cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What difference do brain images make in US criminal trials

One of the early concerns regarding the use of neuroscience data in criminal trials is that even if the brain images are ambiguous or inconclusive, they still might influence a jury in virtue of the fact that they appear easy to understand. By appearing visually simple, even though they are really statistically constructed maps with a host of assumptions built into them, a lay jury or a judge might take brain scans to be more reliable or relevant than they actually are. Should courts exclude brain scans for being more prejudicial than probative? Herein, we rehearse a brief history of brain scans admitted into criminal trials in the United States, then describe the results of a recent analysis of appellate court decisions that referenced 1 or more brain scans in the judicial decision. In particular, we aim to explain how courts use neuroscience imaging data: Do they interpret the data correctly? Does it seem that scans play an oversized role in judicial decision-making? And have they changed how criminal defendants are judged? It is our hope that in answering these questions, clinicians and defence attorneys will be able to make better informed decisions regarding about how to manage those incarcerated.
Likelihood ratios with gauss measure noise models

We present a formula for likelihood functionals for signals in which the corrupting noise is modelled as white noise with Gauss measure rather than the usual Wiener process. The main difference is the appearance of an additional term corresponding to the conditional mean square error. By way of one application we consider the ‘order-disorder’ problem of Shiryayev.
Glutamate Receptors and Excitotoxic Mechanisms in Alzheimer’s Disease

Large pyramidal neurons, the neurons most vulnerable in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), use glutamate as a neurotransmitter and receive glutamatergic inputs (Fonnum, 1984; Hof and Morrison, 1994). Loss of these neurons would be expected to result in decreased glutamate levels, loss of glutamate receptors, and loss of presynaptic glutamate transport sites. Of potentially greater interest is the possibility that glutamate may play a causal role in AD neuropathology. Glutamate and its receptors play critical roles in long-term potentiation—a cellular model of learning and memory (Asztely and Gustafsson, 1996; Riedel and Reymann, 1996)—and in spatial memory (Morris et al., 1986), thus glutamate receptor dysfunction could contribute to the memory deficits evident in AD. Overstimulation of glutamate receptors can result in neuron death through excitotoxic mechanisms (Choi, 1992). Moreover, glutamate can cause cytoskeletal disruption resembling that associated with neurofibrillary pathology in AD (De Boni and McLachlan, 1985; Mattson, 1990; Couratier et al., 1996). In this chapter the evidence of disrupted glutamatergic transmission in Alzheimer’s disease is reviewed, and the possibility that it may contribute to, or result from, the disease process is discussed.
Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in the Malignant Hyperthermia Syndrome

A general working hypothesis for the aetiology of malignant hyperthermia is that triggering anaesthetic agents produce an increased myoplasmic Ca2+ level that stimulates metabolic and contracture events. As long as the Ca2+ remains at a concentration capable of activating skeletal muscle heat, metabolic products and abnormal electrolyte balance will result, ultimately fulminating to the life-threatening malignant hyperthermia syndrome. Under a normal resting state, the Ca2+ concentration in myoplasm is 10-7 M or lower and at Ca2+ concentrations of 10-6 to 10-5 M or greater, the metabolic and contractile systems are activated. The primary regulatory system for Ca2+ in skeletal muscle is the sarcoplasmic reticulum which serves three main functions: Ca2+ storage, Ca2+ release and Ca2+ uptake. In this chapter, we discuss current understanding of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in performing these functions and review data from studies on sarcoplasmic reticulum function in malignant hyperthermia skeletal muscle. Studies on Ca2+ transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum from malignant hyperthermia human and pig muscle do not support a defect in the transport function of sarcoplasmic reticulum in malignant hyperthermia skeletal muscle. In addition to the Ca2+ pump protein, the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane also contains Ca2+ channels through which the stored Ca2+ is released to initiate muscle contraction. Several studies have shown a defect in the Ca2+ channel that is receptor mediated with Ca2+ as an agonist. These mechanisms related to electromechanical coupling in skeletal muscle are likely defective sites in malignant hyperthermia susceptible muscle.
Imaging of Domains and Vortices in Multifunctional Materials

In this chapter, we describe a series of observations of magnetic domain wall configurations in a Ni2-Mn-Ga––type ferromagnetic shape memory alloy. First we introduce the technique of phase reconstructed Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, both the classical approach and the quantum mechanical determination of the electron wave phase shift using the Transport-of-Intensity Equation formalism. Then we apply this technique to domain wall observations in several phases, including the austenitic state and the (modulated) martensitic state. We conclude the chapter with a preliminary analysis of a magnetization state that is best described as a nearly regular array of magnetic vortices, pinned by martensite variant boundaries (twin boundaries). The magnetization configuration is only observed when the twins are finely spaced, and is likely due to the interaction of the magnetic and strain order parameters in this system.
Stochastic modeling of kaolinite transport through a sand filter

Accurately modeling the transport of clay particles through coarse-grained porous media is essential to engineering applications ranging from filtration and drainage, groundwater flow modeling, to ...
Cognition and emotions in Japanese humanoid robotics

From the beginning of the twentieth century, Japanese roboticists have observed specific features in the physical designs of humanoid robots that cause users to react with either fear or affection....
Intention to Try Tobacco Among Middle School Students in a Predominantly Rural Environment of Central Appalachia.

Background: Disparities in tobacco use exist across regions in the United States. The Central Appalachian region carries some of the very high rates of tobacco use prevalence but research on tobacc...
Benefits of community fisheries management to individual households in the floodplains of the Amazon River in Brazil

Abstract We study the incentives of households in the floodplain of the Amazon River (varzea) to comply with community fisheries management efforts. The local manifestation of fisheries management in the study region, fishing accords are community-level agreements that emerged starting in the 1980s in response to increased fishing pressure and fisheries stock depletion. We examine empirically the effects of fishing accords enforcement efforts on individual household time savings. The amount of time savings represents an incentive for, and a predictor of, continued participation in enforcing fishing accords. We quantify the time savings associated with the enforcement of accords by estimating a system of simultaneous factor demand equations that account for different periods in the flood regime of the Amazon River. We find that, in the short run, there is a cost to households from enforcing fishing accords. In the long term, however, the enforcement effort employed generates substantial time savings in fishing that frees scarce time to be allocated to other household activities, such as agriculture and cattle grazing.
Improved Three-Phase Critical-Mode-Based Soft-Switching Modulation Technique with Low Leakage Current for PV Inverter Application

In this paper, an improved three-phase criticalconduction-mode (CRM)-based soft-switching modulation technique is proposed in order to reduce the leakage current for photovoltaic (PV) inverter applications. Soft-switching turn-on is achievable, which is especially beneficial for silicon carbide (SiC)based systems at high switching frequency operation to achieve both high power density and high efficiency. The proposed modulation technique is digitally implemented with one low-cost microcontroller (MCU). The modulation concept is verified in simulations and also experimentally implemented on a SiC-based three-phase bidirectional ac–dc converter prototype. Softswitching turn-on during CRM and DCM operations is verified. In addition, the experiment results show that at least 89% reduction in the leakage current is achieved with the improved modulation technique.
Team Meeting 101: An Investigation of Cognitive Engagement and Self-Efficacy in a Unique Active Learning Instructional Technique

Many forms of active learning are popular in the college classroom, including case studies, role-plays, simulations, problem-based learning, and some discussion-based activities. Team Meeting 101 i...
Contrapuntal Psychoanalysis as Liberation Praxis

In this chapter, I unpack contrapuntal psychoanalysis as liberation praxis. I do this by way of the following concepts: the two Others, double-unconsciousness, and colonial difference. As liberation praxis, I elaborate on contrapuntal psychoanalysis qua border methodology. Furthermore, contrapuntal psychoanalysis can be read along the lines of not only power/knowledge/being but also politics/aesthetics/ethics. In the concluding chapter, I demonstrate these features through concrete examples. Finally, I aspire to contribute to a general theory of oppression (and violence) in the context of racialized capitalism.
The Dakota Access Pipeline in Illinois: Participation, power, and institutional design in United States critical energy infrastructure governance

Abstract The role of participation in US energy governance sits at the heart of ongoing contestation around the crude oil-bearing Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The construction of the 1,172-mile pipeline raised questions about the public’s ability to influence energy infrastructure development considered by the US government as “critical” to national security. While numerous scholars and courts have begun to question whether the federal regulatory process that permitted DAPL sufficiently allowed for participation, less work has examined state-level processes. In this article, we ask whether actors who participated in the regulatory process at the state-level had sufficient opportunity to influence the siting, permitting, and construction of DAPL. We focus on Illinois, analyzing the 2015 proceeding by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to permit DAPL. Drawing on fieldwork between October 2018 and May 2020, we argue the ICC regulatory process minimized the space available for pipeline opposition in three ways. First, the ICC is limited, in an institutional design sense, from integrating broad public opinion into its decision-making process. Second, as a function of its design, pipeline opponents required significant knowledge and resources to mount claims before the ICC. Finally, we contend that politically powerful interest groups, especially labor unions and industry stakeholders, shape pipeline politics in Illinois in ways that further limit avenues for formal opposition. Our work raises important questions about the impact of public participation in contemporary energy and environmental governance, as well as how democratic contestation surrounding oil pipelines can open space for resistance and transformative social change.
Evaluation and Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Vision Aids: Orcam MyEye 1 and Seeing AI:

Introduction: We compared the print-to-speech properties and human performance characteristics of two artificial intelligence vision aids, Orcam MyEye 1 (a portable device) and Seeing AI (an iPhone...
La rigurosidad metodológica y la precariedad teórica en Psicología Social

Se analiza la epistemologia basica de produccion de conocimiento en psicologia social mediante el estudio del papel que los psicologos sociales otorgan a la metodologia. Se postula que esa epistemologia basica descansa mas bien sobre un interes por la sofisticacion metodologica -sea en la busqueda de rigurosidad de tecnicas de obtencion de informacion, sea en la complejificacion de las tecnicas de analisis de datos- que en una preocupacion por el incremento y la integracion teorica de los modelos de la disciplina. Se discuten las consecuencias de este fenomeno a la luz del debate sobre la «crisis», afirmando la generacion teorica como unica posibilidad de lograr una transformacion de las carencias de la epistemologia basica de la psicologia social.
Am. Sub. S.B. 165 is Enacted

The last week of March saw the Ohio General Assembly move Am. Sub. S.B. 165 from conference committee consideration to passage in both houses and on to the governor’s signature. This legislation requires the State Board of Education to “incorporate into the social studies standards for grades four to twelve academic content regarding the original texts of the Declaration of Independence, the Northwest Ordinance, the Constitution of the United States and its amendments, with emphasis on the Bill of Rights, and the Ohio Constitution, and their original context.” The model curricula and achievement assessments will have to be revised accordingly.
A pneumatized anterior clinoid mimicking an aneurysm on MR imaging. Report of two cases.

✓ The advent of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has marked a new era in neuroimaging — particularly in terms of diminishing the need for more invasive diagnostic procedures. A cautionary note should be sounded, however, about an important limitation of standard spin-echo MR studies. Two patients were referred for angiography because MR imaging indicated the presence of a “paraclinoid aneurysm.” In retrospect, these findings were due instead to a pneumatized anterior clinoid. Angiography could have been avoided had this pitfall been recognized, and had a gradient-echo flow-imaging protocol been utilized. This latter approach (which does not replace spin-echo imaging) is more sensitive to flowing blood and thus allows differentiation of an air space from a nonthrombosed aneurysm.
Neuronal Modulations in Visual Cortex Are Associated with Only One of Multiple Components of Attention

Neuronal signals related to visual attention are found in widespread brain regions, and these signals are generally assumed to participate in a common mechanism of attention. However, the behavioral effects of attention in detection can be separated into two distinct components: spatially selective shifts in either the criterion or sensitivity of the subject. Here we show that a paradigm used by many single-neuron studies of attention conflates behavioral changes in the subject's criterion and sensitivity. Then, using a task designed to dissociate these two components, we found that multiple aspects of attention-related neuronal modulations in area V4 of monkey visual cortex corresponded to behavioral shifts in sensitivity, but not criterion. This result suggests that separate components of attention are associated with signals in different brain regions and that attention is not a unitary process in the brain, but instead consists of distinct neurobiological mechanisms.
Design of a Multi-Module, Multi-Phase Battery Charger for the NASA EOS Space Platform Testbed

The multi-module, multi-phase (MMMP) charger is compared to a single-module (SM) charger to identify potential performance improvements. The advantages of the MMMP charger are documented. This paper then details the design of the MMMP battery charger. The battery charger was developed as part of the NASA EOS Space Platform Testbed Project.
Modular Marx generator for dV/dt testing of power semiconductor devices

A solid-state modular Marx Generator was designed for the purpose of testing the dV/dt capability of Power Semiconductor devices. The Marx Generator is capable of producing up to 1 kV voltage transients with rise times on the order of 10-nanoseconds. This capability to do variable voltage amplitude leads to customizable dV/dt tests. The solid-state modular design will be covered in detail within the paper. The solid-state construction allows for this adjustable dV/dt rating through the utilization of multiple modular stages of Power MOSFETs. These Power MOSFETs have a lower voltage blocking ability, but faster switch closing times. The different modules are controlled through the use of fiber-optic links. These links signal the floating Gate Driver circuitry to synchronize their switch closing time. The floating Gate Driver utilizes isolated switch-mode DC-DC converters to supply the power needed to charge the MOSFET gates, from one ground-referenced power source. The Marx Generator uses high voltage Silicon Carbide Schottky Diodes for the voltage blocking elements when the individual modular stages trigger. The lack of reverse recovery for these high voltage SiC Diodes enables the fast voltage transients that are requisite for dV/dt ranges needed to test Power Semiconductor devices.
Reconfigurable ΔΣ modulator topology design through hierarchical mapping and constraint extraction

This paper presents a novel methodology for designing reconfigurable continuous-time @D@S modulator topologies while considering circuit-level implementation constraints. Topologies are optimized for minimizing their structural complexity, maximizing their robustness with respect to circuit nonidealities, and maximizing the feasibility of their circuit-level implementation. A case study for a three mode reconfigurable @D@S modulator shows that the produced topologies avoid circuit-level implementation difficulties existing in other approaches.
Stochastic convergence analysis of model reference adaptive controllers

Previously suggested model reference adaptive schemes are analyzed with respect to convergence in a stochastic environment. The role of different filtering polynomials is clarified and it is pointed out which algorithms seem favorable from the convergence point of view.
Implicit pseudo boolean enumeration algorithms for input vector control

In a CMOS combinational logic circuit, the subthreshold leakage current in the standby state depends on the state of the inputs. In this paper we present a new approach to identify the minimum leakage set of input vectors (MLS). Applying a vector in the MLS is known as Input Vector Control (IVC), and has proven to be very useful in reducing gate oxide leakage and sub-threshold leakage in standby mode of operation. The approach presented here is based on Implicit Enumeration of integer-valued decision diagrams. Since the search space for minimum leakage vector increases exponentially with the number of primary inputs, the enumeration is done with respect to the minimum balanced cut of the digraph representation of the circuit. To reduce the switching power dissipated when the inputs are driven to a given state (during entry into and exit from the standby state), we extend the MLS algorithm to compute a bounded leakage set (BLS). Given a bound of standby leakage, we present an algorithm for computing minimal switching cost partial input vectors such that the leakage of the circuit is always less than the upper bound.
Inheritance of Reduced Stearic and Palmitic Acid Content in Sunflower Seed Oil

Reducing the saturated fatty add content of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) oil wonld benefit the sunflower industry through increased consumer preference for a low saturated sunflower product. This study was conducted to determine the inheritance of low stearic and low palmitic add content found in three sunflower mutant lines treated with two mutagens, N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) at rates of 1 and 2 g kg -1 . The fatty add content of approximately 6800 M 5 lines was analyzed by gas chromatography. Two M 5 lines, HA 821 LS-1 and RHA 274 LS-2, had lower stearic add content (41 and 20 g kg -1 ), and one M 5 line, RHA 274 LP-1, had lower palmitic acid content (47 g kg -1 ) than their respective parental lines. Segregation ratios of F 2 and testcross progeny indicated that the low stearic add content in HA 821 LS-1 was controlled by one gene, designated fas1, with additive gene action. The low stearic acid content in RHA 274 LS-2 was controlled by two genes with additive gene action. The first gene was designated fas2, and the second gene was temporarily designated fasx. The allele fap1 was identified in RHA 274 LP-1 to control low palmitic add content with additive gene action. The combination of the alleles for low stearic and low palmitic acid content identified in this study could reduce the total saturated fatty add content of oil in sunflower from 130 g kg -1 to less than 80 g kg -1 .
Athermalization of Optical Systems

Equations are given for the condition that the focal surface of a lens system remain at a predetermined position for a range of ambient temperatures. Simple methods of satisfying these equations for lens systems composed predominantly or entirely of plastic components are described.
Food Intake and Food-Related Attitudes of Older Women: Implications for Nutrition Education

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between food-related attitudes and food consumption in 36 older women during a four-day period. The subjects were white, 65 years or older, literate, lived independently, and perceived themselves as healthy. Attitudes toward food consumed were measured by the semantic differential technique. The participants scored 10 attitudes toward food consumed and also completed a food consumption record. Foods were categorized into one of seven food groups: milk; meat; eggs; grains; fruit; vegetables; sugars, sweets, and beverages. Among the questions this study attempted to answer were: Do older women consume foods because they are easy to prepare, are low in calories, and/or are economical? Food-related attitudes varied according to the food group and to the amount consumed. Spearman rank correlations showed significant relationships between certain attitudes and certain food groups consumed such as eat infrequently/frequently and unhealthful/healthful to eat with the milk and fruit groups. Stepwise multiple regressions found significant associations between certain attitudes such as dislike/love eating and eat infrequently/frequently and the milk and fruit groups. Nutrition educators may be able to use findings in this study to improve eating patterns based on food-related attitudes of the elderly.
Effects of urbanization on Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population connectivity

Urbanization may affect genetic differentiation among animal populations because it converts native vegetation to novel land cover types that can affect population connectivity. The effect of land cover change on genetic differentiation may vary among taxa; mobile birds may be least affected. Regardless, genetic differentiation between populations should be best predicted by measures of distance that incorporate the effect of land cover on movement. We studied the relationship between land cover and genetic differentiation in Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) at eighteen sites in the Seattle metropolitan region. We generated a series of hypothetical “resistance surfaces” based on land cover and development age, calculated “resistance distances” between pairs of sampling sites, and related them to pairwise genetic differentiation. Genetic differentiation was best described by a multiple regression model where resistance to gene flow (1) linearly increased with age of development and (2) was greater in high- and medium-density urbanization than in native forest land cover types (R 2 = 0.15; p = 0.003). The single variable with the highest correlation with genetic differentiation was derived from a linear relationship between development age and resistance (R 2 = 0.08; p = 0.007). Our results thus suggested that urban development reduced population connectivity for Song Sparrows. However, the relation of development age to genetic differentiation suggested that equilibrium was not yet reached. Hence, the effects of lost connectivity will increase. Our understanding of the landscape genetics of this recently anthropogenically modified landscape benefited from considering population history.
Physiological evidence on the nature of the repressor of alkaline phosphatase synthesis in Escherichia coli

The synthesis of alkaline phosphatase has been studied in a mutant of Escherichia coli in which repression by inorganic phosphate is temperature-dependent. When phosphate is added back to derepressed cultures of this strain, the restoration of repression proceeds the more rapidly the lower the temperature of cultivation. The restoration of repression in excess phosphate is shown to be a biosynthetic process which: (1) is dependent on the presence of a required amino acid; (2) is completely blocked by chloramphenicol; (3) proceeds in the presence of concentrations of 5-fiuorouracil which substantially inhibit RNA synthesis but only slightly inhibit protein synthesis; (4) proceeds in the absence of thymine required for DNA synthesis. These properties indicate that the repressor is a protein whose rate of synthesis varies inversely with temperature in the mutant strain. Control experiments with a fully constitutive mutant rule out the possibility that the inhibitory conditions employed affect the unregulated synthesis of alkaline phosphatase. The apparent requirement for de novo repressor synthesis after a small amount of derepressed growth indicates that the repressor is metabolically unstable.
In vitro neurotoxicity of methyl iodide.

Abstract Methyl iodide (MeI) and two other commonly used monohalomethanes, methyl bromide and methyl chloride, are potent human neurotoxicants. In the present study neural cell cultures were used to investigate MeI neurotoxicity in vitro. In primary, dispersed mixed (neurons and glia) neural cultures from mouse embryos, MeI produced severe morphological alterations and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase into the medium (LC50, 5–6 m m ). These effects showed steep concentration-response curves. Both glial and neuronal cells from both the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum were affected. The dual cyclooxygenase-lipoxygenase inhibitor, 3-amino-1-[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-pyrazoline (BW755C) protected against monohalomethane toxicity (EC50 100 μ m ). All of these observations reflected those previously reported to occur in vivo after exposure to other monohalomethanes. They indicated that MeI shared similar mechanisms of toxicity with other monohalomethanes and supported the validity of the in vitro model to study these mechanisms. Another lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), was also effective in protecting neural cultures against the effects of MeI (EC50 3 μ m ). The use of BW755C/NDGA and (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-801) as specific inhibitors of MeI and glutamate neurotoxicity, respectively, demonstrated that MeI toxicity is not mediated by glutamate, a potential by-product of glutathione-mediated metabolism of MeI. When BW755C and NDGA were compared with other modifiers of arachidonic acid metabolism for their protection against MeI toxicity, their mechanisms of action appeared to be unrelated to inhibition of the oxygenases. Their mechanism of action could be related to their antioxidant effect. Results from this work show the value of primary neural cultures to demonstrate and study monohalomethane neurotoxicity.
Cytisine is effective for smoking cessation: should clinicians use it?

Commentary on: Hajek P, McRobbie H, Myers K. Efficacy of cytisine in helping smokers quit: systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax 2013;68:1037–42[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Tobacco use remains a leading cause of avoidable premature mortality and morbidity worldwide with approximately 800 million male and 200 million female smokers worldwide.1 Much of this ongoing disease burden can be avoided through smoking cessation. However, nicotine in tobacco smoke is highly addicting and most cessation attempts fail. There are diverse approaches to increase the success rate of quit attempts, including approved pharmacological therapies: nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT; available in several forms and over-the-counter), bupropion (an antidepressant) and varenicline (a partial nicotine agonist). Each of these medications, used in combination with appropriate counselling and support, increases the likelihood of … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DThorax%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fthoraxjnl-2012-203035%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23404838%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=thoraxjnl&resid=68/11/1037&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F4%2F134.atom
Reduced activation ferritic alloys for fusion

Abstract Reduced activation Martensitic alloys can now be developed with properties similar to commercial counterparts, and oxide dispersion strengthened alloys are under consideration. However, low chromium Bainitic alloys with vanadium additions undergo severe irradiation hardening at low irradiation temperatures and excessive softening at high temperatures, resulting in a very restricted application window. Manganese additions result in excessive embrittlement, as demonstrated by post-irradiation Charpy impact testing. The best composition range for Martensitic alloys appears to be at 7 to 9 Cr and 2 W, with swelling of minor concern and low temperature irradiation embrittlement perhaps eliminated. Therefore, Martensitic reduced activation steels in the 7 to 9 Cr range should be considered leading contenders for structural materials applications in power-producing fusion machines.
Building Collaborative Research Relationships

A colleague of mine in private practice, Karen T. Kimberlin, M.S., CCC-SLP approached me about conducting a pilot study to gather data on appropriate screening tools and screening procedures appropriate for children in kindergarten. The purpose of our study was to gather data on the feasibility of identifying children at risk for reading disorders in a grade level screening during the kindergarten year. The collaborative project included two public school districts, which varied from each other in the characteristics of their student populations. A compilation of screening tools was used that probed: oral language skills, phonological awareness skills, rapid naming, alphabetic knowledge, and encoding.
Lead intoxication alters basal and parathyroid hormone-regulated cellular calcium homeostasis in rat osteosarcoma (ROS 17/2.8) cells.

The skeleton is the major reservoir of lead and calcium in humans, and plays an important role in systemic calcium regulation. Lead perturbs normal calcium transport and second messenger function, directly or indirectly, in virtually all cells studies so far. Therefore, we and others have postulated that an early and discrete toxic effect of lead is perturbation of one or more loci within the calcium messenger system. To understand further the role of lead on calcium homeostasis in bone, we undertook this study to characterize calcium homeostasis and the effect of lead on calcium homeostasis in rat osteosarcoma (ROS 17/2.8) cells, which exhibit the osteoblast phenotype. ROS cells were incubated in medium containing 45Ca for 20 hours. Monitoring the efflux of 45Ca from the cultures for 210 minutes allowed for the determination of kinetic parameters defining steady state calcium homeostasis. Three distinct intracellular kinetic calcium pools characterized 45Ca homeostasis. Treatment with either 400 ng parathyroid hormone (PTH)/ml culture medium for 1 hour or 25 μM lead for 20 hours increased total cell calcium. Treatment with PTH caused a larger increase of cell calcium in lead-intoxicated cells than either lead intoxication or PTH treatment alone. This increase suggests that lead may perturb normal calcium-mediated PTH responsiveness of the osteoblast. These experiments further establish a kinetic model for the study of calcium homeostasis in osteoblastic bone cells. The studies also advance the hypothesis that lead-induced perturbations of calcium-mediated processes represent and early effect of lead toxicity at the cellular level.
Albumin and mitochondrial DNA evolution: Phylogenetic implications for colubrine snakes (Colubridae: Colubrinae)

Previous molecular analyses of colubrine snake relationships have been based on estimates of amino acid sequence differences in the nuclear-encoded protein, serum albumin. Phylogenetic hypotheses based on albumin data are compared to new trees derived from nucleotide sequence variation in a 307-base pair (bp) region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and a 384-bp region of the mitochondrial gene encoding the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) subunit. There are so many multiple substitutions at degenerate sites in the cytochrome b sequences that little phylogenetic signal remains, leaving major conclusions based on the more informative 16S rRNA sequences. Analyses of the sequence data using both parsimony and genetic distance algorithms are largely congruent with earlier conclusions based on albumin, and corroborate (1) the monophyly of the ratsnakes, (2) the derivation of the ratsnake clade from within the racer lineage, and (3) the monophyly of the Nearctic racer clade (Coluber + Masticophis). The 16S rRNA data provide greater resolution of relationships within the racer lineage than either the cytochrome b or albumin data. The trees based on cytochrome b and 16S rRNA sequences do not support monophyly of the racers, in contrast to the albumin data.
Experiments with an Annotation Scheme for a Knowledge-rich Noun Phrase Interpretation System

This paper presents observations on our experience with an annotation scheme that was used in the training of a state-of-the-art noun phrase semantic interpretation system. The system relies on cross-linguistic evidence from a set of five Romance languages: Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. Given a training set of English noun phrases in context along with their translations in the five Romance languages, our algorithm automatically learns a classification function that is later on applied to unseen test instances for semantic interpretation. As training and test data we used two text collections of different genre: Europarl and CLUVI. The training data was annotated with contextual features based on two state-of-the-art classification tag sets.
A mutation increasing the size of the polyoma virion proteins, VP2 and VP3.

Abstract The ts 48 mutant of polyoma virus carries a temperature-sensitive mutation ( ts A) which affects the polyoma large T antigen, blocking viral DNA synthesis at the nonpermissive temperature. In addition, there are at least two other changes in the ts 48 genome which affect virus-coded proteins. There is a single base change which abolishes an Hpa II restriction enzyme cleavage site in the portion of the early region coding simultaneously for the polyoma medium and large T antigens. There is also a single base change in the late region of the genome which results in the synthesis of virion proteins, VP2 and VP3, larger than the corresponding wild type proteins. The change in the late region abolishes the normal termination codon for VP2 and VP3.
The 1998 Barbour Lecture: Responding to Nature—The Interaction of Technology and Worldviews

Technology interfaces with society in several ways, one of the most important of which is in the domain of values. Technology is values driven. These values are sometimes expressed in dramatic rhetoric and visual images that qualify as metaphysical or even religious proposals. The flamboyance of these proposals is ap parently necessary in order to galvanize public support for the technologies in question. This article focuses on the prominent value in our culture to shape and reshape nature and takes as case studies recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration proposals and the Human Genome Project. The conclu sion is that a kind of spirituality drives the use of technology, and this fact ought to be recognized and reflected upon.
Complementation and Reconstitution of Fluorescence from Circularly Permuted and Truncated Green Fluorescent Protein

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been used as a proof of concept for a novel "leave-one-out" biosensor design in which a protein that has a segment omitted from the middle of the sequence by circular permutation and truncation binds the missing peptide and reconstitutes its function. Three variants of GFP have been synthesized that are each missing one of the 11 beta-strands from its beta-barrel structure, and in two of the variants, adding the omitted peptide sequence in trans reconstitutes fluorescence. Detailed biochemical analysis indicates that GFP with beta-strand 7 "left out" (t7SPm) exists in a partially unfolded state. The apo form t7SPm binds the free beta-strand 7 peptide with a dissociation constant of approximately 0.5 microM and folds into the native state of GFP, resulting in fluorescence recovery. Folding of t7SPm, both with and without the peptide ligand, is at least a three-state process and has a rate comparable to that of the full-length and unpermuted GFP. The conserved kinetic properties strongly suggest that the rate-limiting steps in the folding pathway have not been altered by circular permutation and truncation in t7SPm. This study shows that structural and functional reconstitution of GFP can occur with a segment omitted from the middle of the chain, and that the unbound form is in a partially unfolded state.
Milrinone enhances relaxation to prostacyclin and iloprost in pulmonary arteries isolated from lambs with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Prostacyclin is a pulmonary vasodilator and is produced by prostacyclin synthase and stimulates adenylate cyclase (AC) via the prostacyclin receptor (IP) to produce cAMP. Forskolin is a direct stimulant of AC. Phosphodiesterase 3 hydrolyzes cAMP and is inhibited by milrinone. Objective:To characterize the prostacyclin-AC-cAMP pathway in the ovine ductal ligation model of persistent pulmonary hyper- tension of the newborn (PPHN). Setting:University-based laboratory animal facility. Subjects:Lambs delivered to time-dated pregnant ewes. Interventions:Fifth generation pulmonary arteries (PA) and lung parenchyma were isolated from control fetal lambs (n!8) and fetal lambs with PPHN induced by antenatal ductal ligation (n!9). We studied relaxation responses to various agonists (milrinone, forskolin, prostacyclin, and iloprost, a prostacyclin analog) that increase cAMP in PA after half-maximal constriction with norepinephrine and pretreatment with propranolol"indo- methacin. Lung protein levels of prostacyclin synthase, IP, AC2, and phosphodiesterase 3A were analyzed by Western blot and cAMP by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Main Results:Milrinone relaxed control and PPHN PA and pretreatment with indomethacin significantly impaired this re- sponse. Relaxation to milrinone, prostacyclin, and iloprost were significantly impaired in PA from PPHN lambs. Pretreatment with milrinone markedly enhanced relaxation to prostacyclin and ilo- prost in PPHN PA, similar to relaxation in control PA. Relaxation to forskolin was similar in control and PPHN PAs indicating normal AC activity. Protein levels of prostacyclin synthase and IP were decreased in PPHN lungs compared with control, but AC2, cAMP, and phosphodiesterase 3A remained unchanged. Conclusions:Prostacyclin and iloprost are dilators of PAs from PPHN lambs and their effect is enhanced by milrinone. This combination therapy may be an effective strategy in the manage- ment of patients with PPHN. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2009; 10: 106-112) K EYWORDS: pulmonary hypertension; nitric oxide; prostacyclin; newborn; phosphodiesterase; cyclic AMP
Congenital rubella syndrome: New clinical aspects with recovery of virus from affected infants

Seventeen newborn infants with stigmas of the congenital rubella syndrome were studied clinically and virologically. These data are presented with postmortem findings in 2 of the infants. Myocardial necrosis, interstitial pneumonitis, and regurgitative jaundice associated with hepatosplenomegaly are reported for the first time. Cataracts, glaucoma, cardiac anomalies, thrombocytopenic purpura, and a variation of a previously reported bone lesion were also observed. Rubella virus was isolated in one or more specimens from each infant, from necropsied viscera, biopsied liver, and from spinal fluid. The congenital rubella syndrome is a chronic viral infection of the neonate which is acquired in utero.
Cavitation dynamics in stressed dielectric liquids

Abstract A simplistic dynamic mathematical model is proposed for the explanation of transient cavity behaviour in electrically stressed dielectric liquids. Experimental high speed photographic studies on the growth of bubbles in perfluoro-n-hexane under step voltage conditions provide some encouragement for the approach which does not suffer from some of the shortcomings of earlier equilibrium models. The approach offers some help in explaining qualitatively the nature of some observed prebreakdown events.
Intramolecular Photocycloaddition of Dioxenones with Alkynes: Formation of Secondary Photoproducts from Cyclobutene Photoadducts

[Reaction: see text] Intramolecular photocycloaddition of 4 leads to the formation of cyclobutene photoadduct 5. Secondary photoreaction of 5 then affords either cyclobutane 19 or the bridged product 7, as a function of R (H or TMS).
Importance of Lake Ontario Embayments and Nearshore Habitats as Nurseries for Larval Fishes with Emphasis on Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)

Abstract Productive embayments, areas morphometrically sheltered from open lake physical processes, were compared to less productive, exposed shorelines of the nearshore as nursery habitats for larval alewives ( Alosa pseudoharengus) , the principal forage fish in Lake Ontario. Species composition and densities of pelagic larval fishes were assessed with towed plankton nets at three embayments and adjacent nearshore habitats located along the New York shore, two sites in 1997 and a third site in 1998. Peak nearshore densities of larval alewives in 1997 and 1998 were compared to 1977 and 1978, a time period prior to major phosphorus reductions and the establishment of exotic dreissenid mussels in Lake Ontario. Seasonal changes in the pelagic larval fish assemblage were generally similar in the embayments; yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) were prevalent in late-May shifting to co-occurrence of alewives and Lepomis spp. in June and July. At all nearshore sites, the larval fish assemblage throughout summer consisted mainly of alewives (> 65%). Densities of larval alewives peaked earlier in embayments but generally at lower densities than observed later in the nearshore. Because the amount of nearshore habitat greatly exceeds that of embayment habitat in Lake Ontario, nearshore waters served as the principal nurseries for larval alewives. However, densities of all larval fish species other than alewives (principally yellow perch and Lepomis spp.) were usually greater in embayments than the nearshore. Compared to three nearshore sites in 1977 and 1978, timing of peak densities of alewives in 1997 and 1998 were similar and temperature dependent; highest densities occurred in late July to early August after nearshore waters were ≥18°C. Peak median nearshore alewife densities (larvae/100 m 3 ) in 1997 (47) and 1998 (60) were similar to those in 1977 (8 to 100) and 1978 (34 to 49). This similarity suggested a limited effect of lowered phosphorus and food web changes on peak larval alewife densities in Lake Ontario.
A super-bright storage ring alternative to an energy recovery linac

Abstract One of the promised characteristics of an energy recovery linac (ERL) as a synchrotron light source is the very low emittance of the electron beam. A difficulty with ERLs is that, as yet, no one has demonstrated a gun that delivers average currents comparable to what has been demonstrated in storage rings, i.e., 0.1–1 A, with the required emittance and for the long periods of time necessary for a user facility. As an alternative to an ERL, one might consider a super-bright storage ring with short lifetime, requiring fast top-up. We present a possible replacement ring for the Advanced Photon Source with 0.5-micron normalized emittance at 7 GeV, along with a discussion of design challenges and operating considerations.
Influence of a thin veneer of low-hydraulic-conductivity sediment on modelled exchange between river water and groundwater in response to induced infiltration†

A thin layer of fine-grained sediment commonly is deposited at the sediment–water interface of streams and rivers during low-flow conditions, and may hinder exchange at the sediment–water interface similar to that observed at many riverbank-filtration (RBF) sites. Results from a numerical groundwater-flow model indicate that a low-permeability veneer reduces the contribution of river water to a pumping well in a riparian aquifer to various degrees, depending on simulated hydraulic gradients, hydrogeological properties, and pumping conditions. Seepage of river water is reduced by 5–10% when a 2-cm thick, low-permeability veneer is present on the bed surface. Increasing thickness of the low-permeability layer to 0·1 m has little effect on distribution of seepage or percentage contribution from the river to the pumping well. A three-orders-of-magnitude reduction in hydraulic conductivity of the veneer is required to reduce seepage from the river to the extent typically associated with clogging at RBF sites. This degree of reduction is much larger than field-measured values that were on the order of a factor of 20–25. Over 90% of seepage occurs within 12 m of the shoreline closest to the pumping well for most simulations. Virtually no seepage occurs through the thalweg near the shoreline opposite the pumping well, although no low-permeability sediment was simulated for the thalweg. These results are relevant to natural settings that favour formation of a substantial, low-permeability sediment veneer, as well as central-pivot irrigation systems, and municipal water supplies where river seepage is induced via pumping wells. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On Internal Cone Cracks Induced by Conical Indentation in Brittle Materials

The conditions for cone cracks to develop due to a conical indentation are investigated. Axisymmetric numerical simulations, based on the finite element method, are conducted, assuming a linear-elastic, perfectly plastic material. A superposition scheme is employed to simulate a range of crack geometries, including various lengths and orientations. The results indicate that the class of cracks investigated is prone to develop internally in brittle materials. Based on a reversed analysis, a new technique is proposed for measuring the fracture toughness in bulk material and thick coatings through one simple indentation test when the cone crack appears.
Surface morphology by reflectivity of coherent X-rays

Abstract Coherent X-ray diffraction (CXD) is a new technique made possible by the enhanced brilliance specifications of hard X-ray wigglers and undulators, especially at third-generation synchrotron radiation sources. CXD differs from conventional diffraction in that it uses a microscopic beam that is close to fully coherent one. The resulting diffraction pattern is related to the Fourier transform of the entire object illuminated by the beam, and hence is sensitive to any fluctuations within it, whether these are in space or in time. We have observed CXD effects in the near-specular reflectivity from silicon wafers. We introduce a simple theoretical formalism for explaining the origin of the coherent diffraction signal in a reflectivity experiment, in which we find a slow but distinct evolution of the pattern with the perpendicular component of momentum transfer, qz. We demonstrate a practical energy dispersive method of measuring this qz-dependence.