cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of the actin cytoskeleton from amoeboid cells of Dictyostelium.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes methods for the isolation of the actin cytoskeleton of Dictyostelium using sea urchin eggs. Those studies involved the isolation of a low-speed sedimentable actin fraction from unfertilized and fertilized sea urchin eggs to study changes in assembly states of the actin on fertilization. A number of similar procedures for isolation of cytoskeletal preparations from Dictyostelium are developed by other investigators to study cytoskeleton-associated proteins. The use of isolated cortices for ultrastructural localization of proteins with gold probes is described. A detergent-insoluble membrane fragment associated with the filamentous actin matrix isolated from Dictyostelium cells has been used to identify a group of integral membrane proteins that have the capacity to bind actin. A pool of folate receptors on vegetative cells that are associated with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton is identified. The association of the receptor with the cytoskeleton is maintained for up to 12 hours of development. It is shown that the amount of myosin in a Triton-resistant low-speed pellet of developed Dictyostelium cells increases significantly as the cell responds to the chemoattractant cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP). It is also shown that the kinase activity responsible for a chemoattractant-elicited increase in myosin heavy-chain phosphorylation is in the detergent insoluble pellet. Data presented suggest that the changes in the composition and organization of the isolated cytoskeleton can reflect physiological activities of the cell. The isolated cytoskeleton should be useful as a starting material for studying the modulation of proteins that are regulated during motile events.
Growth of coilable yttrium aluminum garnet single crystal fibers with low loss and tailored rare-earth dopant concentration, using laser heated pedestal growth technique

Low-loss coilable single crystal (SC) YAG fibers have been grown using laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) technique. Coilable SC YAG fibers with tailored rare-earth dopant concentration were also grown, using a sol-gel clad LHPG regrowth.
The Prospect for Genetic and Growth Factor Therapy

Revascularization of the pathologically altered lymphatic circulation is an application of vascular biology that continues to be a focus in the development of therapeutics for lymphedema and other disorders of the lymphatic vasculature [6, 7]. The potential to alter the growth of lymphatic vessels also presents an opportunity to modulate the biology of tumor metastasis. Promising approaches to pro- and anti-lymphangiogenic gene therapies and to exogenous molecular treatment methods are under current, active investigation. Current treatment strategies for lymphedema do not address the underlying molecular pathogenesis and, therefore, only moderately delay the onset of the end-stage sequelae of the disease, including the architectural remodeling of tissues, the physical disfigurement, and the loss of function. VEGF-C is the chief lymphangiogenic factor, with a less well-defined role for the other VEGFR-3 ligand, VEGF-D; VEGF-A stimulates lymphangiogenesis in a less direct manner. Postnatal lymphangiogenesis plays a role in the setting of wound healing and of inflammation. Perhaps the most promising scenario for gene therapy is to be found in the context of autosomal dominant congenital lymphedema, commonly referred to as Milroy’s disease. A variety of causal mutations for additional primary lymphedema syndromes have more recently been identified, posing additional theoretical opportunities for future molecular intervention.
Capacity fade in high energy silicon-graphite electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

A silicon-graphite blended anode is paired with a high capacity LiFePO4 reference/counter electrode to track irreversibility and lithium inventory. The LiFePO4 electrode provides a reliable, flat potential for dQ dV−1 analysis of LixSi and LixC electrochemical reactions. We relate this electrochemistry to the morphological and physical changes taking place.
Fusion of Cytoplasts and Karyoplasts and How This Pertains to Research of Aging and Transformation

Before describing a method for fusion of isolated karyoplasts and cytoplasts of the human diploid cell WI-38, I would like to review some of the previous techniques and research involving cell hybridization and nuclear transfer. After this introduction I will suggest ways in which I feel the technique which I have developed in the laboratory of Dr. L. Hayflick at Stanford University can overcome many of the drawbacks found with the earlier techniques, as well as ways in which this particular approach can be utilized to study aging and malignancy.
Abstract 2494: A novel tool for monitoring endogenous progesterone receptor expression by mCherry using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique

Expression of progesterone receptor (PR) is a favorable prognostic marker for multiple solid tumors. However, PR expression is reduced or lost in malignant tumors which hinders response to progesterone therapy. Thus, monitoring and restoring functional PR expression is of utmost importance to sensitize progesterone therapy in endometrial cancer. We developed a stable cell line expressing the endogenous PR gene tagged a reporter gene (Hygromycin and mCherry) with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. This allows efficient monitoring of PR expression in its native epigenetic landscape. The reporter gene expression faithfully reflects and amplifies PR expression following treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitor, romidepsin. This reporter gene transfected cells were successfully used to screen the FDA-approved 1018 library by high throughput screening in searching of potential novel drugs that increase PR expression. This strategy provides an efficient drug screening tool that can be used to screen novel PR inducers in multiple cancer cell lines. Citation Format: Yiyang Li, Xiangbing Meng, Kuo-kuang Wen, Meng Wu, Adam Dupuy, Kimberly Leslie, Shujie Yang. A novel tool for monitoring endogenous progesterone receptor expression by mCherry using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2494.
Model Building for Servant Leadership: 1991–2016

The OLA model of servant leadership is one of 11 servant leadership models put forward by writers and researchers seeking to build from and expand Greenleaf’s original work. These models reveal a progression of learning while affirming common themes to help us understand more clearly what servant leadership is, what it looks like, and how it functions within organizations. These models are research based and several have developed reliable and valid assessment tools to measure servant leadership for ongoing research and organizational consulting. Each of these models provides a unique lens for viewing this dynamic approach to leadership and all of them taken together provide a set of common characteristics that bring clarity to our understanding.
Association of internal smoking dose with blood DNA methylation in three racial/ethnic populations.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. While cigarette smoking is the primary cause of this malignancy, risk differs across racial/ethnic groups. For the same number of cigarettes smoked, Native Hawaiians compared to whites are at greater risk and Japanese Americans are at lower risk of developing lung cancer. DNA methylation of specific CpG sites (e.g., in AHRR and F2RL3) is the most common blood epigenetic modification associated with smoking status. However, the influence of internal smoking dose, measured by urinary nicotine equivalents (NE), on DNA methylation in current smokers has not been investigated, nor has a study evaluated whether for the same smoking dose, circulating leukocyte DNA methylation patterns differ by race. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of NE in 612 smokers from three racial/ethnic groups: whites (n = 204), Native Hawaiians (n = 205), and Japanese Americans (n = 203). Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of blood leukocyte DNA was measured using the Illumina 450K BeadChip array. Average β value, the ratio of signal from a methylated probe relative to the sum of the methylated and unmethylated probes at that CpG, was the dependent variables in linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, race (for pan-ethnic analysis), and estimated cell-type distribution. We found that NE was significantly associated with six differentially methylated CpG sites (Bonferroni corrected p < 1.48 × 10−7): four in or near the FOXK2, PBX1, FNDC7, and FUBP3 genes and two in non-annotated genetic regions. Higher levels of NE were associated with increasing methylation beta-valuesin all six sites. For all six CpG sites, the association was only observed in Native Hawaiians, suggesting that the influence of smoking dose on DNA methylation patterns is heterogeneous across race/ethnicity (p interactions < 8.8 × 10−8). We found two additional CpG sites associated with NE in only Native Hawaiians. In conclusion, internal smoking dose was associated with increased DNA methylation in circulating leukocytes at specific sites in Native Hawaiian smokers but not in white or Japanese American smokers.
The phase field method for geometric moving interfaces and their numerical approximations

Abstract This chapter surveys recent numerical advances in the phase field method for geometric surface evolution and related geometric nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). Instead of describing technical details of various numerical methods and their analyses, the chapter presents a holistic overview about the main ideas of phase field modelling, its mathematical foundation, and relationships between the phase field formalism and other mathematical formalisms for geometric moving interface problems, as well as the current state of the art of numerical approximations of various phase field models with an emphasis on discussing the main ideas of numerical analysis techniques. The chapter also reviews recent development on adaptive grid methods and various applications of the phase field modelling and their numerical methods in materials science, fluid mechanics, biology and image science.
Reintroduction of quazepam: an update on comparative hypnotic and adverse effects.

Insomnia is a prevalent disorder that affects over one-third of the U.S. population to varying degrees and is highly disruptive towards quality of life. Pharmacological treatments for insomnia include benzodiazepines (BZs) and the non-BZ ‘Z-drugs’ (zolpidem, zaleplon, eszopiclone, zopiclone), which
Talking About Ethical Issues in Surgery-Results of a Novel Online Pilot Curriculum.

Objectives Surgical ethics has been suggested as a distinct field of study apart from clinical ethics due to a unique practice type and treatment dynamic. At our institution, most if not all teaching of clinical ethics is undertaken by nonsurgical faculty. We introduced a novel online Surgical Ethics Program (SEO) in a pilot form (SEO-P) for initial presentation to learners in our environment. The overall goal of our educational intervention was to enhance knowledge, understanding and appreciation for surgical ethics in medical students and to evaluate our curriculum. Setting SEO-P was undertaken over a 4-week period in 2018 with 9 fourth-year medical students enrolled in a surgery elective at our institution. These learners all had career plans in general surgery or a surgical subspecialty. There was 3 weeks of content: (1) background in clinical ethics as it applies to surgical practice, (2) surgical consents and autonomy, and (3) the impaired physician. All pilot learners were evaluated with: (1) postprogram final exam assessment (compared to preprogram knowledge base test), (2) self-reflection essay of ethical practice in surgery, (3) evaluation of 2 case studies, and (4) an assessment of participation in online discussion forums. Postprogram survey of the learners was also undertaken in an anonymous fashion. Results Four of 9 or 44.4% of students scored greater than or equal to 80% on the postprogram knowledge assessment test. A preprogram knowledge-based examination of all learners yielded a mean and standard deviation of 57.1 ± 6.0%. Postprogram knowledge-based test with mean and standard deviation was 78.8 ± 15%. This was a statistically significant increase in scores (p = 0.004; t test). All 9 passed the course with a mean final summative course grade of 95.2 ± 3.2%. From the postprogram evaluation survey, all 7 students who responded felt that the SEO-P would help them become an “ethical” practitioner. Surprisingly, only half of the learners (57.1%) thought “technology used to support the SEO Course (i.e., the chosen curriculum management system) was effective in conducting the course.” Conclusions We set forth to use “web-based” technology to enhance exposure of medical students in our institution to surgical ethics. Hence, we designed our pilot curriculum to be a completely online offering. We feel that the utilization of the surgical voice, that is a surgical ethics curriculum developed by surgeons to explore surgically related clinical ethical issues, is an essential theme and goal of our program. Future challenges will be to present this voice in an effective manner with either an improved curriculum delivery system or by potentially utilizing a blended approach.
Interview: Krishna Kaur, Minister of the Sikh Dharma and Teacher of Kundalini Yoga

This interview below with Krishna Kaur, aka Black Krishna, a student of Yogi Bhajan, President of the International Association of Black Yoga Teachers, and a minister of the Sikh Dharma, was conduc...
Marriage: A Broken Image?

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "I am to sacrifice for her all that I am, but if only for her, then I will lie before her dead, and she before me (as in Romeo and Juliet). I cannot give all that I am because our bodies get in the way, the medium and frustration of our union. I cannot unzip myself from my skin; my bones give the underlying form through which I am known. If I lay my life down solely for her, she cannot help me to rise, and I cannot take it up again." This brief essay is available in Verbum: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol3/iss2/3 MARRIAGE: A Broken Image? By: Jeffrey Frate “No life is creative except to the degree that it is consecrated... To refuse to give my life in some extreme circumstances would be, not to preserve it, but to mutilate it. It is as though sacrifice were its very fulfillment, as though to lose it were the means of saving it.”
T cell fraction impacts oncologic outcomes in human papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Background We investigated T cell clonality (TCC) and T cell fraction (TCF) in human papilloma virus associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV(+)OPSCC) progressors [cases] vs. non-progressors [controls]. Methods This nested case-control study included patients undergoing intent-to-cure surgery ± adjuvant therapy from 6/1/2007–10/3/2016. Patients experiencing local/regional/distant disease (progressors), and a consecutive sample of non-progressors were matched (2 controls: 1 case) on tumor subsite, T-stage and number of metastatic lymph nodes. We performed imunosequencing of the CDR3 regions of human TCRβ chains. Results 34 progressors and 65 non-progressors were included. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline TCF (range: 0.039–1.084) and TCC (range: 0.007–0.240) (p > 0.05). Female sex was associated with higher TCF (p = 0.03), while extranodal extension (ENE) was associated with lower TCF (p = 0.01). There was a positive correlation between tumor size and clonality (R = 0.34, p Conclusions In patients with HPV(+)OPSCC, TCF was higher in female patients and those without ENE, suggesting differential immune responses. Lower TCF was significantly and independently associated with disease progression. Better ACE-27 scores appear to predict improved oncologic control.
Crystal Orientation Dependent Dual Frequency Ovenized MEMS Resonator With Temperature Stability and Shock Robustness

In this paper, we demonstrate a dual frequency oven-controlled MEMS resonator that can be designed to have an output frequency of 1.27 Mhz or 13 Mhz depending on the crystal orientation of the device. Both modes operate based on closed-loop thermal compensation that can offer PPB (parts-per-billion) level temperature stability over a wide temperature range using low power and exhibit strong shock robustness. As the device is rotated 45- degrees with respect to the $ $ plane of the wafer, the two modes used in oven control exhibit a unique temperature coefficient of frequency (tcF) reversal that allows selection of the output frequency for timing reference applications. The stiffer inplane mode has better temperature stability and shock resistance whereas the plate-bending mode offers ease of drive. Both devices retain stability performance after multiple 12,000g level shocks. [2020-0143]
Reproducing a Component Field Environment on a Six Degree-of-Freedom Shaker

Researchers have shown that the dynamic field environment for a component may not be represented well by a component level single Degree-of-Freedom shaker environmental test. Here we demonstrate for a base mounted component, a controlled six Degree-of-Freedom component level shaker test. The field response power spectral densities are well simulated by the component response on the six Degree-of-Freedom shaker. The component is the Removable Component from the boundary condition challenge problem. The field environment was established with the component mounted in the AWE Modal Analysis Test Vehicle during an acoustic test. Interesting mileposts during the process of achieving the controlled component response are discussed.
Design, Fabrication and Experimental Validation of a Steerable, Laser-Driven Microrobot in Dry Environments

In this paper, we discuss the design and validation methodology of SerpenBot, a laser-driven microrobot that operates in dry environments and can be steered. The microrobot includes a novel resonant leg mechanism that couples with a Nd:YAG pulsing laser beam at tunable frequencies, thus producing differential driving forces that can be selectively used for both driving and turning of the microrobot. Specifically, the SerpenBot includes two micromachined silicon thermal actuators with serpentine design and a motion amplification flexure, that are stimulated using different modulated laser pulse frequencies. We present analysis, simulation, and experimental results demonstrating the successful maneuverability of the SerpenBot on a dry Silicon substrate.
A New Formula for the Minimum Distance of an Expander Code.

An expander code is a binary linear code whose parity-check matrix is the bi-adjacency matrix of a bipartite expander graph. We provide a new formula for the minimum distance of such codes. We also provide a new proof of the result that $2(1-\varepsilon) \gamma n$ is a lower bound of the minimum distance of the expander code given by a $(m,n,d,\gamma,1-\varepsilon)$ expander bipartite graph.
Inferring the value of a variable using measure based information of a related variable

Abstract We first describe the problem, determining the best value for a variable W whose value depends on the value of a related variable V. Here we assume our knowledge of V is uncertain and is modeled using a fuzzy measure. We discuss the properties of a fuzzy measure and its use modeling uncertainty. We describe the concept of the dual of a fuzzy measure and the related idea of a Pan-Dual. We describe a procedure for obtaining the best estimate of W using the Pan-Dual of V and provide an illustrative example.
National Prevalence of Influenza Diagnoses and Vaccination Rates Among Patients Presenting to United States Physician Offices and Hospital Outpatient Departments, 2009 to 2016

Background Influenza health resource utilization studies are important to inform future public health policies and prevent outbreaks. This study aimed to describe influenza prevalence, vaccination, and treatment among outpatients in the United States and to evaluate population-level characteristics associated with influenza health resource utilization. Methods Data were extracted from the National Ambulatory and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (2009 to 2016). Prevalence rates were described as influenza visits (defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification or International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code) per 1000 total visits overall and by flu year, month, region, race, and age group. Influenza vaccination and antiviral treatments were identified by Multum code(s) and presented as vaccination visits per 1000 total visits and the percentage of patients diagnosed with influenza receiving antiviral treatment. Results In more than 19.2 million patient visits, an influenza diagnosis was made with rates ranging from 1.2 per 1000 during 2014-2015 to 3.7 per 1000 during 2009-2010. Rates were highest in the South (3.6 per 1000), in December (5.2), among black patients (2.8), and those less than 18 years (6.8). Vaccination rates were highest during 2014-2015 (29.3 per 1000) and lowest during 2011-2012 (15.5 per 1000), in the West (23.4), in October (69.2), among "other race" patients (26.2), and age less than 18 years (51.4). Overall, 39.4% of patients with an influenza diagnosis received an antiviral. Conclusions Overall, there were no major changes in influenza diagnosis or vaccination rates. Patient populations with lower vaccination rates had higher influenza diagnosis rates. Future campaigns should promote influenza vaccinations particularly in underserved populations.
Distributed Virtual Time-Based Synchronization for Simulation of Cyber-Physical Systems

Our world today increasingly relies on the orchestration of digital and physical systems to ensure the successful operations of many complex and critical infrastructures. Simulation-based testbeds are useful tools for engineering those cyber-physical systems and evaluating their efficiency, security, and resilience. In this article, we present a cyber-physical system testing platform combining distributed physical computing and networking hardware and simulation models. A core component is the distributed virtual time system that enables the efficient synchronization of virtual clocks among distributed embedded Linux devices. Virtual clocks also enable high-fidelity experimentation by interrupting real and emulated cyber-physical applications to inject offline simulation data. We design and implement two modes of the distributed virtual time: periodic mode for scheduling repetitive events like sensor device measurements, and dynamic mode for on-demand interrupt-based synchronization. We also analyze the performance of both approaches to synchronization including overhead, accuracy, and error introduced from each approach. By interconnecting the embedded devices’ general purpose IO pins, they can coordinate and synchronize with low overhead, under 50 microseconds for eight processes across four embedded Linux devices. Finally, we demonstrate the usability of our testbed and the differences between both approaches in a power grid control application.
You're Not You When You're Angry: Robust Emotion Features Emerge by Recognizing Speakers

The robustness of an acoustic emotion recognition system hinges on first having access to features that represent an acoustic input signal. These representations should abstract extraneous low-level variations present in acoustic signals and only capture speaker characteristics relevant for emotion recognition. Previous research has demonstrated that, in other classification tasks, when large labeled datasets are available, neural networks trained on these data learn to extract robust features from the input signal. However, the datasets used for developing emotion recognition systems remain significantly smaller than those used for developing other speech systems. Thus, acoustic emotion recognition systems remain in need of robust feature representations. In this work, we study the utility of speaker embeddings, representations extracted from a trained speaker recognition network, as robust features for detecting emotions. We first study the relationship between emotions and speaker embeddings, and demonstrate how speaker embeddings highlight the differences that exist between neutral speech and emotionally expressive speech. We quantify the modulations that variations in emotional expression incur on speaker embeddings, and show how these modulations are greater than those incurred from lexical variations in an utterance. Finally, we demonstrate how speaker embeddings can be used as a replacement for traditional low-level acoustic features for emotion recognition.
IUCN-CITES match is not required: A reply to Gorobets

Abstract Gorobets (Wild fauna conservation: IUCN-CITES match is required. Ecol. Indic. 112 (2020), 106091) has recently proposed to increase the effectiveness of species protection by maximizing the overlap of the IUCN Red List and CITES Appendices. This would increase the number of animal species in CITES Appendices by 229%. We consider this unnecessary or even counterproductive, because these lists are based on different protection rules and objectives.
Capturing and recording cold chain temperature violations through parametric alarm-sensor tags

While the Internet-of-Things has already fueled a plethora of different possibilities, we are still in need of means to mitigate the inefficiencies of the cold chain generating every year massive food and drug waste, even causing serious illnesses. This is caused by the lack of remote sensing technologies suitable for a widespread deployment able to timely mark any cooled items exposed to inadequate temperatures. This work introduces a class of printable, battery-less, and chip-less passive tags, namely, the Parametric Alarm Sensor Tags (PASTs), allowing detection of any violations in the storage temperature of refrigerated items with extraordinary reading ranges. In order to do so, PASTs leverage a three-way sensing scheme and nonlinear dynamics never explored in any tag technologies to trigger the passive generation of a radio frequency signal only when the temperature exceeds a remotely configurable threshold (Tth). Furthermore, PASTs exhibit a dynamically enabled temperature-controlled hysteresis loop. As a result, the signal generated at the occurrence of a temperature violation remains active even if the temperature returns within a tolerable range. This allows us to flag any items previously or currently exposed to inadequate temperatures, allowing their prompt identification. We report a 870 MHz PAST and show that, thanks to its unique characteristics, it is finally possible to identify any items along the cold chain whose temperature has exceeded a remotely configurable Tth value as low as −47 °C, even if operating in uncontrolled electromagnetic environments and up to 46 m away from the corresponding PAST outside a line-of-sight.
Negative urgency as a risk factor for hazardous alcohol use: Dual influences of cognitive control and reinforcement processing.

Abstract Negative Urgency (NU) is a prominent risk factor for hazardous alcohol use. While research has helped elucidate how NU relates to neurobiological functioning with respect to alcohol use, no known work has contextualized such functioning within existing neurobiological theories in addiction. Therefore, we elucidated mechanisms contributing to the NU–hazardous alcohol use relationship by combining NU theories with neurobiological dual models of addiction, which posit addiction is related to cognitive control and reinforcement processing. Fifty-five undergraduates self-reported NU and hazardous alcohol use. We recorded EEG while participants performed a reinforced flanker task. We measured cognitive control using N2 activation time-locked to the incongruent flanker stimulus, and we measured reinforcement processing using the feedback-related negativity (FRN) time-locked to better-than-expected negative reinforcement feedback. We modeled hazardous drinking using hierarchical regression, with NU, N2, and FRN plus their interactions as predictors. The regression model significantly predicted hazardous alcohol use, and the three-way interaction (NU × N2 × FRN) significantly improved model fit. In the context of inefficient processing (i.e., larger N2s and FRNs), NU demonstrated a strong relationship with hazardous alcohol use. In the context of efficient processing (i.e., smaller N2s and FRNs), NU was unrelated to hazardous alcohol use. Control analyses ruled out the potential impact of other impulsivity subscales, individual differences in dimensional negative affect or anxiety, and use of substances other than alcohol, and post hoc specificity analyses showed that this effect was driven primarily by heavy drinking, rather than frequency of drinking. This analysis provides preliminary evidence that brain mechanisms of cognitive control and reinforcement processing influence the relationship between NU and hazardous alcohol use, and confirms a specific influence of negative reinforcement processing. Future clinical research could leverage these neurobiological moderators for substance misuse treatment.
The challenges and opportunities of marketing academic libraries in the USA: Experiences of US academic libraries with global application

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of marketing in academic libraries and how the marketing concept is applied in practice to marketing academic library services through the experiences of academic libraries across the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on using marketing as a managerial tool to accomplish strategic organizational goals and objectives, discusses challenges and opportunities in academic library marketing, presents examples demonstrating innovative methods that academic libraries have used to market their images and services, and offers suggestions for developing marketing plans and strategies.Findings – The paper finds that market research allows libraries to understand better the points of view of their student and faculty library users, as well as the perspectives of campus administrations and the community external to the college. The result is that the library is more successful in gaining visibility and support for its efforts, and library use...
A Neural Network Application to Classification of Health Status of HIV/AIDS Patients

This paper presents an application of neural networks to classify and to predict the health status of HIV/AIDS patients. A neural network model in classifying both the well and not-well health status of HIV/AIDS patients is developed and evaluated in terms of validity and reliability of the test. Several different neural network topologies are applied to AIDS Cost and Utilization Survey (ACSUS) datasets in order to demonstrate the neural network's capability.
Adaptive Control Weighted Suboptimal Control for Linear Dynamic Systems Having a Polynomial Input

A simple direct adaptive control weighted suboptimal control algorithm is presented which is derived from minimizing a new criterion incorporating a costing term on the highest power of the nonlinear polynomial. The algorithm is very useful for the control of all stable nonminimum phase and som unstable nonminimum phase linear systems having a polynomial input. Both stochastic and deterministic situations are considered and the global convergence of the proposed algorithm has been established. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the algorithm.
The Tower-of-Babel Problem, and Security Assesment Sharing

The tower-of-Babel problem is rather general: How to enable a collaboration among experts speaking different languages? A computer security version of the tower-of-Babel problem is rather important. A recent Microsoft solution for that security problem, called Security Assessment Sharing, is based on this idea: A tiny common language goes a long way. We construct simple mathematical models showing that the idea is sound.
Hydrologic Web-Mapping Application of Hofmann Forest with GIS Approach: Case Study

AbstractIn this study, a hydrologic web-mapping application for North Carolina State University’s Hofmann Forest is developed using geospatial information science (GIS) resources, measured point precipitation, and radar precipitation data obtained from the National Weather Service (NWS). The development of such a web application will enhance the visualization and manipulation techniques for hydrologic modeling. This paper’s main focus is on the various steps involved in the development of the web-mapping application and the hydrologic analysis. The two different interpolation methods, one a deterministic method, inverse distance weighting (IDW), and another, a probabilistic method, Kriging, are used to obtain NWS precipitation estimates at 14 forest rain gauge locations. The eventual goal of this project is to use the rain gauge data from the Hofmann Forest to calibrate the spatial pattern of daily radar estimates for use in research and forest operations; however, the accuracy of radar estimates has yet ...
Ocean circulation and impacts on plankton near the Florida Keys

Abstract The flow structure of the loop current as it passes the Florida Keys and flows into the Florida Straits will be described. Results from a hybrid coordinate ocean model (HYCOM) applied to the region will then be presented. Finally, an NPZD (nutrient–photoplankton–zooplankton–detritus) model will be introduced into the dynamically active flow as passive tracers, with the purpose of evaluating the consequences of transport of these components. As a consequence, spatial distributions are shown to be highly variable and complex. Ultimately we will address the question as to what the dynamical consequences are of being stochastically taken from one domain of attraction into another at successive times—in static models one or another domain is prescribed due to parameter choices. In dynamic models such as this one the parameters change as a function of time, so switching from one domain to another occurs periodically.
Enabling multimedia using resource-constrained video processing techniques: A node-centric perspective

Successful proliferation of multimedia-enabled devices and advances in very large-scale integration (VLSI) technology has spawned new research efforts in migrating video processing applications onto ever smaller and more inexpensive devices. This article focuses on the technical challenges associated with that migration.Due to limitations in size, battery lifetime, and, ultimately, cost, mapping complex video applications onto resource-constrained systems is a very challenging proposition. To this end, we first consider a technique, region-of-interest (ROI) processing, of defining a window within a video frame and only operating on the data inside that window, ignoring the rest of the frame. By using this lossy technique, the processing requirements can be reduced by roughly 80p while the error introduced in the quality of the results is roughly 10p. The other technique is adaptive data partitioning (ADP) combined with a content-based power management algorithm. By distributing video processing among multiple processors and shutting them down when they are not needed, the energy consumed per processor can be reduced by 60p without sacrificing the performance of the underlying video-based application.Taken together, these novel techniques enable ambient multimedia systems and maintain the needed overall efficiency in video processing.
A critique of the rapid market assessment of new products: A comment†

Baker and Souza Neto advance a methodology that they term “rapid market assessment.” It can be used to describe a marketing system and estimate the quantity and price of product that may be marketed by a new entrant. The relationship of the rapid market assessment of new products to the application of rapid reconnaissance techniques to subsector analysis should be noted. There was also a need for more methodology detailing the procedure to determine the point at which to enter the market system. The applicability of the methodology to alternative cases needs development.
Purification and properties of M protein: an accessory factor for RNA polymerase

M factor is a protein which stimulates DNA transcription by complete RNA polymerase under a variety of conditions. M factor probably exerts its effect through association with RNA polymerase to provide for an increased frequency of initiation of RNA chains. M factor might function at the binding or initiation stages of the RNA polymerase reaction; the latter possibility seems to us the most likely.
Organization and function of septate junctions: An evolutionary perspective

In most cell types, distinct forms of intercellular junctions have been visualized at the ultrastructural level. Among these, the septate junctions are thought to seal the neighboring cells and thus to function as the paracellular barriers. The most extensively studied form of septate junctions, referred to as the pleated septate junctions, is ultrastructurally distinct with an electron-dense ladder-like arrangement of transverse septa present in invertebrates as well as vertebrates. In invertebrates, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, septate junctions are present in all ectodermally derived epithelia, imaginal discs, and the nervous system. In vertebrates, septate junctions are present in the myelinated nerves at the paranodal interface between the myelin loops and the axonal membrane. In this review, we present an evolutionary perspective of septate junctions, especially their initial identification across phyla, and discuss many common features of their morphology, molecular organization, and functional similarities in invertebrates and vertebrates.
Virtual sensor system: Merging the real world with a simulation environment

Often, when testing the controls of autonomous vehicles, physical sensors are too expensive to purchase and integrate into the system. This paper proposes a system for the virtualization of sensors used to evaluate Cyber-Physical Systems. It has been developed to extend the testbed capabilities of The Ohio State University Control and Intelligent Transportation Research Laboratory. The primary focus is on providing virtual sensor information to physical robotic vehicles without the cost of purchasing and integrating physical sensors. Several sensors have been implemented using this system, and two test scenarios are described to show usefulness of this system in cyber-physical systems in general and intelligent transportation systems in particular.
Social anhedonia and medial prefrontal response to mutual liking in late adolescents.

Anhedonia, a cardinal symptom of depression defined as difficulty experiencing pleasure, is also a possible endophenotype and prognostic factor for the development of depression. The onset of depression typically occurs during adolescence, a period in which social status and affiliation are especially salient. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region implicated in reward, self-relevant processing, and social cognition, exhibits altered function in adults with anhedonia, but its association with adolescent anhedonia has yet to be investigated. We examined neural response to social reward in 27 late adolescents, 18–21 years old, who varied in social anhedonia. Participants reported their social anhedonia, completed ratings of photos of unfamiliar peers, and underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging task involving feedback about being liked. Adolescents with higher social anhedonia exhibited greater mPFC activation in response to mutual liking (i.e., being liked by someone they also liked) relative to received liking (i.e., being liked by someone whom they did not like). This association held after controlling for severity of current depressive symptoms, although depressive severity was also associated with greater mPFC response. Adolescents with higher levels of social anhedonia also had stronger positive connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and the mPFC during mutual versus received liking. These results, the first on the pathophysiology of adolescent anhedonia, support altered neural reward-circuit response to social reward in young people with social anhedonia.
Acute non-pathologic blood pressure changes associated with buspirone use in psychiatric inpatients

Abstract 1. 1. Buspirone is one member of a class of novel azapirone drugs recently introduced to treat anxiety, a disorder frequently associated with increased adrenal corticosteroid secretion in man. 2. 2. The effects of buspirone on systolic and diastolic blood pressure were studied following acute administration to 20 psychiatric inpatients with a variety of diagnoses. The findings indicated that by the second day of buspirone therapy, non-pathologic increases and decreases in blood pressure could be detected. The direction of these changes appeared to be associated with diagnostic class rather than age, dose, or coexisting medication. 3. 3. The majority of the changes in blood pressure during the initial stage of buspirone therapy were transient, reverting to baseline by the fourth day of buspirone therapy.
Ontogeny of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors in cultured astrocytes and brain from rat

Peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs) in brain are primarily localized within astroglial cells, and the existence of PBR subtypes have been suggested. In the present study the ontogeny of PBRs labeled with [3H]Ro5-4864 and [3H]PK 11195 in cultured astrocytes was compared to their postnatal in-vivo development. The density of [3H]Ro5-4864 binding sites in cultured astrocytes from rat cortex progressively increased from 1- to 3-week-old cultures and did not change further in 5- and 8-week-old cultures. The density of [3H]PK 11195 binding sites progressively increased from 1- to 5-week-old cultures. The density of [3H]PK 11195 binding sites exceeded the density of [3H]Ro5-4864 binding sites by 40-50% in 2-, 5- and 8-week-old cultures. The affinity of the PBR ligands for the receptor sites was increased by 3- to 4-fold from the first to the second week in cultures, and did not change thereafter. A similar developmental pattern of PBRs was observed in rat cortex, except that: first, the difference between the Bmax of [3H]PK 11195 and [3H]Ro5-4864 was already apparent in postnatal-week-1 and persisted with maturation; second, the high affinity of the ligands for the receptor sites was apparent from postnatal-week-1 and did not change with maturation. Age-related differences in the ratio between the density of PBRs in astrocytes and rat cortex were also observed. These results lead us to suggest that the development of PBRs in vivo during the first postnatal week is more rapid than the development of the receptors in vitro during the first week in culture. Subsequently, the increased ratio between the density of PBRs in cultured astrocytes and brain with maturation indicates the predominantly astrocytic localization of these receptors. The finding that the density of [3H]PK 11195 binding sites in cultured astrocytes and in rat brain cortex is usually 40-50% greater than the density of [3H]Ro5-4864 binding sites further supports the existence of PBR subtypes.
Organizational Communication and Leadership: A Collaborative Philosophy Toward Teaching Leadership with Syllabus:

Basic elements of leading include serving, being a part of a team, going beyond human differences, and providing answers to difficult questions often under difficult circumstances. Progress and gro...
Fabrication and plasma treatment of 3D polycaprolactane tissue scaffolds for enhanced cellular function

This paper reports a solid free-form fabrication (SFF) technology-based precision extrusion deposition (PED) process to manufacture three-dimensional (3D) polycaprolactane (PCL) scaffolds and their surface treatment with a plasma source for enhanced osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation. The PED process allows us to manufacture tissue engineering scaffolds based on designed geometry with complete interconnectivity and controllable porosity. The as-fabricated PCL scaffolds have a pattern with a 0/90° strut configuration of 300 µm pore size and 250 µm strut width. In order to improve cellular activity on 3D PCL scaffolds, they were surface-treated with an oxygen-based plasma source. The surface hydrophilicity and total surface energy of PCL was increased with plasma treatment. Comparisons of different plasma treatment times, including 30 seconds, and 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 minutes, were performed to identify the plasma treatment duration suggesting higher cellular adhesion and proliferation. The maximum valu...
A fluorometric method for monitoring the enzymic hydrolysis of terminal galactose from GM1-ganglioside.

Abstract A fluorometric method for monitoring the enzymic hydrolysis of the terminal galactose from GM 1 -ganglioside has been developed. The released galactose is oxidized with galactose dehydrogenase and NAD and the fluorescence of the product NADH measured. This method can detect as little as 0.1 nmol of galactose. β-Galactosidase from the gastropod Turbo cornutus was employed for the hydrolysis reaction. The rate of GM 1 -ganglioside hydrolysis is linearly proportional to incubation time for 30 min under the assay conditions employed. In addition to galactose, the other product of hydrolysis, GM 2 -ganglioside, is identified by thin-layer chromatography. This procedure provides a convenient and specific method for measuring the release of galactose from GM 1 -ganglioside.
Survival of Trichomonas vaginalis in vaginal discharge.

SummaryThe survival of Trichomonas vaginalis was determined by studying discharge from 50 untreated patients with vaginal trichomoniasis. Droplets of the discharge were placed on the enamel surface of wooden blocks and tested under natural conditions of drying at room temperature.Tests at intervals ranging from 10 minutes to 7 hours were made by comparing the activity of the flagellates in direct microscopic examination with their ability to multiply in serial cultures. A close correlation was observed between the two procedures. The trichomonads survived in 100% of the tests at 45 minutes, in 96% at 1 hour, in 56% at 3 hours and in 4% at 6 hours. No survival was demonstrated at 7 hours.These data, together with experimental and epidemiologic reports of other workers indicate that fomites contaminated with Trichomonas vaginalis may, under natural conditions, act as agents in the transmission of vaginal trichomoniasis.
Orthostatic influences on cardiovascular responses to nitroglycerin in conscious dogs

Abstract The influence of body position change on the arterial pressure and heart rate responses produced by acute short‐acting and sustained‐release dosage forms of nitroglycerin was evaluated in a series of chronically prepared, conscious beagle dogs. The upright repositioning of the dog to 60° from horizontal markedly enhanced the hypotensive and bradycardic responses produced by both dosage forms. Since it has been suggested that the lowering of arterial pressure is an essential component resulting in the therapeutic usefulness of nitroglycerin in angina pectoris, the experimental orthostatic model could be a sensitive procedure for the laboratory assessment of drugs of this class.