cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ETHNOBIOLOGY, POLITICAL ECOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION

Abstract Ethnobiology is increasingly recognized from within and outside of its boundaries as interdisciplinary. The Society of Ethnobiology defines the field as “the scientific study of dynamic relationships among peoples, biota, and environments.” Ethnobiologists are able to skillfully assess challenges of biocultural conservation across the divides of political ecology. They are situated to mediate between conservation programs that target biodiversity preservation with little concern for the needs of human communities, and those (such as the New Conservation movement) that privilege those needs. Ethnobiology also transcends the pervasive assumption in these fields that Western knowledge and economic goals should guide change. Because of ethnobiology's importance as a bridging discipline, it is important to ask what unifies ethnobiology. Is it common subject matter? Or, is there an underlying emphasis representing an “ethnobiological perspective?” Answers to these questions are explored here using cont...
Generating annotations for how-to videos using crowdsourcing

How-to videos can be valuable for learning, but searching for and following along with them can be difficult. Having labeled events such as the tools used in how-to videos could improve video indexing, searching, and browsing. We introduce a crowdsourcing annotation tool for Photoshop how-to videos with a three-stage method that consists of: (1) gathering timestamps of important events, (2) labeling each event, and (3) capturing how each event affects the task of the tutorial. Our ultimate goal is to generalize our method to be applied to other domains of how-to videos. We evaluate our annotation tool with Amazon Mechanical Turk workers to investigate the accuracy, costs, and feasibility of our three-stage method for annotating large numbers of video tutorials. Improvements can be made for stages 1 and 3, but stage 2 produces accurate labels over 90% of the time using majority voting. We have observed that changes in the instructions and interfaces of each task can improve the accuracy of the results significantly.
Structural health monitoring sensor development for the Imote2 platform

The declining state of civil infrastructure has motivated researchers to seek effective methods for real-time structural health monitoring (SHM). Decentralized computing and data aggregation employing smart sensors allow the deployment of a dense array of sensors throughout a structure. The Imote2, developed by Intel, provides enhanced computation and communication resources that allow demanding sensor network applications, such as SHM of civil infrastructure, to be supported. This study explores the development of a versatile Imote2 sensor board with onboard signal processing specifically designed for the demands of SHM applications. The components of the accelerometer board have been carefully selected to allow for the low-noise and high resolution data acquisition that is necessary to successfully implement SHM algorithms.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Ionophore-Model Systems: Hydrated Alkali Metal Ion 18-Crown-6 Ether Complexes

We report our efforts to study host−guest complexes in the gas phase using a combination of cluster spectroscopy and density functional theory. Mass-selected M+(18-crown-6 ether)(H2O)1−4 complexes for the alkali metal ion series were probed using infrared predissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy in the OH stretching region. As the degree of hydration is increased, the IRPD spectra undergo significant changes as the strong 18c6···M+ interaction weakens and allows H2O···H2O hydrogen-bonding interactions to compete. The size of the ion is important in determining when this transition occurs. For the smaller ions, Li+ and Na+, the 18c6···M+ interaction proves to be more resilient and is still dominant with two and three waters present. The potassium cation, with its optimum size match with the 18-cown-6 ether cavity, serves as a bridge between the larger and smaller alkali metal ions. In particular, we found a structure for K+(18-crown-6 ether)(H2O)2 that appears to be a building block for K+(18-crown-6 ether)(H2O...
Syntactic complexity as a predictor of adolescent writing quality: Which measures? Which genre?

This study examined the relationship of different measures of syntactic complexity with rated quality for two genres of text produced by middle school students. It was hypothesized that different measures would be associated with distinct aspects of syntactic complexity; words per clause with greater use of structures more typical of expository texts, and clauses per T-unit with structures more typical of conversational or narrative registers. A sample of 41 seventh and eighth grade students from suburban middle schools composed a narrative and persuasive essays. Texts were rated for quality and coded for syntactic features including words per clause and clauses per T-unit. Syntactic complexity as measured in words per clause was positively correlated with quality for essays but not for narratives. Clauses per T-unit was positively correlated with quality for narratives, but negatively correlated with quality for essays. The relationships between syntactic complexity and text quality were thus found to be dependent both on the genre of the text, and the measure of syntactic complexity used.
Attitudes toward psychotropic medications

Attitudes and beliefs towards psychotropic medication were evaluated among psychiatric outpatients, patients receiving buprenorphine treatment for substance abuse, and a group who reported never having used psychotropic medications (non-users). The Drug Attitude Inventory scale and the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire General were used to assess attitudes and beliefs of 49 participants. Non-users exhibited more negative attitudes and beliefs toward psychotropic medication than both psychiatric groups.
Anything You Can Do, You Can Do Better: Neural Substrates of Incentive-Based Performance Enhancement

Performance-based pay schemes in many organizations share the fundamental assumption that the performance level for a given task will increase as a function of the amount of incentive provided. Consistent with this notion, psychological studies have demonstrated that expectations of reward can improve performance on a plethora of different cognitive and physical tasks, ranging from problem solving to the voluntary regulation of heart rate. However, much less is understood about the neural mechanisms of incentivized performance enhancement. In particular, it is still an open question how brain areas that encode expectations about reward are able to translate incentives into improved performance across fundamentally different cognitive and physical task requirements.
The effect of impurities on the ideal tensile strength of silicon

Abstract Using first-principles electronic structure calculations in the local-density approximation combined with lattice dynamics, we find that undoped silicon is stronger in tension along [111] than n-doped silicon. For p-type doping, a negligible effect is found on ideal tensile strength, whereas heavy n-type-doping causes a reduction of about 6%. The effect is interpreted in terms of the change in electronic structure with strain ∊, and the change in the Fermi energy with doping. If E CB (∊) is the contribution to the total internal energy from occupied conduction band states in n-type material, our results identify the slope of E CB (∊) as the controlling influence on tensile strength, which we find to be reduced for silicon.
Nanosecond Time-Resolved Measurements of Hole Opening During Laser Micromachining of Aluminum Films

Laser micromachining of aluminum films on glass substrates is investigated using a time-resolved transmission imaging technique with nanosecond resolution. Micromachining is performed using a 7 ns pulse-width Nd:YAG laser operating at the 1064 nm wavelength for fluences ranging from 2.2 to 14.5 J/cm2. Transmission imaging uses a nitrogen laser-pumped dye laser with a 3 ns pulse-width and 500 nm wavelength. Images are taken from the back of the sample at various time delays with respect to the beginning of the ablation process, allowing the transient hole opening process to be observed and measured. Results show that for high fluences the holes begin opening during the laser pulse and that the major portion of the holes have opened within the first 50 ns of the process. The second stage of the process is slower and lasts between 100–200 ns. The rapid hole opening process can be attributed to melt expulsion due to recoil pressure on the surface of the melt pool rather than Marangoni flow. Recoil pressure may be due to vaporization at the free surface at low fluences and phase explosion (explosive liquid-vapor phase change) at higher fluences. Measurements of the transient shock wave position are used to estimate the pressure behind the shock wave and indicate pressures at high as 89 atm during ablation. The high pressure above the laser spot results in pressure on the molten surface, leading to expulsion of the molten pool in the radial direction.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Resource depletion and agriculture: The case of groundwater in the Great Plains

Abstract Researchers in the sociology of agriculture have increasingly used variables representing the physical environment to assist them in understanding the adoption of agricultural technology by farm operators, the variations that exist in farm structure, and the consequences of changes in the availability of critical natural resources. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of research on the consequences of resource depletion in agriculture. To partially fill this void, this article uses a human ecological perspective to empirically examine the farm structure consequences of ground‐water depletion in the Great Plains. It was found that in recent years, declines in the number of acres irrigated have occurred in areas where water resources are limited and have been depleted. In addition, irrigation declines had led to farm structure adaptations such as lower gross farm sales, fewer farms, reduced energy expenditures, and fewer hired farm workers. Additional research on the relationship between resources and...
The production and evolution of impact-generated magnetic fields

Abstract The production of magnetic fields within impact-generated plasma may explain magnetic fields that have been observed during hypervelocity impact experiments at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range. The effect of impact angle on the production and subsequent evolution of impact-generated magnetic fields is assessed using magnetic field data obtained during macroscopic hypervelocity impacts conducted within two ambient magnetic field environments. The configuration and duration of spontaneous impact-generated magnetic fields are round to have a strong dependence on impact angle, exhibiting a smooth transition from a cylindrically symmetric field configuration at vertical incidence to a strong bilaterally anti-symmetric field configuration at high obliquity; hence, crater-related paleomagnetic fields may yield a diagnostic signature of impact angle where other clues (shape, ejecta pattern) are absent or ambiguous. As direct result of some surprising experimental results, a first-order model of field generation during the cavitation regime of high incidence angle hypervelocity impacts is explored. A possible consequence of this model is that magnetic fields produced during hypervelocity impacts (especially those that form large craters) may be an important component of planetary magnetism—especially lunar magnetism during the last ∼3.6 billion years.
Physical Characteristics and Sensory Evaluation of Cooked Pectoralis superficialis from Broiler Carcasses Chilled in Water or Brine Solutions Under Commercial Time and Temperature Conditions

Abstract In two trials, a total of 198 broiler carcasses (99 per trial) were chilled in either water or brine solutions using selected combinations of 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5% sodium chloride (NaCl) for 45 min using a three-step temperature reduction [21 C (prechill), 13 C, and 1 C; 15 min each]. Water/brine retention after chilling was determined for all carcasses. Cooked Pectoralis superficialis muscles were analyzed for shear force, moisture, and NaCl content. Brine treatments were tested for differences in tenderness by panelists utilizing a duo-trio difference test and were compared to controls with a paired comparison consumer preference test. There were no significant differences (P>.05) in water/brine retention between brine treatments or between brine treatments and the controls. Meat from controls had significantly greater shear force values and less percent moisture and NaCl content than that of brine-chilled carcasses. Brine chilling treatments did not differ significantly from each other with respect to percent moisture, NaCl content, and tenderness, as determined by sensory and shear force evaluation. Brine-chilled samples were preferred by consumer panelists (81%) over water chilled samples.
Zeta potential of transfection complexes formed in serum-free medium can predict in vitro gene transfer efficiency of transfection reagent.

Abstract We have tested the zeta potential (ζ, the surface charge density) of transfection complexes formed in serum-free medium as a rapid and reliable technique for screening transfection efficiency of a new reagent or formulation. The complexes of CAT plasmid DNA (1 μg) and DC-chol/DOPE liposomes (3–20 nmol) were largely negatively charged (ζ=−15 to −21 mV), which became neutral or positive as 0.5 μg or a higher amount of poly- L -lysine (PLL, MW 29 300 or MW 204 000) was added (−3.16±3.47 to +6.04±2.23 mV). However, the complexes of CAT plasmid DNA (1 μg) and PLL MW 29 300 (0.5 μg or higher) were neutral or positively charged (−3.22±2.3 to +6.55±0.64 mV), which remained the same as 6.6 nmol of the liposomes was added. The complexes formed between two positively charged compounds, PLL MW 29 300 (0.5 μg) and the liposomes (3–20 nmol), were as closely positively charged as DNA/PLL or DNA/liposomes/PLL complexes (+3.31±0.41 to 7.16±1.0 mV). These results indicate that PLL determined the overall charge of the DNA/liposome/PLL ternary complexes. The complexes formed with histone (0.75 μg or higher) were also positively charged, whose transfection activity was as high as PLL MW 29 300. However, the complexes formed with protamine or PLL MW 2400 remained negatively charged. These observations are in good agreement with the transfection activity of the formulation containing each polycationic polymer. The presence of PLL MW 29 300 did not change the hydrodynamic diameter of DNA/liposome/PLL complexes (dH=275–312 nm). The complexes made of different sizes of PLL (MW 2400 and 204 000) also did not significantly change their size. This suggests that DNA condensation may not be critical. Therefore, ζ of the transfection complex can predict the transfection efficiency of a new formulation or reagent.
Modeling a whole organ using proteomics: the avian bursa of Fabricius.

While advances in proteomics have improved proteome coverage and enhanced biological modeling, modeling function in multicellular organisms requires understanding how cells interact. Here we used the chicken bursa of Fabricius, a common experimental system for B cell function, to model organ function from proteomics data. The bursa has two major functional cell types: B cells and the supporting stromal cells. We used differential detergent fractionation-multidimensional protein identification technology (DDF-MudPIT) to identify 5198 proteins from all cellular compartments. Of these, 1753 were B cell specific, 1972 were stroma specific and 1473 were shared between the two. By modeling programmed cell death (PCD), cell differentiation and proliferation, and transcriptional activation, we have improved functional annotation of chicken proteins and placed chicken-specific death receptors into the PCD process using phylo-genetics. We have identified 114 transcription factors (TFs); 42 of the bursal B cell TFs have not been reported before in any B cells. We have also improved the structural annotation of a newly sequenced genome by confirming the in vivo expression of 4006 "predicted", and 6623 ab initio, ORFs. Finally, we have developed a novel method for facilitating structural annotation, "expressed peptide sequence tags" (ePSTs) and demonstrate its utility by identifying 521 potential novel proteins from the chicken "unassigned chromosome".
Computer simulation comparison of tripolar, bipolar, and spline laplacian electrocadiogram estimators

A comparison of the performance of the tripolar and bipolar concentric as well as spline Laplacian electrocardiograms (LECGs) and body surface Laplacian mappings (BSLMs) for localizing and imaging the cardiac electrical activation has been investigated based on computer simulation. In the simulation a simplified eccentric heart-torso sphere-cylinder homogeneous volume conductor model were developed. Multiple dipoles with different orientations were used to simulate the underlying cardiac electrical activities. Results show that the tripolar concentric ring electrodes produce the most accurate LECG and BSLM estimation among the three estimators with the best performance in spatial resolution.
ON ECOLOGICAL STUDIES: A SHORT COMMUNICATION

The typical objective of research is to try and identify cause-and-effect relationships. As with any research design, there are strengths and weaknesses involved in trying to achieve this objective. Some study designs are stronger than others in attempting to establish cause-and-effect associations. The task of establishing cause-and-effect relationships is challenging (Hill, 1965) and any study that does not include experimentation, that is by manipulating a variable's exposure, is inhibited from drawing causal inferences (Heath, 1995). Similarly, statistical significance is also based on probability rather than certainty. This article focuses on a particular research design, namely, the ecological study, and attempts to serve as a reminder that the design has its place in the realm of various research designs.
A Review of Adult Attachment Measures: Implications for Theory and Research

There has been increasing interest in adult attachment from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. B ecause the test of a theory is based on our ability to assess theoretical constructs, the review is organized around assessment techniques. Delineating the content, focus, assumptions, and correlates of different attachment measures highlights central issues and problems in conducting research in adult attachment. In this review, we present theoretical issues related to adul t attachment, in particular, individual differences, working models, and the role of attachment in adult life. A summary of the measures commonly used in the study of adult a ttachment follows. The literature review is organized by measure, examining topics such as relations between childhood experiences and adult attachment status, and adult attachment and adult personality and functio ning, parenting and partnership behavior. Studies which explore relations between measures are discussed b efore concluding with thoughts about fut ure directions.
Managing Software Interfaces of On-Board Automotive Controllers

This article provides a birds-eye view of the enormous upheaval involved in enhancing reuse across a product line. The classic approach originally espoused by David Parnas-separation of concerns-is an important driver, but the big take-away is that even when a team of experts collaborates on architectural refactoring, it's a slow, incremental process. There is no easy road to reuse.
Physicians' attitudes about quality-of-life issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

ABSTRACTStudies investigating quality of life (QOL) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation demonstrate the spectrum of QOL outcomes awaiting survivors. Nevertheless, how transplant physicians interpret and apply QOL information to clinical practice is poorly understood. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of transplant physicians to address these issues. Responses were received from 180 physicians (24%) in 29 countries. Seventy-two percent reported that their patients are willing to accept a poor QOL for a small chance of cure. Only 28% said that QOL considerations “often” or “almost all the time” enter into patients’ decisions about transplantation. This contrasted with physicians’ reported attention to QOL in their discussions with patients. While 53% of physicians reported using QOL results to modify practice, 55% would be more likely to use these data if they were more understandable. To assure generalizability of the results, a validation sample was randomly selected and these 85 physicians (response rate 76%) confirmed the findings of the original survey. Given the extensive data regarding post-transplant QOL, resources should be devoted to exploring how patients and physicians use these data in clinical care, and in devising methods to ensure that QOL results are interpretable and relevant to both patients and physicians.INTRODUCTIONQuality of life (QOL) is determined by many factors including physical abilities, symptoms, social well-being, psycho-emotional status, cognitive functioning, and spiritual/existential experiences. It reflects how well people feel, what they can accomplish, and how satisfied they are with their lives. Within this broad concept, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) refers to aspects of QOL that are attributable to health, disease or medical treatment. There are an estimated 100,000 five-year survivors after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) worldwide.
Coronary Artery Findings After Left-Sided Compared With Right-Sided Radiation Treatment for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Purpose To compare the incidence and distribution of coronary artery disease after left-sided versus right-sided irradiation in patients treated with breast conservation for early-stage breast cancer who subsequently underwent cardiac stress testing and/or catheterization for cardiovascular symptoms. Patients and Methods The medical records of 961 stage I-II breast cancer patients treated from 1977 to 1995 at the University of Pennsylvania with conventional tangential beam radiation treatment (RT) were screened for cardiac stress tests and catheterizations performed after RT. The results of these tests were analyzed by laterality of RT and compared with baseline cardiovascular risk. Results At diagnosis, patients with left-sided and right-sided breast cancer had the same estimated 10-year risk (both 7%) of developing coronary artery disease. At a median time of 12 years post-RT (range, 2 to 24 years), 46 patients with left-sided and 36 patients with right-sided breast cancer (total, N = 82) had undergone ...
Familial white folded hypertrophy of the mucous membranes; report of three cases.

Abstract Three patients, a 31-year-old mother and her two children (now aged 6 and 10 years), are described, bringing to eleven the total number of patients reported in the literature who have been observed to be afflicted with a familial white folded scrotal hypertrophy of the oral mucous membranes. An associated similar scrotal and hypertrophie involvement of the vaginal mucosa was also observed in the mother. Biopsy findings of the vaginal mucosa are described for the first time. A tabulated review of the literature with respect to history, physical and oral findings, and histopathologic observations on these eleven patients is presented.
BOULDER COUNTY OPEN SPACE BUTTERFLY DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE

Abstract. The purpose of this data set was to investigate the effects of habitat characteristics and urbanization on grassland butterfly diversity. We sampled butterflies at 66 sites in Boulder County Open Space in the years 1999 and 2000. We tested for effects of habitat characteristics (grassland type and quality) and landscape context (percentage surrounding urbanization) on butterfly diversity and abundance. Although both habitat characteristics did affect butterfly diversity, landscape context did not. The data contain butterfly species diversity and individual species' abundance for the five periods sampled: July 1999, August 1999, June 2000, July 2000, and August 2000. Our samples included 58 species from five butterfly families: Hesperiidae (17 species), Papilionidae (4 species), Pieridae (7 species), Lycaenidae (11 species), and Nymphalidae (19 species). These data include endangered butterfly species, as well as surveys from relictual tallgrass prairie. There is some limitation to these data, as...
Electrical Conductivity of Uranium Dioxide

The electrical conductivity of nearly stoichiometric single-crystal and polycrystalline uranium dioxide was measured from room temperature to 3000°K. Below approximately 550°K, the curve of log σ versus T−1 is linear with a calculated activation energy of approximately 0.17 ev. Between 550° and 1250°K, however, the shape of the curve changes; this change varies from one specimen to another. The electrical conductivity increases rapidly with increasing temperature above 1250°K with a change from p-type to n-type conduction. The best linear fit of the log σ versus T−1 curve above 1400°K is σ= 3.57 × 103e−(1.15 ev/KT). Above 1900°K, the curve deviates slightly from linearity and is best fit by the equation σ= 2.10 × 10−2T1.4e−(0.916 ev/KT).
Intentional Systems Management: Managing Forests for Biodiversity

Abstract Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Intentional management is designed to manage conflicts among groups with conflicting interests. Our goal was to ascertain if intentional management and principles of conservation of biodiversity could be combined into upland and riparian forest management strategies that would be applicable to various land ownerships and, consequently, help resolve land allocation problems associated with timber supply and threatened wildlife. We used computer simulations to model three divergent management strategies for Pacific Northwest western hemlock (Tsuga hetero-phylla[Raf] Sarg.) forests: preservation with no manipulation (NMP), maximizing net present value (npv) through timber and fiber production (TFP), and conservation of biodiversity (CBD) with intentional ecosystem management. We evaluated costs and benefits of alternatives. Economic measures included npv of timber, sustainable timber revenues, total and sus...
The measurement of urinary tetrahydroaldosterone by radioimmunoassay.

Abstract A simple and specific radioimmunoassay is described for measuring urinary tetrahydroaldosterone (THAldo). The antiserum used is highly sensitive to aldosterone lactone, but is sufficiently sensitive to tetrahydroaldosterone lactone when the antibody dilution is reduced from 1:500,000 to 1:20,000. Specific activities of urinary THAldo determined by the radioimmunoassay were in close agreement with values obtained by a colorimetric method (r = 0.966). Subjects treated with ACTH showed a transitory increase in THAldo excretion when THAldo was quantitated by the radioimmunoassay. These findings differ from the sustained increase in THAldo excretion in response to ACTH reported on previously by this laboratory during a time when a colorimetric method was used to measure THAldo. The radioimmunoassay appears to be more specific than the colorimetric method when steroidogenesis is increased with ACTH. The measurement of urinary THAldo excretion by radioimmunoassay serves as a useful alternative to the more time consuming colorimetric procedures.
Motifs in the permeation pathway of connexin channels mediate voltage and Ca2+ sensing

Connexin channels mediate electrical coupling, intercellular molecular signaling and extracellular release of signaling molecules. Connexin proteins assemble intracellularly as hexamers to form plasma membrane hemichannels. The docking of two hemichannels in apposed cells forms a gap junction channel that allows direct electrical and selective cytoplasmic communication between adjacent cells. Hemichannels and junctional channels are gated by voltage, but extracellular Ca2+ also gates unpaired plasma membrane hemichannels. Unlike other ion channels, connexin channels do not contain discrete voltage- or Ca2+–sensing modules linked to a separate pore-forming module. All studies to date indicate that voltage and Ca2+ sensing are predominantly mediated by motifs that lie within or are exposed to the pore lumen. The sensors appear to be integral components of the gates, imposing an obligatory structural linkage between sensing and gating not commonly present in other ion channels, in which the sensors are semi-independent domains distinct from the pore. Because of this, the structural and electrostatic features that define connexin channel gating also define pore permeability properties, and vice versa; analysis/mutagenesis of gating and of permeability properties are linked. This offers unique challenges and opportunities for elucidating mechanisms of ligand and voltage-driven gating.
A hybrid segmentation approach for geographic atrophy in fundus auto-fluorescence images for diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration

Fundus auto-fluorescence (FAF) images with hypo-fluorescence indicate geographic atrophy (GA) of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Manual quantification of GA is time consuming and prone to inter- and intra-observer variability. Automatic quantification is important for determining disease progression and facilitating clinical diagnosis of AMD. In this paper we describe a hybrid segmentation method for GA quantification by identifying hypo-fluorescent GA regions from other interfering retinal vessel structures. First, we employ background illumination correction exploiting a non-linear adaptive smoothing operator. Then, we use the level set framework to perform segmentation of hypo-fluorescent areas. Finally, we present an energy function combining morphological scale-space analysis with a geometric model-based approach to perform segmentation refinement of false positive hypo- fluorescent areas due to interfering retinal structures. The clinically apparent areas of hypo-fluorescence were drawn by an expert grader and compared on a pixel by pixel basis to our segmentation results. The mean sensitivity and specificity of the ROC analysis were 0.89 and 0.98%.
Binary star systems: projects for the near future

Two computational models have now been extended to deal with the kinematics of triple systems via combined light–time and radial velocity variations of eclipsing binary mass centres. Applications to binaries known or suspected to be accompanied by third bodies can improve knowledge of multiple-system statistics. A neglected area is the measurement of polarization curves for Algol-type binaries, which pose instrumental and observational challenges. Algols should show polarization due to scattering in mass transfer streams and circumstellar discs, as well as Thomson scattering in the photospheres of their hot stars and Rayleigh scattering due to irradiation of their cooler stars. Polarization data need to be extended to sufficiently faint stars so as to observe these phenomena in a reasonable number of systems, which will require excellent polarimeters, large telescopes and good observing strategies. A third project is the measurement of distances, with standard errors, to many eclipsing binaries by direct ...
Interference Reduction by Beamforming in Cognitive Networks

We consider beamforming in a cognitive network with multiple primary users and secondary users sharing the same spectrum. In particular, we assume that each secondary transmitter has Nt antennas and transmits data to its single- antenna receiver using beamforming. The beamformer is designed to maximize the cognitive user's signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), defined as the ratio of the received signal power at the desired cognitive receiver to the total interference created at all the primary receivers. Using mathematical tools from random matrix theory, we derive both lower and upper bounds on the average interference at the primary receivers and the average SIR of the cognitive user. We further analyze and prove the convergence of these two performance measures asymptotically as the number of antennas Nt or primary users Nt increases. Specifically, the average interference per primary receiver converges to the expected value of the path loss in the network whereas the average SIR of the secondary user decays as 1/c when c = Np/Nt rarr infin. In the special case of Nt = Np, the average total interference approaches 0 and the average SIR approaches infin.
Rehbein’s Procedure (Deep Anterior Resection)

Classical Hirschsprung’s disease is characterized by two phenomena: the narrow segment and the decreased opening ability or achalasia of the internal sphincter. Any surgical method of treatment for Hirschsprung’s disease must thus fulfill two criteria:
Hyperinsulinemic Obesity and Carbohydrate Addiction: the Missing Link is the Carbohydrate Frequency Factor

It is proposed that chronic hyperinsulinemia is largely responsible for hunger, cravings and weight gain observed in many obese. This form of obesity can be treated by decreasing frequency of daily intake of carbohydrates to one well-balance meal each day and allowing for additional meals that are low in fat, low carbohydrates and high fiber. Animal experimentation and epidemiological evidence support the role of chronic hyperinsulinemia as a major factor in obesity and accounts for the frequent failures of diet and behavioral modification programs. Chronic hyperinsulinemia upsets metabolic balances and favors anabolic metabolism; fosters carbohydrate cravings; promotes insulin resistance which further promotes anabolic metabolism; and insulin resistance in turn exacerbates chronic hyperinsulinemia. This vicious cycle maintains excess weight and defeats diet and behavioral modification attempts to treat obesity. An eating program focused on reduction of chronic hyperinsulinemia coupled with appropriate exercise and behavior modification can successfully and permanently bring down cravings, hunger and body weight.
Clinical characteristics of depressed outpatients previously overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder in depressed patients requires the ascertainment of prior episodes of mania and hypomania. Several research reports and commentaries have suggested that bipolar disorder is underrecognized and that many patients with nonbipolar major depressive disorder have, in fact, bipolar disorder. In a previous article from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we reported the opposite phenomenon-that bipolar disorder is often overdiagnosed in psychiatric outpatients. An important question that has not been previously examined is whether there is a particular clinical or demographic profile associated with bipolar disorder overdiagnosis among depressed patients. Forty psychiatric outpatients with current major depressive disorder reported having been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which was not confirmed when interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID). Psychiatric diagnoses, clinical and demographic variables were compared in these 40 patients and 233 depressed patients who were not diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Patients were interviewed by a highly trained diagnostic rater who administered the SCID for DSM-IV Axis I disorders, the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality for DSM-IV Axis II disorders, and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for clinical features of depression. The depressed patients who were overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder were diagnosed with a significantly higher number of Axis I disorders and were more likely to be diagnosed with specific phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and drug abuse/dependence. The patients overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder were also significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a current personality disorder and were more chronically ill with greater psychosocial impairment. Thus, the results suggest that depressed outpatients who had previously been overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder were more chronically and severely ill than depressed outpatients who had not been overdiagnosed.
Independent Coding of Reward Magnitude and Valence in the Human Brain

Previous research has shown that two components of the event-related brain potential, the P300 and feedback negativity, are sensitive to information about rewards and penalties. The present study investigated the properties of these components in a simple gambling game that required participants to choose between cards that were unpredictably associated with monetary gains and losses of variable magnitude. The aim was to determine the sensitivity of each component to two critical features of reward stimuli: magnitude (small or large) and valence (win or loss). A double dissociation was observed, with the P300 sensitive to reward magnitude but insensitive to reward valence and the feedback negativity showing the opposite pattern, suggesting that these two fundamental features of rewarding stimuli are evaluated rapidly and separately in the human brain. Subsequent analyses provided additional evidence of functional dissociations between the feedback negativity and P300. First, the P300 (but not the feedback negativity) showed sensitivity to the reward value of alternative, nonselected stimuli. Second, individual differences in the amplitude of the feedback negativity correlated with individual differences in risk-taking behavior observed after monetary losses, whereas individual differences in P300 amplitude were related to behavioral adjustments observed in response to alternative, unchosen outcomes.
Adaptive elastic segmentation of brain MRI via shape-model-guided evolutionary programming

This paper presents a fully automated segmentation method for medical images. The goal is to localize and parameterize a variety of types of structure in these images for subsequent quantitative analysis. We propose a new hybrid strategy that combines a general elastic template matching approach and an evolutionary heuristic. The evolutionary algorithm uses prior statistical information about the shape of the target structure to control the behavior of a number of deformable templates. Each template, modeled in the form of a B-spline, is warped in a potential field which is itself dynamically adapted. Such a hybrid scheme proves to be promising: by maintaining a population of templates, we cover a large domain of the solution space under the global guidance of the evolutionary heuristic, and thoroughly explore interesting areas. We address key issues of automated image segmentation systems. i) The potential fields are initially designed based on the spatial features of the edges in the input image, and are subjected to spatially adaptive diffusion to guarantee the deformation of the template. This also improves its global consistency and convergence speed. ii) The deformation algorithm can modify the internal structure of the templates to allow a better match. iii) We investigate in detail the preprocessing phase that the images undergo before they can be used more effectively in the iterative elastic matching procedure: a texture classifier, trained via linear discriminant analysis of a learning set, is used to enhance the contrast of the target structure with respect to surrounding tissues. iv) We show how these techniques interact within a statistically driven evolutionary scheme to achieve a better tradeoff between template flexibility and sensitivity to noise and outliers. We focus on understanding the features of template matching that are most beneficial in terms of the achieved match. Examples from simulated and real image data are discussed, with considerations of algorithmic efficiency.
Prompt Management of Anastomotic Leak or Acute Obstruction after Minimally Invasive Pyeloplasty with Percutaneous Nephrostomy Preserves Outcomes

Purpose: Urine leak or obstruction in the early postoperative period is a worrisome complication of pyeloplasty. Suboptimal management may risk long-term success. We evaluated percutaneous nephrostomy to manage complications of minimally invasive pyeloplasty.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 125 patients who underwent minimally invasive pyeloplasty performed by a single surgeon from May 2004 to May 2013. All complications were catalogued and patients with anastomotic urine leakage or postoperative obstruction were identified. Less than 7 days postoperatively percutaneous nephrostomy was done in each case. Surgical success was defined as resolution of flank pain and/or improved half-time (less than 20 minutes) on diuretic renogram.Results: Early percutaneous nephrostomy placement was required in 12 patients (9.6%) for symptomatic obstruction (6) or anastomotic urine leakage (6) a median of 4.5 days (range 2 to 7) postoperatively. Percutaneous nephrostomies remained in place ...
Recent Advances in Gamma Titanium Aluminide Alloys

Gamma titanium aluminide alloys of current interest are two-phase alloys consisting of γ-TiAl phase as the matrix and a α2-Ti3Al phase as the second phase. The properties of these alloys depend on alloy composition, processing, microstructure, and their combination. Two major microstructural constituents are gamma grains and lamellar grains, the latter of which contain alternate layers of gamma (γ) and alpha-2 (α2) thin plates. The relative amounts and distribution of these two constituents are the main factors controlling mechanical properties. This paper reviews our current understanding of the composition/microstructure/property relationships. An extended discussion will be made on the fundamental aspects of the formation of lamellar structure during cooling and the evolution of microstructure occurring during thermomechanical treatments.
Non-linear coding for improved performance in compressive sensing

We propose a system based on the combination of compressive sensing and non-linear processing that shows excellent robustness against noise. The key idea is the use of nonlinear mappings that act as analog joint source-channel encoders, processing the compressive sensing measurements proceeding from an analog source and producing continuous amplitude samples that are transmitted directly through the noisy channel. As we will show in our simulation results, the proposed framework is readily applicable in practical systems such as imaging, and clearly outperforms systems based on stand-alone compressive sensing.
Reconsidering the role of photoperiod in relation to effects of precipitation and food availability on spring departure of a migratory bird

Along with many current studies investigating the impact of climatic change on the behavioural patterns of migratory birds, the paper by Studds & Mara [[1][1]] demonstrates relationships between environmental conditions and timing of departure from an overwintering site—Font Hill Nature Preserve
Assessment of critical exposure and outcome windows in time-to-event analysis with application to air pollution and preterm birth study

In reproductive epidemiology, there is a growing interest to examine associations between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth (PTB). One important research objective is to identify critical periods of exposure and estimate the associated effects at different stages of pregnancy. However, population studies have reported inconsistent findings. This may be due to limitations from the standard analytic approach of treating PTB as a binary outcome without considering time-varying exposures together over the course of pregnancy. To address this research gap, we present a Bayesian hierarchical model for conducting a comprehensive examination of gestational air pollution exposure by estimating the joint effects of weekly exposures during different vulnerable periods. Our model also treats PTB as a time-to-event outcome to address the challenge of different exposure lengths among ongoing pregnancies. The proposed model is applied to a dataset of geocoded birth records in the Atlanta metropolitan area between 1999-2005 to examine the risk of PTB associated with gestational exposure to ambient fine particulate matter [Formula: see text]m in aerodynamic diameter (PM[Formula: see text]). We find positive associations between PM[Formula: see text] exposure during early and mid-pregnancy, and evidence that associations are stronger for PTBs occurring around week 30.
A Call for Evidence-Based Athletic Training Education

“Evidence-based practice” has become a buzzword in medical and health professions. As our colleagues build a body of best evidence in medical education,1 so must athletic training educators recognize, and act upon, the obligation to incorporate these concepts into both our teaching and our research.2 It is time to conduct research studies and implement education guidelines that reflect this trend. To foster this type of scholarly work, the Research and Education Foundation can proactively encourage and solicit grant proposals regarding athletic training evidencebased education.
Class Consciousness and Teacher Education: The Socialist Challenge and The Historical Context

This essay traces the emergence and decline of class-consciousness within the U.S. as it coincides with the historical developmental of capitalism. I begin this essay in the third period of capital’s historical development. Robinson (2008) characterizes this period of the development of global capitalism—the third period—as beginning in the 1870s and marked by the corporate form of capitalism and class struggle, and the subsequent emergence of widespread classconsciousness. As a result, this period is also the beginning of large-scale, compulsory common schooling, which the capitalist class eventually came to understand to be a necessary cost of production needed for social control. Marx’s historical work on the development of capital is crucial here as it laid the foundation for a tradition of revolutionary class-consciousness from Lenin, to Vygotsky, to Freire, respectively. Drawing on these insights regarding class-consciousness, I outline the debilitating tendencies of a Weberian conception of social class in U.S. teacher education programs and beyond situated in the current context of neo-colonialism/neoliberalism, that is, the most current period of global capitalism. In the final section I expand on the argument for a revolutionary education, not as a prescription, but as a place of departure for the vast diversity of global contexts within the everexpanding, ever-deepening social universe of capital. Within this context I argue that Joe L. Kincheloe’s idea of the epistemological bazaar and his postformal approach to educational psychology are particularly relevant (Malott, 2011a). That is, because the challenges for creating a 21 st century global socialism are so intense and immense (see for example, Callinicos, 2010),