cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Network inference algorithms elucidate Nrf2 regulation of mouse lung oxidative stress.

A variety of cardiovascular, neurological, and neoplastic conditions have been associated with oxidative stress, i.e., conditions under which levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are elevated over significant periods. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) regulates the transcription of several gene products involved in the protective response to oxidative stress. The transcriptional regulatory and signaling relationships linking gene products involved in the response to oxidative stress are, currently, only partially resolved. Microarray data constitute RNA abundance measures representing gene expression patterns. In some cases, these patterns can identify the molecular interactions of gene products. They can be, in effect, proxies for protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions. Traditional techniques used for clustering coregulated genes on high-throughput gene arrays are rarely capable of distinguishing between direct transcriptional regulatory interactions and indirect ones. In this study, newly developed information-theoretic algorithms that employ the concept of mutual information were used: the Algorithm for the Reconstruction of Accurate Cellular Networks (ARACNE), and Context Likelihood of Relatedness (CLR). These algorithms captured dependencies in the gene expression profiles of the mouse lung, allowing the regulatory effect of Nrf2 in response to oxidative stress to be determined more precisely. In addition, a characterization of promoter sequences of Nrf2 regulatory targets was conducted using a Support Vector Machine classification algorithm to corroborate ARACNE and CLR predictions. Inferred networks were analyzed, compared, and integrated using the Collective Analysis of Biological Interaction Networks (CABIN) plug-in of Cytoscape. Using the two network inference algorithms and one machine learning algorithm, a number of both previously known and novel targets of Nrf2 transcriptional activation were identified. Genes predicted as novel Nrf2 targets include Atf1, Srxn1, Prnp, Sod2, Als2, Nfkbib, and Ppp1r15b. Furthermore, microarray and quantitative RT-PCR experiments following cigarette-smoke-induced oxidative stress in Nrf2+/+ and Nrf2−/− mouse lung affirmed many of the predictions made. Several new potential feed-forward regulatory loops involving Nrf2, Nqo1, Srxn1, Prdx1, Als2, Atf1, Sod1, and Park7 were predicted. This work shows the promise of network inference algorithms operating on high-throughput gene expression data in identifying transcriptional regulatory and other signaling relationships implicated in mammalian disease.
Caring for patients takes time: Dr. Peabody says so!

The emotional exhaustion of present-day physicians and physicians-in-training is well described and of genuine concern. It is assumed, however, that the origin of exhaustion, cynicism, compassion fatigue, and burnout is patient care or “service” burden. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education cautions program directors to limit the number of hours in which resident physicians engage in patient care responsibilities. The guidelines imply that caring for patients is intrinsically burdensome—the notion of service is represented as onerous—as mere labor, not as an act of professionalism in which our efforts are dedicated to the wellbeing of others and a greater good. The guidelines were introduced, quite correctly, when tragic mistakes in patient care and the exploitative practices of some residency programs were recognized. Nevertheless, Dr. Peabody’s remarks in 1927 [1], nearly a century ago, remind us that our aim should not be to limit contact with patients but to provide excellent patient care and to foster great clinical skills in our trainees. Moreover, what if, as Dr. Peabody suggests, by limiting the contact that we have with our patients, we have damaged the deepest source of satisfaction in our work as physicians? Taken one step further, what if the ever-expanding administrative responsibilities associated with clinical care are diminishing time spent with patients as well as contributing to the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of sense of personal achievement of physicians? The time allocated to maintenance of documentation in the electronic medical record, interactions with insurers, and fulfillment of regulatory requirements, among other activities, has grown dramatically over the past decades. A recent RAND study [2] found that physicians experienced many obstacles to providing high-quality care and that these barriers were a major source of dissatisfaction as a professional. Physicians in that study described how the pressure to provide greater quantity of service for a greater number of patients and to engage in extensive administrative activities effectively decreased the time and attention they could spend with each patient, which in turn detracted from the quality of care in some cases. Moreover, limiting hours and contact with patients can set up problems—more mistakes may be precipitated by, for example, multiple hand offs that occur with “shift work” and not really knowing and caring for patients longitudinally, even through a critical episode of illness. A personal sense of fulfillment and integrity is likely compromised when a E. V. Beresin Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Ethnic differences in triglyceride levels and high-density lipoprotein lead to underdiagnosis of the metabolic syndrome in black children and adults.

The metabolic syndrome was designed to identify individuals at high risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Compared with whites, blacks have higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Paradoxically, blacks have a lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. According to the criteria set by National Cholesterol Education Treatment Program–Adult Treatment Panel III, to diagnose the metabolic syndrome, 3 of 5 characteristics must be present. These characteristics are low high-density lipoprotein levels, increased triglyceride levels, central obesity, hypertension, and fasting hyperglycemia. Examining each of these factors individually, blacks are more likely than whites to have obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. In contrast, blacks are less likely than whites to have either elevated triglyceride or low high-density lipoprotein levels. Ethnic differences in lipid levels may largely explain why blacks have a lower than expected prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. In this review we will describe in children and adults ethnic differences in the epidemiologic study of conditions associated with the metabolic syndrome, as well as focus on each of the parameters of the metabolic syndrome. Overall, we conclude that an ethnic-specific formulation of the lipid criteria in the metabolic syndrome may lead to better identification of blacks at high risk for development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Impact of Prognosis on Asset Life Extension and Readiness

Fatigue response of structural components is determined by environmental conditions, material microstructure, and loading history. Variation of these factors results in significant scatter in fatigue-crack growth rates and component life. In this paper, the impact of prognosis capability on asset life extension and readiness is evaluated. Fatigue-crack growth data on aluminum samples under controlled spectrum loading are used to describe the statistics of the crack-size distribution. Several sensors with different probability of detection (POD) characteristics are considered for detecting cracks of critical size, and the effect of the POD on the component life extension is evaluated. Although the crack-detection capability leads to the asset life extension, it is not sufficient to maintain required mission readiness. On the other hand, the prognosis capability, which is based on the knowledge of the component’s current damage state, damage evolution laws, and upcoming mission loading, allows required mission readiness to be maintained.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The nutrient and glycoalkaloid content of a new potato meal

The nutrient and glycoalkaloid content of a new potato meal produced as a by-product of starch manufacture using low temperature dehydration was determined. Comparisons were made between the new potato meal and the previously manufactured meal which was prepared by high temperature dehydration. The glycoalkaloid content of the new potato meal was 15.53mg α-chaconine and 4.75mg α-solanine per 100g meal compared to 15.79mg α-chaconine and 7.83mg α-solanine in the potato meal produced by high temperature dehydration. The new potato meal contained 2% more protein and 1.9, 3.4 and 1.2 times more niacin, riboflavin and thiamin, respectively than the previous by-product. The potassium and phosphorus concentrations were approximately 2.0 and 0.2%, respectively. Other minerals were found in lesser concentrations with the sodium content being only 7.4mg/100g potato meal. A 28g serving would provide approximately 5, 7 and 4% of the RDA for protein, niacin and thiamin, respectively.
Incorporating tissue absorption and scattering in rapid ultrasound beam modeling

We have developed a new approach for modeling the propagation of an ultrasound beam in inhomogeneous tissues such as encountered with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treatment of various diseases. This method, called the hybrid angular spectrum (HAS) approach, alternates propagation steps between the space and the spatial frequency domains throughout the inhomogeneous regions of the body; the use of spatial Fourier transforms makes this technique considerably faster than other modeling approaches (about 10 sec for a 141 x 141 x 121 model). In HIFU thermal treatments, the acoustic absorption property of the tissues is of prime importance since it leads to temperature rise and the achievement of desired thermal dose at the treatment site. We have recently added to the HAS method the capability of independently modeling tissue absorption and scattering, the two components of acoustic attenuation. These additions improve the predictive value of the beam modeling and more accurately describes the thermal conditions expected during a therapeutic ultrasound exposure. Two approaches to explicitly model scattering were developed: one for scattering sizes smaller than a voxel, and one when the scattering scale is several voxels wide. Some anatomically realistic examples that demonstrate the importance of independently modeling absorption and scattering are given, including propagation through the human skull for noninvasive brain therapy and in the human breast for treatment of breast lesions.
Staging Soviet Art: 15 Years of Artists of the Russian Soviet Republic, 1932–33

A documentary photograph from the exhibition 15 Years of Artists of the RSFSR (Khudozhniki RSFSR za 15 let) that opened in Moscow in June 1933 shows the extent to which contemporaries perceived this show as a watershed, a moment when the last remnants of the bourgeois culture of prerevolutionary Russia definitively gave way to the proletarian culture of the rapidly modernizing Soviet Union. A clean-cut and athletic Soviet youth looks straight into the eyes of the refined symbolist poet, playwright, critic, and translator Mikhail Kuz'min as painted in 1926 by a fellow member of the artistic group World of Art (Mir Iskusstva), Nikolai Radlov. In this confrontation, Kuz'min seems to embody everything the Soviet Union had done away with. The height of his fame as a Symbolist poet was the 1900s and 1910s; in the early 1930s, he was still writing poetry, but was unable to publish and increasingly marginalized. In the painting's background, a mythic landscape set within an arched window typical of Renaissance po...
Non-Climatic Trends in Divisional and State Mean Temperatures: A Case Study in Indiana

Abstract Concern about climatic change and its effects on man has been increasing. Climatic changes affect the production of food and the allocation of energy resources. Proper interpretation of climatic change and the effect of weather on fuel use and crop production requires a homogeneous data base. A methodology is presented for removing non-climatic variability from monthly mean temperature records caused by changes in time of observation, station location, instrumentation and observer, using as an example climatological records for June, July and August from 1930 to 1976 in Indiana. Divisional and state mean temperature adjustments to the published figures were calculated. Divisional temperature corrections were usually negative, with an extreme correction of −1.5°F applied to the published Central Division temperatures in 1942–44 and 1950. State mean June, July and August corrections were negative every year, with an extreme correction value of −0.8°F in 1949. Even with the temperature corrections i...
Website fingerprinting using traffic analysis of dynamic webpages

This paper presents mechanisms for identification of web traffic masqueraded behind encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels. Website identification using Traffic Analysis (TA) has many administrative applications including preventing access to forbidden websites and site-specific Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning. Previous works in this area mainly looked at the problem of identifying traffic from relatively static websites, thus limiting the applicability of the technique for websites with dynamically changing contents. In this work, we attempt to generalize the mechanism for dynamic sites by the way of introducing a new classification feature traffic surge period, and adapting the first n Components of Haar Wavelet Transformation, which is commonly used in traditional signal processing applications. Our results from fingerprinting experiments carried out over an SSL VPN shows that the addition of these new features can indeed bridge the fingerprinting performance gap between static and dynamic websites.
Syphilitic Uveitis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected and Noninfected Patients

Seventeen patients with luetic uveitis had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and lumbar puncture to determine if the HIV-positive status altered the clinical profile of syphilis. Twelve of the 17 patients tested positive for HIV. All 12 patients had abnormal lumbar punctures, but only two of the five HIV-negative patients had abnormal results of spinal taps. Ocular disease also was more severe in the HIV-positive group.
GAMMASPHERE-timing and signal processing aspects of the BGO Compton shield

We describe the design of the signal processing system and considerations involved in the timing performance of the BGO scintillator Compton shield that surrounds each of the 110 large germanium detectors used in a geodesic array covering the complete sphere surrounding the target in GAMMASPHERE. It is shown that the main timing limitation results from the statistics of photoelectron emission from the photocathode of the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) that observe the light from the scintillators and that achieving the required timing demands triggering on the first photoelectron. The circuits to do this for a single detector assembly must be able to deal with signals from 14 PMTs associated with the 7 elements of the scintillator shield surrounding each germanium detector. >
AN INNER PRODUCT MODEL FOR THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING OF SYMMETRIC LAYOUTS

A multidimensional scaling analysis is presented for replicated symmetric layouts of pairwise compositions. The replicates may represent individuals, situations, or blocks which contain all pairwise responses generated from a distinct set of objects or treatments. The class of replicates and the class of objects are scaled in a joint space by means of an inner product model which weights each of the dimensions of the space. Least squares estimates of the replicates' and objects' coordinates, and of unscalability parameters, are obtained through a manipulation of the error sum of squares for the model. The solution involves the decomposition of a three-way least squares problem into three subproblems; two of these are trivial, and the third is solvable by classical least squares matrix factorization.
Spatially Resolved ESCA Using Hadamard Masks

Use of Hadamard-based movable masks is demonstrated to be an effective method for obtaining spatially resolved information from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA). The concept of such imaging in electron spectroscopy is discussed in conjunction with the results obtained from a relatively simple mask system which was attached to a modified AEI ES200 photoelectron spectrometer. Resolution on the order of 1 mm2 was obtained with this configuration. The ultimate spatial resolution, on the order of microns, depends on engineering limitations concerned primarily with mask design and fabrication. The advantage of such a system stems from its inherent multiplexing nature, the requirements for only a single-channel detector, and the associated possibility of retro-fitting currently existing instrumentation.
Blog, news, ecommerce: Does genre matter for taggers?

This study presents an analysis of over 7000 tags assigned to 36 online resources. Analysis of the genre tags revealed that users’ preferences in assigning tags emerged from the context of the resource. Study revealed significant variance in tagging vocabulary across four content categories and three resource genres. Based on Bakhtin’s genre theory (1986), this study suggests that utilization of genre should be grounded on language, in particular, on its meaning it carries to a particular group of individuals.
Partial characterisation of different classes of viral DNA, and kinetics of DNA synthesis in turnip protoplasts infected with cauliflower mosaic virus.

Turnip protoplasts infected with cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) have been used to examine the kinetics of CaMV DNA synthesis, and the different classes of CaMV DNA found in vivo partially characterised. Differential extraction techniques for DNA from infected protoplasts has identified several distinct classes of viral DNA. The same approach applied to virus preparations revealed that while the majority of virion DNA was stably encapsidated, some small DNAs and a heterogeneous population 3.8-ca. 5.0 Kb were not. The structural relationship of sa-DNA (3) with the particle is such that only its 5′ RNA moeity is susceptible to nuclease attack. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of total CaMV DNA from infected protoplasts revealed all the DNA species found in virion DNA, those species representing the ‘free’ DNA class and a further class of molecules, rich in DNA of (−) polarity (24), to which the role of reverse transcription intermediates has been ascribed. ‘Free’ DNA contains 8 Kb supercoiled DNA (Form I DNA), an 8 Kb open circle (Form II), an 8 Kb linear (Form III) and a truncated molecule with an extension of the (−) strand previously observed from infected plants (10). Kinetic experiments show that the accumulation of total CaMV-DNA parallels the accumulation of progeny virions to reach a maximum around 72 h post-inoculation and that there is not a separation of CaMV-DNA synthesis into clearly defined early and late stages.
A primary mechanism for spiral wave meandering.

The stability and dynamics of spiral wave meandering were studied by examining the behavior of small perturbations to a steadily rotating action potential wave. The disturbances responsible for meandering were found to be generated through an interaction between the unstable local linear dynamics characteristic of the action potential trailing edge near the core and perturbations existing in the region immediately behind this edge. Significantly, for the cases studied, neither wavefront curvature nor head–tail interactions were involved in this process. Study of the generation mechanism using a series of representative mathematical models and computer experiments led to the prediction that the following features of rotating action potentials render them more susceptible to meandering: (1) proximity of the wave tip to the center of rotation, (2) wider action potential leading and trailing edges, and (3) slower wave rotation speeds. Variation of basic tissue properties, including firing threshold potentials...
Second order saturated servomechanisms

A PRIMARY REQUIREMENT in many positioning systems is that errors resulting from large input disturbances be reduced to tolerable values as quickly as possible. For a linear system, this requirement could be satisfied by making the ratio of torque to inertia sufficiently large. However, even with the best servomotor design, this ratio is limited; therefore, to reduce the response time sufficiently, the designer frequently must contend with saturation in the system components and resulting saturated values of available torque.
Transonic Passage Turbine Blade Tip Clearance With Scalloped Shroud: Part II — Losses With and Without Scrubbing Effects in Engine Configuration

Loss mechanisms in a scallop shrouded transonic power generation turbine blade passage at realistic engine conditions have been identified through a series of large-scale (typically 12 million finite volumes) simulations. All simulations are run with second-order discretization and viscous sublayer resolution, and they include the effects of viscous dissipation. The mesh (y+ near unity on all surfaces) is highly refined in the tip clearance region, casing recesses, and shroud region in order to fully capture complex interdependent flow physics and the associated losses. Aerodynamic losses, in order of their relative importance, are a result of the following: separation around the tip, recesses, and shroud; tip vortex creation; downstream mixing losses, localized shocks on the airfoil; and the passage vortex emanating from under the shroud. A number of helical lateral flows were established near the upper shroud surfaces as a result of lateral pressure gradients on the scalloped shroud. It was found that the tip leakage and passage losses increased approximately linearly with increasing tip clearance, both with and without the effect of the relative casing motion. For each tip clearance studied, scrubbing slightly reduced the tip leakage, but the overall production of entropy was increased by more than 50%. Also the overall passage mass flow rate, for a given inlet total pressure to exit static pressure ratio, increased almost linearly with increasing tip clearance. In addition, it was also found that there was slight positive and negative lift on the shroud, depending on the tip clearance. At the lowest tip clearance of 20 mils there was a negative lift on the shroud. In the 200-mil tip clearance case there was a positive lift on the shroud. The relative motion of the casing contributed positively to the lift at every tip clearance, affecting more at the lowest tip clearance where the casing is closest to the blade tip. Lastly, it was found that the computed entropy generation for the stationary 80-mils case using the SKE turbulence model was close to that of the 80-mils scrubbing case using the RKE turbulence model. In light of the proposed mechanisms and their relative contributions, suggested design considerations are posed.© 2004 ASME
Different manifestations of auditory neuropathy.

Auditory neuropathy (AN) is characterized by a range of auditory deficits including elevated pure tone thresholds, reduced speech recognition scores, absence of auditory brainstem responses (ABR), and preservation of evoked otoacoustic emissions and the cochlear microphonic (CM) response. With increased advocacy for early implantation, patients with auditory neuropathy may be considered for implantation at or before one year of age. The decision for early implantation of very young patients with clinical test results that suggest AN should be made cautiously as a subset of patients presenting with the clinical constellation of AN may demonstrate reversible hearing loss over time.
Least-squares inner product shaping

We develop methods that construct an optimal set of vectors with a specified inner product structure, from a given set of vectors in a complex Hilbert space. The optimal vectors are chosen to minimize the sum of the squared norms of the errors between the constructed vectors and the given vectors. Four special cases are considered. In the first, the constructed vectors are orthonormal. In the second, they are orthogonal. In the third, the Gram matrix of inner products of the constructed vectors is a circulant matrix. As we show, the vectors form a cyclic set. In the fourth, the Gram matrix has the property that the rows are all permutations of each other. The constructed vectors are shown to be geometrically uniform.
Molecular Signatures of Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma Secondary to Hepatitis C Virus following Liver Transplantation

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary indication for liver transplantation (LT). In western countries, the estimated rate of HCC recurrence following LT is between 15% and 20% and is a major cause of mortality. Currently, there is no standard method to treat patients who are at high risk for HCC recurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular signatures underlying HCC recurrence that may lead to future studies on gene regulation contributing to new therapeutic options. Two groups of patients were selected, one including patients with HCV who developed HCC recurrence (HCC-R) ≤3 years from LT and the second group including patients with HCV who did not have recurrent HCC (HCC-NR). Microarray analysis containing more than 29,000 known genes was performed on formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded (FFPE) liver tissue from explanted livers. Gene expression profiling revealed 194 differentially regulated genes between the two groups. These genes belonged to cellular networks including cell cycle G1/S checkpoint regulators, RAN signaling, chronic myeloid leukemia signaling, molecular mechanisms of cancer, FXR/RXR activation and hepatic cholestasis. A subset of molecular signatures associated with HCC recurrence was found. The expression levels of these genes were validated by quantitative PCR analysis.
Signal Processing with Bit-Serial Word-Parallel Architectures

The incremental cost per unit of performance of a variety of flexible system functions has been sharply reduced through the application of a high degree of functional parallelism with serialized arithmetic. (Functional parallelism as used here is the parallel use of an array of high density, low cost, lower performance devices to obtain a high performance function.) System functions, such as fast Fourier transformers, digital filters, graphics function generators, and matrix computational arrays have all been reduced to a form which is highly channelized in this manner. Such computationally intensive digital signal processors employing novel computational means are shown to promise a reduction in size, weight, and power by an order of magnitude over conventional techniques. Several examples of modular functional processors are presented for which the algorithmic formulation, architectural configuration, and prototype implementation are described.
Transient salivary gland hypertrophy in bulimics.

Transient salivary gland hypertrophy is a reported clinical finding in patients with bulimia.1, 2 A retrospective chart review of 49 patients enrolled in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Eating Disorders Program with a diagnosis of bulimia showed 29% (14/49) had at some time either parotid and/or submandibular gland hypertrophy noted on physical exam. Resolution of the salivary gland enlargement occurred in all of our patients after treatment of their bulimia. Bulimia must, therefore, be considered in the differential diagnosis of salivary gland hypertrophy, and treatment should be directed at the underlying behavioral disorder.
Expression of the simian varicella virus glycoprotein L and H

Simian varicella is used as a model to investigate varicella-zoster virus pathogenesis and to evaluate antiviral therapies. In this study, the simian varicella virus (SVV) glycoprotein L (gL) was characterized along with its association with glycoprotein H (gH). The SVV gL gene encodes a predicted 175 amino acid polypeptide that shares 43.5% and 27.9% amino acid identity with the VZV gL and HSV-1 gL, respectively. The SVV gL polypeptide sequence lacks a consensus glycosylation site and a typical signal sequence, but does possess an endo-plasmic reticulum targeting sequence found commonly in chaperone proteins. Transcriptional analysis indicated that the SVV gL and the uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) genes share a common 5′ RNA start site and are co-expressed on a 2.0 kb transcript. gL and gH expression in SVV-infected Vero cells was demonstrated by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation analyses using specific antisera generated against gL and gH peptides. Similar to other herpesvirus gH and gL homologs, the SVV gL and gH form a complex within infected cells. gL and gH transcripts and antigens were detected in tissues of monkeys with acute simian varicella. The simian varicella model offers an opportunity to investigate the role of the gL and gH in viral pathogenesis.
An experimental model of lacunar infarction: Embolization of microthrombi

Objectives Microthrombi are undoubtedly the most common embolic material in the cerebral circulation, originating from even minor irregularities of the arterial wall, fibrillating atria, cardiac valves, and patent foramen ovale. Thrombus fragments are globular and likely to completely obstruct terminal vessels. In contrast, previous work with "atheroemboli" of needle-like cholesterol crystals rarely cause occlusions or infarctions instead creating small foci of inflammation. In this work, we asked if microthrombi would occlude terminal vessels and create lacunar type infarctions in the subcortical tissues of the rat brain where, as in human brain, collateral flow is limited relative to the cortex. Methods Three treatment groups of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. All groups underwent general anesthesia with monitoring of temperature and blood pressure during cannulation of the right internal carotid artery. In the group embolized with thrombus fragments (n = 12), animals had injections of 300 fragments of thrombus size 60 to 100 microns, the cholesterol group (n = 6) had injections of 300 cholesterol crystals of similar size, and the control group (n = 4) had injections of saline. Brains were harvested at 4 days with perfusion fixation and were examined by immunohistochemical staining for breaks in the blood brain barrier (BBB) (albumin), microglial activation (CD11b), astrocyte activation (GFAP), and infarction (loss of NeuN staining). Size and location of the areas of injury and infarction were recorded. Results Clot fragments caused discreet infarcts in 10/12 animals that were 0.1-1.7 mm in diameter and coincided with activation of microglia and astrocytes. In some areas, necrosis was already underway at this early time point. Consistent with our previous work, the infarcts caused by cholesterol crystals were smaller (P = .014). Foci of BBB disruption and microglial activation were distributed throughout the brain whereas areas of infarction were found almost exclusively in subcortical tissues (P = .029). Conclusions Injecting microthrombi reproducibly caused areas of necrosis resembling lacunar type infarctions. These were primarily located in the striatum and thalamus presumably because these areas lack the branching, collateral network seen in the cortex. In addition, these data give further evidence that the extent of brain injury from emboli depends upon composition and shape as well as size.
Circularly Symmetric Apodization via Star-shaped Masks

In a recent paper, we introduced a class of shaped pupil masks, called spiderweb masks, that produce point-spread functions having annular dark zones. With such masks, a single image can be used to probe a star for extrasolar planets. In this paper, we introduce a new class of shaped pupil masks that also provide annular dark zones. We call these masks star-shaped masks. Given any circularly symmetric apodization function, we show how to construct a corresponding star-shaped mask that has the same point-spread function (out to any given outer working angle) as obtained by the apodization.
Computer aids that writers need

What problems are faced by office workers when they write documents? Are computer aids for writing available to meet their needs? These questions are answered here by: (1) describing recent research on writing processes, (2) listing various types of computer aids that either are currently marketed or are under investigation, and (3) reviewing studies that speak to the effectiveness of these aids. Numerous aids are available for problems that arise in planning, translating, and reviewing text. However, the few reported evaluation studies do not indicate that computer aids improve either the quality or the efficiency of writing.
Influence of non-linear breakage kinetics on the attainment of self-similarity for dry milling processes

Abstract The attainment of a self-similar particle size distribution (PSD) is an interesting feature of many particulate processes such as milling. While it is well-known that the linear time-invariant population balance model (LTINV-PBM) admits a self-similar solution, the attainment of self-similarity is not well-understood within the context of non-linear breakage kinetics. Non-linear breakage kinetics emanating from mechanical multi-particle interactions is not uncommon in dense-phase dry milling processes and has been accounted for by the non-linear PBM (NL-PBM). Here, we investigate the dynamics and attainment of a self-similar PSD considering first-order (LTINV-PBM), non-uniform non-linear (NL-PBM Model B), and uniform non-linear (NL-PBM Model D) breakage kinetics. The PBMs were first fit to experimental data from the batch dry milling of quartz in a tumbling ball mill. Using the parameters estimated and simulating the impact of different extents of non-linear multi-particle interactions, we elucidated the impact of non-linear breakage kinetics on the evolution of the PSD to a self-similar one. In order to quantitatively assess self-similarity and thoroughly investigate the approach to a self-similar PSD during milling, we have introduced the use of the distance metric Canberra Distance. The simulations suggest that the retardation of the breakage of coarser particles due to their interactions with the finer particles can significantly delay the attainment of self-similarity and broaden the self-similar PSD attained. Both non-linear models predict attainment of self-similar PSDs, albeit slightly different, under cases of mild non-linear effects. However, when non-linear effects are severe, self-similarity can be delayed to prolonged milling in contrast to LTINV-PBM, which predicts the attainment of self-similarity shortly after the onset of milling. While LTINV-PBM and NL-PBMs can be easily discriminated via a single milling experiment, simulations suggest that only experiments utilizing various feed particle size distributions, preferentially including a bi-modal distribution, could discriminate between the non-uniform non-linear kinetics (Model B) and uniform non-linear kinetics (Model D).
On Existence of Solutions for a Class of Fully Nonlinear Noncoercive Problems

0) arises in the three- dimensional water wave theory (see M. Shinbrot [lo]), and also in the engineering problem of “hydraulic fracturing” of oil wells, see J. R. Canon and G. H. Meyer [2,7]. Mathematically, the model problem (1) is of interest, since it represents one of the simplest noncoercive elliptic problems (i.e., the Lopatinski-Shapiro condition fails, see [4]) for which there is no general theory. The field of fully nonlinear elliptic equations has recently attracted a great deal of attention (see, e.g., a recent paper of G. M. Lieberman and N. S. Trudinger [6] and the references therein to other work of the same authors as well as that of L. Evans, N. Krylov, P. L. Lions, and others). It appears that the case of second order boundary operators is not well studied, particularly for noncoercive problems. We present an existence result for (l), which extends the one in [3], where we had considered the equation
Long-Run Convergence of Ethnic Skill Differentials, Revisited*

In my original study, “Long-Run Convergence of Ethnic Skill Differentials,” I concluded that the ethnic differentials introduced by the Great Migration seemed to persist into the second and third generations. Alba, Lutz, and Vesselinov argue that my study contained a number of conceptual and data problems, and conclude that the correlation between the skills of the first and the third generations disappears when these problems are taken into account. My reanalysis of the Alba et al. data, however, documents a stronger link between the skills of the first and the third generations than suggested by those authors.
Ordered binary trees constructed through an application of Kendall's tau

A procedure is described for orienting the nodes of a binary tree to maximize the Kendall rank order correlation (tau) between node order and a given external criterion. The procedure is computationally efficient and is based on application of an ordered set of node tests.
Quality Control of Minerals Management Service - Oil Company ADCP Data at NDBC: A Successful Partnership Implementation

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) requires that deep water oil drilling and production platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico collect and provide current profile data to the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). NDBC processes and displays the resulting currents on the NDBC website. NDBC has recently implemented quality control algorithms agreed upon by industry and the government. The resulting imagery and data, including quality control flags, are available on the publicly available NDBC website. The quality control algorithms and flags are presented and comparisons of the resulting files are described. Oil companies must collect current profile data when drilling wells or operating production platforms in water greater than 400 meters deep. They are required to collect the data at 20 minute intervals and transmit the data via FTP to NDBC. The data are received, decoded, and quality controlled at NDBC. The current profiles are then formatted in TEmperature Salinity and Current (TESAC) messages and transmitted over the Global Telecommunications System (GTS). The data are also viewed over the NDBC website as columnar listings and current vector stick plots. In order to determine the quality control algorithms for the current profiles, a committee of oil company, industry, and government representatives determined an approach that includes both individual bin (depth level) and profile algorithms. The algorithms take advantage of the fact that the Teledyne RDI Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) collects error velocity, percent good statistics for 3 and 4 beams, and correlation matrices and echo amplitudes for each beam. The algorithms described in this presentation were then implemented and flags generated for each quality control test. A total of nine flags are assigned within the NDBC database. The flags indicate good data (3), suspect data (2), or bad (1) data. Only bad data are not reproduced or plotted on the NDBC real-time webpage. Results from the implementation are being reviewed, but a quick look indicates that the algorithms are returning accurate descriptions of the ADCP data. The stick plots of ocean current with depth are much "cleaner" following the quality control implementation. The implementation of the quality control algorithms was delayed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which impacted both the NDBC and the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. NDBC is now resubmitting past data files through the quality control algorithms to insure that all data at NDCB have been quality controlled. The results of this effort (including the quality control algorithms) are being shared with Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) partners in an effort to standardize quality control of oceanographic data
Nutritional stress affects corticosterone deposition in feathers of Caspian tern chicks

Stressful environmental conditions affect the adrenocortical function of developing animals, which can have consequences for their fitness. Discovery of the avian stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in feathers has the potential to broaden the application of endocrine research in ecological and evolutionary studies of wild birds by providing a long-term measure of CORT secretion. Mechanisms of CORT deposition in feathers are not well known and few studies have related feather CORT to circulating plasma CORT during feather growth. Our objective was to experimentally test the validity of using feather CORT as a measure of CORT secretion in developing birds experiencing nutritional stress. Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia chicks were fed ad libitum or restricted (35% less than ad libitum) diets for four weeks. We measured CORT in feathers from these chicks to examine the relationship between feather CORT concentrations and nutritional limitation, circulating plasma CORT, and feather development. We found that feather CORT was higher in controls fed ad libitum than in restricted individuals, despite higher levels of plasma CORT in restricted chicks compared to controls. Feather mass and growth rates were strongly and positively related to feather CORT concentrations in both treatments. This is the first experimental study to show that feather CORT concentrations can be lower in response to nutritional stress, even when plasma CORT concentrations are elevated. Our results indicate that CORT deposition in feathers may be confounded when feather mass and growth rates are compromised by nutritional stress. We conclude that feather CORT can be used for assessing nutritional stress in growing birds, but the direction of response depends on how strongly stress affects feather development.
Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infections among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Background Extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (XDR-Ab) has emerged as a major nosocomial pathogen, but optimal treatment regimens are unknown. Although solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are particularly susceptible to XDR-Ab infections, studies in this population are limited. Our objectives were to determine the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of XDR-Ab infections among SOT patients.
The Tipi Rings of the High Plains

Stone circles known as tipi rings are a common feature of the Northern and Northwestern Plains of western North America. There are several types of stone circles: (1) a single course of stone in a simple circle; (2) more complex circles with several courses of stones; (3) circular walls made of piled-up stones; (4) corrals or forts of horizontal logs and stones; (5) stone circles of unusual size or with lines of rocks inside the circle. Studies of tipi-ring sites in Montana, Wyoming, and adjacent regions are summarized. The clusters of circles are usually found along main routes of travel and near water, fuel, and good hunting areas. Although many of these sites have been mapped, only a few of them have been excavated. Despite the paucity of cultural remains found in the excavations, the tipi-ring clusters are generally considered to be the archaeological remains of camps and villages of people who dwelt in conical, skin-covered lodges. The stones are believed to have been used to hold the skin lodge cover snug against the ground. Historical records, ethnographic observations, and the recollections of present-day Indian informants confirm these interpretations. Data from 136 recently studied tipi-ring sites along a 300-mile pipeline from Greenriver, Wyoming, to Denver, Colorado, provide further archaeological demonstration of the domestic origin of the tipi rings. Only the very small or very large rings, or those with spokes or lines of rocks through them, such as the so-called medicine wheels, are considered to have served a ceremonial
Using group-based trajectory modeling in conjunction with propensity scores to improve balance

This paper builds upon two prior papers by Haviland and Nagin (Psychometrika 70:1–22, 2005) and Haviland, Nagin, and Rosenbaum (Working paper, 2006) that attempt to bring the key attributes of an experiment to the analysis of non-experimental longitudinal data. Using a case study of the facilitation effect of gang membership on violence, it systematically examines the contribution of group-based trajectory modeling to the achievement of covariate balance in observational data. In this case study, inclusion of the posterior probabilities of group membership (PPGM), from a model on the pre-treatment measures of the outcome variable, created closer balance on these key covariates than did analyses that did not include them. Still closer balance was obtained on these key covariates by stratifying the analysis by trajectory group. This stratification was achieved by fitting separate propensity score models and matching gang joiners to gang abstainers within trajectory group. In addition, we demonstrated that further balance could be obtained on additional covariates by including PPGM from a model on pre-treatment longitudinal data of these covariates. While this case study is only one empirical example, we believe that it provides useful empirical evidence on the value of performing within trajectory group causal inference in observational longitudinal data and on the use of the PPGM in achieving balance in propensity score-based causal inference.
Is it time for a public health nursing approach to aging

Following the enactment of Medicare in 1965, access to health care for older adults in the United States improved. At the same time, nurse researchers and policy leaders developed individual and family-centered care interventions and programs that led to improvements in quality of health and life. In the next 20 to 30 years, U.S. and global projections of an expanding aging cohort with potential increases in health care needs, coupled with continued nursing shortage projections, present challenges and opportunities to enhance gerontological nursing's approach to aging care. Invigorating a public health nursing focus on the needs of a population of older adults could enhance nursing's ability to create policy and programs of care that promote quality of life for older adults and their families. Nurses using public health approaches can lead and support social policies regarding the physical environment and daily life circumstances that contribute to health equity. Heightened attention to competencies in community/public health nursing education and promotion of public health nursing careers will be important policy considerations as we face the looming increase in a population of older adults throughout the world.