cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal error correction against computationally bounded noise

For computationally bounded adversarial models of error, we construct appealingly simple, efficient, cryptographic encoding and unique decoding schemes whose error-correction capability is much greater than classically possible. In particular: For binary alphabets, we construct positive-rate coding schemes which are uniquely decodable from a 1/2 – γerror rate for any constant γ> 0. For large alphabets, we construct coding schemes which are uniquely decodable from a $1 - \sqrt{R}$error rate for any information rate R> 0. Our results are qualitatively stronger than related work: the construction works in the public-key model (requiring no shared secret key or joint local state) and allows the channel to know everything that the receiver knows. In addition, our techniques can potentially be used to construct coding schemes that have information rates approaching the Shannon limit. Finally, our construction is qualitatively optimal: we show that unique decoding under high error rates is impossible in several natural relaxations of our model.
Hox11 genes establish synovial joint organization and phylogenetic characteristics in developing mouse zeugopod skeletal elements

Hox11 genes are essential for zeugopod skeletal element development but their roles in synovial joint formation remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the elbow and knee joints of mouse embryos lacking all Hox11 paralogous genes are specifically remodeled and reorganized. The proximal ends of developing mutant ulna and radius elements became morphologically similar and formed an anatomically distinct elbow joint. The mutant ulna lacked the olecranon that normally attaches to the triceps brachii muscle tendon and connects the humerus to the ulna. In its place, an ulnar patella-like element developed that expressed lubricin on its ventral side facing the joint and was connected to the triceps muscle tendon. In mutant knees, both tibia and fibula fully articulated with an enlarged femoral epiphyseal end that accommodated both elements, and the neo-tripartite knee joint was enclosed in a single synovial cavity and displayed an additional anterior ligament. The mutant joints also exhibited a different organization of the superficial zone of articular cartilage that normally exerts an anti-friction function. In conclusion, Hox11 genes co-regulate and coordinate the development of zeugopod skeletal elements and adjacent elbow and knee joints, and dictate joint identity, morphogenesis and anatomical and functional organization. Notably, the ulnar patella and tripartite knee joints in the mouse mutants actually characterize several lower vertebrates, including certain reptiles and amphibians. The re-emergence of such anatomical structures suggests that their genetic blueprint is still present in the mouse genome but is normally modified to the needs of the mammalian joint-formation program by distinct Hox11 function.
Development of a Knowledge Based Advisory System Based on Vibration of a Peaking Gas Turbine

This paper describes the process of knowledge development and interpretation for a particular model of power generation combustion turbine and generator. The knowledge derives from three sources: fundamental understanding of rotordynamics; the experience of experts in troubleshooting this particular turbine; and in-depth analysis of vibration data acquired during every start-up and run of several examples. The data acquisition system is operated via modem from any phone tine to provide operational data for review.The knowledge is to be applied in two ways. A Post Trip Analysis will provide the operator with advice on what to do when the unit trips, based upon the data obtained during the tripped run and previously acquired characteristics. The Post Trip Analysis will have knowledge which, when compared with the acquired data factors about vibration, and historical characteristics of the specific machine or the fleet, will give a recommended action. This application is designed to be available moments after the trip has occurred.The second application of knowledge is for health assessment. A software module will automatically analyze each day’s data when the file is completed. The volume of data is reduced to a smaller, very descriptive set of data which is saved and compared with previous runs. These analyses are to be performed at the two critical speeds of the turbine and generator, as well as the normal running speed. One planned test for health assessment is to seek deviations: characteristics which fall outside the statistically normal range for the unit in question; characteristics which fall outside the desirable range based on expert opinion; and distinct unexplained changes during a run.The paper illustrates the development and application of the knowledge base.Copyright © 1992 by ASME
Coronary CT angiography decreases the length of stay in emergency department versus standard therapy in patients presenting with acute chest pain, but results in increased downstream testing and radiation exposure.

Commentary on: Hoffmann U, Truong QA, Schoenfeld DA, et al. ROMICAT-II Investigators. Coronary CT angiography versus standard evaluation in acute chest pain. N Engl J Med 2012;367:299–308.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Chest pain is the second leading reason for presenting to the emergency department (ED); however, the majority of these patients do not have an acute cardiac diagnosis at the time of discharge.1 ,2 Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) has been shown to have a very high negative predictive value (NPV) and an excellent intermediate-term prognosis.3 In this new study, Hoffmann and colleagues investigated the effectiveness of CCTA versus the standard therapy for the evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain to ED as well as downstream testing, radiation exposure and overall cost of care. This study … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNew%2BEngland%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DNEJM%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.aulast%253DHoffmann%26rft.auinit1%253DU.%26rft.volume%253D367%26rft.issue%253D4%26rft.spage%253D299%26rft.epage%253D308%26rft.atitle%253DCoronary%2BCT%2Bangiography%2Bversus%2Bstandard%2Bevaluation%2Bin%2Bacute%2Bchest%2Bpain.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa1201161%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22830462%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa1201161&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22830462&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F4%2F146.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000306738300004&link_type=ISI
A SURVEY OF C4H, C6H, AND C6H − WITH THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE

A survey of the carbon chain negative ion C6H– and the structurally similar radicals C4H and C6H has been done with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope toward 24 galactic molecular sources. The most readily observed molecular anion to date, C6H– was detected in two new sources: the dark clouds L1544 and L1521F, where it was found to be present at the level of 2.5% ± 0.8% and 4% ± 1%, respectively relative to neutral C6H. C4H was detected in nearly all dark clouds surveyed (in six for the first time), and C6H was detected in five dark clouds and one translucent cloud. The observed C6H–/C6H (1%-4%) and C6H/C4H (0.2%-1%) ratios in these sources suggest that C6H– may be close to detection in many other dark clouds. The fractional ionization derived from the C6H–/C6H ratio in L1544 and L1521F of 10–8 to 10–7 is comparable to earlier estimates from positive molecular ions.
Interpreting Statutory Silence

Like fences, the statutes in subtitle F of the Tax Code define the operational area in which the IRS administers the tax laws. Statutory words - like pickets - place important boundaries on IRS action. Statutory silence - the spaces surrounding the words - can be just as important to understand the boundaries. As with any other aspect of language, meaning comes from both what is said and what is not said. This article examines a dispute over the meaning of the spousal relief provisions in §6015 where the silence is particularly disquieting. The problem is this: while there is a statutory two year limitation period for taxpayers to seek spousal relief under §6015(b) or §6015(c), the statute contains no such limitation period for those seeking section 6015(f) relief. Only silence surrounds section 6015(f). The IRS has taken that silence and, in Treas.Reg. 1.6015-5(b)(1), used it to construct an immovable 2 year limitation period that the IRS applies against any person seeking section 6015(f) relief. In Lantz v. Comm’r, the Tax Court said the regulation was invalid. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Tax Court, but whether one believes the opinion is right or wrong, it will not settle the issue. Part A of the article reviews the statutory context of §6015(f). Part B present the facts of Lantz and contrasts the majority and dissenting Tax Court opinions. Part C explains why the Tax Court was right to overrule the IRS interpretation of section 6015. It explains how this case illustrates why Chevron does not provide a helpful analytical structure for questions about who bears what responsibility for interpreting Tax Code administrative provisions. Finally, Part D explains why the Seventh Circuit opinion is not only wrong on the merits but misses an important administrative law point. At bottom, the IRS’s attempt to appropriate this statutory silence to suit its (admittedly legitimate) administrative needs should not be allowed. More importantly, the Tax Court, as a specialized court centered on one agency, deserves the kind of deference normally given to agencies when it comes to interpreting statutory silence.
A parallel architecture for regulatory motif algorithm assessment

Computational discovery of cis-regulatory motifs has become one of the more challenging problems in bioinformatics. In recent years, over 150 methods have been proposed as solutions, however, it remains difficult to characterize the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches because of the wide variability of approaches and datasets. Although biologists desire a set of parameters and a program most appropriate for cis-regulatory discovery in their domain of interest, compiling such a list is a great computational challenge. First, a discovery pipeline for 150+ methods must be automated and then each dataset of interest must used to grade the methods. Automation is challenging because these programs are intended to be used over a small set of sites and consequently have many manual steps intended to help the user in fine-tuning the program to specific problems or organisms. If a program is fine-tuned to parameters other than those used in the original paper, it is not guaranteed to have the same sensitivity and specificity. Consequently, there are few methods that rank motif discovery tools. This paper proposes a parallel framework for the automation and evaluation of cis-regulatory motif discovery tools. This evaluation platform can both run and benchmark motif discovery tools over a wide range of parameters and is the first method to consider both multiple binding locations within a regulatory region and regulatory regions of orthologous genes. Because of the large amount of tests required, we implemented this platform on a computing cluster to increase performance.
Comparative Genetic Analyses of Historical and Contemporary Collections Highlight Contrasting Demographic Histories for the Bumble Bees Bombus Pensylvanicus and B. Impatiens in Illinois

Direct comparison of genetic patterns between museum specimens and contemporary collections can be a powerful approach for detecting recent demographic changes. Using microsatellite markers, we examined historical and contemporary genetic variation from an apparently declining bumble bee species, Bombus pensylvanicus, and from a stable species, Bombus impatiens, in central Illinois. For each species, we genotyped specimens from the Illinois Natural History Survey collected from three populations between 1969-1972 and from a resurvey of the same areas conducted in 2008. Population structure in B. pensylvanicus increased markedly over the last four decades (from theta(ST) = 0.001 to 0.027) while no structure was detected in B. impatiens for either time period (theta(ST) = -0.006 to -0.003). Changes in genetic diversity were not significant for either species, although small reductions were observed for B. pensylvanicus in all three populations. Coalescent simulations incorporating both contemporary and historical samples suggest that this small change is not surprising for recent population declines, as large reductions in genetic diversity were only apparent under the most severe bottleneck scenarios. These results demonstrate how comparisons of genetic patterns between temporal periods and species can help elucidate potential threats to population health and suggest several strategies that might be useful in the conservation of B. pensylvanicus in the Midwestern USA.
Vitamin K-Dependent Carboxylation of Osteocalcin: Friend or Foe?

Osteocalcin originates from osteoblastic synthesis and is deposited into bone or released into circulation, where it correlates with histological measures of bone formation. The presence of 3 vitamin K-dependent γ carboxyglutamic acid residues is critical for osteocalcin's structure, which appears to regulate the maturation of bone mineral. In humans, the percentage of the circulating osteocalcin that is not γ-carboxylated (percent ucOC) is used as a biomarker of vitamin K status. In contrast, when ucOC is not corrected for total osteocalcin, the interpretation of this measure is confounded by osteoblastic activity, independent of vitamin K. Observational studies using percent ucOC have led to the conclusion that vitamin K insufficiency leads to age-related bone loss. However, clinical trials do not provide overall support for the suggestion that vitamin K supplementation of the general population will reduce bone loss or fracture risk. More recently, results from in vitro and in vivo studies using animal models indicate that ucOC is an active hormone with a positive role in glucose metabolism. By inference, vitamin K, which decreases ucOC, would have a detrimental effect. However, in humans this hypothesis is not supported by the limited data available, nor is it supported by what has been established regarding osteocalcin chemistry. In summary, the specific function of osteocalcin in bone and glucose metabolism has yet to be elucidated.
Factors controlling cytoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration

The study of cellular Ca $^{2+}$ exchange in smooth muscle has been severely limited by extensive extra-cellular Ca $^{2+}$ binding. This problem was solved by using La $^{3+}$ to trap Ca $^{2+}$ inside the cells while displacing extracellular bound Ca $^{2+}$ . It was then shown that cytoplasmic Ca $^{2+}$ could be raised by Ca $^{2+}$ influx during high K $^+$ depolarization, Na $^+$ elimination and high pH. Ca $^{2+}$ influx was inhibited by other multivalent cations, local anaesthetics and low pH. In the rabbit aortae norepinephrine and angiotensin increase cytoplasmic Ca $^{2+}$ by release from intra-cellular membrane surfaces. In this same smooth muscle relaxation is brought about by intracellular Ca $^{2+}$ binding. Evidence from vascular, uterine and intestinal smooth muscle demonstrates that the large transmembrane Ca $^{2+}$ gradient depends on cellular [ATP] but not on the Na $^+$ gradient. ATP depletion abolishes the Ca $^{2+}$ gradient by increasing Ca $^{2+}$ influx.
Mixed channel resource allocation analysis

Concepts of operation for SHF DSCS MILSATCOM are currently evolving to allow a mix of ECCM, FDMA and TDMA/DAMA traffic in the same transponder. Techniques for analyzing supportability for scenarios with a mix of ECCM and FDMA traffic have been developed. However, to support DAMA operation, techniques are needed for allowing quick allocation of satellite resources in mixed channel scenarios, with hierarchical arbitration and guaranteed supportability. This paper analyzes the hierarchical resource allocation problem in mixed channel scenarios for the case where all time slots in any TDMA waveform have approximately the same amplitude. The paper determines the parameters needed by the central controller in making allocation decisions and the resources that need to be allocated. The relationship between the level of allocation of these resources and network supportability are also determined along with the required uplink EIRP for each transmission. The hierarchical allocation of resources for DAMA operation in mixed channel scenarios is possible using the techniques described in this paper. >
Low-molecular-weight heparins in renal impairment and obesity: available evidence and clinical practice recommendations across medical and surgical settings.

ObjectiveTo develop practical recommendations for the use of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) as prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism and acute coronary syndromes in patients with impaired renal function or obesity.Data SourcesMultiple MEDLINE searches were performed (November 2008) to identify studies for inclusion, using a comprehensive list of search terms including, but not limited to, LMWH, enoxaparin, dalteparin, tinzaparin, obesity, weight, renal, kidney, elderly, monitoring, and anti-Xa.Study Selection And Data ExtractionOnly articles published in English that were relevant for this review were included.Data SynthesisIn the majority of patients, standardized prophylaxis or treatment doses of LMWHs can be used without the need for monitoring and adjusting regimens. For patients with severe renal impairment (estimated creatinine clearance [CrCl] <30 mL/min), doses of some LMWHs should be adjusted or unfractionated heparin should be used instead. CrCl should be estimated using the...
Quantification of continuous in vivo flexion–extension kinematics and intervertebral strains

Purpose Healthy subjects performed lumbar flexion and were assessed by video fluoroscopy to measure the in vivo kinematics of the lower lumbar motion segments.
Towards the prediction of transient ST changes

This paper studies the ECG signal prior to a transient ST change. Two hypotheses are proposed. The first is that various types of ST changes can be differentiated using the signal just prior to the ST event. The second is that ischemic ST changes can be differentiated from non-events, again using the signal prior to the ST event. A machine learning approach, based on Gaussian mixture models and maximum likelihood Bayesian classification, is used to analyze the ECG signal. Two sets of feature extraction techniques, reconstructed phase space and Karhunen Loeve transform, are applied, both of which capture morphological characteristics of the ECG signal. The results in addressing the first hypothesis show that information indicative of the type of ST change is present in the signal prior to the onset of the ST event; however the classification accuracy is low. The second hypothesis cannot be affirmed with the results presented here
Integrating Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 with Oxidative/Nitrosative Signaling Pathways in Neurons: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for AD

The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is comprised of complex metabolic abnormalities in different cell types in the brain. To date, there are not yet effective drugs that can completely inhibit the pathophysiological event, and efforts have been devoted to prevent or minimize the progression of this disease. Much attention has focused on studies to understand aberrant functions of the ionotropic glutamate receptors, perturbation of calcium homeostasis, and toxic effects of oligomeric amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) which results in production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and signaling pathways, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and synaptic impairments. Aberrant phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity has been implicated to play a role in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. However, mechanisms for their modes of action and their roles in the oxidative and nitrosative signaling pathways have not been firmly established. In this article, we review recent studies providing a metabolic link between cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and neuronal excitation due to stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors and toxic Aβ peptides. The requirements for Ca2+ binding together with its posttranslational modifications by protein kinases and possible by the redox-based S-nitrosylation, provide strong support for a dynamic role of cPLA2 in serving multiple functions to neurons and glial cells under abnormal physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, understanding mechanisms for cPLA2 in the oxidative and nitrosative pathways in neurons will allow the development of novel therapeutic targets to mitigate the detrimental effects of AD.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in the Surgical Patient: A Regional Survey

A questionnaire designed to assess actual practice with regard to venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (VTEP) was mailed to 100 general surgeons. Although a majority (78%) of the respondents (n = 65) indicated that they used some form of VTEP, the methods used were inadequate to protect high-risk and moderate-risk patients from thromboembolic complications. Furthermore, pulmonary embolism was not perceived as a significant prob lem by most (64%) of the respondents who did not use prophylaxis.
Thinking about nothing: Development of concepts of zero

Two studies are reported investigating children's conceptions of the number zero. The first, with 31/2–61/2-year-olds, charts preschoolers' understanding that zero is a number among other numbers with its own unique value, namely nothing. Children's achievement of this understanding occurred in three phases. At each phase understanding of zero lagged behind comparable understanding of other small numbers. The second study, with 51/2–10-year-olds, investigated children's developing conception of simple algebraic rules, such as a + 0 = a. Results showed that even the younger children had some understanding of several algebraic rules. The older children had acquired more such knowledge, but at all ages algebraic understanding was advanced for rules pertaining to zero, in comparison to those pertaining to other small numbers. These results suggest that zero plays a special role in children's increasingly algebraic knowledge of number. We conclude that since zero is difficult to conceive of and use originally (Expt 1) children develop special rules for its use, and that this provides a first step towards their formulation of more general algebraic rules (Expt 2) and towards an expanded conception of number and mathematics.
A distributed design methodology for extensible product life cycle strategy [electronic products]

In this paper, the problem of life cycle mismatch in electronic products is discussed. An extensible product life cycle (EPLC) strategy is proposed and studied, which is a possible answer to the problem of e-waste and helps to lower product costs and improve environmental performance. The EPLC strategy is a recognition of the mismatch between product performance life cycle and its functional life cycle. In essence, an EPLC strategy is to reincarnate a product at component level and share these components with other products in a proactive manner, thus forming a product chain that extends and continues the life of the otherwise "obsolete" product in different industrial applications. Implementation of this strategy is different from the current practice of product reuse. It requires the manufacturers to schedule a product's extended life cycle early in the design phase and optimize the design parameters considering the requirements in the extended life span. Since the design problems involved in EPLC are interrelated and designers are also distributed in different departments, a distributed design framework is developed to find the Pareto optimal set for the design problem involved in EPLC. A conclusion is detailed in the final part of the paper.
West Nile Virus Infection in Mosquitoes in the Mid-South USA, 2002–2005

West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) was first detected in the Tennessee Valley and in Alabama in August 2001. In summer 2002, intensive viral activity was seen, but in subsequent years, viral activity settled into an enzootic pattern. Here, we report an analysis of viral activity in the mosquito fauna in the Mid-South from 2002 (the first year viral activity was detected in mosquitoes) through 2005. Eight mosquito species were infected with WNV during 2002. However, viral activity was only detected in four species—Culex salinarius Coquillett, Culex erraticus Dyar & Knab, Coquillettidia perturbans Walker, and Aedes vexans Meigen—in multiple years. The greatest number of positive pools was in Cx. erraticus and Cx. salinarius. Despite being specifically targeted for collection, Aedes albopictus Skuse was only found to be infected during the epiornitic year (2002), suggesting that under enzootic transmission conditions its role as a bridge vector in the region may not be significant. Virus-positive pools of Cx. erraticus were identified from winter-resting and early season dry ice-baited trap collections in 2005, implicating this species in WNV overwintering in Alabama. Molecular analysis of individuals initially identified as members of the Culex pipiens L. complex suggested that alleles characteristic of Cx. pipiens predominated in mosquitoes collected in Huntsville, AL, whereas alleles in the Auburn, AL, population were predominately characteristic of Culex quinquefaciatus Say. The southern boundary of the overlap zone of the two species seems to be located primarily between Huntsville and Auburn, a distance of 350 km.
The Grassmannian and the twistor string: connecting all trees in \mathcal{N} = 4 SYM

We present a new, explicit formula for all tree-level amplitudes in $ \mathcal{N} = 4 $ super Yang-Mills. The formula is written as a certain contour integral of the connected prescription of Witten’s twistor string, expressed in link variables. A very simple deformation of the integrand gives directly the Grassmannian integrand proposed in [1] together with the explicit contour of integration. The integral is derived by iteratively adding particles to the Grassmannian integral, one particle at a time, and makes manifest both parity and soft limits. The formula is shown to be related to that of [2], and generalizes the results of [3, 4] for NMHV and N2MHV to all N(k−2)MHV tree amplitudes in $ \mathcal{N} = 4 $ super Yang-Mills.
A Reduced Basis Method for Control Problems Governed by PDEs

This article presents a reduced basis method for constructing a reduced order system for control problems governed by nonlinear partial differential equations. The major advantage of the reduced basis method over others based on finite element, finite difference or spectral method is that it may capture the essential property of solutions with very few basis elements. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated for boundary control problems modeled by the incompressible Navier-Stokes and related equations with the boundary temperature control and boundary electromagnetic control in channel flows.
The Effect of Artificial Blood Meals Containing the Hydroxynaphthoquinone M2279 on the Developmental Cycle of Plasmodium Gallinaceum in Aedes Aegypti

As a part of a study in this laboratory of the action of hydroxynaphthoquinones on Plasmodium gallinaceum in the vertebrate host, an investigation was made of the effect of these drugs on the parasite in its different developmental stages in the mosquito host. Since extensive work already completed by Clark and Theiler1 had indicated that M2279 was the most satisfactory of the series of naphthoquinones under study, the experiments to be presented here were limited to investigation of the action of this particular compound.
IMPACT ON READMISSIONS AND MORTALITY OF HEART FAILURE READMISSION INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Heart failure (HF) readmissions are a quality measure for health outcomes. The Hospital-to-Home (H2H) program is an institutional rapid clinic follow-up program for patients with HF admission. We sought to determine the impact of this intervention on HF readmissions and mortality during the first 30
Interdiffused SbN-based Quantum Well on GaAs for 1300-1550 nm Diode Lasers

A new method to realize InGaAsSbN quantum well (QW) structures on GaAs substrate is presented. This approach combines the established growth technique of InGaAsN and InGaAsSb QWs by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), with a post-growth thermal interdiffusion to achieve high quality interdiffused InGaAsSbN QW for diode lasers emitting at 1300-1550-nm. In addition to presenting the optimized interdiffused SbN-based QW design at 1550-nm, strain-compensated interdiffused InGaAsSb-GaAsN QW structure is also presented. Preliminary experimental findings of N- and Sb-diffusivities in GaAs matrix show good agreement with theory, indicating the feasibility of realizing interdiffused InGaAsSbN QW.
A new species of Sporidesmiella from New York

Sporidesmiella setosa, a dematiaceous hypho? mycete, is described from bark of Betula alleghaniensis in New York. Comparison is made to S. parva and S. vignalensis, the only other two species of Sporidesmiella known to have setae.
Simultaneous increases in respiration and sympathetic function during opiate detoxification

This study evaluated the relationship between the sympathetic withdrawal response and increases in spontaneous ventilation during naltrexone treatment in opioid-dependent patients. Naltrexone was given in repeated increasing doses by orogastric tube to 16 opioid-dependent patients during propofol anesthesia. Sympathetic activity was evaluated in 64-second segments by low frequency heart rate variability (0.02-0.10 Hz) and minute ventilation was measured every 15 minutes. During naltrexone treatment, heart rate and blood pressure increased with no change in the electroencephalogram as measured by the bispectral index. Sympathetic activity increased five-fold and minute ventilation increased by 50% during naltrexone administration. There was a significant correlation between the time of the peak sympathetic response and peak ventilation (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). In three control patients, who received anesthesia for surgery without naltrexone treatment, no increases in sympathetic or respiratory parameters were seen. These results indicate that peak sympathetic and respiratory stimulation occur together during opiate receptor antagonism in opioid addicts.
Human facial beauty

It is hypothesized that human faces judged to be attractive by people possess two features—averageness and symmetry—that promoted adaptive mate selection in human evolutionary history by way of production of offspring with parasite resistance. Facial composites made by combining individual faces are judged to be attractive, and more attractive than the majority of individual faces. The composites possess both symmetry and averageness of features. Facial averageness may reflect high individual protein heterozygosity and thus an array of proteins to which parasites must adapt. Heterozygosity may be an important defense of long-lived hosts against parasites when it occurs in portions of the genome that do not code for the essential features of complex adaptations. In this case heterozygosity can create a hostile microenvironment for parasites without disrupting adaptation. Facial bilateral symmetry is hypothesized to affect positive beauty judgments because symmetry is a certification of overall phenotypic quality and developmental health, which may be importantly influenced by parasites. Certain secondary sexual traits are influenced by testosterone, a hormone that reduces immunocompetence. Symmetry and size of the secondary sexual traits of the face (e.g., cheek bones) are expected to correlate positively and advertise immunocompetence honestly and therefore to affect positive beauty judgments. Facial attractiveness is predicted to correlate with attractive, nonfacial secondary sexual traits; other predictions from the view that parasite-driven selection led to the evolution of psychological adaptations of human beauty perception are discussed. The view that human physical attractiveness and judgments about human physical attractiveness evolved in the context of parasite-driven selection leads to the hypothesis that both adults and children have a species-typical adaptation to the problem of identifying and favoring healthy individuals and avoiding parasite-susceptible individuals. It is proposed that this adaptation guides human decisions about nepotism and reciprocity in relation to physical attractiveness.
81 CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SURVIVAL FROM OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST.

Background and Purpose Survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) is less than 10% in most communities. A better understanding of prognostic factors may help explain disparity in outcome and ultimately guide resuscitation. Most prognostic studies of OOHCA have focused on circumstances (ie, witness status) or health services factors (ie, CPR, response interval of emergency services). Little is known about how chronic health conditions prior to arrest influence outcome. A single study reported an inverse association, indicating lower likelihood of survival with increasing number of chronic conditions prior to the arrest. This study, however, was resource intensive and required family member and if possible patient interviews. The study objective was to determine whether chronic conditions as determined by emergency medical services (EMS) reports were associated with survival. Study Design and Methods This investigation was a retrospective cohort study of EMS-treated cardiac arrest cases that occurred between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2003 in King County, Washington. EMS reports for 1,768 cases of cardiac arrest were reviewed using a standardized data collection form to determine patient chronic conditions and symptoms prior to the arrest. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the proportion of cardiac arrest victims said to have had various chronic conditions and symptoms prior to arrest. Total number of medications for each case were also tallied. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between survival and number of chronic conditions, symptoms, and medications. Results Using EMS ascertainment, approximately two-thirds were reported to have a chronic health condition and half specifically were said to have a form of heart disease. Increasing count of chronic conditions is associated with several characteristics: older age, more medications, residential location, and a smaller proportion with VF rhythm. Survival to hospital discharge is significantly associated with chronic condition count. For each additional chronic condition, the odds ratio of survival decreases by 0.85 (0.74, 0.96) after adjusting for other factors. Conclusion Increasing count of chronic conditions as determined by EMS reports is associated with a lower odds of survival to hospital discharge following OOHCA even after accounting for other prognostic factors. Preexisting chronic conditions may help explain differences in outcomes between individuals, populations, or EMS systems and may enable a better assessment of care and outcome following cardiac arrest.
The Study of Relationship Between Trace Element and Acute Leukemia

Objective To investigate the content of trace elements in acute leukemia and efficacy of Fe and Zn combined with chemotherapy.Methods 14 kinds of trace element in 110 cases of acute leukemia were detected by high frequency equivalent ion spectrometer.100 cases of healthy children were considered as controls.In addition,the efficacy of Fe and Zn combined with chemotherapy and single chemotherapy was assessed and compared.Results Serum concentrations of Zn,Fe,Ca and Mn in untreated patients were lower than those in control.Cu,Ni and the ratio of Cu/Zn were higher.The trace elements were turned to normal level in remission duration of patients.The time for beginning and complete remission in Zn and Fe combined with chemotherapy group was significantly shorter than that in single chemotherapy group.Conclusion The serum trace elements have a significant change in patients with acute leukemia.The efficacy of Fe and Zn combined with chemotherapy was better than single chemotherapy in treatment of acute leukemia.
Process for preventing or identifying and resolving problems in drug therapy

A consistent process for preventing or identifying and resolving problems related to drug therapy is described. The process was originally developed to help pharmacy students focus on drug therapy issues during their clinical clerkship rotations. The first version of this approach to quality improvement consisted of lists of questions designed to prompt the student to prevent or identify and correct drug therapy problems. Because the learning style of some students is more visual, the questions were incorporated into flow charts. Students at a community hospital used the flow charts during their rotations through the critical care, medical-surgical, and psychiatric units, and the process appeared to result in improvements in the quality of care and in savings in the cost of care. As a result, a staff development and training project was begun to determine if staff pharmacists who use this process to evaluate drug therapy will begin to provide pharmaceutical care. This sort of transitional model of pharmaceutical care may expedite global implementation of the new practice philosophy. Flow charts encouraging a uniform approach to the prevention or identification and correction of drug therapy problems were developed for use by pharmacy students and generalist pharmacists.
Reduced prefrontal MEG alpha-band power in mild traumatic brain injury with associated posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Abstract Objective To determine if changes in cortical alpha-band power in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are associated with the severity of their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and if injury severity and level of exposure to psychologically traumatic events are predictors of these electrophysiological changes. Methods Resting-state magnetoencephalographic recordings were analyzed in 32 patients with mTBI. Alpha-band power was estimated for each patient in 68 cortical regions and was compared between groups of patients with low versus high PTSD symptoms severity. Results Participants with high PTSD symptom severity showed reduced alpha-band power bilaterally in the superior and middle frontal gyri and frontal poles, and in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Alpha-band power in bilateral middle frontal gyri and frontal poles was negatively correlated with scores reflecting symptoms of emotional numbing. Loss of consciousness (LOC) associated with mTBI and level of exposure to psychologically traumatic events were predictors of decreased prefrontal alpha-band power in some of these regions. Conclusion Altered prefrontal alpha-band activity, shown to be partly explained by mTBI-related LOC, is associated with PTSD symptoms severity. Significance Our findings will guide future studies addressing the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying a higher incidence of PTSD in patients with mTBI.
Neonatal Vaginal Cysts: Diagnosis and Management

We report a 2.5 cm. vaginal cystic mass in a neonate. The differential diagnosis, evaluation and management of this lesion are discussed.
Gaussian functional regression for output prediction

In this paper, we introduce a Gaussian functional regression (GFR) technique that integrates multi-fidelity models with model reduction to efficiently predict the input-output relationship of a high-fidelity model. The GFR method combines the high-fidelity model with a low-fidelity model to provide an estimate of the output of the high-fidelity model in the form of a posterior distribution that can characterize uncertainty in the prediction. A reduced basis approximation is constructed upon the low-fidelity model and incorporated into the GFR method to yield an inexpensive posterior distribution of the output estimate. As this posterior distribution depends crucially on a set of training inputs at which the high-fidelity models are simulated, we develop a greedy sampling algorithm to select the training inputs. Our approach results in an output prediction model that inherits the fidelity of the high-fidelity model and has the computational complexity of the reduced basis approximation. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the proposed approach.
Theory of Radioimmunoassays and Hormone-Receptor Interactions:

Since antibody and some hormone receptor molecules are known to possess two binding sites, it is possible that the intrinsic affinity constant for the “second site”, after one site is filled, is greater than the intrinsic affinity constant for the first site; this would result in “cooperative” or apparent “allosteric” effects. The mathematical theory of “cooperative” binding systems, both at equilibrium and in the transient state, has been applied to radioimmunoassay systems. The effects of affinity constants, antibody concentration, and “tracer” concentration, have been examined in several coordinate systems. Further, the kinetics of these reaction systems have been simulated. This theory should be useful in design and analysis of experiments to test for the presence of “cooperativity” effects.
FORCE: Fourier rebinning and consistency equations for time-of-flight PET

Fully 3D time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners offer the potential of previously unachievable image quality in clinical PET imaging. TOF measurements add another degree of redundancy and make count-limited TOF-PET imaging more robust. The data space for 3D TOF-PET data is five dimensional with two degrees of redundancy. Previously, consistency equations were used to characterize the redundancy of TOF-PET data. In this paper, we first derive two Fourier consistency equations and the Fourier-John equation for 3D TOF PET based on the generalized projection-slice theorem; the three partial differential equations (PDEs) are the dual of the sinogram consistency equations and John's equation. We then solve the three PDEs using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of TOF-PET data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions of the PDEs along the characteristic curves, which gives a complete understanding of the rich structure of the 3D X-ray transform with TOF measurements. Fourier rebinning equations and other mapping equations among different types of PET data are special cases of the general solutions. We also obtain new Fourier rebinning and consistency (FORCE) equations from other special cases of the general solutions, and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET data: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF PET data. The new FORCE equations can be used as new Fourier rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, or inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. Finally, we give a numerical example for a 2D TOF PET to show the efficacy of the unified Fourier solutions.
A passivity-based framework for composing attacks on networked control systems

Networked control systems present an inviting target for adversaries seeking to attack physical infrastructure through cyber attacks alone. A diverse set of possible attacks, including node compromise, false data injection, malware propagation, and denial of service have been identified and studied in isolation. Currently, however, there is no framework for composing multiple attacks, mounted by one or more adversaries, and designing a system defense that guarantees stability and allows flexible performance. In this paper, we introduce a passivity framework for modeling and mitigating multiple, interdependent attacks on networked control systems. Under our framework, multiple adversaries are modeled as passive individual blocks, either in parallel or negative feedback interconnections depending on the interdependencies between the attacks, leading to an overall system that is passive and stabilizable. We present two case studies within this framework, namely joint node capture and malware propagation, as well as joint node capture and control channel jamming, and derive a stabilizing network response to the attacks. Our results are illustrated through a numerical study.
Impact of antidiabetic medications on physical and cognitive functioning of older Mexican Americans with diabetes mellitus: a population-based cohort study.

Abstract PURPOSE: The current study was designed to evaluate the utility of antidiabetic medications in affecting changes in physical and cognitive functioning among older Mexican Americans with diabetes over a 2-year period. METHODS: A longitudinal analysis with repeated measurements between 1999 and 2001 was performed in a cohort of Mexican Americans, 60 or older, in the SALSA Project. Statistical analysis was conducted using a generalized estimating equation. RESULTS: For subjects with diagnosed diabetes ≤ 5 years (N = 381), there was less decline in physical and cognitive functioning over 2 years among subjects on treatment, compared to those without treatment. For subjects with diagnosed diabetes of 5+ years (N = 337), the effect of antidiabetic medications was more significant in preventing the decline in physical and cognitive functioning (ADL: mean in log scale = −0.10, 95% CI = −0.16, −0.04, 3MS: mean = 6.35, 95% CI = 3.23, 9.48). Combination therapy of antidiabetic agents appeared to be more effective than monotherapy in preventing the decline in physical and cognitive functioning for subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Antidiabetic drugs appear to be useful in alleviating the decline in physical and cognitive functioning among older Mexican Americans with diabetes, especially for those with a longer duration of the disease.
Computational Modeling of Interfacial Behaviors in Nanocomposite Materials.

Abstract Towards understanding the bulk material response in nanocomposites, an interfacial zone model was proposed to define a variety of material interface behaviors (e.g. brittle, ductile, rubber-like, elastic-perfectly plastic behavior etc.). It also has the capability to predict bulk material response though independently control of the interface properties (e.g. stiffness, strength, toughness). The mechanical response of granular nanocomposite (i.e. nacre) was investigated through modeling the “relatively soft” organic interface as an interfacial zone among “hard” mineral tablets and simulation results were compared with experimental measurements of stress-strain curves in tension and compression tests. Through modeling varies material interfaces, we found out that the bulk material response of granular nanocomposite was regulated by the interfacial behaviors. This interfacial zone model provides a possible numerical tool for qualitatively understanding of structure-property relationships through material interface design.
Attenuation of Pn from offshore Maine explosions

Abstract The attenuation of P n based on seismic energy density in a three-second time window was examined as a function of frequency in the distance range 204.0 ≦ Δ ≦ 346.4 km for underwater explosions in the Gulf of Maine. The diffracted P wave contained energy in the approximate frequency interval 1.25 to 20 cps and attenuation over this portion of the spectrum exhibited an unusual frequency-dependence with little scatter in the data. Dissipation constants are estimated from these observations. Integration of the extrapolated energy spectrum suggests empirically that the seismic source efficiency is about 8 per cent.