cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient image browsing with JPEG2000 internet protocol

The JPEG2000 image compression standard provides many features to support interactive access to large images. These include efficient lossless and lossy compression, resolution scalability, quality scalability, region of interest coding and spatial random access. The ISO/IEC JPEG committee is in the process of finalizing the JPEG2000 Internet Protocol (JPIP) standard for interacting with JPEG2000 files. JPIP is tightly coupled to JPEG2000 and provides a powerful and flexible client-server architecture. By combining JPIP and JPEG2000 it is possible to store only one compressed file at the server and transmit the resolution, quality, and Window Of Interest (WOI) specified by the client, without having to transmit or decode the entire code-stream. This minimizes server computation, storage and bandwidth. It also reduces the latency for the client. By sending only the data that the client needs the effective compression ratio for client-server applications can be much higher than the file size compression ratio. A prototype JPIP client/server implementation is used to demonstrate resolution scalability, quality scalability and spatial random access of medical images. Efficiency, latency improvements and PSNR quality of the received images are measured as a function of the number of bytes transferred from the server to the client. The choice of JPEG2000 compression parameters, such as precincts and tiles, and the trade-offs of stateful and stateless sessions are discussed. The inclusion of radiology reports as metadata in image files is also demonstrated.
Colonialism and the Economic Demise and Transformation of Northern Nigeria's Slave Fundamental Extractors From 1903 to the 1920s

British colonial policies such as military force, anti-slavery legislation, taxes, commodification, and indirect rule all combined to change Northern Nigeria's rural social formation. For slave owners, who made up to a growing part of Northern Nigeria's social formation before colonial rule and who used slave labor on plantations, mining, leather works and textile production, the nature of transformation was two-fold. First, British colonial rule weakened the economic conditions of slave owners. Second, after weakening their economic base, British colonial rule transformed these slave owners into various class and non-class positions. The paper concludes that the transformation of former slave owners into these new class and non-class positions negatively affected their ability to accumulate wealth as they previously had. Therefore, they found it difficult to transform themselves to feudalists or capitalists. Colonial rule reduced them to positions of traders and administrators. In these positions they could not participate in productive economic activities until the end of colonial rule.
Catalysis of proton decay by cosmic strings at finite temperature

Abstract We determine the finite temperature corrections to elastic and inelastic cross sections for the scattering of fermions by cosmic strings. In particular, we obtain the proton decay catalysis cross section at finite temperature. We conclude that, as the temperature T approaches the temperature Tc at which the phase transition takes place, model dependent zero temperature enhancement factors tend to 1.
Information Processing and Educational Microcomputer Technology Where Do We Go from Here

Microcomputer technology has enormous potential for altering the educational experiences and outcomes of learning handicapped youngsters. This article explores two particular areas of the learning process that appear to be fertile ground for implementing effective microcomputer technology. The first area is that of extended practice and its role in the development of increased automaticity of basic information processing skills. Several examples are presented of empirical research employing extended, microcomputer-based, daily practice on basic mathematics and reading tasks with learning disabled students. The second area discussed involves problem solving and metacognitive activities. The teacher, microcomputer, and learner are envisaged as three integrally related aspects of the microeducational environment. Microcomputer technology stimulates and enables innovative role definition for each. Finally, several potentially problematic issues related to tool use and to information processing characteristics...
Green leaf phenology at Landsat resolution: Scaling from the field to the satellite

Despite the large number of in situ, plot-level phenological measurements and satellite-derived phenological studies, there has been little success to date in merging these records temporally or spatially. In this research, we bridge this scale gap through higher resolution satellite records (Landsat) and quantify the accuracy of satellite-derived metrics with direct field measurements. We compiled fifty-seven Landsat scenes from southern New England (P12 R51) from 1984 to 2002. Green vegetation areal abundance for each scene was derived from spectral mixture analysis and a single set of endmembers. The leaf area signal was fit with a logistic-growth simulating sigmoid curve to derive phenological markers (half-maximum leafonset and offset). Spring leaf-onset dates in homogenous stands of deciduous forests displayed significant and persistent local variability. The local variability was validated with multiple springtime ground observations (r 2 =0.91). The highest degree of verified small-scale variation occurred where contiguous forests displayed leaf-onset gradients of 10–14 days over short distances (<500 m). These dramatic gradients occur in of lowrelief (<40 m) upland regions. The patterns suggest that microclimates resulting from springtime cold-air drainage may be influential in governing the start of leaf growth; every 4.16 m loss in elevation delayed spring leaf onset by 1 day. These microclimates may be of crucial importance in interpreting in situ records andinterpolating phenology from satellite data. Regional patterns from the Landsat analyses suggest topographic, coastal, and land-use controls on phenology. Our results indicate that deciduous forests in the Providence, RI metropolitan area leaf out 5–7 days earlier than comparable rural areas. The platform-independent curve-fit methodology may be extended across platforms and field data. The methodologically consistent approach, in tandem with Landsat data, allows an effective scaling from plot to satellite phenological observations.
Antibody‐Secreting Cell Precursor Frequencies among the Sheep‐Erythrocyte‐Binding Cells after Immunization

Controversy concerning the immunologic role of antigen-binding cells (ABC) has prompted us to attempt to quantitate the proportion of stimulable ABC, in immunized animals, which are precursors for cells producing antibody specific for the antigen bound. Using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-driven limiting dilution analysis system, the precursor frequency (PF) of cells secreting IgM and IgG and sheep erythrocyte (SRBC)-specific IgM and IgG was established for highly purified SRBC antigen-binding cell (SRBC-ABC) and unfractionated populations taken from CBA/J mouse spleens on days 5, 12 and 180 of the in vivo primary immune response to SRBC. At all these times, almost all SRBC-ABC spontaneously secreting immunoglobulin (Ig) secreted SRBC-specific Ig, and almost all precursors of Ig-secreting cells in the ABC populations were precursors of cells secreting specific anti-SRBC antibody. In SRBC-ABC populations, the PF for total and SRBC-specific Ig secretion was seen to decrease on days 5 and 12 after immunization and to increase to 3.5 to 7 times nonimmune levels 180 days after immunization. The absolute number of precursors, within the SRBC-ABC population, for the secretion of SRBC-specific Ig decreased on day 12 after immunization. In the unfractionated population, the PF for SRBC-specific Ig secretion temporarily increased after immunization, reaching peak levels 5 days (IgM) and 12 days (IgG) after immunization. These two changes may be related, representing the progress of stimulated cells out of the ABC pool as they lose receptors en route to full maturation. The small clone sizes on days 5 and 12 indicate that ABC divide less in response to LPS when already engaged in a response to antigen. In contrast, the PF for total IgM and IgG secretion in the unfractionated population was not greatly affected by immunization.
Rhinovirus-Induced Barrier Dysfunction in Polarized Airway Epithelial Cells Is Mediated by NADPH Oxidase 1

Previously, we showed that rhinovirus (RV), which is responsible for the majority of common colds, disrupts airway epithelial barrier function, as evidenced by reduced transepithelial resistance (R(T)), dissociation of zona occludins 1 (ZO-1) from the tight junction complex, and bacterial transmigration across polarized cells. We also showed that RV replication is required for barrier function disruption. However, the underlying biochemical mechanisms are not known. In the present study, we found that a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mimetic, poly(I:C), induced tight junction breakdown and facilitated bacterial transmigration across polarized airway epithelial cells, similar to the case with RV. We also found that RV and poly(I:C) each stimulated Rac1 activation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and Rac1-dependent NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) activity. Inhibitors of Rac1 (NSC23766), NOX (diphenylene iodonium), and NOX1 (small interfering RNA [siRNA]) each blocked the disruptive effects of RV and poly(I:C) on R(T), as well as the dissociation of ZO-1 and occludin from the tight junction complex. Finally, we found that Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is not required for either poly(I:C)- or RV-induced reductions in R(T). Based on these results, we concluded that Rac1-dependent NOX1 activity is required for RV- or poly(I:C)-induced ROS generation, which in turn disrupts the barrier function of polarized airway epithelia. Furthermore, these data suggest that dsRNA generated during RV replication is sufficient to disrupt barrier function.
Sulfur dioxide adsorption and photooxidation on isotopically-labeled titanium dioxide nanoparticle surfaces: roles of surface hydroxyl groups and adsorbed water in the formation and stability of adsorbed sulfite and sulfate

Transmission FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to probe the details of sulfur dioxide adsorption and photooxidation on titanium dioxide nanoparticle surfaces. Adsorption sites, surface speciation and photooxidation chemistry have been determined from analysis of FTIR spectra in conjunction with isotope labeling experiments. These data show that surface hydroxyl groups are involved in the adsorption of sulfur dioxide, and in particularly, sulfur dioxide reacts with either one surface O–H group to yield adsorbed bisulfite or two surface O–H groups to yield adsorbed sulfite and water. Using 16O–H, 16O–D and 18O–H labeled surface O–H groups, additional insights into the adsorption mechanism as well as shifts in the vibrational modes of adsorbed sulfite have been determined. Upon irradiation, adsorbed sulfite/bisulfite converts to adsorbed sulfate. The relative stability of adsorbed sulfite to adsorbed sulfate on TiO2 nanoparticle surfaces was also examined in the presence of increasing relative humidity (RH). It is shown here that adsorbed water can more easily displace sulfite compared to sulfate by forming a stable sulfur dioxide water complex in the presence of adsorbed water. These differences in the RH-dependent stability of adsorbed species that form as a result of surface heterogeneous reactions on oxide particles surfaces has important implications in the heterogeneous chemistry of mineral dust aerosol in the atmosphere.
Small-molecule CRTH2 antagonists for the treatment of allergic inflammation: an overview

The discovery of a second receptor for prostaglandin D2, chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on T helper type 2 (CRTH2), has revived significant efforts into the development of small-molecule antagonists for allergic diseases as the receptor is predominantly expressed on cells such as eosinophils, TH2 cells and basophils, which are major pro-inflammatory cells in diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. This brief review serves to illustrate current patent literature focusing on the similarities and differences of an ever-growing number of CRTH2 antagonists emerging from corporate laboratories.
The Impact of Uninterrupted Warfarin on Hand and Wrist Surgery

Purpose To determine the impact of uninterrupted use of warfarin on hand and wrist surgery. Methods This single-center, prospective cohort trial enrolled adult patients undergoing hand and wrist surgery. Between May 2009 and August 2014, 47 surgical patients receiving uninterrupted warfarin (50 procedures) were enrolled and matched as a group by age and procedure type to 48 surgical patients (50 procedures) who were not prescribed warfarin. Complications, defined as bleeding, infection, or wound dehiscence requiring reoperation, were recorded for each group. Surgical outcome measures were composed of objective findings affected by surgical site bleeding (ie, ecchymosis extent, hematoma presence, 2-point discrimination) and standardized patient-rated assessments ( Quick –Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, and visual analog scales: pain and swelling). We collected data preoperatively and at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively. Statistical analyses contrasted complications and outcomes data between patient groups. Results One procedure (2%; 95% confidence interval, 0% to 11%) in a patient taking warfarin was complicated by hematoma requiring reoperation resulting from an elevated postoperative international normalized ratio of 5.4. There were no complications among controls (0%; 95% confidence interval, 0% to 7%). At 2 weeks postoperatively, patients receiving warfarin more frequently had hematomas (28% vs 10%) and demonstrated a greater extent of ecchymosis from the surgical incision (50 vs 19 mm). At 4 weeks, no differences existed in hematoma presence or extent of ecchymosis between groups. The incidence of transiently elevated 2-point discrimination was not different between groups (10% warfarin; 6% controls). Visual analog scores for pain and swelling were not significantly different between groups at any time. Differences in Quick –Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores between groups did not exceed a minimal clinically important difference. Conclusions Uninterrupted use of warfarin in patients undergoing surgery of the hand and wrist was associated with an infrequent risk of bleeding complication requiring reoperation. Increased rates of hematoma and ecchymosis in patients taking warfarin normalized by 4 weeks postoperatively. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.
Peer collaboration and concept development: Learning about photosynthesis

The researchers designed the study to achieve two goals: (1) determine the affect of peer collaboration on high school biology students' acquisition of concepts related to photosynthesis and (2) examine interactions in a collaborative peer group situation to determine how these interactions relate to the developpment of concepts associated with photosynthesis. Using quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques, the researchers concluded that students working in peer collaborative groups developed more scientifically correct conceptions of photosynthesis than did students working alone. However, not all group-generated views were internalized by group members when assessed individually. Based on qualitative data, a functional relationship exists between prior knowledge and concept development. Two types of peer interaction, consonant and dissonant, were identified as enhancing concept development. When peer group roles are not assigned, roles fluctuate depending on group members' expertise or perceived expertise displaying a bidirectional zone of proximal development. This zone allows for enhanced concept development. Based on the above conclusions, the researchers recommend that (1) peer collaboration be used to help students overcome scientific misconceptions; (2) peer collaborative tasks be designed to engage students in consonant and dissonant interactions; and (3) cognitive group roles, as opposed to traditionl managerial cooperative group roles, be used.
Protein synthesis requirements for nuclear division, cytokinesis, and cell separation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Protein synthesis inhibitors have often been used to identify regulatory steps in cell division. We used cell division cycle mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two chemical inhibitors of translation to investigate the requirements for protein synthesis for completing landmark events after the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We show, using cdc2, cdc6, cdc7, cdc8, cdc17 (38 degrees C), and cdc21 (also named tmp1) mutants, that cells arrested in S phase complete DNA synthesis but cannot complete nuclear division if protein synthesis is inhibited. In contrast, we show, using cdc16, cdc17 (36 degrees C), cdc20, cdc23, and nocodazole treatment, that cells that arrest in the G2 stage complete nuclear division in the absence of protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is required late in the cell cycle to complete cytokinesis and cell separation. These studies show that there are requirements for protein synthesis in the cell cycle, after G1, that are restricted to two discrete intervals.
The IOM pain report revisited: setting the stage for what's next in transforming pain care, education and research.

On June 29, 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its seminal report, Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research . This report was not only the culmination of the IOM committee's hard work but was also the fruit born of many people working behind the scenes to get the committee formed as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This was a particularly exciting time for me personally. I was honored to be on the IOM committee, serving with 19 extraordinary multidisciplinary members who together represented just about every aspect of pain care, education, research, and advocacy. I was also relieved to see the project finally completed: We came together in November 2010 and were given a very short time to complete the report, which was mandated to be presented to Congress the following June. We were successful because all members put aside their own biases, affiliations, and potential conflicts and focused on what was best for the person living in pain—and what was best for the United States. We were also successful because of the incredible leadership skills of the chairs of the IOM committee—Drs. Phil Pizzo and Noreen Clark. They were able to herd a group of individual, strong-willed national experts into one unified body, …
Transitory derepression and the maintenance of conjugative plasmids.

It has been proposed that bacterial plasmids cannot be maintained by infectious transfer alone and that their persistence requires positive selection for plasmid-borne genes. To test this hypothesis, the population dynamics of two laboratory and five naturally occurring conjugative plasmids were examined in chemostat cultures of E. coli K-12. Both laboratory plasmids and three of the five wild plasmids failed to increase in frequency when introduced at low frequencies. However, two of the naturally occurring plasmids rapidly increased in frequency, and bacteria carrying them achieved dominance in the absence of selection for known plasmid-borne genes. Three hypotheses for the invasion and persistence of these two plasmids were examined. It is concluded that although these two extrachromsomal genetic elements are repressed for conjugative pili synthesis, as a consequence of high rates of transfer during periods of transitory derepression in newly formed transconjugants, they become established and are maintained by infectious transfer alone. The implications of these observations to the theory of plasmid maintenance and the evolution of repressible conjugative pili synthesis are discussed.
Boundary-scan update-IEEE P1149.2 description and status report

The IEEE P1149.2 Working Group is developing a standard that supports boundary scan for board-level interconnect testing and supports internal scan for device- or board-level component testing. The group's overall objective is to establish minimal mandatory features that are adaptable to individual applications. P1149.2's current status and the most recent proposals being considered for the standard are described. >
For ecasting Consumption in Real Time: The Role of Consumer Confidence Surveys

W e study the role of consumer confidence surveys in forecasting real personal consumption expenditure. We reexamine existing models of consumption and consumer confidence using both quarterly and monthly data in real time. Additionally, we produce forecasts of consumption expenditures with and without consumer confidence measures using a dynamic factor model and a real-time, jagged-edge data set. We establish in a robust way that consumer confidence noticeably improves the accuracy of consumption forecasts. Furthermore, traditional macroeconomic theories seem to be unable to fully account for these results.
ON THE BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HIGHLY PURIFIED GONADOTROPIN FROM PREGNANT MARE SERUM

ALTHOUGH EVANS ET AL. (i) and Hellbaum (2) reported the separation of mare serum into follicle stimulating (FSH) and luteiriiziing (LH) fractions, critical confirmatory studies are still lacking. Our inability to confirm these findings (3) led us to adopt a new approach to the problem; that is, instead of attempting to fractionate two types of gonadotropic hormones we endeavored to fractionate gonadotropic hormone from the inert material in mare serum. Using the method of purification proposed by Cartland and Nelson (4) together with an isoelectric precipitation procedure of our own, we succeeded in preparing extracts testing 4000 to 7000 R.U. per mg. total solids (5). In the original serum there were approxi′mately 2 to 4 R.U. per mg. total solids (the serum assayed 200 to 400 R.U. per cc.) as compared to 7000 R.U. per mg. in the best purified material.
Parenting Dimensionality and Typology in a Disadvantaged, African American Sample: A Cultural Variance Perspective

Although parenting dimensionality and typology have been extensively examined with middle-class Caucasian samples, the parenting styles of low-income, African American mothers have been underexamined. This study focused on the parenting cognitions of single, adolescent, African American mothers from disadvantaged communities. Three parenting dimensions emerged from maternal reports: warmth, control, and anger. Parents were classified into four categories based on their relative scores on these dimensions: dismissive, permissive, authoritative, and affectionate-distressed. Measures of mothers'psychological distress, human capital, and sociodemographic status predicted parenting classification. The four-part typology was further validated by differences in mothers' observed parenting behaviors and reports of child outcome as a function of parenting type. Overall, dismissive and distressed parents exhibited the least optimal behavior, and their children displayed the poorest outcomes at 2-year follow-up. Res...
Building 3D Layer-by-Layer Graphene-Gold Nanoparticle Hybrid Architecture with Tunable Interlayer Distance

The ability to construct self-assembled three-dimensional (3D) superstructures with desired functionality is not only of scientific curiosity but also crucial in the bottom-up nanofabrication of smart materials and devices. Here a facile solution-processable strategy for creating 3D layer-by-layer graphene–gold nanoparticle architectures was developed in which cysteine molecules with amino groups were chemically grafted onto the surface of graphene oxide and then the cysteine thiol groups were attached to the surface of gold nanorods (GNRs) through strong covalent Au–S linkages. In this self-assembled structure, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), it was confirmed that the graphene layers aligned in parallel fashion rather than randomly to each other by the lying down patterns of the GNRs, which also formed layers in parallel. Furthermore, spherical gold nanoparticles with different sizes were used to control the interlayer distance of the 3D hybri...
Light and electron microscopy of intestinal ferritin absorption. Observations in sensitized and nonsensitized hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

The intestinal absorptive cells of adult hamsters which have been pretreated with intraperitoneal injections of horse ferritin or subcutaneous injections of ferritin-adjuvant mixture show a marked absorption of this protein when it is introduced into ligated segments of the intestinal lumen for periods up to three hours. Ferritin is concentrated in the enteric surface coating, intracytoplasmic vesicles in the supranuclear area, and the Golgi apparatus. Large aggregates are localized in macrophages, fibrocytes, and endothelial cells of the lamina propria. Individual molecules are also present in these cells, plasma cells, intercellular spaces and capillary lumens.
Flight-muscle adenylate pool responses to flight demands and thermal constraints in individual Colias eurytheme (Lepidoptera, pieridae).

We study here the connections among body temperature variation, flight performance and flight ‘fuel’ metabolism in Colias eurytheme butterflies, to begin re-examining the metabolic reasons for animal thermoregulation. Methods are presented for (a) stable extraction of adenylates (and other metabolites) from the flight muscles of individual Colias eurytheme, (b) automated separation and quantitative analysis of individual adenylate samples by high-pressure liquid chromatography and (c) reliable, low-variance assay of inorganic phosphate levels in the same extracts. Correlations among metabolite concentrations and two indices of muscle cytosol ATP maintenance occur as expected on general metabolic principles. [ATP] and [ATP]/[ADP] decline from resting levels to reach a plateau in the first minute of free, interrupted flight, while [AMP] increases at the same time; these concentrations do not vary further for up to 6 min total flight time. In an initial test of the alternative metabolic bases of the thermoregulation of Colias eurytheme, we find that [ATP]/[ADP] rises between a body temperature, T(b), of 31 and 35 degrees C, at the base of the behavioral thermal optimum for flight, but then decreases again at T(b)=39 degrees C, at the top of the behavioral thermal optimum and well short of damaging temperatures. This is not consistent with the view that metabolic effectiveness increases monotonically up to the lower limits of thermal damage to enzymes, but supports an alternative hypothesis that the narrowness of thermoregulation results from a system-based constraint on the breadth of temperature over which maximal energy processing is possible.
Comparison between finite-span steady and synthetic jets issued into a quiescent fluid

Abstract In this study a finite-span synthetic jet is compared to a steady jet with matched Reynolds number ( Re o = 615 and 1230). At the aspect ratios studied (AR = 6, 12, and 18) the synthetic jet flow field is very complex yielding very different flow behavior when compared to the steady jet. The entire flow volume was attained allowing for a unique three-dimensional characterization of the jets. Direct measurements of the jet momentum transport showed that the synthetic jet generated up to three times more streamwise momentum than the steady jet. The steady and synthetic jets also showed very different vorticity structures, where the synthetic jet was much more proficient in enstrophy production. Two popular velocity scales for the synthetic jet are compared throughout the article displaying that the interpretation of the results can be very different depending which scale is chosen.
Improving the Quality of Professional Life: Benefits of Health Education and Promotion Association Membership

Membership in national, regional, and state health education and promotion associations can be beneficial to the new and/or prospective academic professional. Association membership benefits include (but are not limited to) professional development opportunities for developing presentation skills, exposure to current research and pedagogy, career development, and networking. The purpose of this article is to 1) outline benefits of association membership for the new and/or prospective health educator, 2) provide a list of current health education and promotion associations, and 3) encourage membership and active participation in professional associations for the new, prospective, and/or seasoned health education and promotion professional.
“Expanding Red Movement” in Hunan,Hubei,Sichuan and Guizhou Revolutionary Base and Its Historical and Practical Significance

Hunan,Hubei,Sichuan and Guizhou revolutionary base was the last piece of red base on the south area of the Yangtze River,which was the brightest in the country after the Red Army left the original base. It was established by the Red,six Army joined forces for the victory of our revolution war,and the role it played cannot be ignored. The paper starts with "expanding red movement"as the research dimension,and makes profound analysis on three aspects. Faced with KMT's "encirclement",reactionary forces within the base and weak local armed forces,it was urgent to have the"expanding the Red Movement"organization."Expanding the Red Movement"not only launched the fight against the feudal reactionary forces to safeguard the Soviet regime,but promoted the growth of the revolutionary ranks,and coordinated the Red Army to defend the results of the agrarian revolution as well. It has important historical significance for the Communist Party of China to expand its influence. It has also its influence on today's close ties between the parties to deal with minority relations,and strengthen army building,which has important practical significance.
Brief Report: Simulations Suggest Heterogeneous Category Learning and Generalization in Children with Autism is a Result of Idiosyncratic Perceptual Transformations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes have difficulties learning categories. Past computational work suggests that such deficits may result from atypical representations in cortical maps. Here we use neural networks to show that idiosyncratic transformations of inputs can result in the formation of feature maps that impair category learning for some inputs, but not for other closely related inputs. These simulations suggest that large inter- and intra-individual variations in learning capacities shown by children with ASD across similar categorization tasks may similarly result from idiosyncratic perceptual encoding that is resistant to experience-dependent changes. If so, then both feedback- and exposure-based category learning should lead to heterogeneous, stimulus-dependent deficits in children with ASD.
Enalapril decreases prevalence of ventricular tachycardia in patients with chronic congestive heart failure

Background. Patients with heart failure have a high prevalence of serious arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Methods and Results. Male patients aged 18-75 years with chronic heart failure were randomized to enalapril or hydralazine-isosorhide dinitrate. Short-term (4-hour to 8-hour) Holter tape recordings were performed before randomization, at 3 months, at 1 year, and yearly thereafter. Of 804 patients randomized to therapy, 715 had Holters at baseline. Couplets were noted in 56% versus 60% and ventricular tachycardia (VT) (three or more consecutive ventricular premature beats) in 27% versus 29% of patients randomized to enalapril versus hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate, respectively
Nilpotent Groups and Anharmonic Oscillators

Representations of nilpotent groups relate different quantum systems having polynomial interactions. In this paper the nilpotent group associated with the quartic anharmonic oscillator is analyzed in detail and the relationship between the quartic anharmonic oscillator Hamiltonian and irreducible representations of Lie algebra elements of the nilpotent group is given. Scaling operators are used to partially determine the functional form of the eigenvalues. The Hamiltonian for a particle in a nonconstant magnetic field, as well as a “heat” Hamiltonian, are shown to be related to reducible representations of the nilpotent group. Generalizations to other nilpotent groups for which there are scaling operators are also given.
Role of electron and phonon temperatures in the helicity-independent all-optical switching of GdFeCo

Author(s): Gorchon, J; Wilson, RB; Yang, Y; Pattabi, A; Chen, JY; He, L; Wang, JP; Li, M; Bokor, J | Abstract: Ultrafast optical heating of the electrons in ferrimagnetic metals can result in all-optical switching (AOS) of the magnetization. Here we report quantitative measurements of the temperature rise of GdFeCo thin films during helicity-independent AOS. Critical switching fluences are obtained as a function of the initial temperature of the sample and for laser pulse durations from 55 fs to 15 ps. We conclude that nonequilibrium phenomena are necessary for helicity-independent AOS, although the peak electron temperature does not play a critical role. Pump-probe time-resolved experiments show that the switching time increases as the pulse duration increases, with 10 ps pulses resulting in switching times of ∼13 ps. These results raise new questions about the fundamental mechanism of helicity-independent AOS.
How to Effectively Teach Millennials: Understanding Intergenerational Factors

Over the last 100 years, the medical profession has evolved faster than it has over the last 1000 years. Since the turn of the twentieth century, tremendous growth of new technologies has had an enormous effect on generations and consequently their teaching and learning styles. Add to that the advent of today’s social connectedness and you have the basis for one of the key challenges of medical education today: a new generation of learners called Generation Y, also known as the Millennials. The Millennials pose a new set of challenges but, at the same time, offer exciting opportunities for medical educators to engage these learners in meaningful ways. This chapter will assist the clinical teacher in this process.
Temperature measurements and heat transfer in near-surface snow at the South Pole

To study near-surface heat flow on the Antarctic ice sheet, snow temperatures were measured at South Pole Station to a depth of 3 m at 15 min intervals during most of 1992. Solar heating and water-vapor transport were negligible during the 6 month Winter, as was inter-grain net thermal radiation, leaving conduction as the dominant heat-transport mechanism. The rate of temperature change at depth over 15 min intervals was smaller than that at the surface, by one order of magnitude at 20 cm depth and two orders of magnitude at 1 m depth. A finite-difference model, with conduction as the only heat-transfer mechanism and measured temperatures as the upper and lower boundary conditions, was applied to foursets of three thermistors each. The thermal conductivity was estimated as that which minimized the difference between modeled and measured 15 min changes in temperatures at the center thermistor. The thermal conductivity obtained at shallow depths (above 40 cm) was lower than that given by existing parameterizations based on density, probably because the snow grains were freshly deposited, cold and poorly bonded. A model using only vertical conduction explains on average 87% ofthe observed 15 min temperature changes at less than 60 cm depth and 92% below 60 cm. The difference between modeled andmeasured temperature changes decreased with depth. The discrepancies between model and observation correlated more strongly with the air-snow temperature difference than with the product of that difference with the square of the wind speed,suggesting that the residual errors are due more to non-vertical conduction and to sub-grid-scale variabilis of the conductivity than to windpumping. The residual heating rate not explained by the model of vertical conduction exceeds 0.2 W m−3 only in the top 60 cm of the near-surface snow.
Exploiting Modulation Scheme Diversity in Multicarrier Wireless Networks

The pursuit of high speed wireless communication is pushing wireless networks toward wider channels. Narrowband interference and frequency- selective fading significantly impact the performance of broadband wireless communication. To cope with the harsh channel conditions, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which divides a band of spectrum into numerous subcarriers that carry data in parallel, is widely adopted. Because subcarriers experience different channel qualities in a wide band of spectrum, different modulation schemes may be used for different subcarriers. This paper exploits the modulation scheme diversity as rich information to assist data transmission. In this paper, we propose encoding each modulation scheme with a bit pattern that occurs frequently when allocating data bits to subcarriers. If the bits to be allocated on a subcarrier match the bit pattern defined on the subcarrier, the receiver is informed by the transmitter through subcarrier nulling. Because the bit pattern usually consists of more bits than that can be represented by a modulation symbol in low-density modulation schemes, the total transmission time is shortened. Further, detecting a null subcarrier is more reliable than decoding a modulation symbol. Therefore, the known bits represented by the selected bit patterns help improve decoding performance. Through experiments on USRP1 we show that the throughput is increased due to shortened transmission time and reduced bit error rates.
Knockout of arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase is associated with adverse metabolic phenotype in mice: the role of sex and arsenic exposure

Susceptibility to toxic effects of inorganic arsenic (iAs) depends, in part, on efficiency of iAs methylation by arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT). As3mt-knockout (KO) mice that cannot efficiently methylate iAs represent an ideal model to study the association between iAs metabolism and adverse effects of iAs exposure, including effects on metabolic phenotype. The present study compared measures of glucose metabolism, insulin resistance and obesity in male and female wild-type (WT) and As3mt-KO mice during a 24-week exposure to iAs in drinking water (0.1 or 1 mg As/L) and in control WT and As3mt-KO mice drinking deionized water. Results show that effects of iAs exposure on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glucose tolerance in either WT or KO mice were relatively minor and varied during the exposure. The major effects were associated with As3mt KO. Both male and female control KO mice had higher body mass with higher percentage of fat than their respective WT controls. However, only male KO mice were insulin resistant as indicated by high FBG, and high plasma insulin at fasting state and 15 min after glucose challenge. Exposure to iAs increased fat mass and insulin resistance in both male and female KO mice, but had no significant effects on body composition or insulin resistance in WT mice. These data suggest that As3mt KO is associated with an adverse metabolic phenotype that is characterized by obesity and insulin resistance, and that the extent of the impairment depends on sex and exposure to iAs, including exposure to iAs from mouse diet.
Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A and C Production with Various Sugars as Energy Source 1.

One percent added sugar (sucrose, maltose, lactose, glucose and glucose plus fructose) to casein hydrolysate (NAK) medium with or without starch or low methoxyl pectin did not significantly affect enterotoxin C production but did significantly decrease the pH at 12 and 24 h. The increased viscosity of colloidally thickened media resulted in decreased aeration in shaken cultures and decreased quantities of enterotoxin C. Sugars tested did not differ practically in their effects on the parameters of multiplying Staphylococcus aureus 361 and 265-1 which were measured. Addition of 1% of glucose, sucrose, or maltose prevented the decreased growth rate observed when strain 265-1 was grown in 20% O2 + 80% N2 instead of air.
Lossless compression of curated erythrocyte images using deep autoencoders for malaria infection diagnosis

While autoencoders have been used as an unsupervised machine learning technique for classification and dimensionality reduction of the input data, they are lossy in nature when used alone in data compression. In this work, we proposed an image coding scheme by using stacked autoencoders, where the reconstruction residuals were entropy-coded to achieve lossless compression. As a case study, we compressed labeled red blood cell images from a database curated by pathologists for malaria infection diagnosis. Specifically, we trained two separate stacked autoencoders to automatically learn the discriminative features from input images of infected and non-infected cells. Subsequently, the residuals of these two classes of images were coded by two independent Golomb-Rice encoders. Testing results showed that this deep learning approach provided remarkably higher compression on average than several other lossless coding methods including JPEG-LS, JPEG 2000 lossless mode, and CALIC.
Needs and Technologies: Combining Knowledge for Innovation

Innovation has been understood as “New Combinations” of knowledge since Schumpeter. How that knowledge is combined and what types of knowledge are combined, however, have remained obfuscated as ind...
Muscovite dissolution kinetics as a function of pH at elevated temperature

Abstract Mineral reactivity can play an important role in fracture-controlled fluid networks where maintaining or increasing permeability is a goal, such as enhanced geothermal systems. In these systems, dissolution generates new void space, removes cement and physically transports less reactive mineral grains, while secondary precipitation acts to narrow or seal off fluid pathways. Sheet silicate mineral reactivity is likely to affect permeability evolution at the elevated temperatures of geothermal reservoirs because of the high reactive surface area and prevalence of these minerals in hydrothermal zones. To better describe the reactivity of one common sheet silicate, muscovite, we conducted kinetic dissolution experiments using flow-through reactors at temperatures of 100–280 °C and a pH range of 2–9. Surface area-normalized muscovite dissolution rates ranged from 0.17–155 · 10 − 11 mol m − 2 s − 1 over this temperature range, but showed little variation with pH above 150 °C. Aluminum was released to solution nonstoichiometrically with respect to dissolved silica, most likely resulting from secondary precipitation of an aluminum oxy-hydroxide identified as boehmite (γ-AlO(OH) (s) ) by X-ray diffraction in reaction products from experiments conducted at pH ≤ 6. Surface area-normalized muscovite dissolution rates, Rate mus (mol m − 2 s − 1 ), can be described from 25 to 280 °C with the following kinetic rate equation: R ate mus = 3 ∙ 10 − 3 ∙ e − 44 R ∙ T ∙ a H + 0.8 + 9 ∙ 10 − 6 ∙ e − 45 R ∙ T + 5 ∙ 10 − 1 ∙ e − 61 R ∙ T ∙ a OH − 0.6 ∙ 1 − e − ∆ G r RT where the rate and pre-exponential factors are in mol m − 2 s − 1 ; the activation energies, E , are in kJ mol − 1 ; a H + and a OH − represent the activities of H + and OH − , respectively; R (kJ mol − 1 K − 1 ) is the gas constant; T is the temperature in Kelvins; and Δ G r (kJ mol − 1 ) is a measure of how close the aqueous solution is to muscovite equilibrium. The rate equation is constrained by our new data literature rates and has been evaluated against previous formulations with varying dependence on reaction affinity. Although 150 °C muscovite rates from Oelkers et al. (2008) show a systematic dependence on reaction affinity, incorporating this dependence did not accurately reproduce the higher-temperature rates. We recommend the rate equation shown above, with an affinity term that slows reaction rates only when solutions are close to equilibrium, for simulating the dissolution of muscovite under geothermal conditions.
First-principles study on Ni 3 Al ( 111 ) antiphase boundary with Ti and Hf impurities

The effect of Ti and Hf impurities on the $(111)$ antiphase boundary (APB) energy of ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}\mathrm{Al}$ is investigated via ab initio calculations. Cluster expansion is performed to predict supercell total energies sampled in a Monte Carlo approach that accounts for nondilute point defects at finite temperature, obtaining APB energies as a function of impurity concentration and temperature. Of the two ternary elements, Hf is more effective in increasing the APB energy. While the $(111)$ APB energy of a pure ${\mathrm{L}1}_{2}$ material requires at least second-nearest-neighbor interactions, we observe a strong correlation between impurity-induced APB energy enhancement and formation of first-nearest-neighbor Ni-Ni bonds across the APB due to symmetry breaking. Using a linear-chain model and effective bond energies derived from effective cluster interactions, we propose a mechanism that explains why Hf is more effective than Ti.
Reciprocal ST-Segment Changes in Myocardial Infarction: Ischemia at Distance Versus Mirror Reflection of ST-Elevation.

Abstract Background Reciprocal ST-depression in the electrocardiograms (ECGs) of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) results from either true ischemia at a distance via collateral circulation diverting blood to the infarcted region or an electrical phenomenon that results from a mirror reflection of ST-elevation. We aimed to identify the role of reciprocal ECG changes in predicting collateral circulation to the infarcted area determined angiographically. Methods In a retrospective study, ECG and angiography of 53 STEMI patients admitted to SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2014 were reviewed independently by experts blinded to the results of ECG and coronary angiography. Results Reciprocal changes (RC) in ECG were present in 41 patients (77%) and on angiography, 14 patients (26%) exhibited collateral vessels to the ischemic areas. No correlation was found between the presence of RC and collateral circulation (P = 0.384), or between the depth of reciprocal ST-depression and the degree of the collateral circulation (P = 0.195). However, 84% of patients without collaterals exhibited resolution of RC after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (P = 0.036), suggesting that the ST depressions that resolved after reperfusion were directly caused by the culprit vessel. Patients without RC presented late after symptom onset (9.25 versus 3.83 hours, P = 0.004), also suggesting time related resolution. Conclusions RC had no relation to or predictive value for collaterals on angiography. Among late presenting patients, RC were less frequent. Thus, reciprocal ST-depression may represent subendocardial ischemia from the primary coronary event or simply an electrical phenomenon, rather than ischemia at distance from impaired collateral circulation.
CD19 CAR-T therapy and sepsis: dancing with the devil.

In this issue of Blood , Hill and colleagues characterized infectious complications in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies after treatment with CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor–modified T (CAR-T) cells in a phase 1/2 study. 1 This is the first study that systemically analyzed infectious events in CAR–T-cell–treated patients.
Monomialization and Ramification of Valuations

We discuss our recent proof of monomialization of extensions of algebraic local rings in possibly transcendental extensions of algebraic functions fields of characteristic 0. We also present some applications of this theory. We discuss our generalization of the classical theory of ramification of local Dedekind domains to general valuations, which is joint work with Olivier Piltant.