cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High throughput phenotyping to accelerate crop breeding and monitoring of diseases in the field

Effective implementation of technology that facilitates accurate and high-throughput screening of thousands of field-grown lines is critical for accelerating crop improvement and breeding strategies for higher yield and disease tolerance. Progress in the development of field-based high throughput phenotyping methods has advanced considerably in the last 10 years through technological progress in sensor development and high-performance computing. Here, we review recent advances in high throughput field phenotyping technologies designed to inform the genetics of quantitative traits, including crop yield and disease tolerance. Successful application of phenotyping platforms to advance crop breeding and identify and monitor disease requires: (1) high resolution of imaging and environmental sensors; (2) quality data products that facilitate computer vision, machine learning and GIS; (3) capacity infrastructure for data management and analysis; and (4) automated environmental data collection. Accelerated breeding for agriculturally relevant crop traits is key to the development of improved varieties and is critically dependent on high-resolution, high-throughput field-scale phenotyping technologies that can efficiently discriminate better performing lines within a larger population and across multiple environments.
Governing with God: Religion, Resistance, and the State in Nigeria's Counter‐Trafficking Programs

Over the past fifteen years, the Nigerian government has stopped many young migrant women from trying to leave the country, identifying them as victims of human trafficking and referring them to a federal antitrafficking agency for protection and rehabilitation. Relatively few women accept these interventions outright, due in part to ingrained suspicion of state officials and institutions. This article uses ethnographic research from one state-run shelter where these would-be migrant women were detained to examine how state counselors there justified their actions and how migrant women interpreted them. Where the moral authority of the state has been depleted, it shows how shelter staff urged residents to find trust in government through trust in God, and how women in turn made claims on the state through religious idioms of conversion and salvation. Ultimately, it demonstrates how ad hoc relationships of governance are forged in one fervently contested encounter between citizens and the state in Nigeria.
Bridging to a Long-Term Ventricular Assist Device With Short-Term Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Implanting short-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices as a bridge-to-decision is increasingly popular. However, outcomes have not been well studied in patients who receive short-term MCS before receiving long-term left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. We analyzed outcomes in our single-center experience with long-term continuous-flow (CF)-LVAD recipients with pre-implantation short-term MCS. From November 2003 through March 2016, 526 patients (mean age, 54.7 ± 13.5 years) with chronic heart failure (mean ejection fraction, 21.7 ± 3.6%) underwent implantation of either the HeartMate II (n = 403) or the HeartWare device (n = 123). Before implantation, 269 patients received short-term MCS with the TandemHeart, the Impella 2.5/5.0, an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), or the CentriMag. The short-term MCS patients were compared with the CF-LVAD-only patients regarding preoperative demographics, incidence of postoperative complications, and long-term survival. The 269 patients received the following short-term MCS devices: 57 TandemHeart, 27 Impella, 172 IABP, 12 VA-ECMO, and 1 CentriMag. Survival at 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years was 94.2, 87.2, 79.4, and 72.4%, respectively, for CF-LVAD-only patients versus 91.0, 78.1, 73.4, and 65.6%, respectively, for short-term MCS + CF-LVAD patients (P = 0.17). Within the short-term MCS group, survival at 24 months was poorest for patients supported with VA-ECMO or the TandemHeart (P = 0.03 for both), and survival across all four time points was poorest for patients supported with VA-ECMO (P = 0.02). Short-term MCS was not an independent predictor of mortality in multivariate Cox regression models (hazard ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval = 0.84-1.49, P = 0.43). In conclusion, we found that using short-term MCS therapy-except for VA-ECMO-as a bridge to long-term CF-LVAD support was not associated with poorer survival.
EVALUATION OF CHA2DS2-VASC RISK STRATIFICATION TOOL IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION OR ATRIAL FLUTTER

The CHA2DS2-VASc score is often used to determine anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL). Data is lacking regarding the validity of this tool in pregnant and post-partum women. This is a retrospective cohort study of women with pre-existing or
Quenching of Infrared-Active Optical Phonons in Nanolayers of Crystalline Materials by Graphene Surface Plasmons

Optical phonons are fundamental excitations in many solid-state materials and have crucial influences on numerous material properties. Therefore, achieving extrinsic control of optical phonon properties, such as the phonon frequency, lifetime and population, may lead to new ways of tailoring various material properties relevant to key technological applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that infrared-active optical phonons in thin (tens of nm) layers of crystalline materials such as III–V semiconductors can be significantly quenched by a monolayer graphene. The optical phonon quenching effect is attributed to the ultrafast decay of optical phonons into resonant graphene surface plasmons at a rate which is significantly higher than the intrinsic decay rate of optical phonons due to lattice anharmonicity. Our results point to a new approach to engineering optical phonon properties and potentially other related material properties. Such an approach can be applied to a wide range of materials with ...
Assessment of Iron in Human Tissue: The Magnetic Biopsy

There are about four grams of iron in the body of a normal adult human. Around three grams is continuously involved in biochemical activity, principally oxygen transport and storage. The remaining gram is sequestered in two specialized protein molecules, ferritin and hemosiderin. The detailed balance between iron absorption and loss determines the actual size of this reserve or “storage iron,” and any marked variation is of clinical significance. For example, an increase may occur as a result of a shift from hemoglobin to storage (associated with chronic inflammation, infection, or malignancy). Increases can also occur as a result of a variety of disorders that build up total body iron, e.g. hereditary hemochromatosis, chronic transfusions and refractory anemias. Early detection of the iron build up associatedwith hereditary hemochromatosis is especially valuable because prompt treatment by phlebotomy can eliminate the excess iron and avoid serious attendant complications. A reliable measure of decreased iron stores would offer valuable diagnostic clues, for example, to the possible presence of malignancy. Complete iron depletion is associated with iron deficiency anemia, a serious and widespread condition.
The application of perturbed directional correlation of gamma rays to the study of protein-metal interactions.

Several branches of nuclear spectroscopy—magnetic resonance and the Mossbauer effect in particular—have been the subject of considerable interest to obtain structural and motional information about biological macromolecules. Recently, a third technique— perturbed gamma-gamma directional correlation—is being tested for the study of rotational correlation times, internal rotations and conformational changes in biological macromolecules. When two gamma rays from a radioactive nucleus are emitted in a cascade and detected with a coincidence spectrometer, the coincidence counting rate depends strongly on the angle between their directions of propagation. This directional correlation can be perturbed by the interaction of the nucleus with fields existing in macromolecules. A study of such perturbed directional correlation (PDC) has the potential to provide information on protein-metal interactions. The use of a radioactive nucleus as a rotational tracer to label macromolecules offers the possibility of obtaining information on protein structure with the sensitivity and instrumental simplicity of radioactive tracer techniques. Work to date has centered on measurement of internal electric field gradients of metalloproteins, molecular correlation times and the correlation time of water associated with proteins. This paper is a brief review of the theory and experimental technique of perturbed directional correlation of gamma rays in comparison to Mossbauer spectroscopy and the methods of magnetic resonance. Particular emphasis will be placed on the isotopes which can be used in PDC especially those which may occupy sites in biological macromolecules.
Lessons from the Meta-Analysis of Quasi-Experiments

Now that we are in the last decade of the century, it is common to ask what one did during the 1980s. To understand my answer to this question, however, it is necessary to make a very brief digression on how I spent the 1970s. Much of the time I was conducting secondary analyses as part of an extended period of postdoctoral work with Donald Campbell and his associates at Northwestern University (Boruch, Wortman, Cordray, and associates, 1981). Toward the end of that decade I and many of my colleagues in applied social psychology and evaluative research were becoming concerned about the utilization of such single, individual studies (Boruch & Wortman, 1979). About that time Gene Glass (1976) published a seminal paper entitled “Primary, Secondary, and Meta-Analysis of Research.” It seemed to me that meta-analysis held the promise of greater utilization since it went well beyond the individual research study.
Consequences of Shorted Turns in a Superconducting Magnet

Among the most likely faults of a large superconducting magnet is a shorted turn or turns. Shorted turns have been reported recently in both the General Electric (GE) and General Dynamics (GD) coils for the Large Coil Project (LCP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory1 and also in the superconducting coil of the 25 T to 30 T hybrid magnet system at the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).2,3 At worst, shorted turns can make a magnet inoperable or even under certain conditions, endanger the whole facility. At best, shorted turns will degrade the operation of the magnet (limit how fast it can be charged or discharged) and make it more susceptible to other faults such as an incipient quench.
PolyCluster: Minimum Fragment Disagreement Clustering for Polyploid Phasing

Phasing is an emerging area in computational biology with important applications in clinical decision making and biomedical sciences. While machine learning techniques have shown tremendous potential in many biomedical applications, their utility in phasing has not yet been fully understood. In this paper, we investigate development of clustering-based techniques for phasing in polyploidy organisms where more than two copies of each chromosome exist in the cells of the organism under study. We develop a novel framework, called PolyCluster , based on the concept of correlation clustering followed by an effective cluster merging mechanism to minimize the amount of disagreement among short reads residing in each cluster. We first introduce a graph model to quantify the amount of similarity between each pair of DNA reads. We then present a combination of linear programming, rounding, region-growing, and cluster merging to group similar reads and reconstruct haplotypes. Our extensive analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of PolyCluster in accurate and scalable phasing. In particular, we show that PolyCluster reduces switching error of H-PoP, HapColor, and HapTree by 44.4, 51.2, and 48.3 percent, respectively. Also, the running time of PolyCluster is several orders-of-magnitude less than HapTree while it achieves a running time comparable to other algorithms.
Electricity, the silver bullet for the deep decarbonisation of the energy system? Cost-effectiveness analysis for Portugal

Abstract The deep decarbonisation of the power sector coupled with electrification of end-use sectors will be crucial towards a carbon neutral economy, as required to achieve the Paris Agreement's goal. Several studies have highlighted the relevance of electrification under deep decarbonisation. However, previous work does not explore what would be the major shifts towards electrification, i.e., in what economic activities it will likely occur and when up to 2050 considering gradually stricter GHG emissions constraints. This is of upmost relevance since relatively small variations in emission caps may trigger substantial modifications in specific components of the energy system, namely the shift for the electrification of a particular energy end-use, with impacts on the power sector’s portfolio. In this paper, we analyse the extension of the electrification of the energy system as a cost-effective strategy for deep decarbonisation. We set a large number of increasingly stringent mitigation caps to assess: (i) the degree of electrification of different energy end-uses across all economic activities, (ii) the impact in power sector portfolio and costs and (iii) investment needs. The novelty of this paper relies on the anticipation of electrification of activities traditionally supplied by non-electricity energy carriers, by exploring when and how such transformation may occur in the future, and how much it would cost. We assess the case of Portugal till 2050 by using the TIMES_PT model to generate 50 increasingly stricter decarbonisation scenarios. In the long term, incremental changes (+1%) in more aggressive decarbonisation targets (beyond −70% reduction) induce substantial increase in the share of electrification growth rates. Electric private vehicles, electricity-based steam and heat production in ceramic industrial sector and heat pumps in buildings are the most cost-effective electric technologies. We found that a decarbonisation up to near −80% of 1990′s levels of the Portuguese energy system does not have a significant impact on the power sector unit costs, and does not surpass historic values for some years. However, it should be noted that incremental changes (+1%) in more aggressive decarbonisation targets may increase sharply electricity costs in 2050 (+9%). Thus, focusing in only few scenarios may narrow the role of electrification (or other mitigation options) and its associated costs for deep decarbonisation. This paper allows researchers, planners and decision makers to enhance awareness regarding the relevance and cost-effectiveness of electrification under decarbonisation, namely its feasibility and affordability, providing fruitful insights.
Repeated intravitreal injections of antivascular endothelial growth factors and risk of intraocular pressure medication use.

To determine the risk of initiating ocular hypertension and glaucoma treatment with repeated injections of antivascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF). A unique, retrospective cohort study was performed using a large national US medical claim database. The study population included patients who had 1 or more injections of an anti-VEGF agent. Exclusion occurred for any previous glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, glaucoma-related procedure, an ocular steroid injection, or not seeing an eye care provider at least once in each year of follow-up. Cohorts were divided into quartiles based on the number of injections performed over the follow-up period. Patients were observed for 2 and 3 years. The main outcome measure was defined as any new prescription for an ocular antihypertensive medication with a concurrent diagnosis of glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, or ocular hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression determined the odds of initiating glaucoma treatment in each injection quartile while controlling for numerous covariates. Sensitivity analysis assessed outcomes that included new medication only as well as a new medication plus diagnosis of glaucoma. In total, 17,113 and 9992 patients met 2- and 3-year observation end points, respectively. The multivariate odds ratio for initiating glaucoma treatment at 2 years was higher in the highest quartile (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.39–2.76, p < 0.001) compared with the lowest. The 3-year comparison had similar results with increased odds in the highest quartile (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.07–2.13, p = 0.006) compared with the lowest. Sensitivity analyses also showed similar results with more injections being associated with initiating treatment (p < 0.053 for all comparisons). Repeated anti-VEGF injections are associated with an increased odds of initiating treatment for ocular hypertension and glaucoma.
Real-time Rectilinear Volumetric Acquisition with a 7.5 MHz Dual-layer Array Transducer - Data Acquisition and Signal Processing

In previous work, we successfully developed a 7.5 MHz dual-layer array transducer for 3-D rectilinear imaging. This transducer significantly reduces the fabrication complexity and the channel count compared to fully sampled 2- D arrays, making 3-D imaging more realizable. Also, higher frequency (> 5 MHz) 3-D imaging can provide more accurate volume measurements, detection of cystic or cancerous masses, and also assist in 3-D ultrasound guided biopsy and carotid imaging. In this paper, we present our work toward real-time 3-D imaging with this transducer, including real-time data acquisition with the Verasonics data acquisition system (VDAS), offline beamforming and display for volumetric images. The volume rate was set as 30 volume/sec with a field of view equals to 19.2 x 19.2 x 42.2 mm 3 . Movies were created to present a real-time display of the moving phantoms of multi- wire targets or cyst targets.
Towards AI-Enhanced Ballet Learning

Since its codified genesis in the 18th century, ballet training has largely been unchanged: it relies on the word of mouth expertise passed down generation to generation and in tools that do not adequately support both dancers and teachers. Moreover, top-tier training is only found in a few locations around the world and comes at an exceptional price. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI)-based video tools might represent an affordable and non-invasive alternative: it would allow dancers and teachers to self-assess as well as enable skilled dance teachers to connect with a wider audience. In my research, I study how to design and evaluate AI-based tools to improve ballet performance for dancers and teachers.
Designing Retrospective evaluation tools for limited-literacy adults

Limited-literacy participants during cognitive interviews selected their preferences for a retrospective evaluation model that includes approach, format, title and instructions. This retrospective model is then implemented in two examples beginning with traditional prospective tools.
Stability of Extemporaneously Prepared Preservative-Free Methylphenidate 5 mg/mL Intravenous Solution

Purpose: To advance the implementation of consciousness-promoting therapies in patients with acute disorders of consciousness, the availability of potential therapeutic agents in formulations suitable for administration in hospitalized patients in the presence of complex comorbid conditions is paramount. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term stability of extemporaneously prepared preservative-free methylphenidate 5 mg/mL intravenous solution. Methods: A methylphenidate 5 mg/mL solution was prepared under proper aseptic techniques with Methylphenidate HCl USP powder mixed in sterile water for solution. Methylphenidate HCl 5 mg/ml solution was sterilized by filtration technique under USP compliant conditions. Samples were stored refrigerated (2-8C) and analyzed at approximately day 1, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365. At each time point, chemical and physical stability was evaluated by visual inspection, pH measurement, membrane filtration procedure, turbidometric or photometric technique, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Results: Over the 1 year study period, the sample retained 96.76-102.04% of initial methylphenidate concentration. There was no significant change in the visual appearance, pH level or particulate matter during the study period. The sample maintained bacterial and fungi sterility, and endotoxin levels were undetectable throughout the 1 year stability period. Conclusions: Extemporaneously prepared preservative-free methylphenidate 5 mg/mL intravenous solution was physically and chemically stable for up to 365 days when stored in amber glass vials at refrigerated temperatures (2-8C).
Correlation between BMI, Diabetes Mellitus, and Outcomes in Patients Treated with BCG Immunotherapy for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Introduction The association of body mass index (BMI) and diabetes mellitus (DM) with clinical outcomes for patients with solid malignancies including bladder cancer demonstrates disparate and inconsistent effects. We explored this relationship in 582 patients who completed at least an induction course of BCG therapy (iBCG). Methods All NMIBC patients treated with iBCG (≥5/6 instillations) from 2006 -2018 were reviewed. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height at the initial clinic visit. Demographic, cancer-specific, and information regarding potential confounding variables including aspirin, statin, metformin, and beta-blocker prescriptions were collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to analyze recurrence-free (RFS), progression (to MIBC or metastasis) free (PRS), cancer-specific (CSS) and overall (OS) survival. Survival was from the start date of iBCG. Results Mean age (582 patients) was 67 yrs. 89% of patients were high grade and 95% of patients received additional BCG after induction. 24% of patients were normal or underweight ( Conclusions In this contemporary cohort of patients adjusting for known confounders of the metabolic syndrome, overweight and obese patients exhibited significantly improved OS, CSS, and PFS when receiving BCG therapy while those patients with DM experienced worse RFS. These findings support translational research to identify the underlying biologic driver of this interaction.
Authentication of In Situ Measurements for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms in Mice

Abstract Aortic diameter is a standard parameter for defining disease severity of thoracic aortic aneurysms. In mouse studies, aortic diameters can be measured in situ directly, but this approach has a potential confounder of underestimation due to the absence of physiological arterial blood pressure. In the present study, we developed an in situ approach for authentic aortic measurements. Thoracic aortic aneurysms were induced by beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN, 0.5% wt/vol) administration in 4-week-old male C57BL/6J mice. Ultrasonography was performed to examine aortic dimensions, and mice with thoracic aortic dilatations were terminated subsequently. After saline perfusion through the left ventricle, periaortic tissues were removed to expose thoracic aortas. Optimal cutting temperature (OCT) compound was injected via the left ventricle to maintain aortic patency. In situ aortic images were captured pre- and post-OCT injection. In mice with severe thoracic aortic aneurysms, smaller aortic diameters were observed prior to OCT injection compared to ultrasound measurements, while aortic diameters in situ after OCT were comparable to diameters measured using ultrasound. A telemetry system demonstrated that maximal luminal pressures during 150 ul of OCT injection were 90 mmHg. Immunostaining for CD31 revealed that endothelial cells were preserved in the intima after OCT injection. These results indicate that OCT injection does not cause aortic damages due to excess pressures. In conclusion, in situ imaging with OCT injection provides authentic aortic measurements without overt aortic damage in mice with thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Metamorphosis and the Sirena

09 de enero de 1493January 9th, 1493 El dia pasado, cuando el Almirante iba al Rio de Oro,dijo que vido tres serenas que salieron bien alto de la mar, pero que no eran tan fermosas como las pintan,...
Engaging In Authentic Allyship As Part of Our Professional Development.

Educational institutions increasingly recognize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts to combat and dismantle structures that sustain inequities. However, successful DEI work hinges on individuals being authentic allies and incorporating allyship into their professional development. Allyship involves members of dominant groups recognizing their privilege and engaging in actions to create inclusivity and equitable spaces for all. Often times, individuals from dominant groups with desires to actively support others from marginalized groups are unsure how to fight oppression and prejudice. Our goal, as faculty with diverse perspectives and heterogeneous intersectional identities, is to provide readers with the tools to develop as an authentic ally through: 1) educating themselves about the identities and experiences of others, 2) challenging their own discomfort and prejudices, 3) dedicating the time and patience to learning how to be an ally, and 4) taking action to promote change toward personal, institutional, and societal justice and equality. Ultimately, each person must advocate for change because we all hold the responsibility. When everyone is an authentic ally, we all thrive and rise together.
From Nuclear to Unnuclear Physics

Nuclear physics studies the stability, structure, and reactions of atomic nuclei, as well as the phase structure and properties of dense, strongly interacting matter. While nuclear reactions are exceedingly complicated, remarkably Hammer and Son (1) have discovered a low-energy regime—which they call “unnuclear physics”—where certain nuclear reactions obey simple scaling rules, related to a new, emergent scaling symmetry of the nuclear force. The term “unnuclear” is a reference to the work of Howard Georgi, who coined the term “unparticle physics” to describe a possible scale-invariant sector beyond the standard model of high-energy physics (2). To appreciate the Hammer and Son (1) result let us step back and recall some basics. Modern nuclear physics began with the discovery of the neutron in 1932, but ever since the 1970s we have known that the strong nuclear forces between neutrons and protons, collectively known as nucleons, are ultimately governed by quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of quarks and gluons. Quarks carry color charges, a generalization of electrical charge, and forces between “colored” particles are mediated by gluons. Neutrons and protons are in fact composite particles, and the nuclear force is the residual interaction between “color-neutral” objects, similar to the van der Waals force between electrically neutral atoms and molecules. As a consequence, determining nuclear structure and reactions in detail requires numerical calculations based on complicated nuclear forces. Not only did Hammer and Son discover a simple tractable regime of nuclear reactions, even more remarkably, the dependence of the cross-sections on energy that appear in this regime can be related to a completely different observable, the ground-state energy of resonantly interacting ultracold atoms trapped in a harmonic potential. Nucleon as well as nuclear reactions at low incident energies can be described in terms of two parameters, the “scattering length,” a, and the effective … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: gbaym{at}illinois.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Superconductivity in MgTa2S5

Abstract Superconductivity in the new compound, MgTa 2 S 5 , is reported. Its crystal structure was indexed to space group C 2 / m , which is monoclinic with lattice parameters a = 5.784(5) A, b = 12.680(3) A, and c = 6.106(5) A, with β = 112.64 ∘ . Electrical resistivity reveals metallic behavior with ρ (296 K) = 5.2 m Ω cm and bulk superconductivity below T c = 1 K. Measurements of the specific heat C reveal the electronic specific heat coefficient γ = 11.1(5) mJ/mol K 2 , a jump in C at T c illustrating bulk superconductivity, and an energy gap associated with the superconducting state of E g = 0.25(3) meV. MgTa 2 S 5 can be classified as a BCS superconductor. An unidentified minority phase present in the sample ( ∼ 4%) exhibits a superconducting phase transition near 2.6 K.
Human Chemical Exposure from Background Emissions in the United States and the Implication for Quantifying Risks from Marginal Emission Increase

The linear dose–response relationship has long been assumed in assessments of health risk from an incremental chemical emission relative to background emissions. In this study, we systematically examine the relevancy of such an assumption with real-world data. We used the reported emission data, as background emissions, from the 2017 U.S. National Emission Inventory for 95 organic chemicals to estimate the central tendencies of exposures of the general U.S. population. Previously published nonlinear dose–response relationships for chemicals were used to estimate health risk from exposure. We also explored and identified four intervals of exposure in which the nonlinear dose–response relationship may be linearly approximated with fixed slopes. Predicted rates of exposure to these 95 chemicals are all within the lowest of the four intervals and associated with low health risk. The health risk may be overestimated if a slope on the dose–response relationship extrapolated from toxicological assays based on high response rates is used for a marginal increase in emission not substantially higher than background emissions. To improve the confidence of human health risk estimates for chemicals, future efforts should focus on deriving a more accurate dose–response relationship at lower response rates and interface it with exposure assessments.
Madam Chairman: Mary Louise Smith and the Republican Revival after Watergate

Review of: "Madam Chairman: Mary Louise Smith and the Republican Revival after Watergate," by Suzanne O'Dea.
Assessment of MODIS cloud effective radius and optical thickness retrievals over the Southeast Pacific with VOCALS‐REx in situ measurements

[1] Cloud microphysical observations collected in situ during the VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment within the Chile-Peru stratocumulus cloud deck during October–November 2008 were used to assess MODIS Level 2 cloud property retrievals. The in situ aircraft-derived cloud property values were constructed from the drop size distributions measured by the Cloud Droplet Probe (drop diameter <52 micron) and Two-Dimensional Cloud Probe (drop diameters up to 1600 micron) during 20 vertical profiles. Almost all of the MODIS cloud scenes were highly homogeneous. MODIS cloud optical thickness correlated well with the aircraft-derived value with a slight offset within instrumental/retrieval uncertainties. In contrast, the standard 2.1 micron-derived MODIS effective radius (re) systematically exceeded the in situ cloud top reby 15%–20%, for an absolute error that increased with droplet size. The individual effective radius retrievals at 1.6, 2.1, and 3.7 micron did not provide additional information on cloud vertical structure for our data sample. The secondarily derived MODIS liquid water path also exceeded the in situ value. A MODIS-derived cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) estimate agreed the best of the four MODIS variables with the aircraft observations. The analysis also highlighted a lack of agreement in published satellite-derivedNd values, despite drawing on the same sources. A best a priori formula choice for Nd is likely to vary regionally. Four sources of errors within the MODIS reretrieval were investigated further: the cloud mode droplet size distribution breadth, the presence of a drizzle mode, above-cloud water vapor absorption, and sensor viewing angles. These processes combined conspired to explain most of the observed bias. The above-cloud water vapor paths were poorly specified, primarily because the cloud top heights are placed too high, and secondarily because the water vapor paths are unrealistic. Improvement of the above-cloud water vapor path specification can most easily and systematically improve the MODIS effective radius and liquid water path retrievals.
Asymptotic stability of switched higher order laplacians

Recently, several properties in networked sensing and distributed systems have been modeled by various researchers [1,2,3,5,7,9,11,12] using topological spaces and their topological invariants. The unifying theme in these approaches has been that the local properties of a network, as dictated by local interactions among agents, can be captured by certain topological spaces. These spaces are mostly combinatorial in nature and are a generalization of the more familiar graphical models. Moreover, the global properties of the network characteristics correspond to certain topological invariants of these spaces such as genus, homology, homotopy, and the existence of simplicial maps. Examples of such modeling attempts include coverage problems for sensor networks [1,2,3,7]; consensus & concurrency modeling in asynchronous distributed systems [9]; and routing in networks without geographical information [5]. One notable characteristic of these studies has been that the topological abstractions preserve many global geometrical properties of the network while abstracting away the redundant geometrical details at small scales. This promises great simplification of algorithms as well as hardware, which is an important requirement for realizing large-scale robust networks.
FREE TO AIR? – LEGAL PROTECTION FOR TV PROGRAM FORMATS

Television is only as strong as its programming. The use of program formats has slowly but surely developed into an important component of the television industry. This paper examines the surprising gap between the constantly growing, multi-billion-dollar trade of program formats and their unclear and contradictory legal treatment. Using an interdisciplinary approach, I look at the characteristics of both the product at hand and the markets it serves to examine possible justification for legal protection. I argue that the use of the term “TV format” is misleading and that a clear separation between the unpublished and published stages of the format creation process is necessary. Next, I show that contract law and internal industry mechanisms create an overall efficient, unpublished format market where no additional legal protection is needed. In the international trade market of published program formats, however, I conclude that a clearer legal approach offering better protection is justified.
INFLUENCE OF DIETARY CADMIUM LEVEL AND SUPPLEMENTAL ZINC ON CADMIUM TOXICITY IN THE BOVINE.

Growth rate, feed consumption, water intake, and testicle development decreased progressively as the concentration of Cd in the diet increased. Blood hemoglobin decreased slightly when 40 to 160 ppM Cd in the diet were consumed, but increased sharply when higher levels of Cd (640 and 2560 ppm) were fed. Calves fed 640 or 2560 ppm Cd exhibited unthrifty appearance; rough hair coat; severe body dehydration; dry and scaly skin; loss of hair; mouth lesions; edematous, shrunken, and scaly scrotum; sore and enlarged joints; impaired sight; and liver and kidney damage. Feeding 40 to 160 ppm of Cd from 9 to 20 weeks of age resulted in few clinical symptoms. There was 100% mortality in calves given 2560 ppm Cd, with death occurring in 2 to 8 weeks. At the 640 ppm level there was some mortality. When Cd was removed from the diet, a very severely affected calf recovered to normal appearance with a substantial quantity of live, but mostly abnormal, sperm later obtained from the epididymis. The data suggest that addition of zinc partially offset the effects of Cd on calf performance. Kidneys and livers contained the highest concentration of Cd.
Co‐occurrence of conduct disorder and depression in a clinic‐based sample of boys with ADHD

Background: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for the development of comorbid conduct disorder (CD) and depression. The current study examined potential psychosocial risk factors for CD and depression in a clinic-based sample of 203 boys (aged 6–10 years) with ADHD. Methods: The boys and their mothers participated in an evaluation that involved assessments of cognitive, behavioral, academic, and family functioning. Potential predictors of CD and depression involved four domains: parenting behaviors, family environment, academic/cognitive functioning, and peer relations. ADHD groups were defined using mother- and teacher-report of DSM-IV symptoms. Mother-ratings of DSM-IV symptoms were obtained for a subsample of 91 boys approximately 5 years after the initial assessment. Results: For both mother- and teacher-defined ADHD groups, social problems were related to depression symptoms; hostile, inconsistent, and detached parenting behaviors were related to CD symptoms; and family environment characterized by low cohesion, high conflict, and low marital satisfaction was related to CD and depression symptoms. For the teacher-defined ADHD group, parenting variables also predicted depression symptoms. Academic and cognitive variables did not predict CD or depression symptoms when parenting, family, and peer relationship variables were taken into account. Depression prospectively predicted CD, but not the reverse, and parental hostile control and familial conflict prospectively predicted CD for the teacher-defined ADHD group only. Conclusions: Source-specificity is a useful consideration when describing the relation of parenting and home environment with CD and depression symptoms in boys with ADHD. Intervention efforts that address these parenting, family, and peer relationship variables may aid in preventing the development of comorbid conditions.
Pediatric outpatient departments; some problems requiring further study.

The author of the following statement is one of a group of pediatricians with special interests in the functions of an outpatient department, especially in regard to the role of ambulatory care in pediatric education. This group has engaged in a series of informal discussions at the times of meetings of the American Pediatric Society and the Society for Pediatric Research. It was generally agreed that general statements pertaining to the importance of the outpatient department, "pep talks" urging senior staff to participate in outpatient activities, and missionary zeal on the part of a few, will not suffice to achieve the maximum potentialities of outpatient departments. The group discussions have demonstrated the need for objective standards for outpatient care, formulation of essential principles of good teaching in the outpatient department, and a further realization of the possibilities for research in the problems presented by ambulatory patients. The remarks presented here do not constitute a comprehensive or formal report of the opinions of all who took part in the discussions, but are intended to be the author9s formulation of some of the current problems in order to promote consideration by a larger audience.
Spectral content as a cue to perceived auditory distance.

Changes in the spectral content of wide-band auditory stimuli have been repeatedly implicated as a possible cue to the distance of a sound source. Few of the previous studies of this factor, however, have considered whether the cue provided by spectral content serves as an absolute or a relative cue. That is, can differences in spectral content indicate systematic differences in distance even on their first presentation to a listener, or must the listener be able to compare sounds with one another in order to perceive some change in their distances? An attempt to answer this question and simultaneously to evaluate the possibly confounding influence of changes in the sound level and/or the loudness of the stimuli are described in this paper. The results indicate that a decrease in high-frequency content (as might physically be produced by passage through a greater amount of air) can lead to increases in perceived auditory distance, but only when compared with similar sounds having a somewhat different high...
American Young Adults’ Rural-to-Urban Migration and Timing of Exits from Poverty Spells

This study examined the timing of exit from poverty among rural young adults who migrated to urban areas in the United States, using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, with a focus on gender and marital status. Poverty spells that involved relocation to urban areas lasted longer than those that did not. Poverty exit rates upon relocation to urban areas declined each year the young adults remained in poverty, but the impact remaining in urban areas had on reduced poverty exit rates diminished when family characteristics, human capital, and labor market factors were controlled.
Celebrity, Spectacle, and the Conspiracy Culture of Election 2000:

This article explores the prevalence of celebrity and spectacle as a major component of the conspiracy culture that permeates much of today's media, and it explores how the penchant for the media for such sensational stories as the death of Princess Diana and the JFK Jr. tragedy was reflected in the postelection spectacle of the 2000 presidential election.
Reexploration after treatment for uterine sarcoma

Eleven patients treated with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy for uterine sarcoma were reexplored after an interval of therapy. In none of the eight patients who were free of persistent sarcoma at the time of reexploration, did tumor recur during the period of follow-up. Two patients had all macroscopically visible residual sarcoma resected at reexploration and remain free of disease. The second-look laparotomy after a period of therapy may provide valuable prognostic information for planning therapy for patients who have metastatic or locally recurrent sarcoma.
Injunctive social norms of adults regarding teen dating violence.

PURPOSE: To assess applied injunctive social norms of adults regarding teen dating violence (TDV) and compare them with those regarding adult domestic violence (ADV). METHODS: A total of 3679 California adults from six ethnic groups (roughly equal numbers of African-American, Hispanic, Korean-American, Vietnamese-American, other Asian-American, and white respondents) participated in a 27-minute interview. An experimental vignette design was used to test for associations among contextual (i.e., victim, assailant, and situational) characteristics of TDV and ADV, respondent demographic characteristics, and injunctive social norms (i.e., whether adults thought the behavior was wrong, illegal, or should be illegal, police should be called, or a restraining order issued). Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression, controlling for vignette variables (i.e., contextual characteristics) and respondent characteristics. Interactions were examined to test for differences in responses to TDV and ADV. RESULTS: Nearly all adults report that most forms of TDV are wrong (97%) and should be illegal (81%), and a majority support interventions for TDV such as calling police and issuing a restraining order. TDV involving sexual assault, physical assault, or weapons received the greatest levels of support for societal intervention. Differences in respondent judgments regarding TDV and ADV were evident when the victim had been raped. Respondent characteristics generally were not associated with responses. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that there is general public support for prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing and responding to TDV, and may inform efforts to alter social norms and expectations regarding TDV.
Mandibulofacial dysostosis in a patient with a de novo 2;17 translocation that disrupts the HOXD gene cluster†‡

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is the prototypical mandibulofacial dysostosis syndrome, but other mandibulofacial dysostosis syndromes have been described. We report an infant with mandibulofacial dysostosis and an apparently balanced de novo 2;17 translocation. She presented with severe lower eyelid colobomas requiring skin grafting, malar and mandibular hypoplasia, bilateral microtia with external auditory canal atreasia, dysplastic ossicles, hearing loss, bilateral choanal stenosis, cleft palate without cleft lip, several oral frenula of the upper lip/gum, and micrognathia requiring tracheostomy. Her limbs were normal. Chromosome analysis at the 600-band level showed a 46,XX,t(2;17)(q24.3;q23) karyotype. Sequencing of the entire TCOF1 coding region did not show evidence of a sequence variation. High-resolution genomic microarray analysis did not identify a cryptic imbalance. FISH mapping refined the breakpoints to 2q31.1 and 17q24.3-25.1 and showed the 2q31.1 breakpoint likely affects the HOXD gene cluster. Several atypical findings and lack of an identifiable TCOF1 mutation suggest that this child has a provisionally unique mandibulofacial dysostosis syndrome. The apparently balanced de novo translocation provides candidate loci for atypical and TCOF1 mutation negative cases of TCS. Based on the agreement of our findings with one previous case of mandibulofacial dysostosis with a 2q31.1 transocation, we hypothesize that misexpression of genes in the HOXD gene cluster produced the described phenotype in this patient.
MAVEN relay operations concept

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission will launch in late 2013 and, following a 10 month cruise to Mars, will study the upper atmosphere of the planet. In addition to the science instruments, the MAVEN spacecraft is equipped with an Electra UHF transceiver to support relay communication with landed assets. This paper describes how UHF relay service is provisioned by MAVEN. The discussion includes a description of the Electra payload, the process by which relay activities are coordinated and accounted for, the process of a typical relay session, including uplink and downlink, as well as special commands to calibrate and verify relay performance. The operational processes for providing these services are inherited largely from prior Mars missions and take advantage of existing infrastructure and lessons learned from those missions. Preliminary data volume return capabilities using adaptive data rates and low-density parity check channel coding are presented.
Calibration of 3D Sensors Using a Spherical Target

With the emergence of relatively low-cost real-time 3D imaging sensors, new applications for suites of 3D sensors are becoming practical. For example, 3D sensors in an industrial robotic work cell can monitor workers' positions to ensure their safety. This paper introduces a simple-to-use method for extrinsic calibration of multiple 3D sensors observing a common workspace. Traditional planar target camera calibration techniques are not well-suited for such situations, because multiple cameras may not observe the same target. Our method uses a hand-held spherical target, which is imaged from various points within the workspace. The algorithm automatically detects the sphere in a sequence of views and simultaneously estimates the sphere centers and extrinsic parameters to align an arbitrary network of 3D sensors. We demonstrate the approach with examples of calibrating heterogeneous collections of 3D cameras and achieve better results than traditional, image-based calibration.