cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whose Public? The Stakes of Citizens United

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is a 2010 US Supreme Court decision that fundamentally transformed federal election financing. As a result, we have seen a drastic increase in the amount of so-called soft money that wealthy individuals and corporations contribute to political campaigns. Following a brief overview of the case and the precedent that formed the basis for the ruling, this chapter concerns philosophical stakes of the decision and what precisely it says about the public today and the role of philosophy within it. I argue that there are three basic issues here. First is the issue of corruption. Second is the question of propaganda and the potential dangers the Citizens United case might pose for a democratic polity. Finally, I examine the dangers this poses for a democratic polity.
A Long, Unsettling Journey into a Taoist Pedagogy of Pathmarks

This chapter reflects on my history of teaching in China and the USA to interrogate the pedagogical perspective of teaching as the giving of truth. My interconnected reading of Heidegger, Lao Tzu, and Dewey led me to a Taoist Pedagogy of Pathmarks, a teaching philosophy to empower teachers to teach through non-teaching without implying a binary opposition between the two. Drawing on Heidegger’s critique of modern technology and his analysis of the nature of language, Lao Tzu’s Tao of inaction, and Dewey’s critique of traditional direct teaching, I see a Taoist Pedagogy of Pathmarks as a “non-willing” (Heidegger in Discourse on thinking: A translation of Gelassenheit. Harper & Row, New York, p. 60, 1944, 1945/1966), a refusal of the will to control.
Chatbots and Conversational Agents in Mental Health: A Review of the Psychiatric Landscape:

Objective:The aim of this review was to explore the current evidence for conversational agents or chatbots in the field of psychiatry and their role in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of mental...
Numerical Ranges over Finite Fields

Abstract We explore an arithmetic analogue of the numerical range. We define the numerical range of a square matrix with entries in a finite field Z p [ i ] , for any prime p congruent to 3 modulo 4. We establish the basic properties of these new numerical ranges, and prove several foundational results for matrices of arbitrary dimension. We classify the shapes of the numerical ranges of 2 × 2 matrices over these finite fields.
Multidisciplinary Effort to Decrease Time From Admission to Chemotherapy on an Inpatient Oncology Unit

There are no national standards for time between patient arrival and the initiation of scheduled chemotherapy (time to chemotherapy [TTC]). Delays in this process have a negative impact on patient ...
Mast Cells Contribute to the Immunomodulatory Effect of the Biomaterial Microenvironment in a Gender Specific Manner

Abstract Regulation of the immune response contributes to the severity and outcomes in various disease conditions. Bioactive immunomodulatory biomaterials have shown promise for influencing these responses to promote tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, we investigated the role of mast cells in the regulation of the immune response to biomaterial scaffolds. In mast cell-deficient mice, there was dysregulation of the expected M1 to M2 macrophage transition typically induced by the biomaterial scaffold. Polarization progression deviated in a gender specific manner with an early transition to an M2 profile in female mice, while the male response was unable to properly transition past a pro-inflammatory M1 state. Both were reversed with mast cell adoptive transfer. Further investigation of the later stage immune response in male mice determined a sustained pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in deficient mice consisting of members from the IL-1 cytokine family and related downstream pathways. As mast cells were mainly associated with detrimental pro-inflammatory outcomes for biomaterial scaffolds, these results demonstrate their contribution to induced immunomodulatory therapies and support their potential as a critical immune regulatory element that can be manipulated for stimulating endogenous tissue repair.
Correlation of Space Charge Limited Current and γ-Ray Response of Cd x Zn 1-x Te 1-y Se y Room-Temperature Radiation Detectors

In this letter we report a direct correlation between the space charge limited current flow and radiation detection properties of Cd x Zn1- x Te1- y Se y (CZTS) detector. CZTS is a recently discovered quaternary wide bandgap semiconductor for room-temperature gamma photon detection. The CZTS single crystals have been grown in-house using a modified Bridgman technique. Planar detectors were fabricated and characterized in terms of charge carrier flow and radiation detection measurements. An anomalous current flow falling outside the Lampert’s triangle in $\textit {logJ}-\textit {logV}$ plot, has been observed which is not generally seen in semiconductor detectors governed by space-charge limited current flow mechanism. The anomalous behavior has been attributed to the presence of electron traps. The devices were tested for their radiation detection properties by acquiring pulse height spectra using 241Am and a 137Cs isotopes as a source of alpha particles and gamma photons, respectively. It was further noticed that the only detectors which worked satisfactorily as radiation detectors, did not exhibit the anomalous current flow mechanism.
Accelerating Frank-Wolfe with Weighted Average Gradients

Relying on a conditional gradient based iteration, the Frank-Wolfe (FW) algorithm has been a popular solver of constrained convex optimization problems in signal processing and machine learning, thanks to its low complexity. The present contribution broadens its scope by replacing the gradient per FW subproblem with a weighted average of gradients. This generalization speeds up the convergence of FW by alleviating its zigzag behavior. A geometric interpretation for the averaged gradients is provided, and convergence guarantees are established for three different weight combinations. Numerical comparison shows the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Surgical outcomes of hysterectomy via robotic assisted versus traditional transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery

ABSTRACT Study Objective To evaluate the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (R-vNOTES) hysterectomy when compared with traditional vNOTES (T-vNOTES) hysterectomy. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Academic tertiary setting. Patients Total of 114 patients with benign gynecologic indication for hysterectomy. Interventions T-vNOTES or R-vNOTES hysterectomy performed by a single minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon in the study period. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome of this study was surgical equivalence, measured principally by total operative time between T-vNOTES and R-vNOTES hysterectomy. Secondary operative outcomes that were measured included estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, reported postoperative pain levels, and number of conversions. A total of 79 women underwent T-vNOTES hysterectomy, and 35 women underwent R-vNOTES hysterectomy without differences in operative time (p = .37), estimated blood loss (p = .27), length of hospital stay (p = .06), or reported postoperative pain levels at weeks 1, 2, and 3 after surgery (p = .78, p = .36, p = .38, respectively). A total of 6 patients underwent conversion in the T-vNOTES hysterectomy group compared with 0 in the R-vNOTES hysterectomy group; however, this was not statistically significantly different, and there were no conversions to laparotomy. Conclusion R-vNOTES hysterectomy is a feasible approach to surgery when compared with T-vNOTES hysterectomy and warrants further consideration as a skill set in a gynecologic surgeon's toolbox. Wristed instruments may allow surgeons who are inexperienced in single-site laparoscopy to adopt vNOTES more quickly as a new technique when performing hysterectomy through a comparable minimally invasive approach.
A Multifaceted Approach to Improving Postischemic Stroke Dysphagia Screening at a Community Hospital.

BACKGROUND Dysphagia is a common complication seen in acute ischemic stroke patients, and can lead to morbidity and mortality. As such, quality measures have been instituted to track adherence to dysphagia screening in all stroke patients. In our 217-bed community hospital, we were faced with a low rate in successfully screening for dysphagia. METHODS Quality control interventions were implemented after an analysis of the reasons for dysphagia screening failures was performed. Interventions included online educational sessions for nurses, face-to-face sessions with medical residents, distribution of educational laminated cards, changing the method of documenting the dysphagia screen in our electronic record and others. RESULTS There was an increase of rates of screening for dysphagia from 67% to 91%. CONCLUSION We conclude that failure analysis, implementation of quality control measures to address the cause of failures and re-evaluating success rates periodically was effective to address this problem.
The interaction of the von Willebrand factor-A1 domain with platelet glycoprotein Ib/IX. The role of glycosylation and disulfide bonding in a monomeric recombinant A1 domain protein

The interaction of von Willebrand factor (vWF) with platelet glycoprotein Ib/IX plays an important role in primary hemostasis. Previous studies have localized the GpIb alpha binding domain of vWF to amino acid residues 449-728, a region containing the vWF-A1 domain. In order to assess the role of A1 domain structure in vWF binding functions, a cDNA encoding residues 475-709 of vWF was expressed in Escherichia coli (non-glycosylated) and in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (glycosylated). These recombinant proteins contain a single intrachain disulfide bond between C509 and C695 and were purified as monomers with apparent molecular weights of 36,000 (E. coli) and 39,000 (CHO). 35S-Labeled-vWF-A1 proteins bound directly to GpIb/IX receptors on platelets. The non-glycosylated form had a slightly higher affinity (Kd = 1.4 +/- 0.4 microM) than the glycosylated vWF-A1 protein (Kd = 4.5 +/- 0.9 microM) but had similar binding capacity of 28,000 GpIb/IX-specific binding sites per platelet. Additionally, both recombinant vWF-A1 proteins bound to heparin but neither bound to immobilized type I and III collagen. Both E. coli- and CHO-derived vWF-A1 proteins inhibited ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination with IC50 values of 300 and 700 nM, respectively. Reduction of the only disulfide bond between C509 and C695 abolished platelet binding activity at concentration up to 2 microM of protein. Confirmation of the importance of the 509-695 disulfide bond was obtained from a full-length vWF mutant containing substitutions at C509 and C695 (C509/695S) which failed to bind to the platelet GpIb/IX receptor. These studies document that vWF-A1 domain can bind to GpIb/IX and heparin but not collagen, and that binding to GpIb/IX requires an intact disulfide bond between C509 and C695. Furthermore, glycosylation increases the solubility but reduces binding affinity of recombinant vWF A1.
A new body weight supported treadmill device to measure kinetic response from spinal cord injury animals

Spinal Cord Injury is a devastating and debilitating condition. To assess the extent of recovery after rehabilitation, cell transplantation and pharmacological interventions, array of behavioral, electrophysiological and histological techniques are needed. Functional recovery is often assessed using behavior, gait and kinetic testing. While behavior and kinematic testing are possible, kinetic testing often poses several limitations in small animal model. In this paper, we present details of a custom-built body weight support treadmill device with integrated kinetic setup. Data obtained from preliminary testing validates the kinetic outcomes during walking on a treadmill in animals.
113: Hyporheic Exchange Flows

Water having entered a stream channel from the surrounding catchment may continue to have connections with the catchment. In the stream’s hyporheic zone, water “in the channel” exchanges with “groundwater” in the bed of the stream. Hyporheic exchange flows typically occur at scales small relative to the length and volumetric transport characteristics of the stream. Nevertheless, it is well documented that hyporheic exchange flows significantly influence nutrient dynamics. Additionally, there is evidence of hyporheic exchange flows similarly influencing the processes establishing the concentrations of major-ions and metals in stream-catchment systems. It is within the contexts of (i) solute transport and (ii) the continuing connections of streams to their catchments that the hydrologic aspects of hyporheic exchange flows are studied. The Transient Storage Model (TSM), a pseudo-two-dimensional representation of stream and hyporheic zone solute transport, is used to identify characteristics of hyporheic zone, physical size, and solute residence times. The TSM is further extended to simulations of reactive solute transport to understand and interpret the biogeochemical processes of streams influencing the solute dynamics of catchments. Active hydrologic research continues to advance the process basis from which quantitative assessments of the role of hyporheic exchange flows will be made.
Scholarly Research as an Agent of Change: An Historical Perspective on Briggs v. Elliott

Many scholarly researchers toil away at their work, wondering if academic research has impact in the "real" world. A goal of societal change is often shared by researchers in higher education. Where does societal change originate - change such as the end of state supported race-segregated education in the U.S.? In this brief paper, I provide a small beginning to answer that question by way of an historical view of Briggs v. Elliott (1951-1955), one relatively unexplored legal case. In Briggs, social science research was offered and then rejected, but later provided key evidence for Brown v. Board of Education. First I provide historical context by discussing notions of "common" school. I then provide a detailed framework for Briggs v. Elliott, including a timeline of events. Next I discuss the courts' use of social science evidence, and finally I conclude by discussing implications of Briggs and how this might inform current understandings.
Function of T4 gene 55. I. Characterization of temperature-sensitive mutations in the "maturation" gene 55.

Abstract Of two temperature-sensitive mutations in the T4 “switch” gene 55, one ( ts 553) is shown to produce, at 30 °C, a product (P55) which is rapidly inactivated upon shift to 43 °C; the inactivation is reversible. The product of the other mutant ( tsA81X3 ) is inactivated more slowly and in part irreversibly. A large amount of P55 activity accumulates between 5 and 12 minutes after infection at 30 °C and is shown to be continuously required for the synthesis of phage structural precursors.
Extended range coverage of an imaging radar system with feed-mounted 94 GHz MIMIC HEMT low noise amplifier and external ILO

An airborne forward-looking radar has been developed and built to provide an image of an airport runway for a pilot who is landing his aircraft in zero- or low-visibility fog. The low transmitted power and the high noise figure of a homodyne FMCW front-end limit the range coverage of 94 GHz imaging radars to less than 1000 m. Using a combination of a 2-stage MIMIC, 94 GHz high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) low-noise amplifier and external ILO mounted at the feed locations, the improved imaging radar can produce visible runway images up to 3000 m away. The first FMCW runway images are shown to demonstrate the 94 GHz system resolution. >
Towards a Large Scale Concept Ontology for Broadcast Video

Earlier this year, a major effort was initiated to study the theoretical and empirical aspects of the automatic detection of semantic concepts in broadcast video, complementing ongoing research in video analysis, the TRECVID video analysis evaluations by the National Institute of Standards (NIST) in the U.S., and MPEG-7 standardization. The video analysis community has long struggled to bridge the gap from successful, low-level feature analysis (color histograms, texture, shape) to semantic content description of video. One approach is to utilize a set of intermediate textual descriptors that can be reliably applied to visual scenes (e.g. outdoors, faces, animals). If we can define a rich enough set of such intermediate descriptors in the form of large lexicons and taxonomic classification schemes, then robust and general-purpose semantic content annotation and retrieval will be enabled through these descriptors.
The Feeding of Trout Brood Stock

Conclusions It is emphasized that this report is based on one year's work only and therefore the effect of particular diets and of heavy, medium, or light feeding through two or more years cannot be taken into consideration. However, from these experiments and until more information is available, certain tentative conclusions as to the feeding of brood stock seem Justified. Those judged of more immediate practical interest are given first. 1. Underfeeding through eight months preceding spawning is not harmful to the quality (fertility-viability; of eggs. 2. Although good eggs were obtained from heavily fed yearlings and, using a high meat diet and high meat and fish diet, very good eggs from 2-year-olds, it appears that overfeeding older fish (3-year-olds) a good 60–40 diet definitely reduces the average quality of eggs. 3. Starting with a very low level, not taking into consideration the subsequent condition of the brood stock, and in so far as the cost of eggs is based on the cost of food, increased fee...
Caustic ring singularity

I investigate the caustics produced by the fall of collisionless dark matter in and out of a galaxy in the limit of negligible velocity dispersion. The outer caustics are spherical shells enveloping the galaxy. The inner caustics are rings. These are located near where the particles with the most angular momentum are at their distance of closest approach to the galactic center. The surface of a caustic ring is a closed tube whose cross section is a D[sub [minus]4] catastrophe. It has three cusps amongst which exists a discrete Z[sub 3] symmetry. A detailed analysis is given in the limit where the flow of particles is axially and reflection symmetric and where the transverse dimensions of the ring are small compared to the ring radius. Five parameters describe the caustic in that limit. The relations between these parameters and the initial velocity distribution of the particles are derived. The structure of the caustic ring is used to predict the shape of the bump produced in a galactic rotation curve by a caustic ring lying in the galactic plane. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]
An evaluation of the influence of aquifer heterogeneity on permeable reactive barrier design

[1] The influence of heterogeneity in aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K) on contaminant plume patterns and the required thickness and length of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) used for in situ remediation is evaluated using stochastic modeling. The results provide a quantitative means for evaluating the effects of (1) the level of aquifer heterogeneity as reflected by the standard deviation of the logarithm of K, σlnK, (2) the aquifer correlation structure anisotropy represented by the ratio of correlation lengths, λx/λy, and (3) DPRB representing the distance from the contaminant source zone to the PRB. In terms of PRB thickness, a probabilistic factor of safety related to uncertainty in influent groundwater seepage velocities (FS1,90) at the location of the PRB is quantified. In terms of PRB length, a probabilistic factor of safety related to uncertainty in the length of a PRB required to capture the contaminant plume, defined as the capture length ratio (CLR), is quantified. The mean and standard deviation of FS1,90 significantly increase as σlnK increases from 0.2 to 1.6, and slightly increase as λx/λy increases from 1.0 to 3.0 and DPRB increases from 15 to 45 m. The values for the factor of safety for PRB thickness versus σlnK compare favorably with previously published values based on a different methodology. The mean and standard deviation of CLR increase with increasing σlnK and with increasing DPRB, and decrease slightly with increasing λx/λy. Finally, the ranges in CLR are correlated with strongly divergent and strongly convergent plume patterns.
Run-time probabilistic detection of miscalibrated thermal sensors in many-core systems

Many-core architectures use large numbers of small temperature sensors to detect thermal gradients and guide thermal management schemes. In this paper a technique to identify thermal sensors which are operating outside a required accuracy is described. Unlike previous on-chip temperature estimation approaches, our algorithms are optimized to run on-line while thermal management decisions are being made. The accuracy of a sensor is determined by comparing its readings to expected values from a probability distribution function determined from surrounding sensors. Experiments show that a sensor operating outside a desired accuracy can be identified with a detection rate of over 90% and an average false alarm rate of < 6%, with a confidence level of 90%. The run time of our method is shown to be around 3× lower than a recently-published temperature estimation method, enhancing its suitability for run-time implementation.
Numerical and experimental study of the cold expansion process in 7085 plate using a modified split sleeve

Abstract In this work, the split sleeve cold expansion process is studied numerically and experimentally. The finite element (FE) simulations show that a strain concentration occurs in the material near the sleeve split. The results are not very sensitive to macroscopic plastic anisotropy. This means that cracking during this process is influenced more by the sleeve geometry than by the material properties. It is also shown numerically that a different sleeve design can reduce the strain concentration drastically. Therefore, this sleeve design is investigated experimentally on a 7085-T7651 aerospace aluminum alloy plate. Although the new design is not optimized, experimental evidence shows that it can significantly reduce cracking near a sleeve split.
Mammalian Conception, Sev Differentiation, and Hermaphroditism as Viewed in Historical Perspective

This paper surveys in broad perspective some of the steps in the development of theones of mammalian sex differentiation from antiquity to the present. The questions of why and how males and females differentnte and why there are intersexes have been answered by conjectures, speculations, and theones. In antiquity, when the existence of mimimhan egg and sperm wasunknown sex determination was con]ec tuicd to depend upon such factors as which testis contiibuted the semen or which sideof the uterus received it. These fanciful notions peisisted until the middle of the 18th centuiy. Discovery of mammalian sperm in the same century and the ovum in the 10th centuiy led to obseivations of fertilization. With advances in genetics andthe identification ot sex chromosomes, the 20th century was prepared to construct theories foi normal sev differentiation and inteisexuality based on experimental observation. The bovine freemartin—a natural experiment—prompted the hounonal theory leseaich on frogs led to a coittco medullaiy inductor theory , cellular cmmerism in fteemaitin and co tvun was the basis for a cellular theory . Of these, the hormonal theory in particular, provided some verifiable speculations. However, there is no completely acceptable theory and new lines of research are badly needed
Segmental motion of forefoot and hindfoot as a diagnostic tool

Segmental motions derived from non-invasive motion analysis are being used to investigate the intrinsic functional behavior of the foot and ankle in health and disease. The goal of this research was to examine the ability of a generic segmented model of the foot to capture and differentiate changes in internal skeletal kinematics due to neuromuscular disease and/or trauma. A robotic apparatus that reproduces the kinematics and kinetics of gait in cadaver lower extremities was employed to produce motion under normal and aberrant neuromuscular activation patterns of tibialis posterior and/or tibialis anterior. Stance phase simulations were conducted on 10 donor limbs while recording three-dimensional kinematic trajectories of (1) skin-mounted markers used clinically to construct segmented foot models, and (2) bone-mounted marker clusters to capture actual internal bone motion as the gold standard for comparison. The models constructed from external marker data were able to differentiate the kinematic behaviors elicited by different neuromuscular conditions in a manner similar to that using the bone-derived data. Measurable differences between internal and externally measured kinematics were small, variable and random across the three axes of rotation and neuromuscular conditions, with a tendency toward more differences noted during early and late stance. Albeit slightly different, three-dimensional motion profiles of the hindfoot and forefoot segments correlated well with internal skeletal motion under all neuromuscular conditions, thereby confirming the utility of measuring segmental motions as a valid means of clinical assessment.
Low-Power Switching Control Schemes for Piezoelectric Micro-Robotic Actuators

This article describes the development of piezoelectric micro-actuators for use in micro-robotic systems, and surveys controllers and power electronics for such actuators to meet power limitations of terrestrial micro-robots with high mobility. A thin-film lead-zirconate-titanate lateral actuator design with one micron stroke and several millinewtons of actuation force is described, and sample experimental results provided. A method for integrating these actuators with flexible silicon micro-structures, and implications for micro-robotic pay-load capacity are presented. On-off control is proposed as a method to minimize energy usage by piezoelectric actuators and driving circuitry when moving a micro-robotic appendage based on these designs. Low efficiency of voltage converters and large power consumption of sensing circuitry are identified as barriers to further enhancing servo capabilities of bio-inspired terrestrial micro-robots.Copyright © 2008 by ASME and US Government
Fast perspective volume rendering with splatting by utilizing a ray-driven approach

Volume ray casting is based on sampling the data along sight rays. In this technique, reconstruction is achieved by a convolution, which collects the contribution of multiple voxels to one sample point. Splatting, on the other hand, is based on projecting data points on to the screen, and reconstruction is implemented by an "inverted convolution", where the contribution of one data element is distributed to many sample points (i.e. pixels). Splatting produces images of a quality comparable to ray casting but at greater speeds. This is achieved by pre-computing the projection footprint that the interpolation kernel leaves on the image plane. However, while fast incremental schemes can be utilized for orthographic projection, the perspective projection complicates the mapping of the footprints and is therefore rather slow. In this paper, we merge the technique of splatting with the principles of ray casting to yield a ray-driven splatting approach. We imagine splats as being suspended in object space, a splat at every voxel. Rays are then spawned to traverse the space and intersect the splats. An efficient and accurate way of intersecting and addressing the splats is described. Not only is ray-driven splatting inherently insensitive to the complexity of the perspective viewing transform, it also offers acceleration methods such as early ray termination and bounding volumes, which are methods that traditional voxel-driven splatting cannot benefit from. This results in competitive or superior performance for parallel projection, and superior performance for perspective projection.
Hypothalamic implants of dilute estradiol fail to reduce feeding in ovariectomized rats.

Abstract To investigate further the site where estradiol (E 2 ) inhibits food intake, we tested the effects on feeding of subcutaneous and intrahypothalamic implants of 10% E 2 benzoate in cholesterol (CHOL) or CHOL alone. E 2 was implanted subcutaneously in Silastic tubes, and intrahypothalamically via bilateral 29-gauge cannulas into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) or the medial preoptic area (MPA) of ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague–Dawley and Long–Evans rats. Three-day implant periods followed 3-day baseline periods. Rats were allowed ad libitum access to chow and tap water, and food intake and body weight were measured each day. Subcutaneous 10% E 2 implants in Sprague–Dawley rats reduced food intake 21% on Day 2 and 34% on Day 3 ( P 's P 2 implants in the PVN of Sprague–Dawley rats did not change food intake or body weight. Implants of 10% or 20% E 2 in the MPA also failed to decrease food intake. MPA implants of 10% E 2 decreased body weight gain 8 g ( P 2 decreased weight gain only 4 g ( P >.05). To determine whether the strain of rat affected our negative results on food intake, we implanted 10% E 2 into the PVN of Long–Evans rats. Again, PVN E 2 did not decrease food intake significantly in comparison to the pretest baseline. PVN E 2 did, however, decrease body weight gain 5 g and decreased food intake 6% compared to rats with implants of CHOL (both P 2 implants did not impair the responsivity of the PVN because acute implants of norepinephrine (NE) into the PVN of E 2 - or CHOL-treated Long–Evans rats significantly increased food intake. Our results do not support the hypothesis that E 2 's actions in either the PVN or the MPA are sufficient to account for its inhibitory effects on feeding.
Solid state active/passive night vision imager using continuous-wave laser diodes and silicon focal plane arrays

Passive imaging offers covertness and low power, while active imaging provides longer range target acquisition without the need for natural or external illumination. This paper describes a focal plane array (FPA) concept that has the low noise needed for state-of-the-art passive imaging and the high-speed gating needed for active imaging. The FPA is used with highly efficient but low-peak-power laser diodes to create a night vision imager that has the size, weight, and power attributes suitable for man-portable applications. Video output is provided in both the active and passive modes. In addition, the active mode is Class 1 eye safe and is not visible to the naked eye or to night vision goggles.
Passively acquired antibody directed at human erythrocytes seen during therapy with Minnesota antilymphoblast globulin.

. 6 renal transplant patients, seen at the Mayo Clinic between July 1982 and April 1983, received Minnesota antilymphoblast globulin (MALG) for treatment of allograft rejection and demonstrated warm-acting ‘auto’-antibodies during such therapy. These antibodies represented xenogeneic reactivity in equine MALG, rather than the products of patient-derived immune responses, since they were not detected before or after the period of therapy with this immunosuppressive agent in any of the 6 cases. They interfered with crossmatch procedures for red cell transfusion, and were only variably removed by autoabsorption techniques. Heat treatment of sera containing MALG-related red cell antibodies was ineffective in abrogating their reactivity and also compromised the reactivity of some red cell alloantibodies which were tested as controls. Transfusion of ‘least-incompatible’ red blood cells had no adverse effects in 2 cases where it was necessitated by clinical circumstances, despite an inability to obtain suitable serological samples for crossmatching.
Composite fermion state of spin-orbit coupled bosons

We consider spinor Bose gas with the isotropic Rashba spin-orbit coupling in two dimensions. We argue that at low density, its ground state is a composite fermion state with a Chern-Simons gauge field and filling factor of one. The chemical potential of such a state scales with the density as $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\propto}{n}^{3/2}$. This is a lower energy per particle than $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\propto}n$ for the earlier suggested ground-state candidates: a condensate with broken time-reversal symmetry and a spin-density wave state.
CHAOS IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL VOLTERRA-GAUSE MODEL OF PREDATOR-PREY TYPE

The aim of this paper is to present results concerning a three-dimensional model including a prey, a predator and top-predator, which we have named the Volterra–Gause model because it combines the original model of V. Volterra incorporating a logisitic limitation of the P. F. Verhulst type on growth of the prey and a limitation of the G. F. Gause type on the intensity of predation of the predator on the prey and of the top-predator on the predator. This study highlights that this model has several Hopf bifurcations and a period-doubling cascade generating a snail shell-shaped chaotic attractor. With the aim of facilitating the choice of the simplest and most consistent model a comparison is established between this model and the so-called Rosenzweig–MacArthur and Hastings–Powell models. Many resemblances and differences are highlighted and could be used by the modellers. The exact values of the parameters of the Hopf bifurcation are provided for each model as well as the values of the parameters making it possible to carry out the transition from a typical phase portrait characterizing one model to another (Rosenzweig–MacArthur to Hastings–Powell and vice versa). The equations of the Volterra–Gause model cannot be derived from those of the other models, but this study shows similarities between the three models. In cases in which the top-predator has no effect on the predator and consequently on the prey, the models can be reduced to two dimensions. Under certain conditions, these models present slow–fast dynamics and their attractors are lying on a slow manifold surface, the equation of which is given.
Embryonic mechanical and soluble cues regulate tendon progenitor cell gene expression as a function of developmental stage and anatomical origin

Stem cell-based engineering strategies for tendons have yet to yield a normal functional tissue, due in part to a need for tenogenic factors. Additionally, the ability to evaluate differentiation has been challenged by a lack of markers for differentiation. We propose to inform tendon regeneration with developmental cues involved in normal tissue formation and with phenotypic markers that are characteristic of differentiating tendon progenitor cells (TPCs). Mechanical forces, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-4 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 are implicated in embryonic tendon development, yet the isolated effects of these factors on differentiating TPCs are unknown. Additionally, developmental mechanisms vary between limb and axial tendons, suggesting the respective cell types are programmed to respond uniquely to exogenous factors. To characterize developmental cues and benchmarks for differentiation toward limb vs. axial phenotypes, we dynamically loaded and treated TPCs with growth factors and assessed gene expression profiles as a function of developmental stage and anatomical origin. Based on scleraxis expression, TGFβ2 was tenogenic for TPCs at all stages, while loading was for late-stage cells only, and FGF4 had no effect despite regulation of other genes. When factors were combined, TGFβ2 continued to be tenogenic, while FGF4 appeared anti-tenogenic. Various treatments elicited distinct responses by axial vs. limb TPCs of specific stages. These results identified tenogenic factors, suggest tendon engineering strategies should be customized for tissues by anatomical origin, and provide stage-specific gene expression profiles of limb and axial TPCs as benchmarks with which to monitor tenogenic differentiation of stem cells.
Evaluation of Edible, Bilayer Films for Use as Moisture Barriers for Food

Two edible, bilayer films, consisting of methylcellulose (MC) and polyethylene glycol 400 in the hydrocolloid layer, and beeswax, either applied molten (Wax-M film) or from an ethanol solution (Wax-S film), in the lipid layer, were evaluated as barriers to water vapor (WV) after abusive tests. The Wax-M film maintained its WV barrier properties better than the Wax-S film after mechanical abuse. The Wax-M film was also evaluated as a moisture barrier when formed-in-place on the surface of brownies. When brownies were stored at 100% relative humidity and 25°C, the Wax-M film significantly (P < 0.05) decreased moisture absorption as compared to that of control samples.
J. Wentzel van Huyssteen: Refiguring Rationality in the Postmodern Age

In his three books J. Wentzel van Huyssteen develops a complex and helpful notion of rationality, avoiding the extremes of foundationalism and postmodern relativism and deconstruction. Drawing from several postmodern philosophers of science and evolutionary epistemologists who seek to devise a usable notion of rationality, he weaves together a view that allows for a genuine duet betweer sicence and theology. In the process he challenges much contemporary nonfoundationalist theology as well as the philosophical naivete of some cosmologists and sociobiologists.
The application of a multi-faceted approach for evaluating and improving the life cycle environmental performance of service industries

Abstract Service industries continue to be to be a driving force economically, both within the US and globally, yet their environmental impacts still tend to be overlooked. This article presents a hybrid life cycle assessment case study to assess and quantify the life cycle impacts of an engineering service firm. The data for the hybrid LCA of the firm's activities and operations was collected for one fiscal year, from January 2009 to December 2009. Data collection methods include an energy audit, personnel survey, and assessment of waste management practices. The results of the case study show that the impacts of employee travel and transportation as well as the building premises are the major contributors to the environmental impact of a service industry (40% and 24% of GWP, respectively) and should be the areas targeted for improvements to reduce life-cycle impacts of similar service firms. The study also reveals that in order to make specific targeted reductions to a firm's life-cycle impacts, more in depth evaluation of certain activities, such as workstation energy consumption, can be essential to identifying unnecessary wastes of resources.
Civilian gunshot wounds: the limits of salvageability.

Patients who have suffered gunshot wounds in civilian settings, who present with posturing and in whom the bullet has passed through the geographical centre of the brain have generally not been felt to be salvageable. However, surprisingly favourable outcomes in two such patients have led us to believe that some such patients may deserve agressive treatment.
Comparative Studies of Multiferroic BiFeO3 Powders Prepared by Hydrothermal Method versus Sol-Gel Process

Multiferroic BiFeO3 powders were synthesized by two methods: sol-gel process and hydrothermal method. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and particle size distribution analysis. The results obtained by XRD, which is consistent with 86-1518 JCPDS card, show that powders prepared by hydrothermal method are composed of the single phase with the trigonal structure (perovskite-type). It can be found by particle size distribution analysis that the particle size of the samples prepared by sol-gel process is finer and more uniform than that of the samples synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The SEM images of samples depicts that the synthesized BiFeO3 powders are united and the average grain size of hydrothermal processed samples is significantly large as compared to the sol-gel derived sample.
A unified treatment of some expansion procedures in perturbation theory: Lie series, Faà di Bruno operators, and Arbogast's Rule

The problem of expanding the transform of a function under a near-identity change of coordinates is reviewed. A common derivation is given for Musen's Faa di Bruno operators and Kamel's Lie series, and both are related to Arbogast's Rule for composing power series.
Investigating the Role of Receptor Clustering and Dynamics in Transmembrane Signaling by Functional Arrays of Bacterial Chemoreceptors

Both clusters and conformational changes are thought to be important in the transmembrane signaling mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis receptors. Full signaling activity of these receptors requires assembly of a ternary complex with two other proteins, CheA and CheW. Weis & coworkers have recently developed an approach for assembling active arrays of the receptor cytoplasmic domain complexes at vesicle surfaces, and have demonstrated that the surface density modulates the activity of the receptor: high density increases the kinase activity and low density increases the methylation activity (Besschetnova et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 12289). In order to determine how ligand binding modulates this density-dependent equilibrium, we have reconstituted the intact receptor into membrane vesicles at a range of lipid:protein ratios. Preliminary results indicate that the kinase activity of the intact receptor exhibits a density dependence similar to that of the cytoplasmic fragment arrays: the fully methylated receptor shows little activity change with density but the demethylated receptor requires high density for full activity. Thus methylation state modulates the density-dependent equilibrium of the intact receptor and experiments are in progress to determine whether attractant ligand modulates it in an opposing manner. We are also assembling vesicle surface-associated functional arrays of the receptor cytoplasmic fragment for further biophysical studies: (1) solid-state NMR distance measurements to determine the array geometry, and (2) mass spectrometry measurements to determine whether receptor dynamics change with signaling state.Supported by NIH GM47601.
Science objectives and the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 mission design

The two Mariner spacecraft to be launched in 1977 to fly by Jupiter and Saturn require a mission design which is heavily dependent on science objectives. These science objectives translate into trajectory requirements imposed by one or more of the eleven instruments aboard Mariner such as distance of closest approach, inclination, occultation, lighting, etc., at the bodies of interest. Also, Jupiter and Saturn cannot be considered as individual targets but as miniature solar systems, where the mission design must apply to the Jovian and Saturnian satellites, and to Saturn's rings. The major objective of this analysis is to translate the science desires into the mission possibilities. Each object, be it a Galilean satellite, Titan, or the ring of Saturn, provides a unique region suitable for scientific investigation for the on-board instruments. Some of these trajectory regions overlap, others do not. Thus, critical choices must be made in selecting the trajectories to be flown by the two Mariner spacecraft. Such a choice, though preliminary, has been made by the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 (MJS'77) science teams, and a brief discussion of the selection process and the pair of trajectories chosen is presented in this paper.
Restoration of threatened species: a noble cause for transgenic trees

Some of the first applications of transgenic trees in North America may be for the conservation or restoration of threatened forest trees that have been devastated by fungal pathogens or insect pests. In some cases, where resistance has yet to be found in the natural population of a tree species, incorporating genes from other organisms may offer the only hope for restoration. In others, transgenics may play a role as part of an integrated approach, along with conventional breeding or biocontrol agents. American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was wiped out as a canopy species by a fungal disease accidentally introduced into the United States around 1900. Similarly, American elm (Ulmus americana) virtually disappeared as a favored street tree from Northeastern U.S. cities after the introduction of the Dutch elm disease fungus in the 1940s. In both cases, progress has been made toward restoration via conventional techniques such as selection and propagation of tolerant cultivars (American elm) or breeding with a related resistant species (American chestnut). Recently, progress has also been made with development of systems for engineering antifungal candidate genes into these “heritage trees.” An Agrobacterium-leaf disk system has been used to produce transgenic American elm trees engineered with an antimicrobial peptide gene that may enhance resistance to Dutch elm disease. Two gene transfer systems have been developed for American chestnut using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of embryogenic cultures, setting the stage for the first tests of potential antifungal genes for their ability to confer resistance to the chestnut blight fungus. Despite the promise of transgenic approaches for restoration of these heritage trees, a number of technical, environmental, economic, and ethical questions remain to be addressed before such trees can be deployed, and the debate around these questions may be quite different from that associated with transgenic trees developed for other purposes.
Abstract 4358: Notch signaling regulates tumor-induced angiogenesis in SPARC-overexpressed neuroblastoma

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Despite existing aggressive treatment modalities, survival for advanced stage neuroblastoma remains poor with significant long-term illness in disease survivors. Advance stage disease features are associated with tumor vascularity, and as such, angiogenesis inhibitors may prove useful along with current therapies. SPARC (also known as BM-40 or osteonectin), a matricellular protein, is known to inhibit the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells stimulated by growth factors and induces endothelial cell apoptosis. Here, we sought to determine the effect of SPARC on neuroblastoma tumor cell-induced angiogenesis and to decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in angiogenesis inhibition. SPARC overexpression in neuroblastoma cells inhibited neo-vascularization in vivo as determined by the mouse dorsal air sac model. In addition, conditioned medium from SPARC-overexpressed neuroblastoma cancer cells (pSPARC-CM) inhibited endothelial tube formation in vitro. SPARC-overexpressed tumor cell conditioned medium decreased proliferation (as determined by MTT assay and Ki-67 immunofluorescence) and induced apoptosis in endothelial cells (as determined by TUNEL assay). Furthermore, SPARC-overexpressed tumor cell conditioned medium inhibited expression of the pro-angiogenic molecules VEGF, FGF, PDFG, and MMP-9 as determined by human angiogenesis-PCR array. In addition to the inhibition of growth factors, SPARC-overexpressed tumor cell conditioned medium inhibited Notch signaling molecules in HMEC cells as determined by Western blotting. Conditioned medium from neuroblastoma cells overexpressed with Notch intracellular domain after SPARC overexpression, induced growth factors and led to increased tube formation in vitro. In vivo endothelial cell death was confirmed by co-localization studies with TUNEL assay, and an endothelial marker, CD31, in tumor sections from SPARC-overexpressed mice. Our data collectively suggest that SPARC overexpression induces endothelial cell apoptosis in vivo and inhibits angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4358. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4358