cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anionic sites in basement membranes. Differences in their electrostatic properties in continuous and fenestrated capillaries

We have used ruthenium red, a cationic dye, to detect at the electron microscopic level the presence of anionic sites in various murine basement membranes, with particular emphasis on those of the microvasculature. We have observed anionic sites in all continuous and fenestrated capillaries examined. Terminal lymphatics, which have a discontinuous basement membrane, have sites only where the basement membrane is present. Anionic sites are not present beneath sinusoidal lining cells of the liver which lack a basement membrane. Basement membranes of epithelial cells and those surrounding striated and smooth muscle cells, pericytes, fat cells, and Schwann cells also exhibit anionic sites. We compared the electrostatic properties of anionic sites in basement membranes of continuous and fenestrated capillaries by determining the salt concentration (critical electrolyte concentration, Scott and Dorling, 1965) required to displace ruthenium red from the sites. A concentration of 0.5 M Na+ was required to displace ruthenium red from the basement membrane of continuous capillaries of muscle whereas 1.3 M Na+ was required to displace ruthenium red from the basement membrane of fenestrated peritubular capillaries of the renal cortex. Our results suggest that anionic sites in the basement membrane of fenestrated peritubular capillaries are more strongly negatively charged than those in the basement membrane of continuous capillaries of muscle. We conclude from this study, first, that anionic sites are a general property of vascular, epithelial, and pericellular basement membranes and, second, that the electrostatic properties of the sites differ in different vascular basement membranes. We speculate that the anionic sites in vascular basement membranes and the variation in their electrostatic properties in different types of capillaries may have important implications for exchange of substances across the capillary wall.
The dialectic of presence and absence impasses and the retrieval of meaning states

Every analysis involves oscillations in the ability to generate new meaning, depending on the nature of the anxieties present and containable by the patient, the analyst, or both. Breakdown in this creative process can result in treatment impasses when primitive anxieties are uncontained and projective identifications abound. In this article, I situate clinical impasses within the dialectic of presence and absence. That dialectic requires that the tension be sustained between both terms in such a way that neither is fully negated and a space can exist between the terms, a space in which meaning can flourish and the recognition of freedom can be embraced. I view impasses as psychic and philosophical breakdowns in which presence and absence are polarized and the ability to constitute presence out of absence is lost. I examine this collapsed space as one in which goodness has become perverted in the mind of the patient. I then offer clinical examples in which the analyst discovers how attention to her own su...
Thermal transport for many-body tight-binding models

We clarify some aspects of the calculation of the thermal transport coefficients. For a tight-binding Hamiltonian we discuss the approximate nature of the charge current and the thermal current obtained by Peierls substitution which is also identical to the equation of motion technique. We address the issue of choosing an appropriate basis for making the Peierls construction for transport calculations. We propose a criteria for finding an optimum Wannier basis where the difference between the exact current and the approximate one is minimum. Using the equations of motion we derive the thermal current for a generalized Hubbard model with density interaction. We identify a part which is the contribution from the long-range interactions to the heat current. For the Hubbard model we derive expressions for the transport coefficients in the limit of infinite dimensions.
Supernumerary Nipple Presenting as a Vulvar Mass in an Adolescent: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract Background Ectopic breast tissues can be found along the embryonic mammary ridges and can occur in the vulva. While ectopic breast tissue is not uncommon, functional breast with overlying nipple located within the vulva is exceedingly rare. Case A 17-year-old with undiagnosed hypothyroidism presents with vulvar mass draining milky white fluid. A small lesion with appearance similar to a skin tag is noted and milky fluid expressed. Biopsy and excision of this mass confirmed the presence of a functional supernumerary nipple. Summary and Conclusions This appears to be the first reported case of a supernumerary nipple with symptomatic lactation in a non-pregnant adolescent. Supernumerary nipple should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a vulvar mass. Ectopic breast tissue in the vulva can undergo malignant transformation, therefore excision of this tissue is generally recommended.
A Place Meaning Scale for Tropical Marine Settings

Over the past 20 years, most of the worldwide hectares set aside for environmental protection have been added to marine protected areas. Moreover, these areas are under tremendous pressure from negative anthropogenic impacts. Given this growth and pressure, there is a need to increase the understanding of the connection between people and marine environments in order to better manage the resource. One construct that researchers have used to understand human-environment connections is place meanings. Place meanings reflect the value and significance of a setting to individuals. Most investigations of place meanings have been confined to terrestrial settings. Moreover, most studies have had small sample sizes or have used place attachment scales as a proxy to gage the meanings individuals ascribe to a setting. Hence, it has become necessary to develop a place meaning scale for use with large samples and for use by those who are concerned about the management of marine environments. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to develop a scale to measure the importance people associate with the meanings they ascribe to tropical marine settings and empirically test the scale using two independent samples; that is, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary stakeholders.
Probabilistic analysis of a passive acoustic diver detection system for optimal sensor placement and extensions to localization and tracking

Our previous work describes a simple algorithm for automated detection of diver presence using a single passive hydrophone. This technique is based on extracting a single feature, the "Swimmer Number", from the hydrophone signal, which correlates with diver presence. At any point in time, diver presence can be automatically determined by thresholding the incoming Swimmer Number at an appropriate level. For this system (and other threshold based detection systems) this paper explains how to calculate the probability of detecting a diver at various ranges from the hydrophone. This function is then used to evaluate the probability of detecting a diver at any point in a region, given an arbitrary number of hydrophones which are scattered in arbitrary positions over the region. We next show how non-linear optimization techniques can be used to find the optimal set of sensor positions, which maximize the detection probability over a region of interest, for a given number of sensors. Lastly, we show how this theory can be incorporated into tracking systems, which estimate the location of a moving diver at any point in time, given the outputs of an arbitrarily positioned set of hydrophones.
Modulation of CD4+ T Lymphocyte Lineage Outcomes with Targeted, Nanoparticle-Mediated Cytokine Delivery

Within the immune system there is an exquisite ability to discriminate between “self” and “non-self” that is orchestrated by antigen-specific T lymphocytes. Genomic plasticity enables differentiati...
ON A PARADOX IN QUANTUM MECHANICS

According to the natural philosophy of Empedocles it is a fundamental law of nature that things which are members of a common species of one of the four basic elements, e.g., two batches of water, tend to attract each other, i.e., they have a "natural affinity" for each other. There are many reasons why modern science rejects this sort of view, but there is one objectionable aspect of the Empedoclean view which makes it particularly suitable for my discussion. This is the idea that the species of things as such can be a fundamental factor in causing, and thus in explaining, the behavior of things. This idea is exemplified in the claim that the mere fact that a system consists of things of the same species causes the system to behave in ways it would not otherwise. Today we would say that an account of electricity which took as a fundamental principle "electrons repel each other (because they are of the same species)" is just as unacceptable a candidate for a fundamental account of the nature of things as Empedocles'. The standard explana tion of this electrical phenomenon, viz., any particles of like charge re pel each other by virtue of the interaction of these particles with the electromagnetic field, provides an account in terms of fundamental properties and mechanisms or processes, in which no irreducible reference to the fact that the particles are of the same species is made. Why are such "natural affinities" out of place in physics? We are aware of cases in which things exhibit definite modes of behavior when they are together with things of the same species, e.g., the social behavior of animals of the same species. While we may not know the mechanisms which make such behavior possible, we know that there are genetic, physiological, environmental, social, etc., structures in volved, and we believe explanations of such behavior by means of these structures is always, in principle, possible. We would not be apt to say that it is simply a fundamental fact, unexplainable in terms of anything
Maximum Correlation Analysis of Nonlinear Combining Functions in Stream Ciphers

The maximum correlation of a Boolean function to all Boolean functions of a subset of its input variables is investigated. A relationship is derived between the maximum correlation and the mutual information between the output of a balanced Boolean function and a subset of its random input variables. For bent functions (which are never balanced), both the mutual information and the maximum correlation are bounded and shown to be small in a strong sense.
Tau Pathology as a Cause and Consequence of the UPR

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a site of protein processing and quality control in the cell, replete with mechanisms for recognizing misfolded proteins and resolving proteotoxic stress. These control mechanisms are collectively known as the ER unfolded protein response (UPR; reviewed by [Schro
ESR of V3+ in [C(NH2)3]V(SO4)2 · 6H2O

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of V3+ions in the concentrated salt guanidinium vanadium sulfate hexahydrate (GVSH) and diluted in the isomorphous diamagnetic host guanidinium aluminum sulfate hexahydrate (GASH) have been measured at 21.5 GHz and 4.2 K. The spectra are well-described by a spin Hamiltonian for S = 1 having axial symmetry about the crystalline C3 axis and a singlet ground state. Small rhombic distortions permit observation of forbidden transitions. For GVSH the measured parameters are g=2.00 ± 0.01, g = 1.91 ± 0.01, D = 3.85 ± 0.01 cm-1. Spectra from the dilute salt exhibit hyperfine splitting from the I = 7 2 51 V nucleus with A = (1.01 ± 0.02) × 10-2 cm-1 and B = (0.72 ± 0.05) × 10-2 cm-1. Several features of the dilute spectra are not clearly understood, and attempts to observe spectra from interacting pairs of V3+ ions were inconclusive.
Ehrlichia and bone marrow cells: Could Ehrlichial infection explain the unsuspected etiology of some diseases of the immune system?

A large group of diseases of unknown etiology, including leukemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, myelodysplastic disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, all present with some elements of immune system disturbance. The Ehrlichia/anaplasma (EA) are an obscure group of obligate parasitic intracellular pathogens that excrete intracellularly a substance called host transcriptional protein, which can alter transcription in cell division. Infection with EA may lead to changes in transcription in proliferating cells, such as those in the marrow, and alter the biology of the products such as T and B cells. Normally 60% of B cells produced in the marrow may be self reactive, but are eliminated before release from the marrow. Changes in transcription could allow self reactive cells to escape into the peripheral circulation and injure normal tissue, creating the dysfunctions which characterize the different immune system diseases and give them their separate identities. A number of studies previously published, and new information presented here, suggest that EA infections may be an underlying, undiagnosed cause for these and other immune system diseases. This hypothesis, long overlooked, has never been subjected to adequate, rigorous study sufficient to prove or disprove its truth. If so, patients may be treated with antibiotics, and marrow transplant manipulations already used in treatment of diseases such as lupus and leukemia may become more effective.
Beyond Vox Pop: The Role of News Sourcing and Political Beliefs in Exemplification Effects

The people we see in news media can affect our perceptions of public opinion through exemplification. Although research shows that individuals interviewed in a news story can influence perceptions of public opinion, little attention has been paid to the role that source type and audience attitudes play in the exemplification process. This study tests how the exemplification process is influenced by different types of news sources featured in an article (e.g., vox pop, protester, and interest group interviews) and the audience's own political ideology. The study finds that the perceived typicality of sources is affected by both source type and how much an audience member agrees with the source. Source type is also found to directly affect perceptions of public opinion.
A FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON EXCITATION OF INFECTIONS OF THE THROAT

Improvements are described in the method of following temperature changes, and thus alterations in vasomotor tone, in exposed mucous membranes. Invention of an applicator holder, by means of which more sure and stable apposition of the thermopile terminals to the mucous surface may be effected has been the chief advance. Minor improvements have been the use of a saliva ejector and of better calibration technique. The palatine tonsils, like the palate, pharynx, and skin, react to chilling of the body surface with reflex vasoconstriction and ischemia. On rewarming the subject the tonsils quickly more than recover their former blood supply, actually becoming hyperemic; the skin returns to about its control condition; the pharynx and palate remain somewhat ischemic. The hypothesis is advanced that one factor in the beneficial hardening effect of cold bathing and outdoor living, with its incident heightened immunity to respiratory infection, may be the training of the vasomotor system in the direction of development in the pharynx of a reaction of hyperemia following chilling, similar to that observed in the tonsils of the present subjects. With inhalation of amyl nitrite, the skin temperature has always shown a sharp transient rise. The mucous membrane, if relatively ischemic, responds by a rise corresponding to the skin flush. If already hyperemic, local vasodilation in the mucous membrane with amyl nitrite is more than counterbalanced by the lowering of the general blood pressure, and the temperature falls. The flora of the pharynx and tonsils, studied by the unsatisfactory method described, showed, in several instances, after experimentation changes apparently due to proliferation of one of the microorganisms already present. In one case Streptococcus haemolyticus, in one Micrococcus catarrhalis, and in a third Bacillus influenzae was the organism showing a relative increase in numbers. The first two instances were associated with sore throat, the third with slight constitutional symptoms. The chilling in the experiments in no instance produced albuminuria or glycosuria, although a more dilute urine was apparently excreted during the experiments. A fall in hydrogen ion concentration, referable to the forced respiration, was noted.
Biochemical aspects of inhibition of cardiovascular low (Km) cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase.

Multiple isozymes of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) exist in mammalian cells. At least 5 major types of PDE isozymes have been identified; they differ by substrate affinity, maximal activity, intracellular regulation or mechanism of pharmacologic inhibition. A low Michaelis constant (Km) cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) PDE, whose activity is inhibited by submicromolar concentrations of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and stimulated by cAMP-mediated phosphorylation, is present in both cardiac muscle and vascular smooth muscle. This PDE isozyme (referred to as peak IIIc PDE) is sensitive to selective inhibition by amrinone, milrinone, imazodan, CI-930, piroximone, and numerous other PDE inhibitors. The subcellular distribution of cardiac PDE IIIc varies according to species; it is found in the soluble fraction of guinea pig myocardium, in the particulate fraction of canine myocardium, and in both fractions of primate (simian and human) myocardium. Another PDE isozyme, which is sensitive to inhibition by rolipram and is less sensitive to inhibition by PDE IIIc inhibitors, is found in cardiac muscle of some species (i.e., soluble fractions of rat and canine myocardium) and is apparently not related to direct regulation of positive inotropy. Both positive inotropy and vasorelaxation by milrinone and other PDE IIIc inhibitors can be linked to inhibition of PDE IIIc and activation of the cAMP system. These significant relations are similar to those obtained for other cAMP-related positive inotrope/vasodilators (such as beta-adrenoreceptor agonists). Moreover, an increased rate of ventricular relaxation (lusitropy), which is apparent with PDE IIIc inhibitors, may also be attributable to activation of the cAMP system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Position-dependent Diffusion Coefficient as Localization Criterion in Non-Conservative Random Media

Position-dependent diffusion coefficient is used to distinguish different regimes in wave transport in random media with absorption or gain.
Errors in self-reported earnings: The role of previous earnings volatility and individual characteristics

Abstract I report the measurement error in self-reported earnings for a developing country using a novel data set. The data set consists of two cross-sections of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) wage and salary sectors; additionally, a subset of the two cross-sections may be linked to create a panel. Administrative data from FSM Social Security office are matched to the FSM Census data for the wage and salary sectors. I find that the error in annual self-reported earnings is centered on zero. Additionally, I find strong evidence for mean reversion in the data suggesting non-classical measurement error. I identify the impact of prior years' earnings variability on the current reporting of earnings using administrative data on earnings histories. Prior earnings volatility strongly affects measurement error in current period. However, the effect of prior shocks diminish significantly over time—suggesting that first-differencing and fixed-effects techniques will not improve accuracy.
Standardized Instrumentation System for Computer Automated Measurement and Control

A standardized instrumentation system for computer automated measurement and control (CAMAC) is gaining wide international acceptance for industrial and laboratory applications. The system features a fully specified dataway together with modular functional units that are completely compatible with each other and that are available from diverse sources. The system is nonproprietary and can be freely used without license or restriction of any, kind.
Evidence For Differing Ion-Pair Precursor Structures in The Oxidation of Cobalt(II) Amine Derivatives by [co(edta)]-

Etude de l'effet du solvant (eau ou DMSO) sur l'oxydation du complexe [Co((±)-ch×n) 3 ] 2+ par [Co(EDTA)] −
ATR Performance Modeling and Estimation

Dudgeon, Dan E., ATR Performance Modeling and Estimation, Digital Signal Processing10 (2000), 269?285.This paper provides an overview of approaches and issues in modeling the performance of automatic target recognition (ATR) systems. The need to understand ATR performance capability is important under circumstances in which significant testing is not possible, for example, because of the amount of data required to be collected to accurately assess performance and its associated cost or because of denied targets and ground environments. One would like to have a “theory” to extrapolate ATR performance from a well-characterized set of data to situations likely to be confronted in real military operations. Unfortunately no such theory exists, in part because of the difficulty of characterizing and representing in a computational model the inherent variability of target signatures and the backgrounds in which they are embedded.
Technical Note: Deformable image registration on partially matched images for radiotherapy applications

In radiation therapy applications, deformable image registrations (DIRs) are often carried out between two images that only partially match. Image mismatching could present as superior-inferior coverage differences, field-of-view (FOV) cutoffs, or motion crossing the image boundaries. In this study, the authors propose a method to improve the existing DIR algorithms so that DIR can be carried out in such situations. The basic idea is to extend the image volumes and define the extension voxels (outside the FOV or outside the original image volume) as NaN (not-a-number) values that are transparent to all floating-point computations in the DIR algorithms. Registrations are then carried out with one additional rule that NaN voxels can match any voxels. In this way, the matched sections of the images are registered properly, and the mismatched sections of the images are registered to NaN voxels. This method makes it possible to perform DIR on partially matched images that otherwise are difficult to register. It may also improve DIR accuracy, especially near or in the mismatched image regions.
Tracking change in dysphonia: a case study.

Summary This longitudinal case study of a woman with nodules examines the relationship between clinical and acoustic measures of change. Relative changes in voice quality, vocal fold condition, and patient symptoms were compared to measures of mean fundamental frequency (MFF), jitter, and fundamental frequency range (FFR). Seven assessments were performed over a 2-year period. The findings indicated that voice quality judgments tended to relate to changes in degree of vocal fold pathology and patient report of vocal function. However, acoustic measures of MFF, FFR, and jitter did not relate to measures of clinical change. The discussion focuses on explanations for the acoustic findings, the need for using connected speech samples for perceptual and acoustic analysis, and a suggestion for future study.
SU‐E‐T‐11: Quantitative Validation of a New Algorithm TMR10 by Comparison with Clinically Applied TMR Classic Dose Plans Using Gamma Knife Perfexion for Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

Purpose: To quantitatively validate and clinically implement a new algorithm, TMR10 for the LGK radiosurgery for brain cancer patients.Materials and Methods: Using actual patient MRI images, three individual plans were generated for 4, 8, and 16 mm cones by using TMR Classic. Plans with a single isocenter using same prescription, dose rate, grid size and shot location; were re‐computed using TMR10. Also, fifteen patients datasets that contained multiple isocenters (shots ranged from 1 to 65), who underwent GK radiosurgery using TMR Classic were retrospectively recalculated using TMR10. For these studies, the difference in total treatment time, treated volume under 50% and 90% isodose lines (50%, 90%IDV) were pairwise compared to TMR Classic plans. Also, for single isocenter studies, OAR points are defined 2cm away from the isocenter in three directions and point doses were calculated. Whereas qualitative assessment of 50% and 90%IDL were perform for the patient cases. Results: For the single isocenter studies, the largest difference was for the 8mm cone size in which total treatment time was increased by 3%, whereas 50% and 90%IDV were 8% and 27%, respectively. OAR doses were up to 12% higher when using TMR10. For the patient cases, with TMR10, total treatment time increased by 3.5%, whereas 50% and 90%IDV were 4% and 18%, respectively, in an average and maximum 90%IDV was up to 53%. Visual inspection of 50% and 90%IDL for both algorithms was similar, but, an effective prescription dose was decreased by nearly 3.5% when applying TMR10.Discussion: Dosimetric differences between the two algorithms were the characteristics of the more accurate Monte Carlo estimate of the new beam profiles, depth dose modeling, and output factors used by TMR10. TMR10 showed longer treatment time, higher OAR doses, and larger 50% and 90%IDV, but, 3.5% lower dose than the equivalent TMR classic.
Leading an Academic Department Through a Period of Dramatic Change

An academic department can be a complex organization and one that requires specific attention and skills to manage properly. Like any organization, there are forces that tend an academic department toward change and countering forces that tend to maintain the status quo. The dynamics of these issues during a time of fast moving and dramatic change are important and, quite often, misunderstood.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Can snag creation benefit a primary cavity nester: response to an experimental pulse in snag abundance

Thresholds in response by cavity-nesting bird populations to variations in the snag resource are poorly understood. In addition, limited information exists on the value of artificially created snags for cavity-nesting birds. Therefore, uncertainty exists in whether artificially created snags can yield a positive population response among snag-dependent birds. We used an experimental approach to assess the abundance and territory dynamics of a primary cavity nester, the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), in response to three snag density treatments over an 8-year period following treatment installation in 2001. Treatments included snag removal, an unmanipulated control, and a snag pulse (snags experimentally created at 14 times control density). During the first two years post-treatment, abundance of red-headed woodpeckers did not differ among treatments. In 2004, woodpecker abundance in snag pulse plots surpassed that of other treatments and continued to increase until it peaked in 2007 (at nearly 6 times than on control plots), after which it declined but remained greater than on control plots through 2009. Increased woodpecker abundance in high snag density areas was facilitated primarily by a decrease in home range size. Because the red-headed woodpecker is negatively affected by very low snag densities, yet is capable of exploiting pulses in the snag resource by dramatically increasing its abundance, we conclude that snag density regulates populations of this primary cavity nesting species and that snag creation can be an important tool in its conservation.
Pathogenicity Studies with the Fungi Aphanomyces invadans, Achlya bisexualis, and Phialemonium dimorphosporum: Induction of Skin Ulcers in Striped Mullet

Abstract Based on isolations from naturally infected fish in Florida, we investigated the role of the fungi Aphanomyces invadans, Achlya bisexualis, and Phialemonium dimorphosporum in the etiology of ulcerative mycosis (UM) in striped mullet Mugil cephalus. We injected healthy striped mullet subcutaneously with secondary zoospores of four oomycete isolates: two concentrations (50 and 115 zoospores/mL) of SJR (an endemic isolate of Aphanomyces invadans in American shad Alosa sapidissima from the St. Johns River); two concentrations each of CAL (25 and 65 zoospores/mL) and ACH (1,400 and 2,000 zoospores/mL; endemic isolates of Aphanomyces invadans and Achlya bisexualis, respectively, in striped mullet from the Caloosahatchee River); and two concentrations of the ascomycete culture MTZ (2,500 and 3,500 zoospores/mL; endemic isolate of P. dimorphosporum from whirligig mullet M. gyrans in the Matanzas Inlet). All fish injected with either concentration of SJR developed granulomatous ulcers after 8 d and died w...
Targeted Audiences in Anti-Drug Ads: Message Cues, Perceived Exposure, Perceived Effects, and Support for Funding

Perceived exposure has been offered as the main factor in how people estimate the effects of media messages on others, but a recent study found this did not hold for two prosocial messages. This study (N = 160) shows that demographic cues in anti-drug messages may communicate who the intended targets are, thus influencing perceived exposure and perceived effects for different age, gender, and racial groups. In turn, perceived effects on the self and others predict support for funding anti-drug campaigns. The possible impact of perceived similarity between a group and the “implied audience” on perceived effects is discussed.
Optimal measurement and velocity correction programs for midcourse guidance

Presentation of means for achieving statistically optimal measurement and/or feedback gain programs for midcourse guidance
Delayed diagnosis in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome due to maternal uniparental disomy 15

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) results from absence of the normally active paternally inherited genes on proximal 15q, due to del(15)(q11q13) or by maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) 15 in most cases. In addition to a higher frequency of hypopigmentation among deletion patients, minor phenotypic differences between deletion and UPD patients have recently been reported, including lower birth weight in the deletion group, shorter birth length in males with UPD, and shorter course of gavage feeding and later onset of hyperphagia in females with UPD. We previously reported that those with UPD had a less "typical" facial appearance, and they less often had skin picking, skill with puzzles, and high pain threshold. There were no children younger than 3.5 years of age in the UPD group, in contrast to several of them in the deletion group, suggesting a possible diagnostic delay in the UPD group. To assess this possibility and seek reasons for it, we reviewed the charts of 60 PWS patients with complete molecular testing. Mean age at diagnosis of patients with UPD was significantly higher than in the deletion group. Mean percentiles of birth weights and lengths of patients with UPD were significantly lower than in those with deletion. Mean duration of gestation, mean duration of gavage feeding, and mean age at onset of hyperphagia did not differ significantly between groups. Delay in the diagnosis of patients with UPD, which may influence the management and impact of the disorder, might be explained by a lower frequency of typical facial anomalies in this group.
Training principles to advance expertise.

There are three forms of task engagement that are the basis of successful training for expertise—acquisition, retention, and transfer—and three corresponding goals of training—efficiency, durability, and generalizability. This paper reviews training conditions that facilitate acquisition, enhance retention, and promote transfer to contexts not encountered during training. Diligent practice under these training conditions can lead eventually to an elite level of performance or to expertise. In this review of training principles, we emphasize those that are derived from work in our laboratory. We have found that developing training that optimizes efficiency, durability, and generalizability, however, is something of a balancing act because what promotes efficient training often comes at a price in durability, and durable training is not always generalizable (see Healy et al., 2012; Bourne and Healy, 2014). These tradeoffs are due in part to the fact that training might involve two different types of knowledge—declarative and procedural. Declarative knowledge consists of facts, whereas procedural knowledge consists of skills, or ways to use the facts, and these two types of knowledge differ in terms of their durability and generalizability.
Consolidation of a rapidly solidified titanium alloy by hot isostatic pressing

Abstract Materials produced by two rapid solidification techniques, the plasma rotating-electrode process (PREP) of Nuclear Metals Inc. and the melt extraction process of General Electric Corporate Research and Development, have been consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Microstructures show that, for quench rates of approximately 10 2 °Cs −1 associated with PREP, there is pronounced segregation of phases whereas, for the higher quench rate (10 5 °Cs −1 of melt-extracted microstructures, this massive segregation is absent. It is to be expected that in the powder metallurgy PREP material the finer particles would experience the higher quench rates and hence would show less phase separation than coarser particles; material consolidated in this study from the finer-particle PREP fraction did exhibit a finer grain structure and the best combination of strength and ductility. This investigation also showed that the hydrostatic stress provided by HIP lacked the shear component needed to provide the strain required to ameliorate the deleterious effects of chemical and structural inhomogeneities and prior particle or filament boundaries present in the powders and ribbons used.
Adaptive decentralized control of underwater sensor networks for modeling underwater phenomena

Understanding the dynamics of bodies of water and their impact on the global environment requires sensing information over the full volume of water. We develop a gradient-based decentralized controller that dynamically adjusts the depth of a network of underwater sensors to optimize sensing for computing maximally detailed volumetric models. We prove that the controller converges to a local minimum. We implement the controller on an underwater sensor network capable of adjusting their depths. Through simulations and experiments, we verify the functionality and performance of the system and algorithm.
Opportunism in the R&D alliances of SMES: The roles of the institutional environment and SME size

Abstract SME leaders with R&D alliances face significant challenges in balancing the need for resource acquisition in the innovation process and the potential for opportunistic behavior by alliance partners. This study, utilizing a sample of 456 SMEs from eight countries, examines how the resource capacity of the SME and the institutional environment are related to the perceptions that owners and managers have about the opportunistic behavior of alliance partners. The results suggest that firm size moderates the relationship between the technological munificence and the predominant culture of the domestic market of the SME and concerns about the opportunistic behavior of an SME alliance partner.
Smart Materials and Active Structures

AbstractResearch in smart materials and active structures has grown significantly at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) in the last 10 years. The GRC has achieved several promising results in both new material development and component applications for concepts using both shape memory alloys and piezoelectric ceramics. Progress in understanding and modeling of shape memory alloys has allowed for improved design and control methodologies. New high-temperature alloys with attractive work output have extended the capability from room temperature to ∼350°C. Finally, the list of successful prototype demonstrations continues to grow for both commercially available alloys and the newer high-temperature alloys. Analytical and experimental methods on piezoelectric blade vibration damping have produced the first successful demonstration of vibration damping on a rotating component. The damping levels achieved lead to reduced dynamic stresses, hence increased engine ...
Metal–Ceramic Composite Actuators

A new type of actuator composed of metal (brass) end caps and piezoelectric ceramics has been developed as a displacement transducer. Shallow cavities positioned between the metal caps and the central ceramic disk convert and amplify the radial displacement of the piezoelectric ceramic into a large axial motion of the metal end caps. Large d33 coefficients exceeding 2500 pC/N are obtained with the composite actuators. The behavior of the electrically induced strain with geometric variables, such as the thickness of the metal end caps, and with pressing force and driving frequency has been evaluated. Sizeable strains are obtained with both PZT (piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate) and PMN (electrostrictive lead magnesium niobate) ceramics.
SketchBook: silhouette based 3D sketching interface

SketchBook is a simple and quick sketchbook-like 3D modeling interface with which designers can modify a 3D object by drawing a new silhouette line over the object's silhouette. SketchBook provides two methods of modification that can be done in any viewpoint.
Clinical and Immunologic Predictors of Death After an Acute Opportunistic Infection: Results from ACTG A5164

AbstractBackground: In the pre–antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, markers of increased disease severity during an acute opportunistic infection (OI) were associated with mortality. Even with ART, mortality remains high during the first year after an OI in persons with advanced HIV infection, but it is unclear whether previous predictors of mortality remain valid in the current era. Objective: To determine clinical and immunological predictors of death after an OI. Methods: We used clinical data and stored plasma from ACTG A5164, a multicenter study evaluating the optimal timing of ART during a nontuberculous OI. We developed Cox models evaluating associations between clinical parameters and plasma marker levels at entry and time to death over the first 48 weeks after the diagnosis of OI. We developed multivariable models incorporating only clinical parameters, only plasma marker levels, or both. Results: The median CD4+ T-cell count in study participants at baseline was 29 cells/µL. Sixty-four percent of s...
Passive radiation shielding considerations for the proposed space elevator

Abstract The Earth's natural van Allen radiation belts present a serious hazard to space travel in general, and to travel on the space elevator in particular. The average radiation level is sufficiently high that it can cause radiation sickness, and perhaps death, for humans spending more than a brief period of time in the belts without shielding. The exact dose and the level of the related hazard depends on the type or radiation, the intensity of the radiation, the length of exposure, and on any shielding introduced. For the space elevator the radiation concern is particularly critical since it passes through the most intense regions of the radiation belts. The only humans who have ever traveled through the radiation belts have been the Apollo astronauts. They received radiation doses up to approximately 1 rem over a time interval less than an hour. A vehicle climbing the space elevator travels approximately 200 times slower than the moon rockets did, which would result in an extremely high dose up to approximately 200 rem under similar conditions, in a timespan of a few days. Technological systems on the space elevator, which spend prolonged periods of time in the radiation belts, may also be affected by the high radiation levels. In this paper we will give an overview of the radiation belts in terms relevant to space elevator studies. We will then compute the expected radiation doses, and evaluate the required level of shielding. We concentrate on passive shielding using aluminum, but also look briefly at active shielding using magnetic fields. We also look at the effect of moving the space elevator anchor point and increasing the speed of the climber. Each of these mitigation mechanisms will result in a performance decrease, cost increase, and technical complications for the space elevator.
On the optical anisotropy of lens fiber cells.

Abstract The birefringence of bovine lens was found to be very small, of the order of 10 −6 –10 −7 . It is proposed that this optical isotropy, that enhances transparency, is due to the fact that the form birefringence and the intrinsic birefringence cancels each other. Calculated values of form and intrinsic birefringence indicate a range from 10 −3 –10 −5 . The order of magnitude of such intrinsic birefringence means a special organization of optically anisotropic macromolecules into aggregates.
SU‐E‐J‐180: A CT‐Based On‐Line Radiotherapy Treatment for Urgent Treatment Delivery

Purpose: To implement a new CT‐based on‐line radiotherapy treatment workflow (CTORT) to rapidly simulate, plan and deliver emergency radiation treatments (ERTs), while the patients are on the treatment couch. Our specific objective was to treat in under 15 minutes with dose calculation accuracy better than 5%. A key component was to investigate the effect of cone‐beam CT (CBCT) image quality on dose calculation accuracy. Methods: Artificial and clinical megavoltage and kilovoltage CBCT phantom and patient images were used for simulation and dose calculation. Electron density‐to‐Hounsfield unit (HU) calibrations were acquired for the CBCT systems and integrated in the planning system. A specialized treatment planning interface (ERT module ‐ Prowess) was developed to streamline the dose prediction process. Image degradations (noise, reduced contrast, scatter artifact, non‐uniformity, etc.) observed on CBCT images were applied to CT images to quantify the respective reduction in dose calculation accuracy. Dose distribution comparisons provide a direct method to predict achievable dose calculation accuracy of specific clinical sites using MV and kV CBCT images. The complete workflow was tested off‐line on an array of emergency and palliative radiotherapy cases. Results: A MVCBCT specific electron density calibration allows for dose calculation accuracy better than 5% for all cases in presence of heterogeneity. Based on digital phantom analysis, CBCT non‐uniformity is the biggest contributor to reduction in dose calculation accuracy. The complete workflow was tested on simple cases to show simulation, planning and treatment delivery performed within 15 minutes. Conclusion: CBCT image quality is satisfying for simple dose calculation as used for urgent radiotherapy. CTORT presents a workflow of imaging, dose planning, treatment delivery and quality assurance that allows for fast radiotherapy. This approach may reduce patient pain, improve dose planning and delivery accuracy and provide new possibilities for simple radiotherapy treatments when CT simulation is not feasible. Siemens OCS; Prowess Inc.
Nanoheteroepitaxy of GaN on columnar SiC substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Preliminary results on nanoheteroepitaxy of GaN on silicon face (Si-face) and carbon face (C-face) nano-columnar SiC (CSC) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are reported. The CSC substrates are fabricated from standard SiC wafers by photo-enhanced electrochemical etching, with typical diameter of pores around 20nm. Noticeable reduction of threading dislocations (TDs) in GaN is realized on the CSC substrates. On the C-face CSC, GaN nuclei have an inverted pyramidal shape which contains high density of stacking faults (SFs). These SFs block possible extension of TDs into upper portion of the layer. On the Si-face CSC, TDs are annihilated by forming nanoscale TD half-loops over the surface pores. These nanoscale TD loops confine the defective layer in GaN to within ~50 nm thickness from the GaN/CSC interface. High density (~5x108 cm-2) of remnant TDs still presents in GaN grown on CSC, chiefly because the surface damages on CSC were not properly removed before growth.
Tracking trainees to success

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) is a pioneer in the arena of global health research capacity development. Over two decades, FIC funded training programs have generated thousands of scientists that are currently leaders in health research around the world. Despite these successes, FIC doesn't have a systematic way to track its trainees and measure the impact of its training on the research capacity of the trainee's country. To address this issue, FIC developed an innovative web-based trainee tracking tool - CareerTrac. The goal of this system is to create a complete trainee roster for all FIC research training programs and to monitor outputs, outcomes and impacts of FIC international trainees.
Comparison of time-out and extinction as determinants of behavioral contrast: An analysis of sequential effects

A within-S design was used to compare the amount of contrast resulting from time-out and extinction. Five pigeons were trained to keypeck for 10 sessions on a mult VI 1-min VI 1-min schedule with alternating red and green key lights. Beginning with the 11th session, half the green key presentations in each session were preceded by extinction on the red key and half by time-out. Approximately equal amounts of behavioral contrast appeared during the green following the two conditions. However, responding was greater during the first 30 sec of the S+ presentation when the preceding stimulus was extinction than when it was time-out.
Design of Photovoltaic-Powered Refrigeration for Tropical Climates

The increased global demand for energy will generate a growing need to electrify rural populations. Photovoltaic systems are being considered for many rural areas in the tropics. The development of photovoltaic-powered refrigeration will provide access to food preservation, which will result in improved health conditions. The over-arching objective of this investigation is to develop a properly designed, cost effective and energy efficient photovoltaic-powered refrigerator for tropical climates. The specific objectives of this investigation are to develop a design methodology and evaluate design variables for a photovoltaic system and refrigeration unit for tropical climates (high heat, low sun) that can be manufactured at relatively low costs. The price goal for the refrigerator and photovoltaic system is $1,000 retail. The investigation was accomplished through a five-step process: 1) background engineering and market research, 2) modeling, 3) model verification, 4) hourly simulation, and 5) cost analysis. Results indicate that over-sizing the condenser and the extreme insulation of the refrigeration unit reduced the overall cost of the refrigerator and photovoltaic system. Also, the investigation demonstrated that proper design of the photovoltaic system is the key to determining the refrigerator’s ability to perform in harsh climates.© 2006 ASME