cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain injury after carotid revascularization: outcomes, mechanisms, and opportunities for improvement.

Background The most worrisome complication of carotid revascularization is neurologic injury, typically manifesting as a perioperative stroke. However, patients undergoing these procedures are at risk for a broad spectrum of neurologic injury. We sought to perform a systematic review of neurologic injury after carotid revascularization to guide future quality improvement efforts focused on reducing potentially preventable events. Methods Using a specified search strategy, we evaluated the mechanisms of neurologic injury, the measurement of neurobehavioral outcomes, and use of neuroimaging to evaluate carotid revascularization outcomes, and the application of these techniques in current registries and clinical trials of carotid revascularization. Results We found that neurologic injury after carotid revascularization results from three broad etiologies: atheroembolic, thrombotic, and hypo/hyperperfusion. Broad variation exists across studies examining neurobehavioral outcomes. Of the 47 studies examining the effect of carotid endarterectomy on neurobehavioral functioning, 25 found that some aspect of cognition improved, 12 revealed no change in cognition, and 10 revealed declines in some aspect of cognition. There is a wide variation in the measurement of neurologic outcomes in clinical registries and trials. In reviewing 13 industry-sponsored registries of carotid artery stenting and 10 randomized trials of carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting, registries were less likely to use validated neurologic assessment scales, independent neurologic examinations, and neuroimaging to establish outcomes than randomized trials. Conclusions Despite a considerable body of evidence, there is a lack of consensus in determining optimal strategies for the assessment and characterization of neurologic injury and its effect on neurobehavioral outcomes after carotid revascularization, especially among industry-sponsored trials. As a result, rates of neurologic outcomes varied considerably across studies, registries, and clinical trials. Future efforts to correlate neuroimaging with cognitive outcomes may offer insight into methods to decrease neurologic injury after carotid revascularization.
Understanding an indigenous knowledge system for tree fodder via a multi-method on-farm research approach

Understanding the dynamics of indigenous resource management systems can benefit natural resource development efforts and contribute to effective on-farm agroforestry research initiatives. This paper reports on the authors' investigation of an indigenous knowledge systems for the management, cultivation, and use of private tree fodder resources in a community in the middle hills of Central Nepal. It focuses on the methods used to develop an understanding of the cognitive systems used by farmers in this community to classify and evaluate tree fodder. A participatory multi-method research approach was employed to overcome many of the limitations of traditional survey research. The approach centered on the use of the repertory grid method within the framework of personal construct theory. Repertory grid results were analyzed in conjunction with data collected from participant observation, a formal household survey, an inventory of privately grown trees, and ethnographic interviews. This integrated analysis resulted in an understanding of the indigenous knowledge system for the management of tree fodder resources.
Pesticides in U.S. Streams and Rivers: Occurrence and Trends during 1992–2011

During the 20 years from 1992 to 2011, pesticides were found at concentrations that exceeded aquatic-life benchmarks in many rivers and streams that drain agricultural, urban, and mixed-land use watersheds. Overall, the proportions of assessed streams with one or more pesticides that exceeded an aquatic-life benchmark were very similar between the two decades for agricultural (69% during 1992-2001 compared to 61% during 2002-2011) and mixed-land-use streams (45% compared to 46%). Urban streams, in contrast, increased from 53% during 1992-2011 to 90% during 2002-2011, largely because of fipronil and dichlorvos. The potential for adverse effects on aquatic life is likely greater than these results indicate because potentially important pesticide compounds were not included in the assessment. Human-health benchmarks were much less frequently exceeded, and during 2002-2011, only one agricultural stream and no urban or mixed-land-use streams exceeded human-health benchmarks for any of the measured pesticides. Widespread trends in pesticide concentrations, some downward and some upward, occurred in response to shifts in use patterns primarily driven by regulatory changes and introductions of new pesticides.
Contributions concerning quasi-steady propagation of thermal detonations through dispersions of hot liquid fuel in cooler volatile liquid coolants

Abstract The two-phase flow model of 1-dim. propagation of thermal detonation is reformulated to permit isolation of both new and existing conclusions which are independent of fragmentation kinetics data. The two-phase flow model is found to be necessary for making quantitive predictions of detonation strength in hydrodynamic fragmentation. A wide spectrum of kinetics-independent permissible Chapman-Jouguet states is found possible for any specific intitial condition in calculations for the UO2-sodium system, with sensitivity of these (C-J) states found to initial sodium (coolant) vapor blanket volume fraction. Arguments are presented which suggest our use of an equilibrium sonic velocity for C-J wave termination. The abrupt decrease of sonic velocity due to the presence of vapor or gas is found to be sufficiently severe as to render vaporization unlikely either in the steady detonation zone or at the C-J plane, and further identifies a lower threshold for thermodynamically permissible C-J propagations which occurs at coolant saturation.
Energy Values of Ecological Materials

Since Lindeman (1942) formulated his concept of trophic dynamics, American ecologists have become increasingly interested in the energy relationships of ecosystems. Even though the application of thermodynamic theory to ecology has progressed rapidly (see Odum 1956, Odum and Pinkerton 1955, Patten 1959, Sobodkin 1960), understanding of the energy dynamics of individual populations has been hampered by incomplete knowledge of the energy content of many plants and animals. In energy flow studies it is often necessary to convert biomass to energy by using caloric equivalents obtained from the literature. However, many workers, reluctant to depend upon equivalents, have made their own energy determinations in the oxygen bomb calorimeter. This paper summarizes my analyses of over 400 wild plants and animals collected from the field and over 200 analyses of other workers. These values were previously listed in a mimeographed publication (Golley 1959). I am indebte(d to a number of persons who have aided these studies. In 1956-57 equipment for caloric analyses in the laboratories of the Department of Foods and Nutrition, Michigan State University, was used through the courtesy of Dr. Evelyn Jones. Later studies were made in the ecological laboratory of Dr. E. P. Odum, Univ. of Ga. and the work was supported by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, contract At(07-2)-10. I am grateful to Dr. Odum for his critical comments (luring these investigations. I am also grateful to Drs. lawrence Bliss, Univ. of Illinois; Francesco Trama, Rutgers Univ.; Edward Kuenzler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; Clyde Connell, Valdosta State College, Ga.; and J. D). Ovington, The Nature Conservancy, London for providing unpublished data from their studies.
Characterization of the isolated wetting crude oil components with infrared spectroscopy

Abstract To improve the understanding of wettability, especially the influence of different crude oil colloids, wetting experiments on quartz sand and kaolin were performed with an asphaltene rich oil. A two-step procedure was developed to investigate the wetting behavior. In the first step, those crude oil components were extracted, which preferentially wet solid surfaces. The extracted crude oil components were characterized in a second step. The composition of the fractions extracted with different solvents are different. The acetone fractions extracted from quartz sand are rich in compounds containing nitrogen, whereas the compounds containing sulphur predominate in the chloroform fraction extracted from quartz sand. IR spectroscopy of the extracted fractions shows that carbonyl compounds are abundant in the methanol/chloroform and acetone/chloroform fractions extracted from quartz sand. The chloroform fraction is poor in carbonyl group-containing compounds. In agreement with elemental analysis, a strong signal for C–N groups in the IR spectra is found for acetone/chloroform and methanol/chloroform fractions, extracted from the quartz sand system. On the other hand, a significant, strong IR-peak representing S=O containing components is observed in the acetone and acetone/chloroform fractions, extracted from quartz sand.
A 37-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and acute allograft failure

THE RENAL BIOPSY is considered the gold standard method for the diagnosis of the processes that cause graft dysfunction. Complete morphological studies must be systematically applied to these samples to specifically assess the etiology of those processes. The likelihood of a particular etiology largely depends on the interval since transplantation. In the early posttransplantation period, most cases of renal dysfunction are etiology by acute tubular necrosis, reperfusion injury, acute rejection, drug toxicity, obstruction, surgical complications, or infection. Later in the time course, other causes of graft dysfunction include chronic transplant nephropathy, cyclosporine toxicity, and recurrent or de novo glomerular diseases. However, recurrent disease also should be considered in some cases in the immediate posttransplantation period. We present a renal transplant recipient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and early allograft dysfunction and rapid graft failure. The serial biopsies and complete morphological studies permitted a specific diagnosis in this case.
Macronutrient intake in Collegiate powerlifters participating in off season training

Background Currently, the ISSN recommends 50-80 kcal/kg/day for strength athletes participating in intense training. In addition to caloric recommendations, other macronutrient recommendations include protein, carbohydrate and fat, 1.5-2.0 g/kg bodyweight, 5-8 g/kg bodyweight, and 30% of total calories respectively. Athletes participating in collegiate club sports may not have the benefit of obtaining nutrition information from a designated coach or nutritionist; therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the macronutrient intake of collegiate club sport powerlifters participating in intense off season training.
Cervical spinal cord injury complicating ankylosing spondylitis

Within a period of 12 years 466 patients with acute spinal cord injury were admitted to our Centre, seven of these having ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A history of alcohol consumption preceding the accident was present in five patients, and in four there was a history of neurological deterioration before their admission. An epidural hematoma was found in one patient and four expired within 3 months of their injury. The incidence of ankylosing spondylitis in cervical cord injury was 1.5%, and an associated epidural hematoma was present in some 14% of the patients. The mortality rate was 57%. There was a high incidence of alcoholic use before the accident. Neurological deterioration commonly occurred before admission.
Zinc and immunity: Molecular mechanisms of zinc action on T helper cells†

The essentiality of zinc for humans was recognized in 1963. It is now evident that nutritional deficiency of zinc in human populations throughout the developing world is common. The major factor responsible for this deficiency is the consumption of mainly cereal proteins rich in phytate. The clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency include growth retardation and male hypogonadism in the adolescents, rough skin, poor appetite, mental lethargy, delayed wound healing, cell-mediated immune dysfunctions, and abnormal neurosensory disorders. A conditioned deficiency of zinc has been observed in many diseased states. In this work I have summarized our current knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms of zinc action on T helper cells. Our studies showed that in zinc-deficient HUT-78 cells, phosphorylated IκB and Iκk, ubiquitinated IκB, and binding of nuclear factor (NF)-κB to DNA were significantly decreased. Zinc increased the translocation of NF-κB from cytosol to nucleus. These data show that zinc plays an important role in the activation of NF-κB in HUT-78 cells. We showed a significant effect of zinc on gene expression of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-2 receptors α and β. We also showed that a decrease in gene expression of IL-2 and its receptors in zinc-deficient HUT-78 cells may be the result of decreased activation of NF-κB in zinc-deficient cells. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 16:139–163, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
High-power robust semiconductor electronics technologies in the new millennium

This paper presents an overview of power semiconductor devices for the development of advanced robust high-performance power electronic systems for the new millennium. Material and device technologies on silicon and wide energy band-gap semiconductors are discussed along with switching circuits and topologies. Short-term and long-term reliability issues of power semiconductor devices are discussed. An approach is presented to correlate converter field failures to dynamic switching stresses, residual defects and contaminants left in the semiconductor power switch, packaging, and thermal management. Component and system level simulation, modeling and CAD requirements are evaluated. System-level optimization is proposed as an essential requirement to develop robust power systems at affordable cost.
SEEING WHAT IS NOT THERE YET: SOPHIA LYON FAHS, ENTELECHY, AND THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Abstract This article offers a brief theological biography of Sophia Lyon Fahs, a religious educator whose life and work unfolded during the first seven decades of the Religious Education Association and reflected many of the identity-bearing modalities that continue to give shape and continuity to the organization. In 1972, Boardman Kathan, the General Secretary of the Religious Education Association, described Fahs as “one of the truly great pioneers of religious education in the 20th century, in the company of Harrison Elliott, Frank McMurry and George Albert Coe.” 2 Fahs anticipated many theological challenges to religious education that were ahead of her time. 3 2 Boardman Kathan, “A Pioneer Religious Educator: Sophia Lyon Fahs at 95, an interview,” UU World (February 1, 1972). 3 Within the text of this article all quotes appear as they were originally written. No attempt has been made by the author to alter the quotes for the purpose of rendering them gender inclusive. Radically inclusive in all asp...
Purification and partial characterization of sugar beet yellows virus

Abstract A technique was devised for obtaining purified infectious preparations of sugar beet yellows virus (SBYV) particles. As the use of mechanical blending resulted in shearing of particles, infected leaves were hand ground in a mortar; the extracts were clarified with bentonite, concentrated using polyethylene glycol, and further purified by rate zonal and isopycnic gradient centrifugation. The purified particles had a modal length of 1270 nm, sedimented at 110 S, had an unusual ultraviolet absorption spectrum and contained about 5% RNA. The molecular weight of the infectious RNA, estimated by sedimentation and by gel electrophoresis was about 4.3 × 10 6 ; that of the coat protein subunit was about 23,500. These properties are discussed in relation to the structure of the virus particles and also are compared with the properties of viruses allied to SBYV.
An experiment in hurricane track prediction using parallel computing methods

The barotropic model is used to explore the advantages of parallel processing in deterministic forecasting. We apply this model to the track forecasting of hurricane Elena (1985). In this particular application, solutions to systems of elliptic equations are the essence of the computational mechanics. One set of equations is associated with the decomposition of the wind into irrotational and nondivergent components - this determines the initial nondivergent state. Another set is associated with recovery of the streamfunction from the forecasted vorticity. We demonstrate that direct parallel methods based on accelerated block cyclic reduction (BCR) significantly reduce the computational time required to solve the elliptic equations germane to this decomposition and forecast problem. A 72-h track prediction was made using incremental time steps of 16 min on a network of 3000 grid points nominally separated by 100 km. The prediction took 30 sec on the 8-processor Alliant FX/8 computer. This was a speed-up of 3.7 when compared to the one-processor version. The 72-h prediction of Elena's track was made as the storm moved toward Florida's west coast. Approximately 200 km west of Tampa Bay, Elena executed a dramatic recurvature that ultimately changed its course toward the northwest. Although the barotropic track forecast was unable to capture the hurricane's tight cycloidal looping maneuver, the subsequent northwesterly movement was accurately forecasted as was the location and timing of landfall near Mobile Bay.
Community Organization and Social Activism: Black Boston and the Antislavery Movement*

This paper uses data from an intensive study of Boston's antebellum black community to demonstrate how sustained social activism is embedded in the formal and informal institutions of the community. The social networks of cooperative institutions were primary factors in this community's ability to mobilize and sustain protest actions and to call attention to social injustice. This examination of antebellum black Boston indicates that the issue of slavery was crucial to social activism. This suggests that the presence of a salient issue which links the everyday lives of participants with a public issue may be an important factor in building a social movement based in a poor, relatively powerless community.
Phenology of Lemanea fucina (Rhodophyta) in a Rhode Island river, USA

In a fourth-order river in Rhode Island, USA, cover, frequency of occurrence, length and node number of the red algaLemanea fucina were greatest in July and August, at which time current velocity and water depth were minimum and temperature was maximum. Population abundance and plant size were lowest in fall-early winter. The length of reproductive region and carpospore frequency were also highest in June to August, whereas percent plants with open tips was least in July and highest in February. It appears that growth and reproduction are confined to a period from April to August, after which there is thallus deterioration and carpospore release; between September and March remnants of this population remain.Lemanea plants are epiphyte-free from September to January. Subsequently, they are colonized by caddisflies and then the red algaAudouinella violacea; by August, 100% of theLemanea plants are covered byAudouinella.
Excision of os trigonum

Abstract Os trigonum impingement is a cause of posterior ankle pain in ballet dancers and other athletes who forcibly point their feet. It must be distinguished from other causes of posterolateral ankle pain. A course of nonsurgical therapy is recommended as the initial treatment. In those cases where conservative treatment fails, good results have been obtained by surgical excision of the accessory ossicle. Both lateral and medial surgical approaches are described.
Timecourse of object-related neural activity in the primate prefrontal cortex during a short-term memory task

We studied the timecourse of neural activity in the primate (Macacca mulatta) prefrontal (PF) cortex during an object delayed-matching-to-sample (DMS) task. To assess the effects of experience on this timecourse, we conducted the task using both novel and highly familiar objects. In addition, noise patterns containing no task-relevant information were used as samples on some trials. Comparison of average PF ensemble activity relative to baseline activity generated by objects and noise patterns revealed three distinct activity periods. (i) Sample onset elicited a transient sensory visual response. In this sensory period, novel objects elicited stronger average ensemble activity than both familiar objects and noise patterns. (ii) An intermediate period of elevated activity followed, which began before sample offset, and continued well into the delay period. In the intermediate period, activity was elevated for noise patterns and novel objects, but near baseline for familiar objects. (iii) Finally, after average ensemble activity reached baseline activity at the end of the intermediate period, a reactivation period occurred late in the delay. Experience had little effect during reactivation, where activity was elevated for both novel and familiar objects compared to noise patterns. We show that the ensemble average resembles the activity timecourse of many single prefrontal neurons. These results suggest that PF delay activity does not merely maintain recent sensory input, but is subject to more complex experience-dependent dynamics. This has implications for how delay activity is generated and maintained.
An Introduction to Mixed-Signal IC Test & Measurement [Book Review]

"An Introduction to Mixed-Signal IC Test & Measurement," by Gordon Roberts, Frederich Taenzler and Mark Burns (ISBN: 978-0-19-979621-2) is an excellent guide to the mixed signal test frontier. It provides the reader with the theory of analog test, which is common in this kind of book, but also much information on the practical aspects of analog test, and, even more importantly, tells the reader the common mistakes to avoid. This practical focus puts this book above the vast majority of other texts. All too often a book will describe five different ways of achieving a task, using a historical approach, but never tell the reader which one has been found to be the best, and is thus commonly used in industry. All too many readers of books on digital testing might think that deductive fault simulation is being used somewhere. Such confusion is not a problem here. The reviewer says he has never seen a book which is as successful in combining the theoretical and practical, and in giving a hint about which method to use first in the midst of a large set of equations.
Toward an FPGA architecture optimized for public-key algorithms

Cryptographic algorithms are constantly evolving to meet security needs, and modular arithmetic is an integral part of these algorithms, especially in the case of public-key cryptosystems. To achieve optimal system performance while maintaining physical security, it is desirable to implement cryptographic algorithms in hardware. However, many public- key cryptographic algorithms require the implementation of modular arithmetic, specifically modular multiplication, for operands of 1024 bits in length. Additionally, algorithm agility is required to support algorithm independent protocols, a feature of most modern security protocols. Reprogrammability, particularly in-system reprogrammability, is critical in enabling the switching between cryptographic algorithms required for algorithm independent protocols. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are a viable option for achieving this goal. Ideally, the targeted FPGA will have been designed with the architectural requirements for wide-operand modular arithmetic in mind in an effort to maximize system performance. This contribution investigates existing FPGA architectures with respect to modular multiplication. It also proposes a new FPGA architecture optimized for the wide-operand additions required for modular multiplication.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The mechanism of the inhibition of squamous differentiation of rat tracheal 2C5 cells by retinoic acid.

Retinoic acid (RA) plays an essential role in maintaining normal differentiation of tracheal epithelial cells. During vitamin A deficiency, tracheocytes undergo squamous metaplasia, an abnormal differentiation that can be reversed by RA. We used rat tracheal 2C5 cells to study the mechanism of inhibition of squamous differentiation by RA. 2C5 cells grown to confluence in the presence of serum underwent squamous differentiation as marked by an increase in their level of crosslinked envelope formation. The serum-induced crosslinked envelope formation was blocked by RA in 2C5 cells with an ED50 1 nM. The different dose responses for RA inhibiting differentiation markers suggests multiple mechanisms of regulation by RA. These results indicate that 2C5 cells remain responsive to differentiation factors such as RA and serum despite being an immortalized cell line.
Is unawareness of psychotic disorder a neurocognitive or psychological defensiveness problem

Abstract We examined whether deficits in attention and perceptual encoding as well as psychological defensiveness were associated with impaired awareness of disorder in schizophrenia. The Scale for Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) was administered to 52 outpatients with a recent onset of schizophrenia approximately 1–2 months following hospital discharge. Two versions of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were used to measure attentional impairment—the Degraded Stimulus CPT (DS-CPT) and a memory-load version (3-7 CPT). Three scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory were used as indicators of psychological defensiveness: Scales L (Lie), K (Correction), and R (Repression). The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) program, a nonparametric statistical method, was used to identify relationships among multiple predictor variables and to provide optimal splitting scores for each predictor variable. Different combinations of poor target discrimination (d′) on the 3-7 CPT and a cautious response style on the DS-CPT were associated with the three levels of overall unawareness of having a mental disorder. For nonpsychotic patients, better target discrimination (d′) on the 3-7 CPT tended to be associated with better awareness of having a mental disorder. In contrast, unawareness among the patients who were psychotic at the time of the SUMD administration was not discriminated by attentional measures, but was associated with a combination of two measures of psychological defensiveness from the MMPI reflecting guardedness, psychological suppression, attempting to present oneself in a socially desirable light, and social acquiescence. Generally similar associations were found for two other dimensions of poor insight: unawareness of the beneficial effects of antipsychotic medication, and inability to attribute unusual thoughts and hallucinatory experiences to a mental disorder.
The two faces of short‐range evolutionary dynamics of regulatory modes in bacterial transcriptional regulatory networks

Studies on the conservation of the inferred transcriptional regulatory network of prokaryotes have suggested that specific transcription factors are less-widely conserved in comparison to their target genes. This observation implied that, at large evolutionary distances, the turnover of specific transcription factors through loss and non-orthologous displacement might be a major factor in the adaptive radiation of prokaryotes. However, the recent work of Hershberg and Margalit1 suggests that, at shorter phylogenetic scales, the evolutionary dynamics of the bacterial transcriptional regulatory network might exhibit distinct patterns. The authors find previously unnoticed relationships between the regulatory mode (activation or repression), the number of regulatory interactions and their conservation patterns in γ-proteobacteria. These relationships might be shaped by the differences in the adaptive value and mode of operation of different regulatory interactions. BioEssays 29:625–629, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Review of the Impact of Telecommunications Substitutes for Travel

This paper is a review of research and applications on the subject of telecommunications as a substitute for travel over the last few years. With the increased emphasis on methods to conserve energy, a great deal of attention has been put on increasing the use of telecommunications. A summary is made of those modes of travel that are susceptible to substitution followed by a description of selected applications in the United States. A critical evaluation is made of the social and economic impacts or lack thereof. Finally areas requiring further research before widespread use of telecommunications as a substitute for travel can become a reality are discussed.
Fatty liver is associated with reduced SIRT3 activity and mitochondrial protein hyperacetylation.

Acetylation has recently emerged as an important mechanism for controlling a broad array of proteins mediating cellular adaptation to metabolic fuels. Acetylation is governed, in part, by SIRTs (sirtuins), class III NAD+-dependent deacetylases that regulate lipid and glucose metabolism in liver during fasting and aging. However, the role of acetylation or SIRTs in pathogenic hepatic fuel metabolism under nutrient excess is unknown. In the present study, we isolated acetylated proteins from total liver proteome and observed 193 preferentially acetylated proteins in mice fed on an HFD (high-fat diet) compared with controls, including 11 proteins not previously identified in acetylation studies. Exposure to the HFD led to hyperacetylation of proteins involved in gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, methionine metabolism, liver injury and the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress response. Livers of mice fed on the HFD had reduced SIRT3 activity, a 3-fold decrease in hepatic NAD+ levels and increased mitochondrial protein oxidation. In contrast, neither SIRT1 nor histone acetyltransferase activities were altered, implicating SIRT3 as a dominant factor contributing to the observed phenotype. In Sirt3−/− mice, exposure to the HFD further increased the acetylation status of liver proteins and reduced the activity of respiratory complexes III and IV. This is the first study to identify acetylation patterns in liver proteins of HFD-fed mice. Our results suggest that SIRT3 is an integral regulator of mitochondrial function and its depletion results in hyperacetylation of critical mitochondrial proteins that protect against hepatic lipotoxicity under conditions of nutrient excess.
Metal-embedded fiber-optic Fabry-Perot sensors.

The sensing of temperature and of ultrasonic pressure with fiber-optic Fabry–Perot interferometers embedded in aluminum is demonstrated. The metal parts are cast in air by using graphite molds. Breakage of the fibers at the air–metal interface during the casting process is avoided through the use of stainless-steel stress-relief tubes. The optical phase in an embedded interferometer is found to be 2.9 times more sensitive to temperature change than for the same interferometer in air, in good agreement with model calculations. An embedded interferometer has also been used to detect ultrasonic waves over the frequency range of 0.1–8 MHz.
Colliding a Linear Electron Beam With a Storage Ring Beam

Abstract We investigate the possibility of colliding a linear accelerator electron beam with a particle beam stored in a circular storage ring. Such a scheme allows e + e − colliders with a center-of-mass energy of a few hundred GeV and eP colliders with a center-of-mass energy of several TeV. High luminosities are possible for both colliders.
Analysis of a systematic search-based algorithm for determining protein backbone structure from a minimum number of residual dipolar couplings

We have developed an ab initio algorithm for determining a protein backbone structure using global orientational restraints on internuclear vectors derived from residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) measured in one or two different aligning media by solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Specifically, the conformation and global orientations of individual secondary structure elements are computed, independently, by an exact solution, systematic search-based minimization algorithm using only 2 RDCs per residue. The systematic search is built upon a quartic equation for computing, exactly and in constant time, the directions of an internuclear vector from RDCs, and linear or quadratic equations for computing the sines and cosines of backbone dihedral (/spl phi/, /spl psi/) angles from two vectors in consecutive peptide planes. In contrast to heuristic search such as simulated annealing (SA) or Monte-Carlo (MC) used by other NMR structure determination algorithms, our minimization algorithm can be analyzed rigorously in terms of expected algorithmic complexity and the coordinate precision of the protein structure as a function of error in the input data. The algorithm has been successfully applied to compute the backbone structures of three proteins using real NMR data.
Verification of a Data Synchronization Circuit For All Time

This paper presents a model and automated proof for a synchronizer circuit that is commonly used to reliably transfer data across clock domains. In contrast with previous work, this paper describes a proof that is valid for all clock rates and phases meeting modest constraints. Furthermore, the proof was realized with an existing model checker - SAL
Risk Factors, Course, and Prognosis of Multiple Selerosis

It has been said that to know multiple sclerosis (MS) is to know Neurology — and vice versa. In the occident this is among young adults the most common disease with primary pathologic changes in the central nervous system. It has been characterized as a disease of unknown cause, inadequate treatment, and unpredictable course. It has also been the single neurologic disorder about which the most has been written, and in this regard epidemiology has contributed its share. There is then some information available for this disease as to risk factors, the course of the illness, and factors predictive of this course.
Timing sensitivity in discrete-time equalization

In digital channels, pulse shaping is achieved by passing readback samples through a discrete-time filter called the equalizer, which is typically implemented using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter consisting of taps and delays. Under the finite-complexity constraint, the equalizer performance is a highly sensitive function of timing phase. In this paper, we investigate the performance of different equalization schemes suitable for high density magnetic recording - partial response linear equalization and feedback equalization - as a function of static sampling phase and of equalizer complexity. I. INTRODUCTION The impact of timing errors on the performance of ideal continuous-time equalizers has been studied thoroughly in (l) for recording channels with significant excess bandwidth. Timing sensitivities for partial response linear equalizers for both symbol-rate and fractionally-spaced digital equalizers are analyzed extensively in (2). In this paper, we consider the timing error effects on the performance of both linear equalization and feedback equalization for high density recording channels which are highly band-limited. Our focus is on adaptive discrete-time equalizers with f~te complexity. As linear density increases in magnetic recording, most of the signal energy resides below half the symbol frequency. In such regime, it is well known that the ideal continuous time equalizer or the discrete-time equalizer with infinite numbe-r of taps is completely immune to timing phase errors (3). However, when the lit is imposed on the number of taps in the finite impulse response (FIR) equalizer filters. the resulting performance is no longer immune to errors in the timing phase. In this paper. we study the effect of sampling phase on the performance of various finite-complexity equalizers considered suitable for magnetic recording applications. We consider two types of equalization: partial response linear equalization and feedback equalization. Both class IV partial response (PR4) and extended class IV (EPR4) targets are assumed in partial response equalization (4). and decision feedback equalization (DFE) (5) and fixed-delay tree search with decision feedback (FDTS/DF) (6) are considexed in feedback equalization.
Voting Behavior on the United States Courts of Appeals Revisited

In an earlier study of voting behavior of U.S. appeals courts judges, attitudinal patterns were investigated along with an analysis of the relationship of judges' backgrounds to their decisions. In this revisit, the earlier findings were treated as hypotheses and tested with a new case population covering a subsequent and longer time period. In all, 2,115 cases decided nonunanimously were coded on one or more issues. Most cases could be classified under ten broad issue categories which were then utilized for most of the analyses. Although the research design was similar to that of the earlier study, a wider variety of methods was employed including nonparametric and parametric intercorrelations of voting behavior on the ten issues and stepwise multiple regression and partial correla-tion analyses of seven background variables and their relationships to voting behavior on the issues. The principal findings were similar to those found earlier but it was possible to map voting behavior with some-what more precision and to uncover some unexpected relationships such as those concerning the potency of the age variable particularly for voting on political liberalism issues.
Selecting All Treatments Better Than a Control Using Existing Tables.

In this paper subset selection procedures for selecting all treatment populations with means larger than a control population are proposed. The treatments and control are assumed to have a multivariate normal distribution. Various covariance structures are considered. All of the proposed procedures are easily implemented using existing tables of the multivariate normal and multivariate t distributions. Some other procedures which have been proposed require extensive and unavailable tables for their implementation
In vivo gene transfer using sulfhydryl cross‐linked PEG‐peptide/glycopeptide DNA co‐condensates

Recent interest in sulfhydryl cross-linked nonviral gene delivery systems, designed to trigger the intracellular release of DNA, has inspired studies to establish their utility in vitro. To determine if this concept can be extrapolated to in vivo gene delivery, sulfhydryl cross-linking peptides (dp 20), derivatized with either an N-glycan or polyethylene glycol (PEG), were used to generate sulfhydryl cross-linked gene formulations. The biodistribution, metabolism, cell-type targeting, and gene expression of sulfhydryl cross-linked PEG-peptide/glycopeptide DNA co-condensates were examined following i.v. dosing in mice. Optimal targeting to hepatocytes was achieved by condensing (125)I-DNA with an add-mixture of 10 mol % triantennary glycopeptide, 5 mol % PEG-peptide, and 85 mol % backbone peptide. Four backbone peptides were substituted into the formulation to examine the influence of peptide metabolism and disulfide bond strength on the rate of DNA metabolism and the level of gene expression in vivo. The half-life of DNA in liver was extended from 1 to 3 h using a backbone peptide composed of d-amino acids, whereas substituting penicillamine for cysteine failed to further increase the metabolic stability of DNA. Optimized gene delivery formulations transiently expressed secreted alkaline phosphatase in mouse serum for 12 days. The results suggest that disulfide bond reduction in liver hepatocytes proceeds rapidly, followed by peptide metabolism, ultimately limiting the metabolic half-life of sulfhydryl cross-linked DNA condensates in vivo.
Quantitative information-flow tracking for real systems

An information-flow security policy constrains a computer system's end-to-end use of information, even as it is transformed in computation. For instance, a policy would not just restrict what secret data could be revealed directly, but restrict any output that might allow inferences about the secret. Expressing such a policy quantitatively, in terms of a specific number of bits of information, is often an effective program-independent way of distinguishing what scenarios should be allowed and disallowed. This thesis describes a family of new techniques for measuring how much information about a program's secret inputs is revealed by its public outputs on a particular execution, in order to check a quantitative policy on realistic systems. Our approach builds on dynamic tainting, tracking at runtime which bits might contain secret information, and also uses static control-flow regions to soundly account for implicit flows via branches and pointer operations. We introduce a new graph model that bounds information flow by the maximum flow between inputs and outputs in a flow network representation of an execution. The flow bounds obtained with maximum flow are much more precise than those based on tainting alone (which is equivalent to graph reachability). The bounds are a conservative estimate of channel capacity: the amount of information that could be transmitted by an adversary making an arbitrary choice of secret inputs. We describe an implementation named Flowcheck, built using the Valgrind framework for x86/Linux binaries, and use it to perform case studies on six real C, C++, and Objective C programs, three of which have more than 250,000 lines of code. We used the tool to check the confidentiality of a different kind of information appropriate to each program. Its results either verified that the information was appropriately kept secret on the examined executions, or revealed unacceptable leaks, in one case due to a previously unknown bug. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A MODEL OF GROWTH AND GROWTH CONTROL IN MATHEMATICAL TERMS, II. COMPENSATORY ORGAN GROWTH IN THE ADULT.

perimental investigations. The model explicitly incorporates into its framework terms for the effects of differentiation, growth limitation by negative feedback, and catabolic loss as they are postulated to individually modify growth. Yet it refrains from introducing parameters that cannot be endowed with physical and biological meaning. By contrast, earlier treatments generally dealt only with the compound effect of factors affecting growth, representing this effect empirically as a single entity in formulations involving parameters of questionable or unassignable significance and unrealistic boundary value conditions. The present model, by virtue of its explicitness, has led to the elimination of several alternatives which proved to be unrealistic but whose inadequacy could not be ascertained by other means.
Drivers of Web portal use

In this paper, we investigate three complementary measures of portal use: frequency of use, length of visits and repeat use. To examine these three measures of use, we first classify the services provided by portals into three categories: search, information, and personal services. We argue that these three different functions affect portal use in different ways. We primarily rely on the human computer interaction literature to develop our model of portal use. Our analysis is based on Internet navigation data of 102 demographically diverse users over a period of one year for six major portals. In total, we study 6321 distinct portal choices. Our results show strong repeat use for personal services followed by information services and search function. Our findings show that cumulative dissatisfaction with search results has a negative effect on future user choice decisions. Both information and personal services tend to extend the length of portal visits. As expected, search services tend to reduce the time spent as users move on to the search targets. But we also find that search function availability drives more traffic to portals than information or personal services. Of the three services, personal services use shows maximum (week-to-week) stability, information services use, on the other hand, shows least stability. Use of personal services leads to use of search and information services. We also find that demographic characteristics play some role in portal use.
MOLECULAR CLONING, SEQUENCING, AND EXPRESSION OF LYTM, A UNIQUE AUTOLYTIC GENE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

A gene encoding an autolytic activity was identified in an autolysis-deficient mutant (Lyt-) of Staphylococcus aureus which produces only a single band in autolytic-activity gels (N. Mani, P. Tobin, and R. K. Jayaswal, J. Bacteriol. 175:1493-1499, 1993). An open reading frame, designated lytM, of 948 bp that could encode a polypeptide of 316 amino acid residues was identified. The calculated molecular mass of the lytM gene product (34.4 kDa) corresponded to that of the autolytic activity detected (approximately 36 kDa) in the Lyt- mutant. Results deduced from amino acid sequence analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing data suggest that LytM is a secreted protein. The C-terminal region of the putative protein encoded by lytM showed 51% identity with the N-terminal region of the mature lysostaphin from Staphylococcus simulans and 50% identity with the N-terminal region of ALE-1 from Staphylococcus capitis EPK1. Northern blot analysis showed that lytM expresses a transcript of approximately 955 bp, as predicted from the DNA sequence. Escherichia coli clones carrying the lytM gene exhibited autolytic-activity bands of approximately 36 kDa as well as of 19 and 22 kDa in activity gels. The lytM gene was mapped to the SmaI-D fragment on the S. aureus chromosome. Mapping data and results of hybridization experiments with primers generated from gene sequences of known autolytic genes of S. aureus clearly indicate that the lytM gene is distinct from other staphylococcal autolytic genes reported to date.
Incomplete documentation of elements of Ottawa Ankle Rules despite an electronic medical record.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to observe the frequency of complete documentation of the elements of the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) in acute foot and ankle injuries in an emergency department with an electronic medical record. Procedure Seven hundred patient visits for acute ankle/foot injuries were reviewed. Each component of the OAR was tabulated as positive, negative, or not documented. Radiograph ordering and results were collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Main Findings Of the 700 charts evaluated, 663 received a radiograph, with 138 fractures identified. The OAR components were completely documented in 288 subjects (41%; 95% confidence interval, 37%-45%). One hundred percent of the charts documented weight-bearing status (template provided), but less than 0.5% (n = 3) documented a navicular examination (not mentioned on the template). Conclusion Incomplete documentation of examination components is common, even with prompting from an electronic medical record. This engenders both medicolegal risk and an inability to perform quality analyses to minimize unnecessary radiograph use.
Comparing SSD-placement strategies to scale a database-in-the-cloud

Flash memory solid state drives (SSDs) have increasingly been advocated and adopted as a means of speeding up and scaling up data-driven applications. However, given the layered software architecture of cloud-based services, there are a number of options available for placing SSDs. In this work, we studied the trade-offs involved in different SSD placement strategies, their impact of response time and throughput, and ultimately the potential in achieving scalability in Google Fusion Tables (GFT), a cloud-based service for data management and visualization [1].