cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TracKlinic: Diagnosis of Challenge Factors in Visual Tracking

Generic visual object tracking is difficult due to many challenge factors (e.g., occlusion, blur, etc.). Each of these factors may cause serious problems for a tracker, and when they work together can make things even more complicated. Despite a great amount of efforts devoted to understanding the behavior of trackers, reliable and quantifiable ways for studying the per factor tracking behavior remain barely available. Addressing this issue, in this paper we contribute to the community a tracking diagnosis toolkit, TracKlinic, for diagnosis of challenge factors of tracking algorithms.TracKlinic consists of two novel components focusing on the data and analysis aspects, respectively. For the data component, we carefully prepare a set of 2,390 annotated videos, each involving one and only one major challenge factor. When analyzing an algorithm for a specific challenge factor, such one-factor-per-sequence rule greatly inhibits the disturbance from other factors and consequently leads to more faithful analysis. For the analysis component, given the tracking results on all sequences, it investigates the behavior of the tracker under each individual factor and generates the report automatically. With TracKlinic, a thorough study is conducted on ten state-of-the-art trackers on nine challenge factors (including two compound ones). The results suggest that, heavy shape variation and occlusion are the two most challenging factors faced by most trackers. Besides, out-of-view, though does not happen frequently, is often fatal. By sharing TracKlinic 1, we expect to make it much easier for diagnosing tracking algorithms, and to thus facilitate developing better ones.
Abusive Head Trauma and Delay in Presentation to Care

Introduction: Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the leading cause of death from trauma in children < 2 years. The history provided by caregivers is commonly that of minimal or no trauma and the diagnosis can be difficult to separate from accidental trauma. A delay in care has been viewed as a risk factor for abuse; however there has been limited research on this topic. Purpose: This study aims to determine if there is a correlation between AHT and a delayed …
Patient-reported anticipated barriers and benefits to sharing cancer genetic risk information with family members

While prior studies have largely focused on family communication of diagnostic single-gene test results or specific types of cancer testing results, far less work has investigated family communication of cancer-related genetic results that include multi-gene panels, a broad array of cancer types/stages, and participants without family history of cancer. The study we report here examined individuals' anticipated barriers and benefits to sharing genetic information with family members. An 80+ gene panel was performed on participants recruited from Mayo Clinic, diagnosed with different cancer types, who did not have a family history suggestive of an inherited risk. Participants completed a 49-item survey before receiving genetic test results. Family variant testing was provided to family members at no cost, allowing factors influencing intent to share to be examined in the absence of financial burdens. In all, 1721 of 2984 individuals who received genetic testing completed the survey (57.7% completion rate). Participants' intent to share with parents, siblings, and children was inversely related to the number of anticipated barriers to sharing and directly related to the number of anticipated benefits to sharing. Of those participants who did not intend to share with parents, siblings, and adult children, 64.8%, 30.3%, and 67.6% reported that there were no barriers, while 17.1%, 24.5%, and 40.2.% reported there were no benefits. Findings indicate that barriers to sharing genetic information with family members vary across family member types, and an inability to identify at least one benefit of sharing with family members is a predictor of intent not to share.
Controversy over beach access restrictions at an urban coastal seal rookery: Exploring the drivers of conflict escalation and endurance at Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla, CA

Abstract Coastal urbanization and the recovery of many marine species has caused human interactions with marine wildlife to become more common, sometimes resulting in conflict. In La Jolla, CA, the increasing presence of Pacific harbor seals at Children’s Pool Beach (CPB) resulted in a 25 year conflict over appropriate beach use. Drawing on archival analysis, stakeholder interviews, and beach-goer surveys, we present a history of the conflict and explore the drivers that have enabled the conflict’s escalation and endurance. Many factors influence people’s polarized views about seals at CPB, including personal values and sense of identity, differing perceptions of what is “natural” at CPB, the threat of change and loss of beach access, and underlying inter-personal conflict. Politicization and inaction during the early stages of the conflict also precluded conflict resolution and contributed the conflict’s escalation. While overt conflict has decreased in recent years, polarized views about seals at CPB and legal challenges continue. In order to prevent conflict escalation and persistence, it is important that coastal managers work to address conflict over marine wildlife early and decisively. We present suggestions regarding minimally controversial management measures that could be undertaken early in a conflict, and suggest that managers prioritize commonly held values to facilitate stakeholder dialogue. While it may not be possible to generate solutions that appeal to all stakeholders, understanding the values and cultural frameworks driving conflict is an important first step toward understanding and generating workable solutions to conflict over wildlife.
Reasoning about Sexual Assault in Emerging Adults: The Role of Consent

Emerging adult college students (77 men, 82 women) in the U.S. evaluated consent and the acceptability of a sexual act in hypothetical scenarios which varied the response of the protagonist/victim, the length of the relationship and the gender of the protagonist. Judgments of the acceptability of sexual acts were strongly associated with judgments of consent. Judgments of consent and the acceptability, responsibility for and deserved-punishment for the sexual act differed depending on the victim’s responses and relationships lengths. Compared to women, men judged sex after the freezing response to be more acceptable, and the perpetrator to be less responsible and less punish-worthy. In addition, men were less likely than women to label responses where the victim froze as rape. No differences were found between participants in their first years of college compared to their last years of college.
Short Selling and Failures to Deliver in Initial Public Offerings

This paper documents that short selling is prevalent in early IPO aftermarkets in contrast to the assumption in the literature that IPOs are short sale constrained. We observe more short selling in IPOs where the divergence of opinion is highest, those with positive partial adjustment, large trading volume and high initial returns and fewer short sales in IPOs that are more likely to have short covering in the aftermarket. We examine whether short selling in IPOs is due to a failure to locate and borrow shares for delivery, i.e. "naked" short selling. Despite finding that settlement failures ("failures to deliver") occur regularly in IPOs, our results do not support the conjecture that naked short selling is to blame. In fact, we show that failures to deliver are uncorrelated with short selling and for many IPOs, exceed the level of short selling. We conclude that IPOs are not as short sale constrained as suggested by the literature and failures to deliver are a byproduct underwriter short covering activities to support the trading price.
Feasibility and acceptability of monitoring personal air pollution exposure with sensors for asthma self-management.

BACKGROUND Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, and thus, monitoring personal exposure to PM2.5 may aid in disease self-management. Low-cost, portable air pollution sensors offer a convenient way to measure personal pollution exposure directly and may improve personalized monitoring compared with traditional methods that rely on stationary monitoring stations. We aimed to understand whether adults with asthma would be willing to use personal sensors to monitor their exposure to air pollution and to assess the feasibility of using sensors to measure real-time PM2.5 exposure. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 adults with asthma to understand their willingness to use a personal pollution sensor and their privacy preferences with regard to sensor data. Student research assistants used HabitatMap AirBeam devices to take PM2.5 measurements at 1-s intervals while walking in Philadelphia neighborhoods in May-August 2018. AirBeam PM2.5 measurements were compared to concurrent measurements taken by three nearby regulatory monitors. RESULTS All interview participants stated that they would use a personal air pollution sensor, though the consensus was that devices should be small (watch- or palm-sized) and light. Patients were generally unconcerned about privacy or sharing their GPS location, with only two stating they would not share their GPS location under any circumstances. PM2.5 measurements were taken using AirBeam sensors on 34 walks that extended through five Philadelphia neighborhoods. The range of sensor PM2.5 measurements was 0.6-97.6 μg/mL (mean 6.8 μg/mL), compared to 0-22.6 μg/mL (mean 9.0 μg/mL) measured by nearby regulatory monitors. Compared to stationary measurements, which were only available as 1-h integrated averages at discrete monitoring sites, sensor measurements permitted characterization of fine-scale fluctuations in PM2.5 levels over time and space. CONCLUSIONS Patients were generally interested in using sensors to monitor their personal exposure to PM2.5 and willing to share personal sensor data with health care providers and researchers. Compared to traditional methods of personal exposure assessment, sensors captured personalized air quality information at higher spatiotemporal resolution. Improvements to currently available sensors, including more reliable Bluetooth connectivity, increased portability, and longer battery life would facilitate their use in a general patient population.
Molecular and cellular adaptations in hippocampal parvalbumin neurons mediate behavioral responses to chronic social stress

BACKGROUND: Behavioral responses to stress are, in part, mediated by the hippocampus and Parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons. However, whether chronic stress induces molecular and cellular adaptations in hippocampal PV neurons contribute to stress-induced behavioral outcomes remains elusive. METHOD: Using chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), we investigated the role of neuronal activity and gene expression in hippocampal PV neurons in mediating stress-resilience and -susceptibility. We first used in vivo high-density silicon probe recordings and chemogenetics to test whether the activity of PV neurons in ventral dentate gyrus (PVvDG) is associated with particular behavioral outcomes. To find critical molecular pathways associated with stress-resilience and -susceptibility, we used PV-neuron-selective translating ribosome affinity purification and RNAseq. We used immunoblotting, RNAscope, and region- or cell type-specific gene deletion to determine whether Ahnak, a molecule regulating depression-like behavior, was necessary for behavioral divergence after CSDS. RESULTS: We find CSDS modulates neuronal activity in vDG. Notably, stress-susceptibility is associated with an increase of PVvDG firing, which we find is necessary and sufficient for susceptibility. Additionally, genes involved in mitochondrial function, protein synthesis and synaptogenesis are differentially expressed in hippocampal PV neurons of stress-resilient and -susceptible mice. Interestingly, protein and mRNA levels of Ahnak, an endogenous regulator of L-type calcium channels are associated with susceptibility after CSDS. vDG- and PV cell type-specific deletions reveal that Ahnak is required for stress-susceptibility to CSDS. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that CSDS-induced molecular and cellular adaptations in hippocampal PV neurons mediate behavioral consequences, proposing a mechanism underlying individual differences in stress vulnerability.
Brief paper: Linguistic decision schemata for intelligent robots

High-level decision making can be performed on a special purpose hierarchically structured computer with multiprocessing capabilities. The components of such a system, called decision schemata, utilize a concatenation of multielement strings of command with feedback information as an input and they map it into an output string that has the highest probability of minimizing an appropriate cost function. They are structured to process information in a decreasing order of intelligence and an increasing order of precision. Such schemata have application in intelligent control of intelligent systems and robots.
Aviation Management: A Discipline in Crisis?

This article presents a detailed description of the key attributes of undergraduate aviation management programs. This exploratory research provides insight into key program issues in a manner designed to stimulate meaningful dialogue among aviation management faculty based on a study of 56 collegiate aviation baccalaureate programs. This investigation resulted in a taxonomy of aviation management curricula that examines: (1) breadth of curriculum, (2) science foundation, and (3) curriculum structure. Research results show that two primary dimensions emerged. The first is an operational vs. business processing oriented dimension. The second is a functional vs. asset understanding oriented curricula. The findings reveal that most programs are clustered around operational process–asset understanding. The authors advocate a need for increased business management oriented curricula focused by industry perspective and participation.
Engineering New Geographies with the Burj Dubai

Geography and transportation intersect in terms of the movement of peoples, goods, and information. Transport creates valuable links between regions and economic activities, between people and the rest of the world (Rodrigue, Comtois, & Slack, 2009). In many cities, rapid growth in population has created problems in transportation (Greg & Ainsley, 2001). In recent years, problems in transportation have started to be solved by increasing the rail systems. Due to its use of underground, subway/metro is the most efficient and available transportation system. Transportation is an important issue in Istanbul which is one of the outstanding metropolitan cities of the world and the biggest metropolitan area in Turkey. One of the most important problems of Istanbul is the difficulty of transportation resulting from the rapid and uncontrolled population growth and the traffic jams. The heaviest traffic can be seen in on the bridges on the Istanbul Strait. The Strait connecting the two continents provides service for the vehicles with the help of two bridges and additional ferryboats. But these administrations are still inadequate and especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours, traffic can be gridlocked. In order to overcome these issues, Project Marmaray has been undertaken and is designed to provide service underground in the area between Sarayburnu and Uskudar under the sea at Istanbul Strait (Fig. 41.1).
Polarimetic Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Random Discrete Scatterers and Rough Surfaces

Recently there has been growing interest in the application of polarimetry to active microwave remote sensing of geophysical terrain. However, for passive microwave remote sensing, the third and fourth Stokes parameters were usually neglected in the past. In this paper, we make theoretical calculations of brightness temperatures of the third and fourth Stokes parameters for geophysical terrain. The calculations are based on vector radiative transfer theory with emission vector for random discrete scatterers. We also derive the reciprocal relations between emission of third and fourth Stokes parameters and the bistatic scattering coefficients for rough surface problems. Numerical results are illustrated. It is shown that brightness temperatures for third and fourth Stokes parameters can be as large as ±60°K for certain statistical asymmetrical configurations of scatterers.
A computational account on the development of a preferred retinal locus

A saccade brings a retinal locus to a target in the visual field. For normally sighted individuals, this retinal locus is the fovea. Central field loss (CFL) caused by macular degeneration often leads to the adoption of a preferred retinal locus (PRL) in the peripheral retina for saccades and fixation. Factors underlying the development of a PRL are not known. Here we show that a conceptually simple computational model can account for the formation of a PRL and its idiosyncrasies. We assume that the visual system always intends to aim the retinal locus with the highest expected post-saccade acuity at the saccade target. The expected post-saccade acuity of a retinal locus is a function of the physiological acuity at and around the locus and the expected saccade error. The expected saccade error is a combination of motor error that is proportional to the saccade amplitude (vector error) and the spatial uncertainties associated with the retinal locus and the saccade target (endpoint errors). We assume that the motor error does not improve, but the spatial uncertainties associated with the neural representation of the endpoints are optimally re-estimated after each saccade from the observed saccade error. A generic forgetting function is assumed to prevent spatial uncertainty from vanishing. Simulations showed that immediately after CFL, the utilized retinal loci are close to the edge of the scotoma on the side nearest to saccade targets. After each saccade, spatial uncertainties associated with the pre-saccade target and utilized retinal locus decrease. Decrease in spatial uncertainty increases the expected post-saccade acuity of the retinal locus. The net effect is that a previously selected retinal locus is more likely to be selected for a future saccade, further reducing its spatial uncertainty, and forming the PRL. Idiosyncrasies at the early stages of CFL strongly influence PRL formation. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015. Language: en
Short Hairpin RNA-Mediated Fibronectin Knockdown Delays Tumor Growth in a Mouse Glioma Model

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor. Glioma progression depends on the rapid proliferation of tumor cells accompanied by an acute immunosuppressive environment, facilitated mainly by tumor infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study, we characterize the role of fibronectin, a high-molecular weight extracellular matrix glycoprotein secreted by tumor cells, in controlling glioma progression and in mediating immunosuppression. Fibronectin binds to membrane-spanning integrin receptors and plays an important role in cell signaling, in defining cellular shape, in mobility, and in regulating the cell cycle. We found that inhibition of fibronectin expression in glioma cells, using short hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of gene expression, delayed cell proliferation in vitro. This delayed growth is explained, in part, by the observed reduced expression of integrin β1 fibronectin receptor, which was restored by the inhibition of proteosomal activity. In our analysis of the downstream signaling targets of integrin β1, we demonstrated reduced phosphorylation of Src kinase and STAT-3. We also observed reduced survivin expression that induced a three-fold increased accumulation of fibronectin-knockdown cells in the G2/M phase. In an experimental animal model, the fibronectin knockdown tumors had a mean survival advantage of 23 days over wild-type tumors. Moreover, brain samples of animals bearing fibronectin-knockdown tumors showed delayed Treg recruitment. Collectively, we propose that fibronectin is a key mediator of glioma progression because its inhibition delays both tumor progression and immunosuppression.
Linearized terrain: Languages for silhouette representations

The scope of this paper is a qualitative description of terrain features that can be characterized using the silhouette of a terrain. The silhouette is a profile of a landform seen from a particular observer’s perspective. We develop a terrain language as a formal framework to capture terrain features. The horizon of a terrain silhouette is represented as a string. The alphabet of the terrain language comprises straight-line segments. These line primitives are classified according to three criteria: (1) the alignment of their slope, (2) their relative lengths, characterized by orders of magnitude, and (3) their differences in elevation, described by an order relation. We employ term rewriting rules to identify terrain features at different granularity levels. There are three kinds of rules: aggregation, generalization, and simplification rules. The aggregation rules generate a description of the terrain features at a given granularity level. For a terrain description the generalization and simplification rules specify the transi- tion from a finer granularity level to a coarser one. An example shows how the three kinds of rules lead to a terrain description at different granularity levels.
Structure of Plasmic Degradation Products of Human Fibrinogen FIBRINOPEPTIDE AND POLYPEPTIDE CHAIN ANALYSIS

Direct determination of fibrinopeptides A and B in purified plasmic degradation products of human fibrinogen shows that fibrinogen and Fragments X and Y contain 2 moles of fibrinopeptide A per mole; Fragment E has approximately 0.3 mole of fibrinopeptide A per mole. Fibrinopeptide B is present in only trace amount in some Fragment X preparations and is absent from Fragments Y and E. Fragment D contains neither fibrinopeptide A nor B. These data and the results on molecular weight, carbohydrate content, and reactivity with thrombin of polypeptide chains of the purified degradation products were used to assign these chains to the Aα, Bβ, or γ chains of the original fibrinogen molecule. Fragment X has altered Aα chains with a molecular weight of 25,000, Bβ chains that are either intact (58,000) or cleaved at the NH2-terminal end (53,000), and γ chains that are either intact (48,000) or cleaved at the COOH-terminal end (40,000). Fragment Y has two distinct sets of polypeptide chains; the heavier ones are almost the same as those of the smallest Fragment X species. The lighter chains of Fragment Y are similar to those of Fragment E, which has three major components of 13,000, 8,000, and 10,000 assigned tentatively as Aα, Bβ, and γ fibrinogen chain remnants, respectively. The chains of Fragment D have been classified as a 13,000 molecular weight α chain remnant, a 42,000 β chain remnant and a heterogeneous group (39,000, 32,000, and 26,000) of γ chain remnants. The presence of 2 moles of fibrinopeptide A per mole of Fragment Y and the demonstration of the heavy and light sets of polypeptide chains in Fragment Y provide substantive evidence for its asymmetric structure.
Galaxy Evolution: Some Issues and Questions

In this introductory talk, I am going to list in a very subjective fashion some outstanding questions that will certainly be addressed, if not resolved, at this workshop on spectral evolution of galaxies.
Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Maize-derived HBsAg for the Development of an Oral Vaccine

Although a vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been available since 1982, it is estimated that 600,000 people die every year due to HBV. An affordable oral vaccine could help alleviate the disease burden and to this end the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was expressed in maize. Orally delivered maize material induced the strongest immune response in mice when lipid was extracted by CO2 supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), compared to full fat and hexane-extracted material. The present study provides a biochemical and biophysical basis for these immunological differences by comparing the active ingredient in the differently treated maize material. Purified maize-derived HBsAg underwent biophysical characterization by gel filtration, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-CD, and fluorescence. Gel filtration showed that HBsAg forms higher-order oligomers and TEM demonstrated virus-like particle (VLP) formation. The VLPs obtained from SFE were more regular in shape and size compared to hexane or full fat material. In addition, SFE-derived HBsAg showed the greatest extent of α-helical structure by far UV-CD spectrum. Fluorescence experiments also revealed differences in protein conformation. This work establishes SFE-treated maize material as a viable oral vaccine candidate and advances the development of the first oral subunit vaccine.
Urinary Estrogens in Pregnancy Improved Method for Their Determination in Humans

A new method has been described for the cleavage of the estrogenic steroid conjugates occurring in the urine of pregnant women. It yields higher estrogen values than the methods which have been employed in the past.
10 Gb/s optically preamplified receiver using a vertical-cavity amplifying optical filter

We have demonstrated optical preamplification at 10 Gb/s using a vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA). The VCSOA has a narrow bandwidth of 37 GHz and functions as an amplifying filter. Operating the VCSOA at 11 dB fiber-fiber gain resulted in a 7 dB improvement in receiver sensitivity. These results suggest that VCSOAs are potential low-cost alternatives to more expensive preamplifiers; such as fiber amplifiers. The combined functionality preamplifier-filter is especially attractive for WDM applications where channel selection is needed. Our present device is optimized for reflection mode operation; better isolation of adjacent channels can be obtained using transmission mode operation. Interesting possibilities for future devices include integration of vertical-cavity amplifying filters with photodetectors, either as single devices or 2-dimensional arrays for parallel applications. Tunable receivers could be realized by employing micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), similar to what is being used for tunable VCSELs.
High glucose-mediated loss of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan impairs the endothelial shear stress response.

Normal endothelial cells respond to shear stress by elongating and aligning in the direction of fluid flow. Elevated glucose concentrations have been shown to impair this response, though the precise mechanism of damage is not clear. Using an in vitro model of hyperglycemia, we tested the hypothesis that high glucose (HG) impairs the endothelial shear stress response by damaging the glycocalyx. 50 mU/mL heparinase III enzyme removes similar proportions of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) as HG conditions and results in similar impairment of the elongation and alignment response to flow. Doubling the shear stress overcomes the inhibited flow response in HG cells, but not in enzyme treated cells. These findings may be explained by HG leading to decreased expression of full-length HSPG; whereas, heparinase results in a normal density of HSPG of shorter length. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Schizosaccharomyces japonicus Yeast Poised to Become a Favorite Experimental Organism for Eukaryotic Research

Both budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccahromyces pombe have been very popular organisms used for biological research with eukaryotes for many decades. Judging from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus DNA sequence determined 2 years ago, this species is evolutionarily very much unrelated to the commonly used yeasts for research. Indicating evolutionary divergence, the S. japonicus makes 8-spored asci and mitosis occurs with a partial breakdown of nuclear membrane whereas the other yeasts make 4-spored asci and cells divide without nuclear breakdown. The commonly used yeast species exhibit a generation time between 1.5 and 2.0 hr, and their genetic cross takes a period of more than 7 working d. As described here, a generation time of only 63 min and meiotic analysis completed in just 2.5 d, the S. japonicus fission yeast is predicted to become a choice organism for future research on the biology of eukaryotes.
Allele-specific qRT-PCR demonstrates superior detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms as genetic markers for West Nile virus compared to Luminex® and quantitative sequencing.

Abstract To enable in vivo and in vitro competitive fitness comparisons among West Nile viruses (WNV), three reference viruses were marked genetically by site-directed mutagenesis with five synonymous nucleotide substitutions in the envelope gene region of the genome. Phenotypic neutrality of the mutants was assessed experimentally by competitive replication in cell culture and genetic stability of the substituted nucleotides was confirmed by direct sequencing. Luminex® technology, quantitative sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) were compared in regard to specificity, sensitivity and accuracy for quantitation of wildtype and genetically marked viruses in mixed samples based on RNA obtained from samples of known viral titers. Although Luminex® technology and quantitative sequencing provided semi-quantitative or qualitative measurements, a sequence-specific primer extension approach using a specific reverse primer set in singleplex qRT-PCR demonstrated the best quantitation and specificity in the detection of RNA from wildtype and mutant viruses.
‘Cool! and creepy’: engaging with college student stakeholders in Michigan’s biobank

Large population biobanks, important resources for genomic research, also present ethical challenges. The Michigan BioTrust for Health makes dried bloodspots (DBS) leftover from newborn screening, including ~4.5 million collected before 2010 without written consent, available for health research. Absent prospectively gathered consent and/or current engagement with 18- to 29-year olds, little is known about opinions and beliefs from this age group about use of the bloodspots for research. We engaged 2,101 students—BioTrust participants and their peers—at information booths at 20 college campuses across the state to educate youth about the BioTrust and gather information about consent preferences and about hopes and concerns about this public health program. We surveyed student stakeholder DBS research consent preferences and fielded a “postengagement” survey to gauge the attitudes of participants and to evaluate the campus engagement. The most prevalent themes in open-ended comments were support for biobank research and concern that Michiganders are not aware of their participation. While 78 % of students said they would, if asked, opt in to the BioTrust, half of these preferred to be contacted each time a researcher sought to use their DBS. Students reported great interest in the topic and strong likelihood to share what they had learned. BioTrust participants are interested in learning about their role in an initiative whose goals they widely support. Public engagement is particularly important to biobank participants who, absent traditional consent practices, are unaware of their participation. Health-fair style engagements were effective for targeting college-aged stakeholders, communicating complex messages, and likely increasing knowledge. Retrospective biobanks and biobanks that collect proxy consent need policies to respect those who would opt out and will need resources to educate participants and conduct community outreach that is a safeguard to public trust.
Hexose transport by brain slices: further studies on energy dependence

We studied the uptake of [3H]2-deoxyglucose ([3H]2DG) by slices of rat cerebral cortex in vitro as a model of glucose transport by brain. Slices were incubated with [3H]2DG, or withl-[3H]glucose as a marker for diffusion; the difference between [3H]2DG uptake andl-[3H]glucose uptake was defined as net [3H]2DG transport. Net [3H]2DG transport was a function of incubation temperature, with an estimated temperature coefficient of 1.87 from 15°C to 25°C. The net uptake of [3H]2DG was not inhibited by phlorizin or phloretin in concentrations well above the reported Ki of these inhibitors for hexose uptake in other systems. To examine the hypothesis that [3H]2DG transport by brain slices is dependent on mitochondrial energy, we studied net [3H]2DG uptake by slices which had been preincubated in media designed to alter intracellular ATP stores. The transport process was very sensitive to inhibition by DNP, but the correlation between [3H]2DG transport and ATP levels was unclear. In contrast to our published hypothesis that the transport process required mitochondrial energy, these data indicate that dependence on energy is not absolute.
Revolution, no! Reform, si!

Van Gelder's hard line against representations is not supported or supportable, and his soft line in favor of dynamical systems thinking as a supplement to representational models of cognition is good advice, but not revolutionary, as he seems to think.
The Effect Of Trace Element Segregation To Fe/Sapphire Interfaces

The effects of segregation of tramp impurities such as sulfur on metal/ceramic bonding is discussed. Microstructural and chemical information is given for the Fe/sapphire interface. The segregation behavior of the interface is evaluated between 500–800 °C. The interfacial structure is shown to be important to the segregation behavior. A possible link between the segregation of sulfur and interface void formation is presented.
Evolution of the low-energy excitations and dielectric function of Ba1-xKxBiO3 (0 <= x <= 0.50).

Evolution of the low-energy excitations and dielectric function of ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{BiO}}_{3}$ (BKBO) single crystals in the doping range 0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.50, i.e., spanning the semiconductor to superconductor regimes, is investigated by electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) with a cold-field-emission-gun transmission-electron microscope (cFEG TEM). A free-carrier plasmon in BKBO is observed by transmission EELS for x\ensuremath{\ge}0.40 (superconductor phase), and a local excitation for x\ensuremath{\le}0.3 (insulator-semiconductor phase). The oscillator strength of the excitation in the low-loss region increases substantially and abruptly between x=0.30 and x=0.40, signaling the semiconductor-metal transition. Subtle but important changes are observed in the higher-loss regions (bulk plasma) with K doping. The evolution of the low-energy excitations and dielectric function of BKBO is compared to that of cuprate superconductors.
The spliceosomal snRNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans

Nematodes are the only group of organisms in which both cis- and trans-splicing of nuclear mRNAs are known to occur. Most Caenorhabditis elegans introns are exceptionally short, often only 50 bases long. The consensus donor and acceptor splice site sequences found in other animals are used for both cis- and trans-splicing. In order to identify the machinery required for these splicing events, we have characterized the C. elegans snRNAs. They are similar in sequence and structure to those characterized in other organisms, and several sequence variations discovered in the nematode snRNAs provide support for previously proposed structure models. The C. elegans snRNAs are encoded by gene families. We report here the sequences of many of these genes. We find a highly conserved sequence, the proximal sequence element (PSE), about 65 bp upstream of all 21 snRNA genes thus far sequenced, including the SL RNA genes, which specify the snRNAs that provide the 5' exons in trans-splicing. The sequence of the C. elegans PSE is distinct from PSE's from other organisms.
A structural investigation of As2S3Tl2S glasses by XPS

Abstract Core level XPS spectra of glasses in the As 2 S 3 Tl 2 S system have been studied in order to identify the formation of non-bridging sulfur with the addition of Tl 2 S. A shoulder observed in the S 2p photoelectron line with a chemical shift of 1.3 eV was attributed to the presence of non-bridging sulfur in the glass network. The experimentally determined amount of non-bridging sulfur increases with the Tl 2 S content, and shows excellent agreement with the values calculated from the proposed structural model. It has been suggested that the addition of Tl 2 produces non-bridging sulfurs in the amorphous As 2 S 3 network in the same formation as in alkali silicate glasses.
Gap detection and temporal modulation transfer function as behavioral estimates of auditory temporal acuity using band-limited stimuli in young and older adults.

Purpose Gap detection and the temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF) are 2 common methods to obtain behavioral estimates of auditory temporal acuity. However, the agreement between the 2 measures is not clear. This study compares results from these 2 methods and their dependencies on listener age and hearing status. Method Gap detection thresholds and the parameters that describe the TMTF (sensitivity and cutoff frequency) were estimated for young and older listeners who were naive to the experimental tasks. Stimuli were 800-Hz-wide noises with upper frequency limits of 2400 Hz, presented at 85 dB SPL. A 2-track procedure (Shen & Richards, 2013) was used for the efficient estimation of the TMTF. Results No significant correlation was found between gap detection threshold and the sensitivity or the cutoff frequency of the TMTF. No significant effect of age and hearing loss on either the gap detection threshold or the TMTF cutoff frequency was found, while the TMTF sensitivity improved with increasing...
Geological Publication Media and Data Preservation

Computers and their uses quickly were adapted in the latter half of the 20th Century ushering in the Information Age. The recording and storage of geological data, the analysis of those data, and communicating the results have generated some major problems that have changed the publication venue. Data storage has gone through a series of devices and procedures in their use including from paper tape, punched cards, magnetic tape, cassettes, microfiche, softstrip, diskettes, and CDs to DVDs and flash drives. Communication is almost instantaneous via e-mail and many publications now are issued only as softcopy on the Internet. Preservation of information therefore is of concern with the disappearance of hardcopy. All of this is possible because the speed of processing has increased by a factor of millions and storage capacity also has increased by the same magnitude. The amount of data and results available is staggering, and locating what is needed and important in this fast moving age is one of the most important aspects of this revolution.
Ship Timber and the Reuse of Wood in Ancient Egypt

AbstractReuse of materials in ancient Egypt is neither a new nor novel concept. The ancient Egyptians reused a variety of materials and certainly any resource that had spiritual, ideological, or economic value that was available to them. Yet, reuse of certain raw materials has not been thoroughly examined, notably timber. This manuscript explores the modes, preferences and implications of wood use, specifically reuse, in Egypt’s Pharaonic Period, using ship timber as the illustrative example. This synthesis suggests specific preferences for commodity consumption and conservation existed, revealing cultural and behavioral trends.
Distribution of dermatophytes and Candida spores in the environment.

Summary.— The dispersal into the environment of spores of dermatophytes and Candida albicans from patients with mycotic skin infections is demonstrated by the culture of samples from the air and from normal areas of the body. C. albicans is found to be recovered more frequently than dermatophytes. The recovery of these fungi is also recorded from sweep plates of bedding and brush samples of the scalps of normal children in communities which harbour cases of scalp ringworm.
Therapeutic peptides for cancer therapy. Part I - peptide inhibitors of signal transduction cascades.

Background: Therapeutic peptides have great potential as anticancer agents owing to their ease of rational design and target specificity. However, their utility in vivo is limited by low stability and poor tumor penetration. Objective: The authors review the development of peptide inhibitors with potential for cancer therapy. Peptides that inhibit signal transduction cascades are discussed. Methods: The authors searched Medline for articles concerning the development of therapeutic peptides and their delivery. Results/conclusion: Given our current knowledge of protein sequences, structures and interaction interfaces, therapeutic peptides that inhibit interactions of interest are easily designed. These peptides are advantageous because they are highly specific for the interaction of interest, and they are much more easily developed than small molecule inhibitors of the same interactions. The main hurdle to application of peptides for cancer therapy is their poor pharmacokinetic and biodistribution paramete...
Determination of Mercury in Low-Grade Ores

Two new rapid and accurate methods are presented for determining mercury in low-grade ores and tailings: (1) A combustion-atomic absorption technique is described wherein a small sample of finely pulverized ore is heated to about 700°C, and the vaporized Hg is detected by atomic absorption. This method is suitable for determining Hg in the 0.1–5.0 lb/ton range, and the precision is about,5% coefficient of variation; (2) an x-ray fluorescence method is described wherein the unweighed, finely ground sample is merely packed into a holder, and the Hg line-to-background ratio is obtained. The problem of matrix effects is avoided by preparing standards to simulate the type of ore being analyzed. The method is suitable for determining Hg over a wide concentration range, with a lower limit of about 0.1 lb/ton. The precision, based on the analysis of a 2.0 lb/ton Hg ore, is about 5% coefficient of variation. These two techniques are compared to the commonly used Whitton and Bureau of Mines methods.
A temperature-dependent age-structured mosquito life-cycle model

A new model for the mosquito life-cycle is introduced. The model is separated into age classes (egg, larva, pupa, adult). The temperature dependency is modelled via boundary functions which include increasing and decreasing functions as necessary. The model and a numerical discretization are given and numerical results are provided to establish the validity of the model. The long-term objective is to use this model for the basis of a mosquito-borne epidemic model.
Development of Engineering Education as a Rigorous Discipline: A Study of the Publication Patterns of Four Coalitions

A combination of publication analysis and faculty interviews was employed to study four NSF-sponsored engineering education coalitions as a case study of the recent history of engineering education. Current calls within the engineering education community for increased rigor can be understood in terms of the ways similar disciplines have emerged. In science education, for example, time was needed to develop consensus on important research questions, accepted methods, and standards of rigor. The
Organization of amygdaloid projections to the prefrontal cortex and associated striatum in the rat

The organization of connections between the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum was studied using anterograde and retrograde tract tracing techniques in the rat. The anterograde transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin and wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was used to examine the striatal projections of the prefrontal cortex. These studies revealed that the prelimbic area of the medial prefrontal cortex projects mainly to the medial part of the striatum, whereas the dorsal agranular insular area of the lateral prefrontal cortex projects mainly to the ventrolateral part of the striatum. The organization of amygdaloid projections to the prefrontal cortex and its associated portions of the striatum was investigated using the fluorescence retrograde tract tracing technique. Different color fluorescent dyes, True Blue and Diamidino Yellow, were injected into the prefrontal cortex and striatum. These studies demonstrated that medial portions of the basolateral nucleus, and adjacent portions of the lateral, basomedial and amygdalo-hippocampal nuclei, project to both the medial prefrontal cortex and its associated medial striatal region. The rostral pole and lateral portions of the basolateral nucleus project to both the lateral prefrontal cortex and its associated lateral striatal region. Many neurons in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, and to a lesser extent other amygdaloid nuclei, were double-labeled in these experiments, indicating that these cells send collaterals to both the prefrontal cortex and striatum. These findings indicate that discrete areas of the amygdala, and in some cases individual amygdaloid neurons, can modulate information processing in the first two links of distinct cortico-striato-pallidal systems arising in the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex.
Optimization of Perching Maneuvers Through Vehicle Morphing

This paper discusses the development and optimization of trajectories designed to bring a long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle from a loitering state to a planted landing referred to as a perching maneuver. These trajectories are developed for attached, partially stalled, and fully stalled flow regimes. The effects of nonlinear aerodynamics and vehicle shape reconfiguration are shown to lessen the initial distance from the landing site required to initiate the maneuver, reduce the spatial bounds on the trajectory, and decrease the required thrust for the maneuver. The aerodynamics are modeled using empirical and analytical methods in both attached and separated flow regimes. Optimal solutions of varying thrust-to-weight ratio and center-of-gravity location are compared. Additionally, perching trajectories that compare morphing versus fixed configuration and stalled versus unstalled aircraft are presented to demonstrate the effects of relaxed constraints on vehicle geometry and flight envelope. Control effort is also evaluated in these simulations; specifically, the available control for disturbance rejection is compared for morphing versus fixed-configuration aircraft. The results of these comparisons show that morphing increases the controllability of the aircraft throughout the maneuver as well as decreases the cost of the optimal perching trajectory.