A computer simulator for development of engineering system design methodologies

A computer program designed to simulate and improve engineering system design methodology is described. The simulator mimics the qualitative behavior and data couplings occurring among the subsystems of a complex engineering system. It eliminates the engineering analyses in the subsystems by replacing them with judiciously chosen analytical functions. With the cost of analysis eliminated, the simulator is used for experimentation with a large variety of candidate algorithms for multilevel design optimization to choose the best ones for the actual application. Thus, the simulator serves as a development tool for multilevel design optimization strategy. The simulator concept, implementation, and status are described and illustrated with examples

Quantum corrections for pion correlations involving resonance decays

A method is presented to include quantum corrections into the calculation of two-pion correlations for the case where particles originate from resonance decays. The technique uses classical information regarding the space-time points at which resonances are created. By evaluating a simple thermal model, the method is compared to semiclassical techniques that assume exponential decaying resonances moving along classical trajectories. Significant improvements are noted when the resonance widths are broad as compared to the temperature.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

In search of a universal and objective method to assess facial aging: The new face objective photo-numerical assessment scale

Most patients who undergo cosmetic rejuvenation treatment hope to appear younger and healthier. Although a number of scales have been put forward to assess facial aging, to date none has focused on predicting patients’ age. The purpose of our study was to validate a more complete version of the face - Objective assessment scale previously developed by the authors. Since patients with a photo-damaged skin can look older than others we created a new sub-scale: the facial photo-aging scale, in order to provide a more comprehensive method for the overall assessment of facial aging. The Rasch model was used as part of the validation process. We assigned a score to each patient based on the scales we have developed. The correlation between a patient's actual age and the obtained scores was analyzed; we also analyzed the inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability. All the scales exceeded criteria for acceptability, reliability and validity. The facial aging scale we have developed may prove to be a valuable tool to assess patients before and after facial rejuvenation treatment or surgery, as well as for clinical research in the field of facial skin regeneration

Homer2 deletion alters dendritic spine morphology but not alcohol-associated adaptations in GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the nucleus accumbens

Repeated exposure to ethanol followed by withdrawal leads to the alterations in glutamatergic signaling and impaired synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in both clinical and preclinical models of ethanol exposure. Homer2 is a member of a family of postsynaptic density (PSD) scaffolding proteins that functions in part to cluster NMDA signaling complexes in the PSD, and has been shown to be critically important for plasticity in multiple models of drug and alcohol abuse. Here we used Homer2 KO mice and a chronic intermittent intraperitoneal (IP) ethanol injection model to investigate a potential role for the protein in ethanol-induced adaptations in dendritic spine morphology and PSD protein expression. While deletion of Homer2 was associated with increased density of long spines on medium spiny neurons of the NAc core of saline treated mice, ethanol exposure had no effect on dendritic spine morphology in either wild-type (WT) or Homer2 KO mice. Western blot analysis of tissue samples from the NAc enriched for PSD proteins revealed a main effect of ethanol treatment on the expression of GluN2B, but there was no effect of genotype or treatment on the expression other glutamate receptor subunits or PSD95. These data indicate that the global deletion of Homer2 leads to aberrant regulation of dendritic spine morphology in the NAc core that is associated with an increased density of long, thin spines. Unexpectedly, intermittent IP ethanol did not affect spine morphology in either WT or KO mice. Together these data implicate Homer2 in the formation of long, thin spines and further supports its role in neuronal structure

Proposal of a Noninvasive Method to Reduce Injection-Related Bruising in Aesthetic Medicine: Transillumination

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections involve a risk of vascular complications. Transillumination (TL) is a noninvasive technique that appears to allow preliminary detection of superficial vascular structures of the face to avoid intravascular HA injection. The purpose of our study was to test the efficacy of TL in terms of its sensitivity to locate vessels in the areas undergoing treatment and to reduce post-injection vascular complications. Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective study enrolling 72 patients who consulted for HA injections to treat facial wrinkles. We used TL on one side of the face to obtain a vascular mapping of the face. The area undergoing testing was randomized for the TL technique. The primary study endpoint was sensitivity for identifying subcutaneous veins and the differences in complication rates between the side of the face where TL was used to guide the injection and the side of the face where no vascular exploration method was used. Results: TL sensitivity for locating the superficial temporal vein was 100%, 91% for the supratrochlear, supraorbital and infraorbital veins, and 95% for the dorsal nasal veins (p < 0.01). The complication rate was higher on the side of the face where no vascular exploration method was used (22.2% vs 2.7%; p = 0.010046). Conclusions: Our preliminary findings validate our hypothesis concerning the advantage of using TL to identify superficial veins before performing injections. This method is simple and affordable, and the learning curve is small. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266

Overview of experimental results in PbPb collisions at sqrt{s_NN} = 2.76 TeV by the CMS Collaboration

The CMS experiment at the LHC is a general-purpose apparatus with a set of large acceptance and high granularity detectors for hadrons, electrons, photons and muons, providing unique capabilities for both proton-proton and ion-ion collisions. The data collected during the November 2010 PbPb run at sqrt{s_NN} = 2.76 TeV was analyzed and multiple measurements of the properties of the hot and dense matter were obtained. Global event properties, detailed study of jet production and jet properties, isolated photons, quarkonia and weak bosons were measured and compared to pp data and Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, proceedings for Quark Matter 2011, Annecy, France, May 23-28, 201

Quantitative Proteomic Profiling of Small Molecule Treated Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Chemical Probes.

The differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells toward a neural phenotype by small molecules has been a vogue topic in the last decade. The characterization of the produced cells has been explored on a broad scale, examining morphological and specific surface protein markers; however, the lack of insight into the expression of functional proteins and their interactive partners is required to further understand the extent of the process. The phenotypic characterization by proteomic profiling allows for a substantial in-depth analysis of the molecular machinery induced and directing the cellular changes through the process. Herein we describe the temporal analysis and quantitative profiling of neural differentiating human adipose-derived stem cells after sub-proteome enrichment using a bisindolylmaleimide chemical probe. The results show that proteins enriched by the Bis-probe were identified reproducibly with 133, 118, 126 and 89 proteins identified at timepoints 0, 1, 6 and 12, respectively. Each temporal timepoint presented several shared and unique proteins relative to neural differentiation and their interactivity. The major protein classes enriched and quantified were enzymes, structural and ribosomal proteins that are integral to differentiation pathways. There were 42 uniquely identified enzymes identified in the cells, many acting as hubs in the networks with several interactions across the network modulating key biological pathways. From the cohort, it was found by gene ontology analysis that 18 enzymes had direct involvement with neurogenic differentiation

Bose-Einstein Correlations for Three-Dimensionally Expanding, Cylindrically Symmetric, Finite Systems

The parameters of the Bose-Einstein correlation function may obey an {\it $M_t$-scaling}, as observed in $S + Pb$ and $Pb + Pb$ reactions at CERN SPS. This $M_t$-scaling implies that the Bose-Einstein correlation functions view only a small part of the big and expanding system. The full sizes of the expanding system at the last interaction are shown to be measurable with the help the invariant momentum distribution of the emitted particles. A vanishing duration parameter can also be generated in the considered model-class with a specific $M_t$ dependence.Comment: 35 pages, ReVTeX, LaTeX, no figures, discussion extende