cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: mediation Package in R

Causal mediation analysis is the study of mechanisms—variables measured between a treatment and an outcome that partially explain their causal relationship. The past decade has seen an explosion of research in causal mediation analysis, resulting in both conceptual and methodological advancements. However, many of these methods have been out of reach for applied quantitative researchers, due to their complexity and the difficulty of implementing them in standard statistical software distributions. The mediation package in R provides a set of simple commands that execute some of the newer causal mediation methods. This article will summarize some of the recent advances in mediation analysis, critically review the mediation package, and demonstrate, by example, some of its capabilities.
Synergistic Induction of T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia by Functionally Distinct Mutations in NOTCH1.

Abstract Recent observations that Notch1 mutations are present in more than 50% of human T-ALL patient samples indicate that Notch signals have a central role in the pathogenesis of T-ALL (Weng et al., 2004, Science, 306, 269–271). Notch1 mutations are of two types: i) mis-sense mutations in an extracellular heterodimerization (HD) domain; and ii) frameshift or stop codon mutations that result in deletion of an intracellular PEST destruction box. The likely effect(s) of these mutations is to i) cause heightened proteolytic activation of Notch1, an event that requires the enzyme gamma-secretase; and to ii) increase the duration of Notch1 signaling, respectively. To investigate the contribution of the HD and PEST domain mutations to the pathogenesis of human T-ALL, Notch1 alleles with common HD mutations were introduced retrovirally into hematopoietic progenitor cells, which were then transplanted into lethally irradiated mice. These mice developed transiently circulating abnormal CD4+CD8+ T cells, but failed to develop leukemia after 9 months of monitoring. Similar findings occurred when Notch1 alleles bearing only PEST mutations were introduced into mice, as previously noted by others (Feldman et al., 2000, Blood , 96, 1906–1913). However, when HD mutations were combined with a PEST mutation in cis, the mice developed persistent circulating CD4+CD8+ T cells, leukocytosis, and eventually T-ALL (median time, 18 weeks post-transplantation). These tumors infiltrated lymphoid organs, marrow, and viscera, were monoclonal or oligoclonal, and had intact proviral integrations. Cell lines derived from these tumors are susceptible to gamma-secretase inhibitor-mediated cell death, which indicates a continued reliance on Notch signaling for growth and survival. These results show the utility of the murine BMT assay to score Notch1 mutants found in human T-ALL with respect to leukemogenicity, and suggest that the level of signal that is necessary to induce and sustain Notch1-associated T-ALL is relatively high. It will be of interest to determine if HD domain mutations generally require PEST deletions in cis to induce T-ALL, or if weak and strong mutations of varying leukemogenic potential exist.
27-P : IMPACT OF VARYING MFI THRESHOLDS ON CPRA VALUES AND ACCESS TO DECEASED DONOR ORGANS

Aim Highly sensitized patients experience reduced access to transplantation. In an effort to increase access, some transplant programs are willing to accept added clinical risk for such patients by transplanting across a weak DSA in the face of a negative or weakly positive crossmatch. Hence, our aim was to quantify the theoretical impact of raising MFI cutoffs for moderately and highly sensitized patients thereby reducing the cPRA and, theoretically, increasing their chances of a deceased donor offer. Methods Sixty-three active wait list candidates with a cPRA > 50% (based on a 2,000 MFI cutoff) were selected for this study. Each patient’s unacceptable antigens were reassessed based on MFI cutoffs of 3,000 and 5,000. For each candidate, the % change in cPRA between current value (@ MFI = 2000) and cPRA at 3000 and 5000 MFI was calculated. Results Among the 63 patients, only 16% experienced a significant drop in cPRA (>20% decrease) when increasing the MFI cutoff to 3000. When the cutoff was increased to 5000, 22% exhibited a significant decrease. At an MFI cutoff of 3000, patients with 20% decrease had an average cPRA of 70%. At a cutoff of 5000, patients with 20% cPRA decrease had an average cPRA of 69%.[ Table 1 ] Conclusions Based on the results of this study, raising the MFI threshold does not have a significant impact for the majority of highly sensitized patients (eg: cPRA >80%). However, for some patients with initial cPRA (@ 2,000 MFI)
Sex and ancestry determine the free-running circadian period.

The endogenous, free-running circadian period (τ) determines the phase relationship that an organism assumes when entrained to the 24-h day. We found a shorter circadian period in African Americans compared to non-Hispanic European Americans (24.07 versus 24.33 h). We speculate that a short circadian period, closer to 24 h, was advantageous to humans living around the equator, but when humans migrated North out of Africa, where the photoperiod changes with seasons, natural selection favoured people with longer circadian periods. Recently, in evolutionary terms, immigrants came from Europe and Africa to America ('the New World'). The Europeans were descendents of people who had lived in Europe for thousands of years with changing photoperiods (and presumably longer periods), whereas Africans had ancestors who had always lived around the equator (with shorter periods). It may have been advantageous to have a longer circadian period while living in Europe early in the evolution of humans. In our modern world, however, it is better to have a shorter period, because it helps make our circadian rhythms earlier, which is adaptive in our early-bird-dominated society. European American women had a shorter circadian period than men (24.24 versus 24.41), but there was no sex difference in African Americans (24.07 for both men and women). We speculate that selection pressures in Europe made men develop a slightly longer period than women to help them track dawn which could be useful for hunters, but less important for women as gatherers.
Text analysis: Critical component of planning for text-based discussion focused on comprehension of informational texts

This investigation focuses on a tool used in a reading methods course to introduce reading specialist candidates to text analysis as a critical component of planning for text-based discussions. Unl...
Speaking About Silence (Sort of): When Does a Philosophy of the Unsayable Just Stop Being Philosophy?

In this chapter, Simmons offers a critical engagement with William Franke’s A Philosophy of the Unsayable. Specifically focusing on Franke’s account of the current state of philosophy of religion, Simmons takes issue with the way in which Franke seems to ignore mainstream analytic approaches in his assessment. Moreover, Simmons highlights potential obstacles that a philosophy of the unsayable might face as concerns the status of such a discourse when considered as “philosophy.” Namely, it seems that being able to state clear theses and then offer argumentative evidence for them is crucial for philosophy. Yet such argumentative clarity seems to be what Franke’s proposal eschews. Simmons concludes by offering constructive suggestions for how Franke might overcome such problems by drawing on a broader set of philosophical resources.
HIV testing history among young adults: The roles of sex, race, and sexual orientation

One in five new HIV diagnoses in the United States is among persons younger than 25 years old. Routine testing is a crucial prevention strategy. We assessed the relationships between sex, race, sex...
Nanoscale Artificial Plasmonic Lattice in Self‐Assembled Vertically Aligned Nitride–Metal Hybrid Metamaterials

Nanoscale metamaterials exhibit extraordinary optical properties and are proposed for various technological applications. Here, a new class of novel nanoscale two-phase hybrid metamaterials is achieved by combining two major classes of traditional plasmonic materials, metals (e.g., Au) and transition metal nitrides (e.g., TaN, TiN, and ZrN) in an epitaxial thin film form via the vertically aligned nanocomposite platform. By properly controlling the nucleation of the two phases, the nanoscale artificial plasmonic lattices (APLs) consisting of highly ordered hexagonal close packed Au nanopillars in a TaN matrix are demonstrated. More specifically, uniform Au nanopillars with an average diameter of 3 nm are embedded in epitaxial TaN platform and thus form highly 3D ordered APL nanoscale metamaterials. Novel optical properties include highly anisotropic reflectance, obvious nonlinear optical properties indicating inversion symmetry breaking of the hybrid material, large permittivity tuning and negative permittivity response over a broad wavelength regime, and superior mechanical strength and ductility. The study demonstrates the novelty of the new hybrid plasmonic scheme with great potentials in versatile material selection, and, tunable APL spacing and pillar dimension, all important steps toward future designable hybrid plasmonic materials.
Beta-band oscillations in the supplementary motor cortex are modulated by levodopa and associated with functional activity in the basal ganglia.

Abstract We investigated the effect of acute levodopa administration on movement-related cortical oscillations and movement velocity in Parkinson's disease (PD). Patients with PD on and off medication and age- and sex-matched healthy controls performed a ballistic upper limb flexion movement as fast and accurately as possible while cortical oscillations were recorded with high-density electroencephalography. Patients off medication were also studied using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a force control paradigm. Percent signal change of functional activity during the force control task was calculated for the putamen and subthalamic nucleus (STN) contralateral to the hand tested. We found that patients with PD off medication had an exaggerated movement-related beta-band (13–30 Hz) desynchronization in the supplementary motor area (SMA) compared to controls. In PD, spectral power in the beta-band was correlated with movement velocity. Following an acute dose of levodopa, we observed that the beta-band desynchronization in the SMA was reduced in PD, and was associated with increased movement velocity and increased voltage of agonist muscle activity. Further, using fMRI we found that the functional activity in the putamen and STN in the off medication state, was related to how responsive that cortical oscillations in the SMA of PD were to levodopa. Collectively, these findings provide the first direct evaluation of how movement-related cortical oscillations relate to movement velocity during the ballistic phase of movement in PD and demonstrate that functional brain activity in the basal ganglia pathways relate to the effects of dopaminergic medication on cortical neuronal oscillations during movement.
Permian Paleogeography and Climatology

An empirical attempt has been made to generate summer and winter surface wind patterns for the Lower and Upper Permian using as a base paleogeographic maps derived from paleomagnetic and regional geological considerations. Although problems remain, the maps so produced show general good agreement.
Factors that may influence the classification of sleep-wake by wrist actigraphy: the MrOS Sleep Study.

Study Objectives:Total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency (SOL) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) assessed by actigraphy gathered in 3 different modes were compared to polysomno...
Mapping PVS by Molecular Imaging with Contrast Agents

The primo vascular system (PVS) is now verified for its existence in the animal body. Some of its anatomical information and its role for a few diseases were also revealed. One of the important future tasks for better understanding the PVS may be its distribution (map) inside the body. Most studies already performed on the PVS visualization are limited to the vessels on the surface of various organs, and inside the lymph/blood vessels. Thorough mapping of PVS will be valuable because it may reveal the mode of the communication among the organs connected via this system. In addition, the changes in map of the PVS system in the course of disease progression may provide us with important information that can be utilized for better health management. Because the diameters of small PVS vessels are only in the range of tens of micrometers, for existing biomedical imaging modalities to be effective for imaging the system, external agents generating very high contrast combined with highly PVS-specific targeting agent will be required. In this chapter, a futuristic design of a single contrast agent guided by highly PVS-specific targeting molecule for MRI, X-ray/CT, optical, and TEM imaging is discussed.
Chemical Vapor Deposition; Epitaxy

The fabrication of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits requires the laying down of relatively thin layers or films of semiconductors, insulators, and metals. One method of accomplishing this is chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in which appropriate source materials in gas phase are furnished near the substrate. With the application of energy by heat, plasma, or radiation, chemical bonds are broken and the source materials dissociate into free radicals. In some cases these form new compounds, in others a component of one source material deposits out. The component or new compound molecules must move around on the substrate surface until they arrive at locations favorable for film formation. Excess energy is given up and film growth proceeds. For successful deposition, by-products must be removed (as shown conceptually in Figure 9-1) or they will interfere with film formation.
Predictors of correspondence between self-reported substance use and urinalysis screening among a racially diverse cohort of young men who have sex with men and transgender women.

Abstract It is unknown if estimates of illicit drug use among young men who have sex with men and transgender women (YMSM/TW) may be biased due to historical distrust of research or reliable due to more accepting norms for use. Research is needed to examine the validity of drug use self-reports among YMSM/TW. Data came from an ongoing longitudinal study of YMSM/TW aged 16–29 living in Chicago (analytic N = 1029). Baseline urinalysis screens for marijuana, ecstasy, amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepine, and opiate metabolites were compared to self-reported use within different recall periods using measures of concordance. Generalized estimating equations logistic regressions were conducted on three waves of data to identify predictors of disclosing past-6-month use of marijuana and non-marijuana drugs. Past-6-month self-reported use of all non-marijuana substances was Programs that rely on self-identification of non-marijuana illicit substance use may be missing a substantial portion of drug-using YMSM/TW. Future epidemiological studies should work to reduce social desirability biases and include biomarker-based drug screenings to increase validity.
Exposure-based therapy changes amygdala and hippocampus resting-state functional connectivity in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND Recent research suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with altered amygdala and hippocampal resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). However, less research has examined whether Prolonged Exposure (PE), a first line exposure-based treatment for PTSD, has the potential to alter resting state neural networks. METHODS A total of 24 patients with PTSD and 26 matched trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at baseline. PTSD patients were scanned a second time after completing 10-session PE in which patients narrated a detailed trauma account (imaginal exposure) and confronted trauma reminders (in vivo exposure) to extinguish trauma-related fear responses. TEHC were scanned again following a 10-week waiting period. Seed regions of interest (ROIs) included centromedial amygdala (CMA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and the hippocampus. RESULTS Post- versus pretreatment comparisons indicated increased rsFC of the BLA and CMA with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and hippocampus-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) among patients with PTSD, but not among TEHC participants. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced amygdala and hippocampus rsFC with prefrontal cortical regions following PE could underlie improved capacity for inhibition and re-evaluation of threat, and heightened memory encoding and retrieval ability, respectively. These findings encourage further investigation of this circuitry as a therapeutic target in PTSD.
Characterization of vitamin D supplementation and clinical outcomes in a large cohort of early Parkinson’s disease

Vitamin D (VitD) deficiency is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and has been raised as a possible PD risk factor. In the past decade, VitD supplementation for potential prevention of age related conditions has become more common. In this study, we sought to characterize VitD supplementation in early PD and determine as an exploratory analysis whether baseline characteristics or disease progression differed according to reported VitD use. We analyzed data from the National Institutes of Health Exploratory Trials in Parkinson’s Disease (NET-PD) Long-term study (LS-1), a longitudinal study of 1741 participants. Subjects were divided into following supplement groups according to subject exposure (6 months prior to baseline and during the study): no VitD supplement, multivitamin (MVI), VitD ≥400 IU/day, and VitD + multivitamin (VitD+MVI). Clinical status was followed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, total daily levodopa equivalent dose, and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire. About 5% of subjects took VitD alone, 7% took VitD+MVI, 34% took MVI alone, while 54% took no supplement. Clinical outcomes at 3 years were similar across all groups. This study shows VitD supplementation ≥400 IU/day was not common in early PD and that its use was similar to that seen in the US population. At 3 years, there was no difference in disease progression according to vitamin D supplement use.
Time-domain dynamics of saturation of absorption using multilevel atomic systems

A general multilevel carrier kinetics model is explored to simulate the saturation of absorption in the time-domain. Contrarily to approaches relying upon phenomenological descriptions, in this study, we deal with the saturation through a physics-based model that can predict the realistic temporal dynamics of the entire system. Additionally, the proposed method allows high ﬂexibility and generality for the problems under consideration as it is built on a full-wave three-dimensional time-domain solver that can include nonlinear material dispersion, optical activity, and other effects within a joint multiphysics framework. We discretize all the equations using ﬁnite-differences combined with the auxiliary differential equation technique which allows adding polarizations driven by diverse underlying physical mechanisms accounting for multiple material dynamics. With our framework, a plethora of time-resolved spatially-dependent numerical data, which are not attainable otherwise, is becoming accessible, hence enabling a comprehensive understanding of the foundations of the materials physics and empowering accurate optimization of new nonlinear photonic devices.
A Characterization of the Mass Surveillance Potential of Road Traffic Monitors

Modern technology allows for the detection and identification of a vehicle passing through specific locations on a road network. The most prominent technology in use leverages cameras capable of high speed image capture, back-end extraction of plate numbers, and real time membership queries in multiple databases. Various parties have a vested interest in making use of the kind of data produced by such systems, in particular to deter risky driving, analyze traffic patterns, enable unmanned toll collection, and aid law enforcement agencies. In this paper, we proceed to assess the mass surveillance potential arising from the type and frequency of data collected in these systems. We show that even when restricted to information only about the structure of a road network, one can begin to set up an effective network of traffic monitoring devices to infer the travel destinations of individuals up to a concerning level of precision. We develop a tracker placement algorithm to corroborate this claim, and provide a quantitative evaluation of the privacy risks generated by the network of trackers determined by this algorithm.
Euphilomedes chupacabra (Ostracoda: Myodocopida: Philomedidae), a new demersal marine species from coastal Puerto Rico with male-biased vespertine swimming activity

A new species of Philomedidae is described: Euphilomedes chupacabra from coastal Puerto Rico. This is the first described species of Euphilomedes from the Western Atlantic, a genus of particular interest for its sexually dimorphic lateral eyes. As E. chupacabra can be easily caught in large numbers and may have a short generation time, it has potential to be used as a laboratory animal to study questions of dimorphic eye development. Males of E. chupacabra are abundant in plankton for a short time; the average time of peak activity was 103.6 minutes after sunset, and the density range at the peak time on different nights was 24 to 862 males/m 3 . Males were preferentially attracted to pier lights. There is evidence that species from all myodocopid families display vespertine (post-sunset) migratory behavior, probably associated with mating. We hypothesize that vespertine planktonic mating is an adaptive behavior that exists in many myodocopids and is either the ancestral state for the group or partially or fully convergent in multiple species.
Tick species establishment in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, U.S.A., identified by seasonal sampling in residential and non‐residential sites

In recent years, human tick-borne disease occurrence has risen in Oklahoma, U.S.A., but year-round data on tick presence in frequently used recreational areas is not widely available. In this study, ticks were collected monthly for one year at residential and non-residential sites in a suburban area of Oklahoma County, OK, U.S.A. At each trapping site, dry ice traps were used in both woodland and grassland areas and fabric tick drags were used in grassland areas. Four species were collected from each park: Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Prior to this study, A. americanum was the only species with an established population in Oklahoma County. Consistent with this, A. americanum was collected in all months of the year and accounted for over 90% of ticks collected at each site. Based on our tick survey, we report that A. maculatum, D. variabilis, and I. scapularis, which were each collected in numbers greater than six within a single sampling occasion, are now each confirmed as established populations in Oklahoma County.
Gastric malignancy presenting after elective Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for treatment of morbid obesity.

e12559 Background: Obesity has become a significant public health problem in westernized societies. Medical attempts at weight loss are fraught with failures and recidivism. Bariatiric surgery prov...
How to Peer Review a Paper

Abstract At the beginning of a career in academic psychiatry, new attending psychiatrists do not have all the skills necessary to advance towards promotion. For instance, attendings are most likely well versed in reading and perhaps in writing medical literature, but may not have the knowledge, skills or attitudes to provide a meaningful peer review to a publication. Aside from providing an important, meaningful service to medical science, reviewing articles prior to publication can allow novice researchers and writers to gain important skills in writing for publication and critical thinking. It also allows one to keep up to date on the latest science, and build your CV. This interactive workshop will give participants the opportunity to work in small groups to review an article, present their evaluation and compare their findings with experts.Dr. Nery Diaz and Dr. Paroma Mitra will discuss the basic process of peer review, why participants should accept requests to review articles and provide a “how to” guide. Then, participants will form small groups and group review a section of an article using the guidelines discussed previously. After, the groups will report out their findings. The results from the official review of the article will be shared so that participants can compare findings. Dr. Jordan Karp will provide insights into the process of publication from the viewpoint of a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Finally, Dr. Popeo will provide a brief summary.
Nuclear Moments of Tb-157, Tb-158, and Tb-160 by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Nuclear Alignment

Electron-paramagnetic-resonance experiments on yttrium ethylsulfate (YES) single crystals containing terbium isotopes in the relative abundances ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{159}$:${\mathrm{Tb}}^{157}$:${\mathrm{Tb}}^{158}$=25:1.6:1 were carried out at $Q$-band frequencies (35 GHz). The nuclear spin of ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{158}$ was found to be 3, and by comparison with the observed hyperfine structure of ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{159}$ and its known moment, a magnetic moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{158}=1.740(7)$ nm was calculated. Transitions due to ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{157}$ were obscured by the stronger ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{159}$ lines. Assuming $I(157)=I(159)=\frac{3}{2}$, the following limits were set on the value of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{157}:{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{157}=2.0(1)$ nm. ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{160}$ lines were also observed in YES single crystals. They gave ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{160}=1.685(8)$ nm. Nuclear-alignment experiments on ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{158}$ in a single crystal of neodymium ethylsulfate were also carried out in order to determine a relationship between the quadrupole coupling constant and the magnetic hyperfine structure constant. This information, as well as existing nuclear-orientation results on ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{160}$, was combined with the EPR data to obtain quadrupole coupling constants. Quadrupole moments calculated from the coupling constants were found to be ${Q}^{158}=+2.7(5)$ b and ${Q}^{160}=+3.0(5)$ b.
Pregnancy Centers: A Clear Purpose of Medicine with Coherent Ethics.

What is the purpose of medicine? This fundamental question is at the heart of the criticisms faced by pregnancy centers (PCs) and accusations that they are unethical. PCs maintain that the purpose ...
Prevalence of acute kidney injury in myeloma patients visiting U.S. emergency departments: A nationwide analysis.

e20548Background: Patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) frequently visit emergency departments (ED) with complications, commonly with kidney disease. However, data regarding the prevalence ...
Noise correlations for faster and more robust learning

Distributed population codes are ubiquitous in the brain and pose a challenge to downstream neurons that must learn an appropriate readout. Here we explore the possibility that this learning problem is simplified through inductive biases implemented through stimulus-independent noise correlations that constrain learning to task-relevant dimensions. We test this idea with a neural network model of a perceptual discrimination task in which the correlation among similarly tuned units can be manipulated independently of overall population signal-to-noise ratio. Higher noise correlations among similarly tuned units led to faster and more robust learning favoring homogenous weights assigned to neurons within a functionally similar pool and could emerge naturally with Hebbian learning. When multiple discriminations were learned simultaneously, noise correlations across relevant feature dimensions sped learning whereas those across irrelevant feature dimensions slowed it. These results suggest that noise correlations may serve constrain learning to appropriate dimensions to optimize readout learning.
Palmitate-Induced IRE1–XBP1–ZEB Signaling Represses Desmoplakin Expression and Promotes Cancer Cell Migration

Elevated uptake of saturated fatty acid palmitate is associated with metastatic progression of cancer cells; however, the precise signaling mechanism behind the phenomenon is unclear. The loss of cell adhesion proteins, such as desmoplakin (DSP), is a key driving event in the transformation of cancer cells to more aggressive phenotypes. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which palmitate induces the loss of DSP in liver and breast cancer cells. We propose that palmitate activates the IRE1-XBP1 branch of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway to upregulate the ZEB transcription factor, leading to transcriptional repression of DSP. Using liver and breast cancer cells treated with palmitate, we found loss of DSP leads to increased cell migration independent of E-cadherin. We report that the ZEB family of transcription factors function as direct transcriptional repressors of DSP. CRISPR-mediated knockdown of IRE1 confirmed that the transcription of ZEB, loss of DSP, and enhanced migration in the presence of palmitate is dependent on the IRE1-XBP1 pathway. In addition, by analyzing the somatic expression and copy number variation profiles of over 11,000 tumor samples, we corroborate our hypothesis and establish the clinical relevance of DSP loss via ZEB in human cancers. IMPLICATIONS: Provides mechanistic link on palmitate-induced activation of IRE1α to cancer cell migration.
HIGH-CONTRAST IMAGING WITH AN ARBITRARY APERTURE: ACTIVE COMPENSATION OF APERTURE DISCONTINUITIES

We present a new method to achieve high-contrast images using segmented and/or on-axis telescopes. Our approach relies on using two sequential deformable mirrors (DMs) to compensate for the large amplitude excursions in the telescope aperture due to secondary support structures and/or segment gaps. In this configuration the parameter landscape of DM surfaces that yield high-contrast point-spread functions is not linear, and nonlinear methods are needed to find the true minimum in the optimization topology. We solve the highly nonlinear Monge-Ampere equation that is the fundamental equation describing the physics of phase-induced amplitude modulation. We determine the optimum configuration for our two sequential DM system and show that high-throughput and high-contrast solutions can be achieved using realistic surface deformations that are accessible using existing technologies. We name this process Active Compensation of Aperture Discontinuities (ACAD). We show that for geometries similar to the James Webb Space Telescope, ACAD can attain at least 10–7 in contrast and an order of magnitude higher for both the future extremely large telescopes and on-axis architectures reminiscent of the Hubble Space Telescope. We show that the converging nonlinear mappings resulting from our DM shapes actually damp near-field diffraction artifacts in the vicinity of the discontinuities. Thus, ACAD actually lowers the chromatic ringing due to diffraction by segment gaps and struts while not amplifying the diffraction at the aperture edges beyond the Fresnel regime. This outer Fresnel ringing can be mitigated by properly designing the optical system. Consequently, ACAD is a true broadband solution to the problem of high-contrast imaging with segmented and/or on-axis apertures. We finally show that once the nonlinear solution is found, fine tuning with linear methods used in wavefront control can be applied to further contrast by another order of magnitude. Generally speaking, the ACAD technique can be used to significantly improve a broad class of telescope designs for a variety of problems.
An integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) for corn in the Mid-Atlantic USA

Current trends in agriculture have moved toward more sustainable cultivation systems with higher efficiency of input use. A variety of materials, derived from different resources, can serve as a cr...
Chrysiasis: Gold Aggregates Around a Nevus and Osteoma Cutis.

ABSTRACT Parenteral gold has historically been used to treat several conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Gold administration leads to a variety of cutaneous reactions, including chrysiasis, which is a permanent blue-grey hyperpigmentation of the skin due to dermal gold deposition. In this report, we describe the case of a patient who received parenteral gold injections 22 years before the onset of her chrysiasis for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Biopsy of the macules showed dermal gold deposits aggregating around a melanocytic nevus, as well as around preexisting osteoma cutis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report in the literature describing a case of chrysiasis with gold deposits concentrated around a melanocytic nevus and an area of osteoma cutis.
State of Meatlessness: Voluntary and Involuntary Vegetarianism in Early Twentieth-Century Italy

For much of the nation’s history, Italians were vegetarians by necessity. A combination of economic and political factors worked to ensure a prolonged state of meatlessness in Italy, where meat, an expensive commodity, was either non-existent or consumed sparingly. The Italian vegetarian movement of the early twentieth century prior to the First World War constituted the only group in Italy to champion meatlessness as a healthy, easy to prepare, and economically sound choice. During the war and throughout the fascist period (1922–1945), experts and politicians emphasized many of the same arguments of prewar vegetarians, stressing the health, and economic benefits of a meat-free diet. However, the complex ideological and culinary connections between vegetarianism, nationalism, and fascism fell apart under economic and military pressures.
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS OF EXTREME WIND SPEEDS

An automated technique is presented for determining an appropriate distributional model for the largest yearly wind speeds. With a view to assessing the validity of current probabilistic approaches to the definition of design wind speeds, this technique was used in a study of extreme wind speeds based on records taken at 20 U.S. weather stations. The following results were obtained: (1)At 83% of the stations not susceptible to experiencing hurricane-force winds, the series of the largest annual wind speeds were well fit by Type I probability distributions of the largest values; (2)the assumption that Type II distributions with γ=9 are generally representative of such stations was not confirmed; (3)type I probability distributions do not appear to describe correctly the behavior of extreme winds in regions subjected to special winds, e.g., hurricanes; and (4)in such regions, 20-yr data samples may provide a misleading picture of extreme wind behavior.
Lectures On Phase Transitions And The Renormalization Group

Introduction * Scaling and Dimensional Analysis * Power Laws in Statistical Physics * Some Important Questions * Historical Development * Exercises How Phase Transitions Occur In Principle * Review of Statistical Mechanics * The Thermodynamic Limit * Phase Boundaries and Phase Transitions * The Role of Models * The Ising Model * Analytic Properties of the Ising Model * Symmetry Properties of the Ising Model * Existence of Phase Transitions * Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking * Ergodicity Breaking * Fluids * Lattice Gases * Equivalence in Statistical Mechanics * Miscellaneous Remarks * Exercises How Phase Transitions Occur In Practice * Ad Hoc Solution Methods * The Transfer Matrix * Phase Transitions * Thermodynamic Properties * Spatial Correlations * Low Temperature Expansion * Mean Field Theory * Exercises Critical Phenomena in Fluids * Thermodynamics * Two-Phase Coexistence * Vicinity of the Critical Point * Van der Waals Equation * Spatial Correlations * Measurement of Critical Exponents * Exercises Landau Theory * Order Parameters * Common Features of Mean Field Theories * Phenomenological Landau Theory * Continuous Phase Transitions * Inhomogeneous Systems * Correlation Functions * Exercises Fluctuations and the Breakdown of Landau Theory * Breakdown of Microscopic Landau Theory * Breakdown of Phenomenological Landau Theory * The Gaussian Approximation * Critical Exponents * Exercises Scaling in Static, Dynamic and Non-Equilibrium Phenomena * The Static-Scaling Hypothesis * Other Forms of the Scaling Hypothesis * Dynamic Critical Phenomena * Scaling in the Approach to Equilibrium * Summary The Renormalisation Group * Block Spins * Basic Ideas of the Renormalisation Group * Fixed Points * Origin of Scaling * RG in Differential Form * RG for the Two Dimensional Ising Model * First Order Transitions and Non-Critical Properties * RG for the Correlation Function * Crossover Phenomena * Correlations to Scaling * Finite Size Scaling Anomalous Dimensions Far From Equilibrium * Introduction * Similarity Solutions * Anomalous Dimensions in Similarity Solutions * Renormalisation * Perturbation Theory for Barenblatts Equation * Fixed Points * Conclusion Continuous Symmetry * Correlation in the Ordered Phase * Kosterlitz-Thouless Transition Critical Phenomena Near Four Dimensions * Basic Idea of the Epsilon Expansion * RG for the Gaussian Model * RG Beyond the Gaussian Approximation * Feyman Diagrams * The RG Recursion Relations * Conclusion
Reflections on the Proper Grounding of Mathematics II

English translation of Moritz Pasch,“Betrachtungen zur Begrundung der Mathematik,” Mathematische Zeitschrift 20 (1924), pp. 231–240. Pasch observes that one axiomatization can be more “natural” than another even if the two systems yield the same theorems. He illustrates this property of naturalness with some examples from geometry. He then considers the metamathematical resources David Hilbert will need to complete his program of consistency proofs and concludes that the Hilbert school will be unable to dispense with any part of the combinatorial theory from Pasch’ s paper “The Origin of the Concept of Number,” a theory at least as strong as Peano Arithmetic.
Spatial Models of Parliamentary Voting: The Optimal Classification Method

Overview In this chapter I show a method I developed (Poole 1997; 2000a) that is based on the geometry shown in Chapter 2 and is designed to analyze real-world roll call data. Simply put, I add error to the simple spatial model developed in Chapter 2 and show an estimation method – optimal classification (OC) – that maximizes the correct classification of legislative choices. In Chapter 4, I will focus entirely on models that maximize the probabilities of legislative choices using the same error framework. I show OC first because it can be used as a very reliable platform on which to build more intricate estimation methods. At the heart of OC are two algorithms – the cutting plane procedure and the legislative procedure . Both of these procedures are unique and stable. In particular, Monte Carlo tests show that when the number of legislators is 100 or greater and the number of roll calls is on the order of 500 – typical of national legislatures like the U.S. Senate – then the recovery of the legislators and cutting lines or planes in one to ten dimensions at high levels of error and missing data is very precise (Poole, 1997; 2000a; b). Even with very small data sets, OC produces reliable results. It is a stable building block upon which more complex parametric scaling methods can be constructed. Within the psychometrics field, the OC scaling method is a nonmetricunfolding procedure.
Non-resonant hyperlens in the visible range

A non-resonant hyperlens operating in the visible wavelength range is demonstrated experimentally. Non-resonant indefinite properties, enabling low-loss, broadband sub-wavelength imaging, were realized using a fan-like structure made using a combination of top-down and bottom-up techniques.
Species-specific responses to island connectivity cycles: refined models for testing phylogeographic concordance across a Mediterranean Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex.

The contribution of Pleistocene sea level changes to diversification patterns in archipelagos around the world, and specifically whether the repeated cycles of island connectivity and isolation acted as a ‘species pump’ is debated. The debate has been perpetuated in part because of the type of evidence used to evaluate the species-pump hypothesis. Specifically, existing tests of the ‘Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex’ (PAIC) model of diversification interpret the lack of concordant divergence times among multiple codistributed taxa as a rejection of the PAIC model. However, the null expectation of concordance disregards taxon-specific ecological traits and geographic characteristics that may affect population persistence and gene flow among islands. Here, we study the factors affecting population divergence in thirteen flightless darkling beetle species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) across the PAIC system of the Cycladic plateau in the Aegean archipelago. Based on isolation-by-resistance analyses, hierarchical amova and the degree of genealogical sorting on individual islands, we identify a major effect of bathymetry and habitat stability on the levels of genetic divergence across the PAIC, with island size and body size playing a secondary role as well. We subsequently use bathymetric maps and habitat association to generate predictions about the set of islands and group of taxa expected to show phylogeographic concordance. We test these predictions using hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation and show how our interpretations regarding the role of PAICs as drivers of divergence change when relying on a null expectation of concordance compared to a refined model that takes geography and ecological traits into account.
Biologic Predictors of Survival in Node-Negative Gastric Cancer

Objective To evaluate factors predictive of survival following curative resection for node-negative gastric adenocarcinoma. Summary Background Data Presence or absence of lymph node metastases is the most powerful predictor of survival following curative resection for gastric adenocarcinoma. Factors predictive of survival in node-negative gastric cancer have not been clarified. Methods Histopathology and clinical outcome for all patients undergoing R0 resections for gastric adenocarcinoma at a tertiary center between 1985 and 2001 were reviewed. Results Of 1,256 R0 resections performed, 507 (40%) were node-negative, 465 were T1-T3, and 317 of these were adequately staged, as defined by histologic evaluation of at least 15 lymph nodes. Median age was 67 years, and 62% were male. Forty percent had T1 tumors, 34% were T2, and 26% were T3. Median tumor size was 3 cm. Vascular invasion (VI) was present in 17% of tumors and neural invasion (NI) in 31 %. Extended (D2) lymphadenectomy was performed in 75% of cases. Five- and 10-year disease-specific survival rates were 79% and 67% respectively. Factors associated with poorer disease-specific survival on univariate analysis were male gender, serosal invasion, presence of VI, presence of NI, and resection other than distal subtotal gastrectomy. On multivariate analysis, NI was not an independent predictor of survival, but correlated directly with advancing T stage and tumor size. Conclusions Serosal invasion and presence of VI are strong predictors of poor survival in this disease. NI correlates with T stage and tumor size and may serve as a marker of advanced disease.
Increment-threshold functions for different rodent species

Abstract Increment-threshold functions were measured in behavioral experiments for three species of rodent. These species had either cone-dominated (ground squirrel and tree squirrel) or rod-dominated (hooded rat) retinas. The slopes of the measured increment-threshold functions were systematically different for the three species—the function for the rat is accurately described by Weber's law while the functions for the squirrels are significantly lower in slope.
Reflex figures in the decerebrate and spinal state.

Abstract The flexors and extensors of the hind limb of the cat were simultaneously activated by stretch of a homolateral flexor muscle or by a nocuous stimulus to the homolateral paw under the conditions of the present experiments, in which the muscles under investigation were maximally retracted after detachment of the tendons from their insertions. The simultaneous activation of flexors and extensors was observed in acute and chronic spinal preparations, and sometimes in decerebrate animals. However, when in such preparations the extensor muscle was made to contract by loading its tendon, stretch of the antagonistic flexor muscles and pinching of the toes of the homolateral leg usually resulted in extensor inhibition and flexor excitation, in agreement with the classical tenet of reciprocal innervation. The reflex figure seems to be to an important extent the result of the inflow of afferent impulses.
A Useful Inequality on Ratios of Integrals, with Application to Maximum Likelihood Estimation

Abstract A generalization of a well-known covariance inequality is proved and is used to furnish sufficient conditions for the strict concavity of the log-likelihood of an observable random variable Y as a function of a real parameter θ that governs the distribution of an unobservable random variable X on which the distribution of Y depends in a known way.
Comments on “distorted fcc high pressure phase of rare earths in La0.8Th0.2 alloy at ambient conditions - thcp versus modulated hexagonal structure”

Previously published X-ray diffraction data for La0.8Th0.2 have been reinterpreted as coming not from single phase material but from a mixture of major amounts of the expected fcc solid solution (La, Th) and minor amounts of an oxide impurity, ThO2. Thus, the thcp model remains a viable crystal structure for high-pressure Pr III.
Self-determination and the consequences of social comparison

Abstract The present research examined the consequences of social comparison as a function of individual differences in self-determination. Competing hypotheses were made regarding whether the effects of social comparison would be determined more by the tendency toward pressure and ego-defensiveness (higher controlled orientation), by the absence of choice and unconditional positive self-regard (lower autonomy orientation), or both. A forced comparison was created in which 79 college students completed a word finding task and received feedback about their performance along with that of a better or worse performing confederate. Autonomy orientation moderated comparison consequences such that less autonomous individuals experienced increased negative changes in affect and decreased self-esteem when paired with a better performing other. This was especially true, for affect, when participants had been told that the task was related to intelligence. Results provide preliminary support for integration of self-determination and social comparison theories.