cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model Reduction and Parametric Uncertainty Identification for Robust $H_{2}$ Control Synthesis for Dual-Stage Hard Disk Drives

This paper presents a systematic, semi-automated method for identifying parameters and parametric uncertainty for a set of dual-stage hard disk drives. A modal analysis technique is selected to extract parameters from a batch of frequency response data. In order to avoid redundancy in modal parameters, two methods are presented to reduce model order. One method combines experimental data to directly extract fewer parameters. The second method uses an optimized model truncation methodology. Finally, convex optimization and singular value decomposition are employed to obtain a minimally conservative, lower-order approximation of uncertain parameters. The result is a reduced-order state space model with parametric uncertainty to be used in robust H2 control synthesis for a track-following hard disk drive servo.
The one-cut meatoplasty: novel surgical technique and outcomes.

Abstract Purpose To present the surgical technique and clinical outcomes of a novel modification to conventional meatoplasty. Materials and methods All consecutive patients undergoing canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy incorporating the one-cut meatoplasty technique between January 2009 and February 2013 were evaluated. Primary outcome measures included meatal stenosis requiring revision surgery, frequency of drainage beyond 2 months postoperatively and results of a composite patient questionnaire incorporating the Chronic Ear Survey. Results Twenty-eight of 36 (78%) eligible patients completed a questionnaire and were included. All ears underwent canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy utilizing the one-cut meatoplasty technique. At a mean follow-up of 38.0 months, the average Chronic Ear Survey score was 78.6 ± 2.6 points. There was only one case of postoperative meatal stenosis. Intermittent otorrhea developed in 14.3% of cases but was remedied by conservative measures including in-office cleaning, ototopical therapy and water precautions. Eighty-nine percent of patients denied any self-consciousness about the aesthetic appearance of the ear. Conclusions The one-cut meatoplasty is an effective alternative to traditional techniques that is simple to perform. The results of the Chronic Ear Survey indicate that the one-cut meatoplasty supports a stable and healthy, open cavity with functional results that compare favorably to other series evaluating canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy with traditional meatoplasty. Additionally, patients report high satisfaction with the appearance of their ear, and all hearing aid users could continue to utilize a hearing aid without feedback, pain, or other difficulties related to poor fitting.
Limited search trellis decoding of convolutional codes

The least storage and node computation required by a breadth-first tree or trellis decoder that corrects t errors over the binary symmetric channels is calculated. Breadth-first decoders work with code paths of the same length, without backtracking. The Viterbi algorithm is an exhaustive trellis decoder of this type; other schemes look at a subset of the tree or trellis paths. For random tree codes, theorems about the asymptotic number of paths required and their depth are proved. For concrete convolutional codes, the worst case storage for t error sequences is measured. In both cases the optimal decoder storage has the same simple dependence on t. The M algorithm and algorithms proposed by G.J. Foschini (ibid., vol.IT-23, p.605-9, Sept. 1977) and by S.J. Simmons (PhD. diss., Queens Univ., Kingston, Ont., Canada) are optimal, or nearly so; they are all far more efficient than the Viterbi algorithm. >
Clinicopathologic assessment and imaging of tauopathies in neurodegenerative dementias

Microtubule-associated protein tau encoded by the MAPT gene binds to microtubules and is important for maintaining neuronal morphology and function. Alternative splicing of MAPT pre-mRNA generates six major tau isoforms in the adult central nervous system resulting in tau proteins with three or four microtubule-binding repeat domains. In a group of neurodegenerative disorders called tauopathies, tau becomes aberrantly hyperphosphorylated and dissociates from microtubules, resulting in a progressive accumulation of intracellular tau aggregates. The spectrum of sporadic frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with tau pathology includes progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and Pick’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is considered the most prevalent tauopathy. This review is divided into two broad sections. In the first section we discuss the molecular classification of sporadic tauopathies, with a focus on describing clinicopathologic relationships. In the second section we discuss the neuroimaging methodologies that are available for measuring tau pathology (directly using tau positron emission tomography ligands) and tau-mediated neuronal injury (magnetic resonance imaging and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography). Both sections have detailed descriptions of the following neurodegenerative dementias – Alzheimer’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and Pick’s disease.
Collective Invasion in Breast Cancer Requires a Conserved Basal Epithelial Program

Carcinomas typically invade as a cohesive multicellular unit, a process termed collective invasion. It remains unclear how different subpopulations of cancer cells contribute to this process. We developed three-dimensional (3D) organoid assays to identify the most invasive cancer cells in primary breast tumors. Collective invasion was led by specialized cancer cells that were defined by their expression of basal epithelial genes, such as cytokeratin-14 (K14) and p63. Furthermore, K14+ cells led collective invasion in the major human breast cancer subtypes. Importantly, luminal cancer cells were observed to convert phenotypically to invasive leaders following induction of basal epithelial genes. Although only a minority of cells within luminal tumors expressed basal epithelial genes, knockdown of either K14 or p63 was sufficient to block collective invasion. Our data reveal that heterotypic interactions between epithelial subpopulations are critical to collective invasion. We suggest that targeting the basal invasive program could limit metastatic progression.
Open-channel microfluidic membrane device for long-term FT-IR spectromicroscopy of live adherent cells.

Spatially resolved infrared spectroscopy is a label-free and nondestructive analytical technique that can provide spatiotemporal information on functional groups in biomolecules of a sample by their characteristic vibrational modes. One difficulty in performing long-term FT-IR measurements on live cells is the competition between the strong IR absorption from water and the need to supply nutrients and remove waste. In this proof of principle study, we developed an open-channel membrane device that allows long-term continuous IR measurement of live, adherent mammalian cells. Composed of a gold-coated porous membrane between a feeding channel and a viewing chamber, it allows cells to be maintained on the upper membrane surface in a thin layer of fluid while media is replenished from the feeding channel below. Using this device, we monitored the spatiotemporal chemical changes in living colonies of PC12 cells under nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation for up to 7 days using both conventional globar and high...
Responses of Nitrification and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria to Reciprocal Transfers of Soil between Adjacent Coniferous Forest and Meadow Vegetation in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon

Despite the critical position of nitrification in N cycling in coniferous forest soils of western North America, little information exists on the composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in these soils, or their response to treatments that promote or reduce nitrification. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which a set of soil cores was reciprocally transplanted between adjacent forest (low nitrification potential) and meadow (high nitrification potential) environments, at two high-elevation (~1500 m) sites in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest located in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Half of the cores were placed in screened PVC pipe (closed) to prevent new root colonization, large litter debris inputs, and animal disturbance; the other cores were placed in open mesh bags. A duplicate set of open and closed soil cores was not transferred between sites and was incubated in place. Over the 2-year experiment, net nitrification increased in both open and closed cores transferred from forest to meadow, and to a lesser extent in cores remaining in the forest. In three of four forest soil treatments, net nitrification increases were accompanied by increases in nitrification potential rates (NPR) and 10- to 100-fold increases in AOB populations. In open cores remaining in the forests, however, increases in net nitrification were not accompanied by significant increases in either NPR or AOB populations. Although some meadow soil treatments reduced both net nitrification and nitrification potential rates, significant changes were not detected in most probable number (MPN)-based estimates of AOB population densities. Terminal restriction fragment profiles (T-RFs) of a PCR-amplified 491-bp fragment of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene (amoA) changed significantly in response to some soil treatments, and treatment effects differed among locations and between years. A T-RF previously shown to be a specific biomarker of Nitrosospira cluster 4 (Alu390) was widespread and dominant in the majority of soil samples. Despite some treatments causing substantial increases in AOB population densities and nitrification potential rates, nitrosomonads remained undetectable, and the nitrosospirad AOB community composition did not change radically following treatment.
Gill ventilation and respiratory efficiency of Sacramento blackfish, Orthodon microlepidotus Ayres, in hypoxic environments

Respiratory and gill ventilatory responses of Sacramento blackfish to three environmental temperatures (12, 20 and 28°C) and four environmental dissolved oxygen concentrations (130, 90, 65 and 40 torr PO2) were examined to determine physiological strategies of survival in eutrophic lakes and suitibility for culture conditions. Situated in van Dam-type respirometers, experimental blackfish showed increased gill ventilatory flows from increased ventilatory frequencies and stroke volumes to meet higher respiratory oxygen demands at increased temperatures. Ventilation volumes also increased at reduced environmental dissolved oxygen levels by increased ventilatory stroke volumes alone, except at 28°C where frequency increases were also measured. Oxygen consumption rates remained essentially constant with declining dissolved oxygen, except at 28°C where excitement elevated respiratory metabolism at 65 and 40 torr. Percentage utilization of oxygen increased with temperature from 12°C, but levels at 20 and 28°C were insignificantly different. Contrary to most studies on other species, there was no change in percentage utilization under hypoxic conditions even with 4.7-fold increases in ventilation volume in excited fish at 28°C. The ability of blackfish to survive in hypoxic waters is quantitatively compared with other species by calculation of a respiratory efficiency index (I), which includes the relationship between ventilation volume and percentage utilization of oxygen under normoxic and hypoxic conditions as well as the half-saturation value (P50) of the species' blood with oxygen.
Elevated CO2 increases belowground respiration in California grasslands

This study was designed to identify potential effects of elevated CO2 on belowground respiration (the sum of root and heterotrophic respiration) in field and microcosm ecosystems and on the annual carbon budget. We made three sets of respiration measurements in two CO2 treatments, i.e., (1) monthly in the sandstone grassland and in microcosms from November 1993 to June 1994; (2) at the annual peak of live biomass (March and April) in the serpentine and sandstone grasslands in 1993 and 1994; and (3) at peak biomass in the microcosms with monocultures of seven species in 1993. To help understand ecosystem carbon cycling, we also made supplementary measurements of belowground respiration monthly in sandstone and serpentine grasslands located within 500 m of the CO2 experiment site. The seasonal average respiration rate in the sandstone grassland was 2.12 μmol m-2 s-1 in elevated CO2, which was 42% higher than the 1.49 μmol m-2 s-1 measured in ambient CO2 (P=0.007). Studies of seven individual species in the microcosms indicated that respiration was positively correlated with plant biomass and increased, on average, by 70% with CO2. Monthly measurements revealed a strong seasonality in belowground respiration, being low (0–0.5 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 in the two grasslands adjacent to the CO2 site) in the summer dry season and high (2–4 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 in the sandstone grassland and 2–7 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 in the microcosms) during the growing season from the onset of fall rains in November to early spring in April and May. Estimated annual carbon effluxes from the soil were 323 and 440 g C m-2 year-1 for the sandstone grasslands in ambient and elevated CO2. That CO2-stimulated increase in annual soil carbon efflux is more than twice as big as the increase in aboveground net primary productivity (NPPa) and approximately 60% of NPPa in this grassland in the current CO2 environment. The results of this study suggest that below-ground respiration can dissipate most of the increase in photosynthesis stimulated by elevated CO2.
Indexed ideational shifts in the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office of the United States Army

The scientific endeavor is influenced by scholarly trends, in that researchers have a tendency to use the hot, new scientific ideas to try and explain their own research. The work presented here focuses in on this tendency and attempts to measure the sensitivity of the indexing of Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office of the United States Army (Index Cat) to new knowledge. The title indexing of the first three series of the Index Cat clearly reflects a shift in thinking surrounding the use of the germ theory in explaining the causes of various diseases. Title words that convey the idea of germs and the role germs play in disease occur at a much higher level towards the end of the 19th century, i.e., post-discovery of the germ theory. Not only is this affect apparent in the indexing of diseases that scholars today agree are germ based, but also in the indexing of diseases that are not now considered to be germ based. The data suggest that scientists are quick to apply the new knowledge inherent in the latest scientific breakthroughs to their own area of research.
Efficient and passive modeling of transmission lines by using differential quadrature method

This paper introduces a new transmission line modeling approach that employs an efficient numerical approximation technique called the differential quadrature method (DQM). The transmission line has been discretized and the approximation framework is constructed by using the fifth order differential quadrature method; consequently an improved discrete equivalent-circuit model is developed in the paper. The DQM-based modeling requires far fewer intervening grid points for building an accurate discrete model of the transmission line than numerical methods like FD requires. It introduces far less state variables than FD-based models; therefore, it has higher efficiency. The DQM technique can be integrated in a circuit simulator since it preserves the passivity.
Nonresidential Crime Attractors and Generators Elevate Perceived Neighborhood Crime and Incivilities

Recent studies have produced conflicting findings about the impacts of local nonresidential land uses on perceived incivilities. This study advances work in this area by developing a land-use perspective theoretically grounded in Brantingham and Brantingham's geometry of crime model in environmental criminology. That focus directs attention to specific classes of land uses and suggests relevance of land uses beyond and within respondents' neighborhoods. Extrapolating from victimization and reactions to crime, crime-generating and crime-attracting land uses are expected to increase perceived neighborhood incivilities and crime. Multilevel models using land use, crime, census, and survey data from 342 Philadelphia heads of households confirmed expected individual-level impacts. These persisted even after controlling for resident demographics and for neighborhood fabric and violent crime rates. Neighborhood status and crime were the only relevant ecological predictors, and their impacts are interpreted in li...
Multiple chemical sensitivities, including iatrogenic allergic contact dermatitis, in a patient with chronic actinic dermatitis: implications for management.

Background: Chronic actinic dermatitis represents a spectrum of photosensitive dermatoses. Phototesting and photopatch testing are necessary to elucidate the specific subtype. Such patients may have multiple cutaneous allergies and photoallergies. Objective: This is a case report of a patient with chronic actinic dermatitis whose condition was worsened by certain sunscreens and corticosteroids. Our purpose was to identify the specific subtype of chronic actinic dermatitis and cutaneous allergens. Methods: Phototesting to UVB and UVA was performed. Photopatch testings to standard photoallergens and to Photoplex sunscreen ingredients was performed. Patch testing to standard allergens and proprietary corticosteroids was performed. Results: Positive photoallergies to Photoplex sunscreen and the UVA screen within Photoplex, Parsol 1789 (4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoyl-methane), were identified. Positive allergies to Aclovate (alclometasone dipropionate) cream and ointment and Locoid (hydrocortisone butyrate) ointment were identified. The patient showed increased UVB sensitivity. Conclusion: This is a case report of a patient with chronic actinic dermatitis. A relevant photoallergy to Parsol 1789 and corticosteroid sensitivities to aclometasone and hydrocortisone butyrate were identified. Multiple cutaneous allergens may be identified in patients with chronic actinic dermatoses, and avoidance of known allergens may result in significant improvement of the chronic dermatitis.
Strength training reduces arterial blood pressure but not sympathetic neural activity in young normotensive subjects

The effects of resistance training on arterial blood pressure and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) at rest have not been established. Although endurance training is commonly recommended to lower arterial blood pressure, it is not known whether similar adaptations occur with resistance training. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that whole body resistance training reduces arterial blood pressure at rest, with concomitant reductions in MSNA. Twelve young [21 +/- 0.3 (SE) yr] subjects underwent a program of whole body resistance training 3 days/wk for 8 wk. Resting arterial blood pressure (n = 12; automated sphygmomanometer) and MSNA (n = 8; peroneal nerve microneurography) were measured during a 5-min period of supine rest before and after exercise training. Thirteen additional young (21 +/- 0.8 yr) subjects served as controls. Resistance training significantly increased one-repetition maximum values in all trained muscle groups (P < 0.001), and it significantly decreased systolic (130 +/- 3 to 121 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.01), diastolic (69 +/- 3 to 61 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.04), and mean (89 +/- 2 to 81 +/- 2 mmHg; P = 0.01) arterial blood pressures at rest. Resistance training did not affect MSNA or heart rate. Arterial blood pressures and MSNA were unchanged, but heart rate increased after 8 wk of relative inactivity for subjects in the control group (61 +/- 2 to 67 +/- 3 beats/min; P = 0.01). These results indicate that whole body resistance exercise training might decrease the risk for development of cardiovascular disease by lowering arterial blood pressure but that reductions of pressure are not coupled to resistance exercise-induced decreases of sympathetic tone.
Prediction of the influence of flow‐enhanced crystallization on the dynamics of fiber spinning

A linearized sensitivity and stability analysis of fiber spinning of semi-crystalline polymers has been carried out for both low- and high-speed spinning conditions to investigate the relative roles of flow-enhanced crystallization (FEC) and thermal-induced crystallization (TIC) on the process dynamics. The analysis is based on an earlier-developed two-phase constitutive model for FEC that utilizes either the Giesekus or the Extended Pom-Pom constitutive equations for the amorphous phase and a rigid-rod model for the semi-crystalline phase, combined with the transport balances for the 1-D fiber spinning model. Model parameters from fits of the steady-state low- and high-speed spinning of Nylon and L-polylactic acid are used to illustrate the effects of changes in various process variables (principally air cooling rate and temperature) on the system sensitivity. Results show that higher crystallization, whether from TIC or FEC, generally equates to lower spinline sensitivity. However, factors such as high-speed necking induced by FEC, viscoelastic stresses, and thermal transport properties are also shown to impact trends in the sensitivity. Because of the specific nature of the FEC model and lack of a general theory for determining model parameters from first principles, calculations and conclusions are necessarily system specific. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 48:88–96, 2008. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers
Model complexity in carbon sequestration: A design of experiment and response surface uncertainty analysis

Abstract Geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) is considered a promising means of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). In Wyoming, GCS is proposed for the Nugget Sandstone in Moxa Arch, a deep, regional-scale saline aquifer with a large CO2 storage potential. For a proposed storage site, this study builds a suite of increasingly complex conceptual geologic model families, using subsets of the site characterization data: a homogeneous model family (FAM1), a stationary petrophysical model family (FAM2), a stationary facies model family with sub-facies petrophysical variability (FAM3), and a non-stationary facies model family (with sub-facies variability) conditioned to soft data (FAM4). These families, representing alternative conceptual site models built with increasing data, were simulated with the same CO2 injection test (50 years at 1/10 Mt (1.0 × 108 kg) per year), followed by 2950 years of monitoring. Using the design of experiment, an efficient sensitivity analysis (SA) is conducted for all families, systematically varying uncertain aquifer parameters, while assuming identical well configuration, injection rate, bottomhole pressure constraint, and boundary conditions, i.e., the model is considered a part of a larger, semi-infinite system, where both the injected CO2 and the formation brine can flow out. The SA results are compared among the families to identify parameters that have 1st order impact on predicting CO2 storage ratio (SR) at two different time scales, i.e., end of injection and end of monitoring. This comparison indicates that, for this deep aquifer with a gentle incline, geologic modeling factors do not significantly influence the short-term prediction of the CO2 storage ratio. However, these factors become more important over the monitoring time, but only for those families where such factors are accounted for (in other words, their long-term importance cannot be revealed by the relatively simple conceptual models). Based on the SA results, a response surface analysis is conducted to generate prediction envelopes of the storage ratio, which are also compared among the families, and at both time scales. Results suggest a large uncertainty in the predicted storage ratio, given the uncertainties in model parameters and modeling choices: the SR varies from 5–60% (end of injection) to 18–100% (end of monitoring), although its variation among the model families due to different modeling choices is relatively minor. Moreover, long-term leakage risk is considered small at the proposed site. This is because, in the lowest-SR scenarios, all model families predict gravity-stable supercritical CO2 migrating toward the bottom of the aquifer. In the highest-SR scenarios, supercritical CO2 footprints are relatively insignificant by the end of monitoring.
Entre lo indio, lo negro, y lo incaico: The Spatial Hierarchies of Difference in Multicultural Peru

Este articulo examina los problemas encontrados por un programa estatal sobre multiculturalismo afro-indigena en Peru dentro del marco de la historia intelectual de la nacion, sus regiones, y las ideologias que las gobiernan. En vez de presentar un recuento comparativo sobre las politicas aplicadas a afro-descendientes e indigenas a nivel regional Latinoamericano enfatizando "raza" versus "cultura", arguyo que se debe prestar mas atencion a las formas en las que el multiculturalismo afro-indigena se "peruaniza" en el proceso de la expansion global/regional. El caso peruano es particularmente interesante por la forma en la que el Estado separa sus sujetos multiculturales por region (reconociendo los Andinos, Amazonicos, y Afro Peruanos que son implicitamente de la costa). Tambien analizo como la larga fascinacion de la nacion con la figura del Inca permite que los Andinos tengan un estatus de elite indigena dentro de la imaginacion multicultural. La influencia historica de lo que llamo el "espacio Inca" sugiere posibilidades para poder comparar todos aquellos sujetos definidos como no Andinos/no Incas, y particularmente para los Afro-Peruanos e indigenas amazonicos en este contexto. PALABRAS CLAVES: multiculturalismo, afroperuanos, pueblos indigenas, Peru, movimientos sociales.
Moving least-square reproducing kernel methods (I) Methodology and convergence

This paper formulates the moving least-square interpolation scheme in a framework of the so-called moving least-square reproducing kernel (MLSRK) representation. In this study, the procedure of constructing moving least square interpolation function is facilitated by using the notion of reproducing kernel formulation, which, as a generalization of the early discrete approach, establishes a continuous basis for a partition of unity. This new formulation possesses the quality of simplicity, and it is easy to implement. Moreover, the reproducing kernel formula proposed is not only able to reproduce any mth order polynomial exactly on an irregular particle distribution, but also serves as a projection operator that can approximate any smooth function globally with an optimal accuracy. In this contribution, a generic m-consistency relation has been found, which is the essential property of the MLSRK approximation. An interpolation error estimate is given to assess the convergence rate of the approximation. It is shown that for sufficiently smooth function the interpolant expansion in terms of sampled values will converge to the original function in the Sobolev norms. As a meshless method, the convergence rate is measured by a new control variable—dilation parameter ρ of the window function, instead of the mesh size h as usually done in the finite element analysis. To illustrate the procedure, convergence has been shown for the numerical solution of the second-order elliptic differential equations in a Galerkin procedure invoked with this interpolant. In the numerical example, a two point boundary problem is solved by using the method, and an optimal convergence rate is observed with respect to various norms.
Diagnostic ultrasound-induced membrane damage in phagocytic cells loaded with contrast agent and its relation to Doppler-mode images

Cell membrane damage induced by diagnostic ultrasound exposure with contrast agent was examined and related to the display of stimulated acoustical emission in Doppler images. Monolayers of mouse macrophage-like cells were cultured on the inside of one window of an exposure chamber. The monolayers were incubated with 5% Optison/sup /spl reg// (Mallinckrodt, Inc., St. Louis, MO) for 15 minutes then rinsed to remove unattached gas bodies. A Spectra Plus scanner (Diasonics GE Medical Systems, Inc., Cincinnati, OH) in B-scan or Doppler-imaging modes exposed the chamber 3.5 cm away in a 37/spl deg/C water bath. The cells were scored either for uptake of fluorescent Dextran (sonoporation), or for trypan blue dye exclusion (cell death). No significant effect was seen for exposure in any mode without a contrast agent. Significant effects with contrast agent included 5.8% (2.3% standard deviation, SD) fluorescent cells and 33.4% (7.7% SD) trypan blue-stained cells in Doppler-imaging modes, compared to 0.0% and 2.2% (1.7% SD), respectively, in sham exposures. Frames of the power Doppler image were analyzed for pixel brightness to quantify the brief flash in the Doppler window. Although both membrane damage and the flash brightness increased with increasing pressure amplitude, there did not appear to be a direct correlation between the two phenomena.
A male newborn with VACTERL association and Fanconi anemia with a FANCB deletion detected by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH)

We report on a male newborn with multiple congenital abnormalities consistent with the diagnosis of VACTERL association (vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheo-esophageal fistula, renal, and limb anomalies), who had Fanconi anemia (complementation group B) recognized by the detection of a deletion in chromosome Xp22.2 using an oligonucleotide array. The diagnosis of Fanconi anemia was confirmed by increased chromosomal breakage abnormalities observed in cultured cells that were treated with cross-linking agents. This is the first report in the literature of Fanconi anemia complementation group B detected by oligonucleotide array testing postnatally.
The Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Dissection

Aortic dissection is a severe disease. Most untreated patients with types I and II (proximal) dissection and over half of those with type III (distal) dissection die within 1 year. Most of the deaths occur within 2 weeks and are caused by rupture, aortic insufficiency, and branch vessel obstruction. Aortic dissection is suspected in patients with anterior chest and back pain that progresses downward. Diagnosis is confirmed by computed tomography, aortography, or echocardiography. Appropriate medical treatment and corrective surgery, including total aortic replacement, performed in the acute and chronic stages, are now successful in over 90% of the cases; long-term results of treatment are steadily improving and are expected to exceed 50% at 10 years. The keys to a successful outcome are being aware of the symptoms of dissection, early diagnosis, and prompt application of appropriate treatment; diligent follow-up includes controlling blood pressure, decreasing the velocity of left ventricular contraction, monitoring the size of the residual aorta, and taking appropriate action if redissection, aneurysmal formation, or rupture occurs. (JAMA. 1990;264:2537-2541)
A Comparison between Sea Surface Temperatures as Derived from the European Remote Sensing Along-Track Scanning Radiometer and the NOAA/NASA AVHRR Oceans Pathfinder Dataset

Abstract The paper focuses on the comparison between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Oceans Pathfinder sea surface temperature (SST) dataset and SST as derived from the Along–Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) onboard the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS–1) (ASST). These two datasets provide a unique opportunity for comparing, on global scales, two independent satellite–derived SST retrievals. The comparison was done for data between 1992 and June of 1996. In a preliminary step, mean values and standard deviations of the residuals as defined by the differences between the Modified Pathfinder SST (MPFSST) algorithm and the collocated in situ Pathfinder matchup database were calculated. Globally, as defined by the mean difference, the MPFSST was colder than the in situ data by –0.01°C with a standard deviation of 0.54°C. However, these results were found to vary between ocean basins. The Caribbean ...
Formation Damage Control and Remediation—Conventional Techniques and Remedial Treatments for Common Problems

Formation damage is an undesirable operational and economic problem that may occur during the various phases of oil and gas recovery from petroleum reservoirs. Control and remediation of formation damage are among the most important issues to be resolved for efficient exploitation of petroleum reservoirs and cost management. Designing certain chemicals and/or treatment procedures for damage control and remediation is a science as well as an art. Recipes that work for certain cases may not necessarily work for others. In spite of exhaustive research and development efforts, the cost effective mitigation of formation damage is still a very challenging task. This chapter provides practicing engineers the understanding and tools available for prevention, control, and remediation of formation damage. A review of the commonly practiced methods is presented.
Comparison with Other Theories

As is clear from the previous chapters, doublet mechanics (DM) is a new theory of elasticity stemming from and based on the consideration of the discrete microstructure of solids. Doublet mechanics is not the only microstructural model—there are many similar theories that have been developed during the last 30–35 years. The existence of a wide variety of microstructural theories of elasticity leads to the inevitable question: what are the salient features of DM that distinguish it from the others? In this chapter we discuss this question with regard to well-known mathematical models of elasticity (WME).
Quality attributes and thermal inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in moisture enhanced, non-intact beef products are affected by pump rate, internal temperature, and resting time after cooking

Abstract Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and non-O157-Shiga toxin-producing E . coli (STEC) may move from the surface of beef to the internal tissue during non-intact moisture enhancement processes. Little is known about the thermal inactivation of ECOH and non-O157-STEC in moisture-enhanced, non-intact beef. Our study evaluated the pump rate, internal temperature, resting time to inactivate ECOH and non-O157-STEC, and the resulting quality attributes of non-intact beef. Fresh 1 kg coarse-ground beef knuckles, inoculated with ECOH or a six-strain mixture of non-O157-STEC, were mixed with sodium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate solutions to reach a 10 or 18% pump rate. The semi-frozen beef was cut, vacuum-packaged, frozen, and tempered before double pan-broiling to internal temperatures of 55, 60, 65, or 71.1 °C with 0.5 or 3.5 min rest. We analyzed pathogen survival on tryptic soy agar, MacConkey agar, and sorbitol MacConkey agar plus sodium pyruvate (0.1%). We also monitored color changes in the raw and cooked beef. We analyzed our data (two replicates of three samples each) using the Mixed Model Procedure of SAS including independent variables and interactions. ECOH and non-O157-STEC respond similarly ( P = 0.518) to thermal treatments. Cooked internal temperatures of 65 and 71.1 °C achieved higher reductions in the pathogen (4.76–5.21 log CFU/g) compared to temperatures of 55 and 60 °C (2.43–3.53 log CFU/g) regardless of the pump rate and resting time ( P = 0.001). A 3.5 min resting time ( P = 0.007) or 18% pump rate ( P = 0.008) achieved an additional 0.5 log CFU/g reduction among the various internal temperatures. The beef maintained a similar internal color regardless of the pump rate or cooked internal temperatures. These findings will be useful for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service to develop risk assessments for ECOH and non-O157-STEC on non-intact beef.
SAMs under Water: The Impact of Ions on the Behavior of Water at Soft Hydrophobic Surfaces

Understanding the behavior of water at hydrophobic surfaces has been a topic of much interest for many decades. In most areas of biological, environmental, or technological relevance, the aqueous p...
Comparing Different Triple-Drug Combinations

Replacing the PI with abacavir in a triple-drug regimen resulted in continued plasma viral-load suppression and improvements in lipid abnormalities. In another study, PI-containing triple-drug combinations were more likely to reduce viral burden in lymphoid tissue than were PI-sparing regimens.
Protection against naturally acquired Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals by administration of hyperimmune plasma.

A 2-year field study was performed to determine the capability of increasing Rhodococcus equi specific antibody in foals via plasma transfusion or mare vaccination, to determine the kinetics of R. equi (ELISA) antibody decay and to assess the protective effects of these procedures in foals on a farm endemic for R. equi. Plasma donors were vaccinated with a killed R. equi bacterin and produced high levels of anti-R. equi antibodies, which were harvested by plasmapheresis. In Experiment 1, 68 foals were given 1 litre of hyperimmune plasma intravenously (i.v.) between 1-60 days of age. Foal plasma R. equi antibody was significantly increased and high levels of R. equi antibody (ELISA) were maintained for 60 days. No R. equi pneumonia developed in any foals receiving plasma. In Experiment 2, 99 pregnant mares were vaccinated with R. equi bacterin at 30, 60 and 90 days before foaling. Group 1 foals (101:85 from R. equi immunized mares) also received plasma transfusions and Group 2 foals (14), from R. equi immunized mares, did not receive plasma transfusions. Pregnant mare immunization increased colostrum R. equi antibody significantly. Eight foals showed failure of transfer of specific R. equi antibody. The incidence of R. equi pneumonia was 2.9% in Group 1 foals and 43% in Group 2 foals. Vaccination of pregnant mares did not provide protection against R. equi pneumonia; however, plasma transfusion with hyperimmune plasma administered prior to R. equi exposure was significantly protective in foals.
Management of Restless Legs Syndrome

Due to developments in diagnosing and treating restless legs syndrome (RLS) over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the awareness of RLS among both physicians and patients. In fact, it is estimated that 2 % of patients in primary care practices have RLS that is serious and disruptive enough to treat, with the number being diagnosed and treated expected to increase as awareness grows. This chapter aims to provide physicians with guidance to manage this large group of patients properly.
Protocol independence using the sockets API

The BSD sockets API provides abstractions and other features that help applications be protocol-independent. Unfortunately, not all of the API is abstract and generic, and many programs do not use the APIs in a protocol-independent way. This means that most network programs, in practice, only work with one layered set of communications protocols - usually TCP over IP. This hinders compatibility with older protocols and deployment of new ones, and is making IP a victim of its own success. During the course of next-generation IP development, implementors worked to convert protocol-dependent applications into protocol-independent applications. Along the way, they defined new interfaces to fix some problems and they found a number of usage problems that lead to protocol dependencies. This paper explains many of the problems encountered, using examples from freely available software, and how to solve them. It also explains many of the new protocol-independent interfaces.
Local-Area MultiProcessor: the scalable coherent interface

There is rapidly increasing demand for very high performance shared access to distributed data, for multiprocessors, networked workstation clusters, distributed databases, industrial data acquisition and control systems, etc. The objective is to satisfy this demand at the lowest long-term cost. This paper first considers the general properties that an appropriate system architecture should have. A new architectural model, Local-Area Multiprocessor, is introduced. These properties are then considered in more detail, and practical design decisions are made, illustrated by the evolution of the ANSEIEEE standard Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI) as it addressed these issues. Finally, the current status of the various SCI follow-on and support projects is reported.
Constructing Multi-frequency High-Order Functional Connectivity Network for Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Human brain functional connectivity (FC) networks, estimated based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), has become a promising tool for imaging-based brain disease diagnosis. Conventional low-order FC network (LON) usually characterizes pairwise temporal correlation of rs-fMRI signals between any pair of brain regions. Meanwhile, high-order FC network (HON) has provided an alternative brain network modeling strategy, characterizing more complex interactions among low-order FC sub-networks that involve multiple brain regions. However, both LON and HON are usually constructed within a fixed and relatively wide frequency band, which may fail in capturing (sensitive) frequency-specific FC changes caused by pathological attacks. To address this issue, we propose a novel “multi-frequency HON construction” method. Specifically, we construct not only multiple frequency-specific HONs (intra-spectrum HONs), but also a series of cross-frequency interaction-based HONs (inter-spectrum HONs) based on the low-order FC sub-networks constructed at different frequency bands. Both types of these HONs, together with the frequency-specific LONs, are used for the complex network analysis-based feature extraction, followed by sparse regression-based feature selection and the classification between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and normal aging subjects using a support vector machine. Compared with the previous methods, our proposed method achieves the best diagnosis accuracy in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Evolution of Sino-Russian Defense Cooperation since the Cold War (Part 1+ Part 2)

Defense cooperation has assisted Russia to achieve three strategic goals: 1) reestablishing and maintaining constructive relations with China; 2) averting collapse of its defense industry; and 3) supporting the development of China’s sea denial capability, which kept China strategically focused on its maritime regions and away from Russia. It was crucial in achieving better relations with China and managing the increased risk imposed by China’s growing military power. China stepped up support for Russia both diplomatically and economically. Enhanced arms and technology transfers are seen as a way to maintain good relations when Russia needs China’s support more than ever to offset increased economic and diplomatic pressure from the West. Russia’s need for Chinese defense and dual-use technologies is now greater, because of its diminished access to Western technology. China benefits from greater access to Russian technology.
A parapoxviral virion protein targets the retinoblastoma protein to inhibit NF-κB signaling

Poxviruses have evolved multiple strategies to subvert signaling by Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB), a crucial regulator of host innate immune responses. Here, we describe an orf virus (ORFV) virion-associated protein, ORFV119, which inhibits NF-κB signaling very early in infection (≤ 30 min post infection). ORFV119 NF-κB inhibitory activity was found unimpaired upon translation inhibition, suggesting that virion ORFV119 alone is responsible for early interference in signaling. A C-terminal LxCxE motif in ORFV119 enabled the protein to interact with the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) a multifunctional protein best known for its tumor suppressor activity. Notably, experiments using a recombinant virus containing an ORFV119 mutation which abrogates its interaction with pRb together with experiments performed in cells lacking or with reduced pRb levels indicate that ORFV119 mediated inhibition of NF-κB signaling is largely pRb dependent. ORFV119 was shown to inhibit IKK complex activation early in infection. Consistent with IKK inhibition, ORFV119 also interacted with TNF receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2), an adaptor protein recruited to signaling complexes upstream of IKK in infected cells. ORFV119-TRAF2 interaction was enhanced in the presence of pRb, suggesting that ORFV119-pRb complex is required for efficient interaction with TRAF2. Additionally, transient expression of ORFV119 in uninfected cells was sufficient to inhibit TNFα-induced IKK activation and NF-κB signaling, indicating that no other viral proteins are required for the effect. Infection of sheep with ORFV lacking the ORFV119 gene led to attenuated disease phenotype, indicating that ORFV119 contributes to virulence in the natural host. ORFV119 represents the first poxviral protein to interfere with NF-κB signaling through interaction with pRb.
Effects of Seasonality, Forest Structure, and Understory Plant Richness on Bee Community Assemblage in a Southern Rocky Mountain Mixed Conifer Forest

Wild bee community assemblages were surveyed in a high-elevation mixed conifer forest in central Colorado at multiple points during the growing season (April–August) and across a range of forest stand densities using blue vane traps. Understory forb communities were also characterized and related to bee species abundance and diversity. Overall γ-diversity was characterized by 19 genera of bees captured representing five families (Andrenidae, Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae) and 39 unique species. Seasonal variation in abundance and community composition was considerable with early-season (April) communities dominated by Osmia spp. and midsummer (June–July) communities dominated by Bombus spp. Bee abundance and α-diversity were on average 88 and 74% higher in midsummer than in early- and late season. Forest basal area was negatively correlated with bee α-diversity and abundance, as well as understory plant species richness. Trapping locations with a stand basal area of ≤7.5 m2/ha exhibited approximately 54% higher bee abundances and 44% higher α-diversity than locations with ≥20.0 m2/ha of basal area. Bee α-diversity and abundance positively correlated with understory species richness suggesting that forested sites with low basal area, likely corresponding to overstory canopy gaps and increased site occupancy by forbaceous species, may drive local abundance and diversity of wild bee assemblages. This study provides basal area threshold values in a mixed conifer forest type that may be useful for resource management practitioners concerned with creating or conserving pollinator habitats.