cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Matching based on biological categories in Orangutans (Pongo abelii) and a Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Following a series of experiments in which six orangutans and one gorilla discriminated photographs of different animal species in a two-choice touch screen procedure, Vonk & MacDonald (2002) and Vonk & MacDonald (2004) concluded that orangutans, but not the gorilla, seemed to learn intermediate level category discriminations, such as primates versus non-primates, more rapidly than they learned concrete level discriminations, such as orangutans versus humans. In the current experiments, four of the same orangutans and the gorilla were presented with delayed matching-to-sample tasks in which they were rewarded for matching photos of different members of the same primate species; golden lion tamarins, Japanese macaques, and proboscis monkeys, or family; gibbons, lemurs (Experiment 1), and subsequently for matching photos of different species within the following classes: birds, reptiles, insects, mammals, and fish (Experiment 2). Members of both Great Ape species were rapidly able to match the photos at levels above chance. Orangutans matched images from both category levels spontaneously whereas the gorilla showed effects of learning to match intermediate level categories. The results show that biological knowledge is not necessary to form natural categories at both concrete and intermediate levels.
Conditioned head-turning in human newborns

Abstract Three experiments demonstrated learning in human newborns with techniques involving the strengthening of a head-turning response through reinforcement contingencies. The first study demonstrated that administration of a dextrose-water solution contingent upon an ipsilateral response to tactile stimulation of the cheek increases the frequency of such responding. A second study presented the tactile stimulus on the opposite cheeks on alternate trials, right- and left-sided stimulation being paired with differential auditory stimuli. Reinforcement was given differentially for ipsilateral responding to the two “eliciting” stimuli, and learning was revealed through increased occurrence of the reinforced response, in contrast to habituation of the nonreinforced response. In the final experiment, involving tactile stimulation on only one side, the two auditory stimuli served as positive and negative cues. Ipsilateral turns to right-sided stimulation in the presence of one cue were reinforced, while such turns in the presence of the other cue were not. Infants acquired the discrimination and demonstrated reversal behavior when the cue-reinforcement contingencies were reversed. All subjects in these studies were under 4 days of age, and all experimental treatments were given in one session lasting no longer than 1 hour. No major effect of age was obtained, nor did amount of time since previous feeding within the range studied exert any effect. Since the demonstrated acquisition of discriminative behavior resulted from experimental procedures in which arousal level and sensitization were controlled, the effect of reinforcing circumstances on the head-turning behavior must be ascribed to learning.
A New Formulation of Electromagnetic Scattering from Rough Dielectric Interfaces

In all exact versions of scattering from a rough dielectric interface, six boundary unknowns must be found. In the Stratton-Chu equations, for example, the unknowns are the electric field (tangential and normal to the interface) and the boundary electric currents. Once determined, they are used to evaluate the three components of the scattered field and the three components of the transmitted field. The 6 x 6 operator matrix to be inverted consists of four 3 x 3 block matrices, two of which are diagonal. The other non-diagonal matrices describe the coupling. We describe a new formulation of this scattering problem in which the six boundary unknowns are the electric field and its normal derivative. In this formalism, three of the four 3 x 3 block matrices are diagonal. All the coupling resides in the fourth block.
Further characterization of BT-R1, the cadherin-like receptor for Cry1Ab toxin in tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) Midguts

BT-R1, the Manduca sexta midgut receptor for the crystal toxin Cry1Ab produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. berliner, was partly purified by gel filtration from M. sexta brush border membrane vesicles in the presence of the detergent CHAPS. Fractions containing BT-R1 were tested for their stability against degradation as indicated by retention of Cry1Ab binding on ligand blots. At 4 degrees C and pH 7.4 in the presence of Ca2+, BT-R1 was stable for up to 48 h but a 65% loss of binding was observed after 100 h. Under the same conditions, no loss of binding was observed in the presence of EGTA after 100 h. Cry1Ab binding decreased markedly as pH increased from 6 to 10 for incubations of 24 h at 4 degrees C. Increasing the temperature of incubation from 4 to 37 degrees C also decreased Cry1Ab binding. Neither metal ions nor free sulfhydryl groups are involved in Cry1Ab binding to BT-R1. A trypsin-like, metal-ion-dependent proteolytic activity co-eluted with BT-R1 during gel filtration. This endoproteolytic activity was unaltered by the addition of Cry1Ab. BT-R1 did not co-elute with peaks of aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase and beta-galactosidase activities. When BT-R1 in the gel filtration fraction was further purified on a Mono Q anion exchange column, partial separation of the trypsin-like activity from BT-R1 was observed. BT-R1 could be removed from the appropriate Mono Q fraction by immunoprecipitation with only a slight decrease in this activity. These results demonstrate that there is no copurification of BT-R1 and these enzymes and that BT-R1 is unlikely to form complexes with them. Binding of Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac to BT-R1 in gel filtration fractions is similar to that of Cry1Ab, indicating that BT-R1 may be the high-affinity receptor for the Cry1A toxins. Binding of Cry1Ab to a 120 kDa protein has not been observed in this study.
Benefits and Risks of Nucleoside Analog Therapy for Hepatitis B

Five oral agents have been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, ranging in virological potency, clinical efficacy, barrier to resistance, and side-effect profile. The degree of histological, biochemical, and serological improvement with therapy generally corresponds to the degree of suppression of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA achieved with therapy. Conversely, for agents with a low barrier to resistance, the profundity of HBV DNA suppression in individual patients correlates inversely with the likelihood of resistance. The durability of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) responses after a consolidation period of an additional 6-12 months of therapy is ∼80% in western populations, lower in Asian populations. Loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during a year of oral-agent therapy is limited, except with the most potent agents, but extending therapy for a second year and beyond can yield frequencies of HBsAg responses dose to those reported in trials of interferon-based therapy. The oral agents are approved for 1-2 years of therapy, but treatment is continued indefinitely in the majority of patients (except for the ∼20% of patients who are HBeAg-reactive who achieve a durable HBeAg response). HBeAg responses and virological/ biochemical benefit continue to be maintained and to increase with continued therapy beyond the first year. Data continue to accumulate supporting the link between long-term HBV DNA suppression and reduction in hepatic fibrosis, hepatic decompensation, and liver-related mortality. All the benefits of a single year of injectable peginterferon therapy can be achieved with the newer, low-resistance oral agents continued beyond the first year, without interferon side effects. Future studies are needed to develop drug regimens that are even more effective in achieving clinical endpoints, that are not hampered by resistance, and that are more confined in treatment duration but are more durable.
Structural Dependence of Grain Boundary Resistivity in Copper Nanowires

We report the direct measurement of individual grain boundary (GB) resistances and the critical role of GB structure in the increased resistivity in copper nanowires. By measuring both intra- and inter-grain resistance with a four-probe scanning tunneling microscope, large resistance jumps are revealed owing to successive scattering across high-angle random GBs, while the resistance changes at twin and other coincidence boundaries are negligibly small. The impurity distributions in the nanowires are characterized in correlating to the microstructures. The resistance of high symmetry coincidence GBs and the impurity contributions are then calculated using a first-principle method which confirms that the coincidence GBs have orders of magnitude smaller resistance than the high-angle random GBs.
Efficient evaluation of location-dependent skyline queries using non-dominance scopes

With respect to a given query point q, a location-dependent skyline query (LDSQ) finds all objects that are not spatially dominated by any other in a specified set of objects. An object o is considered to spatially dominate another o' if o is not worse than o' for all search criteria and strictly better than o' for at least one of the search criteria. Here, the search criteria include the objects' nearness to q and their non-spatial attributes. LDSQs have many valuable applications that need to find the best and nearest objects. Nevertheless, efficient evaluation of LDSQs faces challenges due to exhaustive comparisons among objects in determining their spatial dominance relationships which in turn depend on query points at the run time. In this paper, we introduce a notion of non-dominance scopes. For each object, a non-dominance scope is an area in which query points find the object not spatially dominated by other objects. With non-dominance scopes, LDSQs are simplified as searches for objects whose non-dominance scopes enclose query points. We develop algorithms to compute non-dominance scopes and evaluate LDSQs using indexed non-dominance scopes. We also evaluate our proposed approach. The experiment results show the outstanding performance of our proposed approach.
Aesthetic Issues in Spatial Composition: Representational Fit and the Role of Semantic Context

Previous research on aesthetic preference for spatial compositions has shown robust, systematic preferences for object locations within frames and for object perspectives. In the present experiment, we show that these preferences can be dramatically altered by changing the contextual meaning of an image through pairing it with different titles, as predicted by a theoretical account in terms of "representational fit". People prefer standard (default) compositions with a neutral title that merely describes the content of the picture (eg side-view of a plane with the title "Flying") but nonstandard compositions when they "fit" a title with compatible spatial implications (eg rear-view of a plane with the title "Departing"). The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theories based on representational fit versus perceptual and conceptual fluency and with their implications for classic aesthetic accounts in terms of preference for novelty through violating expectations.
Identification of mismatch repair genes and their role in the development of cancer

Mismatched base pairs are generated by damage to DNA, by damage to nucleotide precursors, by errors that occur during DNA replication, and during the formation of intermediates in genetic recombination. Enzyme systems that faithfully repair these DNA aberrations have been identified in a wide variety of organisms. At lease some of the components of these repair systems have been conserved, both structurally and functionally, throughout evolutionary time. In humans, defective mismatch repair genes have been linked to hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer as well as to sporadic cancers that exhibit length polmorphisms in simple repeat (microsatellite) DNA sequences. The involvement of mismatch repair defects in microsatellite instability and tumorigenesis suggests that a generalized mutator phenotype is responsible for the large number of genetic alterations observed in tumors.
Insulin-like growth factor and fibroblast growth factor expression profiles in growth-restricted fetal sheep pancreas

Placental insufficiency results in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), impaired fetal insulin secretion and less fetal pancreatic β-cell mass, partly due to lower β-cell proliferation rates. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) regulate fetal β-cell proliferation and pancreas development, along with transcription factors, such as pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX-1). We determined expression levels for these growth factors, their receptors and IGF binding proteins in ovine fetal pancreas and isolated islets. In the IUGR pancreas, relative mRNA expression levels of IGF-I, PDX-1, FGF7 and FGFR2IIIb were 64% (P < 0.01), 76% (P < 0.05), 76% (P < 0.05) and 52% (P < 0.01) lower, respectively, compared with control fetuses. Conversely, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) mRNA and protein concentrations were 2.25- and 1.2-fold greater (P < 0.05) in the IUGR pancreas compared with controls. In isolated islets from IUGR fetuses, IGF-II and IGFBP-2 mRNA concentrations were 1.5- and 3.7-fold greater (P < 0.05), and insulin mRNA was 56% less (P < 0.05) than control islets. The growth factor expression profiles for IGF and FGF signaling pathways indicate that declines in β-cell mass are due to decreased growth factor signals for both pancreatic progenitor epithelial cell and mature β-cell replication.
Nonlinear Output Stabilization of Uncertain Systems

Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to stabilization of nonlinear or uncertain systems. Most of the proposed methods require access to all of the states for implementation. However, this requirement cannot be satisfied in general. This paper offers an alternative stabilization scheme whereby the output of the system is fed back. This method is contrasted with a full-state feedback strategy using observed states. The design is illustrated utilizing a single flexible link manipulator where compliance of the link and other non-idealities are treated as a lumped nonlinearity/uncertainty.
Effects of amino acids on cell differentiation of D. discoideum

Abstract The differentiation of D. discoideum amoebae is triggered by starvation, in particular, by starvation for amino acids. To examine the mechanism(s) by which amino acids inhibit cell differentiation we monitored the effects of specific groups of amino acids on protein synthesis and on amino acid catabolism, as judged by extracellular ammonia production. The experiments show that one group of 11 amino acids stimulates ammonia production and that this increase is dependent upon the concurrent rise in protein synthesis. A group composed of 7 other amino acids does not affect protein synthesis and elicits only a slight increase in ammonia production. In this case, the rise in ammonia does not require concommitant protein synthesis. These and other results suggest that specific groups of amino acids function to maintain the cells, metabolic activity, one by stimulating protein synthesis and the other by providing carbohydrates useful in energy production or other pathways, e.g., glycoprotein synthesis. The results are also consistent with the hypothesis that ammonia does not mediate the effects of amino acids on cell differentiation and probably does not play a regulatory role in the events leading to aggregation competence.
Towards the Development of an Integrative Framework for Technology Mediated Learning

As mandatory involvement requirements may not intrinsically motivate learners to achieve high quality learning, social factors under affective commitment are especially important determinants of TML success. This paper investigates an individual's social and self identities as important determinants in developing affective commitment (identification) and intrinsic motivation (perceived enjoyment) to share knowledge by email in the TML environment. Furthermore, given the recent emphasis on gender in system adoption and socio-linguistic literature, this study investigates gender as a moderating variable in the proposed model. The integrative framework of e-learning in this study will help us understand the antecedents of effective knowledge sharing intervention in the TML environment, based on the integrated model of social identity theory, social influence theory, self determination theory, and socio-linguistic literature. Furthermore, IS practitioners will be able to understand the different roles of identity and gender in developing and designing TML and KM systems,
An experimental study of the dynamics of the curing process of sheet molding compound (SMC) paste

The dynamic curing behavior of sheet molding compound (SMC) has been investigated by using a cylindrical cure reactor. Both thermal and mechanical responses were determined for R-25 SMC paste. The responses from this material were analyzed to determine the chemical and physical transformations that occur during the SMC molding process. The thermal response was obtained from a thermocouple placed along the centerline of the paste sample in the cure reactor. The thermal history at this location shows distinctive stages associated with heat transfer and crosslinking reactions during the cure cycle. The R-25 paste has a precure time of 160 seconds, a reaction time of 25 seconds, and a temperature rise of 134°C. The mechanical response describes the volume change and the pressure of the paste. The displacement curve shows volume changes due to thermal expansion, cure shrinkage, and thermal contraction during the course of a cure cycle. We found a less than 1% shrinkage during the reaction of the R-25 paste. The pressure response of the paste was found to parallel the volume transformation, although it also is strongly influenced by mechanical interactions between the press and the paste.
Social influences on belief in creationism

This study uses correlation and regression analysis to examine two approaches to understanding belief in creationism and, by extension, an array of socially conservative attitudes: long‐term socialization and present community membership. Long‐term socialization gains clear support. There are independent effects of size of childhood hometown and having had a mother who played a traditional homemaker role (creationists tend to have come from smaller towns and to have had traditional mothers). There is fragmentary evidence of an independent effect of childhood denomination. However, there also is evidence of effects of present religious community membership in that there are differences between conservative Protestants and Christians from other denominations in predictors of beliefs. Among the latter, educational attainment has the strongest effect on scores on an index of creationist belief, but belief in the Bible has no effect. However, among conservative Protestants, education shows almost no effect at ...
High-power 2-/spl mu/m wing-pumped Tm:YAG laser

Summary form only given. Using the scalable diode end-pumping technology previously developed at LLNL we have built and demonstrated a 2 /spl mu/m Tm/sup 3+/:YAG laser system capable of generating 26 W of cw output power.
Invited Tutorial: Considerations in the Design and Verification of Microprocessors for Safety-Critical and Security-Critical Applications

In this tutorial, we will examine issues in the design and verification of microprocessors for safety-critical and security-critical applications. We will consider architectural and design alternatives to support high-assurance applications, and will describe techniques to improve secure system evaluation-measured in terms of completeness, human effort required, time, and cost-through the use of highly automated formal methods. We will describe practical techniques for creating executable formal computing platform models that can both be proved correct, and also function as high-speed simulators. This allows us to both verify the correctness of the models, as well as validate that the formalizations accurately model what was actually designed and built. As a case study, we will examine the design and verification of the Rockwell Collins AAMP7G microprocessor. The AAMP7G, currently in use in Rockwell Collins high-assurance system products, supports strict time and space partitioning in hardware, and has received an NSA MILS (Multiple Independent Levels of Security) certificate based in part on proofs of correctness. We will discuss the AAMP7G verification effort, focusing on the proof architecture that enabled us to show that the AAMP7G separation kernel microcode implements a particular security specification, using the ACL2 theorem prover.
Immunohistochemistry staining of C4d to diagnose antibody-mediated rejection in cardiac transplantation.

Background Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is associated with poorer outcomes in cardiac transplantation. The clinical diagnosis of AMR has been confirmed by immunofluorescence for C4d on fresh-frozen cardiac tissue. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been suggested as a more practical diagnostic tool because it can be performed on routine paraffin-embedded tissue. There are few published data about hemodynamics and C4d staining. We prospectively performed C4d staining on endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) and present the pattern of tissue staining and its correlation with intracardiac hemodynamics. Methods EMBs were evaluated by IHC for C4d staining and graded for cellular rejection using ISHLT criteria on hematoxylin-and-eosin–stained sections. Hemodynamic measurements were taken concurrently. Staining for C4d was described as absent, present with serum staining, or present with only tissue staining. The pattern of tissue staining was categorized by location of staining and correlated with intracardiac hemodynamics. Patient demographics, cytomegalovirus status, panel-reactive antibody levels and hemodynamics were analyzed by analysis of variance and chi-square statistics. Results Of the 400 EMBs, 50 had no C4d staining, 330 had tissue and serum staining, whereas 20 had only tissue staining. Forty EMBs had endothelial staining, including 35 with serum and 5 with isolated tissue staining. Endothelial staining correlated with higher intracardiac pressures. Conclusions IHC staining for C4d has been suggested for the diagnosis of AMR. Our data suggest there is a high rate of background C4d staining, but endothelial staining correlates with poorer hemodynamics. Methods for IHC staining and interpretation need to be standardized for widespread use and clinical studies.
Relationship between the slowing and loss in optical delay lines

In this paper, we demonstrate the relation between the amount of slowing and the amount of insertion loss in an optical slow wave structure when the material used has finite absorption. The delay properties are calculated as a function of wavelength for a single Fabry-Perot resonator and a delay line consisting of multiple coupled resonators. In all of these delay lines, if the amount of delay increases, the insertion loss of the line likewise increases. For low material loss, the normalized increase in delay is equal to the normalized increase in insertion loss. We also compare a coupled resonator delay line to a simple waveguide made of the same material and with the same amount of delay. The simple waveguide always has less insertion loss than the coupled resonator line because of the unavoidable reflection from the coupled resonator line. Even in the case of an asymmetric mirror delay line with zero reflection at the input, the simple waveguide has less insertion loss.
On the Origin of Radiation Belt and Auroral Primary Ions

The possibilities that the energetic ions in the radiation belts and in the auroral primaries might originate in the ionosphere or in the solar wind are examined. It is argued that there is no clear evidence favoring one source over the other on the basis of the observations that have been carried out to date. An entirely different type of observation is proposed as a means of providing a cheap and effective way of deciding this question and of providing information concerning the rate of accretion of inert gases by the atmosphere.
Gay readers, consumers, and a dominant gay habitus: 25 years of the Advocate magazine

This essay extends Bourdieu's analysis of taste, cultural capital, and habitus to address the identification of and appeal to gay consumers in the Advocate magazine between 1967 and 1992. From its humble beginnings as a local activist newspaper to its incarnation as a gay and lesbian, glossy, lifestyle magazine in the early 1990s, the Advocate consolidated the image of the ideal gay consumer, his (occasionally her) tastes, pleasures, and concerns, for readers and advertisers alike. The magazine thus helped to construct a dominant gay habitus that would increasingly characterize an openly gay, professional-managerial class. This process provides both opportunities and costs for a diverse gay citizenship and for a lively, heterogeneous, sex-positive gay politics.
A direct adaptive control scheme for under-actuated dynamic systems

This paper presents a class of under-actuated dynamic systems and the adaptive control methodology. A system is said to be under-actuated if it has at least one passive joint (i.e. not driven by actuators). The under-actuated dynamic systems have found many meaningful applications in either space explorations or advanced manufacturing operations. Due to the passive joints, input channels become deficient, and dynamic characteristics fundamentally differ from a full-actuated system. The dynamic parameter-linearity is destroyed by the under-actuated nature. To overcome the difficulty, an extended dynamic model and a normal-form augmentation approach are proposed. Using the normal-form augmentation approach, the parameter-linearity can be recovered, and a direct adaptive control scheme can be developed to stabilize the system against parameter uncertainty. >
Electro-Optical Systems - Article II The Detection Process - Radiation Transducers

GENERAL REMARKS The heart of every electro-optical device is the radiation detector. It has the function of converting the incident radiation into an electrical signal (voltage or current) which in turn can be amplified, processed, drive displays, and which constitutes a meaningful measure of the incident radiation. The term, detector, usually is applied to a physical device which consists of the radiation transducer itself as well as windows, limiting apertures, possibly electron optics, and cooling units. But the performance of the detector and its capabilities are almost entirely determined by the radiation transducer.
ZERO-KNOWLEDGE BLACKBOX TESTING: WHERE ARE THE FAULTS?

We derive a quantitative relationship between the maximal entropy rate achieved by a blackbox software system's specification graph, and the probability of faults Pn obtained by testing the system, as a function of the length n of a test sequence. By equating “blackbox” to the maximal entropy principle, we model the specification graph as a Markov chain that, for each distinct value of n, achieves the maximal entropy rate for that n. Hence the Markov transition probability matrices are not constant in n, but form a sequence of transition matrices T1,…, Tn. We prove that, for nontrivial specification graphs, the probability of finding faults goes asymptotically to zero as the test length n increases, regardless of the evolution of Tn. This implies that zero-knowledge testing is practical only for small n. We illustrate the result using a concrete example of a system specification graph for an autopilot control system, and plot its curve Pn.
S U (2 )×S U (2 )×U (1 ) interpretations of the diboson and W h excesses

Based on an $SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)$ effective theory framework (aka $G221$ models), we investigate a leptophobic $SU(2{)}_{L}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2{)}_{R}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1{)}_{B\ensuremath{-}L}$ model in which the right-handed ${W}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ boson has the mass of around 2 TeV and predominantly couples to the standard model quarks and the gauge-Higgs sector. This model could explain the resonant excesses near 2 TeV reported by the ATLAS Collaboration in the $WZ$ production decaying into hadronic final states and by the CMS Collaboration in the $Wh$ channel decaying into the $b\overline{b}\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\nu}$ and dijet final state. After imposing the constraints from the electroweak precision and current LHC data, we find that to explain the three excesses in the $WZ$, $Wh$, and dijet channels, the $SU(2{)}_{R}$ coupling strength ${g}_{R}$ favors the range of 0.47--0.68. In this model, given a 2 TeV ${W}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ mass, the ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ mass is predicted to favor 2--3 TeV if the doublet Higgs (LPD) is used to break the $G221$ symmetry at the TeV scale and 3--5 TeV for the triplet Higgs (LPT) scenario. Although the LPD ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ might be in tension with the current dilepton resonance searches, the heavier LPT ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is consistent with current bounds, whose signatures can be further explored by the LHC Run 2 data.
Active tectonic studies in the United States, 1987–1990

The techniques and instrumentation used in active tectonic studies are discussed, and recent results are reviewed. It is suggested that a critical mass of data on several particular regions has been accumulated, making possible critical debates and attempts to assess earthquake hazards. Particular attention is given to studies of the Pacific Northwest region, basin and range deformation studies, and distributed deformation and hidden earthquake sources. Also included is a comprehensive bibliography for the period.
Monitoring time course of human whole blood coagulation using a microfluidic dielectric sensor with a 3D capacitive structure

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and testing of a microfluidic sensor for dielectric spectroscopy (DS) of human whole blood during coagulation. The sensor employs a three-dimensional (3D), parallel-plate, capacitive sensing structure with a floating electrode integrated into a microfluidic channel. Using an impedance analyzer and after a 5-point calibration, the sensor is shown to measure the real part of complex relative dielectric permittivity of human whole blood in a frequency range of 10kHz to 100MHz. The temporal variation of dielectric permittivity at 1MHz for human whole blood from three different healthy donors shows a peak in permittivity at ∼ 4 to 5 minutes, which also corresponds to the onset of CaCl 2 -initiated coagulation of the blood sample verified visually.
Effect of Intravenous Epinephrine on Serum Magnesium and Free Intracellular Red Blood Cell Magnesium Concentrations Measured by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Hypomagnesemia is a common clinical finding in hospitalized patients and can cause hypocalcemia, cardiac arrhythmias, muscular weakness, and hypokalemia. Hypomagnesemia usually implies cellular magnesium (Mg) depletion, but stress and some clinical conditions which raise serum catecholamine concentrations may lower serum Mg (sMg) concentrations. To help investigate the mechanism and degree of the effect of catecholamines on sMg concentration, we gave intravenous epinephrine (0.1 microgram/kg/min) to 12 normal volunteers for 2 hours. The sMg concentration fell from 1.86 +/− 0.04 mg/dl to 1.63 +/− 0.05 mg/dl (mean +/− SEM, p less than 0.01). Pre-infusion intracellular free Mg (Mg++) in red blood cells (RBC) as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrophotometry (NMR) was 171 +/− 7.6 microM and did not differ significantly from post-infusion RBC Mg++, 186 +/− 12.6 microM. Total blood mononuclear cell Mg content and urine Mg excretion also did not change. These data suggest that epinephrine has a small b...
Strontium-Basalt Reactions under Nuclear Waste Repository Conditions

Hydrothermal interactions of Sr as strontium chloride or hydroxide with basalts or basalt phases were investigated at 300°C for 4 and/or 12 weeks under a confining pressure of 30MPa. The nature and extent of Sr immobilization varied with the Sr source and with the basalt or basalt phase which immobilized up to 99.99% of the added Sr. The main mechanism of Sr fixation with basalts seems to be ion exchange when SrCl2 was the Sr source. Among the basalt phases, basalt glass was the most effective for SrCl2 immobilization by probably forming new strontium mineral phases. However, when Sr(OH)2 reacted with basalts or basalt phases Sr was immobilized by the crystallization of strontium aluminosilicates such as SrAl2Si2O8 . These results of Sr-nearfield interactions in a basalt repository indicate that basalt can be a good barrier for Sr migration from nuclear wastes.
Contrast processing by ON and OFF bipolar cells

Much of what is currently known about the visual response of retinal bipolar cells is based on studies of rod-dominant responses to flashes in the dark in the isolated retina. This minireview summarizes quantitative findings on contrast processing in the intact light-adapted retina based on intracellular recording from more than 400 cone-driven bipolar cells in the tiger salamander: 1) In the main, the contrast responses of ON and OFF cells are surprisingly similar, suggesting a need to refine the view that ON and OFF cells provide the selective substrates for processing of positive and negative contrasts, respectively. 2) Overall, the response is quite nonlinear, showing very high gain for small contrasts, some 10-15 times greater than that of cones, but then quickly approaches saturation for higher contrasts. 3) Under optimal conditions of light adaptation, both classes of bipolar cells show evidence for efficient coding with respect to the contrasts in natural images. 4) There is a marked diversity within both the ON and OFF bipolar cell populations and an absence of discrete subtypes. The dynamic ranges bracket the range of contrasts in nature. 5) For both ON and OFF cells, the receptive field organization shows a striking symmetry between center and surround for responses of the same polarity and thus opposite contrast polarities. 6) The latency difference between ON and OFF cells is about 30 ms, which seems qualitatively consistent with a delay due to the G-protein cascade in ON bipolar cells. 7) In sum, we report quantitative evidence for at least 11 transformations in signal processing that occur between the voltage response of cones and the voltage response of bipolar cells.
Assessing the gender gap in just earnings and its underlying mechanisms

We report new theoretical and empirical developments in the study of the gender gap in just earnings-the earnings regarded as just, in the eyes of observers-estimating both the gap and the mechanisms by which just earnings are produced. Four models previously presented are elaborated to include effects of experience as well as education ; data from a new and larger sample are used; and improved procedures for measuring the just reward are introduced. Results show that the gender gap in perceived just earnings has closed for these respondents but that gender-related differences persist in the mechanisms by which just earnings are produced.
Effect of Stator Vane Sweep on High Frequency Fan Noise and Comparison with Experiment

The effect of vane sweep in a turbofan engine is studied using CAAT-S, a rotor-wake/stator interaction code. The numerical results are compared to NASA Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) data. CAAT-S is a computationally efficient three-dimensional solver based on the Euler equations linearized about a rotational subsonic mean flow. It accounts for swirl, vane loading, and 3D stator geometry. CAAT-S yields directly the radiated sound in terms of the duct modes at the typically large frequencies associated with the fan rotor/stator interaction. Two fan exit guide vane configurations, three power levels, and three blade passing frequencies are considered. CAAT-S results show approximately 5 dB sound power level (PWL) reduction due to adding 30° sweep to the fan exit guide vanes geometry at different operating conditions. This is in agreement with NASA SDT data. While in some cases, CAAT-S calculated PWL underpredicts NASA data by about 3 dB, the trend predictions are within the scatter of the data and give the correct noise reduction level of vane sweep.
Evaluation of Knowla: An Online Assessment and Learning Tool

The assessment of learning in large online courses requires tools that are valid, reliable, easy to administer, and can be automatically scored. We have evaluated an online assessment and learning ...
Clinical significance of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and norepinephrine in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide( NT-pro BNP) and norepinephrine( NE) in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease( HFMD). Methods One hundred and two cases of children with HFMD,including 55 ordinary HFMD cases and 47 severe cases,were enrolled in the study. And 30 healthy children were selected as normal control. The NT-pro BNP and NE were examined in all children and checked again in the severe cases when they entered the recovery period. Results The differences of NT-pro BNPand NE between ordinary HFMD group and control were not statistically significant( P 0. 05). The significant differences were seen in the severe HFMD group compared with the ordinary HFMD cases and healthy children( P 0. 05). The NT-pro BNP and NE were significantly lower in children with severe HFMD when they entered the recovery period( P 0. 05). Conclusions The NT-pro BNP and NE could be used as a valuable predictor for diagnosis,observing tendency and predicting prognosis of severe HFMD.
Reducing combinatorics in GUI testing of android applications

The rising popularity of Android and the GUI-driven nature of its apps have motivated the need for applicable automated GUI testing techniques. Although exhaustive testing of all possible combinations is the ideal upper bound in combinatorial testing, it is often infeasible, due to the combinatorial explosion of test cases. This paper presents TrimDroid, a framework for GUI testing of Android apps that uses a novel strategy to generate tests in a combinatorial, yet scalable, fashion. It is backed with automated program analysis and formally rigorous test generation engines. TrimDroid relies on program analysis to extract formal specifications. These specifications express the app’s behavior (i.e., control flow between the various app screens) as well as the GUI elements and their dependencies. The dependencies among the GUI elements comprising the app are used to reduce the number of combinations with the help of a solver. Our experiments have corroborated TrimDroid’s ability to achieve a comparable coverage as that possible under exhaustive GUI testing using significantly fewer test cases.
Professionalism: One Size Does Not Fit All

When a child is born with or acquires special needs, the parents may find some parental tasks more difficult. They may not know how to make their tasks easier, or that some parents find it exceptionally rewarding and meaningful to raise their children with special needs. This piece explores how clinicians might share this potentially life-altering information. It also explores when and why clinicians might want to make one-of-a-kind exceptions to their usual professional practices.
Photodynamic Tumor Therapy: Mitochondrial Benzodiazepine Receptors as a Therapeutic Target

Photodynamic therapy employs photosensitive agents such as porphyrins to treat a variety of tumors accessible to light-emitting probes. This approach capitalizes on the selective retention of porphyrins by cancer cells. Cancer cells also have elevated levels of mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors which bind porphyrins with high affinity. Cultured cancer cell lines were exposed to porphyrin and porphyrin-like compounds and then irradiated with light. Cytotoxicity of this treatment was measured via clonogenic assays. Mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptor pharmacology was studied using [3H] PK11195 binding to cancer cell homogenates and isolated kidney mitochondrial membranes. We show that therapeutic potencies of porphyrins correlate closely with affinities for mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors. Sensitivities of tumor cell lines to photodynamic therapy parallel their densities of these receptors. We propose that porphyrin photodynamic therapy is mediated by mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors.
Antiphospholipid Immunoreactivity and TIAs

Clinical features that may predict the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in young patients with transient focal neurological events were determined in a study at the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI.
Mechanisms of cross-talk between the diet, the intestinal microbiome, and the undernourished host

Undernutrition remains one of the most pressing global health challenges today, contributing to nearly half of all deaths in children under five years of age. Although insufficient dietary intake a...
Improved order parameter (alignment) determination in cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films by a simple optical birefringence method

Birefringence, based on the crystal orientation of a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) film, has been investigated for the determination of crystal orientation. The prime focus of our study is to establish a simple and low-cost experimental technique using a standard UV–Vis spectrometer to determine the order parameter (S) for both isotropic and anisotropic configurations. Self-standing CNC films of various order parameters (S: 0–0.95) were prepared using shear flow with varying shear rates. The transmitted light intensity of CNC films between cross polarizers for the bright and dark fields were measured to determine the linear dichroitic ratio, which were used to calculate the order parameters of different crystalline arrangements. Two-dimensional X-ray diffraction results were compared to the birefringence technique to explore the presence of short-range amorphous order, which is significant in higher order parameter (S > 0.60) specimens. Thus, the new birefringence technique was shown to obtain a more accurate measurement of order parameter with an easier method using more common and lower cost equipment.
Implementation of Antibullying Legislation in Iowa Schools: A Qualitative Examination of School Administrators’ Perceived Barriers and Facilitators

ABSTRACTAdolescent bullying is linked to numerous adverse psychosocial effects that can persist into adulthood. In response to this problem, in 2007 Iowa adopted an antibullying statute requiring all school districts to adopt an antibullying policy. From 2013–2014, 47 semistructured interviews were conducted with school and district administrators in Iowa. Administrators identified many policy implementation challenges including limited funding and staff, and difficulties selecting prevention programs, applying the law’s bullying definition in investigations, and understanding the school’s jurisdiction for policy enforcement. Contextual barriers to implementation (e.g., media portrayals of bullying and parental attitudes) also emerged. This is the first study to use the interactive systems framework to examine antibullying law implementation, highlighting the importance of coordination among research translators, supportive organizations, and on-the-ground implementers.
Methods and Reporting Studies Assessing Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is a novel treatment option for some chronic diseases with altered gut microbiota. This analysis of 85 published reports examines studies in humans that assessed th...
Recent Advances in Tissue Engineering Strategies for the Treatment of Joint Damage

While the clinical potential of tissue engineering for treating joint damage has yet to be realized, research and commercialization efforts in the field are geared towards overcoming major obstacles to clinical translation, as well as towards achieving engineered grafts that recapitulate the unique structures, function, and physiology of the joint. In this review, we describe recent advances in technologies aimed at obtaining biomaterials, stem cells, and bioreactors that will enable the development of effective tissue-engineered treatments for repairing joint damage. 3D printing of scaffolds is aimed at improving the mechanical structure and microenvironment necessary for bone regeneration within a damaged joint. Advances in our understanding of stem cell biology and cell manufacturing processes are informing translational strategies for the therapeutic use of allogeneic and autologous cells. Finally, bioreactors used in combination with cells and biomaterials are promising strategies for generating large tissue grafts for repairing damaged tissues in pre-clinical models. Together, these advances along with ongoing research directions are making tissue engineering increasingly viable for the treatment of joint damage.
Radiological Assessment of Response to Palliative Treatments in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) response to palliative treatment entails unique complexities and requires adequate background and skills for proper image interpretation. Modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria incorporate HCC-specific amendments to standard RECIST and are currently endorsed by both the EASL-EORTC and the ESMO-ESDO guidelines. It has been shown that patients with mRECIST response after loco-regional therapies have longer survival than non-responders. However, the data are still limited for systemic therapies. Also, the pattern of tumor progression may have major implications for patient management and post-progression survival prediction. With the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the basic structure of the RECIST model might require substantial changes. Finally, caution should be exercised in translating response assessment models developed for clinical trials into clinical practice.
Flight test instrumentation system for small UAS system identification

Common open-source flight controllers have the ability to log state data, but they often are unable to log at the rates required to obtain good identification of model characteristics. They are also often unable to log important flow parameters such as angle-of-attack and sideslip angle. This paper presents a custom flight test instrumentation system that is capable of providing accurate full-state and control surface deflection measurements for Small Unmanned Air Systems. The system consists of an embedded single-board computer integrated with a collection of sensors including commercial off- the-shelf air data and inertial navigation systems, in addition to direct measurement of control deflections. Developmental Flight Test Instrumentation data logging software runs onboard the computer. This software is released as open-source. Performance of the system is verified by flight test on a quarter scale Piper PA-18 Super Cub airframe. The Observer/Kalman Identification algorithm is used in post-processing to generate linear statespace models, which are then simulated with other input sets and compared to flight data. Results presented in the paper demonstrate that the integrated flight test instrumentation system is able to provide sufficiently accurate data at a high enough sample rate for the generation of quality linear state-space models.