cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple complex somatosensory systems in mature rat molars defined by immunohistochemistry.

Abstract Objective Intradental sensory receptors trigger painful sensations and unperceived mechanosensitivity, but the receptor bases for those functions are only partly defined. We present new evidence here concerning complex endings of myelinated axons in rat molars. Design We sectioned mature rat jaws in sagittal and transverse planes to analyze neural immunoreactivity (IR) for parvalbumin, peripherin, neurofilament protein, neurotrophin receptors, synaptophysin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), or mas-related g-protein-receptor-d (Mrgprd). Results We found two complex sensory systems in mature rat molar dentin that labeled with neurofilament protein-IR, plus either parvalbumin-IR or peripherin-IR. The parvalbumin-IR system made extensively branched, beaded endings focused into dentin throughout each pulp horn. The peripherin-IR system primarily made unbeaded, fork-shaped dentinal endings scattered throughout crown including cervical regions. Both of these systems differed from neuropeptide CGRP-IR. In molar pulp we found peripherin- and parvalbumin-IR layered endings, either near special horizontal plexus arrays or in small coiled endings near tangled plexus, each with specific foci for specific pulp horns. Parvalbumin-IR nerve fibers had Aβ axons (5–7 μm diameter), while peripherin-IR axons were thinner Aδ size (2–5 μm). Mechano-nociceptive Mrgprd-IR was only found in peripherin-IR axons. Conclusions Complex somatosensory receptors in rat molars include two types of dentinal endings that both differ from CGRP-IR endings, and at least two newly defined types of pulpal endings. The PV-IR neurons with their widely branched, synaptophysin-rich, intradentinal beaded endings are good candidates for endodontic non-nociceptive, low threshold, unperceived mechanoreceptors. The complex molar dentinal and pulpal sensory systems were not found in rat incisors.
The BiolAD-DB System

The Biology of Addictive Diseases-Database (BiolAD-DB) system is a research bioinformatics system for archiving, analyzing, and processing of complex clinical and genetic data. The database schema employs design principles for handling complex clinical information, such as response items in genetic questionnaires. Data access and validation is provided by the BiolAD-DB client application, which features a data validation engine tightly coupled to a graphical user interface. Data integrity is provided by the password-protected BiolAD-DB SQL compliant server and database. BiolAD-DB tools further provide functionalities for generating customized reports and views. The BiolAD-DB system schema, client, and installation instructions are freely available at http://www.rock-efeller.edu/biolad-db .
Social Sciences: Coming Out as a Scholar Activist

This chapter is a thirteen-year longitudinal Case Study of Jesse, a transgender social scientist whose Ph.D. dissertation involved studying issues related to “atypically gendered” people—his preferred term for individuals like himself. In addition to teaching statistics at an R1 university, he is now an award-winning GLBT+ advocate who travels the country speaking about sex and gender. While aspects of graduate school were painful for Jesse, his academic work contributed meaningfully to his self-understanding. Moreover, his many opportunities to speak publically on campus facilitated his coming-out process. As a professor, he values his unique combination of personal and professional insights for their role in educating others. Viktor Frankl’s existential psychology (logotherapy) is used to interpret Jesse’s motivation for unusually personal scholarship.
Discovery of novel bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors by use of in silico docking and in vitro assays.

Topoisomerases are important targets for antibacterial and anticancer therapies. Bacterial topoisomerase I remains to be exploited for antibiotics that can be used in the clinic. Inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I may provide leads for novel antibacterial drugs against pathogens resistant to current antibiotics. TB is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide, and new TB drugs against an alternative target are urgently needed to overcome multi-drug resistance. Mycobacterium tuberculosis topoisomerase I (MtbTopI) has been validated genetically and chemically as a TB drug target. Here we conducted in silico screening targeting an active site pocket of MtbTopI. The top hits were assayed for inhibition of MtbTopI activity. The shared structural motif found in the active hits was utilized in a second round of in silico screening and in vitro assays, yielding selective inhibitors of MtbTopI with IC50s as low as 2 µM. Growth inhibition of Mycobacterium smegmatis by these compounds in combination with an efflux pump inhibitor was diminished by the overexpression of recombinant MtbTopI. This work demonstrates that in silico screening can be utilized to discover new bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors, and identifies a novel structural motif which could be explored further for finding selective bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors.
The rubidium-strontium geochronology of the Pan-African post-orogenic granites of the eastern Tibisti orogenic belt, Tibisti Massif, South-central Libya: Application to origin and tectonic evolution

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the geology, field relations, and Sr isotope geochronology of the Eghei Magmatic Series. It compares the Sr isotopic compositions of the upper Tibistian and Eghei Magmatic Series of this area to those for the Wadi Yebigue pluton and the Bin Ghanimah batholith. The Eghei Magmatic Series is significant in understanding the evolution of the eastern-Tibisti orogenic belt during the Pan-African period. Also, this chapter compares the style of evolution of the eastern-Tibisti orogenic belt to that of the Arabian, Nubian, and the Hoggar shields.
The Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Converting Enzyme

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a potent pro-inflammatory agent produced primarily by activated monocytes and macrophages (VASSALLI 1992). Originally thought to be a selective anti-tumor agent (OLD 1985) and a contributor to cachexia in cancer patients (BEUTLER and CERAMI 1988), this protein, along with interleukin (IL)-1α, is recognized as a major inflammatory cytokine. Moreover, the production of TNF-α is not restricted to monocytes and macrophages. Other cellular sources of TNF-α include lymphocytes, mast cells, polymorphonuclear cells, astrocytes and microglial cells (SUNG et al. 1988; SAWADA et al. 1989; GORDON and GALLI 1990; DJEU et al. 1990; CHUNG and BENVENISTE 1990). Increasing evidence suggests that overproduction of TNF- αis a major contributor to diverse pathologies such as septic shock, graft rejection, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (TRACY et al. 1986; PIGUET et al. 1987; PETERSON et al. 1992; WILLIAMS et al. 1992).
Homeostatic model assessment index 1 and 2 are associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D among Haitians and African-Americans living in South Florida

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the association between insulin resistance calculated by homeostatic model assessment index 1 (HOMA1-IR), homeostatic model assessment index 2 (H...
Quality-based ratings in Medicare and trends in kidney transplantation.

Objective To assess the relationship between the 2007 Medicare regulation enforcing quality standards for transplant centers and trends in kidney transplantation. Data sources Transplant centers' biannual reports and the national registry for kidney transplantation from 2003 to 2010. Study design Non-compliant (low-performing) centers were compared with centers in compliance with quality standards according to: number of transplants, waiting-list registrations, and rates of graft failures, transfers, and deaths. Multivariate regressions were estimated to evaluate the association between the regulation and transplantation outcomes. Data extraction methods Patient characteristics and outcomes were aggregated to six-month periods and linked to centers' reports. Principal findings Relative to average-performing centers, 12 percent of transplants shifted away from low-performing centers and high-performing centers captured 6 percent of this decline. Low-performing centers experienced a 2-percentage point per period decline in 1-year graft failure rates and a 15-percent decrease in registrations post-regulation, whereas high-performing centers incurred a 5-percent decrease in registrations relative to average-performing centers. Conclusions Government oversight in kidney transplantation was associated with a small downward shift in overall kidney transplants. Reductions in graft failure rates at low-performing centers may imply an increase in quality or a decline in transplantation of either marginal organs or riskier patients; whereas reductions in registrations may indicate risk aversion toward high-risk patients. Policy makers should consider making less punitive requirements for programs, which employ new transplantation techniques to expand access.
Involvement in Sports, Hippocampal Volume, and Depressive Symptoms in Children.

Abstract Background Recent studies have found that higher levels of exercise are associated with fewer symptoms of depression among young people. In addition, research suggests that exercise may modify hippocampal volume, a brain region that has been found to show reduced volume in depression. However, it is not clear whether this relationship emerges as early as preadolescence. Methods We examined data from a nationwide sample of 4191 children 9 to 11 years of age from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. The parents of the children completed the Child Behavior Checklist, providing data about the child’s depressive symptoms, and the Sports and Activities Questionnaire, which provided data about the child’s participation in 23 sports. Children also took part in a structural magnetic resonance imaging scan, providing us with measures of bilateral hippocampal volume. Results Sports involvement interacted with sex to predict depressive symptoms, with a negative relationship found in boys only (t = −5.257, β = −.115, p Conclusions These findings help illuminate a potential neural mechanism for the impact of exercise on the developing brain, and the differential effects in boys versus girls mirror findings in the animal literature. More research is needed to understand the causal relationships between these constructs.
Development and Implementation of a Wheelchair Outcomes Registry.

Abstract Objective To describe the development of a patient registry related to wheeled mobility and seating (WMS) device interventions to accumulate large datasets for clinical quality assurance and research purposes. Design Accepted guidelines for registry development were applied and anchored around the Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) questionnaire and a uniform dataset (UDS). Setting The FMA and UDS were developed under a corporate research agreement between clinical researchers and commercial providers. The questionnaires are administered in rehabilitation clinics to patients at the time of assessment for new device interventions (baseline) and readministered by telephone or other remote strategies periodically thereafter (follow-up). Participants The FMA and UDS can be administered to any patient with a mobility impairment in need of a WMS device. Interventions WMS interventions include manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, scooters, seating, and other accessories. Main Outcome Measures The FMA is a validated 10-item patient-centered outcome measure that investigates satisfaction in performing common mobility-related activities of daily living. The UDS includes variables related to age, diagnosis, and type of device used, as well as health, participation, and environmental factors. Results Currently there are over 1500 complete FMA and UDS cases at baseline and more than 600 follow-up datasets from 45 providers nationwide. Feedback indicates use of the FMA and UDS does not add burden to the clinical routine. Conclusions A registry in the field of WMS has been developed and shown to be feasible in a clinical setting. This has created an opportunity to collect large datasets to increase sample sizes for future analyses to more scientifically evaluate what types of WMS devices work best for what types of patients under varying circumstances to promote health and participation.
Eighteen-Year Review of Resident Performance on the American Urological Association In-Service Examination.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze national performance trends of urology residents on the American Urological Association In-Service Examination (ISE) over the last 18 years. METHODS Trends in the national averages on the in-service examination for each year of residency training were collected and analyzed between the years 2000 and 2017. Mean and standard error were calculated for examination performance for each year of residency. Subject-specific performance was also determined for each given year of residency. Regression analysis was used to model trends in performance as a function of residency year. RESULTS There was no significant difference in examination performance over 18 years with respect to each specific residency year. While there was an overall improvement in total scores with each advancing training year, year-over-year improvement in total examination performance began to plateau after Uro-2. Largest absolute performance improvement from Pre-Uro to Uro-4 were in subjects of “Urinary Diversion,” “Obstructive Uropathy” and “Neoplasm.” Scores in “Sexual Dysfunction, Endocrinopathy, Fertility Problems”, and “Congenital Anomalies, Embryology, Anatomy” were consistently the lowest regardless of year of training. CONCLUSION No significant change in performance was seen in each given year of residency over the 18-year period. There was improvement in overall scores as residents progressed through training, but scores plateaued after Uro-2 with minimal improvement between Uro-3 and Uro-4 years. Difference in subject scores suggests a disparity in educational focus in residency curricula and a potential need to improve the teaching strategies for subjects that tested less well throughout residency training.
Evaluation and Management of Unsuccessful Carpal Tunnel Release

Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is a routine and effective surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. Dissatisfied patients after CTR are uncommon but present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This article discusses the most common reasons for unsuccessful CTR, the appropriate ensuing workup, and current evidence regarding revision surgery. The authors’ preferred treatment algorithm for the surgical management of the unsuccessful CTR is presented.
A Dirigisme Approach to a Monetary Policy Jobs Guarantee and the Green New Deal

This article applies institutional analysis to H.R. Con. Res. 109, 2019 for the Green New Deal (GND) and a key section of the Federal Reserve Act to imagine new fiscal-monetary policy instrumentalities for community-driven economic transformation. Complementing this technical examination, dirigisme supplies philosophical grounding for the construction of a spatial Development Finance State model (DFS). The foundational program of the model is a monetary jobs guarantee (MJG) that redefines meaningful work as collateral for open labor market operations. GND mobilization advances beyond the buffer stock with communities securitizing their labor collateral to acquire direct financing for grassroots projects. To provide operational clarity, a thought experiment outlines a case study vision of this process juxtaposed with New Monetary Consensus utilization of DFS liquidity provisioning tools during the financial crisis. From this comparison, two design features improve DFS performance for the GND. First enhanced transaction transparency is achieved through digital ledger and spatial analysis technologies, while reflexivity between fiscal policy and local development goals emerges by engineering anchor institutions into the monetary architecture. Together these design features are hypothesized to democratically alter the proto-aesthetic of money and bring forth a political economy of care.
Mutual Correlation Attentive Factors in Dyadic Fusion Networks for Speech Emotion Recognition

Emotion recognition in dyadic communication is challenging because: 1. Extracting informative modality-specific representations requires disparate feature extractor designs due to the heterogenous input data formats. 2. How to effectively and efficiently fuse unimodal features and learn associations between dyadic utterances are critical to the model generalization in actual scenario. 3. Disagreeing annotations prevent previous approaches from precisely predicting emotions in context. To address the above issues, we propose an efficient dyadic fusion network that only relies on an attention mechanism to select representative vectors, fuse modality-specific features, and learn the sequence information. Our approach has three distinct characteristics: 1. Instead of using a recurrent neural network to extract temporal associations as in most previous research, we introduce multiple sub-view attention layers to compute the relevant dependencies among sequential utterances; this significantly improves model efficiency. 2. To improve fusion performance, we design a learnable mutual correlation factor inside each attention layer to compute associations across different modalities. 3. To overcome the label disagreement issue, we embed the labels from all annotators into a k-dimensional vector and transform the categorical problem into a regression problem; this method provides more accurate annotation information and fully uses the entire dataset. We evaluate the proposed model on two published multimodal emotion recognition datasets: IEMOCAP and MELD. Our model significantly outperforms previous state-of-the-art research by 3.8%-7.5% accuracy, using a more efficient model.
Conquering Corruption: An Evaluation of the European Union's Efforts in Ukraine

Even after the Revolution of 2014, reducing the level of corruption within Ukraine has remained a challenging goal. Ukraine’s border conflict makes adequately addressing the roots of its corruption without unduly undermining state capacity especially challenging. Despite this delicate situation, the establishment of a stable, lawful, and democratic Ukraine is of vital importance to the European Union given its geopolitical significance. Certain arguments in the literature provide a possible solution to both reducing levels of corruption by expanding civil society and thus improving levels of generalized social trust and social accountability. Accordingly, this paper explores the extent and effect of the EU’s support for civil society and anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine. It also examines any counterproductive results from this assistance, such as fueling public cynicism and distrust. With the limited data available, the preliminary findings of this paper suggest that while the factors influencing corruption are complex and interrelated, civil society and anti-corruption efforts may increase aid effectiveness. For more conclusive findings in the future, it will be necessary for more comprehensive and consistent data collection by the European Union and civil society organizations in Ukraine.
Developing Adaptando Dieta Y Acción Para Todos (ADAPT): An Intervention to Improve Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Latino Parents and Children Living in Rural Communities

Latino migrant farmworkers are at great risk of obesity and its concomitant negative health impacts. Obesity interventions for this underserved, minority population are limited. We expanded upon our prior intervention work in childhood obesity to develop a multi-family, behavioral intervention, ADAPT. We conducted three phases in the development of the ADAPT program: Phase 1, a needs assessment, Phase 2, in-depth focus groups with Latino parents, their children, and stakeholders, and Phase 3, a feasibility and acceptability trial to inform program optimization. Acceptability and feasibility of ADAPT promoting healthier eating and physical activity behaviors was found. Each phase of the project led to implementation changes to ADAPT, resulting in greater intervention optimization. Participants reported key facilitators and barriers to our intervention, expressing great interest in participation. They particularly liked our mindfulness session. We are currently examining the feasibility of integrating mindfulness to optimize ADAPT efficacy.
Funding and Service Delivery in Rural and Urban Local US Health Departments in 2010 and 2016.

Objectives. To investigate differences in funding and service delivery between rural and urban local health departments (LHDs) in the United States.Methods. In this repeated cross-sectional study, ...
Vision automatically exerts online and offline influences on bimanual tactile spatial perception

Abstract Vision and touch interact in spatial perception. How vision exerts online influences on tactile spatial perception is well-appreciated, but far less is known regarding how recent visual experiences modulate tactile perception offline, particularly in a bimanual context. Here, we investigated how visual cues exert both online and offline biases in bimanual tactile spatial perception. In a series of experiments, participants performed a 4-alternative forced-choice tactile detection task in which they reported the perception of peri-threshold taps on the left hand, right hand, both hands, or no touch (LRBN). Participants initially performed the LRBN task in the absence of visual cues. Subsequently, participants performed the LRBN task in blocks comprising non-informative visual cues that were presented on the left and right hands. To explore the effect of distractor salience on the visuo-tactile spatial interactions, we varied the brightness of the visual cues such that visual stimuli associated with one hand were consistently brighter than visual stimuli associated with the other hand. We found that participants performed the tactile detection task in an unbiased manner prior to experiencing visual distractors. Concurrent visual cues biased tactile performance, despite an instruction to ignore vision, and these online effects tended to be larger with brighter distractors. Moreover, tactile performance was biased toward the side of the brighter visual cues even on trials when no visual cues were presented during the visuo-tactile block. Using a modeling framework based on signal detection theory, we compared a number of alternative models to recapitulate the behavioral results and to link the visual influences on touch to sensitivity and criterion reductions. Our collective results imply that recent visual experiences alter the sensitivity of tactile signal detection processes while concurrent visual cues induce more liberal perceptual decisions in the context of bimanual touch.
Opportunity Seeking Migration in the United States

Knapp and White provide a timely review of innovations in U.S. domestic migration research and its consequences for the spatial distribution of population. The authors discuss the crucial shift toward migration modeling which includes site attributes such as natural amenities in addition to factors associated with improvement in earnings in the household location decision. Knapp and White address the following contemporary topics in the study of U.S. domestic migration: migrant selectivity, the use of panel data, and life course migration. They illuminate the development of inter-disciplinary U.S. domestic migration research from economics, demography, sociology, and geography. In “Opportunity Seeking Migration in the United States,” Knapp and White conclude that the results of migration research should inform the “people vs. places” policy debate because a better understanding of the determinants of migration will lead to more efficacious public policy. The authors finally assert that changing demographics will have an increasingly important role in migration patterns and regional population dynamics, providing fruitful opportunities for future migration research regarding age group specific locational preferences.
Structural control on the rheological behavior of binary P-Se supercooled liquids

Abstract The link between the atomic structure and the shear relaxation behavior of PxSe100-x (0≤x≤25) supercooled liquids is investigated using Raman spectroscopy and parallel plate rheometry. The P atoms in these glasses form Se=P(Se1/2)3, P(Se1/2)3 and 2/2SeP-PSe2/2 units, which serve as cross-linkers of the [Se]n chain segments. The frequency dependence of the storage and loss moduli as well as the relaxation spectra H(τ) indicate that liquids with >85% Se are characterized by the coexistence of a slow and a fast relaxation process corresponding to bond scission/renewal and Se chain segmental motion, respectively. On the other hand, liquids with ≤85% Se display only the bond scission/renewal process. The H(τ) spectra suggest that the relaxation-time τ distribution for Se chain dynamics is a sensitive function of the chain length, while that for bond scission/renewal is controlled by the variety of bond types and structural moieties involved.
Partial Dislocation Interactions in a Face-Centred Cubic Model Sodium Lattice

Preliminary results presented deal with the mutual interaction and individual core structures of Shockley partial dislocations in a fcc model sodium lattice. Deviations from the predictions of linear elasticity are apparent for separations greater than about 10 Burgers vectors, due to boundary conditions, and also for separations less than about 8 Burgers vectors. The nonlinearity at small separations is of an unexpected sense, such that the partial separation is greater than the linear elastic value. The possible sources for nonlinearity are discussed in the light of the results.
Aetiology and therapeutics of burning mouth syndrome: an update

doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2010.00384.x Aetiology and therapeutics of burning mouth syndrome: an update Objective: To provide a review on the aetiology and therapeutic options for the management of patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Background: BMS is a chronic disorder that frequently affects women and is characterised by burning symptoms of the oral mucosa without clinical signs. This syndrome has a complex and multifactorial characteristics, but its aetiology remains unknown and this makes it difficult with regard to the treatment and management of such patients. Despite not being accompanied by evident organic changes and not presenting risks to health, BMS can significantly reduce the quality of life for patients. Methods and materials: The article reviews the literature regarding aetiologic factors, clinical implications and treatment of BMS. Conclusion: The involvement of neurological, emotional and hormonal alterations is proposed in BMS aetiology. However the mechanisms of its development are complex and not completely understood. Tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and antipsychotic drugs are the most accepted options in treatment and show variable results. The correct diagnosis of BMS and the exclusion of possible local or systemic factors that can be associated with the symptoms are fundamental. It is also important to evaluate the quality of life for these patients to recognise the potential impact of this condition on their lives.
Heat Transfer Through Coals and Other Naturally Occurring Carbonaceous Rocks

The understanding of heat transfer through solid fossil fuels is essential to the phenomonology of pyrolysis, gasification and combustion of these fuels. While coals have thermal conductivities of 0.1–0.5 W/mK at 300 K, heat transfer measurements are complicated by the changes found in these fuels caused by the heating processes. Such complications are clearly shown when one looks at thermal conductivity differences between virgin and heat-treated materials.
Excess Energy Dependence of Vibrational Relaxation and PhotoPhysical Branching Ratios in Isolated Aromatic Molecules: Relevance to Vacuum Ultraviolet Photochemistry

During the last decade there has been a great deal of activity in the study of electronic relaxation in gaseous organic molecules under collision-free conditions. Early experimental investigations were primarily concerned with radiationless transitions in bulk gas at ambient and elevated temperatures [1], Although these studies have yielded some useful information concerning vibronic level dependence of electronic relaxation processes, the interpretation of some of these results has been hampered by the fact that true photo selective excitation of well-defined initial quantum states cannot, in many cases, be accomplished because of the severe spectral congestion arising from thermal inhomogeneous broadening (vibrational sequence congestion and rotational broadening). Most of the recent experimental efforts, therefore, have been directed at the study of electronic relaxation in molecules which are cooled by supersonic expansion of seeded molecular beams, and which are excited by narrow-bandwidth dye lasers. Strong vibrational and rotational cooling (resulting from the supersonic expansion) significantly reduces thermal inhomogeneous broadening, thus providing greatly simplified and resolved spectra, the dynamical properties of which may be probed by laser- induced processes (e.g., fluorescence).
Inhibition of cell cycle progression by a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 65-79 of an HLA class II sequence: Functional similarities but mechanistic differences with the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin

A synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of the alpha1 alpha-helix of DQA03011 (DQ 65-79) inhibits the proliferation of human PBL and T cells in an allele-nonspecific manner. It blocks proliferation stimulated by anti-CD3 mAb, PHA-P, and alloantigen, but not by PMA and ionomycin. Substitution of each amino acid with serine shows that residues 66, 68, 69, 71-73, and 75-79 are critical for function. Inhibition of proliferation is long lasting and is not reversible with exogenous IL-2. The peptide can be added 24 to 48 h after stimulation and still block proliferation. The DQ 65-79 peptide does not affect expression of IL-2 or IL-2R; however, IL-2-stimulated proliferation is inhibited. Cell cycle progression is blocked at the G1/S transition, and the activity of cdk2 (cyclin-dependent kinase 2) kinase is impaired by the continued presence of p27. Although these results suggest a mechanism similar to that of rapamycin, the peptide inhibition is not reversed with FK-506, which indicates a distinct mechanism.
An extension of the 3GPP spatial channel model in outdoor-to-indoor environments

This paper proposes a novel outdoor-to-indoor multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) statistical channel model which integrates the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) spatial channel model extended (SCME) and a spherical power spectrum model at the mobile station (MS). A Gaussian distribution for the elevation angle of the incident waves at the MS is utilized to extend the two-dimensional (2-D) channel model in SCME into three dimensional (3-D). A modified cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) model is proposed for such outdoor-to-indoor radio scenario. To show the features of the novel MIMO channel model, simulation results are presented, including the multipath intensity profiles and the correlation functions in the domains of time, frequency, and space. Furthermore, the wideband MIMO channel outage capacities, based on the proposed model and the conventional SCME model, are compared. It is found that given the same signal to noise ratio, the outage capacity of the proposed model is slightly less than that of the conventional SCME model due to less diversity in the outdoor-to-indoor radio environment.
Fused multi-sensor data using a Kalman filter modified with interval probability support

Multi-sensor fusion problem is mainly composed of three sub-problems: selection, fusion and estimation. Selection is choosing a representative subset of the sensors. Fusion is to take two or more separate sensors data and merge them to form a single entity. Estimation is the process of identifying the features of fused data. This paper addresses the issue of estimating an original system state from fused noisy sensor data by using a Kalman filter modified with interval probability support. The "measured noise variance" in Kalman filter is varied as the confidence in the fused measurement changes. Confidence is determined by means of interval probability (evidential reasoning), and has a net effect of increasing the filter gain as the confidence increases. The modified Kalman filter is compared to one with constant noise variance, and shows an increase in estimation performance level.
Twenty-Five Year Record of Changes in Plant Cover on Tundra of Northeastern Alaska

Abstract Northern Alaska has warmed over recent decades and satellite data indicate that vegetation productivity has increased. To document vegetation changes in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we monitored plant cover at 27 plots between 1984 and 2009. These are among the oldest permanently marked and continuously monitored vegetation plots in the Arctic. We quantified percent cover of all plant species by line-point intercept sampling and assessed change over time for seven plant growth forms. Cover of bryophytes and deciduous shrubs showed slight decreasing trends. Evergreen shrubs, horsetails, and depth of thawed soil above permafrost had no trends. For lichens, graminoids, and forbs, trends varied by plant community type. Overall, vegetation in the plots changed little over the study period, in contrast to results from other studies in northern Alaska. A few plots had dramatic changes, however, which we attributed to subsidence from melting ground ice or to floodplain dynamics. Our results demon...
Transportation Demand Management Benchmark: Results from 2008 TDM Program Survey

To date, limited research has identified comparative metrics for transportation demand management (TDM) programs throughout the United States. Every community is different. Hence the specific activities and strategies employed by a TDM program will likewise differ, but commonalities among programs can be illustrated for comparison and benchmarking. In April 2008, the Texas Transportation Institute conducted a comprehensive survey of TDM programs in the United States. Initial results from this effort are provided for carpool programs, vanpool programs, guaranteed ride home, employer outreach, regional marketing, and performance evaluation. To distinguish characteristics of a big city program from one with a more limited scope, results were generally delineated according to urban area size, including rural areas. However, this delineation did not substantially alter the findings, especially when controlled for population size. Small- and medium-sized TDM programs are generally involved in the same types of activities as are their larger brethren.
Differential effects of cytokines on thermosensitive neurons in guinea pig preoptic area slices

This study was undertaken to determine whether the reported different courses of the febrile responses to the cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), interferon-alpha 2 (IFN), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) might have neuroelectrophysiological correlates. The reactions of individual thermosensitive neurons in the preoptic area (POA) were evaluated by recording their extracellular single-unit firing rates (FR) in slices of guinea pig POA perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), human recombinant IL-1 (50-500 ng), IFN (1,000-8,000 U), and TNF (400-5,000 ng) (all doses per min/ml aCSF); thermosensitivity was assessed by FR responses to changes of perfusate temperature (32-42 degrees C). Overall, these cytokines depressed the FR of warm-sensitive units and excited those of cold-sensitive units, in agreement with expectations. However, the responses of individual neurons treated with two or all three cytokines were dissimilar: 61% of the units tested reacted differentially to two or three cytokines, 32% exhibited identical responses, and 7% had no response to any cytokine. These results support the possibility that IL-1, IFN, and TNF may affect not the same but rather distinct neurons functionally connected to common pyrogenic effectors. Thus they suggest that differential neuronal substrates may be utilized by each cytokine to exert its pyrogenic effect.
Critical Issues in Special Education Teacher Supply and Demand Overview

The shortage of fully certified special education teachers, which has been described as severe, chronic, and pervasive, threatens the quality of educational services that students with disabilities receive. Over the last decade, researchers have investigated the magnitude of the special education teacher shortage problem and factors that contribute to the imbalance between supply and demand. This special issue includes research syntheses that critically evaluate the complex range of factors that contribute to teacher shortages in special education. These syntheses present a review of what is known about the supply and demand problem, provide a research base to help inform efforts to address the shortage problem, and suggest research questions needing study.
Reconstruction of Allochthonous Salt Emplacement from 3-D Seismic Reflection Data, Northern Gulf of Mexico

Analysis of a 110 mi2 (284 km2) three-dimensional (3-D) seismic survey located at the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf edge documents the emplacement history of an allochthonous salt structure. A listric, counter-regional growth fault bounds the updip salt edge and apparently soles into a detachment surface from which salt was evacuated. The counter-regional fault system served as the feeder stock for the dome. The current salt shape is an asymmetric, elongated wedge, or one-sided piercement structure with a diameter of 20,000 ft (6.1 km) and maximum thickness of 13,000 ft (4.0 km). A steep fault/salt contact bounded by small, oval-shaped withdrawal subbasins on the landward side contrasts with a shallow-dipping basinward salt/sediment conta t. A relatively thin sediment cover onlaps the shallow basinward salt flank. Schematic growth history reconstructions along closely spaced cross sections from the 3-D survey suggest a three-stage emplacement process in which regional extension played a significant role. Regional seismic lines support the presence of a detachment surface in the area apparently separating Upper Cretaceous to lower Tertiary(?) sediments from upper Miocene (7.0-5.4 Ma) and younger sediments. During the first stage, an allochthonous salt sheet was emplaced during the hiatus and then segmented. From the middle to late Pliocene (4.0-2.2 Ma), the salt structure evolved by downbuilding (the second stage), remaining close to the ocean floor surface and covered by only a thin sediment veneer. After the beginning of the Illinoian glacial stage (0.85 Ma), the deep source salt layer was dep eted and the dome was quickly buried by up to 1700 ft (520 m) of sediment during the third stage. Seismic amplitude anomalies associated with structural disconformities indicate a possible salt evacuation surface, or salt weld, along the deep feeder stock. Geohistory diagrams indicate extremely rapid local subsidence in the withdrawal basin, which contains up to 12,000 ft (3.6 km) of Pleistocene sediment. Such accelerated subsidence, in conjunction with the fault/salt geometry, contributed to the development of hydrocarbon reservoirs near the dome flanks.
Temperature variation of the relaxation time of alpha-dispersion for gamma-irradiated collagen.

Abstract The effect of gamma irradiation, with doses from 10 2 to 10 3 kGy, on the dielectric relaxation time of solid-state collagen was studied. Temperature measurements of the relaxation time were made over a range of frequency of the electric field from 10 1 to 10 5 Hz and at temperatures from 298 to 480 K. The samples contained 0.06 g H 2 O/g dry collagen. The dependencies obtained indicate that values for the relaxation time decrease with increasing temperature for all samples of collagen. In addition, an increase in the irradiation dose resulted in a decreased relaxation time for collagen at each temperature studied. These changes can be interpreted on the basis of proton conduction processes. Such effects occurring in a heterogeneous medium such as a collagen-water system are caused by the localized jumping of free protons between neighbouring sites. In the system of irradiated collagen studied, the sites are formed by structural water molecules, the products of its radiolysis and also by elements of the damaged first-order structure of the collagen macromolecule.
The Cell Centered Database project: An update on building community resources for managing and sharing 3D imaging data

Databases have become integral parts of data management, dissemination, and mining in biology. At the Second Annual Conference on Electron Tomography, held in Amsterdam in 2001, we proposed that electron tomography data should be shared in a manner analogous to structural data at the protein and sequence scales. At that time, we outlined our progress in creating a database to bring together cell level imaging data across scales, The Cell Centered Database (CCDB). The CCDB was formally launched in 2002 as an on-line repository of high-resolution 3D light and electron microscopic reconstructions of cells and subcellular structures. It contains 2D, 3D, and 4D structural and protein distribution information from confocal, multiphoton, and electron microscopy, including correlated light and electron microscopy. Many of the data sets are derived from electron tomography of cells and tissues. In the 5 years since its debut, we have moved the CCDB from a prototype to a stable resource and expanded the scope of the project to include data management and knowledge engineering. Here, we provide an update on the CCDB and how it is used by the scientific community. We also describe our work in developing additional knowledge tools, e.g., ontologies, for annotation and query of electron microscopic data.
The Eclectic Method in New Testament Textual Criticism: Solution or Symptom?

The “eclectic method” in NT textual criticism is one of several disguises for the broad and basic problem of the “canons of criticism” or of the “criteria for originality” as applied to the various readings in the NT textual tradition, and in a real sense eclectic methodology—in its several forms as currently practised—is as much a symptom of basic problems in the discipline as it is a proposed and widely applied solution to those problems. By the same token, perhaps every methodological approach and even every discussion of methodology in NT textual criticism could be described as symptomatic of the problems; yet the eclectic method seems in a particularly pointed way to veil the problems of the discipline, for by its very nature it tries in one way or another to utilize all available approaches to textual problems, and in a single given case of seeking the original text it often wishes to apply to the problem several established text-critical criteria, even if these criteria have the appearance of being mutually exclusive or contradictory.
Factors associated with tracheotomy and decannulation in pediatric bilateral vocal fold immobility.

Abstract Objective Describe the natural history of all-cause bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) in pediatric patients and analyze factors associated with tracheotomy and subsequent decannulation. Methods This is a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with complete or partial BVFI at a metropolitan private pediatric otolaryngology practice between 2001 and 2012. Records were reviewed for data on demographics, etiologies, vocal fold position, and BVFI resolution. Patients requiring tracheotomy were further investigated for tracheotomy duration and associated complications and procedures. Results One hundred two patients were included, with a median (range) follow-up of 32.9 (0.3–124.2) months. Of these, 68.6% required tracheotomy. Tracheotomies were more likely in those with concomitant airway disease ( p = 0.005) and paramedian vocal fold position compared to lateral position ( p = 0.02). Among patients requiring tracheotomy, 64.3% underwent decannulation during follow up. Decannulation was more likely in those who demonstrated VFI resolution ( p = 0.002) and those with idiopathic compared to neurogenic etiologies ( p = 0.003). Median duration of cannulation was 30.6 (0.5–297.3) months. The most common tracheotomy-related complication requiring medical attention was tracheal and stomal granuloma formation (77.1%), while the most frequent associated procedures included granuloma excision (47.1%) and airway reconstruction (31.4%). Of those who avoided tracheotomy, 40.6% did not demonstrate BVFI resolution during median follow up of 13.4 (0.6–44.4) months. Conclusions Most pediatric BVFI patients require tracheotomy, with the majority of those undergoing eventual decannulation. A better understanding of the factors associated with tracheotomy and subsequent decannulation improves the otolaryngologist's ability to counsel parents and caregivers of children with BVFI.
Short‐term saralasin blockade of renal hypertension in fetal lambs.

1. In the fetal lamb, suprarenal aortic blood flow reduction is known to lead to an upper body hypertension. The dependency of this hypertension on the renin-angiotensin system was investigated. 2. Intravenous infusions of saralasin or saline vehicle were begun before suprarenal aortic blood flow reduction and continued for 24 h. 3. In those fetuses receiving saline, upper body arterial blood pressure was significantly elevated both 60 min (P < 0.05) and 24 h (P < 0.05) after blood flow reduction. In those fetuses receiving an infusion of saralasin, upper body arterial blood pressure failed to rise after 60 min of blood flow reduction. However, 24 h later, blood pressure was elevated (P < 0.05), though the increase was not as great as that seen in the saline infused fetuses (P < 0.05). 4. From these results, we conclude that the initial increase in upper body arterial blood pressure seen after suprarenal aortic blood flow reduction is dependent upon the renin-angiotensin system. However, as early as 1 day later, some other mechanism is responsible for sustaining the hypertension.
The Beatles, the Nobel Prize, and CT Scanning of the Chest

Chest CT scanning has come a long way since 1975. Anatomic images are now superb and functional imaging is in its early stages.
A new species of Pseudoleskea (Leskeaceae) from the Sierra Nevada of California, U.S.A

A new species of Leskeaceae, Pseudoleskea tribulosa, is described and illustrated from limestone outcrops in subalpine coniferous forests of Yosemite National Park in the central Sierra Nevada of California.
Diffenbaugh receives 2006 James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award

Noah Diffenbaugh is a truly interdisciplinary geoscientist who has already made significant contributions to the field of high-resolution climate modeling. His interests are varied and include climate/carbon dioxide/vegetation interactions, the response of extreme temperatures and precipitation events as well as the response of easternboundary current regions to anthropogenic radiative forcing, mechanisms of Holocene climate variability, and the potential impacts of future climate on human systems. An outcome of his climate studies is the discouraging prognosis for U.S., especially California, viticulture and enology in light of anticipated global warming. Noah is at the forefront of computational high-resolution climate modeling, which will become an essential tool for policy planners by providing details that cannot be simulated by global models.
Robustness and information capacity of learning rules for neutral network models

Abstract Investigating different learning rules concerning their robustness against dilution and static noise we find a clear complementary relationship between robustness and high storage capacity. For models based on the Hebbian rule it is shown that the information capacity becomes maximal if the synapses are restricted to the values (0, ±1) only.