cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Comparison of Coupled Amplifiers with Staggered Circuits

Detuned or staggered single tuned circuits are compared theoretically with the so-called band-pass or coupled circuits. The networks in each case are compared with each other by expressing the ratio of the input to output voltage in terms of the amplifications, A 0 of a single tuned stage. It is shown that approximately the same results are obtained up to optimum coupling by either method. If very broad curves are desired coupled circuits give more amplification than staggered circuits. Resonance curves for each case are calculated. Some experimentally determined selectivity curves are given for staggered stages. These curve slopes bear out the theory given. Methods of obtaining the required detuning are discussed.
Evaluation of the Developmental Toxicity of Methacrylonitrile in Sprague–Dawley Rats and New Zealand White Rabbits

Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley (CD) outbred rats and New Zealand White rabbits were dosed by gavage with methacrylonitrile (MACR) in distilled water during major organogenesis. Rats were dosed on Gestational Days (GD) 6 through 15 (0, 5, 25, or 50 mg MACR/kg/day) and rabbits on GD 6 through 19 (0, 1, 3, or 5 mg MACR/kg/day). Maternal clinical status was monitored daily during treatment. At termination (GD 20, rats; GD 30, rabbits), confirmed-pregnant females (25-26 per group, rats; 17-22 per group, rabbits) were evaluated for clinical status and gestational outcome; each live fetus was examined for external, visceral, and skeletal malformations. In rats, no treatment-related maternal clinical signs or mortality were observed, nor was there any adverse effect on maternal body weight or food or water consumption. At necropsy, absolute, relative, and adjusted maternal liver weight was increased at the mid- and high-dose groups, an effect that may be indicative of induction of hepatic enzymes rather than toxicity. In the absence of any indication of maternal toxicity, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for maternal toxicity in this study was >/=50 mg MACR/kg/day. The NOAEL for developmental toxicity in rats was also >/=50 mg MACR/kg/day. There was no effect of treatment on postimplantation loss, mean fetal body weight per litter, or morphological development. In rabbits, maternal mortality and clinical signs were not dose related. Maternal food consumption, body weight, and liver weight were not adversely affected by treatment. Thus, the maternal NOAEL was >/=5 mg MACR/kg/day. Maternal toxicity, including death, was observed >/=7.5 mg/kg/day in preliminary studies. The developmental NOAEL was also >/=5 mg MACR/kg/day. There was no adverse effect of treatment on postimplantation loss or fetal body weight. A significant decrease in the percentage male fetuses per litter was observed, although there was no effect on total live litter size, suggesting that the reduction in the ratio of live male fetuses in the high-dose group was not biologically significant. MACR had no adverse effect on morphological development. In summary, oral administration of MACR to rats and rabbits during organogenesis, at doses that did not cause persistent maternal toxicity (50 mg MACR/kg/day, rats; 5 mg MACR/kg/day, rabbits), also did not cause any adverse developmental effects.
APAS: the Ada Programming Assistant System

The authors describe a software engineering tool named Ada Programming Assistant System (APAS). The purpose of this tool is to aid a software designer or maintainer working on a large Ada program. APAS manages two kinds of program database, global and local, and provides convenient commands for retrieving information from these program databases. Using these program databases APAS improves the reusability and understandability of software. The authors introduce the C Information Abstractor System, which they have found to be a very useful tool but one in need of some improvement, especially to increase reusability. >
Chromosome 2q duplications: case report of a de novo interstitial duplication and review of the literature.

A patient with dir dup 2(q37.1q33.1) is described. Literature review of chromosome 2q duplications suggests a consistent, though nonspecific, facial phenotype. Segregation of those cases that are "pure" duplications from those with accompanying monosomy for another chromosome suggests that a cleft palate may not be attributable to the duplicated segment.
Optimal flip angle for high contrast balanced SSFP cardiac cine imaging.

Purpose To determine the optimal flip angle (FA) for cardiac cine imaging that maximizes myocardial signal and blood-myocardium contrast. Methods Bloch equation simulations of stationary myocardium and flowing blood with an imperfect slice profile were compared to in vivo measurements of blood and myocardium signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and blood-myocardium contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in healthy subjects (N = 10) in the short-axis and four-chamber views and in patients (N = 7) in the three-chamber imaging plane. Results Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) blood SNR and blood-myocardium CNR increases with increasing FA up to ≈105° in the short-axis view. A similar trend is seen in the RV four-chamber view, but a marked SNR difference between the LV and RV blood appears for FA>75°, especially during systole. Notable RV and LV SNR and CNR differences are also evident in the three-chamber view due to the predominant LV in-plane flow versus RV through-plane flow. Conclusion Very high blood-myocardium CNR can be obtained with a FA of ≈105° in the short-axis plane and ≈75° in the three-chamber and four-chamber imaging planes. However, if through-plane flow is limited, as may occur for patients with low ejection fraction or low heart rates, then the FA may be limited to ≈ 75°. Magn Reson Med 73:1095–1103, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Urea for Lactating Dairy Cattle. IV. Effect of Urea versus No Urea in the Concentrate on Production Performance in a High-Producing Herd,

Abstract A herd of 56 purebred Holstein cows of high milk-producing ability was divided at random into two groups. One group was fed a premium commercial concentrate during the 18-month experimental period. The other group was fed a similar concentrate mixture in which urea nitrogen replaced plant protein nitrogen to the extent of 3.9 percentage units of equivalent crude protein. All cows were individually fed hay and corn silage, both high quality, to appetite. Milk production (305-day, mature equivalent basis) for the urea and control groups was 8,028 and 8,059kg, respectively. Corresponding milk fat production on the same basis was 299 and 308kg. None of these differences were significant at the 10% level of probability. Concentrate to fat-corrected-milk ratio, as well as percentage solids-not-fat, were the same for both groups. Mean conception rates in the urea and control groups were 1.6 and 1.9 services per conception, respectively. The proportions of cows requiring one, two or more services for conception were not statistically different (P>.10). Some evidence was found to support the general recommendation that changes in a lactating cow's ration be made gradually over a period of about two weeks.
Long-term treatment of an addictive personality.

There is infrequent discussion of long-term psychotherapy of persons with addiction, particularly in the self-psychology literature. In addition, some question whether long-term psychotherapy can be helpful in severe psychiatric disorders. The author describes the treatment of a woman with multiple diagnoses, including bulimia and alcohol and drug addiction, which took place over a period of almost 7 years. These issues are addressed from a self-psychological perspective, with progression of the treatment from early facilitation of a selfobject transference to more intense selfobject transference-countertransference states. Behavioral interventions (e.g., recommendation of inpatient chemical dependency treatment) are also discussed. The author describes the patient's dramatic progress and subsequent regression. Finally, there is a discussion of the addiction from self-psychological and biological perspectives of this woman's particular developmental and treatment issues, as well as a discussion of the confrontation and limit setting in a self-psychologically oriented treatment.
Gender differences in ventricular arrhythmia recurrence in patients with coronary artery disease and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine whether men and women with coronary artery disease (CAD) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) differ in frequency of arrhythmia recurrence and whether gender differences are independent of clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiologic characteristics. BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies show that women have a lower rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD) than men, even among patients with CAD. Whether this is due to differing susceptibilities to ischemia or to arrhythmia is unknown. METHODS The clinical records and ICD data disks of 340 men and 59 women with CAD who received an ICD between June 1990 and June 2000 were reviewed. Ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) recurrences were compared between genders and relationship with other factors was analyzed. RESULTS Sustained VT/VF occurred in 52% of men and 34% of women (p < 0.01). Men experienced more total VT/VF events (p < 0.01), more shock-treated VT/VF events (p < 0.03), more electrical storms (p < 0.001), and had VT/VF on more days in follow-up (p < 0.01). Gender differences were independent of measured clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiologic factors. In stratified analyses, the gender differences in VT/VF recurrence were greatest in patients presenting with sustained monomorphic VT and those with inducible VT at electrophysiology study. CONCLUSIONS Women were less likely to experience VT/VF, and had fewer VT/VF episodes, than men. These findings were strongest in patients with evidence of a stable anatomic VT circuit: those with clinical or electrophysiologically induced VT. This study suggests that differing susceptibility to arrhythmia triggering may underlie the known differences in SCD rates between men and women.
Transhepatic approach to create stent fenestration in the extracardiac fontan conduit in a child with dextrocardia and interrupted inferior vena cava with azygos continuation

Plastic bronchitis is a rare life-threatening complication of Fontan operation. When medical treatment is ineffective in the setting of high systemic venous pressures, Fontan fenestration may be considered to decompress venous pressures and improve cardiac output by creation of the right-to-left shunting. However, transcatheter approach can be difficult in patients with complex venous anatomy. We report a 4-year-old girl born with hypoplastic left ventricle and heterotaxy syndrome, who developed plastic bronchitis following extracardiac Fontan procedure. Her venous anatomy was complex with dextrocardia and interrupted inferior vena cava with azygos continuation. Stent fenestration was successfully performed via transhepatic approach, which was selected based on the anatomical relationship (between extracardiac conduit, left atrium, and hepatic veins) delineated by pre-catheterization cardiac MRI. Simultaneous transesophageal echocardiography guided the intervention. Her plastic bronchitis improved significantly in 3 months but slowly progressed after the stent fenestration. At her 8-month follow-up, stent fenestration remains open and she is currently under heart transplantation evaluation due to persistent plastic bronchitis. Treatment of plastic bronchitis can be undertaken with Fontan fenestration, with pre-procedural MRI playing an essential role in patients with complex venous anatomy. V C 2012 Wiley
Gamma-vinyl γ-aminobutyric acid attenuates the synergistic elevations of nucleus accumbens dopamine produced by a cocaine/heroin (speedball) challenge

In the present study, we examined the effect of an acute administration of the selective suicide inhibitor of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-transaminase, gamma-vinyl GABA on increases in nucleus accumbens dopamine produced by a cocaine/heroin challenge in freely moving animals. Cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced an elevation in extracellular nucleus accumbens dopamine of approximately 380% above baseline, while heroin produced only a moderate increase of 70%. Coadministration of these two drugs, however, produced a synergistic elevation in nucleus accumbens dopamine of 1000%. This response was reduced by 50% in animals pretreated with gamma-vinyl GABA (300 mg/kg, i.p.) 2.5 h prior to challenge. This same dose of gamma-vinyl GABA inhibited cocaine-induced increases in nucleus accumbens dopamine by 25% and completely abolished heroin-induced increase. These findings indicate that gamma-vinyl GABA can interfere with the synergistic effects produced by the combination of an indirect dopamine releaser (heroin) and a dopamine reuptake blocker (cocaine).
Litter layers (Oie) as a calcium source of sugar maple seedlings in a northern hardwood forest

The role of the Oie horizon in calcium supply of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings was evaluated. Forest floor Oie horizon was reciprocally transplanted on 1 m2 quadrats between a Ca-treated (W1) and a reference (W3) watershed, and sugar maple seeds were planted on the quadrats. The Oie horizon in W1 exhibited a greatly increased Ca:Sr molar ratio compared with the reference W3 (550 vs. 220), allowing distinction of this Ca source in seedling tissues. Foliage and fine roots of maple seedlings growing on quadrats in W3 with Oie transplanted from W1 exhibited Ca:Sr ratios intermediate between the Oie and underlying native soil horizons, demonstrating the role of Oie in seedling Ca nutrition. However, apparently strong and temporally changing discrimination of Ca and Sr in seedling uptake and internal transport confounded quantitative evaluation.
Differential signal transduction pathways in cat lower esophageal sphincter tone and response to ACh

Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal tone and contraction in response to maximally effective doses (Emax) of acetylcholine (ACh) may be mediated by different intracellular transduction pathways. In the basal state resting tone, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] formation and levels of diacylglycerol (DAG) (C. Hillemeier, K. N. Bitar, and P. Biancani, unpublished data) are higher in LES circular muscle than in esophageal muscle, which does not maintain tone. In vitro resting tone and spontaneously elevated formation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in LES circular muscle strips decrease in a dose-dependent manner in response to the phospholipase C antagonist 1-[6-([(17-beta)-3-methoxyestra-1,3, 5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino)hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122). Basal Ins(1,4,5)P3 formation, however, is submaximal, since it can be increased by cholinergic stimulation. These data suggest that LES tone is associated with partial activation of phospholipase C. We therefore tested submaximal doses of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and DAG in permeabilized LES muscle cells and found that they act synergistically; their interaction depends on calcium release and is mediated through a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway. In contrast, we have previously shown that contraction induced by Emax of ACh is mediated through calmodulin-dependent mechanisms (14). To investigate these differences, we tested high and low doses of ACh. Contraction induced by high doses of ACh was inhibited by calmodulin but not by PKC antagonists, as previously reported, but low ACh doses were preferentially inhibited by PKC antagonists. Similarly, low Ins(1,4,5)P3 concentrations activated a PKC-dependent pathway, whereas contraction induced by Emax of Ins(1,4,5)P3 was calmodulin dependent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ALN Cofired MCM-C/D

A MCM-C/D test cell was designed and fabricated to investigate the compatibility of aluminum nitride with cofired tungsten vias forming a pad/grid array with thin film processing, and the high speed (>2 GHz) electrical performance of deposited TiW-Au / polyimide interconnections and the cofired tungsten vias. The test cell supports a multilayer interconnect structure designed to allow for characterization of signal propagation properties (e.g. impedance, characteristic wavelength, cross-talk) of various striplines, via chains, and through substrate I/O and ground plane perforation. The design parameters relevant to electrical characterization are reported in detail. The polished A/N was found to provide a suitable surface finish (< 5 μin rms) for thin film metallization, however, the cofired tungsten vias maintained a 3–5 micron relief after polishing requiring the use of a polyimide planarization layer. Cross-talk is reported for various stripline configurations on perforated ground planes with 45% and 76% metal area.
Security is going to work: Everyday geographies, organizational traps, and the public administration of anti-terrorism policy:

Terrorism scholars have theorized excessive social control in response to post-9/11 expansive security structures. This literature is not, however, informed by the perspectives of public safety officials. Drawing on interviews with 27 public safety officials in Boston, MA conducted in 2008 and 2013 after the marathon bombing, I argue that one reason officials do not challenge social control issues is because of an organizational trap rooted in geographies of place. Organizational traps are theorized within public administration, and refer to institutional cultures that prevent needed change. I demonstrate that some of these traps are rooted in perceptions of geography beyond the institutional culture, and in the case of anti-terrorism policy, can result in much needed community engagement when disrupted. I provide three policy recommendations: (1) incorporate community sentiments about place into policy; (2) embrace expansive spatial identities; and (3) link security efforts with community geographies.
Kinetics and Thermodynamics of H–/H•/H+ Transfer from a Rhodium(III) Hydride

The thermodynamics and kinetics of all three cleavage modes for Rh–H, the transfer of H–, H+, or H•, have been studied for the Rh(III) hydride complex Cp*Rh(2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)H (1a). The thermodynamic hydricity, ΔG°H–, for 1a has been measured (49.5(1) kcal/mol) by heterolytic cleavage of H2 with Et3N in CH3CN. The transfer of H– from 1a to 1-(1-phenylethylidene)pyrrolidinium is remarkably fast (kH– = 3.5(1) × 105 M–1 s–1), making 1a a very efficient catalyst for the ionic hydrogenation of iminium cations. The pKa of 1a in CH3CN has been measured as 30.3(2) with (tert-butylimino)tris(pyrrolidino)phosphorane (12), and the rate constant for H+ transfer from 1a to 12 has been estimated (kH+ = 5(1) × 10–4 M–1 s–1) from the half-life of the equilibration. Thus, 1a is a poor H+ donor both thermodynamically and kinetically. However, 1a transfers H• to TEMPO smoothly, forming a stable Rh(II) radical Cp*Rh(2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)• (14a) that can activate H2 at room temperature and 1 atm. The metalloradical 14a has ...
Optimal technique factors for magnification mammography.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Use of small focal spots with low x-ray tube currents may result in very long exposure times and thus result in motion blur in magnification mammography. The authors investigated the reduction in exposure time with increasing x-ray tube kVp and the corresponding decrease in perceived visibility of low-contrast objects in phantom images. METHODS Exposure times required to radiograph an RMI 156 phantom in a magnification geometry were measured as a function of x-ray tube kVp when operated under automatic exposure control. Magnification images of the RMI 156 phantom were obtained at x-ray tube voltages ranging from 28 to 34 kVp. Five radiology residents ranked the visibility of two borderline fibers and six borderline microcalcification specks using a 5-point scale ranging from excellent to barely visible. RESULTS Between 28 and 34 kVp, the density of the RMI phantom images was nearly constant with a mean value of 1.32 +/- 0.04. Increasing the x-ray tube voltage from 28 kVp to 34 kVp reduced the exposure time from 1.27 seconds to 0.66 seconds. Image quality at 30 and 32 kVp was not significantly worse than that achieved at 28 kVp. Increasing the x-ray tube voltage to 34 kVp, however, resulted in a statistically significant (P < 0.001) deterioration in the relative visibility of fibers and microcalcification specks. CONCLUSIONS Magnification mammography performed at 32 kVp will decrease exposure times significantly and result in a microcalcification and fiber visibility that is similar to that achieved at 28 kVp.
Surface Water Quality Is Improving due to Declining Atmospheric N Deposition

We evaluated long-term surface water nitrate and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition trends for a group of nine predominantly forested Appalachian Mountain watersheds during a recent multidecadal period (1986–2009) in which regional NOx emissions have been progressively reduced. Statistical analysis showed unexpected linear declines in both annual surface water nitrate-N concentrations (mean =46.4%) and yields (mean =47.7%) among the watersheds corresponding to comparable declines in annual wet N deposition (mean =34.4%) resulting from U.S. NOx emission control programs during the same time period. Nitrate-N concentration trends were robust across a large geographical region and appeared insensitive to watershed size across several orders of magnitude—suggesting that the improvements in water quality are probably propagated to surface and estuarine waters downstream. Surface waters are thus responding to declining atmospheric N deposition in much the same way they responded to declining sulfur deposition—...
Endotoxin shock in the primate.

SummaryCardiac output, arterial pressure, central venous pressure and total peripheral resistance were measured in 8 rhesus monkeys before and after intravenous injection of gram negative bacterial endotoxin. Arterial pressure fell more than cardiac output, so there was a decrease in total peripheral resistance. Thus, the fall in pressure was due to a reduction of both cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Since increasing the venous return by infusion caused the cardiac output to rise, and since the central venous pressure remained the same or fell after endotoxin, the decrease in cardiac output is presumed to result from a decreased venous return.
Pain control after cesarean birth. Efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia vs traditional therapy (IM morphine).

A clinical trial compared the efficacy of a mechanical device to deliver patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) (n = 25) with intramuscularly administered morphine (n = 17) for postcesarean pain management. Hypotheses were: (1) patient-controlled administration of narcotics will be superior (increased satisfaction, reduced pain, decreased sedation, increased ambulation, decreased length of stay), and (2) functional vital capacity will increase post-operatively with PCA. No differences in demographic variables were identified (P = less than or equal to .001). Differences in satisfaction (greater in PCA group, P = less than or equal to .05), ambulation (greater in PCA group, P = less than or equal to .001), amount of medication used (greater in PCA group, P = less than or equal to .001), and sedation level (less in PCA group, P = less than or equal to .05) were identified. No differences in vital capacity were identified. The hypothesis related to the superiority of PCA was accepted, while the association between PCA and increased vital capacity was not supported. The use of mechanical PCA devices provides an effective and safe means of managing postcesarean pain.
Practice-Linked Identity Development in Science Teacher Education

Starting a teacher education program, for many, begins an entirely new adventure – the route to becoming a special kind of professional person. The application process foregrounds the many, varied and rich building blocks each future teacher brings to bear on their future learning project including things like growing up with a mother as a teacher, having served in the Peace Corp, teaching or developing summer camps, working 20 years as an engineer, or earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.
Aversive Learning Situations: Apparatus and Procedures

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the apparatus and procedures of aversive learning situations. The ideal punishing or aversive stimulus has the following characteristics. It should have precise physical specification, the contact the stimulus makes with the subject should be constant, the subject should not be able to escape or minimize stimulation by means of some unauthorized or unwanted behavior, there should be few skeletal reactions to the stimulus, and the experimenter should have the option of varying the aversive stimulus over a wide range of values. The aversive stimulus that best meets these criteria is, perhaps, shock. Footshock has been the most extensively used aversive stimulus. Other aversive stimuli that have been used are air blasts with cats, bar slap with rats, noise with humans, extremes of water temperature, and even objects that elicit fear reactions in animals, for example, monkeys fear moving toy bears. A number of parameters of aversive stimuli have been manipulated. Among such variations are the intensity of the aversive stimulus, the duration of the aversive stimulus, the frequency or percentage of the aversive stimulus, the schedule such as fixed ratio according to which the aversive stimulus is delivered, the immediacy or delay of the aversive stimulus, and whether the aversive stimulus is introduced at full strength or increased gradually over a series of trials.
Donor countries as aid recipients: the USA, New Zealand and the lessons of Hurricane Katrina

This study addresses the watershed case of the USA as large-scale international aid recipient following Hurricane Katrina, and its policy impact upon New Zealand's national disaster management planning in the same sphere. In both instances, countries more accustomed to playing the role of humanitarian benefactors were compelled to recognise a new global paradigm in which donor governments must also prepare for the contingency of being external aid beneficiaries. This paper further asserts that a binary approach of global donors and recipients is essentially irrelevant today and that all countries - wherever their position on the global wealth rankings - need to proactively develop sound legal and policy frameworks for incoming humanitarian assistance. To better appreciate this latter point, the study begins with a brief overview of contemporary global humanitarian assistance flows and motives for state aid offers and refusals.
The evangelical financial ethic: Doubled forms and the search for God in the economic world

In evangelical churches across the United States, volunteers assist other church members in transforming household budgets into lenses that reveal God's kingdom on earth, reframing the force and volatility of markets as divine mystery. The strategies of financial ministry are distinctive, yet they engage a more general conundrum that pits economic success against conflicting ethical projects; they illuminate the process of ethical management in the financial economy. The ministries’ uses of budgets also challenge the idea that market devices gain power primarily by formatting economic transactions and establishing conditions for market exchange. Evangelical financial ministries show how, in everyday calculative practices, a device such as a household budget renders the spiritual economic, and the economic spiritual. In the exercise of evangelical ethics, financial ministry returns the divine touch to the invisible hand. [Christianity, economy, ethics, finance, households, markets, United States]
A Convolution Method Of Energy Spectral Crosstalk Correction For Simultaneous, Dual-Isotope Spect

A method is presented which significantly reduces the noise due to energy spectral crosstalk that may occur in simultaneous, dual-radionuclide SPECT studies. Such a situation arises, for example, when Tc-9% and T1-201 are the two isotopes of interest. A model of the imaging system is presented which includes the scatter component present in each of the two energy windows. From this model, estimates of two scatter-free sets of projection data aye derived, from which threedimensional SPECT reconstructions may be performed. Using phantoms containing Tc-99m and T1-201, a significant reduction in crosstalk was demonstrated following the energy spectral overlap correction technique. The application of this technique in several clinical. situations is proposed as a method to improve quantification and diagnostic accuracy.
Excitation-scanning hyperspectral imaging as a means to discriminate various tissues types

Little is currently known about the fluorescence excitation spectra of disparate tissues and how these spectra change with pathological state. Current imaging diagnostic techniques have limited capacity to investigate fluorescence excitation spectral characteristics. This study utilized excitation-scanning hyperspectral imaging to perform a comprehensive assessment of fluorescence spectral signatures of various tissues. Immediately following tissue harvest, a custom inverted microscope (TE-2000, Nikon Instruments) with Xe arc lamp and thin film tunable filter array (VersaChrome, Semrock, Inc.) were used to acquire hyperspectral image data from each sample. Scans utilized excitation wavelengths from 340 nm to 550 nm in 5 nm increments. Hyperspectral images were analyzed with custom Matlab scripts including linear spectral unmixing (LSU), principal component analysis (PCA), and Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM). Spectra were examined for potential characteristic features such as consistent intensity peaks at specific wavelengths or intensity ratios among significant wavelengths. The resultant spectral features were conserved among tissues of similar molecular composition. Additionally, excitation spectra appear to be a mixture of pure endmembers with commonalities across tissues of varied molecular composition, potentially identifiable through GMM. These results suggest the presence of common autofluorescent molecules in most tissues and that excitationscanning hyperspectral imaging may serve as an approach for characterizing tissue composition as well as pathologic state. Future work will test the feasibility of excitation-scanning hyperspectral imaging as a contrast mode for discriminating normal and pathological tissues.
People-Nearby Applications: How Newcomers Move Their Relationships Offline and Develop Social and Cultural Capital

People-nearby applications (PNAs), such as Tinder and Badoo, help millions of users to make new social connections everyday. However, little is known about how PNAs support offline interactions or what application features are associated with offline encounters. Research suggests that these applications support the development of social capital, but the forms of social capital are unclear. We conducted interviews with 14 active PNA users to address these questions. Our results suggest that while existing PNA features such as filters, profile photos, and chat support online connections, most participants used non-PNA platforms to build mutual trust before meeting offline. In addition, PNA users developed two forms of social (informal and formal) and cultural capital (incorporated and symbolic). We offer insights into how PNAs and non-PNAs intersect to foster feelings of safety and trust prior to offline meetings, and we propose ways for PNAs to support the exchange of cultural and social capital.
Effects of lift-assist device on trunk and shoulder kinematics

Background: Repetitive handling of heavy concrete blocks has been associated with the risk of low back and shoulder injuries among the masons. Several interventions have been proposed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among the masons. A new intervention, a lift-assist handle, was tested in this study. Objective: The effectiveness of the lift-assist handle in masonry work was assessed using the shoulder and low back kinematics during block lifting/lowering tasks performed at two heights. Methods: In a laboratory setting, seven male subjects performed with- and without-lift handle assisted block lifting tasks at two different heights. Optical motion capture system and biomechanical modeling software were used to record and model each dynamic trial. Effect of lifting height and use of a lift-assist handle on range of motion of the shoulder and trunk were tested. Results: The use of lift-assist handle significantly reduced trunk motion and increased shoulder motion. Lifting height had a significant effect on shoulder kinematics only. When height was increased from 17to 29 inches, the ranges of motion of shoulder abduction-adduction and internal rotation significantly increased. Additionally, block lifting/lowering task duration decreased by 26% when the lift-assist handle was used. Conclusions: While potential benefits to lower back health were found with the lift-assist handle, increased shoulder motion may increase the risk of shoulder injuries. The findings of this study emphasize the need for an in-depth analysis of assistive devices prior to implementation to ensure that there are no unintended consequences of their use that could negate their benefit.
Origin of Barrett’s Epithelium: Esophageal Submucosal Glands

The origin of the progenitor cell for Barrett’s esophagus remains a major unsolved mystery. Understanding the source of this progenitor may improve strategies to prevent the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal submucosal glands (ESMGs) and ducts may serve as a potential source of progenitor cells that respond to esophageal injury. Through the use of human histologic and molecular analysis, ESMGs and ducts have been described in physical continuity with areas of columnar esophagus, and shared mutations have been described between ESMG ducts and Barrett’s esophagus. Acinar ductal metaplasia, associated with carcinogenesis in other organs, occurs within ESMGs with human esophageal injury and esophageal adenocarcinoma. By using atypical animal models, a squamous epithelial defect well above the gastroesophageal junction healed to columnar epithelium and continuity of ESMG ducts was noted in the new epithelium. Increased proliferation in ESMGs and ducts in response to injury also has been noted in human beings and animals.
Workplace Vigor as a Distinct Positive Organizational Behavior Construct: Evaluating the Construct Validity of the Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure (SMVM)

This research evaluated the distinctiveness of workplace vigor as a unique positive organizational behavior construct, using Luthans’ (2002) five criteria for establishing a construct as unique: theoretical grounding; validly measured; unique to organizational behavior; state-like; and has a significant, positive impact on satisfaction and performance. Data were obtained from 693 employees from 56 quick service restaurants. The sample was split to perform cross-validation on the analyses. The three factor structure of vigor was confirmed, showing convergent and divergent validity with other constructs. Findings suggested that vigor was an important and distinct positive organizational behavior construct. This suggests that a deeper comprehension of vigor may help to advance our understanding of positive organizational behaviors. This is one of the first studies to utilize Luthans’ criteria for positive organizational behavior as a method for evaluating a psychological construct, thus contributing to both theoretical and empirical methods for evaluating positive organizational behavior constructs.
A systematic review of Federal Drug Administration Docket for community consultation and public disclosure in exception from informed consent trials.

Background:Exception from informed consent imposes community consultation and public disclosure requirements on clinical investigation in critically ill and injured patients. In 2011, the Food and ...
A two factor transformation for speaker verification through ℓ 1 comparison

In a speaker verification task, speech is used as a unique biometrie identifier of an individual. A speaker presents his credentials along with a voice sample. The system matches the voice sample to its own model for the speaker to accept or reject him. This has many pitfalls. First, speech by itself, is not a sufficiently "strong" biometric, and false acceptance is a problem. Second, the user must provide the system with voice samples. This puts the speaker's privacy at risk. The system may infer personal information about the user, such as gender, age, ethnicity, health, etc. Finally, if a malicious entity pilfers the speaker's models from the system, the loss is permanent. The speaker cannot change their voice to re-enroll. In this paper, we present a two-factor transformation that addresses all the above issues. It combines a personal password with speech features in order to increase the performance of a verification system. At the same time it is guaranteed not to not reveal any information about the speech or the password to the system. Finally, it is cancelable; if a model is compromised, the user can re-enroll without risk. In particular, we study a transformation that preserves the l 1 distance between features as long as this is smaller than some threshold and the user uses the correct password. Experimental results confirm the theory of the proposal in term of improvement in the system's accuracy, finding conditions to get zero error. Security consequences and feasibility of its implementation are discussed.
Do Displayed Passion and Preparedness Bring Funding for Crowdfunding Projects

This study investigates how laymen crowd-funders react to passion and preparedness displayed in entrepreneurs’ pitch videos. Using 111 projects on 3D printing technology in Kickstarter, it showed t...
Dual-Battery Enabled Green Proximal M2M Communications in LPWA for IoT

Internet of Things (IoT) promotes a heightened level of awareness about our world and makes our life more intelligent and convenient. In IoT, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications enables direct connectivities among machines and devices to automatically exchange information and perform actions. Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) plays a crucial role in provisioning wide area coverage and low energy consumption network for M2M communications in IoT. Moreover, green energy harvesting is essential for mobile machine type-devices (MTDs) to achieve their self-sustainability and independence. Therefore, we propose dual-battery architecture to empower MTDs with concurrent green energy harvesting and IoT functionalities. Rather than routing through an LPWA base station (BS), direct and dual-hop transmissions are proposed for proximal M2M communications. According to the residual green energy in the MTDs' batteries, we provision a relay incentive policy and relay selection schemes to facilitate direct and dual-hop M2M communications. For dual-hop M2M communications, some heuristics are proposed to maximize the overall data rate with low computational complexity. Finally, we validate the performances of the proposed architecture and schemes through extensive simulations.
A functional macrophage migration inhibitory factor promoter polymorphism is associated with reduced diffusing capacity.

Cigarette smoke exposure is the leading modifiable risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, the clinical and pathologic consequences of chronic cigarette smoke exposur...
The Rationale Motive of Adult Christians’ Participation in Education Programs among Episcopal Churches in Southern California:

The understanding of the motivational orientations of adults with complex reasons participating in learning activities is a base for church leaders and directors of Christian education to plan educational programs that meet their needs as adult learners. Knowing their motivation helps determine the curriculum, methods of teaching, and the available resources, leading to success in reaching the desired goals for the members and the church. This paper investigates adults’ voluntary participation in congregationally sponsored Christian education programs among Episcopal churches in Southern California. Adaptation of the education participation scale (EPS) (Boshier, 1991) was used to measure the adult’s motivation to participate.
Work-Related Opportunity Costs Of Providing Unpaid Family Care In 2013 And 2050.

Older Americans living in the community who need help with functional limitations overwhelmingly rely on unpaid care, which is often provided by working-age family members. This study assessed the ...
Biochemical Foundation of an Integral Model of Nerve Excitability

During recent years cell membranes have moved to the center of biological research: (1) They are the site of some of the most vital cellular functions, such as, e.g., energy supply, photosynthesis, vision, nerve impulse conduction and others. (2) It has been realized that there is a strong impact of structure and organization on chemical reactions. Whereas classical biochemistry generally analyzed chemical reactions in solution, it has become apparent that structural factors such as microenvironment, cooperativity, allosteric effects, allotopy, regulatory effects, protein-protein, protein-lipid interactions and many others may modify and drastically change the reactions observed in solution. A vast amount of information about the chemical events in membranes has accumulated. Perhaps the most important result has been a conceptual change. Since the turn of the century lipids were considered as the essential component acting as barriers and preventing the exchange of compounds between the inside of the cell and its outer environment. Today it is well established that proteins are the essential components responsible for the function of membranes. Many cell membranes are formed by two-thirds of proteins, and only one-third of phospholipids. From some membranes 30 different proteins (or more) have been extracted and identified.
Co-registered photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of human colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second most common malignancy diagnosed globally. Critical gaps exist in diagnostic and surveillance imaging modalities for colorectal neoplasia. Although prior studies have demonstrated the capability of photoacoustic imaging techniques to differentiate normal from neoplastic tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, evaluation of deep tissue with a fast speed and a large field of view remains limited. To investigate the ability of photoacoustic technology to image deeper tissue, we conducted a pilot study using a real-time co-registered photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and ultrasound (US) system. A total of 23 ex vivo human colorectal tissue samples were imaged immediately after surgical resection. Co-registered photoacoustic images of malignancies showed significantly increased PAT signal compared to normal regions of the same sample. The quantitative relative total hemoglobin (rHbT) concentration computed from four optical wavelengths, the spectral features, such as the mean spectral slope, and 0.5-MHz intercept extracted from PAT and US spectral data, and image features, such as the first- and second-order statistics along with the standard deviation of the mean radon transform of PAT images, have shown statistical significance between untreated colorectal tumors and the normal tissue. Using either a logistic regression model or a support vector machine, the best set of parameters of rHbT and PAT intercept has achieved area-under-the-curve (AUC) values of 0.97 and 0.95 for both training and testing data sets, respectively, for prediction of histologically confirmed invasive carcinoma. .
Bringing light to ER contacts and a new phase in organelle communication.

Functioning cells depend on the outward-facing plasma membrane (PM) effectively contacting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which serves as a central hub for contacts with mitochondria and other intracellular organelles. The contact sites are critical to intracellular communication because they mediate intermembrane exchange of lipids, ions, and other small molecules that both maintain competent organelles and modulate their activities. The targeting of molecular interactions within and between these cellular membranes underlies a cell’s vitality in its homeostatic environment, and, using the same dynamic infrastructure, the cell is also poised to respond to environmental stimuli. A major question driving current research efforts is how interorganelle contact sites are organized and regulated such that the membranes connect and exchange molecules appropriately. Protein partners serving as tethers have been demonstrated for some intermembrane contact sites, and lipid-based phase separation has been suggested as another possible means for selective targeting of contact-site proteins. However, detailed characterization of contact sites has been hindered by the complexity of the membrane interfaces, which interact dynamically within an intricately networked system (1). In a step to surmount this limitation, King et al. (2) describe the use of hypotonic swelling to create large intracellular vesicles (LICVs) from the ER and other organelles. LICVs both separate the organelle membranes and magnify organelle contacts, providing a relatively simple approach for examining the underlying organization of proteins and lipids. As part of their initial characterization, the authors identify tether proteins in LICV-retained contacts that are known to participate in molecular exchanges across these membranes. Especially exciting is their evidence that ER membranes have the capacity for order/disorder phase separation, which was previously characterized in giant PM vesicles (GPMVs) (3) and may play a similar role sorting proteins in contact sites (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. ER-LICVs are created within cells by hypotonic swelling and retain … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bab13{at}cornell.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
7.06 – Monolayer Systems

Monolayer metal oxide catalysts, or supported metal oxide catalysts, are ideal catalyst systems for investigating catalytic molecular/electronic structure–activity/selectivity relationships for chemical reactions. The number and nature (Bronsted acid, Lewis acid, redox, etc.) of catalytic active sites can be controlled, oxide supports can be varied, and the molecular and electronic structures of surface MOx species can readily be determined by numerous spectroscopy techniques. With modern advances in technology, it is now possible to monitor surface and bulk catalyst properties under realistic, relevant reaction conditions using operando spectroscopic techniques. Case studies from recent decades demonstrate the power of in situ and operando spectroscopy characterization at unraveling catalytic active sites and reaction mechanisms when applied to industrially important reactions such as SO2 oxidation to SO3, propane oxidative dehydrogenation to propylene, methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether, n-pentane isomerization, n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride, and the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 to N2. New molecular level insights into these industrially important reactions from advanced in situ and operando spectroscopic characterization techniques are finally allowing scientists to tailor or molecularly engineer supported metal oxide catalysts for specific applications.
Effects of Hydrofluoric Acid Concentration on the Density of Silanol Groups and Water Adsorption in Hydrothermally Synthesized Transition-Metal-Substituted Silicalite-1

The type and density of structural defects within zeolites and zeotypes affect the stabilities of adsorbed species, which, in turn, impact the performance of these materials as catalysts and adsorb...