cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling forest defoliation using simulated BRDF and assessing its effect on reflectance and sensor reaching radiance

Remote sensing techniques such as change detection are widely used for mapping and monitoring forest cover to detect the declining health and vigor of forests. These techniques rely on the assumption that the biophysical variation in the forest introduces a corresponding variation in its reflectance. The biophysical variations are assessed by foresters, but these assessment techniques are expensive and cannot be performed frequently to identify a specific level of change in the forest, for example, infection due to gypsy moths that results in forest defoliation. Further, the interaction of atmosphere, sensor characteristics, and phenology that are inherent in the remotely sensed images makes it difficult to separate biophysical changes from observational effects. We have addressed these limitations by developing a method to model the spectral reflectance properties of forests with varying degrees of defoliation using the Digital Image and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) tool. This paper discusses the in-canopy radiative approach and the impact of defoliation on the reflectance and radiance observed by sensors such as Landsat. The results indicate that the relative variation in forest reflectance between a non-defoliated and a 30% defoliated deciduous forest can be as high as 10% in the NIR spectral band. A function can be fit to predict the level of defoliation from the relative variation in radiance. The modeling and analysis techniques can be extended to assess the impact of atmospheric factors and sensor characteristics relative to the biophysical changes as well as for assessing other biophysical variables in forests.
Homological Geometry and Mirror Symmetry

A homogeneous polynomial equation in five variables determines a quintic 3-fp;d in ℂP4. Hodge numbers of a nonsingular quintic are know to be: h p, p = 1, p = 0, 1, 2, 3 (Kahler form and its powers), h3, 0 = h0,3 = 1 (a quintic happens to bear a holomorphic volume form), h2,1 = h1, 2 = 101 = 126 - 25 (it is the dimension of the space of all quintics modulo projective transformations, and h2,1 is responsible here for infinitesimal variations of the complex structure) and all the other h p,q = 0.
Model-based pairs trading in the bitcoin markets

We propose an optimal dynamic pairs trading strategy model for a portfolio of cointegrated assets. Using stochastic control techniques, we compute analytically the optimal portfolio weights and rel...
Galectin-3 Levels Are Elevated and Predictive of Mortality in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background Galectin-3, a novel binding-lectin involved in inflammation and fibrosis, is elevated in heart failure and is independently predictive of mortality in this condition. We sought to evaluate galectin-3 levels and its prognostic value in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), a known inflammatory state, in the setting of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-associated PH (HFpEF-PH). Methods We measured galectin-3 levels in 76 patients with PH; 37 patients with PAH and 39 patients with HFpEF-PH. Baseline characteristics, and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were assessed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the prognostic value of galectin-3. Results Median (IQR) galectin-3 (ng/mL) for the entire cohort was 24.65 (IQR = 10.39, 32.90); 22.33 (IQR = 18.94, 27.30) and 28.94 (IQR = 21.67, 39.85) in the PAH and HFpEF-PH, respectively (p = 0.07). After evaluation of the galectin-3 levels by tertile, mortality rates were 16% (4/25), 34.6% (9/26), and 48% (12/25) in tertiles 1-3, respectively, and Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant increase in mortality across increasing galectin-3 tertiles (log-rank p = 0.014). On Cox regression analysis, galectin-3 was a strong predictor of mortality on both univariate HR = 2.09 per tertile (95% CI = 1.21, 3.62 per tertile; p-trend = 0.008) and multivariate analysis HR = 2.19 per tertile (95% CI = 1.06, 4.54; p-trend = 0.035) after adjusting for age, sex, race, glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), NT-proBNP, medications, and aetiology of PH (PAH vs. HFpEF-PH). Conclusion Galectin-3 is a strong, independent prognostic marker in PH, regardless of aetiology. Larger studies should further evaluate the role of galectin-3 as a prognostic biomarker and possible therapeutic target in PH.
3. BUDDHIST TECHNOLOGIES OF STATECRAFT AND MILLENNIAL MOMENTS

There are striking family resemblances between models and modes of kingship in the Safavid and Mughal worlds discussed by Azfar Moin and those that characterized Buddhist kingship in the premodern Indian Ocean arena, which encompassed polities including Poḷonnāruva, Dambadeṇiya, Koṭṭē, Bagan, Sukhothai, and Chiang Mai. In courtly contexts, Buddhists—operating at the intersection of intellectual traditions in Pali and Sanskrit languages—depended upon protective technologies including astrology and interpreted threats and prospects according to millennial science. Working comparatively, across the premodern Indian Ocean and Indo-Persian worlds, can help historians of Buddhism and Islam to understand more clearly the intellectual histories and repertoires of royal practice according to which kings and strongmen within each sphere sought to gain and retain the throne.
Laser-induced fluorescence for detection of alloying elements during laser welding of austenitic stainless steel

We demonstrate a sensitivity increase of 104 over optical emission spectroscopy by applying laser-induced fluorescence to detect evaporating alloying elements during laser welding. As proof-of-principle, we target silicon in stainless steel in the near-UV.
At a global scale, do climate change threatened species also face a greater number of non-climatic threats?

Abstract For many species the threats of climate change occur in a context of multiple existing threats. Given the current focus of global change ecology in identifying and understanding species vulnerable to climate change, we performed a global analysis to characterize the multi-threat context for species threatened by climate change. Utilizing 30,053 species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, we sought to evaluate if species threatened by climate change are more likely threatened by a greater number of non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Our results show that species threatened by climate change are generally impacted by 21% more non-climatic threats than species not threatened by climate change. Across all species, this pattern is related to IUCN risk status, where endangered species threatened by climate change face 33% more non-climatic threats than endangered species not threatened by climate change. With the clear challenges of assessing current and projected impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, research often requires reductionist approaches that result in downplaying this multi-threat context. This cautionary note bears relevance beyond climate change threatened species as we also found other (but not all) anthropogenic threats are also similarly associated with more threats. Our findings serve as a reminder that ecological research should seriously consider these potential threat interactions, especially for species under elevated conservation concern.
Input selection for multivariable extremum seeking control with application to real-time optimization of a chilled-water plant

Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) has been recognized as a potential model-free control solution for applications where model acquisition is difficult and/or cost prohibitive, e.g. for building HVAC systems. Such systems have large numbers of candidate inputs that could be used for ESC, however, it is not economically necessary to include all of them as manipulated inputs. This study presents a Hessian estimation based automatic input selection strategy for multi-variable ESC. The Hessian estimation strategy in the Newton based ESC is applied, and the singular values of the estimated Hessian matrix are used to decide the subset of inputs for the underlying ESC. The finite impulse response (FIR) filter is used for isolating the Hessian elements with faster transient performance than the infinite impulse (IIR) filter. Also, an optimal dither frequency design is performed to avoid undesirably close spacing between the associated frequency components and the use of large roll-off filters. The proposed approach is illustrated with a three-input numerical example, and the simulation is under way for a Modelica model for a chilled-water plant.
Cyclic mechanical properties of copper-based shape memory alloys: The effect of strain accommodation at grain boundaries

Abstract Fatigue behavior of shape memory alloys depends on deformation mechanisms (e.g., martensitic transformation, variant conversion, slip, and elastic deformation) and how they interact with microstructure. In this paper, we examine fatigue properties of Cu-based shape memory alloys, focusing on the effect of strain accommodation at grain boundaries on fatigue life and fracture mode under various deformation mechanisms in polycrystals. Comparisons with single crystals and static test results are also made. As lack of plastic accommodation at grain boundaries often leads to brittle intergranular fracture, incorporation of a ductile intergranular phase is promising for providing strain accommodation for transformation nearby and improving superelastic fatigue life.
Toward personalized treatment in Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare lymphoma with 1000 to 1500 new patients diagnosed per year in the United States. Patients with WM can experience prolonged survival times, which seem to have increased in the last decade, but relapse is inevitable. The identification of recurrent mutations in the MYD88 and CXCR4 genes has opened avenues of research to better understand and treat patients with WM. These developments are giving way to personalized treatment approaches for these patients, focusing on increasing depth and duration of response alongside lower toxicity rates. In the present document, we review the diagnostic differential, the clinical manifestations, and the pathological and genomic features of patients with WM. We also discuss the safety and efficacy data of alkylating agents, proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with WM. Finally, we propose a genomically driven algorithm for the treatment of WM. The future of therapies for WM appears bright and hopeful, but we should be mindful of the cost-effectiveness and long-term toxicity of novel agents.
Fiscal Policy at the State and Local Levels

The financial activities of the state and local governments, no less than those of the federal government, must inevitably have an important effect on the national economy. In fact, war finance aside, the subordinate units collectively have always imposed more taxes and spent more money than the central government.
Simulations of the 1979–88 polar climates by global climate models

The simulation of the northern and southern polar climates for 1979–88 by 14 global climate models (GCMs), using the observed monthly averaged sea-surface temperatures and sea-ice extents as boundary conditions, is part of an international effort to determine the systematic errors of atmospheric models under realistic conditions, the so-called Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), In this study, intercomparison of the models’ simulation of polar climate is discussed in terms of selected surface and vertically integrated monthly averaged quantities, such as sea-level pressure, cloudiness, precipitable water, precipitation and evaporation/sublimation. The results suggest that the accuracy of model-simulated climate features in high latitudes primarily depends on the horizontal resolution and the treatment of physical processes in the GCMs. AMIP offers an unprecedented opportunity for the comprehensive evaluation and validation of current atmospheric models and provides valuable information for model improvement.
A Powered-Caster Holonomic Robotic Vehicle for Mobile Manipulation Tasks

Mobile manipulator systems hold promise in many industrial and service applications including assembly, inspection, and work in hazardous environments. The integration of a manipulator and a mobile robot base places special demands on the vehicle’s drive system. For smooth accurate motion and coordination with an on-board manipulator, a holonomic vibration-free wheel system that can be dynamically controlled is needed. In this paper, we present the design and development of a Powered Caster Vehicle (PCV) which is shown to possess the desired mechanical properties. To dynamically control the PCV, an new approach for modeling and controlling the dynamics of this parallel redundant system is proposed. The experimental results presented in the paper illustrate the performance of this platform and demonstrate the significance of dynamic control and its effectiveness in mobile manipulation tasks.
Federal Jurisdiction Over Internet and Broadband: A Commentary on Technology and Content Regulation

Ever since the growth of federal administrative agencies during the New Deal, these institutions’ powers and jurisdiction have been defined mainly by their enabling act. With the development of a host of new technologies during the last 50 years, however, agencies increasingly have found themselves trapped between a lack of clear statutory mandates and Congress’ refusal to supply one by way of amendment.This situation has been particularly troublesome in the media-telecommunications area. It began with the development of cable television, which fell into neither of the Federal Communications Commission’s two major regulatory powers: common carriage and broadcasting. Because of an increasing fear that cable would destroy the advertising economy of broadcasting, the FCC convinced the Supreme Court to imply “reasonably ancillary powers” from the agency’s other powers. Though the basis for this judicial acknowledgement of new jurisdiction was never clear, it basically filled the regulatory hiatus from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, when Congress eventually passed new legislation.Though ancillary jurisdiction today largely is a study in legal history, it may inadvertently have provided a basis for FCC power over Internet, broadband, and other forms of cybermedia. Though only one Supreme Court decision and a few lower court cases have invoked it, the almost forgotten notion of ancillary jurisdiction yet may have viability today.
“The most bombed nation on Earth”: Western Shoshone resistance to the Nevada National Security Site

This article explores a set of protests challenging U.S. occupation of the Nevada Nuclear Test Site as a means of understanding the deployment of bordering rhetorics in colonial expansion and indig...
THE CARBON DIOXIDE CONTENT OF MILK DURING HANDLING, PROCESSING AND STORAGE AND ITS EFFECT UPON THE FREEZING POINT1

Summary Milk samples obtained from a bulk tank at the conclusion of each of four milking periods, subsequently from a plant storage tank, and after processing and storage for 0, 2, and 4 days were analyzed for CO2 content and freezing point. Changes in CO2 content which occurred during storage of raw or pasteurized milk, handling or pasteurization were not of sufficient magnitude to alter significantly the freezing point. Therefore, the use of the freezing point as a means of detecting adulteration of milk with water should not be complicated by normal handling, processing and storage of milk. The significant reduction of CO2 which occurred during vacuum treatment of milk resulted in a rise in its freezing point. Allowances for this change should be made in adulteration determinations.
Power Flow in Pulsed-Power Systems: The Influence of Hall Physics and Modeling of the Plasma–Vacuum Interface

Extended-MHD simulations of power flow along a pulsed-power transmission line are performed in a 2-D axisymmetric geometry, in particular looking at the influence of Hall physics for a transmission line coupled to the liner used in a magnetized liner inertial fusion experiment at Sandia National Labs. It was recently shown by the authors that, for a coaxial transmission line, when Hall physics is included, significantly more blow-off occurs from plasma initialized against the anode compared to the cathode. The mechanism of this blow-off was traced to electron ${\text{E}}\times {\text{B}}$ drift modeled by the Hall term. This result is also observed for the present simulations, and it is shown that the anode blow-off significantly delays the coupling of current to the liner. It is also found that Hall MHD and MHD results are sensitive to the treatment of density floors and the plasma–vacuum interface. Although MHD shows more sensitivity than Hall MHD, correct modeling of the transition from plasma to vacuum remains an unsolved problem that must be addressed in order to improve the predictive capability of fluid-based power flow simulations with regard to energy coupling.
Attractor Landscapes and Information Processing by Convective Obstacle Flows

We present recent results concerning the attractor landscape, memory, hysteresis and computation that can emerge in simple convective obstacle flows. In these systems a single phase fluid is heated from below and cooled from above. Small obstacles (one or two) are placed on the horizontal mid plane of the system and extract some fraction of the fluid’s horizontal or vertical momentum. Horizontal momentum sinks tend to attract convection plumes. Vertical momentum sinks are bistable; the obstacle will either align with a convection cell centre or convection plume depending on initial conditions and the history of the system. The resulting attractor landscape can be exploited to produce a single bit memory or even elementary Boolean logic.
Estimating Microbial Interaction Network: Zero-inflated Latent Ising Model Based Approach

Abstract Motivation Throughout their lifespans, humans continually interact with the microbial world, including those organisms which live in and on the human body. Research in this domain has revealed the extensive links between the human-associated microbiota and health. In particular, the microbiota of the human gut plays essential roles in digestion, nutrient metabolism, immune maturation and homeostasis, neurological signaling, and endocrine regulation. Microbial interaction networks are frequently estimated from data and are an indispensable tool for representing and understanding the relationships among the microbes of a microbiota. In this high-dimensional setting, the zero-inflated and compositional data structure (subject to unit-sum constraint) pose challenges to the accurate estimation of microbial interaction networks. Method We propose the zero-inflated latent Ising (ZILI) model for microbial interaction network which assumes that the distribution of relative abundance of microbiota is determined by finite latent states. This assumption is partly supported by the existing findings in literature [20]. The ZILI model can circumvents the unit-sum constraint and alleviates the zero-inflation problem under given assumptions. As for the model selection of ZILI, a two-step algorithm is proposed. ZILI and two-step algorithm are evaluated through simulated data and subsequently applied in our investigation of an infant gut microbiome dataset from New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. The results are compared with results from traditional Gaussian graphical model (GGM) and dichotomous Ising model (DIS). Results Through the simulation studies, provided that the ZILI model is the true generative model for the data, it is shown that the two-step algorithm can estimate the graphical structure effectively and is robust to a range of alternative settings of the related factors. Both GGM and DIS can not achieve a satisfying performance in these settings. For the infant gut microbiome dataset, we use both ZILI and GGM to estimate microbial interaction network. The final estimated networks turn out to share a statistically significant overlap in which the ZILI and two-step algorithm tend to select the sparser network than those modeled by GGM. From the shared subnetwork, a hub taxon Lachnospiraceae is identified whose involvement in human disease development has been discovered recently in literature. Availability The data and programs involved in Section 4 and 5 are available on request from the correspondence author. Contact Anne.G.Hoen@dartmouth.edu Supplementary information Supplementary materials are available at Bioinformatics
Cracking the Preemption Code: The New Model for OTC Derivatives

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) established a comprehensive regulatory regime in 2010 for over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. From a state law perspective, Congress could have chosen to put more cops on the beat by repealing preemption that was added to the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) in 2000 by the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA). Instead, Congress embraced preemption, extending it beyond gaming and bucket shop laws that were previously preempted by the CFMA. Given the size and complexity of the OTC derivatives markets, together with new required market structure changes, Congress chose to carry out OTC derivatives regulation exclusively through federal agencies with the requisite expertise. Aside from those at the CFTC who were close to Title VII when it was drafted, it was not immediately apparent in 2010 what Congress had done for the OTC derivatives markets by resetting the preemption clock back to 1974, which was when Congress conferred exclusive jurisdiction on the CFTC for commodity futures. The concern was that Congress had gone the other way and repealed preemption for swaps, based on changes to CEA §12(e)(2), which provided (and continues to provide) preemption of state gaming and bucket shop laws solely for contracts that are excluded or exempt under the CEA. In 2000, the CFMA added §12(e)(2) to the CEA at the same time that the CFMA excluded swaps from the CEA. Because Dodd-Frank repealed this exclusion in 2010 and brought swaps back into the CEA under the new Title VII regulatory regime, Congress moved swaps out of §12(e)(2) and into §2(a)(1)(A), the exclusive jurisdiction clause, using the same approach it had in 1974 for futures. Unfortunately, the change to CEA §12(e)(2) could leave the impression that preemption had been repealed. Even were someone to shift their attention to the CEA’s exclusive jurisdiction clause, this was not enough, since to achieve preemption for swaps it also took excluding them from CEA §12(e)(1). This is the CEA’s concurrent jurisdiction clause, which Congress added in 1982 for off-exchange contracts. This exclusion from §12(e)(1) is provided in amended CEA §2(d) through a long list of enumerated section references, making preemption for swaps more difficult to decipher. This article examines these changes and the coherent and well-designed preemption model that Congress adopted in 2010 for CFTC-regulated swaps and SEC-regulated security-based swaps.
A UT1-LIKE QUANTITY FROM ANALYSIS OF GPS ORBIT PLANES

This paper discusses a UT1-like quantity, UTGPS, determined daily from Earth-referenced GPS satellite orbits from the International GPS Service (IGS). For each satellite considered, the observed relation between the satellite's IGS orbit and a model of its orbit plane in inertial space is used to estimate UT1. This modeled orbit plane is initialized using the satellite's IGS orbit and the actual UT1 at an initial time. It is then propagated using standard models of gravitational forces and an empirical model representing the orbit-normal radiation pressure observed during several years of in-flight experience with the satellite. To estimate UT1, an a-priori transformation from terrestrial to true-of-date celestial coordinates is applied to the satellite's IGS orbit. The geocentric angular deviations of points of the resulting transformed orbit from the modeled orbit plane are analyzed, giving the angle between the ascending nodes of the satellite's transformed and modeled orbit planes. To this observed angle between nodes, converted to a UT1 difference, is added the a-priori UT1 value used in the transformation. From the result is subtracted a model of the angle, again converted to a UT1 difference, between the ascending nodes of the actual and modeled orbit planes. The final result is the estimate of UT1 from this satellite, and the median of the UT1 estimates from all satellites considered is UTGPS. The root-mean-square difference between UTGPS-UT1 at the beginning and at the end of an interval of one to four weeks is approximately 30 μs times the square root of the interval's duration in weeks.
The art of the Sixtiers in Soviet Kazakhstan, or how to make a portrait from a skull

The artists of the Sixtiers generation in Soviet Kazakhstan have typically been understood as the creators of an authentic Kazakh style. This article demonstrates that a web of constructed vectors ...
Osmoregulatory plasticity during hypersaline acclimation in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

Prolonged drought and freshwater diversion are making periods of hypersalinity more common in coastal ecosystems. This is especially true in the Laguna Madre system along the Texas coast where salinities can exceed 60 g/kg. As such, the ability to tolerate hypersalinity is critical to the success of endemic species, such as the commercially important red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). This study evaluated acclimation of red drum to hypersalinity (60 g/kg) using a direct transfer protocol. Hypersalinity exposure resulted in significant impacts on plasma osmolality and muscle water in the first 24 h, but returned to control values coincident with a significant increase in intestinal water volume. Hypersalinity acclimation resulted in significant branchial and intestinal plasticity. The gill showed significant elevated nka α1a, nkcc1 and vha (B subunit) mRNA abundance, as well as NKA enzyme activity. The posterior intestine showed a stronger plasticity signal than the anterior intestine, which included a 12-fold increase in nkcc2 mRNA abundance and significant increases in NKA and VHA enzyme activity. These changes were corroborated by a significant threefold increase in bumetanide-sensitive absorptive short circuit current. These data suggest that the dynamic regulation of NKCC2-mediated intestinal water absorption is an important compliment to HCO3−-mediated water absorption during hypersalinity exposure and acclimation.
Two-sided ideals and the Picard group

In this chapter, we treat maximal orders like noncommutative Dedekind domains, and we consider the structure of two-sided ideals (and their classes), in a manner parallel to the commutative case.
A pilot RCT of virtual reality job interview training in transition-age youth on the autism spectrum

Abstract Background Adolescents on the autism spectrum may have difficulty obtaining and maintaining employment. One particular obstacle for adolescents on the autism spectrum is the job interview. The purpose of the current pilot randomized controlled trial is to examine the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of a virtual reality job interview tool (VR-JIT) in improving job interview performance in adolescents on the autism spectrum. Method The study was implemented in a high school setting. Fourteen adolescents on the autism spectrum were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 7) and a services as usual (SAU) control group (n = 7). The intervention group received 10 h of VR-JIT, which includes interviewing with a virtual human and receiving feedback. All participants performed a video-recorded mock job interview at pre-test and post-test, which was rated by blinded assessors to track interview skills. Students filled out questionnaires related to job interviewing anxiety and self-efficacy pre- and post- intervention. Feasibility metrics were recorded as well. Results Repeated Measures ANOVA revealed improved a metric of job interview performance in the experimental group following the intervention compared to the control group, indicated by medium to large effect sizes. However, perceptions of anxiety and self-efficacy did not improve following the intervention. Students reported that the intervention was easy to use and enjoyable. Conclusions The current pilot study indicates preliminary evidence of the VR-JIT’s effectiveness in improving measures of job interview performance in adolescents on the autism spectrum, even though their own perceptions did not improve. Importantly, the VR-JIT intervention was implemented in a school setting, demonstrating feasibility in its adoption as part of curriculum to help improve employment outcomes in transition age youth on the autism spectrum.
Theoretische Grundlagen und praktische Handhabung der Internen Revision in großen Unternehmungen

Veranderungen der unternehmungsrelevanten Bedingungen in Form wachsender Unternehmungsgrose, Diversifikation des Produktprogramms, Erweiterung der Markte und externer Kontextfaktoren wie steigender Kostendruck von den Beschaffungsmarkten, zunehmende gesetzliche Reglementierungen (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, Umweltschutzgesetze) und konjunkturelle Schwankungen erhohen die Komplexitat (Neuigkeit, Unvorhersehbarkeit, Veronderlichkeit) unternehmerischer Aufgaben. Sie haben entsprechende organisatorische Konsequenzen in Form verstarkter Differenzierung und Koordination der Organisationsstrukturen und einen verstarkten Einsatz von Planungs- und Kontrollinstrumenten sowie der EDV zur Folge.
Tubulins 1 and 2: Failure of quantitation in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis may influence their identification

Abstract When a single sample of tubulin is subjected to quantitative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, any apparent ratio of tubulin 1 to tubulin 2 can be obtained, from approximate equality at medium high loading to complete absence of tubulin 2 at low loading. We interpret this effect as a failure of quantitation in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and suggest that it may account for the contradictory conclusions which have been reached on the intracellular origin of tubulins 1 and 2.
Highly tunable photonic band gap in inverse shell non-close-packed structures

Using 3D-FDTD computations, photonic band gap properties of materials which can be fabricated by an innovative atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique was presented. Non-sintered synthetic opal was conformally infiltrated with a buffer material that can be selectively etched, and a high refractive index material subsequently infiltrated onto the buffer layer up to the maximum infiltration of 86%. After complete chemical removal of the dielectric spheres and sacrificial layer, the inverse structure can be backfilled so that a high refractive index material conforms to the interior geometry of the remaining backbone
Miscommunication in Education: The Distortion of the Grading System

(1990). Miscommunication in Education: The Distortion of the Grading System. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 64, No. 2, pp. 77-79.
Chapter 6 - Martingales and Singular Integrals in Banach Spaces

This chapter explains the interaction between the Banach spaces and martingales, and the light this interaction sheds on the other parts of analysis, including the theory of singular integrals. To study the singular integral operators in a fairly general Banach space setting, one must surmount the difficulties caused by the lack of classical orthogonality. The same can be said for martingales and some other mathematical creatures that do not always have an easy transition from their original and friendly environment to one not quite so friendly. Certain kinds of biconvex functions designed to surmount these difficulties in the study of martingale transforms are just the fight tools to use in proving some of the most important sharp inequalities in the scalar-valued case. The ζ -convexity is defined and it is shown that a Banach space is unconditional for martingale differences (UMD) if it is ζ -convex. In addition to the biconvex function ζ , other biconvex and biconcave functions are also discussed in the chapter.
Orchestrating the Power of Groups: Beginnings, Middles and Endings (Overture, Movements and Finales) by Steinberg, D. M. (Ed.)

This volume is a compilation of work presented at the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups' (AASWG) 28th Annual International Symposium held in San Diego, California, in 2006....
Occupational Therapists' Perceptions of Environmental Influences on Practice at an Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Program: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTAims: To better understand occupational therapists’ clinical decision making processes as they selected which rehabilitation environment to work in, and how the therapists perceived the environment impacted their choice of intervention. Methods: Focus group and individual interviews were conducted following observation of three occupational therapists providing interventions for 16 months with 12 clients following a stroke at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital stroke unit. Therapists could chose from three different environments for interventions: a therapy gym, homelike space, or a combination space. Results: Three themes emerged that revealed therapists’ habits influenced their clinical reasoning; the environment influenced therapists’ intervention choices; and therapists felt safer treating in the gym environment. Conclusion: The environment influenced the therapists’ intervention choices as well as their clinical reasoning. Rehabilitation services on an inpatient stroke program may be improv...
Identification of a novel nemaline myopathy-causing mutation in the troponin T1 (TNNT1) gene: a case outside of the old order Amish.

Introduction: Nemaline myopathy (NM) is a congenital neuromuscular disorder often characterized by hypotonia, facial weakness, skeletal muscle weakness, and the presence of rods on muscle biopsy. A rare form of nemaline myopathy known as Amish Nemaline Myopathy has only been seen in a genetically isolated cohort of Old Order Amish patients who may additionally present with tremors in the first 2–3 months of life. Methods: We describe an Hispanic male diagnosed with nemaline myopathy histopathologically and subsequently confirmed by next generation gene sequencing. Results: Direct sequencing revealed that he is homozygous for a pathogenic nonsense variant c.323C>G (p.S108X) in exon 9 of the TNNT1 gene. Conclusions: This report describes a novel pathogenic variant in the TNNT1 gene and represents a nemaline myopathy-causing variant in the TNNT1 gene outside of the Old Order Amish and Dutch ancestry. Muscle Nerve 51:767–772, 2015
Cut-Down Operations on Bilattices

In this paper, Melvin Fitting's notion of a "cut-down" operation on a bilattice is considered. It is shown that the logic of cut-down operations on bilattices is equivalent to Harry Deutsch's four-valued Sfde, demonstrating that Sfde is as intimately connected to the theory of bilattices as is the Dunn-Belnap logic Efde. The paper concludes by observing that the "not ¬" operation of Carlos Damasio and Luis Pereira serves as a cut-down in Fitting's sense and that the logic of Damasio-Pereira cut-down operations on the bilattice NINE is equivalent to Richard Angell's AC.
Symmetry constraints on the configurational properties of non-linear molecules

Symmetry constraints on coefficients in the generalized spherical harmonic expansions of configurational properties are derived for pairs of non-linear molecules. Constraints are also obtained for the coefficients in the expansion of the time dependent reorientational distribution function for a non-linear molecule. In addition to invariance under the operations of the molecular point group, these properties must be invariant to interchange (for pairs of identical molecules) and to changes in the ‘handedness’ of the coordinate axes (for optically inactive molecules). Specific results are given for the configurational properties of tetrahedra, but other simple non-linear point groups are briefly considered. In the time dependent case, several types of molecular symmetry are discussed (including tetrahedral), and the relationship between point group constraints and the results for anisotropic rotational diffusion models is clarified.
Geodetic Imaging by Airborne LiDAR: A Golden Age in Geodesy – A Bonanza for Related Sciences

One and a half centuries after the founding of the IAG, geodetic imaging (GI) represents a golden age in geodesy, and a bonanza of never-before-available quantitative information for research in related fields of science. Airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) observations, and such derived products as ‘bare earth’ digital elevation models, are being used to study: earthquake deformation fields, fault slip rates, folding mechanisms, landslide dynamics, channel network evolution, soil mantle development, bedrock surface cracking, landscape response to tectonics, lava flow fluxes, marsh evolution, salmon habitat, beach erosion, forestry, and archaeological sites. LiDAR technology is still developing rapidly, with high priority being given to multi-color systems, and miniaturization that will enable the deployment of LiDAR in remotely piloted aircraft, a.k.a., drones. As such technological improvements become operational new scientific problems will be brought within reach of an increasingly diverse community of researchers.
Surgical technique for implantation of the neurocybernetic prosthesis.

Summary: The surgical technique for the implantation of the neurocybernetic prosthesis is described in detail. This procedure is straightforward and is easily carried out by surgeons familiar with carotid surgery.
Reduced Glioma Infiltration in Src-deficient Mice

Malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastoma, are characterized by extensive angiogenesis and permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The infiltration of glioma cells away from the primary tumor mass is a pathological characteristic of glial tumors. The infiltrating tumor cells represent a significant factor in tumor recurrence following surgical debulking, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated vascular permeability (VP) has been associated with the progression of glioma tumor growth and infiltration into surrounding normal brain parenchyma. While VEGF induces a robust VP response in control mice (src+/+ or src+/−), the VP response is blocked in src−/− mice that demonstrate a ‘leakage-resistant phenotype’ in the brain. We used the Src-deficient mouse model to determine the role of Src in the maintenance of the BBB following orthotopic implantation and growth of glioma cells in the brain. Although solid tumor growth was the same in control and src−/− mice, the infiltrating component of glioma growth was reduced in src−/− mice. Characterization of the expression and localization of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibrinogen was evaluated to determine the effect of a Src-mediated VP defect in the host compartment. These studies indicate that the reduced VP of host brain blood vessels of src−/− mice mediates a reduction in glioma cell invasion in a mouse brain tumor xenograft model.
Predictors of fear of crime in older adults

Very little is known about factors that predict fear of crime in older adults. Indeed, the topic itself remains a source of controversy, with early studies indicating higher levels of crime fear with age, and new, more methodologically rigorous studies demonstrating the opposite trend. The present exploratory investigation included 106 older adults and assessed the relationship between demographic variables, interpersonal violence, psychopathology, and fear of crime. In addition, this study built on previous research in that specific feared outcomes (e.g., hospitalization) were also considered. Initial findings indicate that being female, non-Caucasian, having depressive symptoms, and reporting social isolation are predictive of general fear of crime ratings. Different predictor sets were noted for fear of crime against person and fear of crime against property. Reported perceptions of negative crime outcomes were associated with being female, non-Caucasian, and having low income.
The mercury-sensitized oxidation of carbon monoxide

The mercury-photosensitized oxidation of CO was studied at 275°C over a wide range of [O2]/[CO] ratios in the absence and presence of the oxygen atom scavenger 2-trifluoromethylpropene (TMP) and at 25°C at low [O2]/[CO] ratios in the presence of TMP. By following the quantum yield of CO2 production, Φ {CO2}, as a function of the [O2]/[CO] ratio, the reactions of vibrationally excited CO (v υ 9) and electronically excited O2, probably in the c1Σ−u state, were studied. At low [O2]/[CO] ratios the predominant reactions are of vibrationally excited CO (v υ 9). Relative rate constants for chemical reaction versus deactivation of CO (v υ 9) were obtained. At higher [O2]/[CO] ratios, the principal reactions are of electronically excited O2. Relative rate constants for chemical reactions and deactivation of this electronically excited O2 with CO, O2, and TMP were obtained. From the effect of total pressure on Φ {CO2}, it is proposed that an intermediate CO3 is formed in the reaction of electronically excited O2 with CO.
Sumoylation of internally initiated Sp3 isoforms regulates transcriptional repression via a Trichostatin A-insensitive mechanism

Abstract Sp3 is a ubiquitously expressed member of the Sp family of transcription factors that encodes three proteins, Sp3, M1 and M2, with differing capacities to stimulate or repress transcription. As part of ongoing efforts to study the functions of Sp3 isoforms, we employed a yeast “two-hybrid” screen to identify Sp3-binding proteins. This screen resulted in the identification of Ubc9, a SUMO-1 conjugating enzyme, as an M2-binding protein, and consistent with these results sequence analyses identified consensus sumoylation motifs within several Sp family members. Western blots probed with anti-Sp3 detected a high molecular weight Sp3 isoform that is stabilized by a SUMO-1 hydrolase inhibitor, and this protein is also bound by anti-SUMO-1 antiserum. Transient transfection assays with epitope-tagged-SUMO-1 and GFP-SUMO-1 fusion proteins confirmed that Sp3, M1 and M2 proteins are sumoylated in vivo. Substitution of arginine for lysine at one putative site of sumoylation, lysine 551 , blocked sumoylation of all Sp3 isoforms in vivo and led to a marginal increase in Sp3-mediated trans -activation in insect and mammalian cells. In contrast, introduction of this amino acid substitution within M1 converted it into a potent transcriptional trans -activator. We conclude that Sp3 isoforms are sumoylated in vivo and this post-translational modification plays an important role in the regulation of Sp3-mediated transcription.
Brief papers: Equilibrium strategies in dynamic games with multi-levels of hierarchy

This paper considers noncooperative equilibria of three-player dynamic games with three levels of hierarchy in decision making. In this context, first a general definition of a hierarchical equilibrium solution is given, which also accounts for nonunique responses of the players who are not at the top of the hierarchy. Then, a general theorem is proven which provides a set of sufficient conditions for a triple of strategies to be in hierarchical equilibrium. When applied to linear-quadratic games, this theorem provides conditions under which there exists a linear one-step memory strategy for the player (say, J1) at the top of the hierarchy, which forces the other two players to act in such a way so as to jointly minimize the cost function of J1. Furthermore, there exists a linear one-step memory strategy for the second-level player (say, J2), which forces the remaining player to jointly minimize the cost function of J2 under the declared equilibrium strategy of J1. A numerical example included in the paper illustrates the results and the convergence property of the equilibrium strategies, as the number of stages in the game becomes arbitrarily large.
First generation instruments for the Magellan telescopes: characteristics, operation and performance

The Magellan Telescopes are a collaboration between the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (OCIW), University of Arizona, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) consisting of two 6.5 meter telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, in the Chilean Andes. The Walter Baade telescope achieved first light in September 2000 and the Landon Clay telescope started science operations in September 2002. In addition to two modified spectroscopic instruments, the Boller and Chivens Spectrograph and the Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph (LDSS-2), four first generation instruments are now deployed at the Magellan Telescopes. Here we briefly describe the operations and performance of MagIC - a direct imaging CCD camera, MIKE - a double echelle spectrograph, PANIC - a near-IR imager, and IMACS - a multi-purpose, multi-object imaging spectrograph.
Ciliary frequency and orientational responses to clamped voltage steps inParamecium

1. Simultaneous voltage clamping and microcinematography were used to examine the behavior of cilia in response to prolonged hyperpolarizing and depolarizing steps in the membrane potential ofParamecium caudatum. In the absence of stimulation the cilia beat at less than 20 cycles per second with the power stroke directed toward the posterior and somewhat to the right (i.e. 4 o'clock) of the cell. 2. Hyperpolarization of the membrane results in a graded increase in frequency and a slight clockwise shift in orientation of the power stroke to a more posteriad orientation (i.e. toward 6 o'clock); peak frequencies of up to 50/sec are reached in about 4 sec, after which the beating settles to a lower steady frequency. 3. Responses to depolarization are more complex; below +3 to +5 mV the frequency drops toward a minimum. Further depolarization up to +20 mV produces a stimulus graded increase in frequency with a graded counterclockwise shift in orientation of the power stroke. 4. During maintained depolarizations the frequency of reversed beating increases with time over several seconds and then gradually decreases in frequency over a period of 30 to 60 sec during which time the orientation also relaxes toward normally directed beating. 5. With potential shifts of more than +60 mV the frequency of reversed beating becomes less, reaching a minimum between +80 and +100mV; at greater positive potential steps normal beating is reestablished. 6. During 1- to 2-sec steps of either small (1–4 mV) or large (60 to 100 mV) positive potential steps there is a progressive slowing of normally directed beating until the cilia stop and finally exhibit reversed beating. 7. In all instances ciliary orientation and frequency change together in parallel as a function of membrane voltage. Following the first second of stimulation these two parameters of movement also exhibit changes which parallel in time slow changes in current. This suggests a common regulating substance or process. 8. Evidence is discussed which indicates that it is [Ca]in, regulated by the voltage-sensitive calcium conductance of the surface membrane, which is the common agent controlling both the frequency and the direction of ciliary beating.
Is the intrauterine treatment of fetal hydrocephalus helpful or harmful

An assessment of the current status of intrauterine treatment of fetal hydrocephalus is presented. An attempt is made to evaluate the outcome of clinical trials reported to the International Registry