cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glaucoma 2.0: neuroprotection, neuroregeneration, neuroenhancement.

Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) associated with characteristic axon degeneration in the optic nerve. Clinically, our only method of slowing glaucomatous loss of vision is to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), but lowering IOP is only partially effective and does not address the underlying susceptibility of RGCs to degeneration. We review the recent steps forward in our understanding of the pathophysiology of glaucoma and discuss how this understanding has given us a next generation of therapeutic targets by which to maintain RGC survival, protect or rebuild RGC connections in the retina and brain, and enhance RGC function. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
High Altitude-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Normal Cattle

Six months residence at an altitude of 10,000 feet produced significant pulmonary hypertension and arterial oxygen desaturation (86 per cent) in 10 normal steers born at 3,600 feet. Six of these animals, during the course of the experiment, showed a rise in mean pulmonary arterial pressure from 27 to 45 mm. Hg. The remaining four animals developed more severe pulmonary hypertension, and two with mean pressures greater than 100 mm. Hg had right heart failure. All 10 showed right ventricular hypertrophy proportional to the degree of pulmonary hypertension. Ten steers of similar age and origin, maintained as controls at 5,000 feet, showed a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of 27 mm. Hg throughout the experiment. The pulmonary hypertension observed at high altitude is considered to be due to an increased pulmonary vascular resistance resulting from a reduction in the total cross-sectional area of the pulmonary vascular bed. Chronic hypoxia appeared to be the most important etilogical factor responsible for initiating the hypertension. The observed beneficial effects of 100 per cent oxygen inhalation and the prompt recovery of an affected animal when moved to lower altitude supported the concept of pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia.
Comparison of the Removal of Radiostrontium from In Vivo- and In Vitro-Labeled Milk by Ion Exchange Resins

Summary Studies were made to determine differences in the amount of radiostrontium removed by ion exchange resins from milk labeled in vivo and in vitro with Sr 85 or Sr 89 , or both. The distribution of Sr 85 and calcium between phases of centrifugally fractionated milk was also studied. The milks were adjusted to pH levels as low as 5.2 with citric acid before passing through ion exchange columns, and before centrifuging. The amount of strontium removed varied from about 95% at pH 5.25 to 45% at pH 6.65 for in vitro-labeled milk. The amounts for in vitro-labeled milk were only slightly higher at low pH, but ranged from 79 to 50% at pH 6.65, for equilibration times of 30min and 120 hr, respectively, before resin contact. Portions of milk labeled in vivo with Sr 85 were centrifuged at 105,000×G for 90min. The amounts of strontium in the serum were 86, 46, and 19%, respectively, for pH levels of 5.2, 5.8, and 6.6. Corresponding calcium levels were 84, 59, and 33%. Practically all of the remainder was in the sediment. Less than 1% was recovered in the fat layer.
Adhesion and Tribological Behavior of Si-DLC Coatings on Steel Processed by Ion Beam-Assisted Deposition

Amorphous silicon-containing diamond-like carbon (Si-DLC) films were processed by Ar+ ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) on AISI 4130, 17-7 PH, 440-C, and 4340 alloy steel specimens, as well as Cr-preplated and TiN-precoated-Cr-preplated 4340 steel specimens. Coating thicknesses ranging from 1.8 to 4.31 μm were obtained, and increased with increasing beam current density and appeared to depend on the composition of the steel substrate. Microhardness values were slightly lower for the coating on Cr-preplated 4340 steel (1,017 KHN) and substantially higher for the coating on TiN-precoated 4340 steel (1,825 KHN). The cohesion and adhesion failure loads increased with increasing coating thickness and underlying layer hardness. The adhesion failure load of the coating on TiN-precoated-Cr-preplated 4340 steel exceeded those on other substrates. The friction coefficient of the coating surface was lower for the Cr-preplated 4340 specimen and substantially lower for the TiN-precoated-Cr-preplated substrate. Wear resistance seemed to be practically the same for coated 4340 or 17-7 PH steel substrates (3.16 × 10−6 to 8.60 × 10−6 mm3 N−1m−1).
Baboons, space, time and energy

How are social organization and ecology related to each other? Yellow baboons, hamadryas baboons, and gelada monkeys are all large, terrestrial African primates, but they have three different patterns of social organization, and they live in three, markedly different habitats: savannah, steppe-desert, and alpine heather-meadowland, respectively. An attempt is made to provide testable hypotheses and heuristic principles that can relate these two classes of phenomena.
The Presence of Ribulose 1,5-Diphosphate Carboxylase in the Nonphotosynthetic Endosperm of Germinating Castor Beans

Ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase was detected in extracts of germinating castor bean (Ricinus communis var. Hale) endosperms. This is the first report of this enzyme in a nonphotosynthetic (no chlorophyll) plant tissue. Radioactive 3-phosphoglyceric acid has been identified as the principle product resulting from the enzymatic condensation of 14C-bicarbonate and ribulose-1,5-diP in endosperm extracts. The Km values of bicarbonate and ribulose-1,5-diP for the endosperm carboxylase are 1.14 × 10−2m and 7.5 × 10−5m, respectively. The carboxylase activity peaks at 4 days in endosperms of castor beans germinated in the dark. The specific activity of the carboxylase at this stage of germination is 4.3 μmoles of 3-phosphoglycerate formed/mg protein·hr. The presence of ribulose-1,5-diP carboxylase and other enzymes of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway show the potential of this pathway in castor bean endosperms.
Worldview theory and conceptual change in science education

Conceptual change is simple idea. If students are given an opportunity to construct scientifically orthodox conceptions, if they then come to see that these conceptions are more intelligible, plausible, and fruitful than other conceptions, the students will change their conceptions for scientific ones. This rationalistic view is embedded in a narrowly conceived notion of the role knowledge plays in an individual's life and fails to recognize that students' everyday conceptions differ from science because they serve a different purpose. Conceptual change instruction is intended to foster a scientific view of the world. This goal is wrong-headed. Science needs to be joined with the other school disciplines in the common goal of developing student world-views of which science is one articulated component. Conceptual change should become more plausible for students when they have been invited to a discourse on what are the important questions of life, what are the various answers, and what does science have to contribute to the common human quest for a meaningful life. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Policy growth and transportation planning in the Detroit Metropolitan Area

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING did not start with the contemporary' era in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. A combination of public and private choices has been made since the days of pre-history which has caused a more or less coherent system of communication arrangements to take form and shape. The thinking, willing, reasoned responses of man in the immediate post-Pleistocene period, the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, and in the paleo-neotechnical period have produced a regional system of transportational behavior which, despite its many drawbacks and imperfections, somehow works; is, in other words, more than a mere congeries of disconnected phenomena.
Polyethylene glycol solution contact effects on seed germination.

While polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions have been used to control water potential in numerous seed germination investigations, there is concern that PEG solution-seed contact may reduce seed germination. The PEG solution-seed contact effect on seed germination was evaluated on four grass species: sideoats grama [ (Michaux) Torrey], buffelgrass [ L.], Lehmann lovegrass [ Nees], and kleingrass [ L.]. A water potential control system for seed germination was developed that controlled PEG (8000 mol. wt.) solution-seed contact. Seeds were germinated on filter paper and ellulose membrane over the water potential range of 0.0 to −1.62 MPa. Buffelgrass and Lehmann lovegrass 21-d germination and germination rate index (GRI) were not affected by PEG solution-seed contact. Sideoats grama and kleingrass showed reduced germination and GRI without PEG solution contact on the cellulose membrane. The reduction was attributed to the hydraulic conductivity at the seedwater- membrane contact point which was influenced by PEG solution water potential and seed size and shape. Therefore, it was concluded EG solution-seed contact does not reduce seed germination.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1848 AND THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF WORK

The remarkable growth of social history during the past two decades has changed substantially what we know and how we think about nineteenthcentury Europe. In 1963, for example, Peter Amann wrote in the pages of The American Historical Review that "For over [a century] the French Revolution of 1848 has proved a source of embarassment for historians."' He would never say that today. A torrent of books and articles has carried us into the nooks and crannies of life in France around the middle of the past century. We have visited villages in Provence and workshops in Lyon, listened in on Icarian societies and revolutionary clubs, peered over Parisian barricades, tracked down opponents of the coup d'Etat, and even tried to get inside the heads of ordinary workers.2 Although we now know much more about 1848, one thing was clear when Amann voiced his lament; the Revolution was linked in some way to a general crisis of the French economy. Marx had said as much, of course, but it was not until the publication of a collection of articles edited by Ernest Labrousse in 1956 that historians generally accepted it as true.3 Because Labrousse was an expert on the economic origins of the Revolution of 1789, it came as a disappointment that, having established its existence, he and his students never got around to probing the precise nature of the relationship between political and economic upheaval in 1848. We have not made much progress since, either. In their important article "The People of June, 1848," for example, Charles Tilly and Lynn Lees resort to the metaphor of an economic funnel channeling a revolutionary stream of milk.4
Effect of Electrical Stimulation of the Preoptic Area on Plasma LH Concentrations in Proestrous Rats

The present studies have measured, by radioimmunoassay, the changes which occur in plasma LH concentration in individual unanesthetized rats during various hours on the day of proestrus. These patterns have been compared with those which occur in proestrous rats treated with an ovulation blocking dosage of Nembutal (sodium pentobarbital) and in Nembutal- blocked rats in which “ovulation inducing” electrical stimuli were delivered either unilaterally or bilaterally to the medial preoptic area (POA). The “critical period” for hypothalamic activation of the adenohypophysis was established as occurring between 1300 and 1500 in these animals. In the normal proestrous rat, while the time of initial increase in plasma LH concentration varied from rat to rat, the majority of animals studied exhibited peak concentration in plasma LH between 1500 and 1600. Thereafter, plasma LH declined rapidly, and it reached approximately basal levels by 1900. Injection of Nembutal at 1245 prevented any increase in plasma LH duri...
Designed Amino Acids That Induce β-Sheet Folding and β-Sheet Interactions in Peptides

For the past several years, our research laboratory has been developing chemical models of protein β-sheets in which molecular templates induce β-sheet structure in attached peptide strands [1]. We have termed these structures artificial β-sheets and call the templates a molecular scaffold and a β-strand mimic to reflect their structural roles. The molecular scaffold holds the peptide and peptidomimetic groups in proximity; the β-strand mimic duplicates the hydrogen-bonding functionality of a peptide β-strand and helps align the peptide strand by hydrogen bonding to it. A few years ago, we asked the deceptively simple question: “What happens when we move the β-strand mimic to the bottom edge of an artificial β-sheet?” [2] Its answer proved both exciting and significant. Not only did the molecules fold to adopt β-sheet-like structures, but these structures also formed well-defined hydrogen-bonded dimers in chloroform solution. This result is noteworthy, both because peptides generally do not form well-defined dimers (they aggregate) and because many proteins do.
Immunohistochemical analysis of human peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues using monoclonal antibodies immunoreactive with non-lymphoid cells.

Immunoperoxidase methods were used to study human peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues using a panel of monoclonal antibodies to non-lymphoid cells. The majority of peripheral blood monocytes were immunoreactive for LeuM1, LeuM2, LeuM3 and LeuM5. Rare peripheral blood monocytes were immunoreactive for R4/23. The different antibodies showed characteristic patterns of immunoreactivity in peripheral lymphoid tissues. LeuM1 was immunoreactive with scattered cells in the paracortex of lymph node and tonsil and with many cells in the marginal zone of the spleen. LeuM2 was immunoreactive with endothelial cells in lymph node and tonsil. A few cells in the red pulp of the spleen were immunoreactive for LeuM2. LeuM3 and R4/23 showed distinctive immunoreactivity in germinal centers of secondary follicles, giving a “lacy” pattern. LeuM3 was also immunoreactive with endothelium in lymph node and tonsil and with sinus lining cells in lymph node. LeuM5 was immunoreactive with macropages in the germinal center, fibroblastic reticulum cells in the mantle zone and interdigitating reticulum cells in the paracortex of lymph node and tonsil.
Xenogeneic extracellular matrix as a scaffold for tissue reconstruction.

Abstract Bioscaffolds derived from xenogeneic extracellular matrix (ECM) have been used in numerous tissue engineering applications. The safety and efficacy of such scaffolds when used for the repair and reconstruction of numerous body tissues including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, urogenital and integumentary structures has been shown in both preclinical animal studies and in human clinical studies. More than 200 000 human patients have been implanted with xenogeneic ECM scaffolds. These ECM scaffolds are typically prepared from porcine organs such as small intestine or urinary bladder, which are subjected to decellularization and terminal sterilization without significant loss of the biologic effects of the ECM. The composition of these bioscaffolds includes the structural and functional proteins that are part of native mammalian extracellular matrix. The three-dimensional organization of these molecules distinguishes ECM scaffolds from synthetic scaffold materials and is associated with constructive tissue remodeling instead of scar tissue. The biologic response to these xenogeneic bioscaffolds, including the immune response, is discussed herein.
Development of the Stimulant Medication Outcome Expectancies Questionnaire for College Students

Non-prescribed use of stimulant medication among college students has become a public health concern. Although it has been well-established that outcome expectancies play a prominent role in initiation and maintenance of drinking behaviors it is unknown if and how outcome expectancies influence non-prescribed use of stimulant medication among college students. The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale that assesses outcome expectancies of non-prescribed use of stimulant medication. A 16-item Stimulant Medication Outcome Expectancy Questionnaire (SMOEQ) was created using qualitative information given by introductory psychology students regarding their expectancies about misusing stimulant medication. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified a three-factor solution: the Academic factor, Recreational factor, and Negative Physiological Effects factor, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the factor structure identified in the EFA and indicated a modest fit of the hypothesized factor structure to the data. Correlation analyses provided support for the internal consistency and construct validity of the SMOEQ.
Modulation of the equatorial F‐region by the quasi‐16‐day planetary wave

[1] In situ electron density measurements from the CHAMP satellite and global positioning system total electron content (TEC) observations are used to illustrate how quasi-16-day planetary wave activity influences the structure of the low-latitude ionosphere. SABER temperature measurements reveal that quasi-16-day oscillations in the dynamo region (110 km) during the time interval of 1 December 2005 to 1 March 2006 are most dominant in the zonal mean. Enhancements in equatorial zonal mean temperatures in the E-region are connected with enhancements at ±10–20° magnetic latitude in zonal mean CHAMP electron densities and TEC. At a near-constant altitude of 350 km, the oscillations in daytime electron densities are greater than 40 percent of background levels. A local time effect is also observed in the planetary wave influence on the F-region electron densities. These results demonstrate that vertically propagating planetary waves induce significant variability in the low-latitude F-region ionosphere and that these effects are seen at all longitudes.
Synthesis of polyamino derivatives of ethidium

Abstract The tetraphenylborate salt of ethidium was prepared and allowed to react with acid chlorides, fallowed by amines, to yield polyamino amido derivatives.
Colonization and infection by Serratia species in a paediatric surgical intensive care unit

Serratia species are known for the infections they cause in adult and neonatal intensive care patients. Little is known about colonization and infection in paediatric intensive care patients. This study aims to describe the type of infections in critically ill newborns, infants and children, caused by Serratia spp., to compare patients colonized by Serratia spp. to patients colonized with other micro-organisms, and to assess the importance of the respiratory and digestive tracts as reservoirs. To this end, all microbiological samples taken from patients in our paediatric surgical intensive care unit between January 1986 and November 1993 were retrieved from the hospital database and patient records reviewed. Serratia spp. were isolated 1356 times from 97 patients. Eighty-five infections were diagnosed in 40 patients. Infections of the respiratory tract occurred most frequently (n = 65), followed by septicaemia (13), urinary tract infections (3), omphalitis (2), meningitis (1) and conjunctivitis (1). Colonization by Serratia spp. was associated with early age at admission, long ICU stay and high mortality. Both the respiratory and digestive tracts were frequently colonized. Our findings do not support the contention that the digestive tract is more important as reservoir than the respiratory tract in neonates.
Automatic parsing for content analysis

Although automatic syntactic and semantic analysis is not yet possible for all of an unrestricted natural language text, some applications, of which content analysis is one, do not have such a stringent coverage requirement. Preliminary studies show that the Harvard Syntactic Analyzer can produce correct and unambiguous identification of the subject and object of certain verbs for approximately half of the relevant occurences. This provides a degree of coverage for content analysis variables which compares favorably to manual methods, in which only a sample of the total available text is normally processed.
Diffusion barriers for CdS/CdTe Solar cells fabricated on flexible substrates

Thin film CdS/CdTe solar cells of the substrate configuration have been fabricated on stainless steel substrates. Impurities diffusing from the substrate to the film during fabrication were detrimental to the performance of the cells. SiO2, Si3N4, and MoxNy (molybdenum nitride) diffusion barriers were used in order to study the effect of these barriers on cell performance. The results suggest that cell performance improves with the use of these barriers. MoxNy resulted in the best performance solar cells. A critical step for high efficiency CdTe solar cells is the cadmium chloride heat treatment (CdCl2-HT). Different conditions of the CdCl2-HT were studied in order to optimize the parameters for the treatment of the substrate solar cells.
Spectral variability constraints on multispectral and hyperspectral mapping performance

Common approaches to multispectral imagery (MSI) and hyperspectral imagery (HSI) data analysis often utilize key image endmember spectra as proxies for ground measurements to classify imagery based on their spectral signatures. Most of these, however, take an average spectral signature approach and do not consider spectral variability. Multiple spectral measurements, whether from imagery data or utilizing a field spectrometer, demonstrate high variability linked not only to inherent material variability, but to acquisition parameters such as spatial and spectral resolution, and spectral mixing. This research explores causes and characteristics of spectral variability in remotely sensed data and its effect on spectral classification and mapping. WorldView-2 multispectral imagery and Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral (HSI) data at similar spatial resolutions were corrected to reflectance using a model-based approach supplemented by field spectral measurements. A second AVIRIS dataset at lower spatial resolution was also used. These data were then analyzed using ground and image spectral endmember spectra. Endmember spectra were assessed in terms of their spectral variability, and statistical and spectral-feature-based classification approaches were tested and compared. Results illustrate that improved mapping can be achieved when spectral variability of individual endmembers is taken into account in the classification.
A model of forecast precision using segment disclosures: implications for SFAS no. 131

Abstract This paper models the use of segment information in forecasting earnings. The model derives four conditions under which segment information is expected to increase earnings forecast precision. Forecast precision should increase with (1) greater differentiation across segment forecast factors (i.e., expected segment growth, expected inflation, political risk), (2) greater disaggregation of earnings, (3) greater predictive accuracy of segment forecast factors, and (4) greater accuracy in measuring the segment weights. The second half of the paper provides a practical analysis of the four conditions. The analysis of each condition includes an important implication regarding the potential contribution of the new standard for segment disclosures, SFAS No. 131, in improving the usefulness of segment information from a forecasting perspective. Two negative and two positive implications of SFAS No. 131 are discussed. Relating the new standard to conditions (1) and (2), forecast precision may have been hindered in certain situations by not defining segments according to risk, return, and growth characteristics and by the materiality guidelines (or lack thereof for enterprise-wide disclosures). Relating the new standard to conditions (3) and (4), forecast precision will likely improve due to the availability of interim segment information and the impact of the management approach increasing the measurement accuracy of individual segments.
Effects of Temperature upon the Formation of Vertebrae and Fin Rays in Young Chinook Salmon

Abstract Experiments in each of three successive years were designed to observe the effect of temperature upon chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytsch (Walbaum), during the period from the egg to the fingerling stage. Experimental temperatures ranged from 34° F. to 74° F. but there were no survivals to the stage where vertebrae or fin rays could be counted for lots reared at temperatures below 39° F. or above 62° F. For these experiments the average number of vertebrae per lot was less for lots reared at temperatures in the middle portion of the 39° F. to 62° F. range than for lots reared at either extreme of the range. The same effect was observed in regard to the number of individuals with abnormal vertebrae, but the opposite effect was observed in regard to the numbers of rays in the anal and dorsal fins. The average numbers of vertebrae in the lots from the Sacramento River (California) and the three Washington rivers—Skagit, Green and Entiat—and reared at the same temperature (56° F.) were respective...
An alternate geometric perspective on MIMO systems

An alternate graphical representation of linear, time-invariant, multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) system dynamics is proposed that is highly suited for exploring the influence of closed-loop system parameters. The development is based on the adjustment of a scalar forward gain multiplying a cascaded multivariable controller/plant embedded in an output feedback configuration. By tracking the closed-loop eigenvalues as explicit functions of gain, it is possible to visualize the multivariable root loci in a set of «gain plots» consisting of two graphs: (i) magnitude of system eigenvalues versus gain and (ii) argument (angle) of system eigenvalues versus gain
Herniation of the cecum through the foramen of Winslow: radiographic diagnosis and report of a case.

The third case of internal herniation of the cecum through the foramen of Winslow correctly diagnosed by radiography is presented. Emphasis is placed on the nearly pathognomonic roentgenologic findings, which allow accurate preoperative diagnosis in the absence of any definitive history or physical findings.
Characterization of cell membrane and sarcoplasmic reticulum from bovine uterine smooth muscle.

Abstract Subcellular fractions, enriched in sarcoplasmic reticulum or in cell membrane, were separated from one another. Starting material was a microsomal pellet (15–40 × 1000g) obtained by differential centrifugation from the uteri of close-to-term pregnant cows. A microsomal fraction enriched in ATP-dependent calcium accumulation was shown to contain sarcoplasmic reticulum and cell membrane. Only 8% or less of the protein in this fraction could be recovered, using affinity chromatography on Sepharose 6MB wheat germ agglutinin. The small yields did not allow extensive characterization. A method was developed to separate sarcoplasmic reticulum from cell membrane using discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Protein was collected at the 24–28, the 28–33, and the 33–45% sucrose interfaces. Characterization was by enzyme assays and by specific receptor assay. ATP-dependent calcium accumulation was fourfold greater in the 24–28% sucrose layer than in the 33–45% layer. In contrast, 5′-nucleotidase was more than threefold as high in the 33–45% sucrose layer as in the 24–28% layer. Ouabain-inhibited p-nitrophenylphosphatase doubled and ouabain-inhibited Na,K-ATPase tripled in the 28–33% layer, compared with the 24–28% layer, specific ouabain binding was also doubled in the 28–33% sucrose layer. 125I-Labeled wheat germ agglutinin binding was greatest in the 33–45% sucrose layer. It is concluded that the 24–28% layer consists primarily of sarcoplasmic reticulum, whereas the 28–33 and the 33–45% layers are concentrated in the cell membrane. Specific prostaglandin (PGE2) binding was found to be a property of the cell membrane.
Salmonella typhimurium Induces Expression of P Glycoprotein (Multidrug Resistance 1 Gene Product) in a Promonocytic Cell Line Chronically Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

This investigation showed that phagocytosis of virulent Salmonella typhimurium by promonocytic leukemia cell line U1, which contains human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus but produces minimal or no virus, and not by uninfected U937 cell line resulted in expression of a functional P glycoprotein. Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) monoclonal antibody failed to inhibit S. typhimurium-induced P glycoprotein expression. Furthermore, recombinant TNF alpha had no effect on the induction of P glycoprotein expression in U1 cells. These data demonstrate that phagocytosis of virulent S. typhimurium results in an induction of P glycoprotein in association with HIV-1 infection; however, TNF alpha does not appear to play a significant role. Thus, secondary microbial infection in HIV-1-positive persons may play a role in multidrug resistance against antiviral and other antimicrobial agents by an induction of P glycoprotein.
The Emergence Engine: A Behavior Based Agent Development Environment for Artists

Many artists are intrigued by the creative possibilities presented to them by virtual worlds populated with autonomous agents. Artists wishing to explore these possibilities face many obstacles including the need to learn artificial intelligence programming techniques. The Emergence Engine allows artists with no programming experience to create complex virtual worlds. Using behavior based action selection, the Emergence Engine allows artists to populate their worlds with autonomous situated agents. Artists can then direct the agents’ behaviors using Emergence’s high level scripting language. Artists have used the Emergence Engine successfully since 1998 to create numerous art installations exhibited both in the US and abroad.
Efficient Routing Algorithms for Multiple Vehicles With no Explicit Communications

In this paper, we consider a class of dynamic vehicle routing problems, in which a number of mobile agents in the plane must visit target points generated over time by a stochastic process. It is desired to design motion coordination strategies in order to minimize the expected time between the appearance of a target point and the time it is visited by one of the agents. We propose control strategies that, while making minimal or no assumptions on communications between agents, provide the same level of steady-state performance achieved by the best known decentralized strategies. In other words, we demonstrate that inter-agent communication does not improve the efficiency of such systems, but merely affects the rate of convergence to the steady state. Furthermore, the proposed strategies do not rely on the knowledge of the details of the underlying stochastic process. Finally, we show that our proposed strategies yield an efficient, pure Nash equilibrium in a game theoretic formulation of the problem, in which each agent's objective is to maximize the expected value of the ldquotime spent alonerdquo at the next target location. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
A mitochondria-targeted triphenylphosphonium-conjugated nitroxide functions as a radioprotector/mitigator.

Abstract Jiang, J., Stoyanovsky, D. A., Belikova, N. A., Tyurina, Y. Y., Zhao, Q., Tungekar, M. A., Kapralova, V., Huang, Z., Mintz, A. H., Greenberger, J. S. and Kagan, V. E. A Mitochondria-Targeted Triphenylphosphonium-Conjugated Nitroxide Functions as a Radioprotector/Mitigator. Removal of excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species by electron scavengers and antioxidants is a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce the detrimental effects of radiation exposure. Here we exploited triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation as a means to target nitroxide radicals to mitochondria. We synthesized a library of TPP-conjugated nitroxides and tested their radioprotective effects in γ-irradiated mouse embryo cells and human epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Cells were incubated with conjugates either before or after irradiation. We found that [2-(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidin-4-ylimino)-ethyl]-triphenyl-phosphonium (TPEY-Tempo) significantly blocked radiation-induced apoptosis as revealed by externalization of phosp...
Multiuser diversity and adaptive bit loading for OFDM-based spectrum agile radios

In this paper we discuss exploiting multiuser diversity and adaptive modulation in conjunction with spectral load smoothing (SLS) as a medium access control protocol for spectrum agile radios (SAR) in a multiuser OFDM/OFDMA based wireless communication system operating in frequency selective fading channel. The ability of the spectrum agile radios to identify unused spectrum can be used effectively to assign sub- carriers and bits adaptively depending on the user's channel state information in a distributed fashion. We illustrate by simulation the performance improvement in terms of the bit error rate obtained for a multiuser OFDM system when multiuser diversity and adaptive bit loading is used in combination with SLS.
Design for Thinking: Engagement in an Innovation Project

This article discusses the use of design thinking in an undergraduate decision-making course. The spaces of design are linked to the dimensions of liberal learning in a way that allows students to engage in the design of an organization that supports a new product created in a collaborative team. The article provides an overview of how the innovation project requires students to manage competing ideas, engage in multiple thinking styles, and use visualization tools. Reflections of the instructor and students about their learning from the experience are included. The results of a course survey and content analysis provide evidence of the effectiveness of the course.
Credit Lines and the Substitutability of Cash and Debt

We analyze credit line characteristics and changes in cash for a panel of firms over 1996-2006, and find evidence consistent with the economic importance of transactions costs for the management of liquidity and the resulting effects on shareholder value. We find that shareholders of financially-unconstrained firms value credit line availability and cash holdings similarly. Financially-constrained firms can increase firm value by increasing cash and credit line debt by the same amount, consistent with the theory of Gamba and Triantis (2007). The results provide strong evidence that transactions costs shape financial policy, and that shareholders benefit from low-fixed-cost access to liquidity.
Origin of opaque assemblages in C3V meteorites: Implications for nebular and planetary processes

Mineral phases from opaque assemblages (OAs) in Ca, Al-rich refractory inclusions (CAIs), chondrules and matrix in C3V meteoites were chemically analyzed and compared with experimentally determined phase equilibria and partitioning data in the Ni-Fe-S, Ni-Fe-S and Ni-Fe-O systems to estimate the temperature, sulfur fugacity (f_(S2)) and oxygen (f_(O2)) of OA formation. The kinetics of dissolution and exsolution of metallic phases in the Ni-Fe-Ru system were used to constrain the thermal history of OAss that occur in CAIs. Based on this work, we suggest that OAs formed after the crystallization of host CAIs by exsolution, sulfidation and oxidation of precursor alloys at low temperatures (~ 770 K) and higher than solar gas f_(S2) and f_(S2). Our model contrasts with previous models that call upon the formation of CAI OAs by aggregation of previously formed phases in the solar nebula prior to the crystallization of CAIs. Opaque assemblages in CAIs and chondrules probably originated as homogeneous alloys during melting of the silicate protions of CAIs and chondrules. The compositions of these precursor alloys reflect high-temperature and low-f_(O2) conditions in the early solar nebula. The similarities in the temperature, f_(S2) and f_(O2) of equilibrium for OAs that occur in CAIs, chondrules and matrix suggest that these three components of C3V meteorites share a common, late low-temperature history. The mineral phases in OAs do not preserve an independent history prior to CAI and chondrule melting and crystallization, but instead provide important information on the post-accretionary history of C3V meteorites and allow us to quantify the temperature, f_(S2) and f_(O2) of cooling planetary environments.
Statistical criteria for setting thresholds in medical school admissions.

In 2001, Dr Jordan Cohen, President of the AAMC, called for medical schools to consider using an Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) threshold to eliminate high-risk applicants from consideration and then to use non-academic qualifications for further consideration. This approach would seem to be consistent with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the University of Michigan admissions cases. Research to support a threshold approach has been reported in many different ways, making comparability problematic. This study examines an assortment of statistical indices that have been used to determine thresholds in undergraduate science grade point average (USGPA) and MCAT sub-scores and total sum and compares them in terms of their sensitivity and specificity for determining Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE Step 1) first time failure. Data for medical school entering classes of 1992–1998 (N=752) from a large Midwestern medical school are used to determine the set of statistics that provide the most useful information for this purpose. The results support plots of risk differences, odds-ratios, sensitivity and specificity for setting cut-scores.
DNA-liposome versus adenoviral mediated gene transfer of transforming growth factorβ1 in vascularized cardiac allografts: Differential sensitivity of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to transforming growth factorβ1

We have developed a model of transforming growth factor (TGF)beta1 gene transfer into mouse vascularized cardiac allografts to study the use of gene transfer as an immunosuppressive therapy in transplantation. Donor hearts were perfused with either DNA-liposome complexes or adenoviral vectors that encode the active form of human TGFbeta1. DNA-liposome mediated transfection prolonged allograft survival in approximately two-thirds of transplant recipients, while adenoviral delivery of TGFbeta1 was not protective. Protective TGFbeta1 gene transfer was associated with reduced Th1 responses and an inhibition of the alloantibody isotype switch. The protective effects of TGFbeta1 gene transfer were overridden by exogenous interleukin-12 administration. Interestingly, alloreactive CD4+ and CD8+ cells exhibited distinct sensitivities to TGFbeta1 gene transfer: CD4+ Th1 function was abrogated by this modality, although CD8+ Th1 function was not. Transient depletion of recipient CD8+ cells markedly prolonged the survival of grafts transfected with either DNA-liposome complexes or adenoviral vectors. Transgene expression persisted for at least 60 days, and Th1 responses were not detectable until CD8+ T cells repopulated the periphery. However, long-term transfected allografts appeared to exhibit exacerbated fibrosis and neointimal development. These manifestations of chronic rejection were absent in long-term transfected isografts, suggesting that long-term expression of active TGFbeta1 alone is not sufficient to induce fibrosis of the grafts. Collectively, these data illustrate the utility of immunosuppressive gene therapy as a treatment for transplantation when combined with additional conditioning regimens. Further, they illustrate that alloreactive CD4+ and CD8+ cells may be differentially influenced by cytokine manipulation strategies.
Cytokine Gene Associations With Self-Report Ratings of Morning and Evening Fatigue in Oncology Patients and Their Family Caregivers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in variations in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes between participants who were classified as having low and high levels of morning and evening fatigue and to evaluate for differences in phenotypic characteristics between these two groups. In a sample of 167 oncology outpatients with breast, prostate, lung, or brain cancer and 85 of their family caregivers, growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of individuals based on ratings of morning and evening fatigue obtained prior to, during, and for 4 months following completion of radiation therapy. Differences in single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes in 15 cytokine genes were evaluated between the latent classes. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics on morning and evening fatigue class membership. Associations were found between morning fatigue and number of comorbidities as well as variations in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) rs1800629 and rs3093662. Evening fatigue was associated with caring for children at home and variations in interleukin 4 (IL4) rs2243248 and TNFA rs2229094. Younger age and lower performance status were associated with both morning and evening fatigue. These findings suggest that inflammatory mediators are associated with the development of morning and evening fatigue. However, because different phenotypic characteristics and genomic markers are associated with diurnal variations in fatigue, morning and evening fatigue may be distinct but related symptoms.
Measuring Preferences for Health States Worse than Death

Previous research indicates that persons assigning values to ranges of health states consider some states to be worse than death. In a study of decisions regarding life-sustaining treat ments, the authors adapted and assessed existing methods for their ability to identify and quantify preferences for health states near to or worse than death in a population of well adults and nursing home residents. The cognitive burdens involved in these decisions were also evaluated. Hypothetical health states based on six attributes of functional status were constructed to describe severe constant pain, dementia, and coma. The methods of rank order, category scaling, time tradeoff, and standard gamble were adapted to quantify states worse than death. Cognitive burden was assessed using completion rates, interviewer as sessments, respondents' self-reporting, and investigators' evaluations. For both respondent groups, all methods showed similar degrees of cognitive burden for those able to complete the tasks and were sim...
Properties of the Markov-Dependent Attribute Control Chart with Estimated Parameters

The performance of attribute control charts that monitor Markov-dependent data is usually evaluated under the assumption of known process parameters, that is, known values of a the probability an item is nonconforming given the previous item is conforming and b the probability an item is conforming given the previous item is nonconforming. In practice, these parameters are usually not known and are calculated from an in-control Phase I-data set. In this paper, a comparison of the in-control ARL (average run length) properties of the attribute chart for Markov-dependent data with known and estimated parameters is presented. The probability distribution of the estimators is developed and used to calculate the in-control ARL and standard deviation of the run length of the chart with estimated parameters. For particular values of a and b, the in-control ARL values of the charts with estimated parameters may be very different than those with known parameters. The size of the Phase-I data set needed for charts with estimated parameters to exhibit the same in-control ARL properties as those with known parameters may vary widely depending on the parameters of the process, but in general, large samples are needed to obtain accurate estimates. As the Phase-I sample size increases, the in-control ARL values of the charts with estimated parameters approach that of the known parameter case but not in a monotonic fashion as in the case of the X-bar chart. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultrafast One-Photon (232 vs 266 nm) Bond-Selective Photochemistry of Bromoiodomethane (CH2BrI) in Solution

Ultrafast broadband transient absorption spectra measured from the deep- ultraviolet to the near-infrared region following single-photon excitation of bromoiodomethane in acetonitrile at different wavelengths manifest chromophore - selective structural rearrangement and carbon-halogen bond dissociation in solution.
Pattern and predictors of volumetric change of parotid glands during intensity modulated radiotherapy

Objective:To describe the pattern and predictors of volumetric change of parotid glands during intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for oropharyngeal cancer.Methods:A cohort of patients undergoing weekly CT scans during dose-painted IMRT was considered. The parotid glands were contoured at the time of treatment planning (baseline) and on all subsequent scans. For a given patient, the parotid glands were labelled as higher (H) and lower (L), based on the mean dose at planning. The volume of each gland was determined for each scan and the percent change from baseline computed. Data were fit to both linear and quadratic functions. The role of selected covariates was assessed with both logistic regression and pair-wise comparison between the sides. The analyses were performed considering the whole treatment duration or each separate half.Results:85 patients, 170 glands and 565 scans were analysed. For all parotids except one, the quadratic function provided a better fit than the linear one. Moreover, accor...
Path planning for robotic applications in roadway crack sealing

A method for the planning of robot manipulator paths is presented. This method uses data from a vision system which is isolated from the manipulator. Both systems are mounted on a moving vehicle. The approach accounts for the motion of the vehicle and the kinematic transformations between the camera, vehicle, and manipulator frames. It also is able to effectively extrapolate the vision data to form more connected sets of data, while maintaining a measure of the relative confidence of the resulting data. The planned paths which result can be used to drive a manipulator in either a fast open-loop mode, or a slow closed-loop mode, in order to track roadway cracks with a sealing tool. This path planning approach is currently implemented and is being tested on the prototype of an automatic crack sealing machine. >
GaN-based HFET Design for Ultra-high frequency Operation

In this paper, a new approach is proposed for optimizing the design of GaN-based HFETs for ultra high frequency operation. The key features of the ultra high frequency design include recessed gate MOSHFET .This approach is based on our analytical model that accounts for the electric field and potential distribution outside the gated region. It is concluded that, GaN HFETs should be able to reach ultrahigh frequency performance at least comparable to that of InGaAs based HFET but at a much higher power levels. However, this will require new designs with quaternary buffers, very high electron sheet density in the gate-to-drain spacing, and precise gate-to-drain distance control.
Recovering High-Order Accuracy in WENO Computations of Steady-State Hyperbolic Systems

In this note we consider the application of the WENO scheme to simulations of steady-state flow in a converging diverging nozzle. We demonstrate the recovery of design accuracy through Gegenbauer postprocessing, despite the degradation of the order of accuracy for the numerical solution of the Euler equations to first-order in regions where the characteristics passed through the shock. We have shown a case in which the Gegenbauer postprocessing can recover the order of accuracy right up to the shock location. This suggests that high-order accurate information which crosses through the shock may not be irretrievably lost, and we can strive to recover it through various types of postprocessing.