cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ray Casting Approach for Boundary Extraction and Fourier Shape Descriptor Characterization

There are many significant applications of Fourier Shape Descriptor characterization of boundaries of regions in images. Whenever it is desirable to compare two shapes, independent of rotation, starting point, or compensate for magnification, Fourier Shape Descriptors (FSDs) have merits. FSDs have been proposed for the automatic assessment of packaging; to check alignment of objects for automation; and characterize visual objects in video coding, and compare biomedical regions in medical images. This paper presents a technique to parameterize the boundary of the region of interest (ROI) that utilizes the casting of rays from the center of mass of the region of interest outward to points in the image that lie on the edge of the ROI. This is essentially another technique to obtain the R-S parametrization. At each step the process utilizes the sections of the boundary have radii that are a simple function of theta. The procedure then merges these simple boundary sections to create a periodic complex valued function of the boundary parameterized by a parameter s that is not required to be a function of theta. Once the complex periodic sequence is obtained, the Fourier Transform is taken resulting in the corresponding Fourier Shape Descriptors. Since the technique seeks the intersection of a known ray with the boundary (it is not boundary following), the worst-case behavior of the technique is easily calculated making it suitable for real-time applications. The technique is robust to incomplete boundaries of objects, and can be readily extended to three-dimensional datasets (spherical harmonics). The a simpler version of the technique is currently being used in the automatic selection of the axis of symmetry in Magnetic Resonance Images of the brain, and we will demonstrate the application of the technique on these types of datasets, although the technique has general application.
Energy conserving and potential-enstrophy dissipating schemes for the shallow water equations

To incorporate potential enstrophy dissipation into discrete shallow water equations with no or arbitrarily small energy dissipation, a family of finite-difference schemes have been derived with which potential enstrophy is guaranteed to decrease while energy is conserved (when the mass flux is nondivergent and time is continuous). Among this family of schemes, there is a member that minimizes the spurious impact of infinite potential vorticities associated with infinitesimal fluid depth. The scheme is, therefore, useful for problems in which the free surface may intersect with the lower boundary.
Immunology: In the right place at the right time.

Regulatory T cells help to prevent autoimmune responses. A new imaging technique reveals that activation of these cells requires clustering with self-reactive effector T cells and sensing of the signalling protein interleukin-2. See Article p.225 Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) limit the autoimmune response by suppressing autoreactive effector T cells in lymphoid organs under non-inflammatory conditions in an interleukin 2 (IL-2)-dependent manner. Using a novel tissue imaging technique termed histo-cytometry, Ronald Germain and colleagues identify highly suppressive Treg cells expressing the transcription factor STAT5 in its active phosphorylated state that exist in discrete clusters with rare IL-2+ T cells activated by self-antigens. Autoantigen-presenting dendritic cells are shown to interact with both effector and regulatory T cells. These mechanisms combine to upregulate suppressive molecules, thereby preventing autoimmunity.
Fantastic Voyage into the Deep: Marine Biofluid Mechanics

Since life originated in the ancient sea, the interplay between the environmental fluid and organisms has become an inseparable part of physiology, ecology and evolution of organisms. Yet our understanding of the mechanisms and processes in the interaction remains irritatingly poor. An often hostile attitude between biologists and physicists/mathematicians is in part at fault.
On the identification of structural linear functionals

This paper asks which aspects of a structural Nonparametric Instrumental Variables Regression (NPIVR) can be identied well and which ones cannot. It contributes to answering this question by characterizing the identied set of linear continuous functionals of the NPIVR under norm constraints. Each element of the identied set of NPIVR can be written as the sum of a common \identiable component" and an idiosyncratic \unidentiable component". The identied set for any continuous linear functional is shown to be a closed interval, whose midpoint is the functional applied to the \identiable component". The formula for the length of the identied set extends the popular omitted variables formula of classical linear regression. Some examples illustrate the wide applicability and utility of our identication result, including bounds and a new identication condition for point-evaluation functionals. The main ideas are illustrated with an empirical application of the eect of children on labor-market outcomes for women.
The invisible classroom: Relationships, neuroscience, & mindfulness in school by Olson, K.

The Invisible Classroom: Relationships, Neuroscience, & Mindfulness in School is an accessible and engaging text written for those who work in the school system. At the heart of the book lies Dr. K...
Building Damage from Expansive Steel Slag Backfill

Expanding steel slage backfill was unexpectedly found to be the cause of vertical movements of the floor of a basementless building that resulted in significant damage to window and door frames. Five years after construction some parts of the building were still heaving at a rate of 1 cm per yr. Swelling properties of the slag when exposed to different conditions of temperature and humidity are reported. Characteristics of iron blast furnace and steel open hearth furnace slags are described and on this basis it is advocated that only blast furnace slags be used in cases where long-term volume changes cannot be tolerated. Use of other slags in such circumstances should be prohibited unless accompanied by specific evidence that they will not expand.
Beauty or Business Queen How Young Women Select Media to Reinforce Possible Future Selves

Dynamic management and maintenance of self-concepts shape everyday selective media use. The present work examines related processes per the Selective Exposure Self and Affect Management model with a focus on young women’s magazine use. In a prolonged selective exposure study with seven online sessions, women (N = 181, 18-25 years, all Caucasian) completed a signup and a baseline session, four daily sessions with selective browsing of magazine pages (from beauty, parenting, business, and current affairs magazines), and 3 days later, a follow-up. Participants made 16 selections and viewed 80 pages in total. The online application logged magazine content selections and length of exposure. Participants’ possible future selves as romantic partner, parent, and professional at baseline affected the extent to which beauty, parenting, and business pages were viewed. In turn, possible future selves as romantic partner and professional were reinforced through selective exposure to beauty and business magazines.
Yeast-based biosensors: design and applications

Yeast-based biosensing (YBB) is an exciting research area, as many studies have demonstrated the use of yeasts to accurately detect specific molecules. Biosensors incorporating various yeasts have been reported to detect an incredibly large range of molecules including but not limited to odorants, metals, intracellular metabolites, carcinogens, lactate, alcohols, and sugars. We review the detection strategies available for different types of analytes, as well as the wide range of output methods that have been incorporated with yeast biosensors. We group biosensors into two categories: those that are dependent upon transcription of a gene to report the detection of a desired molecule and those that are independent of this reporting mechanism. Transcription-dependent biosensors frequently depend on heterologous expression of sensing elements from non-yeast organisms, a strategy that has greatly expanded the range of molecules available for detection by YBBs. Transcription-independent biosensors circumvent the problem of sensing difficult-to-detect analytes by instead relying on yeast metabolism to generate easily detected molecules when the analyte is present. The use of yeast as the sensing element in biosensors has proven to be successful and continues to hold great promise for a variety of applications.
Host-Seeking Stimulants (Kairomones) for the Egg Parasite, Trichogramma evanescens , ,

Chemicals utilized by insects to foster host-parasite relationships (potentially useful for suppression of insect pests in an ecologically acceptable manner) were found in moth scales of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and shown to direct Trichogramma evanescens Westwood to eggs of H. zea , which it then parasitized. Four chemicals comprising the major portion of the active principle in moth scales were isolated in pure form by column and gas chromatography and shown by gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis to be docosane, tricosane, tetracosane, and penetacosane. The most active chemical, tricosane, elicited significant orientation and stimulated parasitization in both laboratory and small-field tests.
Noncontact laser photothermal keratoplasty. II: Refractive effects and treatment parameters in cadaver eyes.

BACKGROUND Noncontact laser photothermal keratoplasty may provide a new alternative for the treatment of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The purpose of this article is to study the refractive effect that laser photoablation keratoplasty is capable of producing on a normal human cadaver cornea, including the relationship between the keratometric changes and laser treatment parameters. METHODS The human cadaver eyes were treated with a holmium laser (pulsed Ho:YAG, 2.10 microns, 250 microseconds) coupled to a maskable, polyprismatic delivery system mounted on either an optical bench or a slit-lamp microscope. Using a topographic videokeratography system, we first investigated the refractive effect that noncontact laser photothermal keratoplasty would produce on a normal cadaver cornea. We then studied the keratometric changes produced by different radiant exposure levels at a fixed treatment pattern, as well as by different treatment patterns at a fixed radiant exposure level. Finally, we studied the possible therapeutic application of laser photothermal keratoplasty for correcting high postoperative astigmatism on a cadaver eye model. RESULTS For the single-pulse 3-millimeter ring of eight-spot treatment, the keratometric power of the cornea initially increased with the radiant exposure and peaked at 26 J/cm2. The refractive effect was increased by projecting an additional set of eight spots equidistant between the first eight spots on the same diameter ring. Eighteen J/cm2 was the minimal radiant exposure required to produce consistent and predictable keratometric changes. The corneas were flattened using treatment patterns smaller than or equal to 3 mm in diameter and steepened using treatment patterns larger than or equal to 5 mm in diameter. A transition zone between 4 and 5 mm was observed in which minimal and unpredictable keratometric changes of the central cornea occurred. The surgically-induced astigmatism (> 10.00 D) was corrected by progressive laser photothermal keratoplasty treatments. CONCLUSIONS Laser photothermal keratoplasty can acutely steepen and flatten the cornea in human cadaver eyes.
Regulation through Revelation: Life Cycles in the Regulatory Environment

The evolution of the Toxics Release Inventory program reflects the life cycles inherent in many elements of the regulatory environment. A common set of factors influences the course of an environmental regulation: public opinion; media coverage; inspection and enforcement decisions in the field and interpretations rendered by administrative law, state, and federal judges; and office politics (both within the EPA and across other federal agencies). These factors vary predictably across the life of a regulation, as evidenced by the history of the TRI program. High levels of public concern with toxics fueled the passage of EPCRA. The toxic reporting program set in place by legislation continued even as public attention waned. Media coverage of the TRI program spiked in the popular press in 1995 and 1996, during the legislative battles over the TRI and the presidential election. Releases and TRI policy in subsequent years garnered less media coverage, in part because the novelty of the information provision program had declined and because the Bush II administration did not make TRI a high-profile policy. In the trade press aimed at industry readers and environmentalists, the TRI continually generated coverage because policy continued to change over time. Inspection and enforcement actions in the early years of the program were trumpeted by the EPA, in part as a way to convey reporting requirements to industry. In later years, agency officials focused limited enforcement resources on particular chemicals or industries as a way to improve compliance.
Microenvironmental air quality impact of a commercial-scale biomass heating system

Abstract Initiatives to displace petroleum and climate change mitigation have driven a recent increase in space heating with biomass combustion. However, there is ample evidence that biomass combustion emits significant quantities of health damaging pollutants. We investigated the near-source micro-environmental air quality impact of a biomass-fueled combined heat and power system equipped with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) in Syracuse, NY. Two rooftop sampling stations with PM 2.5 and CO 2 analyzers were established in such that one could capture the plume while the other one served as the background for comparison depending on the wind direction. Four sonic anemometers were deployed around the stack to quantify spatially and temporally resolved local wind patterns. Fuel-based emission factors were derived based on near-source measurement. The Comprehensive Turbulent Aerosol Dynamics and Gas Chemistry (CTAG) model was then applied to simulate the spatial variations of primary PM 2.5 without ESP. Our analysis shows that the absence of ESP could lead to an almost 7 times increase in near-source primary PM 2.5 concentrations with a maximum concentration above 100 μg m −3 at the building rooftop. The above-ground “hotspots” would pose potential health risks to building occupants since particles could penetrate indoors via infiltration, natural ventilation, and fresh air intakes on the rooftop of multiple buildings. Our results demonstrated the importance of emission control for biomass combustion systems in urban area, and the need to take above-ground pollutant “hotspots” into account when permitting distributed generation. The effects of ambient wind speed and stack temperature, the suitability of airport meteorological data on micro-environmental air quality were explored, and the implications on mitigating near-source air pollution were discussed.
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety Analysis of Dual Antiplatelet Therapies Within an Integrated Delivery System.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy is a mainstay of care for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients; however, uncertainty exists in real-world practice about comparative effectiveness and safety outcomes. Objective: To evaluate outcomes of different oral P2Y12 inhibitors in PCI patients. Methods: We retrospectively studied patients treated between July 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013. Patients received clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, or more than 1 antiplatelet (switch) during PCI. Outcomes were evaluated for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and bleeding at 1 year. Propensity score matching with Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to determine predictors of MACE and bleeding. Results: A total of 8127 patients were included: clopidogrel (n = 6872), prasugrel (n = 605), ticagrelor (n = 181), and switch (n = 469). Treatment with prasugrel was associated with the lowest risk of MACE using multivariate regression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.36-0.92; P = 0.02). In the p...
Black Men in IT: Theorizing an Autoethnography of a Black Man's Journey into IT within the United States of America

This paper considers issues related to the diversity of the information technology (IT) workforce, inclusive of IT education and the cultural phenomenon that currently exists about Black men's underrepresentation in IT and the degree to which they identify with the IT field within the United States of America. We use autoethnography to examine the insights from the first author's lived experiences and entrance into the IT workforce to identify individual and group themes that exist, relate them to existing literature, and provide evidence of those obstacles being overcome using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT. The purpose of this research is to provide a perspective, through an autoethnographic account, and application of theory that highlight factors that support or undermine the achievement of Black men completing IT degrees and entering the workforce. Methodologically, autoethnography has not been widely adopted within the information systems (IS) discipline but we provide evidence that it is a viable approach for discussing lived experiences utilizing an exemplar and supporting research for evaluating autoethnography. As scholars, even those with no direct affiliation with the impacted group, we have a duty to ensure that we are being as inclusive as possible, understand and appreciate the value of diversity, and are taking an active role in cultivating and empowering our students to enter, and remain, in the IT workforce.
Safely Using Predictions in General-Sum Normal Form Games

It is often useful to predict opponent behavior when playing a general-sum two-player normal form game. However best-responding to an inaccurate prediction can lead to a strategy which is vulnerable to exploitation. This paper proposes a novel method, Restricted Stackelberg Response with Safety (RSRS), for an agent to select a strategy to respond to a prediction. The agent uses the confidence it has in the prediction and a safety margin which reflects the level of risk it is willing to tolerate to make a controlled trade-off between best-responding to the prediction and providing a guarantee of worst-case performance. We describe an algorithm which selects parameter values for RSRS to produce strategies that play well against the prediction, respond to a best-responding opponent, and guard against worst-case outcomes. We report results obtained by the algorithm on multiple general-sum games against different opponents.
A nonlinear grain-based fatigue damage model for civil infrastructure under variable amplitude loads

Abstract To assess fatigue damage accumulation for civil infrastructure, Miner’s rule or linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) are usually used in many codes and specifications. However, large uncertainties are found when the short cracks are initiated. Currently, most physics-based models for crack initiation are built for constant amplitude loads (CA). Since the environmental or service load-induced stresses at local details for crack initiation are time-variant, these physics-based models could not be directly applied for real civil infrastructure. In this paper, a two-fold nonlinear grain-based fatigue damage model is proposed to process the variable amplitude loads (VA) induced fatigue damages by combining Persistent Slip Band (PSB)-based short fatigue crack model and grain-based Miner’s rule. In the sub-grain regime, linear damage accumulation is adopted. For the repeated stress blocks with variable amplitude, the stress block is rain-flow counted and the damage accumulation is modeled as short crack extension. Therefore, the crack associated damage will be accumulated grain by grain until it reaches characteristic length of a long crack. The damage accumulation from a stress block is added for each grain. Effect from subcritical loads is also considered in this damage accumulative model. Finally, a numerical demonstration is performed on statistical representative elements under variable stress histories from a long span bridge.
Origins, Fidelity, and the Auteur: The Bengali Films of Tapan Sinha

This chapter argues that adaptation theory and history must complement one another so that non-Western historical context and cultural particularities can provide comparative frameworks and insights that contribute to adaptation studies. By engaging with four critically acclaimed films by Bengali filmmaker Tapan Sinha – Kabuliwala (Fruitseller from Kabul, 1957), Khudita Pashan (Hungry Stone, 1960), Atithi (The Runaway, 1965) and Nirjan Saikate (The Desolate Beach, 1963) – that are adapted from well-known literary works by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and Samaresh Basu, a renowned Bengali writer – this chapter highlights the ways in which cultural prestige derived from the exalted position held by the authors and their literary textsadds critical and commercial value to the filmic adaptations.
Symmetry in the Charlie Brown Christmas

The televised Charlie Brown Christmas tale and its bawdy Peanuts characters taught me important lessons while growing up as the awkwardly drawn, “blockhead” sibling. This essay explores the down and dirty deities that reside in each of us, including Brown and Pig Pen, at once seen as contemporary symbols of the globally inter challenged-being and surprising instruments of sacred expression. Ruminations on the Bhagavad Gita, Immanuel Kant, Jessye Norman, bell hooks, and Thich Nhat Hahn encourage us to reimagine contexts for power and authority, racial mistrust and injustice, and restoring our slumping spirits.
Memory in constitutive equations and auxetic media

The paper review the concept of auxetic media and proposes a constitutive equation based on three elastic parameters, on a memory formalism represented by a fractional derivative and on a term depending on a dimensionless parameter, which could be the temperature.
Neuromodulation of sensory networks in monkey brain by focused ultrasound with MRI guidance and detection

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has gained recognition as a technique for non-invasive neuromodulation with high spatial precision and the ability to both excite and inhibit neural activity. Here we demonstrate that MRI-guided FUS is capable of exciting precise targets within areas 3a/3b in the monkey brain, causing downstream activations in off-target somatosensory and associated brain regions which are simultaneously detected by functional MRI. The similarity between natural tactile stimulation-and FUS- evoked fMRI activation patterns suggests that FUS likely can excite populations of neurons and produce associated spiking activities that may be subsequently transmitted to other functionally related touch regions. The across-region differences in fMRI signal changes relative to area 3a/3b between tactile and FUS conditions also indicate that FUS modulated the tactile network differently. The significantly faster rising (>1 sec) fMRI signals elicited by direct FUS stimulation at the targeted cortical region suggest that a different neural hemodynamic coupling mechanism may be involved in generating fMRI signals. This is the first demonstration of imaging neural excitation effects of FUS with BOLD fMRI on a specific functional circuit in non-human primates.
Regulation of Chlorophyll Biosynthesis. Genetics and Biochemistry of Delta-Aminolevulinate Synthesis

The biosynthesis of chlorophyll has been shown to be regulated by the availability of the first committed intermediate of the pathway, δ -aminolevulinic acid (ALA)(1). ALA destined for chlorophyll is synthesized from glutamate. Enzymes converting glutamate to ALA have been found in soluble fractions of barley (2), wheat (3), maize (4), Chiamy-domonas (5) and Chlorella (6). The enzymes from barley and Chlamydomonas have been separated by affinity columns into three fractions (5, 7). They are the Blue Sepharose bound (B), heme-Sepharose bound (H) and the runoff (R) fractions. Glutamate can be converted to glutamate-1-semial-dehyde (GSA) by H+B fractions using NADPH, ATP and Mg+2 as cofactors. The formation of ALA from GSA is catalysed by an aminotransferase in the R fraction. An RNA moiety present in the H fraction was found to be needed for the synthesis of ALA in Chlamydomonas (8). Similar results have been reported for Chlorella (9). In barley, the RNA fraction needed for ALA synthesis was isolated from plastids and purified by HPLC and gel electrophoresis (10). The purified RNA was found to hybridize to the plastid genome (10) and its nucleotide sequence was determined to be that of a tRNA (11).
Absorbing Boundary Conditions of the Second Order for the Pseudospectral Chebyshev Methods for Wave Propagation

In this paper we describe the implementation of one-way wave equations of the second order in conjuction with pseudospectral methods for wave propagation in two space dimensions. These equations are first reformulated as hyperbolic systems of the first order and the absorbing boundaries are implemented by an appropriate modification of the matrix of this system. The resulting matrix corresponding to one-way wave equation based on Pade approximation has all eigenvalues in the complex negative half plane which allows stable integration of the underlying system by any ODE solver in the sense of “eigenvalue stability.” The obtained numerical scheme is much more accurate than the schemes obtained before which utilized absorbing boundary conditions of the first order, and is also capable of integrating the wave propagation problems on much larger time intervals than was previously possible.
UNIT 17.8 Detection of Glycophospholipid Anchors on Proteins

Many eukaryotic proteins are tethered to the plasma membrane by glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchors. This unit provides a general approach for detecting GPI-anchored proteins. First, the detergent-partitioning behavior of a protein of interest is examined for characteristics of GPI-linked species. The protein may also be subjected to specific enzymatic or chemical cleavages to release the protein from its GPI anchor. Protocols for phospholipase cleavage and chemical cleavage with nitrous acid are provided for this purpose. If GPI-anchored proteins are radiolabeled with fatty acids, it facilitates the detection of the GPI protein products following the cleavage reactions. Separation of lipid moieties and base hydrolysis of proteins are detailed herein.
Structural specialization in tendons under compression.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the dynamic characteristic of tendon––the ability of a tendon to modulate its structural and material properties to meet mechanical requirements distinct from the usual need for strength in tension. Tendon performs the mechanical role of transmitting the tensional force generated by contraction of its muscle of origin to the bone upon which it inserts. The histology, biochemistry, and cell biology of regions of the flexor digitorum profundus tendon (deep digital flexor tendon) either subjected to tension or to compression are described in the chapter. The hypothesis that tendon fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix they produce are modulated according to their mechanical requirements is explored. The development of cartilaginous tissue in the region of tendon subjected to compressive forces is genetically programmed. The stimulus to produce large Proteoglycan (PG) is generated by one or more soluble factors that are released under defined conditions and carried systemically to a population of target cells. Many fibroblasts in adult tissue have the capacity to generate a cartilage like tissue.
Observation and diagnosis of chaos in nonlinear acoustic waves using phase-space domain

Abstract Thorough understanding of complex nonlinear behavior of ultrasound wave propagation is a challenging task in concrete. Concrete is an inhomogeneous brittle composite material that is susceptible to several physical and chemical processes that induce micro-cracks. There are numerous methods in time and frequency domains to analyze ultrasound nonlinearities in concrete material. However, existing literature of complex nonlinear dynamical systems expose the limitation of time and frequency domains as unreliable mathematical methods for revealing the complete state and behavior of a nonlinear systems. This study considers a mathematical framework for analyzing the behavior of ultrasonic waves’ nonlinearities due to load-induced cracks with loaded interfaces in concrete materials. The proposed framework uses phase-space domain that is essential in chaos analysis, which is the main contribution of the following article. To verify chaotic behavior, three mathematical tools are exploited. First, Poincare map is used to verify aperiodic behavior of ultrasonic waves in phase-space domain. Next, Recurrence plot as well as recurrence quantification analysis are performed to verify deterministic behavior of ultrasound waves. Finally, Maximal Lyapunov exponent is leveraged as a factor to verify sensitivity of trajectories of phase-space portraits to initial conditions. For the first time, chaotic behavior of ultrasonic waves due to loaded induced cracks is verified. Furthermore, phase-space analysis highlights the limitations of current nonlinear models, which are based on nonlinear differential equations, to accurately represent all observed responses in a phase-space domain. It is also shown that nonlinear model classification can be substantially enhanced in phase-space domain. It is concluded that phase-space domain analysis of ultrasound waves is a powerful method to reveal complex nonlinear behavior, and consequently, to discover new mathematical models to improve the inability of existing models, based on time and frequency domains, to reveal complex acoustic nonlinearities such as chaos.
IMPACT OF THE PRESENCE OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ON OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS PRESENTING TO THE HOSPITAL WITH TRAUMATIC INJURIES

Atrial fibrillation (AF) alters anabolism and delivery of inflammatory mediators and oxygenated blood to damaged tissues post trauma, but has been relatively poorly studied in its direct effect in trauma victims which we aimed to evaluate. Retrospective matched control review was performed on
Chairman's Opening Remarks and Review

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the intracerebral recording of slow potential changes in man and animals. Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) research using scalp-recording techniques has produced a voluminous literature detailing its characteristics and its responsiveness to experimental manipulations. Intracerebral recording allows the identification of subcortical regions involved in the cued RT task and their functional interrelationships with each other and the cortex. It is also the only means of determining physiological mechanisms of slow potential (SP) genesis and the relationships between SPs and other electrical events. Sensory stimulation produces SP shifts in the cortex and in subcortical regions. The forms of such responses are variable. In the rabbit, visual stimulation produces a complex change in the cortex, consisting of a multiphasic, positive-negative shift, with a positive aftereffect that is emphasized by barbiturate anaesthesia. Positive and negative SPs appear to be independent in that they can be differentially produced by appropriate stimulus parameters.
Vision Impairment and Participation in Cognitively Stimulating Activities: The Health ABC Study.

BACKGROUND Engagement in cognitively stimulating activities is associated with decreased rates of cognitive decline in older adults. However, most cognitively stimulating tasks require good vision, potentially affecting the ability of visually impaired adults to engage in these activities. We examined the relationship between vision and participation in cognitively stimulating activities. METHOD Data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study (1999-2005) were analyzed. Associations between visual function (visual acuity [VA], contrast sensitivity [CS], and stereo acuity [SA] impairments) and annual rates of change in number of cognitively stimulating activities (by self-report) performed at least once a month were examined. RESULTS Analyses included 924 participants aged 75.2 ± 2.8 years. At baseline, impaired CS (27%) and SA (29%) were associated with participation in fewer cognitive activities (β = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.63, -0.03 and β = -0.32, 95% CI = -0.61, -0.03, respectively), while VA (8%) was not (β = -0.34, 95% CI = -0.81, 0.13). In longitudinal models, groups with and without VA, CS, and SA impairments exhibited declines in monthly cognitive activities over time. Annual rates of decline were relatively higher in the VA (β = -0.16, 95% CI = -0.26, -0.05) and CS (β = -0.14, 95% CI = -0.19, -0.09) impaired groups than observed in the respective unimpaired groups (no VA: β = -0.12, 95% CI = -0.15, -0.10; no CS: β = -0.12, 95% CI = -0.15, -0.09), but did not achieve statistical significance. Stereo acuity (β = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.17, -0.09) and no SA (β = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.16, -0.10) groups had similar rates of decline. CONCLUSIONS Visually impaired older adults participate in fewer cognitive activities and although participation decline is similar to the non-impaired, lower overall participation indicates a need to identify cognitively stimulating activities accessible to visually impaired older adults.
PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION OF LANDFILL LEACHATE USING UV/TiO2 WITH CATALYST RECOVERY

This project evaluated the use of titanium dioxide for leachate treatment and recovery of methods for TiO2, using a TiO2 recovery technology, which was high enough to be economical ($10 - $15 per 1,000 gallons) to be adopted by wastewater treatment plants. When comparing recovery technologies, the three which were investigated further through experimentation were a centrifuge, sedimentation tank, and microfilter membrane. Upon experimentation and research, the TiO2 recovery efficiencies of these technologies were 99.5%, 92.5%, and 96.3%, respectively. When doing economic analysis on these technologies comparing TiO2 efficiencies and capital and operational costs, the centrifuge was the most preferred economic option. It was found that costs were in the economical range ($10 - $15/1,000 gallons). TiO2: settling behavior, particle size and zeta potential, interactions with COD, and filter operations (particle characterization) were discovered for future research and future testing on this issue.
Multiple urban stressors drive fish-based ecological networks in streams of Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Abstract Integrating a network perspective into multiple-stressor research can reveal indirect stressor effects and simultaneously estimate both taxonomic and functional community characteristics, thus representing a novel approach to stressor paradigms in rivers. Using six years of data from twelve streams of Columbus, Ohio, USA, the effects of nutrients (N:P), impervious surface (%IS), and sedimentation on network properties were quantified. Variability in the strength and distribution of trophic interactions was assessed by incorporating biomass into networks. All stressors impacted some properties of network topology – linkage density (average number of links per species), connectance (fraction of all possible links realized in a network), and compartmentalization (degree to which networks contain discrete sub-webs), including synergistic interactive effects between sedimentation and stream size. We also found support for antagonistic effects between (1) sedimentation and %IS and between %IS and N:P on the weighted index mean link weight, which represents the magnitude of trophic interactions among species in a network, and (2) %IS and stream size on strength standard deviation, a measure of the distribution of total magnitude of all trophic interactions per species in a network. Overall, our results point to the potential for urban stressors such as impervious surfaces and sedimentation – alone and as interactions – to decrease network complexity, compartmentalization, and stability, likely through homogenizing habitat and limiting food resources. The observation that larger streams often buffered the negative effects of these stressors suggests that restoration and other management approaches might be most beneficial in smaller headwater streams of urban catchments.
Are Communication Interventions Effective for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Cochrane Review Summary with Commentary.

The aim of this commentary is to discuss in a rehabilitation perspective the published Cochrane Review “Communication interventions for autism spectrum disorder in minimally verbal children” 1 by B...
Octet and decuplet baryon self-energies in relativistic SU(3) chiral effective theory

The self-energies of the full set of flavor SU(3) octet and decuplet baryons are computed within a relativistic chiral effective theory framework. The leading nonanalytic chiral behavior is derived for the octet and decuplet masses, and a finite-range regularization consistent with Lorentz and gauge invariance is applied to account for the finite size of the baryons. Using a four-dimensional dipole form factor, the relative importance of various meson-baryon loop contributions to the self-energies is studied numerically as a function of the dipole range parameter and meson mass, and a comparison is made between the relativistic results and earlier approximations within the heavy baryon limit.
Does Federally Subsidized Rental Housing Depress Neighborhood Property Values

Few communities welcome federally subsidized housing, with one of the most commonly voiced fears being reductions in property values. Yet there is little empirical evidence that subsidized housing depresses neighborhood property values. This paper estimates and compares the neighborhood impacts of a broad range of federally subsidized, rental housing programs, using rich data for New York City and a difference-in-difference specification of a hedonic regression model. We find that federally subsidized developments have not typically led to reductions in property values and have in fact led to increases in many cases. Impacts are highly sensitive to scale, though patterns vary across programs.
BCL6 BTB-specific inhibitor reversely represses T Cell activation, Tfh cells differentiation and germinal center reaction in vivo

Inhibition of the BCL6 BTB domain results in killing Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBL) cells, reducing the T-cell dependent germinal center (GC) reaction in mice, and reversing GC hyperplasia in nonhuman primates. The available BCL6 BTB-specific inhibitors are poorly water soluble thus limiting their absorption in vivo and our understanding of therapeutic strategy targeting GC. We synthesized a prodrug (AP-4-287) from a potent BCL6 BTB inhibitor (FX1) with improved aqueous solubility and pharmacokinetics (PK) in mice. We also evaluated its in vivo biological activity on humoral immune responses using the sheep red blood cells (SRBC)-vaccination mouse model. AP-4-287 had a significant higher aqueous solubility and was readily converted to FX1 in vivo after intraperitoneally (i.p.) administration, but a shorter half-life in vivo. Importantly, AP-4-287 treatment led to a reversible effect on (1) the reduction in the frequency of splenic Ki67+ CD4+ T cells, Tfh cells, and GC B cells; (2) lower GC formation following vaccination; and (3) a decrease in the titers of antigen-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. Our study advances the pre-clinical development of drug targeting BCL6 BTB domain for the treatment of diseases that are associated with abnormal BCL6 elevation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Microsurgical Resection of Radiation-Induced Cervical Spinal Intradural Extramedullary Meningioma: Dural Splitting Resection

Spinal meningiomas constitute 10% of all meningiomas. They most commonly rise in the thoracic spine and are most common in middle aged women; symptoms include progressive myelopathy.1,2 Radiation induced/radiotherapy-associated cranial meningiomas are well described with aggressive behavior; however, radiation-induced spinal meningiomas are extremely rare in the literature.3-7 Our patient had a history of Hodgkin lymphoma treated with neck radiation, and thyroid cancer treated with radioactive iodine/thyroidectomy. He presented with neck pain and myelopathy from a large intradural, extramedullary tumor compressing the spinal cord (C3-C5). He had a prevertebral phlegmon that was resolved with antibiotics prior to surgery. Intraoperative neurophysiological electrodes were placed for somatosensory-evoked potential and motor-evoked potential monitoring. C3-C5 bilateral laminectomies were performed (Video 1); dura was incised over the tumor. Tumor attachments to the dura were coagulated and divided. The tumor was dissected microsurgically from the spinal cord and nerve roots. The dural layer involved by the tumor was split and resected from the uninvolved dura, achieving tumor resection. Postoperatively, the patient's myelopathy resolved. He has been followed for a 1 year now with mangetic resonance imaging scans of the cervical spine ± contrast every 6 months. To our knowledge, this is the first operative video describing resection of a spinal meningioma, which happens to be radiation-induced, using a dural splitting technique to achieve better resection and prevent tumor recurrence. The alternative treatment would be to leaving the inner layer of dura, coagulation, or excising both layers and performing duraplasty. Both alternative options, however, would increase the risk of recurrence and spinal fluid leak. Cervical spine meningiomas with spinal cord compression and myelopathy should be resected to prevent further neurological decline. Dural splitting can be utilized to achieve "radical" tumor resection to prevent recurrence, which is particularly important if the tumor is aggressive and recurrent, as is the case in radiation-induced/radiotherapy-associated meningiomas. Upon dural closure, we applied autologous fat tissue along with fibrin glue to avoid spinal fluid leak as we published earlier.8 The patient consented to the procedure and publication of his image.
Thermodynamics: Concepts and Applications

Fully revised to match the more traditional sequence of course materials, this full-color second edition presents the basic principles and methods of thermodynamics using a clear and engaging style and a wealth of end-of-chapter problems. It includes five new chapters on topics such as mixtures, psychrometry, chemical equilibrium, and combustion, and discussion of the Second Law of Thermodynamics has been expanded and divided into two chapters, allowing instructors to introduce the topic using either the cycle analysis in Chapter 6 or the definition of entropy in Chapter 7. Online ancillaries including a password-protected solutions manual, figures in electronic format, prepared PowerPoint lecture slides, and instructional videos are available.
Modeling Light Loss Versus UV-B Increase for Organisms Which Control Their Vertical Position in the Water Column

Quantitation of solar UV effects on aquatic systems is most often based on models which assume the exposed organisms are located in the water column in a manner independent of the incident solar UV (Zaneveld, 1975, Lorenzen, 1979 Hunter et al., this volume, and Smith and Baker, this volume). Planktonic organisms are in fact seldom static in the water; plants and animals move up and down in the water in complex ways which often show high correlations with the incident solar radiation (Barcelo and Calkins 1980 a & b; Barcelo and Calkins, 1979; Barcelo, 1980). Since solar UV has been demonstrated to be highly injurious, and is not a new agent in the environment, it is possible that a significant portion of the plankton control their position in such a way that they avoid overexposure to damaging solar UV radiation. Positioning control through swimming ability, bouyancy changes and utilization of turbulence or water currents is well known.
Serum concentrations of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone and prevalent metabolic syndrome among adults in the United States

Background: Some reports suggest that concentrations of vitamin D are inversely, whereas concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH) are directly, associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome. Because of lingering uncertainty about these associations, we examined the cross-sectional associations between serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and PTH with metabolic syndrome in a representative sample of adults in the US. Methods: We used data from 1705 participants in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Vitamin D was measured by radioimmunoassay, whereas PTH was measured using an electrochemiluminescent process. Results: The mean concentration of vitamin D for participants with and without metabolic syndrome was 20.3 and 22.9 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.001). The mean concentration of PTH for participants with and without metabolic syndrome was 44.5 and 41.0 pg/mL, respectively (P = 0.002). The age-adjusted mean concentrations of vitamin D (P for linear trend <0.001) decreased linearly, whereas PTH (P for linear trend = 0.002) increased linearly, as the number of components of metabolic syndrome increased. After adjusting for age, gender, physical activity, urinary albumin creatinine ratio, and concentrations of C-reactive protein and calcium, concentrations in the highest quintile of vitamin D [prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–0.79], but not PTH (PR = 1.18; 95% CI 0.97–1.43), was significantly associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Concentrations of vitamin D, but not PTH, were significantly associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome among US adults.
Abstract 580: Epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 expression in basal-like breast cancer cells

Arrestin domain-containing 3 (ARRDC3) is a tumor suppressor whose expression is either lost or suppressed in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). However, the mechanism by which BLBC suppresses ARRDC3 expression is not established. Here, we show that expression of ARRDC3 in BLBC cells is suppressed at the transcriptional level. Suppression of ARRDC3 expression in BLBC cells involves epigenetic silencing as inhibitors of class III histone deacetylases (HDACs) significantly restores ARRDC3 levels in BLBC cells. SIRT2, among class III HDACs, plays a major role in epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Acetylation levels of the ARRDC3 promoter in BLBC cells is significantly lower than that of other sub-types of BC cells. Chromatin immunopreciptitation analysis established SIRT2 binding at ARRDC3 promoter in BLBC cells. Our studies indicate that SIRT2 dependent epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 is one of the important events that may contribute to the aggressive nature of BLBC cells. Citation Format: Young Hwa Song, Jun Chung. Epigenetic silencing of ARRDC3 expression in basal-like breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 580. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-580
The Orbit and Optic Nerves

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the orbits and optic nerves has developed into the “gold standard” of imaging modalities for the evaluation of many soft tissue abnormalities of the orbit. Computed tomography (CT) remains the modality of choice for evaluation of the bony structures of the orbit. MRI is also more flexible, allowing for multiplanar imaging that is not possible with CT. This unit presents a basic protocol for imaging of the orbit. An alternate protocol is presented for the case of dedicated high-resolution surface coil orbital study.