cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Project FAMOUS: Its origin, programs, and setting

Project FAMOUS was organized to provide data on the details of the spreading process of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. From 1971 until 1974, when a series of manned submersible dives to the inner rift valley floor took place, numerous cruises were undertaken to define the chief characteristics of the American and African plates and the line of their common origin. New technology was required and used on several cruises. At the same time, major outfitting of submersibles and training of scientists and pilots for submersible diving were undertaken. A detailed picture of the inner rift valley has emerged between two fracture zones at latitudes of about 36°30′ and 37°N. The width of the inner valley floor here is approximately 1 to 5 km, with the narrow part nearly midway along this 40-km-long inner valley. There is a series of low, apparently young hills along the center line of the valley floor, which are intensely fissured. Most of the American submersible dives occurred on the floor of this rift valley between the latitudes of 36°47′ and 36°50′N. On the north, this rift valley segment is offset approximately 20 km to the east (right laterally) by fracture zone A. The dives by French submersibles were primarily in this fracture zone and in the rift valley floor north of the American dive area. To the south, the rift valley segment is offset about 20 km to the west by fracture zone B. Two of the American dives took place there. Although in these fracture zones the zone of sheared rocks has a width of nearly 20 km, the currently active part of each fracture zone is less than 1 km wide.
Multicasting in cognitive radio networks

Multicasting is a fundamental networking primitive utilized by numerous applications. This also holds true for cognitive radio networks which have been proposed as a solution to the problems that emanate from the static non-adaptive features of classical wireless networks. A prime application of cognitive radio networks is dynamic spectrum access, which improves the efficiency of spectrum allocation by allowing a secondary network, comprising secondary users, to share spectrum licensed to a primary licensed network comprising primary users. Multicasting in cognitive radio networks is a challenging problem due to the dynamic nature of spectrum opportunities available to the secondary users. Various approaches, including those based on optimization theory, network coding, algorithms, have been proposed for performing efficient multicast in cognitive radio networks. In this paper, we provide a self-contained tutorial on algorithms and techniques useful for solving the multicast problem, and then provide a comprehensive survey of protocols that have been proposed for multicasting in cognitive radio networks. We conclude this paper by identifying open research questions and future research directions.
Did the Antarctic ice sheets expand during the early Pliocene

Seismic data show that glacial unconformities are located within lower Pliocene strata on the Antarctic continental shelves. The glacial unconformities are significant because they provide direct evidence that the Antarctic ice sheets advanced despite the generally warmer climates and elevated sea levels that characterized most of the early Pliocene. The magnitudes of peak eustatic lowstands and 18 O enrichments indicate that the ice volume on Antarctica may have exceeded today9s ice volume by approximately 18%, which suggests that the ice-sheet grounding events on the shelves probably were associated with larger than present ice volumes on two to three occasions during the early Pliocene.
Transient acoustic processes in a low-Mach-number shear flow

A systematic perturbation procedure, based on a small mean flow Mach number and large duct Reynolds number, is employed to formulate and solve an initial-boundary-value problem for acoustic processes in a shear flow contained within a rigid-walled parallel duct. The results describe the general transient evolution of acoustic waves driven by a plane source located at a given duct cross-section. Forced bulk oscillations near the source and oblique wave generation are shown to result from refraction of the basic planar axial disturbance by the shear flow. Refraction also causes the axial waves to exhibit higher-order amplitude variations in the transverse direction. As the source frequency approaches certain critical values, specific refraction-induced oblique waves evolve into amplifying purely transverse waves. As a result, the magnitude of the refraction effect increases with time, and quasi-steady solutions do not exist. The analysis is extended to the thin acoustic boundary layer adjacent to the solid walls to examine the shear-layer structure induced by the variety of acoustic waves in the core flow. Nonlinear effects and acoustic streaming are shown to be negligibly small on the scale of a few axial wavelengths.
Extension of phase plane analysis to quantized systems

The increasing applications of numerical control of processes have created a need for new methods of synthesis of control equipment. The method presented is applicable to systems commanded by discretely valued inputs, and processes whose outputs may be similarly quantized. Periodic sampling is not required. The most suitable sampling is by transmission of only significant data, as the new value obtained when the data are changed by a given increment. In certain cases, transmission of data by this means can be used to increase channel capacity. When the data are so quantized, the error signal is constrained to a finite number of discrete values, each of which may be associated with an area in the phase plane. Within each such area, the trajectories of any process subject to phase plane representation are a family of parallel curves. Thus, analytic synthesis may be simplified in the case of certain nonlinear processes. Graphical design is facilitated without requiring deduction of a mathematical representation of the process. The method is illustrated by synthesis of several systems involving a simple linear process.
The Legionella pneumophila replication vacuole: making a cosy niche inside host cells

The pathogenesis of Legionella pneumophila is derived from its growth within lung macrophages after aerosols are inhaled from contaminated water sources. Interest in this bacterium stems from its ability to manipulate host cell vesicular-trafficking pathways and establish a membrane-bound replication vacuole, making it a model for intravacuolar pathogens. Establishment of the replication compartment requires a specialized translocation system that transports a large cadre of protein substrates across the vacuolar membrane. These substrates regulate vesicle traffic and survival pathways in the host cell. This Review focuses on the strategies that L. pneumophila uses to establish intracellular growth and evaluates why this microorganism has accumulated an unprecedented number of translocated substrates that are targeted at host cells.
Immunochemical studies of extracellular glycoproteins (X-GPs) of goldfish brain.

Abstract Exoglycoproteins (X-GPs) are a family of soluble glycoproteins which are the most prominent constituent of the extracellular compartment of goldfish brain. On conventional two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels they typically display two primary molecular weight forms, averaging about 33 and 38 kDa, each appearing as a row of five to seven individual spots. When X-GP antibodies were applied by Western blotting, gels of goldfish brain extract prepared without a reducing agent showed, in addition to the primary molecular weight groups, at least one row of spots of slightly lower molecular weight and a major array of spots in the range of 45–60 kDa. The latter presumably represent dimers of the primary X-GP forms since they gave rise to the primary forms upon treatment with a reducing agent. However, on gradient gels prepared without detergents or reducing agents, X-GPs identified by immunostaining appeared only at 200 kDa and above, indicating that these proteins naturally occur in the form of large particles. Deglycosylation of the brain extract by N-glycosidase F reduced the molecular weight of each primary X-GP form by about 5 kDa, but did not abolish the microheterogeneity, which is at least partly due to minor differences in primary structure among the proteins in individual spots. Both rows of spots in the deglycosylated sample showed a coordinated shift toward the basic side of the gel, and a prominent new spot appeared on the basic end of the lower molecular weight group, which probably represents the fully deglycosylated form of the most abundant X-GP isoform. The X-GPs were found to be heparin-binding proteins, which is also characteristic of a number of substrate-binding proteins of great physiological importance, including apolipoproteins. However, there was no immunoreactivity with antibodies to apolipoproteins A-I, D, or E, and conversely, antibodies to X-GPs did not react with apolipoproteins from rat serum or from regenerating rat sciatic nerve. Moreover, the X-GPs were not retained in the floating lipid fraction upon centrifugation in high density medium and did not cofractionate with lipids when they were isolated by gel chromatography. Thus they are unlikely to be lipid-binding proteins.
Resistance to American foulbrood in honey bees X. Comparative mortality of queen, worker, and drone larvae

Abstract Queen, worker, and drone honey-bee ( Apis mellifera ) larvae of similar ages and genotypes were given, in their food, a constant dosage of water-suspended Bacillus larvae spores, or water only, in 10 experimental replications. Pooled data from all replications showed that spore treatment resulted in about 93% mortality of female larvae reared as queens, 82% mortality of those reared as workers, and 68% mortality of the male (drone) larvae. Control treatment mortality was less than 5% for each caste. Chi square analyses of mortality associated with control treatments showed no significant differences between any two of the three castes, whereas mortality differences between castes following spore treatments were highly significant and are interpreted as resulting from differences in resistance. These differences in resistance are attributed to differences in food supplied by adult bees to the larvae.
Design techniques for discrete-time delta-sigma ADCs with extra loop delay

In this paper, a general solution is proposed for the excess feedback loop delay issue for a discrete-time ΔΣ ADC. The corresponding low-distortion technique is also illustrated. Finally, the double-sampling ΔΣ ADC immune to the extra loop delay is described and verified through simulation.
Karyotypic findings in a case of prolymphocytic leukemia with a history of radiation exposure

Abstract Cytogenetic examination, utilizing B- and T-cell mitogens, of the peripheral blood lymphocytes of a patient with the prolymphocytic variant of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a history of radiation exposure revealed two abnormal clones. One clone with 48 chromosomes (+t(6;12),6q−,+12,14q+) may be derived from CLL cells, whereas the clone with 46 chromosomes and a ring #11 possibly originated from normal T and/or B cells affected by past irradiation.
Differences in Experience among Mindfulness Meditators

A survey of 110 subjects was conducted to investigate the differences in the phenomenological quality of mindfulness mediators who attended retreats of either two days (twenty-seven subjects), two weeks (twenty-five subjects), or three months (fifty-eight subjects). A questionnaire, the Profile of Trance, Imaging, and Meditation Experience (TIME), was used for the survey. Discriminant analyses were used to construct models of the dimensions of experience along which the three groups differed. A number of phenomenological dimensions, in the major areas of attention, thinking, memory, imagery, body sensations, emotions, time sense, reality sense, sense of self, perception, and interpersonal interaction, were found which could accurately distinguish among the three groups of retreatants. No attributions as to the causes or sources of these phenomenological differences are made, as the survey was not large enough to provide comparison groups, subject matching or other statistical controls necessary for causal...
A dual-voltage self-clamped IGBT for automotive ignition applications

Self-clamped inductive switching (SCIS) energy capability is a critical parameter of device performance for insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) used in automotive ignition applications. In this work, the authors propose a monolithic dual-voltage self-clamped IGBT to improve its SCIS energy capability. During an inductive turnoff process, the collector voltage of the proposed device is clamped first at a high level for a short period of time and then at a much lower level until the electromagnetic energy stored in the inductive coil is fully discharged. The concept has been verified and analyzed with extensive numerical device simulation. A monolithic prototype device based the concept has been designed and fabricated with a conventional eight-mask IGBT process. The preliminary experimental result is also reported.
Analysis of movement and mobility of wireless network users

This paper describes a system developed for determining locations of devices on 802.11 wireless networks. Data representing 18,000 computers registered on Carnegie Mellon's Wireless Andrew is presented from traces taken in 2003 and 2005. Developers make many assumptions when creating applications for wearable and pervasive computers. The data collected by Locator@CMU provides a clearer understanding of large-scale wireless networks and their usage for implementing services and programs. Among the findings, we examine the mobility of a user as defined by percentage of time spent at their home site and favorite sites. Our results show that only a small number of wireless users exhibit high mobility and our data suggests that typical mobile users utilize the network only in a handful of sites. These basic patterns have remained steady over the past two years.
Single-scattering properties of tri-axial ellipsoidal mineral dust aerosols: A database for application to radiative transfer calculations

Abstract This paper presents a user-friendly database software package of the single-scattering properties of individual dust-like aerosol particles for application to radiative transfer calculations in a spectral region from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (far-IR). To expand the degree of morphological freedom of the commonly used spheroidal and spherical models, tri-axial ellipsoids were assumed to be the overall shape of dust-like aerosol particles. A combination of four computational methods, including the Lorenz–Mie theory, the T-matrix method, the discrete dipole approximation, and an improved geometric optics method, was employed to compute the phase matrix, extinction efficiency and single-scattering albedo of ellipsoids with various aspect ratios and sizes. The scattering property database was developed for 42 particle shapes specified in terms of two aspect ratios, 69 refractive indices and 471 size parameters. Additionally, accompanying software, based on interpolation, was developed to provide the single-scattering properties for user-specified aspect ratios, refractive indices and size parameters. The software package allows for the derivation of the bulk optical properties for a given distribution of particle microphysical parameters (i.e., refractive index, size parameter and two aspect ratios). The array-oriented single-scattering property data sets are stored in the NetCDF format.
Electrostatic Analysis of the Midpoints of the Four Hemes in the Bound Cytochrome of the Reaction Center of RP. Viridis

The electrostatic potential throughout the Rp. viridis reaction center protein (RC) was obtained by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with a finite difference algorithm. The energetic cost of oxidizing each of the 4 hemes of the bound cytochrome subunit was examined. The calculations provide quite good agreement with the experimentally determined relative heme midpoints, thus accounting for the pattern of two low and two high potential cytochromes. The success of the method allows the factors that generate the differences the in situ electrochemistry of the hemes to be identified. In order of importance these appear to be: (1) the presence of acidic and basic residues on the surface of the cytochrome subunit; (2) differences in the stabilization of the charge on the heme by solvent; (3) the nature of the axial ligands; (4) interheme interactions.
How medical students define surgical mentors

Abstract Background Current literature does not define ideal qualities of surgical mentors. We sought to define mentoring qualities desired by medical students in attending and resident surgeons. Methods We conducted a survey asking third-year medical students to identify the best attending surgeon and resident surgeon mentors during their surgical clerkship and to explain their selections. Comments were systematically evaluated using content analysis. Results The survey response rate was 94.8%. Attending surgeon mentors were described by 84 students; 70 students described resident surgeon mentors. Students most frequently described the “teacher” role for attending surgeons. For resident surgeon mentors, students most often ranked the “person” role. Students prioritized characteristics or attributes within roles differently for attending and resident surgeon mentors. Conclusions Medical students' expectations of attending and resident surgeon mentors differ. Emphasis on behaviors consonant with identified characteristics may improve mentoring of medical students by surgeons and increase interest in surgical careers.
Frequency domain conditions via Linear Matrix Inequalities

This paper revisits a pair of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) that are related to checking a frequency domain inequality (FDI) over a finite interval. The first contribution is to show that the proposed pair of LMIs contain the original formulation of the Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov Lemma when the coefficient matrix is constant. The coefficient matrix can be made affine on the frequency variable at no extra computational cost. The second contribution is to show how to transform the frequency variable in order to extend the proposed results to infinite frequency intervals. In applications such as robustness analysis, allowing for frequency dependent coefficient matrices can be significant in reducing conservatism, a feature which is illustrated with a simple numerical example.
The neural correlates of ‘vitality form’ recognition: an fMRI study This work is dedicated to Daniel Stern, whose immeasurable contribution to science has inspired our research.

The observation of goal-directed actions performed by another individual allows one to understand what that individual is doing and why he/she is doing it. Important information about others' behaviour is also carried out by the dynamics of the observed action. Action dynamics characterize the 'vitality form' of an action describing the cognitive and affective relation between the performing agent and the action recipient. Here, using the fMRI technique, we assessed the neural correlates of vitality form recognition presenting participants with videos showing two actors executing actions with different vitality forms: energetic and gentle. The participants viewed the actions in two tasks. In one task (what), they had to focus on the goal of the presented action; in the other task (how), they had to focus on the vitality form. For both tasks, activations were found in the action observation/execution circuit. Most interestingly, the contrast how vs what revealed activation in right dorso-central insula, highlighting the involvement, in the recognition of vitality form, of an anatomical region connecting somatosensory areas with the medial temporal region and, in particular, with the hippocampus. This somatosensory-insular-limbic circuit could underlie the observers' capacity to understand the vitality forms conveyed by the observed action.
Multiple Levels of Activation of Murine CD8+ Intraepithelial Lymphocytes Defined by OX40 (CD134) Expression: Effects on Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity, IFN-γ, and IL-10 Regulation

The involvement of OX40 (CD134) in the activation of CD8+ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) has been studied using freshly isolated IELs and in vitro CD3-stimulated IELs. Although freshly isolated CD8+ IELs exhibited properties of activated T cells (CD69 expression and ex vivo cytotoxicity), virtually all CD8+ IELs from normal mice were devoid of other activation-associated properties, including a lack of expression of OX40 and the ligand for OX40 (OX40L) and an absence of intracellular IFN-γ staining. However, OX40 and OX40L expression were rapidly up-regulated on CD8 IELs following CD3 stimulation, indicating that both markers on IELs reflect activation-dependent events. Unlike IELs, activated lymph node T cells did not express OX40L, thus indicating that OX40-OX40L communication in the intestinal epithelium is part of a novel CD8 network. Functionally, OX40 expression was exclusively associated with IELs with active intracellular IFN-γ synthesis and markedly enhanced cell-mediated cytotoxicity. However, OX40 costimulation during CD3-mediated activation significantly suppressed IL-10 synthesis by IELs, whereas blockade of OX40-OX40L by anti-OX40L mAb markedly increased IL-10 production. These findings indicate that: 1) resident CD69+OX40− IELs constitute a population of partially activated T cells poised for rapid delivery of effector activity, 2) OX40 and OX40L expression defines IELs that have undergone recent immune activation, 3) OX40+ IELs are significantly more efficient CTL than are OX40− IELs, and 4) the local OX40/OX40L system plays a critical role in regulating the magnitude of cytokine responses in the gut epithelium.
Motor domain mutation traps kinesin as a microtubule rigor complex.

Conventional kinesin is a highly processive, microtubule-based motor protein that drives the movement of membranous organelles in neurons. Using in vivo genetics in Drosophila melanogaster, Glu164 was identified as an amino acid critical for kinesin function [Brendza, K. M., Rose, D. J., Gilbert, S. P., and Saxton, W. M. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 31506−31514]. Glu164 is located at the β-strand 5a/loop 8b junction of the catalytic core and projects toward the microtubule binding face in close proximity to key residues on β-tubulin helix α12. Substitution of Glu164 with alanine (E164A) results in a dimeric kinesin with a dramatic reduction in the microtubule-activated steady-state ATPase (5 s-1 per site versus 22 s-1 per site for wild-type). Our analysis shows that E164A binds ATP and microtubules with a higher affinity than wild-type kinesin. The rapid quench and stopped-flow results provide evidence that ATP hydrolysis is significantly faster and the precise coordination between the motor domains is disr...
Brownian Local Times

The purpose of this paper is to present in a more or less self-contained way the chief facts about the local times \(\mathfrak{t}\) of one-dimensional Brownian motion due to P. Levy, F. Knight, D. B. Ray, and Ito-McKean. The deepest part concerns the remarkable fact that for a class of stopping times \(\mathfrak{m}\), such as passage times and independent exponential holding times, the local time \(\mathfrak{t}(\mathfrak{m},x)\) is a diffusion relative to its spatial parameter x. The beautiful methods of D. Williams are employed here as being most in the manner of P. Levy who began the whole thing. The intent is purely expository, and only the main features of the proofs are indicated. A familiarity with the most elementary facts about Brownian motion is assumed. The paper is dedicated to Norman Levinson with affection and respect.
Cytomegalovirus Assemblin (pUL80a): Cleavage at Internal Site Not Essential for Virus Growth; Proteinase Absent from Virions

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) maturational proteinase is synthesized as an enzymatically active 74-kDa precursor that cleaves itself at four sites. Two of these, called the maturational (M) and release (R) sites, are conserved in the homologs of all herpesviruses. The other two, called the internal (I) and cryptic (C) sites, have recognized consensus sequences only among cytomegalovirus (CMV) homologs and are located in the 28-kDa proteolytic portion of the precursor, called assemblin. I-site cleavage cuts assemblin in half without detected effect on its enzymatic behavior in vitro. To investigate the requirement for this cleavage during virus infection, we used the CMV-bacterial artificial chromosome system (E. M. Borst, G. Hahn, U. H. Koszinowski, and M. Messerle, J. Virol. 73:8320-8329, 1999) to construct a virus encoding a mutant I site (Ala143 to Val) intended to be blocked for cleavage. Characterizations of the resulting mutant (i) confirmed the presence of the mutation in the viral genome and the inability of the mutant virus to effect I-site cleavage in infected cells; (ii) determined that the mutation has no gross effect on the rate of virus production or on the amounts of extracellular virions, noninfectious enveloped particles (NIEPs), and dense bodies; (iii) established that assemblin and its cleavage products are present in NIEPs but are absent from CMV virions, an apparent difference from what is found for virions of herpes simplex virus; and (iv) showed that the 23-kDa protein product of C-site cleavage is more abundant in mutant virus-than in wild-type virus-infected cells and NIEPs. We conclude that the production of infectious CMV requires neither I-site cleavage of assemblin nor the presence of assemblin in the mature virion.
Role of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Management of Pain in Older Adults

Pain management may play an important role in contributing to optimal quality of life in the elderly population. Pain lowers overall quality of life in part by decreasing function and by amplifying the psychologicic stress of aging. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to pain management, with preservation and restoration of function in older adults, is the cornerstone of an effective pain management program.
Impact of home-delivered meal programs on diet and nutrition among older adults: a review.

Background:Poor diet quality and insufficient nutrient intake is of particular concern among older adults. The Older Americans Act of 1965 authorizes home-delivered meal services to homebound indiv...
The Experience of White Students as a Temporary Minority in TRIO-Funded Programs

Although research has been conducted on the experience of White students as temporary minorities in some racial minority settings, little research focuses White students’ experiences as a temporary minority in TRIO-funded programs. In this study, the experience of White students in a TRIO experience were examined through focus groups. Findings suggest that students often had an initial fear of the experience; however, they felt the program was largely positive and beneficial to their growth and development. Participants expressed an overall consensus pertaining to the advantages of being in a diverse student environment. Implications and conclusions for program administrators, student affairs professionals, and other campus leaders are discussed.
Development of a National Genetic Evaluation for Cow Fertility

A national fertility evaluation was developed based on pregnancy rate, which measures the percentage of nonpregnant cows becoming pregnant within each 21-d opportunity period. Data for evaluation are days open, which are calculated as date pregnant minus previous calving date. Date pregnant is determined from last reported breeding or from subsequent calving minus expected gestation length. Success or failure of last breeding can be confirmed by veterinary diagnosis or a report that the cow was sold because of infertility. Data are adjusted for parity and calving season within geographic region and time period and evaluated. Fertility records are considered complete at 250 d in milk, and lower and upper limits of 50 and 250 d are applied to days open. For calculation of genetic evaluations, days open are converted to pregnancy rate by the linear formula pregnancy rate = 0.25 (233 - days open). Evaluations are expressed as predicted transmitting ability for daughter pregnancy rate, and calculation is done with an animal model. Genetic correlations among several fertility measures and other evaluated traits were estimated from 3 large data sets. Correlation with days open was less for nonreturn rate than for days to first breeding, probably because nonreturn rate had lower heritability. Cow fertility was negatively correlated with yield but is a major component of longevity. Thus, recent selection for longevity may have slowed the long-term decline in fertility. Direct selection for fertility could halt or reverse the decline.
What I Learned Since I Stopped Worrying and Studied the Movie: A Teaching Guide to Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove

IntroductionJohn Pike, former director of space policy at the Federation of American Scientists, once said to me: “Everything there is to know about nuclear strategy can be learned from Dr. Strangelove.” “Everything” is only a mild overstatement. I show Dr. Strangelove annually to Notre Dame audiences to teach about nuclear war, and I will continue to do so until nuclear weapons and war itself are no longer problems. The film offers lessons about war, politics, and history and can serve as a teaching aid for classes in introductory international relations, foreign policy, defense policy, causes of war, organizational politics, and Cold War history.Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worying and Love the Bomb, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern. Produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the book by Peter Bryant (a pseudonym for Peter George), Red Alert (New York: Ace Books, 1958). The British title for Red Alert was Two Hours to Doom. The book based on the screenplay is: Peter George, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (New York: Bantam Books, 1963. Published January, 1964). The film was scheduled for release on December 12, 1963, but was not shown until January 1964 due to President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Ed. note: when talking about Dr. Strangelove, the film, the title is italicized. The character Dr. Strangelove is not italicized. A longer version of this guide is available via: .
Engaging Families to Participate in Care of Older Critical Care Patients

Provision of optimal outcomes for older adults can be understood through the use of the American Association for Critical-Care Nurses Synergy Model. These outcomes can be enhanced if strategies are designed to improve the characteristics of patients and families as described in the Synergy Model. When older adults are admitted to critical care units, spouses, children, and friends are in a position to participate in care. This column examines the Synergy Model's patient characteristic of participation in care relative to involvement of the family and significant others of the older patient as a method of enhancing optimal outcomes.
Analysis of DC input response for a class of one-bit feedback encoders

A class of one-bit feedback encoders that includes sigma-delta modulation encoders, data modulation encoders, and some DPCM encoders is defined. For any encoder from the class, it is shown that the encoder output sequence in response to a DC input sequence is a typical sequence for a certain strict-sense stationary, ergodic process whose power spectral density is determined. The result is applied to give the performance of an analog-to-digital conversion system operated at high sampling rates. >
Oral and fecal shedding of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, serotype 1 from experimentally infected white-tailed deer.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), one of the most important infectious diseases of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), is vectored by species of midges in the genus Culicoides.Although vector borne, fecal shedding of EHD virus, serotype 2 has been reported from infected deer in a previous study. To evaluate the potential for fecal and oral shedding, oral and rectal swabs were obtained on day 8 post-inoculation from white-tailed deer fawns experimentally infected with EHD virus, serotype 1 (EHDV-1). Eight deer were viremic for EHDV-1; virus was detected in oral swabs from three (38%) and in rectal swabs from four (50%). The ability to isolate EHDV-1 in oral secretions or feces was not dependent on being able to detect clinical disease. These results indicate that in a relatively large proportion of EHDV-1 infected deer, virus can be detected in feces and oral secretions. Although more work is necessary, such shedding may be important in experimental studies or pen situations where deer-to-deer c...
Numerical and visual evaluation of hydrological and environmental models using the Monte Carlo analysis toolbox

The detailed evaluation of mathematical models and the consideration of uncertainty in the modeling of hydrological and environmental systems are of increasing importance, and are sometimes even demanded by decision makers. At the same time, the growing complexity of models to represent real-world systems makes it more and more difficult to understand model behavior, sensitivities and uncertainties. The Monte Carlo Analysis Toolbox (MCAT) is a Matlab library of visual and numerical analysis tools for the evaluation of hydrological and environmental models. Input to the MCAT is the result of a Monte Carlo or population evolution based sampling of the parameter space of the model structure under investigation. The MCAT can be used off-line, i.e. it does not have to be connected to the evaluated model, and can thus be used for any model for which an appropriate sampling can be performed. The MCAT contains tools for the evaluation of performance, identifiability, sensitivity, predictive uncertainty and also allows for the testing of hypotheses with respect to the model structure used. In addition to research applications, the MCAT can be used as a teaching tool in courses that include the use of mathematical models.
Cerebral intolerance during flow arrested carotid angioplasty.

Introduction: The use of flow arrest as a means of providing cerebral protection during carotid angioplasty offers the advantages of improved efficiency of debris removal and the ability to provide protection under unfavorable (tortuous) anatomic circumstances. However, in contrast to the filtration methods of cerebral protection, this modality requires complete interruption of antegrade carotid artery flow during balloon angioplasty and stent deployment. Methods: We report our experience with 9 patients undergoing carotid angioplasty with the Mo.Ma device, which utilizes common and external carotid artery balloon occlusion during the angioplasty procedure. We assessed the clinical outcomes and intraprocedural hemodynamic data. Results: The average duration of carotid occlusion was 8.3 minutes. Of the 9 patients, 2 patients (22%) experienced cerebral intolerance. No stroke occurred in this patient cohort. There appeared to be a poor relationship between procedure intolerance and the presence of significan...
Phenotypic Consequences of a Nonsense Mutation in the Leptin Receptor Gene (fak) in Obese Spontaneously Hypertensive Koletsky Rats (SHROB)

The genetically obese Koletsky rat (SHROB, fa k ) has a novel point mutation of the leptin receptor at amino acid +763, resulting in a premature stop codon in the leptin receptor extracellular domain. This implies that all leptin receptor isoforms should be absent in this model. We examined the phenotypic consequences of this mutation on leptin and leptin receptor mRNA in hypothalamus and peripheral tissues from SHROB and their lean SHR littermates. Despite the mutation, mRNA for both the long (ObRa) and the short (ObRb) form were expressed at comparable levels in SHROB and SHR in brain and throughout peripheral tissues. Adipose tissue mRNA for leptin was two to three times greater in SHROB compared to SHR (P < 0.01), while circulating leptin concentration was 170 times greater than SHR littermates (P < 0.01), suggesting extreme leptin resistance in SHROB. Leptin was also detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of SHR and SHROB (13.8 and 27.2 pmol/L, respectively); however, the CSF/plasma ratio for leptin was 32-fold greater in SHR than in SHROB. To assess the putative action of leptin and leptin receptors on insulin-mediated glucose transport, muscles from SHR and SHROB were incubated in vitro with recombinant human leptin. Leptin directly suppressed insulin-mediated glucose transport by 50% in skeletal muscle from SHR but not in obese SHROB rats lacking all forms of the leptin receptor. These results suggest that the natural leptin receptor knockout in the SHROB represents a unique rat model to define the functional role(s) of leptin in central and peripheral energy metabolism.
Clinical decision aids for chest pain in the emergency department: identifying low-risk patients

Chest pain is one of the most common presenting complaints in the emergency department, though only a small minority of patients are subsequently diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, missing the diagnosis has potential for significant morbidity and mortality. ACS presentations can be atypical, and their workups are often prolonged and costly. In order to risk-stratify patients and better direct the workup and care given, many decision aids have been developed. While each may have merit in certain clinical settings, the most useful aid in the emergency department is one that finds all cases of ACS while also identifying a substantial subset of patients at low risk who can be discharged without stress testing or coronary angiography. This review describes several of the chest pain decision aids developed and studied through the recent past, starting with the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk score and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores, which were developed as prognostic aids for patients already diagnosed with ACS, then subsequently validated in the undifferentiated chest pain population. Asia-Pacific Evaluation of Chest Pain Trial (ASPECT); Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol to Assess Patients With Chest Pain Symptoms Using Contemporary Troponins (ADAPT); North American Chest Pain Rule (NACPR); and History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, Troponin (HEART) score have been developed exclusively for use in the undifferentiated chest pain population as well, with improved performance compared to their predecessors. This review describes the relative merits and limitations of these decision aids so that providers can determine which tool fits the needs of their clinical practice setting.
Influence of a Leaking Gap Downstream of the Injection Holes on Film Cooling Performance

This study investigated a practical but never exploited issue concerning the influence of flow leakage through a gap downstream on the film cooling performance with discrete-hole injection. A heat transfer system as such can be categorized as either a three-temperature or a four-temperature problem, depending on the direction of leakage through the gap. To characterize a three-temperature-based film cooling system fully requires knowledge of both local film effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient. A second film effectiveness is necessary for characterizing a four-temperature problem. All these variables can be experimentally determined, based on the transient method of thermochromic liquid crystal imaging. Although the overall convective transport in the region is expected to be dependent on the blowing ratios of the coolants, the mass flow ratio of the two injectants, and the geometry, the current results indicated that the extent of flow injection or extraction through the gap has significant effects on the film effectiveness and less on the heat transfer coefficient, which is primarily dominated by the geometric disturbance of gap presence.
Local Government Finance and Entrepreneurial Activity in U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Recent empirical literature finds that greater economic freedom at the state level tends to have a positive effect on entrepreneurial activity and economic growth generally. However, state boundaries are relatively arbitrary, and the level of economic freedom in local economies can vary widely within individual states. While there is currently no economic freedom index for metropolitan areas, this paper uses data for government revenue and expenditure as a proxy. It provides the first examination of that relationship at the local level, using data on net new business formation for 288 U.S. metropolitan areas over the period 1990-2003. We found a statistically significant negative relationship between increases in all seven selected sources of revenue (used to fund an equal increase in spending on public welfare) and net new business formation. We also found that replacing welfare spending with higher spending for seven of eight selected spending categories was positively and significantly associated with net new business formation.
Diarrhea Among Children in Developing Countries

Diarrhea continues to stand among the most important causes of global morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age. Although the introduction of oral rehydration and other case-management strategies have reduced acute diarrhea fatalities, many of the survivors develop persistent diarrhea and/or deficiencies of growth and cognition. Thus understanding the true global burden of diarrhea requires attention to acute diarrhea as well is its sequelae. To understand the etiology of moderate to severe diarrhea among children in high mortality areas of sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia we performed a comprehensive case-control study of children under 5 years of age at seven sites. Each site employed an identical case-control study design and each utilized a uniform comprehensive set of microbiological assays to identify the likely bacterial, viral and protozoal etiologies. Results of the studies will inform diarrhea prevention and management efforts worldwide.
Restoration of Nrf2 signaling normalizes the regenerative niche

Chronic hyperglycemia impairs intracellular redox homeostasis and contributes to impaired diabetic tissue regeneration. The Keap1/Nrf2 pathway is a critical regulator of the endogenous antioxidant response system, and its dysfunction has been implicated in numerous pathologies. Here we characterize the effect of chronic hyperglycemia on Nrf2 signaling within a diabetic cutaneous regeneration model. We characterized the effects of chronic hyperglycemia on the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway within models of diabetic cutaneous wound regeneration. We assessed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant gene expression following alterations in the Nrf2 suppressor Keap1 and the subsequent changes in Nrf2 signaling. We also developed a topical small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapy to restore redox homeostasis within diabetic wounds. Western blotting demonstrated that chronic hyperglycemia-associated oxidative stress inhibits nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and impairs activation of antioxidant genes, thus contributing to ROS accumulation. Keap1 inhibition increased Nrf2 nuclear translocation, increased antioxidant gene expression, and reduced ROS production to normoglycemic levels, both in vitro and in vivo. Topical siKeap1 therapy resulted in improved regenerative capacity of diabetic wounds and accelerated closure. We report that chronic hyperglycemia weakens the endogenous antioxidant response, and the consequences of this defect are manifested by intracellular redox dysregulation, which can be restored by Keap1 inhibition. Targeted siRNA-based therapy represents a novel, efficacious strategy to reestablish redox homeostasis and accelerate diabetic cutaneous tissue regeneration.
Finite Matter Resolution of the Cosmological Entropy Problem

We discuss how entropy bounds, which are not respected in the standard cosmology, constrain the parameters of a previously suggested cosmology with a finite total mass. In that alternative cosmology the matter density was postulated to be a spatial delta function at the time of the big bang thereafter diffusing rapidly outward with constant total mass. Also discussed here are some related issues including the cosmic onion question, the information content of the universe, and the question of whether light trapping regions exist on a cosmic scale.
Adaptive resource management algorithms, architectures, and frameworks for distributed real-time embedded systems

There is an increasing demand for adaptive capabilities in distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems that execute in open environments where system operational conditions, input workload, and resource availability cannot be characterized accurately a priori. A challenging problem faced by researchers and developers of such systems is devising effective adaptive resource management strategies that can meet end-to-end quality of service (QoS) requirements of applications. To address this challenge, this dissertation presents three contributions to the research on adaptive resource management for DRE systems. First, it presents the Hierarchical Distributed Resource-management Architecture (HiDRA), which provides adaptive resource management using control techniques that enables the system to adapt to workload fluctuations and resource availability for both bandwidth and processor utilization simultaneously. Second, it describes the structure and functionality of the Resource Allocation and Control Engine (RACE), which is an open-source adaptive resource management framework built atop standards-based QoS-enabled component middleware. Third, it presents three representative DRE system case studies where RACE has been successfully applied. These case studies demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of RACE in the context of representative DRE systems.
Traumatic Dislocation of the Knee with Patella Tendon Rapture. A Case Report

We reported a case of a 58-year-old man who sustained dislocation of the knee with patella tendon rapture.Primary operative treatment was carried out. The treated knee was placed in a cast for seven days, then early quadriceps exercise was started. One year after surgery, the knee was stable and painless with flexion movement from 0 to 120 degrees.
Experimental and Computational Investigation of Combustor Acoustics and Instabilities, Part I: Longitudinal Modes

Combined experimental and computational studies of acoustic modes and combustion instabilities in a longitudinal chamber configuration are presented. The experiments utilize a recessed swirl-coaxial pressure-sensitive injector element and a variable length combustion chamber. Tests for different chamber lengths indicate that high-amplitude pressure oscillations are spontaneously generated, with the unstable frequencies typically being in the 1200-1700 Hz range. The computational simulations indicate that the acoustic mode frequencies and mode shapes are very well predicted by the model. In addition, non-linear forcing studies indicate that higher harmonics are excited, which is also in good agreement with the experimental data.