cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motion nulls for white versus isochromatic gratings in infants and adults

The relative sensitivity of infants and adults to luminance modulations of 2.6-cd/m2, 0.3-cycle/deg broadband isochromatic red, green, or blue test gratings was measured with a motion-nulling technique. Optokinetic nystagmus was used as the response measure. Each test grating was pitted against a standard, 2.6-cd/m2, 50%-contrast white grating, and the contrast of the test grating required for a motion null was determined. The results were similar for both age groups. Both infants and adults required approximately 50% contrast in the red and green gratings, but only about 25% contrast in the blue grating, to produce a motion null. Quantitative analysis of the results suggests that a peripheral photopic luminance mechanism, with or without a small scotopic contribution, controls optokinetic nystagmus responses in all subjects under these conditions.
Hippocampal Volume Differences in Gulf War Veterans with Current Versus Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Background Decreased hippocampal volume is described in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, it is not known whether it is a risk factor for the development of PTSD or a consequence of PTSD. We sought to determine the effects of PTSD and depressive symptoms on hippocampal volume. Methods Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in a cross sectional study of 244 Gulf War veterans. Measures included lifetime and current Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Life Stressor Checklist, and Lifetime Drinking History. Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired with a 1.5-T scanner and analyzed with automated and semiautomated image processing techniques. Results Eighty-two veterans had lifetime PTSD, 44 had current PTSD, and 38 had current depression. In the linear regression analysis, current PTSD symptoms (standardized coefficient β = −.25, p = .03) but neither lifetime PTSD symptoms nor current depression were associated with smaller hippocampal volume. Gender, age, history of early life trauma, education, lifetime and current alcohol use, current marijuana use, and treatment with antidepressants did not have independent effects. Participants with chronic PTSD had, on average, a smaller hippocampus compared with those with remitted PTSD. Conclusions The finding that current but not lifetime PTSD symptom severity explains hippocampal size raises two possibilities: either a small hippocampus is a risk factor for lack of recovery from PTSD (trait) or PTSD effects on hippocampal volume are reversible once PTSD symptoms remit and the patient recovers (state).
Evidence-based practice in search interface design

An evidence-based practice approach to search interface design is proposed, with the goal of designing interfaces that adequately support search strategy formulation and reformulation. Relevant findings from studies of information professionals' searching behaviors, end users' searching of bibliographic databases, and search behaviors on the Web are highlighted. Three brief examples are presented to illustrate the ways in which findings from such studies can be used to make decisions about the design of search interfaces. If academic research can be effectively connected with design practice, we can discover which design practices truly are “best practices” and incorporate them into future search interfaces. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Power, Knowledge and Virtuous Organizations: Virtuous College and Virtuous War

Abstract This essay will explore the links between power, knowledge, and the discourse of technological virtue in two cases of organizational innovation: the Land Grant College movement of the 1850s and the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) of the 1990s. Both movements can be seen as responses to ontological or spiritual rifts that opened between how we live and how we recognize goodness in ourselves. In the case of Land Grant Colleges, there was a realization that God's gift of an abundant continent upon which to faithfully labor and prosper was being despoiled by labor and prosperity. Scientific agriculture was intended to restore Americans to virtue. The Revolution in Military Affairs likewise might be seen as an attempt to maintain images of virtue under difficult conditions. James Der Derian characterizes virtuous war as a neural network which links virtual technologies, military hardware, entertainment, global surveillance, and information with the ethical imperative to inflict virtuous violence ...
The Binding of Helix pomatia and Ulex europeus Agglutinins to Normal and Psoriatic Skin

We have compared the staining patterns of Ulex europeus agglutinin (UEA) I-FITC and Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA)-FITC on normal and psoriatic epidermis in order to follow the production of the binding sites as a function of maturation. We have further characterized them with respect to solvent extraction and enzyme digestion. The bandlike pattern of membrane staining by UEA I in the upper spinous and granular layer cells of normal epidermis is lost in psoriasis. Instead there is a fainter cytoplasmic staining which is largely sensitive to chloroform/methanol extraction, and thus presumably is glycolipid in nature. Epidermal binding of HPA to normal skin sections is mainly seen in cell membranes. It spares the basal layer and then increases from the suprabasal region to the granular layer. HPA staining in the spinous layer is destroyed by extraction with Triton X-100. In contrast, binding to the membranes of cells in psoriatic epidermis is triton-resistant. The result indicates the production of a component early in the maturation pathway which has no counterpart in normal skin. HPA binding to the spinous cells of symptomless skin from psoriatic patients shows decreased sensitivity to Triton X-100 by comparison with normal. The results are discussed in terms of changes in the pathway of keratinocyte maturation in psoriasis.
cAMP-response Element-binding Protein Induces Directed DNA Bending of the HTLV-I 21-Base Pair Repeat

Gene expression from the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) long terminal repeat (LTR) is mediated by three cis-acting regulatory elements known as 21-base pair (bp) repeats in addition to the transactivator protein Tax. Each of the 21-bp repeats contain nucleotide sequences which are homologous to a cAMP response element (CRE) which bind members of the ATF/CREB family of transcription factors. In this study, we investigated whether CREB alone or in the presence of Tax was able to induce DNA structural changes when bound to CRE sites in the HTLV-I 21 bp, the cellular somatostatin promoter, or a hybrid CRE construct comprised of both the somatostatin and 21-bp repeat sequences. Circular permutation analysis indicated that CREB was able to induce DNA flexure upon binding to each of these elements. However, phasing analysis, which is a more sensitive method to determine the degree and orientation of directed DNA bending, demonstrated that CREB induced DNA bending of the HTLV-I 21-bp repeat and the hybrid CRE but not the somatostatin CRE. The addition of Tax did not change CREB-mediated bending of the 21-bp repeat or the hybrid CRE although it markedly increased the amount of CREB bound to each of these DNA elements. These results indicate that sequence motifs flanking the CRE in the 21-bp repeat are critical for inducing DNA structural changes and that these changes are likely important in mediating Tax activation of the HTLV-I LTR.
Objective-oriented optimal sensor allocation strategy for process monitoring and diagnosis by multivariate analysis in a Bayesian network

Measurement strategy and sensor allocation have a direct impact on the product quality, productivity, and cost. This article studies the couplings or interactions between the optimal design of a sensor system and quality management in a manufacturing system, which can improve cost-effectiveness and production yield by considering sensor cost, process change detection speed, and fault diagnosis accuracy. Based on an established definition of sensor allocation in a Bayesian network, an algorithm named “Best Allocation Subsets by Intelligent Search” (BASIS) is developed in this article to obtain the optimal sensor allocation design at minimum cost under different specified Average Run Length (ARL) requirements. Unlike previous approaches reported in the literature, the BASIS algorithm is developed based on investigating a multivariate T 2 control chart when only partial observations are available. After implementing the derived optimal sensor solution, a diagnosis ranking method is proposed to find the root ...
Flexor superficialis tendon transfers to the thumb—An alternative to the free tendon graft for treatment of chronic injuries within the digital sheath

Transfer of a flexor digitorum superficialis tendon is an effective procedure in restoring active flexion of the thumb following old lacerations or ruptures of the flexor pollicis longus tendon within the digital sheath when tendon repair or advancement is not possible. The ample length of the transferred tendon and, more importantly, its normal excursion make it the preferred procedure to the alternative tendon graft. The operation is usually carried out as a one-stage procedure, but, if there is severe scarring, it can follow the preliminary insertion of a silicone rod. For 23 patients, the operation was performed in a single stage in 18 and in 5 after insertion of a silicone rod. Postoperative mobility of the interphalangeal joint averaged 53.5°. Mobility of the donor ring finger was complete in all patients.
UBAP1: A New ESCRT Member Joins the cl_Ub

The ESCRTs play multiple roles within the cell, including degradation of ubiquitinated membrane proteins by sorting them into multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Two recent studies provide structural and functional insights into how the newly identified ESCRT-I component UBAP1 dedicates ESCRT-I function for sorting ubiquitinated proteins at the MVB (Agromayor et al., 2012 [this issue of Structure]; Stefani et al., 2011).
Differential responses of brain, liver, and muscle glycogen to opiates and surgical stress

We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula implantation followed by the administration of morphine sulfate (MOR) and its metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G), on the glycogen content of the brain, liver, and muscle. ICV cannulation resulted in nearly a 30% reduction in brain glycogen, and ICV MOR resulted in a 36% reduction in liver glycogen content compared to timematched controls, but it had no additional effect on either the brain or muscle glycogen content. ICV M6G showed a more significant reduction, to 50% of liver glycogen, but it had no effect on either brain or muscle glycogen. Neither IV MOR nor M6G produced any significant alteration in tissue glycogen content. These results indicate that the stress response associated with neurosurgery, especially the placement of the ICV cannula, is associated with a decrement in brain glycogen. The activation of opioid receptors in the brain results in enhanced hepatic glycogenolysis but has no additional effect on the brain glycogen content.
Selection processes in living systems: role in cognitive construction and recovery from brain damage.

The most fundamental assumptions on which this paper is based are the importance of the concept of organization and the need to seek reasons for instances of organization while avoiding accidental, implicit appeals to homunculi. In the manner of Ashby, Campbell, and other general systems theorists, the concept of selection is seen as the only alternative, a way of explaining the behavior of complex systems whose properties are manifest only when their parts interact without seeking these properties, homunculi, self-contained in the parts. As every new adaptation of a living system obviously does not wait to evolve anew from a primordial substrate, we may think of these systems as having developed an internal ecology of vicarious selectors within which new adaptations can be worked out, remote from environmental exigencies. There are both logical and empirical reasons for supposing that these structures, the determinants of varied adaptive behaviors, show self-maintenance properties involving functional autonomy and spontaneous activity. In individual organisms they range from very global, motivational and emotional programs, operating mainly via elicitation of behavioral tendencies and selection by reinforcement of behaviors, to well articulated skills suited to very specific stimulus inputs. It is proposed that these considerations are relevant to the understanding of stimulus seeking, including humor, imprinting, and the similarities between perception and thinking. The phenomenon of recovery from brain damage is then discussed at some length. It is reasoned that evolution of the brain, ongoing maintenance of order in the brain, and recovery must depend on selection processes rather than on homunculi and that the concept of functional projection provides a more explicit, useful alternative to those of localization, redundancy, and distribution of function in the brain.
Effects of chlordiazepoxide on the acquisition of avoidance learning and its transfer to the normal state and other drug conditions

Rats trained after injection of chlordiazepoxide (CDP), 15 mg/kg, acquired the conditioned avoidance response significantly faster than saline controls. When tested in the undrugged state, CDP trained animals showed virtually no retention of the learned response. Conversely, normally trained rats showed a significant decrement in performance with CDP, whether or not they had received a series of CDP injections following the period of training. CDP trained animals performed much worse than controls on tests with chlorpromazine and amphetamine, despite continued perfect performance on intercurrent CDP tests. Both the rapid learning and the “dissociation” of learning are discussed with reference to the diminution by drug of the spectrum of behavioral responses to novel stimuli, as well as the elimination of the electrical response of hippocampus which normally accompanies these responses to novelty.
The Advancement Value Chain: An Exploratory Model

Since the introduction of the value chain concept in 1985, several varying, yet virtually similar, value chains have been developed for the business enterprise. Shifting to higher education, can a value chain be found that links together the various activities of advancement so that an institution's leaders can actually look at the philanthropic implication of various managerial and policy decisions in a rigorous way?
Sp1-mediated Transcriptional Activation from the Dominant Promoter of the Rat α1B Adrenergic Receptor Gene in DDT1MF-2 Cells

In the rat liver, NF1 and CP1 bind to the major P2 promoter of the α1B adrenergic receptor gene to generate footprint II. Here we show that, in DDT1MF-2 smooth muscle cells, the major protein bound to footprint II is not NF1 but Sp1, which binds to the 5′-portion of the footprint II sequence (footprint IIb). Mutational analyses demonstrate that the CCCGCG sequence in footprint IIb is critical for Sp1 binding and P2 promoter activity. A second GC box in the P2 promoter also binds the Sp1 protein and contributes to the P2 promoter activity. Gel shift assays indicate that footprint II can bind Sp1, NF1, and CP1, and that the binding of these 3 proteins is mutually exclusive. This is also indicated by the results of functional cotransfection experiments, where transient overexpression of NF1 and Sp1 together caused a similar increase in the activity of a P2/CAT reporter construct as overexpression of either Sp1 or NF1 alone, indicating lack of additivity. The preferential interaction of footprint II with Sp1 in DDT1MF-2 cells and NF1 in liver appears to be due to low levels of NF1 expression in DDT1MF-2 cells and low levels of Sp1 in liver. These observations suggest that NF1 and Sp1 are the major transcription factors involved in controlling the P2 promoter in liverversus DDT1MF-2 cells, respectively, which may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the complex tissue-specific regulation of the expression of the α1B adrenergic receptor gene.
NIRS Brain Studies with a New Hemodynamic Model: Coherent Hemodynamics Spectroscopy and Functional Neuroimaging

A new hemodynamic model relates tissue hemoglobin concentration to blood volume, flow, and oxygen consumption. It affords a quantitative analysis of hemodynamic oscillations (Coherent Hemodynamics Spectroscopy) and transients in neuroimaging.
The Changing Roles of House Party Leadership Organizations: The House Republican Policy Committee

More than 100 members in each of the two House party caucuses participate in the parties’ formal organizations—the extended party leadership. What purposes do these institutional components of the parties serve, and how and why have they changed over the last three decades? This article begins to answer these questions through a case study of the Republican Policy Committee based on primary documents as well as quantitative analysis. I show that the Republican leadership has used the committee for participation, coordination, and communication functions within the Conference, but that the roles of the committee have changed substantially in response to strengthening party government conditions, GOP majority status, heightened competition for control of the House, and the individual goals of key Republican leaders. Among other changes, the committee became more important for coordinating policy positions and strategy during the 1980s, but the strong, centralized majority leadership in the 1990s diminished ...
Static control-flow analysis for reverse engineering of UML sequence diagrams

UML sequence diagrams are commonly used to represent the interactions among collaborating objects. Reverse-engineered sequence diagrams are constructed from existing code, and have a variety of uses in software development, maintenance, and testing. In static analysis for such reverse engineering, an open question is how to represent the intraprocedural flow of control from the code using the control-flow primitives of UML 2.0. We propose simple UML extensions that are necessary to capture general flow of control. The paper describes an algorithm for mapping a reducible exception-free intraprocedural control-flow graph to UML, using the proposed extensions. We also investigate the inherent tradeoffs of different problem solutions, and discuss their implications for reverse-engineering tools. This work is a substantial step towards providing high-quality tool support for effective and efficient reverse engineering of UML sequence diagrams.
Nuclear Roles in the Post‐Conjugant Development of the Ciliate Euplotes aediculatus II. Experimentally Induced Regeneration of Old Macronuclear Fragments1

Following conjugation in ciliates, the usual fate of the old pre-conjugant macronucleus is resorption. In some species, however, old macronuclei, or their fragments, have the ability to reform functional vegetative macronuclei when new macronuclear anlagen are defective. The present work on Euplotes shows that if anlagen are allowed to carry out their essential roles in early exconjugant development, including influence on cortical reorganization such that feeding can resume, they can then be permanently damaged by UV-microbeam irradiation and regeneration of old macronuclear fragments can occur. E. aediculatus exconjugants were anlage-irradiated at 40–60 hr of development and the irradiated cells cultured individually and fed. Squashes revealed enlargement and anteriorward migration of the persistent (posterior) macronuclear fragments. The first post-conjugant fission of such cells was delayed (times ranged 6–43 days) and did not seem to involve the damaged anlagen, which remained rudimentary, did not divide along with the cells, and were subsequently resorbed. It appeared that cell fission was supported by the fragments of the old macronuclei, which either divided or partitioned themselves between the two daughter cells. Mating tests performed on early clones derived from irradiated exconjugants revealed ample conjugation competence; intraclonal conjugation in such clones was also apparent. The absence of the immature period seen in normal exconjugants provides further evidence that the clones arose from cells with regenerated macronuclei.
A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE EN BLOC BLADDER CUFF AND DISTAL URETER DURING LAPAROSCOPIC NEPHROURETERECTOMY

AbstractPurpose: The optimal technique of excising the juxtavesical ureter and bladder cuff during laparoscopic nephroureterectomy is still evolving. We report on a novel transvesical needlescopic (2 mm. instrumentation) assisted technique of en bloc retrieval of the juxtavesical ureter and bladder cuff during laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract transitional cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was performed in 8 patients using this technique. Two needlescopic ports (2 mm.) inserted suprapubically into the bladder were used in combination with a cystoscopically positioned Collins knife.Results: Satisfactory circumferential detachment of the bladder cuff and en bloc mobilization of 3 to 4 cm. of the intact pelvic extravesical ureter were achieved transvesically in each case in a manner comparable to open surgery.Conclusions: This technique simulates established open surgical principles of treating the distal ureter during laparoscopic nep...
Matriarchy and Lower Class Negro Male Delinquency

Despite fairly wide speculation, the issue of matriarchy and delinquency among lower-class Negro males has failed to generate significant empirical research. In an attempt to fill this gap, the factors of absent father, sex of main wage earner, main decision-making and most influential adult were investigated for the households of 921 Negro males, ages 13-15, who resided in a lower-class Negro high-delinquent area. Even though some significant differences were found for the total sample, not a single variable proved to be a major factor (as measured by Goodman and Kruskal's Tau-b). The suggestion is made that the factor of matriarchy may be only one of numerous “original causes” which “push” a lower-class Negro male into delinquency, thus accounting for the small association for matriarchy and delinquency.
How I Manage the Multiple-Ligament Injured (Dislocated) Knee

The multiple ligament injured knee, or the dislocated knee remains a challenge for any orthopedic surgeon because of the high risk of associated neurovascular injury and potential devastating consequences including loss of limb. Although there are several principles that guide management, optimal treatment strategies remain controversial. Each individual patient and each knee injury is unique; therefore, it is very difficult to perform evidenced-based research because in this heterogeneous patient population. Surgical decision making is influenced by the specific knee injury pattern, but also by the associated polytrauma that these patients sustain from high-energy motor vehicle or motorcycle collisions. Our approach to the dislocated knee is based upon the responses to numerous questions. This review will shed some light on the questions we ask and how treatment decisions are made.
Regularizing translation models for better automatic image annotation

The goal of automatic image annotation is to automatically generate annotations for images to describe their content. In the past, statistical machine translation models have been successfully applied to automatic image annotation task [8]. It views the process of annotating images as a process of translating the content from a 'visual language' to textual words. One problem with the existing translation models is that common words are usually associated with too many different image regions. As a result, uncommon words have little chance to be used for annotating images. Uncommon words are important for automatic image annotation because they are often used in the queries. In this paper, we propose two modified translation models for automatic image annotation, namely the normalized translation model and the regularized translation model, that specifically address the problem of common annotated words. The basic idea is to raise the number of blobs that are associated with uncommon words. The normalized translation model realizes this by scaling translation probabilities of different words with different factors. The same goal is achieved in the regularized translation model through the introduction of a special Dirichlet prior. Empirical study with the Corel dataset has shown that both two modified translation models outperform the original translation model and several existing approaches for automatic image annotation substantially.
Testosterone and breast cancer prevention

a b s t r a c t Testosterone (T) is the most abundant biologically active hormone in women. Androgen receptors (AR) are located throughout the body including the breast where T decreases tissue proliferation. However, T can be aromatized to estradiol (E2), which increases proliferation and hence, breast cancer (BCA) risk. Increased aromatase expression and an imbalance in the ratio of stimulatory estrogens to protective androgens impacts breast homeostasis. Recent clinical data supports a role for T in BCA prevention. Women with symptoms of hormone deficiency treated with pharmacological doses of T alone or in combination with anastrozole (A), delivered by subcutaneous implants, had a reduced incidence of BCA. In addition, T combined with A effectively treated symptoms of hormone deficiency in BCA survivors and was not associated with recurrent disease. Most notably, T + A implants placed in breast tissue surrounding malignant tumors significantly reduced BCA tumor size, further supporting T direct antiproliferative, protective and therapeutic effect. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Thermal distortion of diffraction-limited optical elements.

Recent developments of laser materials have advanced the state of the art to a point where the optical quality of many of these materials is approaching the diffraction limit. Using such components in a laser does not necessarily guarantee the generation of diffraction-limited laser beams. One of the severe problems is thermal distortion introduced in the optical cavity by the flash lamps. Ruby and glass lasers require a minimum of 0.6 J of heat deposition per joule of population inversion. Typical figures are 4–6 J per joule of population inversion.1 Nonuniformities in the deposition of this heat cause optical distortions which virtually preclude diffraction-limited laser operation even if the materials themselves are of diffraction-limited optical quality. This paper will investigate these thermal effects in detail, and the relative sensitivity of a variety of materials to nonuniform energy depositions will be discussed. Water close to its point of maximum density and a certain special type of glass known as Pockels glass will be shown to have properties of particular interest for use in diffraction-limited lasers.
Scene inspection using a robotic imaging system

In view of the problems associated with under-machine inspection, there is a need to develop remote diagnostics systems capable of exploring narrow areas, capturing data and images from various modalities, and displaying the results at a remote location thus providing ease of identifying and diagnosing various machine problems. In this paper, we present a diagnostics system that is remotely controlled and can be deployed with a variety of imaging sensors to capture data. The software allows for segmenting the images and to mosaic the data for a thorough inspection.
Integration of MRI in evaluation and ablation of atrial fibrillation

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based approaches are supporting rapid advances in all phases of the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, especially with the use of contrast agents and novel MRI acquisition techniques. In this report, we summarize briefly some recent advances in our use of MRI for AF management with special focus on the impact of these findings on the modeling and simulation of AF. We summarize results from two clinical studies, one of patients before radio frequency ablation of atrial fibrillation and one after ablation. In pre-ablation patients, significant extent of enhancements in delayed enhancement MRI of the left atrium is predictive of worsened outcome from ablation. The presumed mechanism is the presence of fibrosis in the posterior wall of the left atrium and supports the known finding that patients in chronic atrial fibrillation develop elevated levels of fibrosis. The implications of this finding on modeling of atrial electrical activity are that any such models must include both structural and functional fibrosis if they are to reflect realistic conditions.
The child with initially refractory skin infection after renal transplantation

A 7-year-old boy with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease underwent pre-emptive living-related kidney transplantation from his mother. Initial immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporin, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone. Ten weeks after transplantation he experienced steroid resistant rejection (Banff Grade II) and cyclosporin was switched to tacrolimus. Renal function subsequently normalized and plasma creatinine has been stable at between 60 and 78 mmolul for the following 3 years. No side effects to tacrolimus were noted at a dose of 10 mguday with subsequent whole blood trough levels between 7.3 and 11.0 mgul. MMF was administered at a dose of 800 muday (two-thirds of the recommended dose due to altered metabolism with concurrent tacrolimus treatment). Prednisone was given at a dose of 5 mg on alternate days. At the age of 10 years the patient developed a few lesions of molluscum contagiosum (MC) on the trunk. Over a period of a few weeks the number of lesions increased dramatically (Figure 1) and extended over the anterior and posterior trunk as well as the extremities, embarrassing the patient and his parents. Intensive local treatment was initiated: cryotherapy was tried for a short time, but was abandoned as lesions recurred immediately after treatment. Topical treatment with silver nitrate also failed (Figure 2). A slow reduction of tacrolimus dosage aiming at trough levels of 5 mgul was tried and cryotherapy was restarted. Again there was no improvement. In addition to MC, two episodes of communityacquired pneumonia occurred 3 and 6 months after MC had developed and were successfully treated with a 10-day course of oral amoxicillin. After the second pulmonary infection it was decided to discontinue MMF and start azathioprine at a dose of 1 mgukg while tacrolimus and prednisone dosage were not changed. FACS scan demonstrated normal lymphocyte subsets levels at this stage and serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, and IgM) were normal. The effect was impressive: MC lesions decreased dramatically within 1 week after this second change of immunosuppression with continued cryotherapy. The skin lesions improved rapidly and disappeared after
Comparison of Apolipoprotein-B/Apolipoprotein-AI in Subjects With Versus Without the Metabolic Syndrome

Recent studies have suggested that the apolipoprotein-B (apo-B)/apolipoprotein-AI (apo-AI) ratio predicts cardiovascular risk better than any of the cholesterol indexes. The aim of the present study was to assess if the apo-B/apo-AI ratio is related to the metabolic syndrome and its components. Data were analyzed from 2,964 subjects (mean age 48 years; 1,516 men, 1,448 women) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III with apolipoprotein data who were evaluated for the metabolic syndrome and its components. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the International Diabetes Federation. The mean values of the apo-B/apo-AI ratio in subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome were compared. Overall, the median distribution of the apo-B/apo-AI ratio was significantly greater (p <0.0001) in subjects with the Adult Treatment Panel III metabolic syndrome (0.90) than without (0.69). The apo-B/apo-AI ratio was associated significantly with each of the metabolic syndrome components, in descending order of magnitude: low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] 5.7), high triglycerides (OR 4.7), high waist circumference (OR 2.6), high fasting glucose (OR 1.9), and high blood pressure (OR 1.5). The apo-B/apo-AI ratio was also different between subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome. Mean values of apo-B/apo-AI increased significantly as the numbers of metabolic syndrome components increased in men (p <0.0001) and women (p <0.0001). After excluding high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides as criteria for the metabolic syndrome, the association between means persisted (analysis of variance p <0.0001) in men and women. Apo-B/apo-AI was significantly associated with the presence of the metabolic syndrome (OR 5.1, p <0.0001). In conclusion, the apo-B/apo-AI ratio is strongly associated with the presence of individual metabolic syndrome components, with the metabolic syndrome itself, and with insulin resistance. An elevated apo-B/apo-AI ratio may constitute an important feature of the metabolic syndrome and may provide an additional mechanism to explain the increased cardiovascular risk in subjects with this syndrome.
Near Shannon Limit and Low Peak to Average Power Ratio Turbo Block Coded OFDM

In this paper, we present an advanced solution for the long standing problem of large peak to average power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Although the design of low PAPR codewords has been extensively studied and the existence of asymptotically good codes with low PAPR is also proven, still no code has been constructed to satisfy all requirements. The main goal of the paper is to develop a coding scheme that not only generates low PAPR codewords, but it also performs relatively close to the Shannon limit. We achieve this goal by implementing a time-frequency turbo block coded OFDM. In this scheme, we design the frequency domain component to have a tightly bounded PAPR. The time domain component code is designed to obtain good performance while the decoding algorithm has reasonable complexity. Through comparative performance evaluation we show that utilizing the proposed method, we achieve considerable improvement in terms of PAPR while we slightly loose the performance compared to capacity achieving codes with similar overall block length.
Upregulation of Inflammatory Mediators in End-Stage Renal Disease as Measured Using Biochip Array Technology:

Systemic vascular changes contribute to both the pathogenesis and thrombotic comorbidities of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aims to profile various biomarkers and better understand their role in the pathogenesis of ESRD. Plasma samples from 49 patients with ESRD and 56 control individuals were analyzed for markers for inflammation, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL); thrombomodulin (TM); neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and thrombosis-D-dimer (DD). Compared to controls, all markers studied showed a statistically significant upregulation in patients with ESRD. These results indicate a polypathologic process in patients with ESRD, leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. However, the clinical significance of previously untested markers, such as TNFR1, NGAL, and NSE, still needs to be further explored. This study further validates the role of endothelial damage and endogenous thrombotic processes in ESRD as evidenced by the increased levels of TM and DD.
Comparison of Heat Transfer From Staggered Pin Fin Arrays With Circular, Cubic and Diamond Shaped Elements

This study investigates the effects of pin shape of staggered arrays on heat transfer enhancement. Three different pins: circular, cubic, and diamond, are studied. The arrays consists of twelve rows of five columns with geometry configuration of ST /D = 2.5 and SL /D = 2.5, H/D = 1. Tests were conducted at Reynolds number between 12,000 and 19,000. The heat transfer measurement uses a liquid crystal imaging technique combined with a one-dimensional, transient conduction model and a lumped heat-capacitance model. The results reveal that the heat transfer from the cubic pin arrays and diamond pin arrays is higher than that from the circular pin arrays at the same Reynolds number. However, the circular pin arrays provide the lowest pressure loss among the three arrays. Considering the trade-offs between heat transfer and pumping power, the circular pin arrays may still be the better choice as a heat exchanger.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Effect of raw material source, processing systems, and processing temperatures on amino acid digestibility of meat and bone meals

Experiments were conducted to evaluate amino acid digestibility of 32 commercial meat and bone meals (MBM) varying in raw material source and produced in seven different commercial cooking systems and at two processing temperatures (low vs high) that differed by 15 to 20 C. Raw material sources included all beef, all pork, mixed species, and high bone MBM. True digestibilities of amino acids were determined using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. Protein efficiency ratio (PER) of six MBM varying greatly in amino acid digestibility was determined with chicks fed 10% CP diets containing a MBM as the sole source of dietary protein. The 32 MBM samples averaged 53.2% CP, 2.73% Lys, 0.6% Cys, and 0.75% Met on a DM basis. True digestibility averaged 82% for Lys, 87% for Met, and 47% for Cys. True digestibilities of amino acids varied substantially among processing systems and temperatures, particularly for Lys and Cys. For example, Lys and Cys digestibility ranged from 68 to 92% and from 20 to 71%, respectively, among different MBM. The higher processing temperature generally yielded lower amino acid digestibility than did the low processing temperature. A smaller, less consistent, effect was observed for raw material source. The PER values of the six selected MBM varied from 0.97 to 2.68 and were highly correlated with amino acid digestibility. These results indicated that very high amino acid digestibility MBM can be produced in commercial rendering systems. However, differences in processing systems and temperatures can cause substantial variability in amino acid digestibilities.
Attenuation of the Jasmonate Burst, Plant Defensive Traits, and Resistance to Specialist Monarch Caterpillars on Shaded Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Plant responses to herbivory and light competition are often in opposing directions, posing a potential conflict for plants experiencing both stresses. For sun-adapted species, growing in shade typically makes plants more constitutively susceptible to herbivores via reduced structural and chemical resistance traits. Nonetheless, the impact of light environment on induced resistance has been less well-studied, especially in field experiments that link physiological mechanisms to ecological outcomes. Accordingly, we studied induced resistance of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca, a sun-adapted plant), and linked hormonal responses, resistance traits, and performance of specialist monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) in varying light environments. In natural populations, plants growing under forest-edge shade showed reduced levels of resistance traits (lower leaf toughness, cardenolides, and trichomes) and enhanced light-capture traits (higher specific leaf area, larger leaves, and lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) compared to paired plants in full sun. In a field experiment repeated over two years, only milkweeds growing in full sun exhibited induced resistance to monarchs, whereas plants growing in shade were constitutively more susceptible and did not induce resistance. In a more controlled field experiment, plant hormones were higher in the sun (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, indole acidic acid) and were induced by herbivory (jasmonic acid and abscisic acid). In particular, the jasmonate burst following herbivory was halved in plants raised in shaded habitats, and this correspondingly reduced latex induction (but not cardenolide induction). Thus, we provide a mechanistic basis for the attenuation of induced plant resistance in low resource environments. Additionally, there appears to be specificity in these interactions, with light-mediated impacts on jasmonate-induction being stronger for latex exudation than cardenolides.
Privacy wizards for social networking sites

Privacy is an enormous problem in online social networking sites. While sites such as Facebook allow users fine-grained control over who can see their profiles, it is difficult for average users to specify this kind of detailed policy.In this paper, we propose a template for the design of a social networking privacy wizard. The intuition for the design comes from the observation that real users conceive their privacy preferences (which friends should be able to see which information) based on an implicit set of rules. Thus, with a limited amount of user input, it is usually possible to build a machine learning model that concisely describes a particular user's preferences, and then use this model to configure the user's privacy settings automatically.As an instance of this general framework, we have built a wizard based on an active learning paradigm called uncertainty sampling. The wizard iteratively asks the user to assign privacy "labels" to selected ("informative") friends, and it uses this input to construct a classifier, which can in turn be used to automatically assign privileges to the rest of the user's (unlabeled) friends.To evaluate our approach, we collected detailed privacy preference data from 45 real Facebook users. Our study revealed two important things. First, real users tend to conceive their privacy preferences in terms of communities, which can easily be extracted from a social network graph using existing techniques. Second, our active learning wizard, using communities as features, is able to recommend high-accuracy privacy settings using less user input than existing policy-specification tools.
Reducing the rate of catheter-associated bloodstream infections in a surgical intensive care unit using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement central line bundle

Abstract Background Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. This study sought to determine whether implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Central Line Bundle would reduce the incidence of CLABSIs. Methods The IHI Central Line Bundle was implemented in a surgical intensive care unit. Patient demographics and the rate of CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter days were compared between the pre- and postintervention groups. Contemporaneous infection rates in an adjacent ICU were measured. Results Baseline demographics were similar between the pre- and postintervention groups. The rate of CLABSIs per catheter days decreased from 19/3,784 to 3/1,870 after implementation of the IHI Bundle (1.60 vs 5.02 CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter days; rate ratio .32 [.08 to .99, P Conclusions Implementation of the IHI Central Line Bundle reduced the incidence of CLABSIs in our SICU by 68%, preventing 12 CLABSIs, 2.5 deaths, and saving $198,600 annually.
Feasibility of mapping the tissue mass corrected bioscale of cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption using 17-oxygen and 23-sodium MR imaging in a human brain at 9.4 T

The reduction of molecular oxygen to water is the final step of oxidative phosphorylation that couples adenosine triphosphate production to the reoxidation of reducing equivalents formed during the oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide. This coupling makes the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO(2)) an excellent reflection of the metabolic health of the brain. A multi-nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) imaging based method for CMRO(2) mapping is proposed. Oxygen consumption is determined by applying a new three-phase metabolic model for water generation and clearance to the changing 17-oxygen ((17)O) labeled water MR signal measured using quantitative (17)O MR imaging during inhalation of (17)O-enriched oxygen gas. These CMRO(2) data are corrected for the regional brain tissue mass computed from quantitative 23-sodium MR imaging of endogenous tissue sodium ions to derive quantitative results of oxygen consumption in micromoles O(2)/g tissue/minute that agree with literature results reported from positron emission tomography. The proposed technique is demonstrated in the human brain using a 9.4 T MR scanner optimized for human brain imaging.
Analysis of Hemicentin-1, hOgg1, and E-selectin single nucleotide polymorphisms in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common disease in which both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. Various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been correlated, through candidate gene association studies, with age-related diseases, including AMD. Recently we identified an association between AMD and two SNPs in CX3CR1, which encodes a chemokine receptor. This study investigates the Hemicentin-1 (an extracellular matrix protein) Q5345R, hOgg1 (DNA repair gene) S326C, and E-selectin (an adhesion molecule) S149R SNPs in association with AMD. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 89 patients with advanced AMD, 97 age-matched controls without clinical AMD, and 170 random unscreened healthy volunteers. DNA was subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification coupled with the restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Results: The distribution of the Hemicentin-1 Q5345R, hOgg1 S326C, and E-selectin S149R SNPs did not differ significantly (all P values > .05) between the AMD patients and controls. Hemincentin-1 5345R was not found in any subject. hOgg1 326C allele frequency was 21.35% (38 of 178) in the AMD group compared with 19.12% (65 of 340) in the random controls and 19.59% (38 of 194) in the age-matched controls. E-selectin 149R allele frequencies were 8.99% (16 of 178) in AMD cases, 9.41% (32 of 340) in random controls, and 10.82% (21 of 194) in age-matched controls. Conclusions: We were not able to demonstrate an association between the Hemicentin-1, hOgg1, and E-selectin SNPs and AMD development in the currently available cases and controls. Further candidate genes, particularly those involved in extracellular matrix, oxidative stress, and immune system functions, are currently being screened in our laboratory.
Improving the quality of survey research

Abstract Lately, survey research, or more specifically the quality of survey research, has become a topic of great interest. Draugalis et al. 1 published a seminal article on the topic, describing both the less-than-desirable current state of research and proposed methods and tools to improve the quality of survey research. Although many of their findings and suggestions are intended for use in educational research and publication in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, the majority of the shortcomings cited, and their ideas, suggestions, and proposals for improvement, are almost universally applicable.