cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing image processing techniques for improved 3-dimensional ultrasound imaging.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare volumetric image processing techniques for reducing noise and speckle while retaining tissue structures in 3-dimensional (3D) gray scale ultrasound imaging. Methods. Eighty subjects underwent a clinically indicated abdominal or obstetric 3D ultrasound examination (20 hepatic, 20 renal, and 40 obstetric cases). Volume data were processed on a pixel (“2-dimensional [2D] processing”) or a voxel (“3D processing”) basis using commercially available image enhancement software (ContextVision AB, Linkoping, Sweden). Randomized, side-by-side comparisons of the image processing techniques were performed for each subject. An independent and blinded reader scored the volumes for image quality on a 3-point scale from 1 (worst) to 3 (best) and compared the results using a nonparametric Wilcoxson signed rank test. Results. The 40 subjects with abdominal 3D imaging received a mean score (± 1 SD) of 1.52 ± 0.51, 2.45 ± 0.60, and 2.75 ± 0.44 for the original, the 2D processed, and the 3D processed volumes, respectively. The differences between the unprocessed and the processed volumes were highly statistically significant (P < .0001), as was the difference between the 2D and 3D processing methods (P = .002). Similar results were obtained for the obstetric data sets (n = 39 due to an acquisition problem) with a mean score of 1.03 ± 0.16 for the original, 2.33 ± 0.48 for the 2D processed, and 2.79 ± 0.47 for the 3D processed volumes (P < .003). Conclusions. A new volumetric ultrasound image enhancement technique has been assessed in abdominal and obstetric applications. Compared to unprocessed volumes and volumes processed with 2D image enhancement software, the new 3D processing technique performed best.
The Surfactant of Legionella pneumophila Is Secreted in a TolC-Dependent Manner and Is Antagonistic toward Other Legionella Species

When Legionella pneumophila grows on agar plates, it secretes a surfactant that promotes flagellum- and pilus-independent "sliding" motility. We isolated three mutants that were defective for surfactant. The first two had mutations in genes predicted to encode cytoplasmic enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. These genes mapped to two adjacent operons that we designated bbcABCDEF and bbcGHIJK. Backcrossing and complementation confirmed the importance of the bbc genes and suggested that the Legionella surfactant is lipid containing. The third mutant had an insertion in tolC. TolC is the outer membrane part of various trimolecular complexes involved in multidrug efflux and type I protein secretion. Complementation of the tolC mutant restored sliding motility. Mutants defective for an inner membrane partner of TolC also lacked a surfactant, confirming that TolC promotes surfactant secretion. L. pneumophila (lspF) mutants lacking type II protein secretion (T2S) are also impaired for a surfactant. When the tolC and lspF mutants were grown next to each other, the lsp mutant secreted surfactant, suggesting that TolC and T2S conjoin to mediate surfactant secretion, with one being the conduit for surfactant export and the other the exporter of a molecule that is required for induction or maturation of surfactant synthesis/secretion. Although the surfactant was not required for the extracellular growth, intracellular infection, and intrapulmonary survival of L. pneumophila, it exhibited antimicrobial activity toward seven other species of Legionella but not toward various non-Legionella species. These data suggest that the surfactant provides L. pneumophila with a selective advantage over other legionellae in the natural environment.
Parental Distress, Family Functioning, and Social Support in Families with and without a Child with Neurofibromatosis 1

Objective To compare parental adjustment, social support, and family functioning between families of children with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and a group of demographically similar comparison families, and to examine the impact of disease severity. Methods Questionnaires were completed at home by parents of 54 children with NF1 (54 mothers and 42 fathers) and 51 comparison children (49 mothers and 32 fathers). Results Few differences between groups were identified for parental distress, social support, or family environment. Greater neurological impairment in children with NF1 was associated with greater distress, more family conflict, less positive mealtime interactions, and less social support from the perspectives of mothers. Conclusions Overall, parents of children with NF1 appear similar to parents of comparison children. Mothers who have children with NF1 characterized by greater neurological impairment may be at risk for more difficulties. Future work exploring long-term adjustment for these mothers as well as interventions to ameliorate any potential difficulties may be appropriate.
CONSTRUCCIONES TEORICAS SOBRE ACCIONES METODOLOGICAS PRELIMINARES EN LABORATORIO DURANTE LA FORMACIÓN DE INGENIEROS QUÍMICOS

El proposito principal de este informe es presentar el resultado de la observacion docente durante la experimentacion cientifica y en compania de estudiantes que se encuentran en formacion como ingenieros quimicos en su ciclo basico. Se estructuraron un conjunto de acciones y operaciones, donde la accion se corresponde con la finalidad de la tarea; sus operaciones, con las condiciones de esta. A partir de lo anterior, adquirieron gran importancia los metodos de ensenanza orientados a la actividad productiva de los alumnos, que se vincula con la formacion de generalizaciones, abstracciones, con la aplicacion autonoma de los conocimientos teoricos adquiridos durante la solucion de las tareas de estudio cognoscitivas y practicas.
Concentration of enteric virus indicator from seawater using granular activated carbon.

Abstract Fecal contamination of shellfish growing seawater with enteric viruses is often associated with human outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Male specific bacteriophage MS2 is correlated with those of enteric viruses in a wide range of water environments and has been used widely as a surrogate for pathogenic waterborne viruses. Since viruses in contaminated water are usually at low levels, the development of methods to concentrate viruses from water is crucial for detection purposes. In the present study, granular activated carbon was evaluated for concentration of MS2 from artificial seawater, and different parameters of the seawater were also compared. Recovery of MS2 from warm seawater (37 °C) was found to be significantly greater than from cold seawater (4 and 20 °C), and even greater than from fresh water (4, 20 and 37 °C); the difference between seawater and fresh water became less profound when the temperatures of both were below 37 °C. Although not of statistical significance, recovery of MS2 from low salinity seawater (10 and 20 parts per thousand, ppt) was greater than from high salinity seawater (30 and 40 ppt). One gram of granular activated carbon was able to extract 6-log plaque forming units (PFU) of MS2 from 500 ml seawater at 37 °C. This study demonstrated that granular activated carbon can concentrate an enteric virus indicator from shellfish growing seawater effectively.
Corporate Chaplaincy Programs: An Exploratory Study Relates Corporate Chaplain Activities to Employee Assistance Programs

This study is in response to a recent increase in the use of chaplains across corporate America and fills a void in the research literature. It explored the activities of corporate chaplains, identifying the precise functions they perform. Similarities were found between the problems that employees discussed with corporate chaplains and the issues traditionally addressed by employee assistance providers. Differences across industry type, firm size, and contract tenure were also analyzed and are reported. Findings indicate that the majority of problems discussed with corporate chaplains were psychological issues and relationship matters. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Having It BOTH Ways: The Reproduction and Transformation of Schooling

At least rhetorically, alternative schools claim to manifest significant changes in the nature of educational experiences. This study utilizes the interactionist or constitutive ethnographic approach to analyze the extent to which the social relations underlying educational encounters were transformed in one innovative program. The author argues that, at the level of the structuring procedures by which participants organized their face-to-face interactions in various contexts, they both reproduced and transformed the conventional social order of schooling.
Throughput Enhancement for IEEE 802.11a Wireless LANs

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in combination with bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) is efficient and robust high-speed transmission technique used in IEEE 802.11a standard. In this paper, using Request To Send (RTS)/ Clear To Send (CTS) mechanism, we present a method to improve throughput performance by adaptively changing constellation size and power distribution across the sub-carriers without sacrificing throughput due to explicit feedback. Based on the theoretical analysis, this complex maximization problem can be approximately solved by a simple iterative algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed method can significantly improves throughput performance and the performance gain is robust to channel estimation and synchronization error.
Arginine in the Critical Care Setting

Arginine is a nonessential amino acid in the normal physiological state that becomes conditionally essential during periods of hypermetabolic stress. Recent literature supports the hypothesis that arginine plays an important role in the intermediary metabolism of the critically ill patient. Current critical care literature is conflicting on arginine use in the clinical setting, with some proposing it as a panacea, whereas others report it as poison. Multiple individual reports and at least 5 major meta-analyses using combinations of immune-modulating nutrients have reported mostly beneficial results, but few have evaluated the effects of arginine when given as a single supplemental nutrient. This review attempts to objectively analyze the literature and evaluate the potential role of arginine in the critical care setting.
Dynamic signal strength estimates for indoor wireless communications

Signal strength estimation for indoor wireless communications has attracted much attention lately due to its many applications in mobile networking including coverage analysis, localization, fast hand-off, and security audits. However, it is challenging due to the complexities of the indoor radio propagation characteristics exacerbated by users' mobility. Therefore, a common practice of the indoor wireless research is to manually construct a radio signal strength table mapping signal strength with known locations inside a building. Obviously, this is a tedious and time consuming task; also, the resulting signal strength table does not describe the dynamic property of the indoor radio propagation. The table is static. Thus the credibility of any further application is heavily affected. This paper proposes a novel and automated signal strength estimation method for the indoor wireless research. The method requires only a single signal strength measurement as reference, and the estimated signal strength table is comparable to the actual measurements in real time. With 6 days of continuous measurements and simulations, the results show that the proposed method dynamically estimates the signal strength for the deployed building, and the results achieve average estimation accuracy to within 3% of maximum signal strength. With the dynamic method, the paper shows how the signal strength could be gracefully applied to special tasks such as coverage analysis, and localization.
Two new species of Pseudecheneis , rheophilic catfishes (Teleostei: Sisoridae) from Nepal

Two new species of sisorid catfish of the genus Pseudecheneis are described from tributaries of the Ganges River in Nepal: Pseudecheneis crassicauda and P. serracula. Pseudecheneis crassicauda can be distinguished from congeners by a unique combination of 38–39 vertebrae, caudal peduncle depth 6.0–6.6% SL, eye diameter 7.5–8.3% HL, length of adipose-fin base 20.3–24.3% SL, pelvic fins reaching the base of the first anal-fin ray, and the presence of pale spots on the body. Pseudecheneis serracula can be distinguished from congeners in having a unique combination of 36–38 vertebrae, strongly elevated neural spines of the last 2–3 preanal and first 6–7 postanal vertebrae, length of adipose-fin base 26.8–30.4% SL, pelvic fins reaching the base of the first analfin ray, and the presence of pale spots on the body.
Selective effects of ketamine on amino acid-mediated pathways in neonatal rat spinal cord

Many ion channels have been proposed as target sites for anaesthetic action; for some agents multiple receptors-ion channels may be implicated. In addition to acting as a non-competitive antagonist atglutamate NMDA receptors, ketamine also affects other ion channels. The present study was undertaken to determine if the effects of ketamine in an integrated portion of the central nervous system involve multiple actions at glutamate non-NMDA, glutamate NMDA, and GABAA receptors. The effects of ketamine 1–50 μmol litre−1 were examined on three pharmacologically distinct responses in isolated superfused neonatal rat spinal cord: the monosynaptic reflex (glutamate non-NMDA); a slow ventral root potential (VRP) with a large NMDA-mediated component; and the dorsal root potential (DRP) (GABAA). Ketamine, at concentrations relevant to anaesthesia (1–50 μmol litre−1), reversibly depressed the area under the curve of the slow VRP in a concentration-dependent fashion. The effects of ketamine were selective for the early (0–1 s) component of the slow VRP. The monosynaptic reflex was unaffected at these concentrations. The actions of ketamine resembled those of the NMDA antagonist APV. Dorsal root potentials evoked by dorsal root stimulation or by muscimol were either unaffected or reversibly depressed by ketamine 1–20 μmol litre−1. The concentrations tested include the anaesthetic range for both rats and humans. The effects of ketamine on neuro-transmission in this preparation can be accounted for entirely by its action at NMDA receptors. Glutamate non-NMDA receptors were unaffected and GABAA transmission was not enhanced. Ketamine, therefore, has effects which appear to result from actions on one receptor subtype. Other anaesthetic agents act on other receptors and may either be specific to one type or exert their effects via multiple actions on several different receptors.
Mechanical Loading Regulates NFATc1 and β-Catenin Signaling through a GSK3β Control Node

Mechanical stimulation can prevent adipogenic and improve osteogenic lineage allocation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), an effect associated with the preservation of β-catenin levels. We asked whether mechanical up-regulation of β-catenin was critical to reduction in adipogenesis as well as other mechanical events inducing alternate MSC lineage selection. In MSC cultured under strong adipogenic conditions, mechanical load (3600 cycles/day, 2% strain) inactivated GSK3β in a Wnt-independent fashion. Small interfering RNA targeting GSK3β prevented both strain-induced induction of β-catenin and an increase in COX2, a factor associated with increased osteoprogenitor phenotype. Small interfering RNA knockdown of β-catenin blocked mechanical reduction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and adiponectin, implicating β-catenin in strain inhibition of adipogenesis. In contrast, the effect of both mechanical and pharmacologic inhibition of GSK3β on the putative β-catenin target, COX2, was unaffected by β-catenin knockdown. GSK3β inhibition caused accumulation of nuclear NFATc1; mechanical strain increased nuclear NFATc1, independent of β-catenin. NFATc1 knockdown prevented mechanical stimulation of COX2, implicating NFATc1 signaling. Finally, inhibition of GSK3β caused association of RNA polymerase II with the COX2 gene, suggesting transcription initiation. These results demonstrate that mechanical inhibition of GSK3β induces activation of both β-catenin and NFATc1 signaling, limiting adipogenesis via the former and promoting osteoblastic differentiation via NFATc1/COX2. Our novel findings suggest that mechanical loading regulates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation through inhibition of GSK3β, which in turn regulates multiple downstream effectors.
Rationality in collective decision-making by ant colonies

Economic models of animal behaviour assume that decision-makers are rational, meaning that they assess options according to intrinsic fitness value and not by comparison with available alternatives. This expectation is frequently violated, but the significance of irrational behaviour remains controversial. One possibility is that irrationality arises from cognitive constraints that necessitate short cuts like comparative evaluation. If so, the study of whether and when irrationality occurs can illuminate cognitive mechanisms. We applied this logic in a novel setting: the collective decisions of insect societies. We tested for irrationality in colonies of Temnothorax ants choosing between two nest sites that varied in multiple attributes, such that neither site was clearly superior. In similar situations, individual animals show irrational changes in preference when a third relatively unattractive option is introduced. In contrast, we found no such effect in colonies. We suggest that immunity to irrationality in this case may result from the ants’ decentralized decision mechanism. A colony's choice does not depend on site comparison by individuals, but instead self-organizes from the interactions of multiple ants, most of which are aware of only a single site. This strategy may filter out comparative effects, preventing systematic errors that would otherwise arise from the cognitive limitations of individuals.
Approximate Boundary Controllability for Semilinear Delay Differential Equations

This paper considers the approximate controllability for a class of semilinear delay control systems described by a semigroup formulation with boundary control. Sufficient conditions for approximate controllability are established provided the approximate controllability of corresponding linear systems.
Molecular dynamics simulations of calcium-free calmodulin in solution.

Abstract A 4-ns molecular dynamics simulation of calcium-free calmodulin in solution has been performed, using Ewald summation to treat electrostatic interactions. Our simulation results were mostly consistent with solution experimental studies, including NMR, fluorescence and x-ray scattering. The secondary structures within the N- and C-terminal domains were conserved in the simulation, with trajectory structures similar to the NMR-derived model structure 1CFD. However, the relative orientations of the domains, for which there are no NMR restraints, differed in details between the simulation and the 1CFD model. The most interesting information provided by the simulations is that the dynamics of calcium-free calmod- ulin in solution is dominated by slow rigid body reorientations of the domains. The interdomain distance fluctuated between 29 and 39 A, and interdomain orientation angle, defined as the pseudo-dihedral formed by the four calcium binding sites, varied between −2° and 108°. Similarly, the doma...
Symbolic techniques: A new tool for teaching circuits and electronics

Analog insydes, a symbolic circuit analysis package, employs modern techniques of expression simplification relying on comparisons with a numerical reference solution of the circuit under analysis. The techniques are described followed by two examples, a common-emitter gain stage and a pseudo-CMOS seriesshunt feedback pair. The pedagogic potential of the package is assessed, and some observations are offered concerning the challenges of incorporating it into an undergraduate program of instruction.
Consumers regulate nutrient limitation regimes and primary production in seagrass ecosystems

Consumer-mediated nutrient supply is increasingly recognized as an important functional process in many ecosystems. Yet, experimentation at relevant spatial and temporal scales is needed to fully integrate this bottom-up pathway into ecosystem models. Artificial reefs provide a unique approach to explore the importance of consumer nutrient supply for ecosystem function in coastal marine environments. We used bioenergetics models to estimate community-level nutrient supply by fishes, and relevant measures of primary production, to test the hypothesis that consumers, via excretion of nutrients, can enhance primary production and alter nutrient limitation regimes for two dominant primary producer groups (seagrass and benthic microalgae) around artificial reefs. Both producer groups demonstrated marked increases in production, as well as shifts in nutrient limitation regimes, with increased fish-derived nutrient supply. Individuals from the two dominant functional feeding groups (herbivores and mesopredators) supplied nutrients at divergent rates and ratios from one another, underscoring the importance of community structure for nutrient supply to primary producers. Our findings demonstrate that consumers, through an underappreciated bottom-up mechanism in marine environments, can alter nutrient limitation regimes and primary production, thereby fundamentally affecting the way these ecosystems function.
Cure behavior of an epoxy-phenolic magnetic recording ink

The curing behavior of an epoxy-phenolic coating containing a thermoplastic additive and iron oxide is described. Cure response was measured on a DuPont 981 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) and a Perkin-Elmer TGS-2 Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). Samples coated onto a glass fiber ribbon were cured isothermally in the DMA, allowed to cool, and then scanned to measure the glass transition and related phenomena. During cure the thermoplastic additive was observed to phase separate, as evidenced by a secondary damping peak near its glass transition temperature. Above 200° oxidative reactions made a major contribution to the crosslink density. Isothermal TG in air and nitrogen showed evidence for oxygen uptake and an oxidative weight loss at temperatures >200°. Iron oxide, oxygen content of the purge gas, and flow rate of the purge gas were observed to affect cure behavior.
Persistence and efficacy of termiticides used in preconstruction treatments to soil in Mississippi.

Laboratory and field studies were conducted to determine the persistence and efficacy of termiticides used as preconstruction treatments against subterranean termites. Bifenthrin (0.067%), chlorpyrifos (0.75%), and imidacloprid (0.05%) ([AI]; wt:wt) were applied to soil beneath a monolithic concrete slab at their minimum labeled rates. Soil samples were taken from three depths (0–2.5, 2.6–7.6, and 7.7–15.2 cm) at six sampling times (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 48 mo) from sites in Harrison and Oktibbeha counties in Mississippi. Residue analyses were conducted on the 0–2.5- and 2.6–7.5-cm depths, and bioassays were conducted using all three depths. In field studies, significant termiticide degradation occurred between sampling times 0 and 48 mo for all termiticides. At all sampling times, the top 2.5 cm of soil contained more termiticide than the other depths. Time to 50% dissipation of termiticide in the 0–2.5-cm depth was 9, 6, and 2 mo for bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, and imidacloprid, respectively. Termite mortalities in contact bioassays remained high for bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos throughout the 48-mo sampling period; however, mortality of termites exposed to imidacloprid-treated soil dropped after the initial sampling. Termites readily penetrated all termiticide-treated soil in bioassays of 52-mm soil cores at 48 mo. Percentage of mortality in these bioassays was 15, 43, and 13 for bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, and imidacloprid respectively.
Differential regulation of SP-A1 and SP-A2 genes by cAMP, glucocorticoids, and insulin.

In the human fetal lung, surfactant protein A (SP-A) is encoded by two highly similar genes, SP-A1 and SP-A2, which are developmentally and hormonally regulated. Using primer extension analysis, we...
Fermionic Hopf solitons and Berry phase in topological surface superconductors

An interesting phenomenon in many-body physics is that quantum statistics may be an emergent property. This was first noted in the Skyrme model of nuclear matter, where a theory of a bosonic order parameter field contains fermionic excitations. These excitations are smooth field textures and are believed to describe neutrons and protons. We argue that a similar phenomenon occurs in topological insulators when superconductivity gaps out their surface states. Here, a smooth texture is naturally described by a three-component vector. Two components describe superconductivity, while the third captures the band topology. Such a vector field can assume a ``knotted'' configuration in three-dimensional space---the Hopf texture---that cannot smoothly be unwound. Here we show that the Hopf texture is a fermion. To describe the resulting state, the regular Landau-Ginzburg theory of superconductivity must be augmented by a topological Berry phase term. When the Hopf texture is the cheapest fermionic excitation, unusual consequences for tunneling experiments on mesoscopic samples are predicted. This framework directly generalizes the phenomenon of period doubling of Josephson effect to three-dimensional topological insulators with surface superconductivity.
Demonstration of a time-integrated short line of sight neutron imaging system for inertial confinement fusion

The Neutron Imaging System (NIS) is an important diagnostic for understanding implosions of deuterium-tritium capsules at the National Ignition Facility. While the detectors for the existing system must be positioned 28 m from the source to produce sufficient imaging magnification and resolution, recent testing of a new short line of sight neutron imaging system has shown sufficient resolution to allow reconstruction of the source image with quality similar to that of the existing NIS on a 11.6 m line of sight. The new system used the existing pinhole aperture array and a stack of detectors composed of 2 mm thick high-density polyethylene converter material followed by an image plate. In these detectors, neutrons enter the converter material and interact with protons, which recoil and deposit energy within the thin active layer of the image plate through ionization losses. The described system produces time-integrated images for all neutron energies passing through the pinhole. We present details of the measurement scheme for this novel technique to produce energy-integrated neutron images as well as source reconstruction results from recent experiments at NIF.
Scalable Access Policy Administration (Invited Paper)

The emerging world of large, loosely coupled information systems requires major changes to the way we approach security research. For many years, we have proposed construct after construct to enhance the power and scope of policy languages. Unfortunately, this focus has led to models whose complexity is unmanageable, to reinventing technologies that other subdisciplines have done better, and to assumptions that large enterprises simply do not satisfy. We argue that it is time to emphasize a different challenge: radical scale-up. To achieve this, it will be crucial to emphasize simplicity, integration with (non-security) enterprise knowledge, and modularity for both models and administration. This position paper will illustrate the problems, and describe possible ways to achieve the desired capabilities.
INTERNAL EXPOSURE TO URANIUM IN A POOLED COHORT OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT WORKERS

Intakes and absorbed organ doses were estimated for 29 303 workers employed at three former US gaseous diffusion plants as part of a study of cause-specific mortality and cancer incidence in uranium enrichment workers. Uranium urinalysis data (>600 000 urine samples) were available for 58 % of the pooled cohort. Facility records provided uranium gravimetric and radioactivity concentration data and allowed estimation of enrichment levels of uranium to which workers may have been exposed. Urine data were generally recorded with facility department numbers, which were also available in study subjects' work histories. Bioassay data were imputed for study subjects with no recorded sample results (33 % of pooled cohort) by assigning department average urine uranium concentration. Gravimetric data were converted to 24-h uranium activity excretion using department average specific activities. Intakes and organ doses were calculated assuming chronic exposure by inhalation to a 5-µm activity median aerodynamic diameter aerosol of soluble uranium. Median intakes varied between 0.31 and 0.74 Bq d(-1) for the three facilities. Median organ doses for the three facilities varied between 0.019 and 0.051, 0.68 and 1.8, 0.078 and 0.22, 0.28 and 0.74, and 0.094 and 0.25 mGy for lung, bone surface, red bone marrow, kidneys, and liver, respectively. Estimated intakes and organ doses for study subjects with imputed bioassay data were similar in magnitude.
Design of High-end Data Equipment Command Line Interface Programs

Command line interface programs is one of the important function modules in high-end data equipment ,such as router, employing CLI,by which back end can send command to front end for querying current resource usage, or for setting work mode, etc. This article describes theory , system design, key module's work flow and data struts of CLI and describes key algorithms of CLI.
Progress of ultasound study on fetal pulmonary vein

Fetal pulmonary veins connect left atrial with lung capillary vessel,has great relation with heart blood dynamics. In addition, fetal lung has no ventilate function, researchers pay more attention to the fetal pulmonary veins. This article is to review the rencent studies.
Does visual redundancy inhibit older persons’ information processing in learning?

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the redundancy effect on older and younger persons’ cognitive performance in a caregiver video training. Participants (N = 92) were recruited from one research-intensive university and three senior centers in a midsize city in the western United States. The mixed within- and between-subjects design was used. Participants watched the caregiving video with caption followed by a video without caption or vice versa depending on the condition. The results showed that older persons benefited from the redundancy learning whereas younger persons suffered from the redundancy learning. Implications of the findings are discussed with suggestions for future research.
Progressive Encephalopathy in Boys with Symptoms of Rett Syndrome and MECP2 Mutations

Four young boys with neonatal onset of encephalopathy, a progressive course, and MECP2 mutations are reported from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL Symptoms suggestive of Rett syndrome included failure to thrive, respiratory insufficiency, microcephaly, hypotonia, movement disorder, with myoclonic, dyskinetic, and choreiform patterns, and repetitive face scratching or nose rubbing stereotypies.
Unified extensible firmware interface: An innovative infrastructure for power/thermal autonomics

As computing becomes more pervasive across an ever-increasing array of devices and as more complex solutions are integrated in silicon, the role of intelligent firmware is becoming ever more critical for enabling and unleashing advanced platform capabilities. In this paper we present platform power/thermal autonomics function as an OS independent EFI client that interacts with the power and thermal sensors within a system that can stress the system, provide data-telemetry channel, regress and synthesize the power/performance equations in a controlled environment.
Multiresolution 3-d Image Processing and Graphics

Hierarchical data structures for multiresolution processing of voxel-based 3-d images include the oct-tree and the dynamic binary tree. These data structures can be used as pyramids for progressive refinement of gray-level and binary 3-d images, analogous to pyramids of 2-d images. The paper develops the idea of 3-d pyramids considering each of the two data structures. The concepts are illustrated by showing how a 3-d geometrical object can be represented at varying levels of detail.
Photokinetic analysis of the forces and torques exerted by optical tweezers carrying angular momentum.

The theory of photokinetic effects expresses the forces and torques exerted by a beam of light in terms of experimentally accessible amplitude and phase profiles. We use this formalism to develop an intuitive explanation for the performance of optical tweezers operating in the Rayleigh regime, including effects arising from the influence of light’s angular momentum. First-order dipole contributions reveal how a focused beam can trap small objects, and what features limit the trap’s stability. The first-order force separates naturally into a conservative intensity-gradient term that forms a trap and a non-conservative solenoidal term that drives the system out of thermodynamic equilibrium. Neither term depends on the light’s polarization; light’s spin angular momentum plays no role at dipole order. Polarization-dependent effects, such as trap-strength anisotropy and spin-curl forces, are captured by the second-order dipole-interference contribution to the photokinetic force. The photokinetic expansion thus illuminates how light’s angular momentum can be harnessed for optical micromanipulation, even in the most basic optical traps. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Optical orbital angular momentum’.
The effect of channel spatial correlation on capacity and energy efficiency of massive MIMO systems

Massive MIMO is an emerging technology that has the potential of bringing huge improvements to wireless communications in the future. This paper investigates the effects of spatial correlation on the capacity and energy efficiency of massive MIMO. We use a channel covariance matrix that is generated according to the one ring model. We consider linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) for estimating channel properties with pilot signals. The impact of channels spatial correlation on the capacity and energy efficiency of the massive MIMO model used in this paper are demonstrated using computer simulation. We show that the capacity and energy efficacy improve as the correlation between the channels is reduced.
Structural adaptation for sparsely connected MLP using Newton's method

In this work, we propose a paradigm for constructing a sparsely-connected multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Using Orthogonal Least Squares (OLS) method for training, the proposed method prunes the hidden units and output weights based on their usefulness to design a sparsely connected MLP. We formulate second order algorithm to obtain the closed-form expression for hidden unit learning factors thereby minimizing hand-tuned parameters. The usefulness of the proposed algorithm is further substantiated by its ability to differentiate two combined datasets. Using widely available datasets, the proposed algorithm's 10-fold testing error is shown to be less than that of several other algorithms. Inducing sparsity into a fully-connected neural network, pruning of the hidden units, Newton's method for optimization, and orthogonal least squares are the subject matter of the present work.
A CASE OF STRUMA CARCINOID AND GRAVES DISEASE

Objective: We describe a case of co-existing Graves disease and struma carcinoid in a woman with an ovarian mass and history of hyperthyroidism. Methods: Patient history, presentation, diagnostic studies, and treatment are described. Results: A 59-year-old female with an antecedent history of hyperthyroidism was scheduled for resection of a 4.1-cm left ovarian mass. Pre-operative labs demonstrated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) <0.007 μIU/mL, (normal range, 0.500 to 4.500 μIU/mL), free triiodothyronine 3.60 pg/mL (normal range, 2.20 to 3.30 pg/mL), and free thyroxine 1.24 ng/dL (normal range, 0.70 to 1.40 ng/dL). Radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) was 0% in the neck at both 4 and 24 hours. A functioning strumal tumor was suspected. In preparation for surgery, propranolol 40 mg three times a day was initiated. Pathology of the left ovary was consistent with struma carcinoid. Hyperthryoidism persisted on postoperative follow-up. Repeat RAIU with scan at 6 months postoperative demonstrated 4- and 24-hour up...
High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing and Human Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE Examine extent of peer-reviewed literature exploring human health effects of hydraulic fracturing (HVHF). METHODS A scoping review methodology was used to examine peer-reviewed studies published from 2000 through 2017 that empirically examine direct health impacts of hydraulic fracturing. RESULTS Through September 2017, only 18 studies were found published in peer-reviewed journals that met our requirements for inclusion in the review. Most of these studies resulted in positive or mixed findings of health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The paucity of studies reflects the difficulty in drawing direct connections between HVHF and human health outcomes. Many health outcomes may take years to emerge, exposure often occurs in lightly populated rural areas with older, poorer, and sicker residents, and diagnosis is difficult without physician knowledge of prior exposure. Primary care providers should record thorough histories to help guide future treatment.
Análisis biomecánico de la influencia del calzado deportivo en los esfuerzos presentes en la extremidad inferior

En la actualidad se han realizado numerosas investigaciones con el fin de conocer el comportamiento mecanico de la extremidad inferior la cual es la encargada de la locomocion, durante actividades fisicas cotidianas y de alto rendimiento. Sin embargo es dificil encontrar estudios sobre los esfuerzos que se presentan en las articulaciones de miembro inferior con el uso de calzado deportivo convencional durante el trote. El objetivo de este articulo es realizar un analisis biomecanico de la influencia del calzado deportivo en los esfuerzos presentes en la extremidad inferior durante la fase de apoyo en el ciclo del trote. Para esto, se realizo una descripcion de la distribucion de los esfuerzos mecanicos en las articulaciones del miembro inferior, en presencia y ausencia de la plantilla intermedia para calzado deportivo, por medio de un analisis por elementos finitos. Posteriormente se obtuvieron los esfuerzos de Von Mises para las condiciones de trote descalzo y trote con uso de la plantilla del calzado deportivo. Las simulaciones demostraron que cuando se compara el trote con y sin uso de calzado deportivo, los puntos maximos y minimos de esfuerzos disminuyen en las articulaciones. En conclusion se encontro que el uso de una plantilla durante el trote presenta un efecto positivo al reducir los fuerzas sobre las articulaciones del miembro inferior.
Can the Earth Deliver the Biomass-for-Fuel we Demand?

In this work I outline the rational, science-based arguments that question current wisdom of replacing fossil plant fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) with fresh plant agrofuels. This 1:1 replacement is absolutely impossible for more than a few years, because of the ways the planet Earth works and maintains life. After these few years, the denuded Earth will be a different planet, hostile to human life. I argue that with the current set of objective constraints a continuous stable solution to human life cannot exist in the near-future, unless we all rapidly implement much more limited ways of using the Earth’s resources, while reducing the global populations of cars, trucks, livestock and, eventually, also humans.
MOCVD Routes to Tl2Ba2Can-1CunO4+2nSuperconductor and Dielectric Insulator Thin Films

The evolution of HTS device technologies will benefit from the development of MOCVD (Metal-organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) routes to high quality HTS films as well as to those of insulators with low dielectric loss and close HTS lattice matches. Reviewed here are research efforts at precursor design focusing on Ba sources. A novel low pressure TGA technique is used to compare volatilities of MOCVD precursors and to quantify the role of gas phase diffusion in film growth. To form high quality Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca n-1 Cu n O 4+2n (n = 2,3) films, BaCaCuO(F) films are first deposited by MOCVD using the liquid precursors Ba(hfa) 2 .mep, Ca(hfa) 2 .tet, and solid Cu(dpm) 2 (hfa = hexafluoroacetylacetonate, dpm = dipivaloylmethanate. mep = methylethylpentaglyme, tet = tetraglyme). The film growth process is shown to be mass transport-limited, and an interesting ligand exchange process is identified. The superconducting TBCCO phase is formed following an ex-situ anneal in the presence of Tl 2 O at temperatures from 820-900°C. Transport properties of TBCCO-2223 films include a T C as high as 115K. J C of 2x10 5 A/cm 2 (77K), and Rs of 0.35mΩ (5K, 10 GHz). The MOCVD growth of low loss, lattice-matched dielectric NdGaO 3 , PrGaO 3 , Sr 2 AlTaO 6 , and SrPrGaO 4 films is also discussed. High quality YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x films have been grown upon MOCVD-derived PrGaO 3 substrates.
An Acceptance-Based Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a disorder characterized by chronic, pervasive, uncontrollable worry (as well as associated somatic complaints; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) for which we have yet to develop sufficiently successful interventions. The National Comorbidity Study yielded a lifetime prevalence estimate of 5.1% for GAD, and revealed, contrary to the common assumption that it is a mild disorder, that GAD is associated with significant psychosocial impairment (Wittchen, Zhao, Kessler, & Eaton, 1994). GAD is unlikely to remit on its own (Yonkers, Warshaw, Massion, & Keller, 1996) and remains more chronic than panic disorder after pharmacotherapy (Woodman, Noyes, Black, Schlosser, & Yagia, 1999). In addition, GAD is associated with high rates of comorbidity (most commonly other anxiety or mood disorders), and this comorbidity is associated with increased functional impairment (Wittchen et al., 1994) and health care utilization/cost (Souetre et al., 1994).
Secretion and crinophagy in prolactin cells.

The prolactin cell or mammotroph has been recognized as a distinct structural entity since the 1950’s when it became evident that it has distinctive staining properties1 and a distinctive fine structure. Since then we have acquired a wealth of new information on how this cell functions. It is the purpose of this presentation: (a) to review and summarize what is known about prolactin secretion and its regulation, and (b) to outline some of the still unresolved questions that remain for the future, from the perspective of a cell biologist interested in the relationship between cell structure and function.
Ammonium sulfate solar pond: Obser vations from small-scale experiments

Abstract Using the fertilizer salt (NH4)2SO4, we established a salinity gradient solar pond in a small outdoor tank. The hydrodynamic and thermal behavior of the pond was similar to that observed in the past for solar ponds containing NaCl. For temperature gradients between 50 and 300 K/m and salinity gradients between 200 and 1400 kg/m4, data relating the gradients to erosion and growth of the gradient zone were generally consistent with the Nielsen boundary criterion for NaCl. With a salinity difference of 20% between the upper and lower zones and a maximum lower-zone temperature of 83°C, no instabilities were observed in the interior of the gradient zone. Sodium hypochlorite was effective in controlling algal populations and maintaining good brine transparency.
In Vitro and in Situ Techniques to Examine the Role of Roots and Root Exudates During AM Fungus-Host Interactions

Although it is believed that root exudates play a major role in the infection and colonization of hosts by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, the actual role or mode of action of exudates has been elucidated only recently. New developments in in vitro culture techniques and in situ compartmental analyses have allowed the role of host roots and exudates during AM fungus colonization to become clear. These recent developments also have provided a way to study the colonization of host roots in the presence of nonhost root systems and have provided a more precise way to study nonhost exudates.
Use and misuse of cosmetic contact lenses among US adolescents in Southeast Texas.

Background Cosmetic contact lenses (CCL) are popular among adolescents, but incorrect use can harm the eye. Methods This study assessed CCL hygiene behaviors among adolescents attending a Texas pediatric clinic. Anonymous surveys about CCL hygiene practices were administered to adolescents 13-18 years old. Results We found that 14% (53/392) of respondents had worn CCL, of which 83% were females. Over 70% reported first use at 8 hours/day. Moreover, 15% of CCL users reported borrowing someone else's CCL. Complications resulting from wearing CCL were common. Conclusion This study highlights poor CCL hygiene among adolescents. These data demonstrate the need to develop interventions to educate adolescents on proper care and risks associated with CCLs.
OS, OT and Me: Personal reminiscences inspired by the 2017 Occupational Science Europe conference

ABSTRACTFrom the seeds of ideas about occupation and its benefits to human well-being, planted over 100 years ago, have sprung occupational science forests around the globe. After half a century of...
Valuing New England Childhood Through the Joyful Deaths of Cotton Mather’s A Token for the Children of New England

James Janeway’s A Token for Children and Cotton Mather’s A Token for the Children of New England have long been read as a telling indication of the child’s place within the colonial world, and recognized as an important origin point for children’s literature in America. However, Mather’s text is typically discussed as an extension of Janeway’s collection of children’s conversion experiences and deaths, rather than a work with a perspective and audience of its own. Ivy Stabell decouples the texts and argues that A Token for the Children of New England is important to the history of American children’s literature not simply as an expansion of Janeway’s project, but that Mather’s inclusion of the lives of pious young New Englanders served as an act that initiated the now commonplace practice of delivering narratives about American children to American children.