cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining factors that impact the calibration of consumer-grade digital cameras used for vegetation analysis

Digital cameras can collect quantitative leaf data, such as chlorophyll content and leaf area index LAI, because they act as a simple broadband radiometer. However, a cross-calibration between cameras is needed for the purpose of extracting vegetation information from various image repositories. The objective of this study was to examine the variation between multiple consumer-grade camera types – single reflex lens SLR, point-and-shoot, and cellphone cameras – for the purpose of collecting reliable quantitative data when monitoring vegetation. The specific objectives were to: 1 identify the optimal light conditions for the calibration procedure, 2 determine the variability of exposure value EV-corrected calibrated digital numbers cDNev values among eight consumer-grade digital cameras, and 3 compare the cDNev values with the raw digital numbers DN, exposure-adjusted digital numbers DNev, and calibrated digital numbers cDN as these latter three components are easier to compute. This study demonstrated that light intensity was important for calibrating cameras to ensure sensor saturation, and that an improper white-balance setting can negatively impact data collection. In one experiment, the coefficient of variation CV between the eight cameras examined in the study was reduced from 29% using raw DN to 16% using cDNev values. Likewise, the root mean square error in estimating leaf chlorophyll-a using a common vegetation index for digital camera, excess green index EGI, was reduced from 131 to 96 mg g−2. However, for both experiments, there was only a weak statistical difference between cDNev and DNev, indicating that exposure information was the most useful in minimizing the differences between cameras. Although digital cameras are not nearly as accurate as specialized remote-sensing equipment, they do offer the potential for greater collection opportunities. This study demonstrates the potential of using consumer-grade digital cameras to derive quantitative information from citizen science projects.
Stagflation and Contemporary Macropolicy

This chapter reviews stagflation and contemporary macropolicy. Many of the fledgling enterprises go out of business within the first year of setting up their business, with new ones springing up to take their place. The secret to maintaining high levels of national employment is hardly import quotas or Chrysler like bailouts or even tax proposals aimed at modernizing existing plant and equipment. The secret is creativity—encouraging a ground-swell of men and women with fresh ideas to strike out on their own. The secret lies in the enterprises yet unborn, the oil wells yet undrilled, the inventions yet untried. Some of these fledgling entrepreneurs would fail, but others would replace today's capital and products with new and better ones to the benefit of all. The irony is that city planners, government growth economists, and even successful corporate executives find this thinking unrealistic. The reason might be that productive change is not in their own vested interest but might also result from the great frustration that in this age of sophisticated econometric models and corporate five-year plans, enterprise and job growth is just as unpredictable as it was decades ago.
Words, Silence, Experiences: Derrida’s Unheimlich Responsibility

In its engagement with Derrida’s unheimlich responsibility elaborated in The Beast and the Sovereign , Volume One, this essay is about death, words, silence, and lives of people and animals. It is also about experiences that to varying degrees bring lives to words and words to lives. Its guiding hypotheses are that death, words, silence, and lives in their happenings exceed the laws that function to identify them and that none of their happenings is sovereign in relation to the others. The essay culminates with Derrida’s engagement with ungrounded time when completion and beginning are simultaneous. That simultaneity constitutes a threshold in which people must respond. For Derrida the threshold is shadowed by his own approaching death.
Fate as a motivated (and de-motivating) belief: Evidence for a link from task importance to belief in fate to effort

Abstract The perception of whether one has personal control over a specific task or goal has been shown to be a crucial predictor of effort and persistence. Given this, one might expect people to perceive high personal control over tasks that are very important. However, drawing on emerging theories of motivated ideological belief, we suggest that, in some circumstances, the more a task or goal is perceived as important, the more likely people may be to believe that the outcome is “fated” – that the outcome of an event is predetermined and meant to be. Across four studies, employing diverse samples and contexts, we provide evidence for this basic phenomenon and the negative repercussions it can hold for effort expenditure. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Impact of marrow cytogenetics and morphology on in vitro hematopoiesis in the myelodysplastic syndromes: comparison between recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CSF) and granulocyte-monocyte CSF.

Marrow cells from 36 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (13 refractory anemia [RA], 14 refractory anemia with excess of blasts [RAEB], 9 RAEB in transformation [RAEB-T]) were evaluated for their in vitro proliferative and differentiative responsiveness to recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) or granulocyte- monocyte CSF (GM-CSF). GM-CSF exerted a stronger proliferative stimulus than G-CSF for marrow myeloid clonal growth (CFU-GM) in these patients (44 v 12 colonies per 10(5) nonadherent buoyant bone marrow cells [NAB], respectively, P less than .025). GM-CSF stimulated increased CFU- GM growth in the 16 patients with abnormal marrow cytogenetics in comparison with the 20 patients who had normal cytogenetics (52 and 30 colonies per 10(5) NAB, respectively, P less than .05), whereas no such difference could be demonstrated with G-CSF (11 and 16 colonies per 10(5) NAB, respectively). In contrast, granulocytic differentiation of marrow cells was induced in liquid culture by G-CSF in 15 of 32 (47% patients), while GM-CSF did so in only 4 of 18 (22%) patients (P less than .025) including, for RAEB/RAEB-T patients: 9 of 18 versus 0 of 9, respectively (P less than .025). For MDS patients with normal cytogenetics, G-CSF- and GM-CSF-induced marrow cell granulocytic differentiation in 12 of 18 (67%) versus 3 of 11 (27%), respectively (P less than .025), contrasted with granulocytic induction in only 3 of 14 (21%) and 1 of 7 (14%) patients with abnormal cytogenetics, respectively. We conclude that G-CSF has greater granulocytic differentiative and less proliferative activity for MDS marrow cells than GM-CSF in vitro, particularly for RAEB/RAEB-T patients and those with normal cytogenetics.
Into the mystic: lived experiences of world music pedagogy programmes

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this autophenomenography was to explore our lived experiences in three world music pedagogy programmes. We participated in three different world music pedagogy programmes in ...
Xilinx, the Arm’s Length Standard and Independent Behavior: Can an Undue Emphasis on Independent Party Behavior Distort Arm’s Length?

In this paper, we examine the controversy surrounding the Xilinx case and the question as to whether stock option costs are appropriately included in cost sharing agreements. Although the revised Ninth Circuit decision now affirms the findings of the Tax Court that stock options should not be included in costs sharing agreements, controversy and uncertainty remains. Drawing on the OECD report on employee stock options, we suggest that focusing exclusively on what independent parties do not share may obscure the issue as to exactly what independent parties do share. That is, an undue focus on the specifics of stock option costs and how to share these diverts attention from the fact that the parties are sharing an outcome (i.e. the benefits flowing from the intangible). We conclude by summarizing the uncertainty taxpayers are left with as a result of the Xilinx decisions.
Abstract P58: Rescuer Height and Use of a Step-Stool During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Correlate with Increased Chest Compression Depth and Incomplete Chest Recoil

INTRODUCTION: Shallow chest compressions and incomplete recoil are common during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and negatively affect outcomes. However, the optimal rescuer positioning to maximize compression depth and minimize incomplete recoil is not known. METHODS: We conducted a simulated study of in-hospital cardiac arrest using a CPR mannequin placed on a standard hospital bed, set at a height of 63 cm. Rescuers performed a total of four 2-min segments of uninterrupted chest compressions, followed by 2 min breaks, alternating use, or not, of a 23 cm step-stool. Compression characteristics were measured using a CPR-sensing defibrillator and results were compared using paired and unpaired t-tests, as appropriate. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the independent contribution of rescuer characteristics. RESULTS: Fifty Advanced Cardiac Life Support/Basic Life Support certified subjects with a mean age of 33±10 y and median height of 169.8 (range 148.6–190.5) cm volunteered to participate. Thirty six percent were men. When no stool was used, mean compression depth increased with increasing rescuer height quintiles, from 36±8 to 50±16 mm; p=0.03. Addition of a stool increased depth from 46±13 to 50±11 mm; p=0.0003. However, the difference was only significant at the lowest height quintile ( CONCLUSIONS: Compression depth and incomplete recoil increase with rescuer height and use of a step-stool. Step-stools should be considered for shorter rescuers performing CPR on a bed, even at its lowest height. Taller rescuers should avoid a step-stool and may even consider raising the hospital bed from its lowest position to avoid incomplete recoil.
Abstract 2536: Unique HPRT1 upregulation in malignant tissue: Potential use as diagnostic biomarker

The aim of this study is to examine the gene expression of the purine salvage pathway enzyme Hypoxanthine Guanine Phosphribosyltransferase (HPRT) in malignant and normal tissue to determine potential upregulation. Due to the critical role HPRT plays in the cell cycle, it was hypothesized that in a rapidly proliferating malignant tissue there may be differential gene expression. In breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancer the 5-year survival rates decrease by nearly 72% when diagnosed in stage 3 or 4 as opposed to an early stage diagnosis. We focused our investigation on evaluating if HPRT could serve as an early stage diagnostic agent for the four most commonly diagnosed cancers (lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer) which together make up 42.5% of all cancer diagnoses. Initially, we evaluated differences in HPRT expression levels via RNA-sequencing data in 3,147 tumor and 316 normal samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Samples from 1119 breast invasive carcinoma (p-value= 1.66x10-42), 483 colon adenocarcinoma (p-value= 9x10-18), 541 lung adenocarcinoma (p-value=3.16x10-32), 502 lung squamous carcinoma (p-value= 1.49x10-59), and 502 prostate adenocarcinoma (p-value= 1.53x10-4) patients were compared to healthy individuals and showed significant HPRT over-expression shifts in malignant tumors. To continue this investigation we obtained histological tissue from 52 breast cancer patients, 54 lung cancer patients, 100 colorectal cancer patients, and 56 prostate cancer patients with a varying level of cancer stage and tumor type. Healthy tissue, margins of carcinoma, and pre-cancerous tissues were also stained to determine stage dependence of HPRT expression. Briefly, tissues were treated with a monoclonal anti-HPRT antibody along with a GAPDH positive control and an isotope control. Tissues were incubated with an HRP-polymer conjugated anti-HPRT antibody and followed by a diaminobenzidine (DAB) substrate which, when oxidized, results in antigen labelling. Tissues were imaged and analyzed using ImageJ software, which converted images to a grayscale. From there, we set a parameter for tissues with “HPRT high” expression, and “HPRT low” expression. Overall, we found 33-55% of malignant tissues to have a significant upregulation of HPRT (Lung-33%, Breast-55%, Colon-33%, Prostate-47%). These findings were consistent with our examination of HPRT expression in TCGA and our findings also indicated that the protein over-expression is not dependent on stage. These findings indicate that HPRT may potentially be a valuable biomarker in detecting early cases of malignancy in all of the four major cancers. Citation Format: Michelle H. Passey, Abigail M. Felsted, Zachary E. Ence, Stephen R. Piccolo, Kim L. O9Neill, Richard A. Robison. Unique HPRT1 upregulation in malignant tissue: Potential use as diagnostic biomarker [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2536.
Neurotrauma as a big-data problem.

Purpose of review The field of neurotrauma research faces a reproducibility crisis. In response, research leaders in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) are leveraging data curation and analytics methods to encourage transparency, and improve the rigor and reproducibility. Here we review the current challenges and opportunities that come from efforts to transform neurotrauma's big data to knowledge. Recent findings Three parallel movements are driving data-driven-discovery in neurotrauma. First, large multicenter consortia are collecting large quantities of neurotrauma data, refining common data elements (CDEs) that can be used across studies. Investigators are now testing the validity of CDEs in diverse research settings. Second, data sharing initiatives are working to make neurotrauma data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). These efforts are reflected by recent open data repository projects for preclinical and clinical neurotrauma. Third, machine learning analytics are allowing researchers to uncover novel data-driven-hypotheses and test new therapeutics in multidimensional outcome space. Summary We are on the threshold of a new era in data collection, curation, and analysis. The next phase of big data in neurotrauma research will require responsible data stewardship, a culture of data-sharing, and the illumination of 'dark data'.
Longitudinal associations of family functioning with body mass index in Mexican-origin adolescents living in the U.S.

Abstract Mexican-origin adolescents have a high prevalence of obesity. Research is needed to understand how family context may shape adolescent BMI. This study examined longitudinal associations of family functioning variables with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's modified BMI z-score (BMIaz) in 1175 Mexican-origin adolescents, and explored interactions with acculturation. Adolescents (50% female, aged 11–13 y in 2005–06) were identified from an ongoing cohort study of Mexican-origin adults in Houston, TX, and were assessed three times from 2005–06 to 2010–11. In multivariate linear mixed models stratified by gender, we assessed longitudinal associations of family cohesion and family conflict with adolescent BMIaz and explored interactions with language acculturation. We disaggregated the between- (mean) and within-person (individual deviation) components of family cohesion and family conflict to assess the effects on BMIaz. Approximately one-third of adolescents were obese at baseline, and BMIaz declined during the study. In girls, higher mean family cohesion and conflict were associated with steeper declines in BMIaz. Parental linguistic acculturation modified the relationship between within-person deviation in family cohesion and BMIaz in girls, such that high parental U.S. acculturation was associated with a stronger inverse association. There were no significant associations in boys. These findings highlight the potential importance of the family context to female adolescent BMI and the promise of addressing family context in obesity-related interventions.
Perturbing the community grammar: Individual differences and community-level constraints on sociolinguistic variation

The traditional focus of variationist sociolinguistic research is the patterning of language variation at the level of the community, which individual language users are said to learn and reproduce (Labov 1972; 2012). In this paper, I observe that, although members of a speech community may all have learned the same grammar of a sociolinguistic variable, they may nonetheless produce that variable in ways which obscure this. This “perturbation,” I argue, is epiphenomenal, stemming from at least two possible sources: individual differences in mental representations, and individual differences in speech production planning. Moreover, I demonstrate that these differences are not only inter-individual; they can also be intra-individual, such that speakers may undergo age-grading which disrupts their patterning of a variable from how they previously produced it. I ask whether these individual differences may give rise to changes in constraints in the same way that individual differences can lead to sound change. The paper concludes with a call for more research that integrates sociolinguistic, formal, and psycholinguistic approaches to the study of language variation and change.
Supporting Students and Technology at Stanford University

The Office of the Vice provost of Teaching and Learning (VPTL) at Stanford University serves as a model of student technology services by supporting all matriculated students. 98% of our undergraduate and graduate students live on campus, which presents unique challenges and opportunities. We are set apart from other schools by having limited full-time management, while employing upwards of 150 student staff who support 16,000+ students.Our program uses a tiered student support system comprise of Technology Desk Consultants, Residential Computer Consultants, Operations Tech, and Peer Technology Specialists. The Tech Desk Consultants provides first tier support, triaging incoming needs. They also loan specialty technology and maintain resources that facilitate students’ academic goals.In the undergraduate residential spaces, Residential Computer Consultants live amongst their peers and assist with technical support. The main hours of documented support occur between 7-10 pm. They also provide first tier support for in-resident computer clusters/labs.Operations Techs provide tier two and three support for Stanford owned equipment and residential learning spaces. We maintain 86 computer clusters and 55 learning spaces with audio-visual technology. Peer Technology Specialist handle tier two support and teach educational workshops to all students.Our system provides a path of student growth within each job, as well as the chance to move to enhance their skill set by moving to a different technical job. Student leaders are given management specific training, and are expected to fulfill a supervisory position that includes interviewing, hiring, training, and reviewing their peers.Come to our panel to learn more about our unique program and learn techniques to build your student staff program!
Bayesian Analysis for Fault Location Based on Finite Element Models

The availability of suitable models or templates is often restricted due to computational efforts (for the Finite Element Method [FEM] template) or the limited number of experimental models which can be constructed as templates. In trying to identify the location or presence of a physical structure (or fault), high speed analysis of measured data must often be accomplished while the items are under test. This is particularly true in a manufacturing situation. This situation entails interpolation between a limited number of templates while trying to minimize computational demands. Such a situation arises when data are measured at different positions than provided by the original template.
Using Machine Learning of Clinical Data to Diagnose COVID-19

Abstract The recent pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has placed severe stress on healthcare systems worldwide, which is amplified by the critical shortage of COVID-19 tests. In this study, we propose to generate a more accurate diagnosis model of COVID-19 based on patient symptoms and routine test results by applying machine learning to reanalyzing COVID-19 data from 151 published studies. We aimed to investigate correlations between clinical variables, cluster COVID-19 patients into subtypes, and generate a computational classification model for discriminating between COVID −19 patients and influenza patients based on clinical variables alone. We discovered several novel associations between clinical variables, including correlations between being male and having higher levels of serum lymphocytes and neutrophils. We found that COVID-19 patients could be clustered into subtypes based on serum levels of immune cells, gender, and reported symptoms. Finally, we trained an XGBoost model to achieve a sensitivity of 92.5% and a specificity of 97.9% in discriminating COVID-19 patients from influenza patients. We demonstrated that computational methods trained on large clinical datasets could yield ever more accurate COVID-19 diagnostic models to mitigate the impact of lack of testing. We also presented previously unknown COVID-19 clinical variable correlations and clinical subgroups.
Addressing information management and dissemination challenges for the next generation analyst

Recent technological advances in the areas of sensors, computation, and storage have led to the development of relatively inexpensive sensors that have been deployed on a wide scale and are able to generate large volumes of data. However, tactical networks have not been able to keep pace in terms of their ability to transfer all of the sensor data from the edge to an operations center for analysis. This paper explores multiple techniques to help bridge this gap, by using a three-pronged approach based on value of information-based dissemination, active sensor query capabilities, and anomaly detection mechanisms. These capabilities are being integrated into an open-source sensor platform deployed in a testbed environment for evaluation purposes.
Re-Shaping Demand Landscapes: How Firms Change Customer Preferences to Better Fit Their Products

What strategies do firms use to change their customers’ preferences? This paper addresses this question by developing a conceptual model that combines the representation of customer preferences as a demand landscape with research on marketing and psychology. I suggest that in addition to repositioning their products to accommodate customer preferences, firms also change the distribution of customer preferences to accommodate the firms’ products. Specifically, I argue that firms alter customer preferences by adding, removing, and transforming the dimensions of the demand landscape. I illustrate the model with an historical case study of the U.S. market for mortgage-backed securities (MBS) between 1968 and 1987, a period during which MBS issuers succeeded in reshaping the bond demand landscape to promote the acceptance of MBS as bonds.
Extent and sufficiency of STD/HIV disease intervention specialists in the United States of America, 2016

Disease intervention specialists (DIS) conduct partner notification for STD and HIV to interrupt the transmission of STD/HIV. In 2016, we collected information from health departments in the United States of America to determine the number of DIS and whether this number was sufficient for STD/HIV prevention. We identified 1610 STD/HIV DIS positions in the USA and 379 DIS supervisory positions. Of DIS positions, 85% were filled indicating potential issues with turnover. Using nationally reportable data from 2016, we found that states with more primary and secondary syphilis cases had more DIS. DIS participated in public health emergencies in 57% of states. Most USA states indicated that the DIS workforce was not sufficient for STD/HIV prevention. Knowledge of information about DIS workload (e.g. number of STD/HIV cases assigned per DIS) would be helpful.
Dysphagia in Pediatric Patients with Tracheostomy

Objective:Post-tracheotomy swallowing function has not been well described in the pediatric population. This study aims to (1) determine differences in swallowing functioning pre- and post-tracheot...
State-of-the-Art Updates on Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography for Assessing Coronary Artery Disease.

Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is a noninvasive imaging modality that is increasingly useful for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD). Over the past decade, CCTA has consistently demonstrated an excellent sensitivity for the detection and exclusion of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with stable or acute chest pain symptoms. Large prospective registries have repeatedly demonstrated the prognostic significance of the presence, extent, or absence of CAD by CCTA. In response to initial concerns, technical advances have permitted a dramatic reduction in patient radiation exposure with preserved image quality. For many patients, the radiation dose of CCTA is less than half of that with conventional myocardial perfusion imaging while providing significantly more anatomic information. Furthermore, CCTA’s excellent spatial resolution is increasingly being used for noninvasive assessment of coronary plaque, including the detection of higher-risk vulnerable plaque and association between plaque characteristics and ischemia. Finally, new promising techniques that incorporate physiology with anatomy, such as CT-based fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) and CT perfusion (CTP), are allowing for the noninvasive hemodynamic assessment of coronary stenoses and improvements in the specificity of CCTA findings. Such advances augur a coming transition when CCTA will be a first-line test for the detection, exclusion, and even management of CAD in many patients.
4 Learning from Texts and Pictures: Reflections on a Meta-Level

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a general map of the issues involved in the study of learning from texts and pictures. The chapter also discusses some of the conceptual complexities involved if the field is to develop its theoretical uniqueness to gain its distinction. The general map serves as a meta-theory, a framework by means of which specific theoretical constructions can be developed and handled. At least five clusters of variables are involved in the process of learning from texts and pictures. The five clusters are—(1) stimulus variables: the nature of the pictures, the texts, and their interrelations, (2) cognitive variables: the processes that are called upon are required, and that ones that become employed in actuality, (3) person variables: the nature of the learner's relevant abilities, prior knowledge, motivations, and perceptions of the stimuli, of self, of the situation and of the task, (4) the psychological functions accomplished: summary, introduction, explication, memory pegs, and the like, and (5) task variables: the nature of the tasks to be accomplished.
A 40 GHz modified-Colpitts voltage controlled oscillator with increased tuning range

A 40 GHz modified-Colpitts voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented that offers wider tuning range than the basic Colpitts structure with comparable phase noise performance. The modification entails the addition of a negative-resistance to compensate for the low-Q of the microstrip lines used as the inductive element. Simulations show a 15% increase in tuning range for the modified Colpitts VCO, a significant improvement over that of the basic structure.
A Kind of Educational Idealism: Integrating Realism and Reform

By intent, this essay has several major guiding assumptions. First, it has an autobiographical flavor, that is, it attempts to capture an individual’s thoughts and activities from the early days of educational reform in the mid twentieth century. “Being around” and “involved” at that time carries its own kind of insight and testimonial. Second, an early case study of Kensington, an innovative elementary school, Anatomy of Educational Innovation (Smith & Keith, 1971) caught the imagination of a number of educators in schools and universities. Third, such an event — an innovative school and a book length monograph describing and conceptualizing the first year — had its own antecedents and consequences. Stories and conceptualizations became strands of educational innovation and change in their own right. These strands are a part of this small piece of educational history. This essay speaks to those as well. Fourth, the very task of writing about these events is a creative process and takes the author and reader into unexpected directions, yielding more ideas about the nature of educational idealism, realism, and school reform. Such are the tasks of this essay.
Adapting an x-ray/debris shield to the cascade ICF power plant: Neutronics issues

A neutronics analysis has been carried out to determine the effects on the Cascade ICF reactor concept of adding a solid-lithium x-ray and debris shield to each ICF capsule. Results indicate that tritium breeding in LiAlO{sub 2} is possible with a modest isotopic enhancement in {sup 6}Li (to 15%). The shallow-burial index is greater than 1 (indicating that deep burial may be required) if the blanket is kept in the reactor for more than 2.5 yr. Nine percent of the total thermal power is unrecoverable. Parts of the chamber wall may require replacement once during the reactor life due to radiation damage. Part of the SiC chamber end cap must be replaced annually. The reactor may not require any nuclear-grade construction. 20 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.
Analysis of Three-dimensional Atom-probe Data by the Proximity Histogram

The three-dimensional (3D) atom-probe technique produces a reconstruction of the elemental chemical identities and three-dimensional positions of atoms field evaporated from a sharply pointed metal specimen, with a local radius of curvature of less than 50 nm. The number of atoms collected can be on the order of one million, representing an analysis volume of approximately 20 nm x 20 nm x 200 nm (80,000 nm(3)). This large amount of data allows for the identification of microstructural features in a sample, such as grain or heterophase boundaries, if the feature density is large enough. Correlation of the measured atomic positions with these identified features results in an atom-by-atom description of the chemical environment of crystallographic defects. This article outlines a data compilation technique for the generation of composition profiles in the vicinity of interfaces in a geometrically independent way. This approach is applied to quantitative determination of interfacial segregation of silver at a MgO/Cu(Ag) heterophase interface.
Isolation and characterization of β-galactosidase from Lactobacillus crispatus.

β-Galactosidase was isolated from the cell-free extracts ofLactobacillus crispatus strain ATCC 33820 and the effects of temperature, pH, sugars and monovalent and divalent cations on the activity of the enzyme were examined.L. crispatus produced the maximum amount of enzyme when grown in MRS medium containing galactose (as carbon source) at 37°C and pH 6.5 for 2 d, addition of glucose repressing enzyme production. Addition of lactose to the growth medium containing galactose inhibited the enzyme synthesis. The enzyme was active between 20 and 60°C and in the pH range of 4–9. However, the optimum enzyme activity was at 45°C and pH 6.5. The enzyme was stable up to 45°C when incubated at various temperatures for 15 min at pH 6.5. When the enzyme was exposed to various pH values at 45°C for 1 h, it retained the original activity over the pH range of 6.0–7.0. Presence of divalent cations, such as Fe2+ and Mn2+, in the reaction mixture increased enzyme activity, whereas Zn2+ was inhibitory. TheK m was 1.16 mmol/L for 2-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranose and 14.2 mmol/L for lactose.
Deformable Surface Accommodating Intraocular Lens: Second Generation Prototype Design Methodology and Testing

Purpose Present an analysis methodology for developing and evaluating accommodating intraocular lenses incorporating a deformable interface. Methods The next generation design of extruded gel interface intraocular lens is presented. A prototype based upon similar previously in vivo proven design was tested with measurements of actuation force, lens power, interface contour, optical transfer function, and visual Strehl ratio. Prototype verified mathematical models were used to optimize optical and mechanical design parameters to maximize the image quality and minimize the required force to accommodate. Results The prototype lens produced adequate image quality with the available physiologic accommodating force. The iterative mathematical modeling based upon the prototype yielded maximized optical and mechanical performance through maximum allowable gel thickness to extrusion diameter ratio, maximum feasible refractive index change at the interface, and minimum gel material properties in Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus. Conclusions The design prototype performed well. It operated within the physiologic constraints of the human eye including the force available for full accommodative amplitude using the eye's natural focusing feedback, while maintaining image quality in the space available. The parameters that optimized optical and mechanical performance were delineated as those, which minimize both asphericity and actuation pressure. The design parameters outlined herein can be used as a template to maximize the performance of a deformable interface intraocular lens. Translational relevance The article combines a multidisciplinary basic science approach from biomechanics, optical science, and ophthalmology to optimize an intraocular lens design suitable for preliminary animal trials.
Genetic transformation of the synaptic pattern of a motoneuron class in Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans possesses two classes of inhibitory locomotory neurons, the DD and VD motoneurons (mns), and they form complementary components of a cross-inhibitory neuronal network innervating dorsal and ventral body muscles. The DD and VD mns (collectively called the D mns) share a number of morphological and neurochemical features, and mutations in a number of different genes disrupt both cell types in identical ways; however, the DD and VD mns have different lineal origins and different synaptic patterns. Given the number of phenotypic features shared by the D mns, it was of interest to determine what is responsible for the synaptic patterns that distinguish them. An analysis of the locomotory defect along with a genetic epistasis test suggested that unc-55 mutations alter the function of the VD but not the DD mns. Correlated with the defective locomotory behavior of unc-55 mutants was an alteration in the distribution of varicosities, structures associated with presynaptic elements, on the VD mns. The pattern of varicosities of the unc-55 VD mns resembled that of the wild- type DD mns. Moreover, the selective removal of the DD mns revealed that unc-55 VD mns had adopted a functional role appropriate for the DD mns. Thus, unc-55 appears to be involved in producing the synaptic patterns that distinguish the two D mn classes from one another; when the gene is mutated the VD and DD mns become structurally similar and functionally equivalent.
Meaningful occupation clarified: Thoughts about the relationship between meaningful and psychologically rewarding occupations

A core assumption in occupational therapy is that participation in meaningful occupations is related to health and a sense of well-being. However, the exact nature of “meaningful occupation” is not clear. Many scholars seem to equate meaningful with psychologically rewarding occupations, whereby “psychologically rewarding” refers to an experience of absorption into the occupation and a positive mood at the time when the person is engaged in the occupation. In this paper, we argue that the two types of occupations are different. Meaningful occupation may not be immediately psychologically rewarding, but a psychologically rewarding occupation is always meaningful to the person performing it. Therapists should consider planning their therapeutic interventions in such a way that they use both types of occupations in order to optimise the benefits of therapy. Research is indicated to clarify the exact differences between the two types of occupationsI Key words: Meaningful occupation; psychologically rewarding occupation; mood; control; identity; transcendence The South African Journal of Occupational Therapy http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2015/v45n1a8
Battleground Chicago: The Police and the 1968 Democratic National Convention – By Frank Kusch

The riot at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention is the stuff of legend. What is often described as a “police riot,” the historic clash between police and protesters (to the backdrop of a chorus ...
Review : Apoptosis and Spinal Cord Injury

Apoptosis is the morphological counterpart of active, genetically programmed cell death and is important in development, immune function, and carcinogenesis. Recent data suggest that apoptosis may be important in neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic brain injury, and neurotrauma as well. Here we review very recent data from our laboratory and others that show that at least some of the pronounced secondary injury that follows spinal cord injury (SCI) may be caused by apoptosis and associated intracellular death pathways. Both neurons and glia seem to die by apoptosis; the response of oligodendrocytes in long tracts undergoing Wallerian degeneration is particularly long lived and may be responsible for chronic demyelination and some of the dysfunction in chronic SCI. These findings suggest that the therapeutic window for treatment of acute SCI may extend into the chronic phase. In addition, proliferation of ependymal cells occurs in concert with cell death, suggesting that both degeneration and repair may ...
Biological substrates of empathy and facial modulation of emotion: Two facets of the scientific legacy of John Lanzetta.

The impact of John Lanzetta's emotion research on our understanding of the interplay between psychological and physiological processes in emotion is examined. Lanzetta's work in two areas is reviewed along with related work by others. The first area concerns the biological substrates of empathy. Here Lanzetta studied emotional contagion, and in particular the conditions under which viewing another person's emotions can cause expressive and physiological changes in the observer. The second area concerns the facial modulation of emotion. Here Lanzetta studied the capacity of voluntary facial expression to alter the physiological and subjective aspects of emotion. The article closes with a personal reflection on Lanzetta as a scientist and as a person.
Chain‐Folding Mechanism for Growth of BaO 2B2O3 Crystal in Its Melt

The linear growth rate of a BaO.2B2O3 crystal in its melt was measured as a function of temperature; a growth mechanism was proposed which involves the folding of chains of boroxol rings back and forth on the crystal surface. At small undercoolings, the growth rate appeared to be limited by the number of suitable nucleation sites for a chain to attach to the crystal; at large undercoolings, it appeared to be limited by the rate of orientation of the chains at the crystal-melt interface.
Prostate cancer stem cells: The case for model systems

Advanced prostate cancers are treated with androgen deprivation therapy, which usually leads to a rapid and significant reduction in tumor burden but subsequent development of castration-resistant and metastatic disease almost always occurs. The source of tumor heterogeneity and the accompanying mechanisms leading to treatment resistance are major areas of prostate cancer research. Although our understanding of tumor heterogeneity is evolving, the functional isolation of tumor propagating populations, also known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), is fundamental to the identification and molecular characterization of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Of clinical importance, knowledge of prostate CSCs has implications for design of next generation-targeted therapies aimed at both eradicating primary tumor mass and preventing castration-resistant disease. The inability to routinely transplant fractionated primary human prostate tumors has prevented progress in analyzing the source of heterogeneous and treatment-resistant populations in prostate cancer. Here, we briefly overview the mechanisms of castration resistance, including the hypothesis for the existence of androgen-independent prostate CSCs. Finally, we discuss the interpretation of preclinical models and their utility for characterizing prostate CSCs in androgen-replete and androgen-deprived conditions.
Cross-talk noise in volume holographic memory

Cross-talk noise is a fundamental limitation to storage capacity in volume holographic memory. We present a general theoretical analysis on the cross-talk noise in angle- and wavelength-multiplexed volume holographic memory systems. Results on storage capacity and its dependence on hologram separation and required signal-to-noise ratio are obtained and discussed.
Clinical method of testing radiation-sensitizing agents in squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx provide suitable material for the evaluation of combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy because the therapeutic results in the primary lesions and in the metastatic lesions to the neck nodes can be assayed by palpation and inspection. From 1948 through 1960, approximately 400 cases of squainous cell carcinoma of the oropharyax, 500 of the oral cavity, and 250 of the supraglottic region of the larynx and of the piriform sinus and lateral hypopharynx were treated by a flexible program that included surgical resection, radiotherapy with x rays and Co60 gamma rays, preoperative irradiation, and the use of radiation- sensitizing agents. Data on the treatment and outcome are tabulated. Results are presented from a clinical study on selected cases of the potentiation of radiation effects by 5-fluorouracil or 5-bromodeoxyuridine. It is pointed out that these chemical agents have different mechanisms of action and different modes of administration were used for each. Experimental procedures are described and results are discussed. (C.H.)
Effect of Short Transmembrane Peptides on the Activation and Dimerization of an FGFR3 Pathogenic Mutant

Mutations in the transmembrane domains of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are implicated in many human diseases. For example, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) carrying an A391E mutation in the transmembrane (TM) region is associated with bladder cancer and Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans. Previous work has shown that the isolated FGFR3 TM domains dimerize in detergent micelles and in lipid bilayers. Therefore, we are exploring whether the TM domain of FGFR3 can inhibit the pathogenic effects of the A391E mutation. Our preliminary data show that the activation level of a chimeric Neu_FGFR3 receptor carrying the A391E mutation could be inhibited by co-expressing short mutant FGFR3 TM peptides. We also observe a decrease in dimerization propensity of the receptors due to the co-expression. Currently, we are investigating the specificity and the efficiency of the inhibition by using TM peptides from other RTKs. The TM peptides which can specifically and efficiently inhibit the activation and dimerization of FGFR3 mutants are possible candidates for future therapies for diseases linked to FGFR3 TM domain mutations.
Chest radiographs in cystic fibrosis. A follow-up study with application of a quantitative scoring system

A modified Chrispin-Norman score was used to investigate at what age typical X-ray signs of cystic fibrosis (CF) appear and for the follow-up of patients with CF. Scores of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) and with innocent heart murmurs were used for comparison. The findings were: 1. Hyperinflation and line shadows are early but not specific symptoms of CF. 2. Mottled and ring shadows can be considered as specific for CF. In most patients they only appear after the age of 3. They are never present in COLD. 3. The mean annual increase between the ages of 3–8 is 2 points. No difference existed between boys and girls in total scores and annual increase up to the age of puberty. 4. CF patients with portal hypertension have the same scores as CF patients without portal hypertension.
The impact of technology on the business of news media

Particularly in the case of U.S. newspapers, mainstream media have suffered steep drops in audience and advertising revenue since the digital shift accelerated in 2005. Before digital options began to proliferate, readers and viewers typically turned to newspapers and television for their news, which was gathered and presented at fixed times of the day by professional journalists. Today, an increasing number of people search for news online, on their schedules - through websites, mobile applications and tablets. Millions bypass search and news websites altogether and rely on social media - including Facebook and Twitter — for their daily news information.
Bacterial associations with decaying wood: a review

Abstract Wood-inhabiting bacteria are associated with wood decay and may have an indirect influence on the decay process. Bacteria are able to affect wood permeability, attack wood structure, or work synergistically with other bacteria and soft-rot fungi to predispose wood to fungal attack. Bacteria that can inhabit chemically treated wood are recognized. The natural ability of certain bacterial genera to decompose creosote, mineralize pentachlorophenol, and tolerate chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA-)-treated wood is discussed with respect to their role in the biodegradation of chemically preserved waste-wood products.
Development of a model for breast tomosynthesis image acquisition

Tomosynthesis is emerging as a promising modality for breast imaging. Several manufacturers have developed prototype units and have acquired clinical and phantom data. Scanning configurations of these prototypes vary. So far, studies relating scanning configuration to image quality have been limited to those geometries that could be implemented on a particular prototype. To overcome this limitation, we are developing a model of breast tomosynthesis image acquisition system, which models the formation of the x-ray image and x-ray detector. The x-ray image of an object is computed analytically for a polychromatic x-ray beam. Objects consist of volumetric regions that are bounded by either a planar, ellipsoidal, cylindrical or conical surface, allowing for a variety of objects. xray scatter is computed by convolving the image with a scatter point-spread function. Poisson noise according to the entrance exposure is added to the image. The x-ray detector in this model is composed of a phosphor screen followed by a detector array. X-ray interactions in the screen are modeled as depth-dependent. The optical output of the screen is converted into digital units using a gain factor which was assumed to be Gaussian distributed. To validate this data model, we acquired images of a contrast-detail phantom on a stereotactic biopsy unit. The x-ray source is mounted on an arm that pivots in a plane about the detector center. The x-ray detector consists of a Min-R type screen fiber-optically coupled to a CCD camera. To compare actual and simulated data, we compared line profiles as well as several automatically extracted image features such as contrast-to-noise ratio, contrast, area and radial gradient index. Good agreement was found between simulation and physical data, indicating that we can now use this model to explore image quality for various tomosynthesis scanning configurations.