cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectral methods for neural characterization using generalized quadratic models

We describe a set of fast, tractable methods for characterizing neural responses to high-dimensional sensory stimuli using a model we refer to as the generalized quadratic model (GQM). The GQM consists of a low-rank quadratic function followed by a point nonlinearity and exponential-family noise. The quadratic function characterizes the neuron's stimulus selectivity in terms of a set linear receptive fields followed by a quadratic combination rule, and the invertible nonlinearity maps this output to the desired response range. Special cases of the GQM include the 2nd-order Volterra model [1, 2] and the elliptical Linear-Nonlinear-Poisson model [3]. Here we show that for "canonical form" GQMs, spectral decomposition of the first two response-weighted moments yields approximate maximum-likelihood estimators via a quantity called the expected log-likelihood. The resulting theory generalizes moment-based estimators such as the spike-triggered co-variance, and, in the Gaussian noise case, provides closed-form estimators under a large class of non-Gaussian stimulus distributions. We show that these estimators are fast and provide highly accurate estimates with far lower computational cost than full maximum likelihood. Moreover, the GQM provides a natural framework for combining multi-dimensional stimulus sensitivity and spike-history dependencies within a single model. We show applications to both analog and spiking data using intracellular recordings of V1 membrane potential and extracellular recordings of retinal spike trains.
A Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study (CASES) Dataset for Analyzing and Parameterizing the Effects of Land Surface Heterogeneity on Area-Averaged Surface Heat Fluxes

Abstract A multiscale dataset that includes atmospheric, surface, and subsurface observations obtained from an observation network covering a region that has a scale order comparable to mesoscale and general circulation models is described and analyzed. The dataset is half-hourly time series of forcing and flux response data developed from the one-month Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study (CASES-97) experiment, located in the Walnut Watershed near Wichita, Kansas. The horizontal complexity of this dataset was analyzed by looking at the sensible and latent heat flux response of station data from the three main land surface types of winter wheat, grass/pastureland, and bare soil/sparse vegetation. The variability in the heat flux response at and among the different sites points to the need for a spatially distributed, time-varying atmospheric-forcing dataset for use in land surface modeling experiments. Such a dataset at horizontal spacings of 1, 5, and 10 km was developed from the station data an...
Arterial thrombosis for the interventional cardiologist: from adhesion molecules and coagulation factors to clinical therapeutics.

Arterial thrombosis is the result of a complex and well-orchestrated set of events where interactions between platelets and leukocytes are intertwined with enzymatic reactions of the coagulation system. Here, we present a contemporary panorama of arterial thrombosis and provide a framework the interventionalist can use to understand the current antithrombotic pharmacotherapies and recognize the role of therapies that have yet to be developed. We analyze thrombosis in the context of plaque rupture and vascular injury and describe the interactions between platelets and the subendothelium. We then discuss platelet-leukocyte interactions, emphasizing the inflammatory nature of thrombosis and how this relates to vessel restenosis following angioplasty. The different reactions of the coagulation system are described not from an isolated perspective, but are integrated into the sequence of cell-cell interactions that parallel them. Finally, we describe the mechanisms that terminate the thrombotic response.
Parasitic-aware design and optimization of CMOS RF integrated circuits

The need for higher integration and lower cost personal communication systems (PCS) has motivated extensive efforts to develop CMOS RF integrated circuits which meet the performance requirements of current and future standards such as IS-95, GSM, DECT, etc. However, power losses associated with on-chip inductor, device, and package parasitics have impeded the full integration of power-efficient CMOS RF ICs. In this paper, we describe a custom CAD synthesis and optimization tool which enables RF chip/package design for optimum circuit performance. A fully-integrated CMOS power amplifier (PA) illustrates the efficacy of this approach.
Encryption using random keys-a scheme for secure communications

An encryption scheme using a random key generator with memory is presented. This system generates a random sequence of encryption/decryption keys. A feedback mechanism is used to endow the key generator with memory, thereby making it difficult to infer the random key sequence from a partial sequence of keys. The random key sequence is independent of the encrypting algorithm and is particularly suitable for block encryption. An information-theoretic entropy measure of cryptologic hardness is developed and an upper bound for this measure is established. The proposed scheme is compared with some existing cryptographic schemes and it is demonstrated that the proposed scheme and its variants are more attack resilient and are capable of achieving the theoretical upper bound. >
Surface Charging and X-Ray Emission from Insulator Surfaces Induced by Collisions with Highly Charged Ions: Relevance to Cometary and Planetary Spectroscopy

Characteristic X-ray emission lines are detected from simulants of comet surfaces as they undergo collisions with highly charged ions (HCIs). The HCI projectiles are O+2-O+7. Ion energies are varied in the range (2-7)q keV, where q is the ion charge state. The targets are the insulator minerals olivine, augite, and quartz. It is found that the emission of characteristic K-L, K-M X-rays appears to proceed during positive charging of the surface by the HCI beam. When one uses low-energy, flood-gun electrons to neutralize the surface charge, the X-ray emission is eliminated or greatly reduced, depending on the flood-gun current. Acceleration of background electrons onto the charged surface results in excitation of elemental transitions, including the K-L2 and K-L3 target X-ray emission lines of Mg and Si located spectroscopically at 1253.6 and 1739.4 eV, respectively. Also observed are emission lines from O, Na, Ca, Al, and Fe atoms in the target and charge-exchange lines via surface extraction of electrons by the O+q electric field. Good agreement is found in the ratio of the measured X-ray yields for Mg and Si relative to the ratio of their electron-impact K-shell ionization cross sections. The present study may serve as a guide to astronomers as to specific observing X-ray energies indicative of solar/stellar wind or magnetospheric ion interactions with a comet, planetary surface, or circumstellar dust.
The diagnosis of brain tuberculoma by (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Toddlers are more prone to develop severe and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) than older children. This is partially explained by differences in the immune response. Early and specific diagnosis is essential to start adequate treatment, especially if the central nervous system (CNS) is involved. The lack of sputum production and inherent dangers or impossibility of sampling CNS lesions may delay diagnosis. In addition, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of TB abscesses are non-specific and may mimic abscesses of other infectious etiology. 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) may increase specificity of diagnosis by identifying lipids within the lesions that are considered characteristic for TB. Therefore, we studied four children with presumable CNS-TB with MRI and 1H-MRS. In vivo and in vitro 1H-MRS showed elevated lipid peaks within the TB lesions. Conclusion: 1H-MRS allows to non-invasively identifying TB with high specificity and may allow early installment of targeted antimicrobial treatment.
Contemporary climate change alters the pace and drivers of extinction

Contemporary climate change is expected to affect the distributions of most species, but the nature, tempo, and mechanics of contemporary range shifts are still largely speculative. Here, we use fine-scale distributional records developed over the past Century, combined with spatially comprehensive microclimatic data, to demonstrate a dramatic shift in the range of a climate-sensitive mammal and to infer the increasingly important role of climate in local extinctions of this species across a 38.2 million-ha area. Changes in the distribution of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) throughout the Great Basin ecoregion were characterized using records from 1898–2008, revealing a nearly five-fold increase in the rate of local extinction and an 11-fold increase in the rate of upslope range retraction during the last ten years, compared with during the 20th Century. Four of ten local pika extinctions have occurred since 1999, and across this ecoregion the low-elevation range boundary for this species is now moving upslope at an average rate of about 145 m per decade. The rapid, ecoregional range shift of this small, talus-dwelling species stands in remarkable contrast with the dynamics and determinants of endangerment previously observed for most terrestrial species, and to earlier extinction determinants for O. princeps in this region. Further investigation of widely distributed species will clarify rates at which biotic response to environmental change is occurring, and how factors driving that change are evolving in different portions of the earth.
Molecular analysis of neocortical layer structure in the ferret

Molecular markers that distinguish specific layers of rodent neocortex are increasingly employed to study cortical development and the physiology of cortical circuits. The extent to which these markers represent general features of neocortical cell type identity across mammals, however, is unknown. To assess the conservation of layer markers more broadly, we isolated orthologs for 15 layer-enriched genes in the ferret, a carnivore with a large, gyrencephalic brain, and analyzed their patterns of neocortical gene expression. Our major findings are: 1) Many but not all layer markers tested show similar patterns of layer-specific gene expression between mouse and ferret cortex, supporting the view that layer-specific cell type identity is conserved at a molecular level across mammalian superorders; 2) Our panel of deep layer markers (ER81/ETV1, SULF2, PCP4, FEZF2/ZNF312, CACNA1H, KCNN2/SK2, SYT6, FOXP2, CTGF) provides molecular evidence that the specific stratifications of layers 5 and 6 into 5a, 5b, 6a, and 6b are also conserved between rodents and carnivores; 3) Variations in layer-specific gene expression are more pronounced across areas of ferret cortex than between homologous areas of mouse and ferret cortex; 4) This variation of area gene expression was clearest with the superficial layer markers studied (SERPINE2, MDGA1, CUX1, UNC5D, RORB/NR1F2, EAG2/KCNH5). Most dramatically, the layer 4 markers RORB and EAG2 disclosed a molecular sublamination to ferret visual cortex and demonstrated a molecular dissociation among the so-called agranular areas of the neocortex. Our findings establish molecular markers as a powerful complement to cytoarchitecture for neocortical layer and cell-type comparisons across mammals.
Design Considerations for Stochastic Analog-to-Digital Conversion

Using knowledge of the random nature of device mismatch it is possible to employ stochastic techniques in an ADC. This would allow the use of many smaller and less accurate components, and may make it possible to save power and area while maintaining accuracy. Additional benefits include high scalability and high yield with process variation. Various design considerations are suggested that must be addressed to design a successful stochastic ADC and an example calibration and decoding scheme is described.
Using SOI double-gate MOSFET NDR structures to improve ultra-low power full adder performance

In this paper, we propose a new efficient design of a hybrid full adder cell combining two logic styles and a negative differential resistance (NDR) device realized in a fully depleted (FD) silicon on insulator (SOI) double-gate (DG) MOSFET technology. Simulation results show significant (65%) power savings for asymmetric gate workfunction and independent gate control full adders with respect to standard CMOS circuits, with lower device count and comparable delay figures.
Induction in a Murine Tumor of Immunogenic Tumor Variants by Transfection with a Foreign Gene

Transfection of the undifferentiated murine colon carcinoma line CT-26 with the gene coding for the hemagglutination antigen (HA) of influenza virus resulted in the generation of highly immunogenic tumor cells. CT-26 cells transfected with HA not only failed to grow in syngeneic mice but also protected normal animals against a challenge with otherwise lethal doses of parental nontransfected cells. The immunogenicity of HA-transfected cells appeared to correlate with surface HA expression in that tumorigenic clones of HA-transfected CT-26 cells expressed little HA, while immunogenic clones were high expressers of HA. Irradiation of immunogenic HA clones did not abrogate their immunogenicity. These observations demonstrate that immune recognition of a poorly immunogenic tumor can be produced by immunization with tumor cells expressing a defined, foreign cell surface antigen.
Response to selection for photoperiod responsiveness on the density and location of mature GnRH-releasing neurons

Natural variation in neuroendocrine traits is poorly understood, despite the importance of variation in brain function and evolution. Most rodents in the temperate zones inhibit reproduction and other nonessential functions in short winter photoperiods, but some have little or no reproductive response. We tested whether genetic variability in reproductive seasonality is related to individual differences in the neuronal function of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone network, as assessed by the number and location of mature gonadotropin-releasing hormone-secreting neurons under inhibitory and excitatory photoperiods. The experiments used lines of Peromyscus leucopus previously developed by selection from a wild population. One line contained individuals reproductively inhibited by short photoperiod, and the other line contained individuals nonresponsive to short photoperiod. Expression of mature gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity in the brain was detected using SMI-41 antibody in the single-labeled avidin-biotin-peroxidase-complex method. Nonresponsive mice had 50% more immunoreactive GnRH neurons than reproductively inhibited mice in both short- and long-day photoperiods. The greatest differences were in the anterior hypothalamus and preoptic areas. In contrast, we detected no significant within-lines differences in the number or location of immunoreactive GnRH neurons between photoperiod treatments. Our data indicate that high levels of genetic variation in a single wild population for a specific neuronal trait are related to phenotypic variation in a life history trait, i.e., winter reproduction. Variation in GnRH neuronal activity may underlie some of the natural reproductive and life history variation observed in wild populations of P. leucopus. Similar genetic variation in neuronal traits may be present in humans and other species.
Are age 62-Retired Worker Beneficiaries at Risk?

This paper provides a longitudinal view, spanning 10 to 12 years, of persons first accepting retired worker benefits at ages 62 or 63 in 1994 or 1996. Using HRS data, matched to Social Security administrative files, we present: 1) findings of variation in income, wealth, health insurance coverage and employability, along such dimensions as race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, reported health status and functional ability; 2) findings of health and survival outcomes in 2006 for the 1994/1996 pooled sample, paying special attention to variations within the sub-sample of persons who accepted Social Security early retirement benefits by 1996; and 3) estimates of the proportion of persons accepting such benefits who are at risk. The findings indicate that persons first accepting Social Security retired worker benefits at ages 62 and 63 experience varying degrees of risk to their well being at these ages, and that these risks condition their well-being in retirement and survival probabilities. The major policy implication is that consideration should be given to providing a health insurance option for persons first accepting retired worker benefits prior to age 65. The major research implication is that retirement researchers should consider utilizing a range of measures – as opposed to a singular and potentially narrow measure -of risk when assessing the magnitude of risks existing for those accepting retired worker benefits at early ages.
Detecting anthrax in the mail via coherent Raman microspectroscopy

We demonstrate, for the first time, how spatial information can be collected through a turbid medium via coherent Raman microspectroscopic imaging. The technique is capable of identifying anthrax endospores inside a sealed paper envelope.
Effect of Void-Generated Thermocapillary Convection on Dopant Segregation in Microgravity Solidification

Three recent microgravity experiments have been hampered by convection caused by unwanted voids and/or bubbles in the melt. We present a numerical study to delineate the ine uence of void-generated thermocapillary convectiononsolidie cationofadopedsinglecrystalfromitsdilutebinarymeltinmicrogravity.Adetailednumerical model for the Bridgman solidie cation process is developed. The e nite element numerical model solves the quasisteady Navier ‐Stokes equations, together with the conservation equations for transport of energy and species. The complicating effects of thermocapillary convection generated by the void and solutal rejection at the melt ‐solid interface are included. Through a quasi-steady analysis, it is shown that the convection generated by the void can affect radial segregation drastically, especially if the thermocapillary vortex penetrates the solutal boundary layer at the growth interface. From a transport point of view, three different regimes areidentie ed based on thedistance between the void and the growth interface. These range from a diffusion-controlled regime, where most of the radial nonuniformity in the interfacial composition is due to interface curvature with minimal e ow effects, to a fully mixed regime, where the penetration of the solutal boundary layer by the thermocapillary vortex tends to homogenize the interfacial compositions.
Apertureless near-field fluorescence microscope for biological imaging

We measured the optical response of fluorescent beads to sharp metallic and semiconducting probes, revealing several underlying near-field interactions. Our results suggest that /spl sim/10 nanometer optical resolution with spectroscopic chemical sensitivity is possible, and bear strongly on molecular-scale biological imaging.
Discordance between ischemia and stenosis, or PINSS and NIPSS: are we ready for new vocabulary?

In this issue of iJACC , Park et al. [(1)][1] interrogated more than 400 coronary lesions in over 250 patients by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) with computed tomography fractional flow reserve (FFR), and by invasive angiography with invasive FFR. Percent aggregate plaque volume (%
Resolving Form Generations through Analogue and Digital Human Simulations

Architectural investigation of forms through parametric equations and transcendental computational research is evolving the practice, development, and implementation of complex forms. Architectural concepts require adaptability to a variety of complementary human factor considerations including constructability, ecologically sensitive building systems, and human comfort considerations, that would benefit from the inclusion of human factor simulations of person with disabilities. The position of this writing supports the application of dynamic human factors modelling to transcendental computation data-based form generation for the development of advanced architectural forms, of which there are three potential long-term target influences. The first of these is the potential for multi-faceted transcendental computation data based forms in the development of ideas relating to the application of accessible solutions in architecture. The second is the collection of parameters relevant to code-based constraints in the development of human factors simulators, which contain data relative to variations in human physiology and cognition based on models of impairment and disability. The third is the review of concepts for developing human factor simulators to inform design choices respondent to issues of accessibility in the development of spatial relationships, and the performance of tasks in the generation of the two. Currently a digital model can be evaluated for conflicts and use variables of human factor simulators programmed to engage the representation of environmental conditions data.1 By developing architectural concepts from software which are capable of studying whole-body, musculoskeletal human simulations of persons with varying physical, cognitive, and psychological capabilities, complex computational data-based forms can evolve to benefit people in environmental conditions that are currently underserved. The testing of patterns of use for mechanical equipment have successfully been developed based on anthropometric analysis and equal ergonomic simulation.2 The intent of this research is to develop the premise that a complex computational based architectural form can be generated from parameters of physiological and ergonomic ranges through simulation of use patterns based on information available in the building code and influenced by the definition of environmental use. The use of rapid prototyping tools and CAD/CAM technologies for development and evaluation of the resultant generated forms would be for the synthesis of virtual concepts with allotted physical tolerances to validate compliance, while simultaneously evaluating fabricating processes for conditional ease of assembly and performance.
Total knee arthroplasty in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: Patients with liver cirrhosis have an increased risk of surgical morbidity and mortality. We are aware of no study that has investigated the risks and outcomes of elective orthopaedic procedures in these patients. The purposes of the present study were to review the results of total knee
White Matter Alterations in Infants at Risk for Developmental Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a heritable condition characterized by persistent difficulties in learning to read. White matter alterations in left-lateralized language areas, particularly in the arcuate fasciculus (AF), have been observed in DD, and diffusion properties within the AF correlate with (pre-)reading skills as early as kindergarten. However, it is unclear how early these alterations can be observed. We investigated white matter structure in 14 infants with (FHD+; ages 6.6-17.6 months) and 18 without (FHD-; ages 5.1-17.6 months) familial risk for DD. Diffusion scans were acquired during natural sleep, and early language skills were assessed. Tractography for bilateral AF was reconstructed using manual and automated methods, allowing for independent validation of results. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated at multiple nodes along the tracts for more precise localization of group differences. The analyses revealed significantly lower FA in the left AF for FHD+ compared with FHD- infants, particularly in the central portion of the tract. Moreover, expressive language positively correlated with FA across groups. Our results demonstrate that atypical brain development associated with DD is already present within the first 18 months of life, suggesting that the deficits associated with DD may result from altered structural connectivity in left-hemispheric regions.
A Phenomenological Reflection Conducted Through Narrative: An Essay in Honor of Lester Embree

Lester Embree, my good friend and longtime co-worker in the trenches of phenomenological inquiry, has long held the conviction that phenomenology, understood as the rigorous discipline Husserl and others held it ought to be, quite naturally has substantial, multiple relationships with other disciplines, sciences, and human enterprises. In pursuit of that, a great many of his labors have been devoted to demonstrating those concrete relationships, while, at the same time, exploring the terrain on his own. In particular, inspired by Aron Gurwitsch and Alfred Schutz, he has energetically addressed many of the questions at the heart of the human sciences.
A Novel Picture Guide to Improve Spiritual Care and Reduce Anxiety in Mechanically Ventilated Adults in the Intensive Care Unit

Rationale: Hospital chaplains provide spiritual care that helps patients facing serious illness cope with their symptoms and prognosis, yet because mechanically ventilated patients cannot speak, spiritual care of these patients has been limited.Objectives: To determine the feasibility and measure the effects of chaplain-led picture-guided spiritual care for mechanically ventilated adults in the intensive care unit (ICU).Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study at a tertiary care hospital between March 2014 and July 2015. Fifty mechanically ventilated adults in medical or surgical ICUs without delirium or dementia received spiritual care by a hospital chaplain using an illustrated communication card to assess their spiritual affiliations, emotions, and needs and were followed until hospital discharge. Feasibility was assessed as the proportion of participants able to identify spiritual affiliations, emotions, and needs using the card. Among the first 25 participants, we performed semistructured int...
Invariant mRNA content and mitotic protein breakdown as a solution to the Russian Doll problem of the mammalian cell cycle

It is widely accepted that numerous genes are expressed in a cell-cycle dependent manner, with cycle-specific variations in mRNA content or peaks of protein content during the cell cycle. These proposed variations raise the problem of how varying cell cycle gene expression is regulated. This is the "infinite regression" problem or Russian Doll problem where postulating a cell-cycle specific control element merely pushes the explanation of cell-cycle variation back one step to the problem of how that control element itself appears and disappears at particular times during the cell cycle. We present evidence that cyclin mRNA content is invariant during the cell cycle and calculations reveal that mRNA variation does not account for observed protein variations during the cell cycle. The experimental evidence for protein breakdown only at the end of the cell cycle leads to a general model for cell-cycle control that avoids the Russian Doll problem.
Kin Discrimination in Dictyostelium Social Amoebae.

Evolved cooperation is stable only when the benefactor is compensated, either directly or through its relatives. Social amoebae cooperate by forming a mobile multicellular body in which, about 20% of participants ultimately die to form a stalk. This benefits the remaining individuals that become hardy spores at the top of the stalk, together making up the fruiting body. In studied species with stalked migration, P. violaceum, D. purpureum, and D. giganteum, sorting based on clone identity occurs in laboratory mixes, maintaining high relatedness within the fruiting bodies. D. discoideum has unstalked migration, where cell fate is not fixed until the slug forms a fruiting body. Laboratory mixes show some degree of both spatial and genotype-based sorting, yet most laboratory fruiting bodies remain chimeric. However, wild fruiting bodies are made up mostly of clonemates. A genetic mechanism for sorting is likely to be cell adhesion genes tgrB1 and tgrC1, which bind to each other. They are highly variable, as expected for a kin discrimination gene. It is a puzzle that these genes do not cause stronger discrimination between mixed wild clones, but laboratory conditions or strong sorting early in the social stage diminished by later slug fusion could be explanations.
Case Article—Dealing with the Bug in the Classrooms: Planning for a Pandemic

This paper describes a teaching case that can be used to introduce production control and operations management concepts by analyzing the effects of future, uncertain influenza pandemics on the day-to-day operations at a 18,000 student-body university. This case provides students with an opportunity to use key technical concepts and analytics to design a guide that can be used by school administrators to deal with future pandemics. Through this case students treat a non-traditional service environment with unclear product definition as a production system. Teaching Note: Interested Instructors please see the Instructor Materials page for access to the restricted materials. To maintain the integrity and usefulness of cases published in ITE, unapproved distribution of the case teaching notes and other restricted materials to any other party is prohibited.
Narrative theory and the dynamics of popular movies

Popular movies grab and hold our attention. One reason for this is that storytelling is culturally important to us, but another is that general narrative formulae have been honed over millennia and that a derived but specific filmic form has developed and has been perfected over the last century. The result is a highly effective format that allows rapid processing of complex narratives. Using a corpus analysis I explore a physical narratology of popular movies-narrational structure and how it impacts us-to promote a theory of popular movie form. I show that movies can be divided into 4 acts-setup, complication, development, and climax-with two optional subunits of prolog and epilog, and a few turning points and plot points. In 12 studies I show that normative aspects in patterns of shot durations, shot transitions, shot scale, shot motion, shot luminance, character introduction, and distributions of conversations, music, action shots, and scene transitions reduce to 5 correlated stylistic dimensions of movies and can litigate among theories of movie structure. In general, movie narratives have roughly the same structure as narratives in any other domain-plays, novels, manga, folktales, even oral histories-but with particular runtime constraints, cadences, and constructions that are unique to the medium.
In vivo detection of oral epithelial cancer using endogenous fluorescence lifetime imaging: a pilot human study(Conference Presentation)

Endogenous fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) provides direct access to the concomitant functional and biochemical changes accompanying tissue transition from benign to precancerous and cancerous. Since FLIM can noninvasively measure different and complementary biomarkers of precancer and cancer, we hypothesize that it will aid in clinically detecting early oral epithelial cancer. Our group has recently demonstrated the detection of benign from premalignant and malignant lesions based on endogenous multispectral FLIM in the hamster cheek-pouch model. Encouraged by these positive preliminary results, we have developed a handheld endoscope capable of acquiring multispectral FLIM images in real time from the oral mucosa. This novel FLIM endoscope is being used for imaging clinically suspicious pre-malignant and malignant lesions from patients before undergoing tissue biopsy for histopathological diagnosis of oral epithelial cancer. Our preliminary results thus far are already suggesting the potential of endogenous FLIM for distinguishing a variety of benign lesions from advanced dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To the best of out knowledge, this is the first in vivo human study aiming to demonstrate the ability to predict the true malignancy of clinically suspicious lesions using endogenous FLIM. If successful, the resulting clinical tool will allow noninvasive real-time detection of epithelial precancerous and cancerous lesions in the oral mucosa and could potentially be used to assist at every step involved on the clinical management of oral cancer patients, from early screening and diagnosis, to treatment and monitoring of recurrence.
Simulation Model of Control System for HVDC Power Transmission Based on Actual Project

After the analysis on present situation of simulation model of control system for HVDC power transmission,a simulation model for DC control system based on the controller of actual HVDC transmission project is proposed,and the basic structure,control characteristics of the proposed model and the main simplification of actual controller are presented.The proposed model contains three major proportions,namely the master control,the pole control and the firing control.The principle and implementation of each control module such as mian control,current control,extinction angle control,firing control and so on are analyzed.The firing control based on evenly spacing in phase,which is adopted by actual HVDC transmission project,is implemented in the firing control and the advanced firing is considered to prevent commutation failure.To replace the layered calculation utilized in actual DC controllers,a compensation measure based on uniform step length calculation is put forward and used in the proposed model.To analyze the influence of advanced firing on the proposed control model,simulation results of the proposed control model are compared with recorded field commissioning curves of several HVDC transmission projects,and comparison results show that the accuracy of the proposed control model is satisfied.
Reviewing the Use of Proactive Data Analysis in Developing Rail Safety Culture

While experience is often the best teacher, learning from precursors is much less painful. The aviation and health care industries have greatly benefited from proactively analyzing and developing measures to address sentinel events and learning from various data sources. Such reflective learning is typical of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) with strong learning cultures. As technology like Positive Train Control increasingly integrates into the rail industry, the resulting data they inevitably produce can provide a wealth of knowledge that can greatly improve safety if the data streams are well managed and not blindly mined. For example, simulators generate data while locomotive engineers use them. During training, such data can indicate weak points where the engineer can improve. Examining such data over multiple engineers can establish general areas of strengths and weaknesses among trainees where instructors can place more or less focus and develop better overall training options. Such data could potentially be used to improve cab design and establish how trains and cab care would operate along a given rail line. This paper will explore the use of data streams from various sources, including those currently used like injury reports, emerging ones like simulation training evaluations and data logs to develop better safety cultures within the rail industry.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Subpopulations of T cells (Tγ and Tμ) in patients with chronic liver disease

Abstract The present study has utilized cell surface markers for the Fc receptors of IgG and IgM to distinguish putative suppressor (Tγ) or helper (Tμ) T-cell subpopulations in peripheral blood lymphocyte preparations from a group of patients with chronic liver disease of diverse etiology. Proportions and absolute numbers of Tγ and Tμ cells were compared to corresponding values in healthy subjects and correlations made with levels of serum immunoglobulins and the presence of circulating autoantibodies. A marked reduction in T cells was observed in patients with liver disease, the decrease primarily being in the Tμ subpopulation. No striking correlations emerged between proportions or numbers of these T-cell subpopulations and either serum immunoglobulin levels or circulating autoantibodies.
Sensing of 252 Cf fission gamma rays using same-size glass detectors

Eight same-size Cherenkov detectors were tested through time-of-flight analysis with a tagged 252Cf source to investigate their relative efficiencies and integrated charge spectra. They were chosen to vary in density, refractive index and optical absorption. The results showed that detection efficiency of glass Cherenkov detectors increases with increasing density and decreasing optical absorption edge. Furthermore, the number of photoelectrons generated on the photocathode peaks at one photoelectron for all selected glass samples. The reported experimental results are useful for estimating the response of non-scintillating glass detectors to low energy gamma rays.
Modeling animal growth with Lee Baldwin

Lee Baldwin’s research career focused on elucidating the physiological functions underlying animal performance. Early on, he realized that the number of metabolic variables and the interactions among them were too great to be fully understood and manipulated without the use of quantitative modeling techniques. At first, this entailed the construction and use of static analytical models that evolved into more complex dynamic forms. Always, the emphasis was on improving our understanding, or as he put it, ‘advancing the science’ rather than simply achieving the best fit to data. Baldwin never considered himself a modeler, rather a scientist who used modeling as part of the overall research program. For Baldwin, models were most useful for:
Modeling Community Structure and Topics in Dynamic Text Networks

The last decade has seen great progress in both dynamic network modeling and topic modeling. This paper draws upon both areas to create a bespoke Bayesian model applied to a dataset consisting of the top 467 US political blogs in 2012, their posts over the year, and their links to one another. Our model allows dynamic topic discovery to inform the latent network model and the network structure to facilitate topic identification. Our results find complex community structure within this set of blogs, where community membership depends strongly upon the set of topics in which the blogger is interested. We examine the time varying nature of the Sensational Crime topic, as well as the network properties of the Election News topic, as notable and easily interpretable empirical examples.
FORENSIC RADIOLOGY AND IMAGING FOR VETERINARY RADIOLOGISTS

Imaging studies are often of evidentiary value in medicolegal investigations involving animals and the role of the veterinary radiologist is to interpret those images for courts as an expert or opinion witness. With progressing interest in prosecuting animal crimes and strengthening of penalties for crimes against animals, the participation of veterinary radiologists in medicolegal investigations is expected to increase. Veterinary radiologists who are aware of radiographic and imaging signs that result in animal suffering, abuse, or neglect; knowledgeable in ways radiology and imaging may support cause of death determinations; conversant in postmortem imaging; comfortable discussing mechanisms and timing of blunt or sharp force and projectile trauma in imaging; and prepared to identify mimics of abuse can assist court participants in understanding imaging evidence. The goal of this commentary review is to familiarize veterinary radiologists with the forensic radiology and imaging literature and with the advantages and disadvantages of various imaging modalities utilized in forensic investigations. Another goal is to provide background information for future research studies in veterinary forensic radiology and imaging.
Development and Validation of a Music Self-Concept Inventory for College Students

The purpose of this study was to develop a Music Self-Concept Inventory (MSCI) for college students that is easy to administer and reflects the global nature of this construct. Students (N = 237) a...
Design, fabrication and optical characterizations of large-area lithography-free ultrathin multilayer selective solar coatings with excellent thermal stability in air

Abstract A sub-micron-thick selective multilayer solar thermal absorber made of tungsten, SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 multilayer thin films was theoretically designed and experimentally demonstrated in this work. The optical performance was optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm for this multilayer absorber, whose spectral selectivity is associated with the Fabry-Perot resonance and anti-reflection effects. The designed multilayer absorber was deposited by sputtering and chemical vapor deposition techniques on the wafer scale. Its spectral absorptance characterized by a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIR) was demonstrated to be greater than 0.95 in the solar spectrum and less than 0.1 emittance in the mid-infrared with angular insensitivity. Temperature dependent FTIR measurements with an optical fiber setup revealed stable optical performance up to 600 °C in ambient, while thermal cycle testing showed its long-term thermal stability at 400 °C. Theoretical analysis of solar to power efficiency for a Carnot heat engine driven by the Solar heat was performed, which clearly shows that the proposed ultrathin selective multilayer absorber with spectral selectivity, angular insensitivity as well as high temperature stability could significantly boost the conversion efficiency of solar thermal systems at mid to high temperatures.
Oceanic Uptake of Oxygen During Deep Convection Events Through Diffusive and Bubble‐Mediated Gas Exchange

The concentration of dissolved oxygen (O2) plays fundamental roles in diverse chemical and biological processes throughout the oceans. The balance between the physical supply and the biological consumption controls the O2 level of the interior ocean, and the O2 supply to the deep waters can only occur through deep convection in the polar oceans. We develop a theoretical framework describing the oceanic O2 uptake during open-ocean deep convection events and test it against a suite of numerical sensitivity experiments. Our framework allows for two predictions, confirmed by the numerical simulations. First, both the duration and the intensity of the winter-time cooling contribute to the total O2 uptake for a given buoyancy loss. Stronger cooling leads to deeper convection and the oxygenation can reach down to deeper depths. Longer duration of the cooling period increases the total amount of O2 uptake over the convective season. Second, the bubble-mediated influx of O2 tends to weaken the diffusive influx by shifting the air-sea disequilibrium of O2 towards supersaturation. The degree of compensation between the diffusive and bubble-mediated gas exchange depends on the dimensionless number measuring the relative strength of oceanic vertical mixing and the gas transfer velocity. Strong convective mixing, which may occur under strong cooling, reduces the degree of compensation so that the two components of gas exchange together drive exceptionally strong oceanic O2 uptake.
A Closed Loop Control Heuristic for Scheduling a Manufacturing System Subject to Random Setup Times

A real-time lot-sizing heuristic is developed for a high volume manufacturing system subject to significant, random setup times. The scheduling problem is modeled as a dynamic program, generating a threshold-type control policy. Simulation experiments indicate that closed loop feedback control is a feasible option for shop floor scheduling. A heuristic based on characteristics of the optimal control policy is developed. Numerical tests are provided which compare the heuristic with other controllers. Results show the heuristic performs identically to an optimal control policy and better than other widely used approaches.
Sexual Orientation and Social Attitudes

Gender, race, and class strongly predict social attitudes and are at the core of social scientific theory and empirical analysis. Sexuality (i.e., sexual orientation), however, is not as central a ...
Coarse-to-fine foraminifera image segmentation through 3D and deep features

Foraminifera are single-celled marine organisms, which are usually less than 1 mm in diameter. One of the most common tasks associated with foraminifera is the species identification of thousands of foraminifera contained in rock or ocean sediment samples, which can be a tedious manual procedure. Thus an automatic visual identification system is desirable. Some of the primary criteria for foraminifera species identification come from the characteristics of the shell itself. As such, segmentation of chambers and apertures in foraminifera images would provide powerful features for species identification. Nevertheless, none of the existing image-based, automatic classification approaches make use of segmentation, partly due to the lack of accurate segmentation methods for foraminifera images. In this paper, we propose a learning-based edge detection pipeline, using a coarse-to-fine strategy, to extract the vague edges from foraminifera images for segmentation using a relatively small training set. The experiments demonstrate our approach is able to segment chambers and apertures of foraminifera correctly and has the potential to provide useful features for species identification and other applications such as morphological study of foraminifera shells and foraminifera dataset labeling.
The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway revisited.

Inflammatory bowel disease negatively affects the quality of life of millions of patients around the world. Although the precise etiology of the disease remains elusive, aberrant immune system activation is an underlying cause. As such, therapies that selectively inhibit immune cell activation without broad immunosuppression are desired. Inhibition of immune cell activation preventing pro-inflammatory cytokine production through neural stimulation has emerged as one such treatment. These therapeutics are based on the discovery of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, a reflex arc that induces efferent vagal nerve signaling to reduce immune cell activation and consequently mortality during septic shock. Despite the success of pre-clinical and clinical trials, the neural circuitry and mechanisms of action of these immune-regulatory circuits are controversial. At the heart of this controversy is the protective effect of vagal nerve stimulation despite an apparent lack of neuroanatomical connections between the vagus and target organs. Additional studies have further emphasized the importance of sympathetic innervation of these organs, and that alternative neural circuits could be involved in neural regulation of the immune system. Such controversies also extend to the regulation of intestinal inflammation, with the importance of efferent vagus nerve signals in question. Experiments that better characterize these pathways have now been performed by Willemze et al. in this issue of Neurogastroenterology & Motility. These continued efforts will be critical to the development of better neurostimulator based therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease.