cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalable video transmission over Rayleigh fading channels using LDPC codes

ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate an important problem of eciently utilizing the available resources for video trans-mission over wireless channels while maintaining a good decoded video quality and resilience to channel impair-ments. Our system consists of the video codec based on 3 -D set partitioning in hierarchical trees (3-D SPIHT)algorithm and employs two dierent schemes using low -density parity check (LDPC) codes for channel errorprotection. The rst method uses the serial concatenation of the constant-rate LDPC code and rate-compatiblepunctured convolutional (RCPC) codes. Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is used to detect transmission errors.In the other scheme, we use the product code structure consisting of a constant rate LDPC/CRC code across therows of the blocks of source data and an erasure-correction systematic Reed-Solomon (RS) code as the columncode. In both the schemes introduced here, we use xed-length source packets protected with unequal forwarderror correction coding ensuring a st rictly decreasing protect ion across the bitstream. A Rayleigh at-fadingchannel with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is modeled for the transmission.The rate-distortion optimization algorithm is developed and carried out for the selection of source codingand channel coding rates using Lagrangian optimization. The experimental results demonstrate the eect ivenessof this system under dierent wireless channel conditions and both the proposed methods (LDPC+RCPC/CRCand RS+LDPC/CRC) outperform the more conventional schemes such as those employing RCPC/CRC.Keywords: 3-D SPIHT, LDPC Codes, RS Codes, RCPC Codes, Product Code Structure, Unequal ErrorProtection, Wireless Video Transmission, Rate-Distortion Optimization
Identification of a monoclonal thrombin inhibitor associated with multiple myeloma and a severe bleeding disorder

We investigated a patient with a long-standing IgGkappa monoclonal gammopathy who developed severe haemorrhagic complications. At IgG concentrations of approximately 50g/l the patient had severe bleeding associated with prolongation of the thrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and reptilase time. Plasmapheresis resulted in improvement in the thrombin time and resolution of bleeding. Depletion of the IgG by absorption of plasma with protein G-Sepharose in vitro resulted in normalization of the thrombin time and reptilase time. The purified IgG bound to immobilized thrombin and immunoprecipitated human alpha-, beta- and gamma-thrombin but not prothrombin, other vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors, or fibrinogen. Purified IgG at concentrations >1 x 10(-2) g/l decreased (approximately 50%) the rate of hydrolysis of a chromogenic substrate by thrombin. Addition of purified IgG to normal pooled plasma at concentrations >1 x 10(-2) g/l prolonged the thrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, but the reptilase time was prolonged only at IgG concentrations >1 g/l. This finding suggests that at low concentrations the IgG produces a specific antithrombin effect, but at higher concentrations it also affects fibrin polymerization; the combination of these effects probably produced clinical bleeding. This is the first report of a monoclonal antithrombin antibody associated with bleeding in a patient with multiple myeloma.
The Microphysical Structure and Evolution of Hawaiian Rainband Clouds. Part II: Aircraft Measurements within Rainbands Containing High Reflectivity Cores

Abstract The microphysical structure of high reflectivity cores and surrounding weaker echo regions in Hawaiian rainbands is documented using aircraft data. These data show that high reflectivity cores are associated with giant raindrops (D > 4 mm) present in narrow (∼500 m wide) columns coincident with the core updraft. Updrafts were found to be strong enough to suspend 1–2-mm raindrops near cloud top. As these raindrops subsequently fall through the updraft core, they are exposed to high liquid water content, allowing them to grow to large sizes, provided that updrafts are not significantly sheared. The data indicate that size sorting due to differential terminal velocities of the larger and smaller raindrops occurs initially in the updraft. As a result, the larger raindrops fall through an environment in which there is a low concentration of smaller raindrops, decreasing the probability of breakup. Calculations of raindrop growth rates and breakup probabilities are used to demonstrate that high reflect...
Inhibition by estrogen of autofeedback regulation of prolactin secretion.

Abstract The effect of estradiol-17β (E 2 ) on autofeedback regulation of prolactin (PRL) secretion was tested in ovariectomized rats after s.c. implantation of an (E 2 )-containing or empty silastic capsule, followed by i.v. injection of bovine PRL (b-PRL) or bovine serum albumin (BSA; 500 μg/100 g B.W.). Implantation of an E 2 capsule (day 0), 2.5 mm or 5.0 mm in length, produced plasma E 2 concentrations of 79±6 (9) and 140±8 pg/ml (8), respectively. Assay of PRL in plasma samples collected at 1 h intervals between 1100–1800 h on days 3, 4 and 5, after E 2 capsule implantation showed a daily afternoon PRL surge. Empty capsule-treated rats did not show any afternoon PRL surge. Injection of b-PRL, but not BSA, at 1200 h on day 3 reduced basal PRL release both on days 3 and 4 in empty capsule-treated rats. In ovariectomized rats treated with a smaller E 2 capsule (2.5 mm), b-PRL injection at 1200 h on day 3 reduced the amplitude of the afternoon surge of PRL and the total amount of PRL released on day 4. b-PRL, however, was ineffective in reducing PRL release in rats bearing the large E 2 capsule (5.0 mm). These results suggest that high E 2 levels in the blood can block the negative feedback action of PRL on PRL release.
Enzyme-Catalyzed Transfer of a Ketone Group from an S-Adenosylmethionine Analogue: A Tool for the Functional Analysis of Methyltransferases

S-Adenosylmethionine (AdoMet or SAM)-dependent methyltransferases belong to a large and diverse family of group-transfer enzymes that perform vital biological functions on a host of substrates. Despite the progress in genomics, structural proteomics, and computational biology, functional annotation of methyltransferases remains a challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis and activity of a new AdoMet analogue functionalized with a ketone group. Using catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT, EC 2.1.1.6) and thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT, EC 2.1.1.67) as model enzymes, this robust and readily accessible analogue displays kinetic parameters that are comparable to AdoMet and exhibits multiple turnovers with enzyme. More importantly, this AdoMet surrogate displays the same substrate specificity as the natural methyl donor. Incorporation of the ketone group allows for subsequent modification via bio-orthogonal labeling strategies and sensitive detection of the tagged ketone products. Hence, this AdoMet analog...
Immunocytochemical localization of estrogen receptors in the normal male and female canine urinary tract and prostate

We have used the monoclonal estrogen receptor (ER) antibody H222Spγ to localize ER by immunocytochemistry in frozen sections of the normal canine urinary tract of both sexes and of the normal prostate of the male. Striking regional heterogeneity of ER location was observed. In the urinary tract, specific ER staining was confined to nuclei of the transitional epithelium (mucosa) and subjacent stroma (submucosa) of the prostatic urethra in the male dog and of the proximal urethra in the female dog. In both sexes there was a gradient of ER staining intensity along these urethral segments. In the male, ER staining intensity was highest in the region of the verumontanum. The pattern and intensity of staining were similar in the male prostatic urethra and female proximal urethra, indicating a similar concentration of ER in these tissues, which have the same embryological origin. No specific staining was found in the kidney, ureter, bladder, or distal urethra of either sex. In the normal prostate, specific immun...
Advancing the Future of Patient Safety in Oncology: Implications of Patient Safety Education on Cancer Care Delivery.

Emerging challenges in health care delivery demand systems of clinical practice capable of ensuring safe and reliable patient care. Oncology in particular is recognized for its high degree of complexity and potential for adverse events. New models of student education hold promise for producing a health care workforce armed with skills in patient safety. This training may have a particular impact on risk reduction in cancer care and ultimately improve clinical performance in oncology. A 1-day student program focused on the principles of patient safety was developed for the third-year medical school class. The core curriculum consisted of an online patient safety module, root cause analyses of actual patient safety events, and simulation scenarios designed to invoke patient safety skills. The program was successfully implemented and received an average of 4.2/5 on evaluations pertaining to its importance and effectiveness. Student surveys demonstrated that 59 % of students were not previously aware of system-based approaches to improving safety, 51 % of students had witnessed or experienced a patient safety issue, while only 10 % reported these events. Students reported feeling more empowered to act on patient safety issues as a result of the program. Educational programs can provide medical students with a foundation for skill development in medical error reduction and help enhance an organization’s culture of safety. This has the potential to reduce adverse events in complex patient care settings such as clinical oncology.
Examining Commuting Patterns: Results from a Journey-to-work Model Disaggregated by Gender and Occupation

Typically, the high level of aggregation in conventional analysis of urban commuting may obscure meaningful differences among groups of commuters. This paper disaggregates US census datasets, taking commuters’ gender and occupation into consideration. Refined measures—jobs/workers ratio, average commuting distance and the number of in- and out-commuters—are introduced through the disaggregate approach and are tested for gender differences. Using US Census Transport Planning Package (CTPP) data for Rochester, MN, this study shows the spatial structure of the labour market among 18 worker groups. The results bear important implications for regional labour market plans considering the spatial mismatch between jobs and housing.
Using Automated Morphometry to Detect Associations Between ERP Latency and Structural Brain MRI in Normal Adults

Despite the clinical significance of event-related potential (ERP) latency abnormalities, little attention has focused on the anatomic substrate of latency variability. Volume conduction models do not identify the anatomy responsible for delayed neural transmission between neural sources. To explore the anatomic substrate of ERP latency variability in normal adults using automated measures derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ERPs were recorded in the visual three-stimulus oddball task in 59 healthy participants. Latencies of the P3a and P3b components were measured at the vertex. Measures of local anatomic size in the brain were estimated from structural MRI, using tissue segmentation and deformation morphometry. A general linear model was fitted relating latency to measures of local anatomic size, covarying for intracranial vault volume. Longer P3b latencies were related to contractions in thalamus extending superiorly into the corpus callosum, white matter (WM) anterior to the central sulcus on the left and right, left temporal WM, the right anterior limb of the internal capsule extending into the lenticular nucleus, and larger cerebrospinal fluid volumes. There was no evidence for a relationship between gray matter (GM) volumes and P3b latency. Longer P3a latencies were related to contractions in left temporal WM, and left parietal GM and WM near the interhemispheric fissure. P3b latency variability is related chiefly to WM, thalamus, and lenticular nucleus, whereas P3a latency variability is not related as strongly to anatomy. These results imply that the WM connectivity between generators influences P3b latency more than the generators themselves do.
Nodal counts and lymph node ratio impact survival after distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

The number of lymph nodes required for accurate staging after distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma is unknown. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify 1,473 patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 1998 to 2010. We evaluated the influence of the total number of lymph nodes examined (NNE) and the lymph node ratio (LNR-positive nodes/total nodes examined) on survival. The median NNE was 8. No nodes were examined in 232 (16 %) of the patients, and 843 (57 %) had 10 NNE (16 vs. 20 months and 13 vs. 19 %, respectively, p 0.1 (17 vs. 6 %, p = 0.002). Patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing distal pancreatectomy should ideally have at least 11 lymph nodes examined to avoid understaging. For node-positive patients, LNR may be a better prognostic indicator than the total number of positive nodes.
Synthesis and stereochemical characterization of a series of five-carbon, acyclic-sugar derivatives of 1,6-dihydro-6-thioxopurine (6-mercaptopurine)☆☆☆

Abstract The four acetylated d -aldose diethyl dithioacetals ( 1a-d ) were treated with bromine to give the corresponding, unstable 1-bromides ( 2a-d ), which were immediately condensed with 6-chloro-9-(chloromercuri)purine ( 3 ) to furnish the respective, protected nucleosides ( 4a-d ). Subsequent treatment with thiourea gave the crystalline 6-mercaptopurine analogs ( 5a-d ) which, upon deacetylation in butylamine-tetrahydrofuran, gave the free, acyclic-sugar nucleosides ( 6a-d )- With the exception of the arabino derivative 4b , the 6-chloropurine derivatives were mixtures of 1′-epimers. Crystallization of the acylated 6-mercaptopurine derivatives afforded single 1′-epimers for 5a-c ; 5d remained an epimeric mixture. A positive Cotton effect for both the ribo and arabino analogs 5a and 5b , and a negative Cotton effect for the xylo derivative 5c , suggested the (1′ R ) configuration for 5a and 5b , and the (1′ S ) configuration for 5c . Proof of the stereochemistry at C-1 (as well as proof of derivatization at N-9 of the purine ring) was afforded by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the arabino derivative 5b , which was demonstrated to have the (1′ R ) configuration. Use of the Generalized Heterocycle Rule also supported the stereochemical attributions at C-1′ for the remaining compounds. The arabino derivative 5b adopts an extended, planar, zigzag conformation of the side chain in solution, as well as in the crystalline state, whereas the ribo ( 5a ) and xylo ( 5c ) derivatives exist in solution as non-extended, sickle conformations; the lyxo analog ( 5a ) was found to be a mixture of 1′-epimers, both of which adopt in solution an extended, planar, zigzag arrangement of the sugar chain.
Lack of distant relationships between lysozyme Ch and hen egg white lysozyme: computer comparison studies

A computer search, made for distant relationships between lysozyme Ch, hen egg white lysozyme, and bacteriophage T4 lysozyme, revealed no unusual similarities in their amino acid sequences. Also, antibodies generated against lysozyme Ch failed to cross react with hen egg white lysozyme and vice versa. These lysozymes most likely represent examples of convergent evolution.
Laparotomy in very small premature infants with necrotizing enterocolitis or focal intestinal perforation: postoperative outcome.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Laparotomy for peritonitis secondary to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or focal intestinal perforation (FIP) has been supplanted by peritoneal drainage (PD) as the initial treatment in many institutions. Although proponents regard it as a safer alternative, early mortality is cited between 21% and 36%, with subsequent laparotomy required for worsening disease in 26% to 83% of patients. The current outcomes for initial laparotomy are analyzed and compared with those cited for PD. Methods: A retrospective review of very small premature infants less than 1,500 g undergoing laparotomy for NEC or FIP between 1994 and 2000 was performed. Results: Thirty-five neonates were identified with a median weight of 741 g (range, 460 g to 1,415 g) and a median age of 26 weeks (range, 23 to 33 weeks). Twelve patients had FIP and 23 had NEC including 5 with pan-intestinal necrosis (PIN). No deaths occurred during laparotomy or stoma closure. Seven (20%) patients died within the immediate 7-day postoperative period. Nine (26%) patients died in the 30-day postoperative period. Conclusions: With current peri-operative management, mortality rates for initial laparotomy and PD are comparable. Assessing the extent of disease and removing necrotic bowel at initial laparotomy can hasten recovery and eventual discharge while enabling informed surgical decision making and advice to parents. J Pediatr Surg 37:1692-1695. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Time-discretization of nonlinear control systems via Taylor methods

Abstract A new discretization method for the calculation of a sampled-data representation of a nonlinear continuous-time system is proposed. It is based upon the well-known Taylor method and the zero-order hold (ZOH) assumption. The mathematical structure of the new discretization scheme is analyzed and characterized as being particularly useful in establishing concrete connections between numerical properties and system-theoretic properties. In particular, the effect of the Taylor discretization procedure on key properties of nonlinear systems, such as equilibrium properties and asymptotic stability, is examined. Within a control context, numerical aspects of Taylor discretization are also discussed, and ‘hybrid’ discretization schemes, that result from a combination of the ‘scaling and squaring’ technique with the Taylor method, are also proposed, especially under conditions of very low sampling rates. Practical issues associated with the selection of the method’s parameters to meet CPU time and accuracy requirements, are examined as well. Finally, the performance of the proposed discretization procedure is evaluated in a chemical reactor example, that exhibits nonlinear behavior and is subject to various sampling rates.
Effects of Selected Marigold Varieties on Root-knot Nematodes and Tomato and Melon Yields

Field experiments were conducted at two sites in California to evaluate the effects of marigold genotypes Tagetes patula var. Single Gold and Tagetes hybrid var. Polynema on Meloidogyne incognita infestation, root-galling, and yields of tomato grown immediately after marigold. Marigold cultivars were compared with a fallow control and with methyl iodide fumigation of soil prior to cultivation of M. incognita-susceptible and M. incognita-resistant tomato. Tomato yields after marigold were ca. 50% higher than after fallow. Marigold Single Gold consistently reduced nematode infestation and galling of tomato roots. Results were not significantly different between methyl iodide fumigation or marigold Single Gold at one site, but methyl iodide outperformed both marigold varieties at the other site. At one site, where melon var. Durango was grown during spring and summer of the year following cultivation of marigolds Single Gold and Polynema, melon yield increases of 95 and 45%, respectively, were still obtained.
Streptococcus equinus septicemia: report of two cases and review of the literature

Two cases of septicemia with Streptococcus equinus, a group D streptococcus, are reported, and the literature pertaining to infections with this organism is reviewed. Both of our patients presented with obvious signs of infection, had S equinus isolated from multiple blood cultures, and had a good clinical response to penicillin therapy, alone or in combination with streptomycin. In vitro testing of the isolates confirmed susceptibility to penicillin. S equinus should now be recognized as a human pathogen as are the other group D streptococci, S bovis and the enterococci.
The disconnection apraxias

Limb apraxia is the loss of the ability to perform voluntary skilled movements, when this loss cannot be attributed to elemental sensorimotor deficits. Successful manual interactions with the objects in the environment require the storage of information about movement parameters. This information is stored in specific cortical modules and the correct performance of a skilled act requires interactions between these modules. Thus, apraxia can occur with degradation of these critical representations or a disconnection between modules. The goal of this paper is to define the different forms of limb apraxia and discuss how apraxia can be induced by both a deterioration of these modules as well as disconnections between these modules that form an anatomically distributed system.
An experimental investigation of endwall heat transfer and aerodynamics in a linear vane cascade

The purpose of this experimental investigation was to produce a data base of endwall heat transfer data under conditions that simulate those in the passage of the first-stage stator in advanced turbine engines. The data base is intended to be sufficiently complete to provide verification data for refined computational models, and to provide a basis for advanced core engine endwall cooling designs. A linear, two-dimensional cascade was used to generate the data base. The test plan provided data to examine the effects of exit Mach number, exit Reynolds number, inlet boundary layer thickness, gas-to-wall temperature ratio, inlet pressure gradients, and inlet temperature gradients. The data generated consist of inlet, intrapassage, and exit aerodynamic data plus intrapassage endwall heat flux, adiabatic wall temperature measurements, and inlet turbulence data.
Cu/Low- $k$ Interconnect Technology Design and Benchmarking for Future Technology Nodes

This paper investigates the performances of conventional Cu/low- k multilevel interconnect networks (MINs) for FinFETs at the 20-, 16-, 14-, 10-, and 7-nm technology nodes corresponding to the even years between 2012 and 2020, respectively. This paper captures the impacts of interconnect variables, such as size effect parameters, barrier/liner bilayer thickness, and aspect ratio on the design and performance of the MIN of a logic core. The number of metal levels for a high-performance chip increases by as large as 34% due to size effects, and this value can go up to 76% considering issues in barrier/liner thickness scaling at the 7-nm technology node. At this node, increasing the aspect ratio of interconnects from two to three can improve wire delay and save two metal levels at the cost of 35% more power dissipation. A ±20% wire-width variation induces wire delay variations of -20% and 44% at minimum-width wires. Designing the MIN considering this variation increases the required wire area by 4% in the worst case.
Introduction: The Scientific Basis for Injury Control

Archie Cochrane was a British epidemiologist whose guiding motto was, All effective health care should be free (1). While there is a spectrum of availability of health care across nations of the world, there is increasing unanimity on the need to base what is done on scientific evidence of effectiveness. This movement to evidence-based medicine has expanded beyond the boundaries of traditional personal health care and now includes efforts in nursing, public health, the social sciences, health policy, and health management. In these fields, application of scarce resources to accomplish the greatest good demands that only effective interventions be implemented. This is certainly true of the field of injury control. The magnitude of the problem is very large, and resources devoted to prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of trauma are scarce. The argument that an intervention is worthwhile if it “can save just one life” is specious. The same resources applied to an effective intervention might save one hundred or one thousand lives. Moreover, the potential to do harm by implementing ineffective interventions is great. For example, the Cambridge-Somerville Project was an ambitious randomized controlled trial to prevent juvenile delinquency, violence, and injury (2). Social workers were assigned to visit families of intervention group participants monthly for a mean of 4.5 years to provide concrete services to high-risk boys and to act as their advocates with schools, courts, and other official agencies. When these boys were followed into adulthood, the rate of crime, violence, and untimely death in the intervention group was found to be higher than that in the control group. In another example, treatment of severe traumatic brain injury has traditionally included control of increased intracranial pressure through hyperventilation. However, when subjected to a randomized controlled trial, hyperventilated patients were found to have worse outcomes than patients not undergoing …
Variance in Bacillus anthracis virulence assessed through Bayesian hierarchical dose–response modelling

Aims: To develop a predictive dose–response model for describing the survival of animals exposed to Bacillus anthracis to support risk management options. Methods and Results: Dose–response curves were generated from a large dose–mortality data set (>11 000 data points) consisting of guinea pigs exposed via the inhalation route to 76 different product preparations of B. anthracis. Because of the predictive nature of the Bayesian hierarchical approach (BHA), this method was used. The utility of this method in planning for a variety of scenarios from best case to worst case was demonstrated. Conclusions: A wide range of expected virulence was observed across products. Median estimates of virulence match well with previously published statistical estimates, but upper bound values of virulence are much greater than previous statistical estimates. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study is the first meta-analysis in open literature to estimate the dose–response relationship for B. anthracis from a very large data set, generally a rare occurrence for highly infectious pathogens. The results are also the first to suggest the extent of variability, which is contributed by product preparation and/or dissemination methods, information needed for health-based risk management decisions in response to a deliberate release. A set of possible benchmark values produced through this analysis can be tied to the risk tolerance of the decision-maker or available intelligence. Further, the substantial size of the data set led to the ability to assess the appropriateness of the assumed distributional form of the prior, a common limitation in Bayesian analysis.
A scalable QoS-aware service aggregation model for peer-to-peer computing grids

Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing grids consist of peer nodes that communicate directly among themselves through wide-area networks and can act as both clients and servers. These systems have drawn much research attention since they promote Internet-scale resource and service sharing without any administration cost or centralized infrastructure support. However aggregating different application services into a high-performance distributed application delivery in such systems is challenging due to the presence of dynamic performance information, arbitrary peer arrivals/departures, and systems' scalability requirement. In this paper we propose a scalable QoS-aware service aggregation model to address the challenges. The model includes two tiers: (1) on-demand service composition tier which is responsible for choosing and composing different application services into a service path satisfying the user's quality requirements; and (2) dynamic peer selection tier, which decides the specific peers where the chosen services are actually instantiated based on the dynamic, composite and distributed performance information. The model is designed and implemented in a fully distributed and self-organizing fashion. Conducting extensive simulations of a large-scale P2P system (10/sup 4/ peers), we show that our proposed model and algorithms achieve better performance than several common heuristic algorithms.
A broad spectral, interdisciplinary investigation of the electromagnetic properties of sea ice

This paper highlights the interrelationship of research completed by a team of investigators and presented in the several individual papers comprising this Special Section on the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Arlington, VA, Sponsored Sea Ice Electromagnetics Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI). The objectives of the initiative were the following: (1) understand the mechanisms and processes that link the morphological and physical properties of sea ice to its electromagnetic (EM) characteristics; (2) develop and verify predictive models for the interaction of visible, infrared, and microwave radiation with sea ice; (3) develop and verify inverse scattering techniques applicable to problems involving the interaction of EM radiation with sea ice. Guiding principles for the program were that all EM data be taken with concurrent physical property data (salinity, density, roughness, etc.) and that broad spectral data be acquired in as nearly a simultaneous fashion as possible. Over 30 investigators participated in laboratory, field, and modeling studies that spanned the EM spectrum from radio to ultraviolet wavelengths. An interdisciplinary approach that brought together sea ice physicists, remote-sensing experts (in fill measurements), and forward and inverse modelers (primarily mathematicians and EM theorists) was a hallmark of the program. Along with describing results from experiments and modeling efforts, possible paradigms for using broad spectral data in developing algorithms for analyzing remote-sensing data in terms of ice concentration, age, type, and possibly thickness are briefly discussed.
Examining a coupled climate model using CFC‐11 as an ocean tracer

Anthropogenic CFC-11 dissolved in seawater is used to analyze ocean ventilation simulated in a global coupled air-sea model. Modeled CFC-11 distributions are compared to observations gathered on three Southern Hemisphere research cruises. The total amount of CFC-11 absorbed by the model's Southern Ocean is realistic, though some notable differences in the vertical structure exist. Observed and simulated CFC-11 distributions are qualitatively consistent with the coupled model's predictions that the ocean may delay greenhouse gas-induced warming of surface air temperatures at high southern latitudes. The sensitivity of model-predicted CFC-11 levels in the deep Southern Ocean to the choice of gas exchange parameterization suggests that quantitative assessments of model performance based upon simulated CFC-11 distributions can be limited by air-sea gas flux uncertainties in areas of rapid ocean ventilation. Such sensitivities can complicate the quantitative aspects of CFC-11 comparisons between models and observations, and between different models.
Satisfaction with current health status in patients with a history of acute coronary syndrome

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe satisfaction with current health status in patients with a recent history of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event and to determine the association between satisfaction and patient-specific variables.Research design and methods: Patients from an ACS registry who were discharged from a university affiliated hospital over a 3-year period were mailed the study questionnaire.Main outcomes measures: Data included demographics, cardiac-specific measures, and general health status (SF-8 PCS, MCS and the EQ-5D VAS) and health status preference weight (EQ-5D Health Index). Satisfaction with current health status was assessed by a single question derived for this study with a 5-point Likert scale from ‘not satisfied at all’ to ‘highly satisfied.’ ANOVA determined the association between levels of satisfaction and health status scores. A multivariate linear regression model determined the association of patient, disease, and treatment variables with satisfaction. Independent variables...
A Theoretical Analysis of the Performance of Learning Disabled Students on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery

Two studies were conducted to (a) analyze the subtest characteristics of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery, and (b) apply those results to an analysis of learning disabled students' performance on the Battery. Analyses indicated that the poorer performance of LD students on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability, as compared to their performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised, can be explained in terms of the kinds of behaviors sampled in the Woodcock-Johnson battery. Implications of the findings for assessment and placement decisions are discussed.
Game theoretical designs of resilient cooperative systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing a resilient cooperative system from the perspective of differential game theory, as the conflict between a defender (i.e., the system's control designer) and any potential attacker. Intuitively, a resilient system is one in which the defender is a superior player to any potential adversary. It is shown that, for cooperative networked systems that have a multi-layer information structure, the defender is superior to the attacker if the defender has a superior information structure in that it has access to more layers of information than those accessible to the attacker. This insight reveals that the networked consensus dynamics can be made resilient against attacks by introducing a hidden-layer network interconnected to the original consensus network but shielded from the attacker. Nash equilibrium and Lyapunov analysis are used to demonstrate resilience under all adversary strategies. Several scenarios are used to illustrate the proposed concepts and designs.
Computational Identification of Post-Translational Modification-Based Nuclear Import Regulations by Characterizing Nuclear Localization Signal-Import Receptor Interaction

The binding affinity between a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and its import receptor is closely related to corresponding nuclear import activity. PTM-based modulation of the NLS binding affinity to the import receptor is one of the most understood mechanisms to regulate nuclear import of proteins. However, identification of such regulation mechanisms is challenging due to the difficulty of assessing the impact of PTM on corresponding nuclear import activities. In this study we proposed NIpredict, an effective algorithm to predict nuclear import activity given its NLS, in which molecular interaction energy components (MIECs) were used to characterize the NLS-import receptor interaction, and the support vector regression machine (SVR) was used to learn the relationship between the characterized NLS-import receptor interaction and the corresponding nuclear import activity. Our experiments showed that nuclear import activity change due to NLS change could be accurately predicted by the NIpredict algorithm. Based on NIpredict, we developed a systematic framework to identify potential PTM-based nuclear import regulations for human and yeast nuclear proteins. Application of this approach has identified the potential nuclear import regulation mechanisms by phosphorylation of two nuclear proteins including SF1 and ORC6. Proteins 2014; 82:2783–2796. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A blackboard-based approach to handwritten ZIP code recognition

A methodology for recognizing ZIP codes (US postal codes) in handwritten addresses is presented that uses many diverse pattern recognition and image processing algorithms. Given a high-resolution image of a handwritten address block, the solution invokes routines capable of hypothesizing the location of the ZIP code, segmenting and recognizing ZIP code digits, locating and recognizing city and state names, and looking up the results in a dictionary. The control structure is not strictly sequential, but rather in the form of a blackboard architecture that opportunistically invokes routines as needed. An implementation of the methodology is described as well as results with a database of grey-level images of handwritten addresses (taken from live mail in a US Postal Service mail processing facility). Future extensions of the approach are discussed. >
Incidence and Predictors of Left Ventricular Thrombus After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Anterior ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background The role of warfarin in anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and dual antiplatelet therapy is unclear. Warfarin may prevent cardioembolic events but significantly increases bleeding in the setting of dual antiplatelet therapy. Hypothesis The incidence of LV thrombus in anterior STEMI patients treated with PCI is low, and clinical predictors might be valuable in determining patients at risk. Methods We performed a retrospective, single-center study of 687 consecutive patients with anterior STEMI treated with PCI from 2006 to 2013. Baseline variables were evaluated in 310 patients at high risk for LV thrombus based on echocardiographic criteria. Patients with definite, probable, and no LV thrombus were compared by ANOVA, χ(2), or t test where appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Results The incidence of LV thrombus was 15% (n = 47 probable/definite thrombus). Cardiac arrest was the only independent characteristic associated with increased risk of LV thrombus (odds ratio [OR]: 4.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-12.7). Trends were observed for a lower risk in cardiogenic shock (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.10-1.05) and aspirin use at baseline (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.17-1.1). Treatment variables associated with LV thrombus included unfractionated heparin use post-PCI (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.16-5.1) and use of balloon angioplasty without stent. Conclusions In contemporary practice with primary PCI, definite LV thrombus following anterior STEMI with LV dysfunction is challenging to predict. Further investigation is needed to determine if there is a subset of patients that should be treated with prophylactic warfarin.
Metric-independent measures for supersymmetric extended object theories on curved backgrounds

a b s t r a c t For Green-Schwarz superstring σ -model on curved backgrounds, we introduce a non-metric measure Φ ≡ � ij �
Perceived stress predicts altered reward and loss feedback processing in medial prefrontal cortex

Stress is a significant risk factor for the development of psychopathology, particularly symptoms related to reward processing. Importantly, individuals display marked variation in how they perceive and cope with stressful events, and such differences are strongly linked to risk for developing psychiatric symptoms following stress exposure. However, many questions remain regarding the neural architecture that underlies inter-subject variability in perceptions of stressors. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) paradigm, we examined the effects of self-reported perceived stress levels on neural activity during reward anticipation and feedback in a sample of healthy individuals. We found that subjects reporting more uncontrollable and overwhelming stressors displayed blunted neural responses in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following feedback related to monetary gains as well monetary losses. This is consistent with preclinical models that implicate the mPFC as a key site of vulnerability to the noxious effects of uncontrollable stressors. Our data help translate these findings to humans, and elucidate some of the neural mechanisms that may underlie stress-linked risk for developing reward-related psychiatric symptoms.
White matter integrity in kleptomania: A pilot study

This study's goal was to examine microstructural organization of frontal white matter in kleptomania. Ten females with DSM-IV kleptomania and 10 female controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Inferior frontal white matter was the a priori region of interest. Trace and fractional anisotropy (FA) were also calculated for frontal and posterior cortical regions in both subject groups. Kleptomania subjects had significantly higher mean frontal Trace, and significantly lower mean frontal FA than control subjects. Group differences remained significant when right and left frontal Trace and FA were analyzed. Groups did not differ significantly in posterior Trace or FA. Kleptomania may be associated with decreased white matter microstructural integrity in inferior frontal brain regions.
Alternate indications for varicocele repair: non-obstructive azoospermia, pain, androgen deficiency and progressive testicular dysfunction

Varicocele repair is indicated for infertile men with clinical varicoceles. Some men with scrotal pain, low testosterone, non-obstructive azoospermia, and who are at risk for testicular dysfunction may also benefit from varicocelectomy.
An Examination of Audit Report Lag for Banks: A Panel Data Approach

This study investigates the determinants of audit report lag (ARL) for a sample of banks. Researchers have been interested in the determinants of ARL, in part, because it impacts the timeliness of public disclosures. However, prior ARL research has relied exclusively on regression analysis of cross‐sectional samples of companies from many industries. In addition to focusing exclusively on banks, panel data analysis is introduced and compared with cross‐sectional analysis to demonstrate its power in dynamic settings and its potential to improve estimation. Results reveal important differences between cross‐sectional analysis and panel data analysis. First, bank size is negatively related to ARL in cross‐section but positively related to ARL using panel data analysis. The cross‐sectional size estimate is subject to omitted variables bias, and furthermore, cross‐sectional analysis fails to capture variation in size over time in relation to ARL. Panel data analysis both accounts for omitted variables and capt...
Transactions data tests of efficiency of the Chicago board options exchange

Abstract This paper performs lower boundary condition tests based on rational pricing of call options and an implied standard deviation test based on the bid/ask prices of options. These efficiency tests attempt to closely approximate conditions in the option markets to avoid the pitfalls indicated by Phillips and Smith (1980). The tests use transactions data and account for the effects of stock and option bid/ask prices, simultaneity of stock and option prices, depth of market, execution lag and transaction costs. The small and relatively infrequent profits due to market mispricing disappear in the lower boundary tests when transaction costs are taken into account. Frequent violations of the tighter boundary conditions in the implied standard deviation test are reported, but the estimated profits cannot be unambiguously attributed to option market inefficiency.
Calcium channel blockade in experimental aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity

Calcium channel blocker therapy has proved protective in certain models of ischemic-induced acute renal failure. This effect may be related to the prevention of calcium influx into injured cells or by the vasodilatory effects of verapamil that may result in an improvement in renal blood flow. In the current study, the effect of verapamil treatment on the development of renal insufficiency and renal tissue calcium accumulation following aminoglycoside administration was investigated. The degree of functional damage and cortical tissue calcium accumulation after six or nine days of gentamicin administration (120 mg/kg body weight/day) was not significantly different in rats whose drinking water contained verapamil (10 mg/100 cc) than corresponding values in control animals. The tissue calcium accumulation correlated with the degree of reduction of creatinine clearance and probably reflects the extent of lethal tubular cell injury.
Immersed-boundary-type models of intravascular platelet aggregation

Abstract The formation of platelet aggregates during blood clotting is modeled on two scales using ideas motivated by Peskin’s immersed boundary method. The microscopic scale models track individual platelets, their mechanical interactions with one another and the surrounding fluid, their detection of and response to chemical activators, and the formation of cohesive and adhesive ‘links’ between platelets and between platelets and the vascular wall. These models allow inclusion of detailed mechanisms of binding–unbinding, platelet stimulus-response, and chemistry on the platelets’ surfaces. The macroscopic scale models treat the same interactions in terms of concentrations of platelets and distributions of cohesive and adhesive links, and can be used to study platelet aggregation in vessels of clinical interest including the coronary and cerebral arteries. In both types of model, the development of platelet aggregates affects the fluid motion only through an evolving fluid force density, and consequently, Cartesian grid methods are effective in solving the model equations.
Real-Time Imaging of Vascular Endothelial-Cadherin During Leukocyte Transmigration Across Endothelium

Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) is a component of the adherens junctions of endothelial cells whose role in endothelial transmigration of leukocytes has been controversial. Using a VE-cadherin/green fluorescent protein fusion construct (VEcadGFP) that mimics the native molecule, we visualized alterations in endothelial junctional structure in real time during transmigration of human neutrophils and monocytes in an in vitro flow model. We observed abundant transmigration occurring exclusively at the cell borders (paracellularly). Surprisingly, transmigration occurred both through de novo formation of transient gaps in VEcadGFP junctional distribution, and also through preexisting gaps. De novo gaps 4–6 μm in size were formed after a leukocyte arrived at a junction, whereas preexisting gaps were present even before the leukocyte had interacted with the endothelial cells contributing to a junction. Gaps rapidly resealed within 5 min after leukocyte transmigration. Migrating leukocytes appeared to push aside VEcadGFP in the plane of the junction, and this displaced material subsequently diffused back to refill the junction. To our knowledge, this is the first example where molecular events at the lateral junction have been tracked in real time during transmigration.
Dense and Symmetric Graph Formulation and Generation for Wireless Information Networks

Dense and symmetric graphs are useful for modeling fast information distribution in wireless information networks. In this paper, we focus on a specific family of dense and symmetric graphs, the Borel Cayley graphs. More specifically, we investigate the various parameters in the original formulation of Borel Cayley graphs defined in the matrix domain. By eliminating redundant parameters, we propose a new and simpler formulation of Borel Cayley graphs. This new formulation is defined in the integer domain and the group operation resembles the generation of pseudorandom numbers, hence the name pseudo-random formulation. Through the establishment of propositions and corollaries, we proved that certain parameters do not affect the diameter under a specific condition. This result provides a guideline in choosing appropriate generators and thus reducing the computation time in the search of "good" or "bad" generators. Using this new formulation, we also show that Borel Cayley graphs are isomorphic to a sub-class of Cayley graphs proposed by Dinneen. Finally, some guidelines for choosing generators to avoid disconnected graphs are also provided.