cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A direct comparison of adenosine and regadenoson myocardial perfusion reserves measured by MRI

Methods 8 subjects (5 female, 3 male) without ischemia were imaged on a 3 T Siemens Trio system. Imaging was done first at rest, and then during adenosine infusion (140 ug/ kg/min) and 34 ± 4 minutes later with regadenoson injection (0.4 mg/5 ml). A 5 cc/sec injection of Gd-BOPTA (MultihanceTM) was used, with doses of 0.02, 0.03 and 0.03 mmol/kg, respectively. The contrast was injected ~3 minutes after the start of the adenosine infusion, and ~90 seconds after the regadenoson injection. A saturation recovery radial turboFLASH sequence was used with 72 rays acquired after each saturation pulse. Scan parameters were TR = 2.6 msec, TE = 1.14 msec, flip = 14, slice thickness = 8 mm. Reconstruction was performed by iteratively minimizing a cost function as in [1] with total variation constraints in both space and time dimensions. Processing was performed in a manner similar to [2] to convert the arterial input functions into gadolinium concentration to remove the effects of saturation. Images were registered and segmented to give time curves from 6 tissue regions per slice. The curves were fit to a two compartment model and Ktrans used as an index of perfusion.
Jesus' Death in Q

The Sayings Gospel Q is notable for lacking an account of Jesus' death. 1 It is surprising that one early Christian document is apparently so indifferent to an event which plays a profound role in others (e.g., Romans, Mark). Scholars have, to be sure, observed that the issue of persecution and/or death is often referred to in Q, and many have come to believe that these references are casting an implicit glance at the death of Jesus himself. According to this line of thought, early Christians would have used the deaths of the prophets to connect Jesus' death with those of his followers. I do not intend to argue against this. Rather, I will propose that there is also another view according to which Q related Jesus' death and those of his followers. This view involved common, Cynic-Stoic ideas of the time.
Mathematical features of the Calculus

The fundamental theorems of the calculus describe the relationships between derivatives and integrals of functions. The value of any function at a particular location is the definite derivative of its integral and the definite integral of its derivative. Thus, any value is the magnitude of the slope of the tangent of its integral at that position, and any two subtracted values are the area under its derivative. The slope formula of secant lines actually is the mean value theorem for the derivative function in addition to representing the well-known Fermat definition of the derivative. The sine and other functions are discussed.
Selective reinnervation of hippocampal area CA1 and the fascia dentata after destruction of CA3-CA4 afferents with kainic acid.

Abstract Intraventricular injections of kainic acid were used to destroy the hippocampal CA3-CA4 cells, thus denervating the inner third of the molecular layer of the fascia dentata and stratum radiatum and stratum oriens of area CA1. The responses of intact afferents to such lesions were then examined histologically. The hippocampal mossy fibers densely reinnervated the inner portion of the dentate molecular layer after bilateral destruction of CA4 neurons and to a lesser extent after unilateral destruction. Septohippocampal fibers replaced CA4-derived fibers in the dentate molecular layer only after particularly extensive bilateral CA4 lesions. Medial perforant path fibers showed no anatomical response to any of these lesions. Neither septohippocampal, temporoammonic nor mossy fibers proliferated in or grew into the denervated laminae of area CA1. These results show a preferential ordering in the reinnervation of dentate granule cells which is not readily explained by proximity to the degenerating fibers and also that removal CA3-CA4-derived innervation more readily elicits translaminar growth in the fascia dentata than in area CA1. These results may be relevant to clinical situations in which neurons of the hippocampal end-blade are lost.
Correlated emission of hadrons from recombination of correlated partons

We discuss different sources of hadron correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions. We show that correlations among partons in a quasithermal medium can lead to the correlated emission of hadrons by quark recombination and argue that this mechanism offers a plausible explanation for the dihadron correlations in the few $\mathrm{GeV}/c$ momentum range observed in $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.
On continuum thermodynamics with mutual body forces and internal radiation

In diesem Artikel betrachten wir Stoffe, in denen innere Volumenkrafte und innere Warmestrahlung vorkommen konnen. Wir zeigen auf welche Weise der zweite Hauptsatz der Thermodynamik die Form der Stoffgleichungen einschrankt. Zum Beispiel ergibt es sich, dass die Volumenkraft ein Potential hat und dass dieses Potential zur inneren Energie beitragt.
Meal patterns in "free-running" humans.

Abstract The meal patterns of men who were initiating meals for extended periods in the absence of time cues were examined. A significant, positive correlation was found between the sizes (in kcals) of mixed and varied meals and the lengths of postprandial intervals. This quantitative relationship between meal size and meal timing is similar to patterns reported for freely feeding rats. If postprandial correlations reflect a short term mechanism for energy regulation then when humans schedule their meals due to social or time considerations they may negate this contribution to the regulation of their energy intake.
The thermal transition of ‘PSI’ DNA monitored by circular dichroism

The Watson-Crick model for nucleic acid secondary structure fails to provide a basis for understanding the extreme degree of compactness exhibited by DNA molecules in vivo. Purified high-molecular-weight native DNA in vitro adopts a ‘stiff coil’ conformation whose dimensions even at high ionic strength far exceed those of the biological structure (virus particle, bacterial nucleoid, eukaryotic chromosome) from which the DNA was originally isolated [l-3]. The recent discovery by Lcrman [4] that above a critical ionic strength high concentrations of an inert macromolecule such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) cause DNA to collapse into a rapidly sedimenting form strongly suggests that ‘exclusion interaction’ between DNA and other macromolecules plays a role in generating compact DNA conformations in vivo. Profound changes in the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum accompany this ‘psi’ or $ (polymerand salt-induced) transition [5,6] and we have accordingly employed CD to investigate the thermal stability of the $ state of calf thymus DNA. Our results show that II/-DNA possesses a fairly sharp thermal transition whose mid-point (T,‘) which lies far below the helix-coil transition temperature (T,) depends strongly upon PEO concentration, but only weakly on ionic strength. Above the transition region the CD spectrum resembles that of the ordinary B-form DNA though with somewhat reduced intensity. This fact, combined with the reversibility of the transition, demonstrates contrary to an earlier report [7] that $-DNA melts to give B-DNA, not denatured DNA. The melting behavior which we report here is
Spectral priors improve near-infrared diffuse tomography more than spatial priors

We compare the benefits of spatial and spectral priors in near-infrared diffuse tomography image reconstruction. Although previous studies that incorporated anatomical spatial priors have shown improvement in algorithm convergence and resolution, our results indicate that functional parameter quantification by this approach can be suboptimal. The incorporation of a priori spectral information significantly improves the accuracy observed in recovered images. Specifically, phantom results show that the maximum total hemoglobin concentration ([Hb(T)]) in a region of heterogeneity reached 91% of the true value compared to 63% using spatial priors. The combination of both priors produced results accurate to 98% of the true [Hb(T)]. When both spatial and spectral priors were applied in a healthy volunteer, glandular tissue showed a higher [Hb(T)], water fraction, and scattering power compared to adipose tissue.
Stratigraphic and structural relationships of multiply deformed Precambrian metamorphic rocks in the Rio Mora area, New Mexico

The contact between a Proterozoic greenstone belt and a Proterozoic quartzite terrane is exposed in the Rio Mora area, New Mexico. Metavolcanic rocks of the Vadito Group, forming the northern edge of the Pecos greenstone belt, crop out along the southern margin of the area. Minor meta-sedimentary rocks are interbedded. A thick section of quartzite, pelitic schist, and graphitic phyllite lies north of the Vadito rocks. This metasedimentary section can be correlated, bed for bed, with Ortega Group rocks of the nearby Picuris Range. The Vadito-Ortega contact appears to be conformable. All rocks are isoclinally folded about south-dipping axial planes, and so Ortega rocks are structurally below Vadito rocks. Most previous workers have accepted this structural superposition as evidence that the Vadito Group is younger. However, abundant cross-beds within Ortega Quartzite, which rests directly against the Vadito, and within quartzites of the overlying Rinconada Formation, show clearly that Ortega Group rocks are younger than Vadito Group rocks. The Vadito-Ortega contact occupies the southern limb of an overturned syncline. Metamorphic rocks have been deformed in two generations of tight to isoclinal folds, with subparallel axes plunging to the southwest. A single F1 syncline is exposed. Its axial plane is folded by an F2 antiform whose axial plane strikes N70°E and dips steeply to the south. Because the two folding events are nearly coaxial, the resulting map pattern appears similar to that formed from a single period of isoclinal folding. Only careful analysis of structural fabrics and structural facing relationships has revealed the multiply folded nature of the rocks.
Monophasic sarcomatoid carcinoma of the scalp: a case mimicking inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and a review of cutaneous spindle cell tumors with myofibroblastic differentiation.

Background: The evaluation of malignant cutaneous spindle cell tumors is challenged by a diagnostic differential that comprises neoplasms of diverse histogenesis, and a broad immunohistochemical panel may confound the diagnosis when the results suggest multiple lines of differentiation, such as with a combined myofibroblastic and epithelial phenotype. Methods: We report the case of a solitary scalp nodule that quickly became locally metastatic. A comprehensive panel of immunohistochemistry markers and electron microscopy was evaluated to determine the differentiation of the spindle cells. Results: The tumor, consisting of wavy and slender spindle cells with predominantly bland nuclei, showed immunoreactivity to vimentin, smooth muscle actin, and muscle-specific actin. AE1/AE3, CK5/6, and MNF-116 antibodies were weakly positive in rare cells. However, 34βE12 showed diffuse positivity in the spindle cell population, thus supporting the diagnosis of a sarcomatoid carcinoma with myofibroblastic differentiation. Conclusions: The use of 34βE12 is essential for the evaluation of myofibroblastic spindle cell tumors with rare cytokeratin reactivity. However, even with immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies, the diagnosis of spindle cell tumors can be confounded by the multiplicity of nosologic equivalents, such as carcinosarcoma, spindle cell carcinoma, and metaplastic carcinoma. The nomenclature of these spindle cell tumors is discussed.
The critical properties of 1-alkenes from 1-pentene to 1-dodecene

Abstract Gude M.T., Rosenthal D.J. and Teja A.S., 1991. The critical properties of 1-alkenes from 1-pentene to 1-dodecene. Fluid Phase Equilibria, 70: 55-64. The critical temperatures pressures and densities of 1-alkenes from 1-pentene to 1-dodecene have been measured using two recently developed novel methods. A rapid heating sealed ampoule method was used to measure the critical temperature and density, and a low residence time flow method was employed to measure the critical temperature and pressure of stable and unstable 1-alkenes. The two methods are complementary and allow the critical temperature data to be checked for consistency. The measurements were compared with critical properties reported in the literature and with the results of several estimation methods.
Management of first-trimester complications in the emergency department

Purpose The pharmacologic management and the nonpharmacologic management of first-trimester complications in the emergency department are reviewed. Summary The obstetric complications most commonly seen in early pregnancy (less than 20 weeks’ gestation) include ectopic pregnancy, threatened and inevitable abortions, and incomplete, complete, and missed abortions. The treatment options for ectopic pregnancy include expectant management, medical management with methotrexate, and surgery. If patients have signs and symptoms of tubal rupture, surgery must be performed immediately. In other cases, the choice of management technique is based on the patient’s clinical condition, factors related to the ectopic pregnancy, and the patient’s preferences. Pharmacologic therapies for women with confirmed threatened abortion include human chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, uterine muscle relaxants, and Rh immune globulin prophylaxis. Treatment goals for women whose condition has advanced to inevitable abortion include evacuating any retained products of conception, either with expectant (conservative) management or pharmacologic or surgical intervention. The best treatment option is often determined by the mother’s clinical status at the time of presentation and her preference of management strategy. Management of complete abortion may not require any further intervention; however, it is often difficult to identify a complete versus incomplete abortion. Treatment options for complete, incomplete, and missed abortions include expectant, surgical, and medical management. Conclusion Ectopic pregnancy, threatened and inevitable abortions, and incomplete, complete, and missed abortions are common complications during early pregnancy. Various medical and surgical treatment options are available for managing these complications, including expectant management, medical management, and surgery. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2013; 70:99–111
Characterization of tumor dose heterogeneity for 90Y microsphere therapies using voxel- based dosimetry

Purpose: Dosimetry for 90Y microsphere therapies (YMT) with Standard (SM) and Partition (PM) models provide only uniform dose estimates to tumor and liver. Our objective is to calculate tumor dose heterogeneity, known to effect response, using voxel-based dosimetry and investigate the limitations of SM and PM. Methods : Voxel-based dosimetry was performed on 17 YMT patients using Monte Carlo DOSXYZnrc. 90Y activity and tissue/density distributions were based on quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT. Tumors (n=31), liver, and treatment lobe/segments were segmented on diagnostic CT or MR. Dose volume histograms (DVH) were created for tumors and normal liver. Bland-Altman analysis compared voxel-based mean absorbed doses to tumor and liver with SM and PM. Tumor and normal liver absorbed dose heterogeneity were investigated through metrics: integral uniformity (IU), D10/D90, COV. Correlations of heterogeneity with voxel-based mean doses and volumes were evaluated. Results: Heterogeneity metrics (mean ± 1σ) for tumor dose were COV = 0.48 ± 0.28, D10/D90 = 4.7 ± 3.9, and IU = 0.8 ± 0.18. Heterogeneity metrics correlated with tumor volume (r > 0.58) but not tumor mean doses (r < 0.20). Voxel-based tumor mean doses correlated with PM (r = 0.84) but not SM (r = 0.08). Both yielded poor limits of agreement with of 83 ± 174 and -28 ± 181 Gy, respectively. Normal liver heterogeneity metrics (mean ± 1σ) were COV = 0.83 ± 0.29, D10/D90 = 12 ± 15, and IU = 0.97 ± 0.03. Only D10/D90 (r = 0.49) correlated with mean normal liver absorbed dose. Voxel-based normal liver/lobe mean doses correlated with PM (r = 0.96), but had poor limits of agreement (26 ± 29 Gy). Conclusion : Tumor doses have high levels of heterogeneity that increase with volume but are independent of dose. Voxel-based DVH and dose heterogeneity metrics will promote accurate characterization of tumor response following YMT. -------------------------------------- Cite this article as: Mikell J, Mourtada F, Mahvash A, Kappadath SC. Characterization of tumor dose heterogeneity for 90Y microsphere therapies using voxel- based dosimetry. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(2):020228. DOI: 10.14319/ijcto.0202.28
USE OF 1 ALPHA-HYDROXYVITAMIN D3 ON CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

It is now well accepted that the kidney activates 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to the highly potent metabolite, 1,25-dlhydroxyvitamin D3. Impaired activation in uremia may contribute to renal osteodystrophy. Recently, we tested the short-term effects of a highly potent analog, 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1α-OH-D3) which is relatively inexpensive to synthesize. Thirty-two mineral balance studies, each comprising a 3 day period, were performed before, during and after oral administration of 1α-OH-D3 (1-4 micrograms/day) to four children, aged 11 to 16 years, with renal osteodystrophy and stable chronic uremia (BUN > 60mg% and creatinine > 5mg%). Serial determinations of iPTH were measured. The results showed that physiological amounts of 1α-OH-D3 stimulated increased absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract and promoted positive calcium balances. In addition, serum calcium levels returned to normal and iPTH secretion was suppressed. No complications were encountered. These data would infer that 1Pα-OH-D3 has major therapeutic value in the treatment of renal osteodystrophy.
Software engineering and production monitoring systems

Software that is to be designed and written for operation in the factory environment is especially difficult to conceptualize, design and successfully install. This paper focuses on some aspects of software engineering that apply to this situation and may prove useful to others involved in this profession. The particular problem that is considered in the paper is that of a “Real-time Production Monitoring System” although any industrial system could have been used. Monitoring industrial processes and displaying meaning ful data in real-time is extremely difficult, mainly because each component, although complementary, is functionally, electrically and temporally quite different. It is therefore difficult to design a standard “factory data structure” or always to find elegant processing mechanisms. In order to integrate data from these disparate sources, the system must be carefully architected, using consistent and sound software engineering principles. The paper included practical aspects of the implementation of this particular information system, which is a growing component in the management process of a typical computer-integrated manufacturing facility. The paper contains sections on human-factors engineering, fault detection and system recovery. The selection of the operating system platform is critical, and software engineering professionals should appreciate the sections devoted to the system components. Some material is based on the author's own practical experience gained in the design and implementation of several such systems.
A mouse model of fragile X syndrome exhibits heightened arousal and/or emotion following errors or reversal of contingencies

This study was designed to further assess cognitive and affective functioning in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the Fmr1tm1Cgr or Fmr1 “knockout” (KO) mouse. Male KO mice and wild-type littermate controls were tested on learning set and reversal learning tasks. The KO mice were not impaired in associative learning, transfer of learning, or reversal learning, based on measures of learning rate. Analyses of videotapes of the reversal learning task revealed that both groups of mice exhibited higher levels of activity and wall-climbing during the initial sessions of the task than during the final sessions, a pattern also seen for trials following an error relative to those following a correct response. Notably, the increase in both behavioral measures seen early in the task was significantly more pronounced for the KO mice than for controls, as was the error-induced increase in activity level. This pattern of effects suggests that the KO mice reacted more strongly than controls to the reversal of contingencies and pronounced drop in reinforcement rate, and to errors in general. This pattern of effects is consistent with the heightened emotional reactivity frequently described for humans with FXS. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 473–485, 2008.
Overweight status in Indian children: Prevalence and psychosocial correlates

To examine the association between overweight status and psycho-social risk factors in Indian children. Data from India’s nationally-representative Global School-based Student Health Survey were analyzed using SPSS for all participating students (n=8130, 58% males). The likelihood of being overweight was significantly higher for children with fewer friends (OR=1.16, 95%CI=1.13–1.18) or friends who were not kind or helpful, children with symptoms of depression (OR=1.20, 95%CI=1.03–1.39) and anxiety (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.07–1.15), children with little parental involvement (OR=1.06, 95%CI=1.02–1.10), and children who felt lonely or missed school days without permission. Psychosocial distress in overweight Indian children warrants comprehensive interventions for screening and treatment of pediatric obesity.
Neural and Neurobehavioral Dysfunction in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Research has confirmed what many parents have long suspected: inadequate sleep in children is associated with daytime behavioral problems and poor academic functioning [1–3]. A fact less well-recognized by clinicians and the general public is that sleep-related breathing disorders, which occur in two to ten percent of children depending on how they are defined, can have a significant impact even among children who have normal sleep duration [4]. Snoring is a hallmark symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, and enlarged tonsils are often a contributing factor to the breathing disturbance. We still do not fully understand the mechanism that links snoring or enlarged tonsils with behavioral problems and poor grades. One of the more severe nocturnal breathing disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), involves partial or complete breathing blockage recurrently during sleep, resulting in intermittent drops in blood oxygen levels and probable sleep disruption. Although brain processes are presumed to mediate the link between these medical factors and daytime behavioral and scholastic problems, our understanding of these processes remains fairly theoretical and speculative. The frontal and hippocampal regions of the brain, which are implicated in the regulation of behavior and memory, respectively, appear to be most vulnerable to OSA [4], but the evidence is indirect. In a new study published in PLoS Medicine, Ann Halbower and colleagues [5] used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that can detect chemical metabolites linked to neural dysfunction, to shed more direct light on the neural functioning of children with OSA.
Diversity and community analysis of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in a streambed surrounding an artificial dam.

Abstract The degree to which small natural dams affect the native bacterial nitrogen cycling community was explored by molecular methods. The identities and relative abundances of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in the sediment surrounding an artificial dam both at the surface and in the hyporheic zone were characterized. Analyses were performed using tRFLP of the conserved amoA gene using a semi-nested degenerate PCR approach. Additionally, an amoA gene library was constructed to characterize the most dominant sediment genotypes. The results of the tRFLP analyses showed clear differences between the upstream and downstream communities at different depths in the sediment column. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination of the tRFLP data set produced a stable one-dimensional solution with significant correlations to oxygen, pH, nitrate, and dissolved organic nitrogen levels. The sample corresponding to the hyporheic zone downstream of the dam showed 28–50% higher amoA richness and higher diversity than the other samples. All gene fragments sequenced from the samples grouped with sequences of the Nitrosospira type. Ordination of 16S rDNA tRFLP data revealed a two dimensional data structure, one axis of which had similar chemical correlation characteristics as the amoA model axis. Taken together, the results from this study suggest that the presence of the dam creates physical and chemical heterogeneity that may foster genetic diversity and community changes amongst ammonia oxidizing bacteria.
Robust design with virtual tests of mixed-signal circuits in VHDL-AMS

This paper demonstrates a new time-domain behavioral model with nonideal circuit effects in VHDL-AMS to perform virtual tests for co-simulating and verifying mixed-signal circuits. This model allows designers to fulfill not only a top-down design procedure for both analog and digital circuits, but also bottom-up verification to find possible design problems in early design stages. Designers can add or delete the functions of circuit nonidealities with minimal modifications in the model to find reasonable tradeoffs between accuracy and simulation time. Design margins are also considered in the behavioral simulations to make circuits more immune to process variation. A 14-bit 2-Msamples/s Delta-Sigma A/D converter is modeled, designed, implemented and verified based on top-down and bottom-up design procedures.
Musical strings and sound board materials-new exercises for materials engineering

Two years ago, students in introduction to materials engineering began studying basic subject areas within the course in the broad context of musical instrument design. Results from the initial assessment data show that the students enjoy the course more and score higher, as a group, on certain examination questions. For example, a classic set of problems involves calculating stress, strain, yield, and the elastic constant given load and elongation data. The new way to introduce these same concepts is to use the tuning and design process for a stringed instrument. While many students are unaware that objects strain under load, they do know that musical strings change pitch as the load is changed during tuning. Once the students understand the underlying concepts based on idealized musical strings, they more easily transition to classical problems. This paper describes the new exercises and design problems that were developed; it also gives the data needed to develop many additional exercises. Lectures and data sets will be available on a CD. The paper concludes with the initial assessment data and goals for changes in the course.
The Craniolingual Morphology of Waterfowl (Aves, Anseriformes) and Its Relationship with Feeding Mode Revealed Through Contrast-Enhanced X-Ray Computed Tomography and 2D Morphometrics

Within Anseriformes, waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) exhibit three specialized feeding modes that are distinctive among Aves: filter-feeding with fine and dense keratinous lamellae on a flat, mediolaterally expanded bill; cropping or grazing vegetation with large and robust lamellae with a dorsoventrally expanded bill; and sharp lamellae associated with a narrow bill used in acquiring mixed invertebrates and fish underwater mainly by grasping. Here we assess morphometric variation in cranial and hyolingual structures as well as hyolingual myology in a diverse sample of Anatidae to explore the relationship of tongue variation and feeding mode. Phylogenetically informed principal component analysis (phyl.PCA) of cranial-lingual measurements for 67 extant and two extinct anatids recovers grazers and filter-feeding taxa in largely distinct areas of morphospace, while underwater graspers and other mixed feeders show less distinct clustering. The relationship between morphometric differences in skeletal features and muscular variation was further explored through a reassessment of hyolingual musculature enabled by contrast-enhanced X-ray computed tomography (CT) imagery acquired from three exemplar species (Branta canadensis, Chen caerulescens, and Aythya americana) with distinctive ecologies and morphologies of the bony hyoid. Data for these duck and geese exemplars reveal further significant, and previously unstudied, morphological differences between filter-feeding and grazing species. Grazers have a larger hyolingual apparatus with highly-developed extrinsic hyoid muscles; while filter-feeding species are characterized by relatively more diminutive extrinsic hyoid muscles and larger intrinsic hyoid muscles. The feeding modes of two extinct taxa (i.e., Presbyornis and Thambetochen) were also estimated from morphometric data. The results indicate a derived terrestrial browsing or grazing ecology for Thambetochen but do not unequivocally support a specialized filter-feeding ecology for Presbyornis, which is recovered with mixed feeders including swans. The combination of detailed, CT-mediated acquisition of fine muscular anatomy with morphometric approaches shows promise for illuminating form–function relationships in extant taxa more generally.
Perceptual quality evaluation for texture and motion based video coding

One approach that can be used to increase compression efficiency beyond the data rates achievable by state-of-the-art video codecs is to use content-based methods whereby not all the pixels are conventionally encoded. An approach to reduce the data rate is to use different coding methods for pixels belonging to areas containing large amount of detail that are costly to encode, for example textures. This can be extended by focusing on the semantic meaning of objects represented in the video sequence and also taking into consideration Human Visual System properties. The goal is to determine where “detail-irrelevant” regions are located in the frame and synthesize them with acceptable perceptual quality. In this paper, we discuss the effects and trade-offs of these techniques based on a set of perceptual experiments and analyze how these areas can influence the viewer's attention.
Direct frequency comb generation from a prismless Ti:sapphire laser

We describe a self-referenced optical frequency comb generator based on an octave spanning, prismless Ti:sapphire laser. Current versions operate at 80 MHz and 150 MHz. System scaling to GHz repetition rates is possible
Aromatic polyamides. V. A general synthesis of polyamides from aromatic diacids and aromatic diamines in sulfur trioxide

The reaction of terephthalic acid (TA) and para-phenylenediamine sulfate (PPD-S) in sulfur trioxide to form anisotropic, sulfonated poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) (SPT) dopes was reported in Part IV of this series. We have found now that the TA/PPD-S polymerization is only one example of a more general polyamide condensation reaction of aromatic diamines and aromatic diacids. Sulfonation of the aromatic diamine ring during TA/PPD-S polymerization in SO3 was a major side reaction. Sulfonation was reduced or eliminated by aromatic diamine ring substitution with unreactive substituents, particularly chlorine and fluorine. Polymerization of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-phenylenediamine with TA in SO3 at 80°C (18% concentration) produced unsulfonated poly(tetrafluoro-para-phenyleneterephthalamide) (F-PPT) with an inherent viscosity of 2.2. The halogenated, all-para aromatic polymers formed highly anisotropic (liquid crystalline) dopes. Monomers that formed polymers in which the chain bond angle deviated from 180° (e.g., meta-oriented monomers) yielded only isotropic polymer solutions. The mechanism and rate of diamine–diacid reactivity in SO3 was related to diamine basicity. Whereas the less basic aromatic diamines (as sulfates) polymerized with aromatic diacids in SO3, the more basic aliphatic diamines (as sulfates) would not. Aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, and aryl-aliphatic diacids were degraded by or reacted with the solvent (SO3). Thermogravimetric analyses of F-PPT and monosulfonated poly(chloro-para-phenyleneterephthalamide) at 20°C/min showed weight loss only above 380 and 370°C, respectively.
Risk Sharing In Managed Behavioral Health Care

ABSTRACT: While policymakers have expressed concern over the impact of risk sharing with providers on treatment patterns, the literature lacks decisive evidence on which to base policy. This paper ...
Implementing Inclusive Early Childhood Education: A Call for Professional Empowerment

We present two scenarios involving a family's experience in accessing a quality inclusive education for their young child to illustrate what it might look like if all stakeholders assumed responsib...
Family medicine has a second chance to make a first impression.

The discussions in this supplement issue have provided us with a tremendous breadth of perspective and experience from participants in the development of family medicine during the last 40 years. I will not try to summarize the specific comments we have heard, but will seek to provide a synthesis of
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION TOPICS

DOI: 10.14684/intertech.13.2014.6-7 Presented here are engineering technology education topics. Women who study engineering are excited about science and to discover how science can be applied to make positive change in the world. Successful strategies at Camosun College for building capacity for gender balance include encouraging the development of programs that portray positive role models for women. To enhance creativity in engineering and engineering technology students, the Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education project at Drexel University has established interdisciplinary research collaboration between engineering/engineering technology faculty and cognitive scientists to test methods for integrating creativity pedagogy into undergraduate courses. The impact of construction industry on the economy is immense. Green and sustainability are embedded in many construction-related curriculums, while many more educational institutions seek to incorporate it into their more modern construction curriculum. Here are encapsulated some existing constraints in the existing and the new processes with discussion of some remedial action. Index Terms - creativity in students, encouraging women to pursue engineering, green construction engineering.
Stochastic Solvers for the Euler Equations

In this paper we extend our previous work, flrst presented in, 1 to handle efiectively non-Gaussian processes and long-time integration in unsteady simulations of compressible ∞ows. Speciflcally, we apply the generalized polynomial chaos (GPC) method to solve the one-dimensional stochastic Euler equations. We present systematic veriflcation studies against an analytical solution of the stochastic piston problem for difierent correlation lengths of the time-dependent random piston motion, which may follow a Gaussian or a uniform distribution. A new multi-element decomposition of the random space is presented that provides more robustness and resolution capability, and comparisons are made against Monte Carlo simulations.
AVIAN REMOVAL EXPERIMENTS: DO THEY TEST FOR HABITAT SATURATION OR FEMALE AVAILABILITY?

The classical test for habitat saturation and the existence of floaters in birds involves removing territorial individuals and documenting whether replacement occurs. In most experiments with birds, only males are removed. An alternative explanation for the observed reoccupation of vacant territories by males is that they are attracted by the presence of unmated (widowed) females, and not necessarily by availability of habitat. We performed experiments with a migratory passerine bird, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hamp- shire, in which we removed (1) only males, (2) only females, and (3) both males and females from breeding territories. In all cases when only males were removed, new or neighboring males colonized the vacant territory, whereas when both sexes were removed only one of nine territories was reoccupied; when females were removed, there was no replacement. Our results suggest the importance of considering female availability, in ad- dition to habitat availability, in studies of habitat distributions and population dynamics of birds and other species.
A standard cell library for student projects

A standard-cell library for MOSIS scaleable CMOS rules has been developed. It is intended for use with Synopsys Design Compiler, Cadence Silicon Ensemble, and Cadence Virtuoso or Magic. The library is targeted for the AMI 0.5 /spl mu/m process, which currently offers the smallest feature size in the MOSIS educational program. The library also includes I/O pad cells and fully places and routes a padframe if desired. All steps in the design flow are fully automated with only three scripts and have been tested successfully in a large VLSI design class at the Illinois Institute of Technology. To customize and run these three scripts, for a given design, typically takes less than five minutes, since all details are transparent to the students, allowing them to focus on the design instead of worrying about the tools.
Efficient and reliable dynamic quality control for compression of compound document images

Compound images contain a mixture of natural images, text, and graphics. They need special care in the use of compression because text and graphics cannot withstand the significant distortion that is acceptable for natural images. One solution is to identify the areas that need to have higher settings in a dynamic quality control scheme, as supported by JPEG-SPIFF and JPEG 2000. We propose a scheme to identify those regions using a discrimination function that works with a non-linear transform to reliably identify edges, and at the same time avoid false positive detection on regions with complex patterns. It does so by exploiting the properties of histograms of coefficients of this block transform, and their entropy function, which we show can be computed efficiently via table look-up. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the new scheme, compared to other methods in the literature.
The Stalinist Revision of History: The Case of Brest-Litovsk

The events leading to the rise of Stalin to sole prominence in the Soviet Union and the general political picture of the totalitarian Stalinist regime are now familiar, but specific forms of the evolution of “Stalinism” are often not adequately understood. Evolving Soviet historiography is an unusually informative mirror of these developments, since it not only attempts to describe them, but implicitly embodies them as well. The present article is an analysis of one theme from early Soviet history, treatment of which in Soviet historiography exemplifies both the trend of Soviet historiography as a whole, and the trend of Stalinism as an emergent totalitarian ideology based on Bolshevism.
INFLUENCE OF BEAVERS ON STREAM FISH ASSEMBLAGES:EFFECTS OF POND AGE AND WATERSHED POSITION

We used a spatial survey of fish assemblage structure in streams and beaver ponds to: (1) determine the effects of beavers on fish assemblage structure at the reach and drainage basin scales, and (2) assess the influences of pond age, watershed position, and pond environment on fish assemblage structure within beaver ponds. Stream impoundment by beavers affected species richness at the reach scale, but this effect was highly dependent on pond age and drainage area above the pond. In headwater streams, species richness per pond increased to a high in ponds 9-17 yr old and then decreased to a low in ponds >17 yr old. Farther downstream, species richness showed little change with pond age. Assem- blage structure varied significantly among unimpounded, impounded, and previously im- pounded stream reaches, and variation in assemblage structure among ponds was related to pond age and physical habitat. In large ponds there was a shift from lotic to lentic species, and as ponds aged, small-bodied minnows were replaced by larger predators. Because there was high species turnover among impounded and previously impounded reaches, beavers affected patterns of species richness at the drainage basin scale; we collected more species in first- and second-order streams (32 and 38, respectively) than in third-order streams (26). Taken together these results indicate: (1) that beavers have a positive effect on fish species richness in low-order, blackwater streams, but maintenance of this effect requires preser- vation of both spatial and temporal dynamics of beaver pond creation and abandonment, and (2) the positive relationship between stream fish species richness and drainage area described for many streams may be a recent phenomenon resulting from the extirpation of beavers from much of their historical range.
Using Spherical Shells for Gain Enhancement of Compact Wideband Phased Arrays

Spherical shells are proposed and presented to improve the gain of a class of wideband phased array systems. This kind of phased arrays is composed of compact elements, which allow for a small distance between elements that is much less than half wavelength at lower operating frequencies. This small distance, as a function of wavelength, results in a small gain. Therefore, shells confronting the array are proposed to improve the gain. The formulations required to deflne the geometry and material properties of the shell are developed. Two and four element arrays are designed and simulated with and without shells to test the technique, and promising results are obtained at lower frequencies for the array with shells.
Immunocytes and leukemia virus infection: effects on bone marrow and thymus cell responses and interactions.

Infection of susceptible strains of mice with certain RNA leukemia viruses results in rapid lymphoreticular cell proliferation, lymphoid cell dysplasia and death of the animal (1–3). A marked defect in certain parameters of the immune response accompanies such infection induced by these tumor viruses (4,5). For example, mice infected with Friend leukemia virus (FLV) prior to or simultaneously with immunization show a marked suppression in their ability to form antibodies to a large variety of antigens (6–12). Some of the cellular events occuring in immunosuppressed mice have been examined in regard to this question in our laboratories (13,14). Experimental evidence has suggested that antibody precursor cells, rather than antibody forming cells per se, are most affected by the virus infection. However, neither the actual cell type(s) involved or the mechanism of virus-cell interaction is known at present. Thus, it seems important to study the effects of leukemia virus infection on the model of cooperation between bone marrow (B) and thymus (T) cells (15–17).
Sputtered tantalum photonic crystal coatings for high-temperature energy conversion applications

Thick sputtered tantalum (Ta) photonic crystal (PhC) coatings on Inconel were investigated as a potential replacement for bulk refractory metal substrates used for high-temperature emitters and absorbers in thermophotovoltaic energy conversion applications, where high-temperature stability and high reflectance of the surface in the infrared wavelength range are critical in order to sustain high operational temperatures and reduce losses due to waste heat. A selective emitter and solar absorber 2D PhC were fabricated in 8 and 30 micron sputtered Ta coatings, respectively, using standard semiconductor processes as a proof of concept. The fabricated PhCs showed high spectral selectivity in good agreement with the numerical simulations. The PhCs, coated with a thin HfO2 protective layer, sustained one hour anneals at 700, 900, and 1100°C with very little structural degradation or change in their optical properties. This study presents a promising alternative to bulk substrates as a relatively low-cost and easily integrated platform for nano-structured devices for high-temperature applications.
Abstract W P248: Cerebral Tissue Iron Quantification on MRI Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Purpose: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a fatal subtype of Hemorrhagic stroke. Tissue iron at the periphery of ICH has been demonstrated to be neurotoxic in animal models. No robust method to quantify tissue iron following ICH currently exists. Our aim is to determine a robust algorithm based on MRI to quantify tissue iron in the wake of ICH. Methods: Following Institutional review board approval we constructed an MRI phantom. Eight 4 cc vials with 50 % decreasing dilutions of Ferraheme (iron for IV therapy) were prepared starting from 0.6 mg/ml ending at 0.005 mg/ml. The vials were stuck to the undersurface of the lid of a water bath container and scanned in a 3T MRI with T2* sequences. The T2* signal magnitudes were calculated for each concentration. Subsequently a human control brain and two patients with left basal ganglia ICH were scanned with identical parameters. The T2* signal magnitude was calculated at 3 ROIs at the periphery of the ICH. Results: The R2* maps demonstrated a near linear correlation with the iron concentration in the phantom. The control T2* signal magnitude corresponded to 0.01 mg/ml iron concentration. The two patients on ICH day 7 had measurements of iron concentration of 0.04 mg/ml (4 x baseline) at the periphery of the hematoma. This corresponds favorably to a threefold increase in measured tissue iron levels in animal ICH model studies. Conclusion: Our experiment demonstrates that quantitative susceptibility measurements on MRI may be a robust technique to assess iron level in brain tissue following ICH. Encouraged by the results we have applied to the NIH (#GRANT11426089) for funding to be able to evaluate the validity of the algorithm. Tissue iron quantification by MRI may assist in judging severity of ICH and act as a surrogate marker for assessing treatment with iron chelator.
Integrated Project Management Tool for Modeling and Simulation of Complex Systems

In the aerospace industry, engineers rely on fast, accurate results from simulation environments to design and develop ever more complex systems in shorter development times. An integrated approach for the development of complex aerospace systems is presented. This commercial off-the-shelf solution provides tooling to simplify the consolidation of collaborative efforts from diverse research, development, and test groups in the implementation of sophisticated simulation models. The software described in this paper is based in the MATLAB® and Simulink® products and intended to increase the efficiency of the workflow when several teams or individuals are involved. This is achieved through a unified graphical user interface in which the project manager and members of the development team can componentize the different aspects of the project model and assign tasks and files to specific teams or engineers. To better illustrate the scope of this technique, a case study for a complex aerospace model is provided based on the HL-20 personnel launch system.