cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal analysis of retinal changes after branch retinal artery occlusion using optical coherence tomography.

Abstract Background Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) causes inner retinal ischemia leading to permanent inner retinal dysfunction and visual field loss in affected retinal sectors. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers a novel way to evaluate in vivo retinal morphologic changes in BRAO in both acute and longitudinal phases. This case report describes OCT findings in BRAO at acute presentation and at follow-up, including the longitudinal evaluation of retinal and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Case report A 58-year-old white man with an acute branch retinal artery occlusion was examined by OCT at initial presentation and at 2, 4, and 8 months. At initial presentation, OCT line scan showed thickening and hyper-reflectivity of the inner retina with shadowing of photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial layers. At 2 months, hyper-reflectivity and thickening were reduced. At 4 months, the inner retina showed no hyper-reflectivity and was attenuated. Peripapillary RNFL thickness was reduced in corresponding sectors. Findings at the 8-month follow-up were unchanged from the 4-month visit. Conclusions OCT provides useful information regarding the evolution of inner retinal attenuation in BRAO. Differential diagnosis of sectoral peripapillary RNFL thinning should include previous BRAO.
Possible effect of subsurface inhomogeneities on the lunar microwave spectrum

Inhomogeneities beneath the lunar surface could alter the average microwave emission spectrum of the moon in a fashion generally consistent with observations, even in the absence of an average heat flux or density gradients with depth. The lunar subsurface was modeled as an inhomogeneous lossy dielectric with three-dimensional refractive-index fluctuations characterized by independent horizontal and vertical correlation lengths. The model suggests that attempts to infer the physical properties of the moon from the lunar microwave spectrum could be significantly inaccurate if subsurface scattering were neglected.
An assessment of solar hot water heating in the Washington, D.C. area: Implications for local utilities

Abstract A survey of residential solar hot water heating in the Washington, D.C. area is presented with estimates of the total solar energy contribution per year. These estimates are examined in relation to a local utility's peak-load curves to determine the impact of a substantial increase in solar domestic hot water use over the next 20 yr in the area of utility management. The results indicate that a 10% market penetration of solar water heaters would have no detrimental effect on the utility's peak-load profile and could save several million dollars in new plant construction costs.
The interaction of plant alkaloids with DNA. II. Berberinium chloride

Abstract The interaction of berberinium chloride with DNA has been investigated using spectrophotometry, viscometric titrations with sonicated and closed circular superhelical DNA, and flow polarized fluorescence. The binding results for berberinium were found to fit the neighbor exclusion model. The two viscometric titrations and flow polarized fluorescence results exclusion model. The two viscometric titrations and flow polarized fluorescence results also indicated that berberinium binds to DNA by intercalation. Titration of sonicated DNA with berberinium produced viscosity increases which were less than those obtained with quinacrine and the titration of superhelical DNA indicated a significantly smaller unwinding angle for intercalation of berberinium than for quinacrine. These results can be interpreted in terms of a model in which (i) berberinium is partially intercalated into the double helix, or (ii) the alkaloid is more completely intercalated into the double helix, but causes bending of the helix due to the slight nonplanarity of the berberinium ring system, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (22).
A unified method for evaluating real-time computer controllers and its application

A computer-controlled system is a synergistic coupling of the controlled process and the controller computer. We have defined new performance measures for real-time controller computers based on this coupling. We present a systematic study of a typical critical controlled process in the context of new performance measures that express the performance of both controlled processes and controller computers (taken as a unit) on the basis of a single variable: controller response time. Controller response time is a function of current system state, system failure rate, electrical and/or magnetic interference, etc., and is therefore a random variable. Control overhead is expressed as monotonically nondecreasing function of the response time and the system suffers catastrophic failure, or dynamic failure, if the response time for a control task exceeds the corresponding system hard deadline, if any. The controlled-process chosen for study is an aircraft in the final stages of descent, just prior to landing. Control constraints are particularly severe during this period, and great care must be taken in the design of controllers that handle this process. First, the performance measures for the controller are presented. Second, control algorithms for solving the landing problem are discussed, and finally the impact of our performance measures on the problem is analyzed, showing that the performance measures and the associated estimation method have potential use for designing and/or evaluating real-time controllers and controlled process. In common with all other control techniques, the computational complexity involved in obtaining these measures is susceptible to the curse of dimensionality.
Amyloid Precursor Protein and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alzheimer∍s Disease

Growing evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the key intracellular lesions associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, participate in a number of physiological functions that include calcium homeostasis, signal transduction, and apoptosis. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the decline of mitochondrial vital functions leading to the dysfunction of mitochondria during AD are not well understood. Recent literature has observed the accumulation of Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its C-terminal-cleaved product beta-amyloid (Abeta) in the mitochondrial compartment. Furthermore, evidence also implicates that the accumulation of full-length APP and Abeta in the mitochondrial compartment has a causative role in impairing mitochondrial physiological functions. Here, we review the mode of mitochondrial transport of full-length APP and Abeta and its pathological implications in bringing about mitochondrial dysfunction as seen in AD.
Gender as a moderator of the relationship between preparty motives and event-level consequences

OBJECTIVE: Prepartying is often associated with increased alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. General drinking motives are often only weakly related to preparty alcohol use, and few studies have examined the associations between preparty-specific drinking motives and alcohol-related consequences that occur during or after a preparty event. The current study utilizes event-level data to address this gap in the literature by examining the relationship between four types of preparty motives (prepartying to relax or loosen up, to increase control over alcohol use, to meet a dating partner, and to address concerns that alcohol may not be available later) and alcohol consequences as a function of gender. METHODS: Participants (N=952) reported on their most recent preparty event in the past month. RESULTS: After controlling for general drinking motives, all four preparty motives predicted greater event-level consequences for both males and females. Further, prepartying to increase control over alcohol consumed was associated with greater consequences for males as compared to females. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with research suggesting that preparty specific motives may further our understanding of prepartying outcomes over and above the use of general drinking motive measures. KW: Pregaming Language: en
Fibulin-1 is required for morphogenesis of neural crest-derived structures

Here we report that mouse embryos homozygous for a gene trap insertion in the fibulin-1 (Fbln1) gene are deficient in Fbln1 and exhibit cardiac ventricular wall thinning and ventricular septal defects with double outlet right ventricle or overriding aorta. Fbln1 nulls also display anomalies of aortic arch arteries, hypoplasia of the thymus and thyroid, underdeveloped skull bones, malformations of cranial nerves and hemorrhagic blood vessels in the head and neck. The spectrum of malformations is consistent with Fbln1 influencing neural crest cell (NCC)-dependent development of these tissues. This is supported by evidence that Fbln1 expression is associated with streams of cranial NCCs migrating adjacent to rhombomeres 2–7 and that Fbln1-deficient embryos display patterning anomalies of NCCs forming cranial nerves IX and X, which derive from rhombomeres 6 and 7. Additionally, Fbln1-deficient embryos show increased apoptosis in areas populated by NCCs derived from rhombomeres 4, 6 and 7. Based on these findings, it is concluded that Fbln1 is required for the directed migration and survival of cranial NCCs contributing to the development of pharyngeal glands, craniofacial skeleton, cranial nerves, aortic arch arteries, cardiac outflow tract and cephalic blood vessels.
The impact of detection and treatment on lifetime medical costs for patients with precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer

Understanding the costs associated with early detection of disease is important for determining the fiscal implications of government-funded screening programs. We estimate the lifetime medical costs for patients with screen-detected versus undetected polyps and early-stage colorectal cancer. Typically, cost–effectiveness studies of screening account only for the direct costs of screening and cancer care. Our estimates include costs for unrelated conditions. We applied the Kaplan–Meier Smoothing Estimator to estimate lifetime costs for beneficiaries with screen-detected polyps and cancer. Phase-specific costs and survival probabilities were calculated from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database for Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65. We estimate costs from the point of detection onward; therefore, our results do not include the costs associated with screening. We used a modified version of the model to estimate what lifetime costs for these patients would have been if the polyps or cancer remained undetected, based on assumptions about the ‘lead time’ for polyps and early-stage cancer. For younger patients, polyp removal is cost saving. Treatment of early-stage cancer is cost increasing. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkanethiol Surfactants on Spherical Gold Nanoparticles†

Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers are performed to investigate the ligand shell organization of homoligand surfactants on spherical gold nanoparticle surfaces as a function of temperature, nanoparticle size, and ligand tail length. At high temperature, we show that the ligands orient randomly with respect to the surface normal with a small tilt angle. As the temperature decreases, the molecules order and adopt a larger tilt angle. The effects of alkanethiol tail length and nanoparticle size on the tilt structure are also significant. At low temperature, we find the equilibrium conformation of alkanethiols obeys the crystallographic model, whereas at high temperature the continuous model is valid. The dependence of tilt angle on different parameters and comparison with self-assembled monolayers on flat surfaces are also discussed.
Special ray-trace equations for conic surfaces

Ray trace equations for conic surfaces, noting application in computer programs for unusual systems
Biomimetic fish actuated by shape memory alloy

This paper details a design process for the production of the mechanical mechanisms of a biomimetic fish propelled using shape memory alloy actuated pectoral and caudal fins. Three main mechanisms contribute to the biomimicry: pectoral fins, a tail fin, and a ballasting system. The pectoral fin consists of a five fin ray array, which mimics the rowing motion of a biological Koi fish. The tail is comprised of three 3-D printed plastic pieces linked together using springs pulleys and SMA wire, providing flexibility, strength, and biomimetic movement. The ballast allows the fish to change pitch angle allowing us to dive or swim to the surface, ideal for biomimicry. Together and precisely timed, these three components give extremely similar range of motion as biological Koi.
Assessing economic and social performance in the Cuban transition of the 1990s

Abstract In 1989, Cuba had the most collectivized, centralized, egalitarian, externally dependent and Soviet-subsidized economy within the socialist camp. The collapse of the latter prompted a severe economic crisis in the island in the 1990s, forcing a process of market reform albeit timid and vacillating. Statistical series vanished at the beginning of the transition, making a serious evaluation virtually impossible. In 1995–1997 important data were released but their reliability is questionable. This article assembles and analyzes all available pertinent statistics in order to assess Cuba's socioeconomic performance in 1990–1997, by focusing on five crucial areas: macroeconomic indicators, physical output, external sector, social conditions, and status and prospects of the reform.
Aromatic difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes: effects of π-conjugation and media on optical properties.

Aromatic difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes (BF2bdks) are classic fluorescent molecules that have been explored as photochemical reagents, two-photon dyes, and oxygen sensors. To gain a better understanding of their emissive properties in both solution and polymer matrices, BF2bdks with varying aromatic groups were synthesized and their photophysical properties were investigated in both methylene chloride and poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Absorption spectra showed systematic variations that are well correlated with structural features, including the size of the aryl substituent and the presence of a para electron-donating methoxy substituent. Computational modeling of the absorption spectra with the TD-B3LYP/6-311+G(d)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) formulation of density functional theory and a polarizable continuum model of dichloromethane solvent shows that all systems show intense π–π* one-electron excitations, usually from one of the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO – k, k = 0, 1, 2) to the lowest unoccupied ...
The Ideal Candidate Revisited A Study of the Desired Attributes of the Public and the Media Across Three Presidential Campaigns

The view of image as a transaction between all that a candidate says and does and the way in which voters compare that behavior to their personal vision of what a candidate should be inspires at least three questions important to campaign communication. First, although the ability or power of the media to affect the success or failure of political campaigns and candidates is popularly believed and has been documented by researchers, do the views of individual members of the media regarding the ideal qualities required of president candidates differ significantly from those of voters? Second, do the characteristics or criteria of the “ideal candidate” ascribed by the media and/or the electorate vary from election to election? And finally, do the evaluative dimensions of “idealness” differ by party affiliation, age, or gender? The answers to these questions were determined from the results of a survey of 388 professional journalists covering and 734 citizens attending rallies in New Hampshire during the pre...
Age-Associated Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction on the Auditory M100 to Nonverbal Stimuli

The current study investigated normal aging associated differences on hemispheric laterality of sensory responses to nonverbal auditory stimuli using magnetoencephalography. Twelve older and 12 younger adults with normal hearing thresholds participated. The spatial locations, latencies, and strengths of evoked field M50 and M100 were quantified by equivalent current dipole modeling. No differences were found on M50 or M100 dipole latencies. Older adults had stronger M50 sources bilaterally than younger adults. This difference may be attributable to a decrease in central nervous system inhibitory capacities during normal aging. Older adults also had reduced hemispheric asymmetry on M100 dipole locations and strengths; younger adults had stronger M100 in right than left hemisphere, whereas older adults did not show this expected hemispheric asymmetry. These results indicate that the HAROLD model (Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults) applies at the level of initial sensory processing.
Elephants caught in the middle: impacts of war, fences and people on elephant distribution and abundance in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia

We conducted wet [26 March‐4 April 2003 (Apr03)] and dry [1‐8 November 2005 (Nov05)] season aerial surveys of African elephants (Loxodonta africana Blumenbach) in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia to provide an updated status report on elephant numbers and distribution and assist with a historical analysis of elephant distribution and abundance in the Caprivi Strip. During the wet season when water was available in seasonal pans, elephants were widely distributed throughout the survey area. In contrast, during the dry season, a majority of elephant herds occurred within 30 km of the perennial Kwando, Linyanti and Okavango rivers and few herds occurred within the West Caprivi Game Reserve where water in the seasonal pans was limited. We estimated 5318 elephants for the 7731-km 2 survey area (0.71 elephants km )2 ) for the Apr03 wet season survey and 6474 elephants for the 8597-km 2 survey area (0.75 elephants km )2 ) for the Nov05 dry season survey. Based on our aerial surveys and reports of elephant numbers and distribution from historical aerial surveys and telemetry studies, civil war, veterinary fences and human activities appear to have effected changes in African elephant abundance, distribution and movements in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia since 1988 when the first comprehensive aerial surveys were conducted.
Bacterial Peptidoglycan-associated Lipoprotein Is Released into the Bloodstream in Gram-negative Sepsis and Causes Inflammation and Death in Mice

Gram-negative bacterial sepsis commonly causes organ dysfunction and death in humans. Although circulating bacterial toxins trigger inflammation in sepsis, little is known about the composition of bacterial products released into the blood during sepsis or the contribution of various bacterial components to the pathogenesis of sepsis. We have shown that diverse Gram-negative bacteria release bacterial peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (PAL) into serum. The present studies explored release of PAL into the blood during sepsis and tested the hypothesis that PAL contributes to bacterial virulence and inflammation in Gram-negative sepsis. Released PAL was detected in the blood of 94% of mice following cecal ligation and puncture. Picomolar to nanomolar levels of PAL stimulated macrophages and splenocytes from lipopolysaccharide-hyporesponsive (C3H/HeJ) mice. Injection of PAL into C3H/HeJ mice stimulated production of serum cytokines and increased pulmonary and myocardial expression of inflammatory markers. PAL caused death in sensitized C3H/HeJ mice. Mutant Escherichia coli bacteria with reduced levels of PAL or truncated PAL were less virulent than wild-type bacteria, as indicated by higher survival rates and lower circulating levels of interleukin 6 and bacteria in a model of peritonitis in lipopolysaccharide-responsive mice. The studies suggest that PAL may be an important bacterial mediator of Gram-negative sepsis.
Real-time dispersion analyzer of femtosecond laser pulses with use of a spectrally and temporally resolved upconversion technique

We demonstrate a real-time femtosecond-laser-pulse analyzer by using a spectrally and temporally resolved upconversion technique (STRUT) for characterization of the phase and the intensity. The STRUT provides simple but reliable analysis of femtosecond pulses by employing a narrow-bandpass dielectric filter in one arm of a conventional single-shot upconversion autocorrelator and analyzing the spatiotemporal upconversion signal with a monochromator. The resulting spatiotemporal and spatiospectral image presents clear and complete information about femtosecond pulses produced by either oscillators or amplifiers. Characterization of 2-nJ, 60-fs Ti:sapphire oscillator pulses is achieved with 0.5 s data acquisition time and 0.2-s computational time.
A Comparison of the Immune Response of Tonsils with the Appendix and Spleen in Neonatal Rabbits

Utilizing the local hemolysis-in-gel test, it was found that rabbit tonsils could respond to tetanus toxoid when the animal was injected at 1-14 days of age and challenged 5-10 days later. In contrast with the appendix and spleen which gained immunological competence, the tonsils decreased in plaqueforming ability during the early neonatal period. The 10 day challenge period consistently proved to elicit a stronger immune response than did the 5 day period in all three organs throughout the 6 week period. The palatine mucosa provided a successful antigenic route for tonsilar stimulation.
Energy and impedance space modeling of power electronic converters

Power electronics are a core enabling technology for local area power networks and microgrids for renewable energy, telecom, data centers and many other applications. Unfortunately, the modeling, simulation and control of power electronics in these systems is complicated when using traditional converter models in conjunction with the network nodal equations. This work proposes a change of variables for the power electronic converter models from traditional voltage and currents to input conductance and stored energy. From this change of state, a universal point of load converter model can be utilized in the network nodal equations irrespective of the topology of the converter. The only impact the original converter topology has on the new model is the bounds on the control and state variables, and the mapping back to the switching or duty cycle controls. The proposed approach greatly simplifies the modeling of local area power networks and microgrids. This simpler model can be used to study stability, energy utilization, and develop high level control strategies that were not previously feasible.
Adversarial exploits of end-systems adaptation dynamics

Internet end-systems employ various adaptation mechanisms that enable them to respond adequately to legitimate requests in overload situations. Today, these mechanisms are incorporated in most scalable end-systems through the use of one or more component subsystems such as admission controllers, traffic shapers, content transcoders, QoS Controllers, and load balancers. While the design of these components has been heavily investigated and significantly fine-tuned for efficiency and scalability purposes, the security implication of the adaptation mechanisms used in these components has not been on the radar to system designers. To that end, this paper exposes adversarial exploits of the dynamics that result from the adaptive nature of these components. We show that a well orchestrated Reduction of Quality (RoQ) attack could induce significant inefficiencies or reduce the service quality of end-systems, without resorting to brute-force Denial-of-Service (DoS) exploits that target the limited steady-state capacity of these end-systems. We present a general analytical framework that captures the effect of RoQ exploits on the underlying optimization process of the adaptation mechanisms. Using detailed models, we instantiate this general framework for some of the aforementioned end-system adaptation mechanisms, focusing on admission controllers and load balancers. Our exposition is supported with numerical solutions of analytical models, which are validated using results from detailed simulations, and measurements from real Internet experiments performed in our lab.
Cap and Trade, Rehabilitated: Using Tradable Permits to Control U.S. Greenhouse Gases

AbstractThis article presents the case for using a cap and trade program (i.e., tradable permits) to control U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis draws two basic distinctions between such an...
Representation And Maintenance of process knowledge for large Scale Systems development

Large systems maintenance efforts are often hindered because much of the richness of the design process, namely the process knowledge, involving the deliberation on alternative design decisions, is lost in the course of designing and changing such systems. In this research, we present a formalism called REMAP (REpresentation and MAintenance of Process knowledge) that is geared towards capturing the rationales for design decisions and using this along with application domain specific knowledge to reason about changes in design decisions. We significantly extend the Issue Based Information Systems (IBIS), a method for recording the argumentation related to deliberations. Our model relates process knowledge to the objects that are created during the design process. This model is validated using a study of the problem solving behavior of systems analysts engaged in developing functional specifications. We have implemented a prototype of an environment to support the process of design and maintenance based on our model. The environment facilitates acquiring, maintaining and reasoning with various knowledge components that are used in design and maintenance tasks.
A Review of “Delivering Research Data Management Services: Fundamentals of Good Practice”

I have to admit from the outset that when I was invited to review Delivering Research Data Management Services: Fundamentals of Good Practice by Pryor, Jones, and White, I was concerned that I may ...
Size-Selective Feeding in Captive and Free-Ranging Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

AbstractWe examined size-selective feeding in captive and free-ranging Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus. For the captive study, Bluefin Tuna were maintained in a cylindrical net-pen enclosure (30.5 m in diameter; 15.2 m deep) located 32.2 km offshore of Virginia. Tests of prey size selectivity by captive Bluefin Tuna were observed using underwater video. In free-ranging Bluefin Tuna, size selection was examined by comparing the sizes of Atlantic Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus found in stomach contents with the sizes of those collected during the fall purse-seine fishery for Atlantic Menhaden off the North Carolina coast. Captive Bluefin Tuna selected larger prey when prey length : predator length ratios (PPRs) were less than 10%; however, size selectivity was not observed when the PPRs exceeded 10%. For free-ranging Bluefin Tuna, PPRs were mostly greater than 10% (12.98 ± 0.06% [mean ± SE]), and there were no significant differences in length between Atlantic Menhaden from stomach contents and those fr...
Vibration-based Damage Identification Methods: A Review and Comparative Study:

A comprehensive review on modal parameter-based damage identification methods for beam- or plate-type structures is presented, and the damage identification algorithms in terms of signal processing...
Filling TSV of different dimension using galvanic copper deposition

Filling through silicon via (TSV) with copper is one important process step in 3D-integration. Void free and reliable galvanic copper deposition is essential for yield and lifetime of microelectronic devices. Different TSV applications, as chip stacking and interposer, require different TSV dimensions. This demands high flexibility and applicability for small and large via sizes in the galvanic filling process. This paper compares two different acidic copper systems in respect of their TSV filling properties. Both systems mainly differ in the leveler compound. System A shows super-conformal filling behavior and System B bottom-up filling. The properties of copper being deposited using System A and B respectively vary further in respect of copper grain size homogeneity, stress of the copper deposits, recrystallization temperature and incorporation of additives. The influence of organic copper additives on the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of the copper deposits is discussed. Using the example of System B, filling aspects as well as process optimization will be outlined. For process optimization electrochemical potential characteristics (E vs. t) during the filling process are used to identify important filling steps. Filling examples for small as well as large TSV feature sizes will be discussed.
An Empirical Study of a Segment-Based Streaming Proxy in an Enterprise Environment

Streaming media workloads have a number of desirable properties that make them good candidates for caching via proxy systems. The content does not get modified, and access patterns exhibit some locality of reference. However, media files tend to be much larger in size than traditional web pages, and users tend to view video clips only partially. Hence, segment-based strategies have been proposed to deliver large streaming media objects via a web-proxy. In this work, we evaluate the performance of such a segment-based streaming proxy using extensive trace driven simulation. We use representative workloads from enterprise media server logs, and evaluate the caching system performance regarding different cache sizes, different segment sizes, and different prefetching methods. Our results show that cost-effective caching requires only about 8 – 16 % of the total unique object size as proxy storage. Secondly, a segment size of around 200 Kbytes provides a good trade-off between cache object granularity and transaction overhead. Finally, a lazier prefetching schedule that provides a half-segment look-ahead has a significant performance gain when compared to a more aggressive one-segment look-ahead scheme.
Clathrate Hydrates: From Laboratory Science to Engineering Practice

Clathrate hydrates have steadily emerged as an important field in the areas of flow assurance, energy storage and resource, and environment. To better understand the role of hydrates in all of these areas, knowledge developed in laboratory experiments must be effectively transferred to address the challenges related to hydrate formation, dissociation, agglomeration, and stability. This paper highlights the recent hydrate literature focusing on the thermodynamics, kinetics, structural properties, particle properties, rheological properties, and molecular mechanisms of formation. The foundation for continued understanding and development of hydrates in engineering practice will rely on laboratory measurements utilizing traditional and innovative tools capable of probing time-dependent and time-independent properties.
Republished editorial: Improving teamwork in healthcare: current approaches and the path forward

My grandfather was a general practitioner in a small town in the USA in the mid-20th century. His medical team consisted of himself and a nurse (who was also my grandmother). He even served as his own pharmacist. In stark contrast, the team in my primary care practice consists of my physician partners, several trainees, nurses, medical assistants, referral coordinators, pharmacists, the subspecialists and their teams, home health nurses and therapists, and more. Such large and disconnected teams can provide comprehensive care for complex and chronic illnesses, but when they malfunction, they can harm patients.1 Teams are larger and more dispersed in time and space, and there are now many more types of teams. They vary from teams whose members repeatedly work together over many years (eg, highly specialised cardiac surgery teams) to teams that are formed quickly and temporarily to resuscitate a patient. Teams are also formed for quality improvement (QI) projects, and they may work together for a few months or a few years. Unfortunately, education for healthcare professionals in most parts of the world still assumes that healthcare teams are like those during my grandfather's time. Professional school and continuing education curricula have not been updated to teach the skills needed to work effectively in these varied teams. To fill this gap, team training programmes that address teamwork and communication for healthcare providers are increasing in number, becoming more heterogeneous and being evaluated more frequently.2 Here I propose three general approaches that have been developed to improve teamwork in healthcare, and I discuss their strengths, weaknesses and which of their aspects require further research (table 1). Finally, I suggest that these approaches complement one another, and by purposefully exposing care givers to them during their training and careers, we can eventually improve teamwork and patient …
Non-Markovian Causality in the Social Sciences with Some Theorems on Transitivity

The author argues for the importance of non-Markovian causality in the social sciences because Markovian conditions often cannot be satisfied. Two theorems giving conditions for non-Markovian causes to be transitive are proved. Applications of non-Markovian causality in psychology and economics are outlined.
Enabling Application Resilience with and without the MPI Standard

As recent research has demonstrated, it is becoming a necessity for large scale applications to have the ability to tolerate process failure during an execution. As the number of processes increases, checkpoint/restart fault tolerance approaches requiring large concurrent state check pointing become untenable and radically new methods to address fault tolerance are needed. This work addresses these challenges by proposing a novel approach to a minimalistic fault discovery and management model. Such a model allows application to run to completion despite fail-stop failures. As a proof of concept, in addition to the proposed fault tolerance model, an implementation in the context of the Open MPI library is provided, evaluated and analyzed.
An angiographic atlas of intracranial arterial diameters associated with cerebral aneurysms

Introduction The successful treatment of intracranial aneurysms is dependent on a full understanding of the anatomic relationship of a given aneurysm to its parent artery(s) and nearby branches. Furthermore, new endovascular technologies are often limited by size constraints. Currently, there is no complete atlas describing diameters for each major intracranial arterial segment. We sought to obtain these data by performing a systematic analysis of selected cerebral angiography images from the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA). Methods Four hundred and forty-five patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms from the ISUIA database were reviewed. Using previously described techniques, artery diameters were measured for all arteries involved in the aneurysm neck for each patient. Results Measurements were obtained from 695 different aneurysm-associated arterial segments among 445 patient angiograms (mean 1.6 measurements per aneurysm). Artery diameters, mean, median, SEM and IQRs based upon the different arterial segments are presented. Conclusions This angiographic almanac of aneurysm-associated intracranial arterial diameters may be of benefit in establishing standard norms through which devices, protocols and research aims may be developed.
Reconstructing prehistoric hunter–gatherer foraging radii: a case study from California's southern Sierra Nevada

The concept of the foraging radius is essential to understanding hunteregatherer settlement, subsistence, and sociocultural complexity yet is notoriously difficult to reconstruct archaeologically. Late prehistoric Western Mono foraging radii in the southern Sierra Nevada were reconstructed using GIS analysis of least-cost path distances between dispersed caching features and centralized residential features. Mean distances from settlements to caches exhibit a bimodal distribution, with peaks between 0.5 and 5.0 km, and 6.0 and 8.5 km, the former representing a caching limit and the latter a foraging limit around major settlements. Combined, these data demarcate a two-part foraging radius predicated not only on sustaining winter group aggregations but also on facilitating spring and summer residential moves. These results show the efficacy of using features and simple GIS-based spatial analyses to reconstruct prehistoric foraging radii and provide the means to model the energetics of different foraging behaviors, these speaking strongly to the social and economic factors conditioning the development of complex huntere gatherer societies. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Important Triad in Cardiovascular Medicine Diabetes, Coronary Intervention, and Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor Blockade

Diabetes mellitus is a potent risk factor for greater prevalence, complexity, and complications of cardiovascular disease, and diabetics thus constitute a sizable proportion of patients for whom coronary revascularization is required. However, both percutaneous and surgical revascularization techniques are associated with particular challenges in this population. Diabetics typically have an increased likelihood of restenosis and repeat revascularization procedures after stenting compared with their non-diabetic counterparts.1 Trends toward higher death rates in diabetics have also been observed over 1 year or longer after stenting,1–4 and patients with diabetes thus remain one of the few groups for whom percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) does not yet provide survival benefit commensurate with that of coronary artery bypass surgery.5–7 Diabetes mellitus is also a predictor of elevated mortality risk and accelerated disease progression after surgical revascularization.5,8,9 The processes leading to adverse prognosis after revascularization in diabetics are likely multifactorial and relate to widespread atheroma, small vessel vasculopathy, impaired collateral formation, exuberant neointimal hyperplasia, and adverse remodeling.10,11 There is also evidence that hypercoagulability contributes to accelerated atherosclerosis and exaggerated injury response after revascularization in diabetics.11–13 Diabetes is associated with increased levels of circulating fibrinogen, thrombin, and factor VII, and with diminished plasma fibrinolytic and antithrombin III activity. Moreover, platelets in diabetic patients are increased in size, are more frequently activated, and exhibit greater adhesiveness, thromboxane synthesis, glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa expression, and mitogenic activity. Adjunctive antiplatelet therapy with GP IIb/IIIa blockade reduces the incidence of acute ischemic events by as much as 35% to 50% among the broad population of patients undergoing elective or urgent PCI,14 and evidence supporting long-term suppression of mortality with at least one of these inhibitors, abciximab, has been accrued as well.3,15,16 The benefits of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in this setting seem to be complementary …
An interpretation of stochastic voltage collapse indication

This paper attempts to justify claims made by the authors concerning the application of a power system stochastic voltage collapse indicator (SVCI). Since the SVCI is an approximate solution to a system of stochastic differential equations, the authors present a scheme to evaluate its validity. The scheme involves the use of Monte-Carlo techniques where for a given confidence interval, samples representing different realizations of the modeled uncertain power system will be run with the goal of obtaining the sampled value of the SVCI. Accuracy and sensitivity of the indicator are compared to benchmark measurements obtained from Monte-Carlo runs of a dynamic power system perturbed by small-magnitude perturbations. Strong correlation between the two sets of values for the SVCI and its sampled counterpart will give credence to the application of the SVCI to voltage stability studies.
Imaging the Single Cell Dynamics of CD4+ T Cell Activation by Dendritic Cells in Lymph Nodes

The adaptive immune response is initiated in secondary lymphoid organs by contact between antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) and antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. However, there is scant information regarding the single cell dynamics of this process in vivo. Using two-photon microscopy, we imaged the real-time behavior of naive CD4+ T cells and in vivo-labeled DCs in lymph nodes during a robust T cell response. In the first 2 h after entry into lymph nodes, T cells made short-lived contacts with antigen-bearing DCs, each contact lasting an average of 11-12 min and occurring mainly on dendrites. Altered patterns of T cell motility during this early stage of antigen recognition promoted serial engagement with several adjacent DCs. Subsequently, T cell behavior progressed through additional distinct stages, including long-lived clusters, dynamic swarms, and finally autonomous migration punctuated by cell division. These observations suggest that the immunological synapse in native tissues is remarkably fluid, and that stable synapses form only at specific stages of antigen presentation to T cells. Furthermore, the serial nature of these interactions implies that T cells activate by way of multiple antigen recognition events.
Meeting deadlines within object-oriented systems

In real-time software systems, meeting deadlines is crucial. Software engineers face many challenges to model the object-oriented software system to handle complex real-time constraints. The accurate estimating of the performance time is a key criterion for a precise scheduling decision. This paper presents an object-oriented performance model that analyzes the behavior of the real-time objects' tasks whose executions are controlled by a scheduler. Each task is subject to a time/utility function (TUF) that determines the accrued utility of the task according to its completion time. The scheduling scheme uses both the estimated time generated by the object-oriented performance model and the time utility function (TUF) of each task in the object-oriented system in order to maximize the total accrued utility. In addition, we implemented a software tool to conduct experimental study in order to show the effectiveness of our approach.
In vivo and in vitro characterization of bone marrow-derived stem cells in the cochlea.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Stem cell replacement therapy has the potential to treat or cure an array of degenerative neurologic disorders, including sensorineural deafness. However, little is known about the potential for marrow-derived stem cells (MSCs) to take on properties of spiral ganglion neurons. The main purpose of this prospective animal study was to evaluate the survival of MSCs transplanted into the gerbil cochlea. Methods: Eight 3- to 4-month-old Mongolian gerbils were used as recipients. The animals received an intraperilymphatic transplantation of 100,000 green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive MSCs with scala tympani injection and modiolar injection. Seven days after transplantation, MSC survival was evaluated by microscopic examination of frozen sections cut through the cochleae of the recipient animals. Results: MSCs isolated from the TgN (ACTbEGFP) mouse line used in this study exhibited bright green florescence after five to seven passages in vitro. Seven days after postoperatively, most transplanted MSCs were found in the scala tympani and scala vestibule and only a small number located in the scala media in animals that received both forms of injection. There were no GFP-positive MSCs in the modiolus in animals with scala tympani injection. In contrast, the mean profile count in animals with modiolar injection was 28, which was the highest in all regions. Although MSCs have the potential to migrate, the anatomic barrier between the perilymphatic space and the modiolus might account for the absence of GFP-positive MSCs in this region. Conclusion: These findings may have important clinical implications as a means of delivering MSCs in the cochlea for cell replacement therapy.
Patent Analysis for Systematic Innovation: Automatic Function In-terpretation and Automatic Classification of Level of Invention using Natural Language Processing and Artificial Neural Networks

With advances in computing power and the processes of globalization, the analytical and engineering science skills that contribute to innovation are becoming a commodity, and the activities of research and development—and innovation—are being outsourced. These trends leave the creative and systems integrative skills of engineering design as the value-added part of innovation. This paper presents a framework to address this challenge, termed mass innovation, which can be defined as expanding and diffusing innovation activities to the general population through connecting inventors and entrepreneurs with the engineering tools and services needed to assess and realize their novel design concepts. As part of mass innovation, this paper presents the development of an approach for automatic function interpretation, and an example is given, in the context of sustainable design, of the application of automatic function interpretation and automatic classification of level of invention. The method for automatic function interpretation is based on text extraction, natural language processing using a parser, and semantic definition of functional requirements and design parameters. The classification of level of invention is based on an artificial neural network model using inputs based on patent citation measures.
Aging Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs by Weight of Eye Lenses

Eye lenses were collected from black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) in Billings Co., North Dakota, in 1977, and fixed in 5% formalin. Lenses were dried at 95°C for ca. 96 h to a constant weight and weighed to the nearest 0.2 mg. Eye-lens weight of young increased rapidly during their 1st summer of life, but increases in weight tapered off in older age classes. Young were readily discernible from yearlings, and yearlings from 2-year-olds. Two-year-olds were sometimes difficult to distinguish from older animals. Mean weight of eye lenses for males was slightly heavier than that for females in all age classes, but significantly so only in yearlings. Using weight of eye lenses was a reliable technique for aging young during their 1st summer of life and for separating young, yearlings, and 2-year-olds. For older prairie dogs, we suggest using other aging methods in conjunction with weight of eye lenses.
High-resolution electron spectroscopy and molecular structures of Cu–(2,2′-bipyridine) and Cu-(4,4′-bipyridine)

Copper complexes of 2,2′-bipyridine (22BIPY) and 4,4′-bipyridine (44BIPY) were prepared in a laser-vaporization supersonic molecular beam source and identified by laser photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Electronic spectra and molecular structures were studied with pulsed-field ionization zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) electron spectroscopy, density functional theory (DFT) and second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) calculations, and spectral simulations. Adiabatic ionization energies and metal–ligand and ligand-based vibrational frequencies of Cu–22BIPY and Cu–44BIPY were measured from the ZEKE spectra. Ground electronic states and molecular structures of the two complexes were determined by comparing the spectroscopic measurements with the theoretical calculations. The ground state of Cu–22BIPY (2B1, C2v) has a planar bidentate structure with Cu binding to two nitrogen atoms and two pyridine molecules in the cis configuration. The ground state of Cu–44BIPY (2A, C2) has a monod...