitalization in order to draw out sites of overlap and difference. I identify the following 4 themes as emerging from these pieces: the construction of diverse types of gendered selves; gender as implicated in divides between public and private spheres of interaction; the production of authenticity as central to language revitalization and heritage movements more broadly; and how such projects involve a balance between individual selves and goals and those of the community, arising from the many points of hybridity, overlap and conflict that arise between these and the dominant communities in which they are embedded.
Pt nanoflower/polyaniline composite nanofibers based urea biosensor.

Abstract Hybrid materials with special structures are of great interest because of their superior properties compared with their pure counterparts. Hybrid polyaniline (PANi) nanofibers with integrated Pt nanoflowers are studied in this research. PANi is prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline on an electrospun nanofiber template in an acidic solution with ammonium persulfate (APS) as the oxidant. Pt nanoflowers are further electrodeposited onto the PANi nanofibers backbone by cyclic voltammetry (CV), resulting in novel functionalized hybrid nanofibers. The coverage of Pt nanoflowers on PANi nanofibers can be facilely controlled by adjusting the electrodeposition conditions. The factors affecting Pt nanoflowers formation are further investigated. As a demonstration, urease is immobilized onto the Pt/PANi hybrid nanofibers and the composite was employed as the sensing platform for urea detection in a flow-injection-analysis (FIA) system. The detection of urea shows a wide linear range (up to 20 mM), a good limit of detection of 10 μM (S/N = 3), and an excellent anti-interference property against chloride ion. In addition, it was found that the response to urea was attributed not only to the conductivity change of PANi due to the interaction between PANi and ammonia (liberated from the enzymatic reaction), but also to the interaction between Pt nanoflowers and amine groups in urea. The strategy developed in this study can be extended to synthesize other composite nanofibers consisting of conducting polymer and metal nanoparticles for a wide range of sensing applications.
Hyponatremia in the neurosurgical patient: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management.

Objective Hyponatremia is an important and common electrolyte disorder in critically ill neurosurgical patients that has been reported in association with a number of different primary diagnoses. The correct diagnosis of the pathophysiological cause is vital because it dramatically alters the treatment approach. Methods We review the epidemiology and presentation of patients with hyponatremia, the pathophysiology of the disorder with respect to sodium and fluid balance, and the diagnostic procedures for determining the correct cause. Results We then present the various treatment options, including discussion of one of the newest groups of agents, the arginine vasopressin receptor antagonists, currently under study for the treatment of hyponatremia in neurosurgical patients. Conclusion Hyponatremia is a serious comorbidity in neurosurgical patients that requires particular attention as its treatment varies by cause and its consequences can affect neurological outcome.
A quasi-periodic time dependence of interfacial tension in an oil-water-surfactant system

Abstract A strong fluctuation of interfacial tension (IFT), that is quasi-periodic in time, has been observed for the water-dodecane interface, with 8-phenylhexadecane sodium sulfonate (“Texas no. 1”) surfactant. This fluctuation was observed with sessile but not pendant drops, and in a massive cell. It ceased when vibrations were introduced. The periodic effect was probably caused by the growth of the interfacial layer, from a monolayer of surfactant, into a layer of liquid crystal (LC) material of appreciable thickness, which can be considered to be a degenerate (or underdeveloped) middle phase. Growth would occur by capture of upward-drifting liquid crystal particles from the aqueous phase. The IFT on the aqueous side of the middle phase is probably relatively high, and controls the overall drop shape. The IFT on the oil side of the middle phase is low, and falls with time, to a value so low that, when the layer attains sufficient thickness, droplets can be thrown off by small random vibrations. With a vibration-insulated cell, vibrations of sufficient amplitude come along only at widely separated intervals. When the excess liquid crystal material is thrown off, the layer thickness decreases to a small enough value that the oil-LC layer boundary prevents the water-LC layer boundary from achieving its maximum IFT. A brief discussion is given of the relation between the phenomenon we have observed and the disjoining pressure.
Can asymptomatic patients with a supratherapeutic international normalized ratio be safely treated as outpatients

I c c c e a a f w n c r [Ann Emerg Med. 2012;59:318-320.] To determine whether asymptomatic patients with a supratherapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) warrant admission, a MEDLINE and EMBASE search was performed with the terms “warfarin AND anticoagulation,” “warfarin AND bleeding,” “warfarin and complications,” and “warfarin and INR.” The references in relevant articles were also searched. A secondary objective was to determine the risk of hemorrhage within 1 week. No randomized trials comparing inpatient versus outpatient management of asymptomatic patients with an increased INR were identified. Several studies examining outcomes after outpatient management, however, were identified. According to this review, it is certainly within the standard of care to manage patients with an asymptomatic, supratherapeutic INR as outpatients.
Minimum Market Share

This paper analyzes a specific model of oligopolistic competition involving product differentiation, marketing activities, and economies of scale in production. This model is consistent with sales response models which have been justified on theoretical and empirical bases. It is shown that at a Nash equilibrium each firm must have market share equal to zero or greater than a threshold value. This result has implications for determination of minimum firm size, the effectiveness of a low market share strategy, entry barriers, and the likelihood of concentration in an industry. The paper explores these implications and relates them to various theories and hypotheses in industrial organization and strategic planning.
Negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy of organometallic radicals: MCO and HMCO complexes of the first transition series

The effect of a input second-harmonic seed wave on the second-harmonic generation process is described. Experimentally, we demonstrate a 4.6-to-1 modulation depth imposed on the fluence of an intense 1.06 micrometers picosecond pulse by varying the relative phase of a weak second-harmonic control pulse under near phase-matched conditions. This transistor-like action is based on quadratic nonlinearities in KTP.
Infrared emission spectroscopy of NH: Comparison of a cryogenic echelle spectrograph with a Fourier transform spectrometer

The high-resolution emission spectrum of NH has been observed in the near infrared using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) and a cryogenic echelle spectrograph (called Phoenix) at the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak. By using a large format InSb array detector, the newly constructed Phoenix is calculated to offer a large increase in sensitivity over a Fourier transform spectrometer for measurements near 5 μm (2000 cm−1). In order to test the performance of Phoenix, we recorded vibration–rotation emission spectra of the free-radical NH. The infrared bands of NH were produced in a microwave discharge of a mixture of NH3 and He. The rotational structure of five bands, 1–0, 2–1, 3–2, 4–3, and 5–4 in the 2200–3500 cm−1 region has also been measured using two FTS spectra. An analysis of these bands combined with the previous electronic, vibration–rotation, and pure rotation measurements provides improved molecular constants for the ground electronic state. In particular, we have extended the range ...
Design of a field programmable gate array-based platform for real-time de-noising of optical imaging signals using wavelet transforms

Abstract In this study, the design of a low-cost, field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital hardware platform that implements wavelet transform algorithms for real-time signal de-noising of optical imaging signals is presented. The proposed digital hardware de-noising platform can achieve a throughput of 25 Msamples per second, with a latency from input to output of 1.5 μs. The system fits on a 10K20, one of the smaller field programmable gate arrays from the Altera Flex 10K family, and represents a low-cost approach to signal de-noising. Preliminary experimental results clearly indicate the potential of the presented FPGA-based digital platform for real-time de-noising of signals utilized for the detection and imaging of surface defects and discontinuities.
Semantically Motivated Improvements for PPM Variants

The on-line sequence modelling algorithm 'Prediction by Partial Matching' (PPM) has set the performance standard in lossless data compression research since Moffat's 1990 implementation, PPMC. Despite intense research activity, only Howard's 1993 escape-count update mechanism 'D' has provided any consistent, order-independent performance improvement to PPMC (about 1%). Most notably, the recently introduced PPM variant, PPM*, which eliminates PPM's order bound, fails to offer compression results superior to those of PPMC with Markov order greater than four. This paper explains how to significantly improve the compression performance of any PPM variant (by 5-12%) by combining PPM's probability estimator, 'blending', with information-theoretic state selection. Hazards inherent to this combination are overcome by identifying the distinct semantics of the two approaches and resolving the differences using a dual-frequency update mechanism. We present and apply our percolating state selector, plus an enhancement to blending, both of which we have recently shown to independently outperform all competing techniques from the literature. We also give a minimal linear-space suffix-tree implementation of PPM and PPM*. Performance is measured in experiments run on the Calgary Corpus using our reimplementation of the original algorithms in an executable cross-product of independent model components, which permits precise control of all modelling algorithm features.
Some mathematical and computer modelling of neural networks

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief background on neural networks, a summary of the mathematical models for some learning rules for neural networks, and some new computer graphics for these. The applications of these learning rules include both Boolean and continuous functions, as well as the construction of graphical mappings of the sensorary space as a two-dimensional neural grid. Numerical interpretations of the computer graphics generated for each of these learning rules are provided to serve as a guide for comparisons. The application of neural networks to solving the travelling salesman problem (TSP) is also discussed, as well as the method of simulated annealing. Computer graphics are provided for solutions to the TSP and also for activation of an output neuron for a three-layer feed-forward network which is trained using a Boolean function. Conclusions and future directions of the research are discussed.
Higher-order aberrations after wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis

Purpose To analyze the changes in higher-order aberrations (HOAs) that occur after wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Setting Emory Eye Center and Emory Vision, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Methods This retrospective analysis comprised eyes that had PRK or LASIK from June 2004 through October 2005. Postoperative outcome measures included 3-month uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), changes in the root mean square (RMS) and grouped coefficient HOAs (microns) measured with a corneal analyzer, and subjective assessment of visual aberrations. Results One hundred consecutive eyes of 54 patients had PRK, and 100 contemporaneous consecutive eyes of 71 patients had LASIK. The PRK and LASIK populations were similar in general demographics, preoperative HOAs, and postoperative UCVA and BSCVA. The mean MRSE was slightly hyperopic after PRK (mean +0.11 diopters [D]) and slightly myopic after LASIK (mean −0.19 D) (P Conclusions Wavefront-optimized excimer laser surgery did not induce significant HOAs after PRK or LASIK. The 2 techniques were equally efficacious and had equivalent postoperative HOA profiles.
The Demand for Hedging and the Value of Hedging Opportunities

Hedging strategies typically assume that hedging is costless and that only one futures market exists. When these assumptions are dropped, the demand for hedging is shown to depend on basis risk, price risk, and the hedger's risk preference. The marginal and incremental value of hedging opportunities are computed for the general cases of one and two markets and applied to the specific case of Pennsylvania dairy input hedging. Copyright 2000, Oxford University Press.
Advancements in one-dimensional profiling with a long trace profiler

Over the last several years the long trace profiler (LTP) has been evolving into a sophisticated machine capable of measuring surface profiles of very long dimensions. This report explains improvements, both hardware and software, that have helped to achieve accuracies and ranges in surface profiling that have been unobtainable until now. A comparison made by measuring standard optical surfaces on other instruments corroborates these accuracies.
Performance and analysis of a “series” heat pump-assisted solar heated residence in Madison, Wisconsin

The performance and design of a heat pump-assisted solar heated home in Madison, Wisconsin are considered. The system consists of 18 single glazed liquid collectors in series with a heat pump and a water storage tank. The first stage of heating is direct solar energy delivered from storage. The sound stage consists of water pumped from storage to a water to air heat pump. The final break-up stage is a natural gas furnace. Monthly and annual energy usage is tabulated, and it is shown that a conventional solar system would have been more economical and would have provided more of the total heat load. (SPH)
Introduction to the Eighth International Workshop on Multimedia Data Mining

Multimedia information is ubiquitous and essential in many applications from homeland security to medicine and bioinformatics. As evidenced by the success of the previous editions of MDM/KDD, there is an increasing need in new techniques and tools that can detect and discover patterns, in multimedia data, that can lead to new knowledge. For example, tools are needed for discovering relationships between objects or segments within images, classifying images based on their content, extracting patterns in sound, categorizing speech and music, and recognizing and tracking objects in video streams. There is also an increasing interest in the real-time analysis of multimedia data generated by distributed sensory applications and ambient intelligence environments.MDM is a leading venue where researchers, both from the academia and industry, can exchange and compare both relatively mature and green house theories, methodologies, algorithms and frameworks for multimedia data mining. To address this aim, the workshop brings together experts in the analysis of digital media content, multimedia databases, multimedia information retrieval, and domain experts from different applied disciplines with potential in multimedia data mining and knowledge discovery. The previous seven workshops have been held in conjunction with KDD 2000 (Boston, MA), KDD2001 (San Francisco, CA), KDD 2002 (Edmonton, Canada), KDD 2003 (Washington, DC), KDD 2004 (Seattle, WA), KDD 2005 (Chicago, IL), and KDD 2006 (Philadelphia, PA) respectively. Like the previous editions, MDM 2007 aimed at facilitating cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas.MDM 2007 contains six regular papers focusing on various aspects of multimedia data mining, including content-supported learning of user preferences, integration of multiple visual learners for media mining, salient-point based image object detection, the use of relevance feedback for video event mining, association rule mining for infrequent database items, and a novel algebra for supporting ranked data processing in multimedia mining applications. In addition, we have invited two leading researchers to present their views on major challenges faced by the multimedia data mining community: The invited talk by Dr. Belle Tseng from NEC Labs, America, focuses on the problem of temporal graph mining and its applications to blog analysis. Prof. Keogh from University of California, Riverside, on the other hand, highlights the challenges faced by the data mining community due to frequently non-reproducible results published at the best data mining conferences.We are thankful to the authors who have submitted papers to the workshop, to our invited speakers, to the PC members and reviewers who all have done a fabulous job, to KDD 2007 organizers (especially to Qiang Yang from University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong for his support to the workshop and to Scott Gaffney for his help with the proceedings).
A Novel Technique for Mapping Habitat in Navigable Streams Using Low-cost Side Scan Sonar

An inexpensive and rapid technique for mapping instream habitat of navigable rivers is needed by natural resource professionals. Unlike more expensive side scan sonar devices, the Humminbird® Side Imaging system employs a boat-mounted transducer enabling the survey of shallow, rocky streams. This device can be used to obtain high resolution, georeferenced images of underwater habitat. We developed a technique employing geographic information systems (GIS) to transform raw sonar images to fit the configuration of a stream channel. The end product is a GIS layer that can be interpreted to map instream habitat. We demonstrated this approach by mapping substrate and large woody debris in a southwest Georgia stream, and evaluated the technique through a comprehensive accuracy assessment. An overall classification accuracy of 77% was observed for substrate mapping and sonar estimates of large woody debris were correlated (r2 = 0.79) with actual wood abundance. Sonar mapping generated estimates of reach and subs...
Estrogen and androgen receptors: Regulators of fuel homeostasis and emerging targets for diabetes and obesity

Because of increasing life expectancy, the contribution of age-related estrogen or androgen deficiency to obesity and type 2 diabetes will become a new therapeutic challenge. This review integrates current concepts on the mechanisms through which estrogen receptors (ERs) and androgen receptor (AR) regulate energy homeostasis in rodents and humans. In females, estrogen maintains energy homeostasis via ERα and ERβ, by suppressing energy intake and lipogenesis, enhancing energy expenditure, and ameliorating insulin secretion and sensitivity. In males, testosterone is converted to estrogen and maintains fuel homeostasis via ERs and AR, which share related functions to suppress adipose tissue accumulation and improve insulin sensitivity. We suggest that ERs and AR could be potential targets in the prevention of age-related metabolic disorders.
Use of computerized assessment to predict neuropsychological functioning and emotional distress in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective Cognitive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric disturbance are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study addressed the ability of the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM), a computerized cognitive testing battery consisting of cognitive subtests, a sleepiness rating scale, and a mood scale, to predict neuropsychological status in patients with SLE. Methods Sixty individuals with SLE and no overt neuropsychiatric symptoms were administered ANAM to determine its validity as a screening measure of cognitive dysfunction and emotional distress in SLE. Results Performance on ANAM was compared with results of a consecutively administered, 2-hour battery of traditional neuropsychological tests and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Individual ANAM cognitive test scores were significantly correlated with most neuropsychological tests, particularly those measuring psychomotor processing speed and executive functioning. Using logistic regression, ANAM cognitive subtests successfully predicted individuals with SLE who had probable versus no impairment after controlling for premorbid levels of cognitive ability. Sensitivity of group classification was 76.2% and specificity was 82.8%, with 80% correct classification overall. ANAM's ability to predict neuropsychological functioning remained even after controlling for subjective reports of depressed mood and current sleepiness. Further, the ANAM mood scale was significantly correlated with the BDI-II (r = 0.67, P < 0.001), indicating its potential future use as a screening tool for emotional distress. Conclusion ANAM shows promise as a time- and cost-efficient tool for screening and monitoring cognitive and emotional functioning in SLE, and can indicate when a more thorough neuropsychological investigation is warranted.
A New Digital Edition of Darwin’s 1859 Origin of Species

The Darwin Manuscripts Project (http://darwin.amnh.org) is publishing a new digital edition of the London 1859 edition of Darwin’s The Origin of Species, which, alongside a copy built of scanned pages, extends opportunities for Internet readers. The new digital edition is warranted by the absence of good digital copies of the 1859 London edition online: though many will find this hard to believe, it is nonetheless true. The new edition is described in the context of the reader’s experience and in the theoretical context of the nature of texts as a kind.
Application of Continuous Wavelet Analysis in Distinguishing Breaking and Nonbreaking Waves in the Wind–Wave Time Series

Abstract This study applied a new approach to distinguish between breaking waves and nonbreaking waves in the wind–wave time series through the use of wavelet analysis. In this paper, the wavelet power spectrum is computed to identify the variations in the energy content of the wind–wave time series with time, and then it is integrated over frequency to provide the temporal variation of localized total energy. The study shows that the fluctuations of the time series of wind–wave are highly intermittent, i.e., the energy at different scales varies considerably with time. Furthermore, the local peaks of the energy densities correspond to the events of wave breaking in the wind–wave time series.
Stress Effects on Al and Al(Cu) Thin Film Grain-Boundary Diffusion

Stress effects on grain-boundary diffusion in Al and Al(Cu) thin films are evaluated through atomistic simulations. Specifically, the grain-boundary vacancy formation and migration and interstitial migration energetics are obtained as a function of stress states in thin film. In general, the activation energies vary at a rate of 0.1 eV per 1.0 % strain at the grain boundary investigated, indicating the possible impact on electromigration phenomenon in these films.
Multiple costimulatory blockade in the peripheral nerve allograft

Abstract Background: In the nerve allograft model, costimulation blockade has permitted good regeneration but is still inferior to the nerve isograft. We hypothesize that a short course of multiple costimulatory pathway blockade will be more effective in inhibiting the redundancy of the immune response and improve nerve regeneration through the nerve allograft. Methods: The murine sciatic nerve allograft model was used to reconstruct a 1 cm sciatic nerve gap. Treatment consisted of the inhibition of the CD40, CD28/B7 and ICOS pathways and was compared with only single or double costimulation blockade. Assessment methods included quantitative histomorphometry and ELISPOT assay to quantify the host immune response after 3 weeks post-operatively. Results: Triple costimulation blockade permitted regeneration through the nerve allograft that was equivalent to the nerve isograft. A short course of three doses was more effective than a single dose for all combinations tested. ELISPOT assay demonstrated minimal i...
A continuum two-fluid theory for dilute fiber suspensions

A dilute two-phase suspension of fibers consisting of slender, flexible, viscous fibers dispersed in a Newtonian fluid is considered. The fibers are of arbitrary length, and they slip relative to the carrier fluid. The primary purpose of the present theory is to predict and compute the motion and orientation of a collection of fibers in response to the carrier fluid flow field. The problem is treated via the two-fluid continuum approach, that is, the suspension is considered as two interacting continuua, each continuum having its own concentration and velocity fields, and having its own set of conservation equations. In addition, the fiber phase has a unit vector assigned to each point, which describes the local fiber orientation. An evolution equation for determining the fiber orientation is derived. The fiber phase momentum equation includes inertia on a macro scale, includes momentum exchange with the carrier fluid, and includes the fiber phase stress tensor. The fiber phase stress tensor is obtained by first considering an individual fiber and then generalizing, through a statistical approach, to the continuum description of a collection of fibers. The fiber phase stress tensor can be related to an effective viscosity, the fiber orientation, and the fiber velocity gradient. The effective viscosity of the fiber phase is found to depend on the viscosity of the fiber material and on the length of the fiber relative to a characteristic length. For long fibers, the effective viscosity asymptotes to the viscosity of the fiber material. For short fibers the effective viscosity depends, among other quantities, on the square of the fiber aspect ratio. Numerical results are presented for the two dimensional motion and orientation of fibers entering a laminar simple shear flow. It is found that the development of the fiber variables depends significantly on the effective viscosity of the fiber phase, in addition to depending on the fiber response time.
A statistical decision model for periodical selection for a specialized information center

An experiment is described which attempts to define a quantitative methodology for the identification and evaluation of journal publications to be acquired for a specialized collection. In previous acquisition procedures, the subjective opinion of one or more persons has, sometimes idiosyncratically, determined the material available to the user. In an attempt to identify and recommend all possibly relevant periodical titles containing toxicological-biological information, a statistical decision model that permits an objective approach was designed and employed. A list of yes/no criteria questions was developed with the advice of a “subject-oriented” Advisory Committee. A training technique was developed in an attempt to assure uniformity in interpretation, and a quality control check was imposed to determine consistency of judgment. The design, implementation, and quality control testing of the model have indicated that the technique has value, but requires individual handling and refinement in the developmental stage.
A model of the inguinal canal.

Medical students often find it difficult ot conceptualize and learn the anatomy of the inguinal region and canal. A model of the inguinal canal, appropriate for lecture and laboratory presentations, has been used for many years by one of the authors (J.J.J.), and based on student and staff feedback, is judged a successful visual learning aid. This paper outlines a step-by-step procedure for constructing the model out of plexiglass and colored, felt-tipped marking pens.
Management fads and information delays: An exploratory simulation study

Abstract Management fads seem omnipresent. Adoption research that focuses on the uptake of change says little about subsequent abandonment behaviors. In this paper a simulation model is developed that extends adoption and diffusion models to consider abandonment from a dynamic perspective. Analysis of the simulation results leads to the conclusion that incomplete information and bandwagon effects can lead to fad-like behaviors.
Postsynaptic targets of type II auditory nerve fibers in the cochlear nucleus.

Type II auditory nerve fibers, which provide the primary afferent innervation of outer hair cells of the cochlea, project thin fibers centrally and form synapses in the cochlear nucleus. We investigated the postsynaptic targets of these synapses, which are unknown. Using serial-section electron microscopy of fibers labeled with horseradish peroxidase, we examined the border of the granule-cell lamina in mice, an area of type II termination that receives branches having swellings with complex shapes. About 70% of the swellings examined with the electron microscope formed morphological synapses, which is a much higher value than found in previous studies of type II swellings in other parts of the cochlear nucleus. The high percentage of synapses enabled a number of postsynaptic targets to be identified. Most of the targets were small dendrites. Two of these dendrites were traced to their somata of origin, which were cochlear-nucleus “small cells” situated at the border of the granule-cell lamina. These cells did not appear to receive any terminals containing synaptic vesicles that were large and round, indicating a lack of input from type I auditory nerve fibers. Nor did type II swellings or targets participate in the synaptic glomeruli formed by mossy terminals and the dendrites of granule cells. Other type II synapses were axosomatic and their targets were large cells, which were presumed multipolar cells and one cell with characteristics of a globular bushy cell. These large cells almost certainly receive additional input from type I auditory nerve fibers, which provide the afferent innervation of the cochlear inner hair cells. A few type II postsynaptic targets—the two small cells as well as a large dendrite—received synapses that had accompanying postsynaptic bodies, a likely marker for synapses of medial olivocochlear branches. These targets thus probably receive convergent input from type II fibers and medial olivocochlear branches. The diverse nature of the type II targets and the examples of segregated convergence of other inputs illustrates the synaptic complexity of type II input to the cochlear nucleus.
Monte Carlo investigations of the effect of beam divergence on thick, segmented crystalline scintillators for radiotherapy imaging.

The use of thick, segmented scintillators in electronic portal imagers offers the potential for significant improvement in x-ray detection efficiency compared to conventional phosphor screens. Such improvement substantially increases the detective quantum efficiency (DQE), leading to the possibility of achieving soft-tissue visualization at clinically practical (i.e. low) doses using megavoltage (MV) cone-beam computed tomography. While these DQE increases are greatest at zero spatial frequency, they are diminished at higher frequencies as a result of degradation of spatial resolution due to lateral spreading of secondary radiation within the scintillator—an effect that is more pronounced for thicker scintillators. The extent of this spreading is even more accentuated for radiation impinging the scintillator at oblique angles of incidence due to beam divergence. In this paper, Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport, performed to investigate and quantify the effects of beam divergence on the imaging performance of MV imagers based on two promising scintillators (BGO and CsI:Tl), are reported. In these studies, 10–40 mm thick scintillators, incorporating low-density polymer, or high-density tungsten septal walls, were examined for incident angles corresponding to that encountered at locations up to ~15 cm from the central beam axis (for an imager located 130 cm from a radiotherapy x-ray source). The simulations demonstrate progressively more severe spatial resolution degradation (quantified in terms of the effect on the modulation transfer function) as a function of increasing angle of incidence (as well as of the scintillator thickness). Since the noise power behavior was found to be largely independent of the incident angle, the dependence of the DQE on the incident angle is therefore primarily determined by the spatial resolution. The observed DQE degradation suggests that 10 mm thick scintillators are not strongly affected by beam divergence for detector areas up to ~30 × 30 cm2. For thicker scintillators, the area that is relatively unaffected is significantly reduced, requiring a focused scintillator geometry in order to preserve spatial resolution, and thus DQE.
Patterns of pain-relevant social interactions

Pasts studied have focused on the individual effects of Solicitous, Distracting, and Negative spousal responses to pain on patient's pain behavior and pain severity. Because spouses may emit any combination of these responses, this research examined the conjoint effects of marital satisfaction and these perceived spousal responses by using WISE "step-down" procedure as described by Kenny and Judd (1983. Ninety-six married male chronic-pain patients completed the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPI), Locke Wallace marital Adjustment Scale, and Pain Behavior Check List (PBCL). Final step-down models included significant 2-way and 3-way interactions on the PBCL measures of Distorted Ambulation and Seeking Help, significant main effects for Affective Distress, and a 4-way interaction on the WHYMPI Pain Severity scale. These trimmed models accounted for 23%: to 33% of the variance in the criterion measures. These results show that higher order interactions make unique contributions to the variance and should be examined along with main effects.
Effect of the Photographic Gamma on the Luminance of Hologram Reconstructions

An expression derived for hologram exposures made along the straight-line portion of the H–D curve of a photographic plate shows that the relationship between the luminance of the reconstructed hologram image and the luminance of the original object depends on the value and sign of the gamma of the photographic processes.To check the theory, several holograms of different exposures were superimposed on Kodak 649-F plates that were pre-flashed with a uniform illuminance so the H–D curve of the photographic process is straight. The calculated and measured luminance ratios of the different reconstructions agree within experimental error. Since the gamma of the usual photographic process is positive, instead of negative, even if the gamma of the photographic process is equal to 2, it is not valid to assume that the relative luminance of the reconstruction of a given superimposed hologram is proportional to the product of the exposure due to the object beam and the exposure due to the reference beam used in the making of the hologram. This assumption would be valid for all fringe contrasts only if gamma were −2.