cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Morphometric Synthesis: A Brief Intellectual History

For most of the twentieth century, techniques for the biometric analysis of organic form fell into one of two incompatible styles. In the first, more indigenous style, a direct extension of techniques introduced into statistics by Galton, Pearson, and their heirs, conventional multivariate techniques were applied to a diverse roster of measures of single forms. The only algebraic structures involved were those of multivariate statistics, limited mainly to covariance matrices; no aspect of the geometric organization of the measures, or their biological rationale, was reflected in the method. Analyses of this mode led at best to path diagrams, not to sketches of typical organisms expressing the developmental or functional import of the coefficients computed.
Full waveform inversion with nonlocal similarity and model-derivative domain adaptive sparsity-promoting regularization

Full waveform inversion (FWI) is a highly nonlinear and ill-posed problem. On one hand, it can be easily trapped in a local minimum. On the other hand, the inversion results may exhibit strong artifacts and reduced resolution because of inadequate constraint from data. Proper regularizations are necessary to reduce such artifacts and steer the inversion towards a good direction. In this study, we propose a novel adaptive sparsity-promoting regularization for FWI in the model-derivative domain which exploits nonlocal similarity in the model. This regularization can be viewed as a generalization of total variation (TV) with multi-class learning-based dictionaries. The dictionaries incorporate the prior information of nonlocal similarity into the inversion, exploiting the fact that geological patterns at different places are similar to some others up to affine transformations (translation, rotation and scaling). Such nonlocal similarity priors effectively reduce the degrees of freedom in model parameters, and may also mitigate the problem of local minima. The formulated optimization problem is solved by the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). By interpreting the iterative scheme, we find our method closely connected with image processing techniques and convolutional neural networks (CNN). We test our proposed method on a modified BP 2004 velocity model and a smoothed Marmousi model. Compared with traditional FWI, our technique can better reconstruct sharp edges such as salt body boundaries, and is also able to effectively reduce artifacts. Compared with TV, our result is less blocky and more geologically realistic. Quantitatively, our result has the highest structural similarity index (SSIM) and also the lowest model mean square error.
The “Commons” Discourse on Marine Fisheries Resources: Another Antecedent to Hardin’s “Tragedy”

Throughout the fifty years since its publication, Hardin’s “The Tragedy of the Commons” has been regarded as a seminal paper in the environmental movement, although his emphasis on population control (which actually formed the core concern of the article) has been largely forgotten. Hardin argued that free access by a growing population to common resources would inevitably lead to the depletion of those resources, citing as one example how maritime nations’ belief in the freedom of the seas, combined with their belief in the inexhaustibility of marine resources, had brought whales and many species of fish close to extinction. Hardin failed, however, to take account of the extensive debates throughout much of the twentieth century by scientists and policymakers on the general problem of the ocean commons — what they generally termed the “dilemma of the commons” — as it applied not only to living marine resources but also to mineral resources. By mid-century, as improved fishing technology gave rise to ever greater catches, the notion of the inexhaustibility of fisheries was largely discredited; hence scientists as well as experts in both national and international law became focused on addressing the dilemma of the commons through fisheries management, and specifically by determining the Maximum Sustainable Yield. Some economists, arguing instead for maximum efficiency, urged that open access be abandoned in favor of limited entry. Such measures to resolve the dilemma of the commons were the subject of numerous conferences (including the second UN Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1958) and were widely debated in scholarly publications and, indeed, by the late 1960s had been practically implemented by a number of laws and treaties. By 1966, national control over a twelve-mile fishing zone offshore of coastal nations had been well established. These developments regarding the oceans commons, predating Hardin’s article, were apparently either of no interest to him or (if he knew of them) purposefully subordinated to his main polemical objective, which was his Malthusian analysis of the commons issue and his call for limits on “human breeding.”
Does development moderate the effect of early life assaultive violence on resting-state networks? An exploratory study.

Current neurocircuitry models of PTSD do not account for developmental effects, despite that early life assaultive violence is a potent risk factor for PTSD. Here, we preliminarily evaluated developmental stage as a moderator of the effect of early life assaultive violence on resting-state connectivity amongst regions associated with emotion generation and regulation using fMRI. Participants were adult women (n = 25) and adolescent girls (n = 36) who had or had not experienced early life assaultive violence. We found significant interactions between developmental stage and trauma exposure on resting-state functional connectivity (FC). Left amygdala connectivity with the left ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 32) was reduced among trauma-exposed compared to control adolescents, but increased among trauma-exposed compared to control adults. A corresponding pattern of results was identified for FC between rostral anterior cingulate gyrus seed region and a similar right ventral anterior superior frontal gyrus cluster. Increased FC in both regions for assaulted adult women scaled positively with self-reported emotion regulation difficulties. Our results should be viewed tentatively due to sample limitations, but provide impetus to examine whether neurocircuitry models of PTSD may be strengthened by accounting for developmental stage.
Connectome of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: New Evidence of the Core-Shell Relationship

A brain clock, constituted of ∼20,000 peptidergically heterogeneous neurons, is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). While many peptidergic cell types have been identified, little is known about the connections among these neurons in mice. We first sought to identify contacts among major peptidergic cell types in the SCN using triple-label fluorescent immunocytochemistry (ICC). To this end, contacts among vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), and calretinin (CALR) cells of the core, and arginine vasopressin (AVP) and met-enkephalin (ENK) cells of the shell were analyzed. Some core-to-shell and shell-to-core communications are specialized. We found that in wild-type (WT) mice, AVP fibers make extremely sparse contacts onto VIP neurons but contacts in the reverse direction are numerous. In contrast, AVP fibers make more contacts onto GRP neurons than conversely. For the other cell types tested, largely reciprocal connections are made. These results point to peptidergic cell type-specific communications between core and shell SCN neurons. To further understand the impact of VIP-to-AVP communication, we next explored the SCN in VIP-deficient mice (VIP-KO). In these animals, AVP expression is markedly reduced in the SCN, but it is not altered in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Surprisingly, in VIP-KO mice, the number of AVP appositions onto other peptidergic cell types is not different from controls. Colchicine administration, which blocks AVP transport, restored the numbers of AVP neurons in VIP-KO to that of WT littermates. The results indicate that VIP has an important role in modulating AVP expression levels in the SCN in this mouse.
Monte Carlo Study of the abBA Experiment: Detector Response and Physics Analysis

The abBA collaboration proposes to conduct a comprehensive program of precise measurements of neutron $\beta$-decay coefficients $a$ (the correlation between the neutrino momentum and the decay electron momentum), $b$ (the electron energy spectral distortion term), $A$ (the correlation between the neutron spin and the decay electron momentum), and $B$ (the correlation between the neutron spin and the decay neutrino momentum) at a cold neutron beam facility. We have used a GEANT4-based code to simulate the propagation of decay electrons and protons in the electromagnetic spectrometer and study the energy and timing response of a pair of Silicon detectors. We used these results to examine systematic effects and find the uncertainties with which the physics parameters $a$, $b$, $A$, and $B$ can be extracted from an over-determined experimental data set.
Photonic de Haas-van Alphen effect

Based on the recently proposed concept of effective gauge potential and magnetic field for photons, we numerically demonstrate a photonic de Haas-van Alphen effect. We show that in a dynamically modulated photonic resonator lattice exhibiting an effect magnetic field, the trajectories of the light beam at a given frequency have the same shape as the constant energy contour for the photonic band structure of the lattice in the absence of the effective magnetic field.
An examination of the interactive effects of different types of childhood abuse and perceived social support on suicidal ideation

No study has examined the interaction between child abuse type and social support in relation to adulthood suicidal ideation. In the present study, 141 female survivors of child sexual abuse or phy...
Future Treatment Strategies

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are injuries which can commonly be prevented with proper screening and treatment. Many different medications are currently used to treat osteoporosis, and several procedures have been developed to address subsequent compression fractures. While these medications and techniques have reduced patient morbidity and mortality, there is substantial room for improvement. This chapter describes some of the latest screening tests, medications, and devices which will likely be used in the management of patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.
Sorghum bicolor cultivars have divergent and dynamic gene regulatory networks that control the temporal expression of genes in stem tissue

Abstract The genetic engineering of value-added traits such as the accumulation of bioproducts in high biomass C4 grass stems is one promising strategy to make plant-derived biofuels more economical for industrial use. A first step toward achieving this goal is to identify stem-specific promoters that can drive the expression of genes of interest with good temporal and spatial specificity. However, a comprehensive characterization of the spatial-temporal regulatory elements of stem tissue-specific promoters for C4 grasses has not been reported. Therefore, we performed an in-silico analysis on Sorghum bicolor cv BTx623 transcriptomes from multiple tissues over development to identify stem-expressed genes. The analysis identified 10 genes that are “Always-On-Stem-Specific,” 59 genes that are “Temporally-Stem-Specific during early development,” and 21 genes that are “Temporally-Stem-Specific during late development.” Promoter analysis revealed common and/or unique cis-regulatory elements in promoters of genes within each of the three categories. Subsequent gene regulatory network (GRN) analysis revealed that different transcriptional regulatory programs are responsible for the temporal activation of the stem-expressed genes. The analysis of temporal stem GRNs between sweet (cv Della) and grain (cv BTx623) sorghum varieties revealed genetic variation that could influence the regulatory landscape. This study provides new insights about sorghum stem biology, and information for future genetic engineering efforts to fine-tune the spatial-temporal expression of transgenes in C4 grass stems.
A multicenter evaluation of heterogeneity in cellular therapy processing laboratory procedure times to assess workload capacity.

BACKGROUND Growth in size and complexity of clinical hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) transplant programs necessitates parallel increases in cellular therapy laboratory (CTL) workload. Typically individually developed, HPC product processing is labor and time intensive. Variation in procedure type and numbers across CTLs complicates direct comparisons, and benchmark data are not readily available. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Studies were undertaken at seven CTLs. Transplant volume and staff numbers were determined. Staff recorded time performing tasks broken down into steps: paperwork, product acceptance, transport/infusion, processing, and cryopreservation. Times were added to obtain total times for 15 common CTL procedures. RESULTS Annual transplant volume ranged from 53.4 to 463.2, with products processed by a range of 2 to 10 dedicated CTL staff. Paperwork time constituted 23.7% to 62.3% total time; product processing time accounted for 1.8 (for National Marrow Donor Program product receipt) to 62.6% (for red blood cell reduction of allogeneic HPC products from bone marrow) of total processing time. Mean time for 15 procedures ranged from 1.27 to 8.28 hours (standard deviation range, 0.35-2.71 hr). Mean time for products from bone marrow versus peripheral blood was 6.6 ± 2.0 versus 5.5 ± 1.1 hours (p = 0.02). Cryopreservation (6.5 ± 1.6 vs. 4.4 ± 0.85 hr; p < 0.01) and manipulation (6.4 ± 1.5 vs. 4.4 ± 0.85 hr; p < 0.01) added time. CONCLUSION CTL procedures are time intensive, with wide intra- and inter-CTL variation. Paperwork accounted for substantial portion of total time across procedures. Bone marrow source, cryopreservation, and manipulation contributed to longer times. These findings provide concrete data on which to build regarding CTL workload capacity.
The First Dorsal Metacarpal Artery Flap

The first dorsal metacarpal artery (FDMA) flap is a fasciocutaneous flap that is mainly used in the reconstruction of the thumb. However, it can be applied to the reconstruction of the ulnar aspect of the dorsum, the wrist, and for first webspace reconstruction. The flap was originally described by Hilgenfeldt, and subsequently modified by several surgeons. The FDMA is a type of island flap that has an average pedicle length of around 7 cm, making it an ideal flap for reconstruction of the thumb due to its wide arc of rotation. The FDMA flap is based off the first dorsal metacarpal artery, which is a branch of the radial artery, and as such, patients with injury to the radial artery at the anatomic snuffbox are not candidates for this flap. The flap may be a sensate flap if the branch of the superficial branch of the radial nerve (SBRN) is harvested with the flap, something that can increase the functionality of the reconstruction.
Multi-scale investigation of conditional errors in radar-rainfall estimates

Abstract This study examines multi-scale aspects of radar-rainfall (R-R) conditional error, defined as the difference between a given R-R value and the conditional average of corresponding reference observations. To decompose the systematic and random error components, the authors adopted the second-order separation method while previous studies relied on addressing the first-order moment (i.e., conditional bias) only. The authors applied a non-parametric kernel regression approach to characterize the conditional mean and standard deviation and thus to derive a distribution of random component, standardized error. This empirical study is based on data from two rain gauge networks, consisting of 66 and 115 gauges, and two R-R estimates (the Iowa Flood Center and Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor products) over the Iowa domain in the United States. The authors explored the effect of multiple temporal (1–24 h) and spatial (0.5–32 km) scales on the conditional error structure. They found that the error distribution gradually approaches the Gaussian distribution with longer temporal scale while the error feature regarding spatial scale appears to be almost scale-invariant.
Gesture as a window onto children’s number knowledge

Before learning the cardinal principle (knowing that the last word reached when counting a set represents the size of the whole set), children do not use number words accurately to label most set sizes. However, it remains unclear whether this difficulty reflects a general inability to conceptualize and communicate about number, or a specific problem with number words. We hypothesized that children’s gestures might reflect knowledge of number concepts that they cannot yet express in speech, particularly for numbers they do not use accurately in speech (numbers above their knower-level). Number gestures are iconic in the sense that they are item-based (i.e., each finger maps onto one item in a set) and therefore may be easier to map onto sets of objects than number words, whose forms do not map transparently onto the number of items in a set and, in this sense, are arbitrary. In addition, learners in transition with respect to a concept often produce gestures that convey different information than the accompanying speech. We examined the number words and gestures 3- to 5-year-olds used to label small set sizes exactly (1–4) and larger set sizes approximately (5–10). Children who had not yet learned the cardinal principle were more than twice as accurate when labeling sets of 2 and 3 items with gestures than with words, particularly if the values were above their knower-level. They were also better at approximating set sizes 5–10 with gestures than with words. Further, gesture was more accurate when it differed from the accompanying speech (i.e., a gesture–speech mismatch). These results show that children convey numerical information in gesture that they cannot yet convey in speech, and raise the possibility that number gestures play a functional role in children’s development of number concepts.
Insulin Action in Isolated Rat Thymocytes I. BINDING OF 125I-INSULIN AND STIMULATION OF α-AMINOISOBUTYRIC ACID TRANSPORT

Abstract Rat thymocytes, isolated from 13- to 19-day-old animals, responded to insulin with an increased influx of α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). Insulin was effective at 1 nm; the half-maximal response was 40 nm, and a maximal response was seen at 1 µm. Biologically inactive insulin derivatives as well as adrenocorticotropic hormone and glucagon were without effect. 125I-Insulin bound specifically to rat thymocyte receptors and was displaced by unlabeled insulin at 1 nm. The insulin concentration that produced half-maximal displacement of 125I-insulin was 20 nm, and complete displacement was seen at 1 µm. Other hormones or inactive insulin derivatives had trivial effects. Insulin increased AIB influx by both raising the maximal influx capacity (Jmax) and lowering the concentration of AIB at which influx was half maximal (Km); insulin did not affect AIB fractional efflux. The full effect of insulin on influx was not immediate; rather, stimulation of influx increased linearly with time. Cycloheximide both inhibited basal AIB influx and reduced the response to insulin. Insulin had only a small effect on [14C]leucine incorporation into cellular proteins and had no effect on the uptake of 3-O-methylglucose. The data suggest that (a) insulin stimulation of AIB transport on rat thymocytes correlates in sensitivity and specificity with 125I-insulin binding to receptors, and (b) insulin stimulation of AIB influx may be mediated by changes in synthesis or degradation of the AIB transport apparatus.
Matching images of never-before-seen individuals in large law enforcement databases

A method is developed for extraction of robust human facial features that can be used on never-before-seen individuals in homeland security tasks such as human tracking or matching photos of dead against missing individuals (e.g. recent Asian tsunami aftermath).
Structuring Catholic Schools: Creative Imagination Meets Canon Law.

How can Catholic school administrators and those who advise them bring creative imagination to bear on the question of how best to structure their schools in civil and canon law? Questions about the juridic structuring of Catholic schools are receiving increased attention today due to issues of liability and property ownership that have arisen in connection with various kinds of litigation the Catholic Church has been involved in. Likewise, questions are sometimes raised about the “Catholic identity” of Catholic schools. These more recent developments have simply added a sense of urgency to questions refl ected upon for quite some time by Church offi cials and those involved with Catholic schools. In the United States there has been a tendency to assume that “parish schools” are normative, presumed—if not mandated—by canon law. Canon law actually says nothing about parish schools, however. The American emphasis on parish schools, grade schools in particular, is actually a product of the mandate by the Third Council of Baltimore that parochial schools be established in every parish.1 However, neither the 1917 Code of Canon Law nor the 1983 Code says anything specifi cally about “parochial” or parishbased schools. Considerable efforts have been expended over the years to implement the mandate of III Baltimore. The mandate of III Baltimore did not distinguish between elementary and high schools, which may have led to uncertainty at times about the precise juridic status of Catholic high schools. There seems little room for doubt, however, that parochial grade schools have always been understood as part of the parish they are associated with, governed and administered as a parish institution within the parish juridic structure.2
Reliability and concurrent validity of the computer workstation checklist

Background Self-report checklists are used to assess computer workstation set up, typically by workers not trained in ergonomic assessment or checklist interpretation.Though many checklists exist, few have been evaluated for reliability and validity. Objective This study examined reliability and validity of the Computer Workstation Checklist (CWC) to identify mismatches between workers' self-reported workstation problems. Methods The CWC was completed at baseline and at 1 month to establish reliability. Validity was determined with CWC baseline data compared to an onsite workstation evaluation conducted by an expert in computer workstation assessment. Results Reliability ranged from fair to near perfect (prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa, 0.38-0.93); items with the strongest agreement were related to the input device, monitor, computer table, and document holder. The CWC had greater specificity (11 of 16 items) than sensitivity (3 of 16 items). The positive predictive value was greater than the negative predictive value for all questions. Conclusion The CWC has strong reliability. Sensitivity and specificity suggested workers often indicated no problems with workstation setup when problems existed. The evidence suggests that while the CWC may not be valid when used alone, it may be a suitable adjunct to an ergonomic assessment completed by professionals.
PC client platform RFI risks and mitigation methodologies

With the evolution of PC client platforms and their form factors, the dominating RFI sources of the past may no longer be relevant. This paper discusses the latest trends and challenges concerning RFI issues in current or future mobile devices. High-speed differential I/O, integrated voltage regulator (IVR), and double-data-rate (DDR) memory are the emerging RFI concerns and are studied with theoretical and experimental methods. Intelligent hardware and software solutions are discussed and developed to mitigate the latest RFI issues in mobile devices.
System CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 Undersaturated with Silica

Despite being relatively simple, the CMAS system represents a good approximation to complex mantle compositions, since its phase relations resemble closely the phase relations observed in mantle materials, and include all important phases occurring in the Earth’s mantle. At the same time, the system is complex enough to serve as a good starting point for petrologic applications, such as the thermobarometry of mantle xenoliths and metamorphic rocks, and for understanding the mineralogy, chemistry, and structure of the deep Earth. The importance of the CMAS system is evident from the amount of time and effort devoted to the experimental investigation of the corresponding phase relations and to the measurement of the thermochemical, physical, and structural properties of the participating phases.
Biocentres and corridors in a cultural landscape. A critical assessment of the ‘territorial system of ecological stability’

Abstract The concept of ‘Territorial Systems of Ecological Stability’ (TSES) was developed in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1980s. The methodology involves designing TSESs as systems of biocentres and biotic migration corridors hierarchically arranged within biogeographical units. This article describes the experience gained while applying the methodology in the Czech Republic. Particular attention is given to the importance for TSES of the category of ‘natural vegetation’ and to functions of corridors with regard to their shape and the possibilities of their establishment in the central European cultural landscape. Implications for corridor design from the Landscape Ecology literature are reviewed.
Positively charged groups at cell surfaces.

An attempt was made to identify positively charged amino-groups at the electrokinetic surfaces of human and mouse erythrocytes, cultured cells derived from a human osteogenic sarcoma, and murine ascites sarcoma 37 cells. Following reactions of these cells with formaldehyde, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid; 2-chloro-3,5-dinitropyridine or 2-chloro-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, no consistent change in their electrophoretic mobilities was observed. If a number of positively charged groups commonly associated with proteins had been present at the cellular electrokinetic surface, their reaction with the various reagents would have resulted in an increase in net surface negativity. We therefore conclude that these groups are not present at the surfaces of the cells studied.
A review of recent contributions on biologically active products of arachidonate conversion.

Leukotrienes (LTs) C4, D4 and E4, the recognized components of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), have previously been shown to have contractile activities for guinea pig pulmonary and ileal smooth muscles; LTB4 has been shown to possess chemotactic activity for neutrophils in vitro. Based on data obtained by the use of structural analogs of the SRS-A LTs and LTB4, we have recently determined a number of the structural bases for the biological function of each moiety. With regard to the SRS-A leukotrienes, analogs differed from the native structures in the position of the peptide side chain and/or the hydroxyl group, the number and position of ethylenic bonds, the chirality at optically-active centers, or the structures of the four polar substituents in the C-1 to C-6 region. Analogs of LTB4, differing in the stereochemistry of their ethylenic bonds, were evaluated for chemotactic activity both in vitro, using human neutrophils, and in vivo intracutaneously in the rhesus monkey. We propose that true receptors exist on the pulmonary parenchyma of the guinea pig for the SRS-A LTs and on the primate neutrophil for LTB4. Further, LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4 have been shown to elicit a wheal and prolonged flare in human skin, whereas LTB4 evokes a time-dependent induration. The interaction of these secondary mediators may be critical to a fully developed host inflammatory response to both immunologic and non-immunologic injury.
Cyclopentyl derivatives of 8‐azahypoxanthine and 8‐azaadenine. Carbocyclic analogs of 8‐azainosine and 8‐azaadenosine

Four types of carboeyclic analogs of 8-azahypoxanthine and 8-azaadenine nucleosides have been prepared. This group of analogs is comprised of derivatives having the (±)-as-3-(hydroxy-methyl)cyclopentyl,(±)-trans-3-hydroxy-cis-4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentyl), (±)-trans-2-hydroxy-cis-4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentyl, and (±)-trans-2, trans-3-dihydroxy-cis-4-(hydroxymethyl)-cyelopentyl groups at position 3 of 3,6-dihydro-7H-v-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidm-7-one and of 7-amino-3H-v-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine. Diazotization of (5-amino-6-chloropyrimidin-4-yl-amino)eyclopentane derivatives and acidic hydrolysis, without isolation of the resulting 7-chloro-3H-v-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines yielded the 8-azahypoxanthine derivatives (III). Treatment of unpurified 7-chloro-3H-v-triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines with anhydrous ammonia gave the 8-azaadenine derivatives (IV). The cyclopentane analogs of 8-azaadenylic acid and of 8-aza-adenosine 3′,5′ -cyclic monophosphate were prepared from the 8-azaadenosine analog.
Prognostic significance of neurologic examination findings in Wilson disease.

Abstract Background Wilson disease patients present with any of several neurologic phenotypes, and their treated outcomes vary widely. Our goal was to determine whether presenting clinical features of neurologic Wilson disease (WD) predict longer term neurologic outcomes in patients receiving anticopper treatment. Methods Patients enrolled in four WD treatment trials received a standardized neurologic examination at trial enrollment and then at pre-specified intervals following anticopper therapy, initially with tetrathiomolybdate or trientine and then with zinc. The examination scored patients’ motor signs, including tremor, rigidity, dystonia, dyarthria, and gait. The Total Score was obtained by summing these subscores. Eighty-six patients were included in our analysis, with a mean follow-up of 34.7 months. Retrospectively, the analysis compared scaled and unscaled sign subscores at enrollment and follow-up with change in the Total Score, using a generalized estimating equations approach. Results In the primary analysis, improvement in the Total Score was best predicted by sign subscores for tremor (beta −0.7, p = 0.006), gait abnormalities (beta −3.7, p p = 0.05). Dystonia (beta = 1.8, p p = 0.03) were associated with worsening Total Score. Of the motor signs followed individually, dystonia proved most resistant to treatment. Conclusions This is the first large-scale prospectively acquired study assessing prognostic significance of specific neurologic signs in WD. Our data support the historical observations that tremor is a favorable prognostic sign while dystonia is relatively refractory to treatment in WD.
Work in progress — Development of personas: Emphasizing human need in a first-year engineering capstone course

Engineers play a prominent role in the development of devices that improve nearly every aspect of life; however, the general public, including potential engineering students, often fails to see engineering as a profession that helps society. To help address this, the culminating capstone course in the first-year engineering program at Ohio Northern University recently incorporated requirements for student projects to address poverty alleviation in a Third World country. This allows students to better establish a connection between engineering and society, and to design a system within realistic engineering constraints. When assessing student performance after adding this requirement, evidence indicated that students had difficulty relating to the problem of poverty, as it was presented abstractly. Accordingly, personas — fictitious characters created to represent the goals and behaviors of a particular demographic of interest — are being developed to “humanize” the problem for the students. A persona is presented as a one- or two-page description that includes appropriate background information regarding a “typical” member of the targeted demographic along with a few fictional personal details to make the persona subject appear to be a realistic, believable character. Personas have been successfully used in fields such as marketing as they constitute effective “test platforms” for guiding decisions about a product, such as features, interactions, and visual design.
Reversal of Ouabain-Induced Electrophysiological Effects by Potassium Canrenoate in Canine Purkinje Fibers

Canrenoate, an aldosterone antagonist, was administered to normal and ouabaintreated Purkinje fibers excised from the hearts of mongrel dogs and perfused with Tyrode's solution at 35-37°C. Intra- and extracellular potentials were recorded with conventional techniques. Potassium canrenoate in concentrations up to 1 x 10-3M or sodium canrenoate in concentrations up to 5 x 10-3M had inconspicuous electrophysiological effects on untreated Purkinje fibers. The duration of the action potential was slightly shortened. Amplitude of resting and action potentials, rate of rise of action potentials, conduction velocity, membrane responsiveness, automaticity, and excitability were not significantly altered by canrenoate. In contrast, potassium canrenoate in concentrations of 1 x 10-4M to 5 x 10-4M produced rapid restoration toward normal of fibers moderately or severely affected by ouabain (10-7M). Resting and action potentials were augmented, rate of rise of action potentials was increased, excitability was restored...
Combined whole tumor cell and monophosphoryl lipid A vaccine improved by encapsulation in murine colorectal cancer

Background Whole autologous colon cancer vaccines in combination with various adjuvants have been used in both animals and humans. At this writing, vaccine regimens have been initiated in humans 3 to 6 weeks postoperatively. This delay between tumor resection and vaccination gives surviving tumor cells an opportunity to establish themselves. Vaccine administered either preoperatively or immediately after surgery, in theory, should be more effective. However, surgery-related immunosuppression may diminish the effectiveness of preoperative or early postoperative vaccines. This problem may be overcome by limiting postoperative immunosuppression via the use of minimally invasive methods. Alternatively, the impact of the vaccine may be improved by encapsulating the vaccine, plus adjuvant, which in theory, should extend exposure time. Encapsulation of cancer vaccines in polysaccharide particles has not yet been studied. The goal of this study was to determine whether vaccine encapsulation, preoperative vaccination, and early postoperative vaccination affected the tumor burden. In addition, laparotomy and carbon dioxide insufflation were compared.
Divining value with relational proxies : How moneylenders balance risk and trust in the quest for good borrowers

This analysis of the U.S. credit industry explores how lenders evaluate people during the loan application process. They use a variety of risk-assessment techniques in conjunction with trust-building mechanisms that I call relational proxies. The relational proxies that lenders rely on are behavioral impressions, reputation information, and financial narratives that explain information on credit reports. Lenders use this subjectively evaluated trust assessment interdependently with standardized financial information to enhance their decision-making process. Face-to-face evaluation of potential borrowers is mediated by institutional rules meant to reduce the need for trust. However, for the lenders in this study, a good borrower is always a trustworthy borrower.
Redesigning traditional media and assessing entertainment value with online comics

As traditional media make the transition to the web, the need for a systematic way of assessing the entertainment value of interfaces becomes increasingly important. In this paper we describe an experiment using online manipulations of traditional paper comic books to a) evaluate the effectiveness of different online presentations of a traditional entertainment medium and b) contrast systematic evaluation methods for assessing entertainment value. Paper comic books were transferred online and manipulated in two ways: the degree of user control in advancing through the story ("user control") and the amount of the original page presented on the screen at a one time ("visual scope"). We used a combination of methods to measure entertainment value: pre and post questionnaires, active experience surveys, facial expression analysis, heart rate measurement and time spent on the interface. From this study, it was determined that the most successful way of presenting comic books online is by giving the user full control over the navigation ("manual" condition), and by presenting each comic book page panel by panel ("panel in page" condition). The most effective and practical way for assessing entertainment value, according to the results of this study, is the use of post questionnaires, and either active experience surveys or facial expression analysis.
Simple Absolute Method for Measuring Diffuse Reflectance Spectra

A simple method for measuring the absolute value of diffuse spectral reflectance has been developed. Instead of the usual integrating sphere a small sheet of opal glass is used to diffuse the light beam before it falls on the sample. A simple equation has been derived for calculating the absolute value of diffuse reflectance of the sample, which is placed behind this opal glass plate. As a test of this method, the diffuse reflectance of MgO was measured. The results showed a fairly good agreement with the previously published data. This method has two chief advantages: (1) it provides a new and independent means for measuring the absolute values of diffuse reflectances, and (2) it can be readily used for many purposes because it employs a simple attachment for commercially available recording spectrophotometers.
Comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction calculated using attenuation-corrected and non-attenuation corrected images in gated cardiac spect imaging

Abstract Background: Gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging allows ventricular function measurements to be obtained simultaneously with the perfusion images. Ordinarily, non-attenuation corrected images are reviewed to assess myocardial perfusion and function. Attenuation correction using simultaneous transmission and emission data acquisition method has been used to better assess the perfusion images. This may alter the configuration of the left ventricular cavity and affect the calculation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of attenuation correction on the assessment of left ventricular function. Methods: Gated cardiac SPECT studies of 32 patients with single vessel coronary artery disease were reviewed. All the studies were acquired using the Hawkeye V3 system (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI). Emission images were acquired after the intravenous injection of 1.48 GBq (40 mCi) of Tc-99m Sestamibi at peak exercise or pharmacological stress. Transmission data in the form of cross-sectional patient attenuation images were acquired using high-resolution, 3-D X-ray imaging system. Only the stress images were assessed and processed to calculate the LVEF using attenuation corrected and non-attenuation corrected images. LVEF was calculated using the QGS software by the standard volume based method based on the edge detection technique. Results: There is a good correlation between the LVEF calculated using attenuation corrected and non-attenuation corrected images (regression line: y = 0.9886x - 0.2229, coefficient of linearity: 0.97) for a wide range of ejection fractions (range: 15% - 70%). A paired student's t-test revealed that there is no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicate that there is no significant difference between the LVEF calculated using the attenuation corrected and non-attenuation corrected images and attenuation corrected images can be used to assess left ventricular function.
Law-related training in school psychology: A national survey of doctoral programs

Abstract This article deals with the nature of law-related training in doctoral programs in school psychology. The characteristics of such training efforts are described, and implications for future training activities are discussed.
Morphological variation in a larval salamander: dietary induction of plasticity in head shape

We examined diet-dependent plasticity in head shape in larvae of the eastern long-toed salamander, Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum. Larvae in some populations of this species exhibit trophic polymorphism, with some individuals possessing exaggerated trophic features characteristic of a cannibalistic morphology in larval Ambystoma; e.g. a disproportionately broad head and hypertrophied vomerine teeth. We hypothesized that 1) head shape variation results from feeding upon different types of prey and that 2) cannibal morphs are induced by consumption of conspecifics. To induce variation, we fed three groups of larvae different diets: 1) brine shrimp nauplii only; 2) nauplii plus anuran tadpoles; 3) nauplii, tadpoles and conspecific larval salamanders. Comparisons of size (mass)-adjusted means revealed that this manipulation of diet induced significant variation in six measures of head shape, but not in the area of the vomerine tooth patch. For five of the six head traits, larvae that ate tadpoles and brine shrimp nauplii developed significantly broader, longer and deeper heads than did larvae that only ate brine shrimp nauplii. The ingestion of conspecifics, in addition to nauplii and tadpoles, significantly altered two head traits (interocular-width and head depth), compared to larvae only fed nauplii and tadpoles. Canonical discriminant function analysis detected two statistically reliable canonical variables: head depth was most highly associated with the first canonical variable, whereas three measures of head width (at the jaws, gills and eyes) and interocular width were most highly associated with the second canonical variable. Despite this diet-enhanced morphological variation, there was no indication that any of the three types of diet (including conspecific prey) induced the exaggerated trophic features of the “cannibal” morph in this species. These results illustrate that ingestion of different types of prey contributes to plasticity in head shape, but that some other proximate cue(s), either alone or in combination with diet variation, is essential to induce the extremes of trophic polymorphism in this species.
Possible quartz synthesis during weathering of quartz-free mafic rock, Jasper County, Georgia

ABSTRACT Mineralogical study of outcrop and soil samples from the central portion of the Gladesville norite suggests that quartz has been synthesized during soil genesis. Quartz does not occur in outcrop samples, but is the most abundant mineral constituent in soil samples collected from the B-horizon. In a soil profile sample it occurs at all depths but is sharply concentrated in surface horizons. The overall abundance and distribution of quartz in the soil samples can not be adequately explained by surface erosional processes. Adsorption of silica by amorphous Fe-Mn oxides and impeded drainage conditions have been shown by other studies to be important in producing environmental conditions favorable for inorganic synthesis of quartz under earth-surface conditions. Both controls are well-developed in the area studied. It is believed that secondary quartz, precipitated during weathering and soil genesis, occurs in soil overlying the norite.
Modification of the open circuit N2 washout technique for measurement of functional residual capacity in premature infants.

We compared the standard nitrogen (N2) washout technique for measuring functional residual capacity (FRC) with a modified technique that uses a helium/oxygen mixture (heliox) at different ratios instead of pure oxygen. The tests were made with a standard lung function system equipped with an ultraviolet (UV) analyzer for measurement of N2 concentrations in the expired gas. We examined models of “spontaneous breathing” and “mechanical ventilation,” each with volumes of FRC in the range of a premature and a newborn lung (20–80 ml), using both techniques at different baseline inspired oxygen concentrations (FiO2). Correlations between known and measured volumes were high and identical for the two techniques (r = 0.996), and the mean error was not significantly different from zero (P = 0.111). Measurements of FRC in 6 infants gave a correlation coefficient of r = 0.989 between the two techniques; reproducibility, as measured by the coefficient of variation, was high, showing no significant differences between both techniques (P = 0.792). However, values of individual infants were different (P = 0.011), and the slope of the regression line relating measurements by the 2 techniques was 1.04, with an intercept on the y-axis at 1.46. We conclude that FRC can be measured with the modified N2 washout technique, using heliox as a washout gas. Volumes can be measured with high precision and reproducibility, even in premature infants with low lung volumes and/or high baseline FiO2. A correction factor may be necessary to equate FRC measurements made by oxygen-N2 vs. heliox-N2 washouts. Hyperoxemia and hypoxemia can be avoided by admixing different flows of oxygen to a standard heliox mixture. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 1997; 23:434–441. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Magnetic Susceptibility of the Transition Elements

The available data on the temperature dependence of the paramagnetic susceptibility of the transition elements are reviewed. A theoretical treatment according to the band theory of solids is developed explicitly by means of a simple approximation to the Fermi function. Each term in the resulting theoretical formula may be directly and graphically interpreted in terms of the geometry of the density-of-states curve, allowing a simple and intuitive analysis of the susceptibility variation at any temperature. The empirical data on the temperature coefficient of susceptibility, on the absolute magnitude of the susceptibility, and on the specific heats of the transition elements are analyzed to suggest probable alterations in the available theoretical density-of-states curves.
The Tn7 transposition regulator TnsC interacts with the transposase subunit TnsB and target selector TnsD

The excision of transposon Tn7 from a donor site and its insertion into its preferred target site, attachment site attTn7, is mediated by four Tn7-encoded transposition proteins: TnsA, TnsB, TnsC, and TnsD. Transposition requires the assembly of a nucleoprotein complex containing all four Tns proteins and the DNA substrates, the donor site containing Tn7, and the preferred target site attTn7. TnsA and TnsB together form the heteromeric Tn7 transposase, and TnsD is a target-selecting protein that binds specifically to attTn7. TnsC is the key regulator of transposition, interacting with both the TnsAB transposase and TnsD-attTn7. We show here that TnsC interacts directly with TnsB, and identify the specific region of TnsC involved in the TnsB-TnsC interaction during transposition. We also show that a TnsC mutant defective in interaction with TnsB is defective for Tn7 transposition both in vitro and in vivo. Tn7 displays cis-acting target immunity, which blocks Tn7 insertion into a target DNA that already contains Tn7. We provide evidence that the direct TnsB-TnsC interaction that we have identified also mediates cis-acting Tn7 target immunity. We also show that TnsC interacts directly with the target selector protein TnsD.