cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-photon laser scanning microscopy with electrowetting-based prism scanning

Laser scanners are an integral part of high resolution biomedical imaging systems such as confocal or 2-photon excitation (2PE) microscopes. In this work, we demonstrate the utility of electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) prisms as a lateral laser-scanning element integrated in a conventional 2PE microscope. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such demonstration for EWOD prisms. EWOD devices provide a transmissive, low power consuming, and compact alternative to conventional adaptive optics, and hence this technology has tremendous potential. We demonstrate 2PE microscope imaging of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons with a FOV of 130 × 130 μm2 using EWOD prism scanning. In addition, we show simulations of the optical system with the EWOD prism, to evaluate the effect of propagating a Gaussian beam through the EWOD prism on the imaging quality. Based on the simulation results a beam size of 0.91 mm full width half max was chosen to conduct the imaging experiments, resulting in a numerical aperture of 0.17 of the imaging system.
In situ video encoding of floating-point volume data using special-purpose hardware for a posteriori rendering and analysis

Scientific simulations typically store only a small fraction of computed timesteps due to storage and I/O bandwidth limitations. Previous work has demonstrated the compressibility of floating-point volume data, but such compression often comes with a tradeoff between computational complexity and the achievable compression ratio. This work demonstrates the use of special-purpose video encoding hardware on the GPU which is present but (to the best of our knowledge) completely unused in current GPU-equipped super computers such as Titan. We show that lossy encoding allows the output of far more data at sufficient quality for a posteriori rendering and analysis. We also show that the encoding can be computed in parallel to general-purpose computation due to the special-purpose hardware. Finally, we demonstrate such encoded volumes are inexpensive to decode in memory during analysis, making it unnecessary to ever store the decompressed volumes on disk.
Patient perspectives on how physicians communicate diagnostic uncertainty: An experimental vignette study

Objective We evaluated the effects of three different strategies for communicating diagnostic uncertainty on patient perceptions of physician competence and visit satisfaction. Design/setting Experimental vignette-based study design involving pediatric cases presented to a convenience sample of parents living in a large US city. Participants/intervention(s) Three vignettes were developed, each describing one of three different ways physicians communicated diagnostic uncertainty to parents-(i) explicit expression of uncertainty ('not sure' about diagnosis), (ii) implicit expression of uncertainty using broad differential diagnoses and (iii) implicit expression of uncertainty using 'most likely' diagnoses. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three vignettes and then answered a 37-item web-based questionnaire. Main outcome measure(s) Outcome variables included parent-perceived technical competence of physician, trust and confidence, visit satisfaction and adherence to physician instructions. Differences between the three groups were compared using analysis of variance, followed by individual post hoc analyses with Bonferroni correction. Results Seventy-one participants completed the vignette questions. Demographic characteristics and scores on activation (parent activation measure [PAM]) and intolerance to uncertainty were similar across the three groups. Explicit expression of uncertainty was associated with lower perceived technical competence, less trust and confidence, and lower patient adherence as compared to the two groups with implicit communication. These latter two groups had comparable outcomes. Conclusion Parents may react less negatively in terms of perceived competence, physician confidence and trust, and intention to adhere when diagnostic uncertainty is communicated using implicit strategies, such as using broad differential diagnoses or most likely diagnoses. Evidence-based strategies to communicate diagnostic uncertainty to patients need further development.
Height-Tapered Double Cantilever Beam Specimen for Study of Rate Effects on Fracture Toughness of Composites

Loading rate effects on the mode I delamination fracture toughness of AS4/3501-6 graphite/epoxy are presently studied by means of a height-tapered double-cantilever beam specimen whose height contour is designed to furnish a slightly decreasing compliance with increasing crack length, in order to yield a stable and smooth crack propagation at high loading rates. This specimen geometry also allows much higher crack propagation velocities to be obtained with either uniform or width-tapered double cantilever beam specimens.
An empirical investigation into the construct redundancy of job evaluation and job redesign

This study addressed the question: To what extent is there convergence between job evaluation components that are associated with higher levels of pay and job design characteristics that are associated with higher levels of enrichment? Ten clerical jobs and ten professional/scientific jobs were the observational units for this investigation. Two professionally established job evaluation instruments and two widely accepted job characteristic inventories were used to assess levels of job worth and job design, respectively. Average salary was obtained for the twenty jobs. Results indicated that there was moderate convergence between job evaluation and job design. The degree of convergence between job worth and job design was much higher for clerical jobs than for professional/scientific jobs. Furthermore, the degree of convergence between job design and job evaluation was higher with the JDS than the JCI. Also, job pay was shown to be highly related to job design, especially in the clerical job family. The only job characteristic that was strongly and consistently related to the job evaluation factors and job pay was variety. The divergent results across job families provided evidence that job evaluation and job design are not redundant. The implications of these and other findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Macroporous Dual-compartment Hydrogels for Minimally Invasive Transplantation of Primary Human Hepatocytes.

BackgroundGiven the shortage of available organs for whole or partial liver transplantation, hepatocyte cell transplantation has long been considered a potential strategy to treat patients suffering from various liver diseases. Some of the earliest approaches that attempted to deliver hepatocytes vi
Tissue-specific sister chromatid exchange analyses in mutagen-carcinogen exposed animals.

The phenomenon of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) has been extensively reviewed (1–5). Sister chromatid exchanges are intrachromosomal events, wherein segments of DNA are reciprocally swapped between the chromatids. They are most easily studied with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) dye methodology (6–8), which effectively differentiates the sister chromatids so that exchanges between them are detectable as staining discontinuities. Presumably, the exchange sites are at homologous loci and no inequality in the amount of translocated material results. Sister chromatid exchange is not known to alter cell viability or function; its spontaneous frequency and biological importance are uncertain. Yet, early autoradiography studies in cultured cells revealed elevated SCE frequencies as an effect of mutagen and carcinogen exposures (9). Consequently, with the development of more expeditious BrdU methodology, a course was set for accelerated studies of SCE formation in response to mutagen- or carcinogen-DNA interactions.
Near Isomorphism of Butler Groups and Representations of Finite Posets

Some recent results on the near isomorphism category of finite rank Butler groups are surveyed. There are categorical connections with representations of finite posets over the integers localized at a prime p and the integers modulo a power of p. As results to date are limited, a number of problems and open questions are included.
THE STRUCTURE AND FRACTAL DIMENSION OF GENERALIZED DIFFUSION-LIMITED AGGREGATES

The fractal dimension D of generalized diffusion-limited aggregates grown in a Euclidean space of dimension d from Levy flights of dimension dw is investigated. It is suggested that the resulting clusters are topologically equivalent to a branched polymer of ‘blobs’ of length scale l~R(d-D)dw where R is the radius of gyration of the DLA. A Flory type argument suggests self-consistently that D=(4dw+d(2dw-4)+5d2)/(5dw-4+5d). The resulting (d,dw) phase diagram is investigated with special regard to the limits dw→1 and dw→d. Instead of sending in one particle at a time DLA's may also be grown in a bath of particles of concentration co. This introduces a length scale ξ~co-1/(d-D) where crossover from fractal behavior to an aggregate with D=d occurs. Consequently one expects the radius of gyration to grow with time as R(co,t)~(cot)1/(2+D-d) for R ξ. This model appears to obey both static and dynamic scaling.
Carpe Omnia: Civil Forfeiture in the War on Drugs and the War on Piracy

As law enforcement campaigns fueled by moral panic and waged against irrepressible global black markets, the war on drugs and the war on intellectual property (IP) piracy have a lot in common. Both have demanded an outsized share of public resources, and both have been used to ratchet up the powers of law enforcement and expand the reach of criminal laws. This article traces the evolution of the federal government’s civil asset forfeiture practices from the war on drugs, beginning in the 1970s, to the currently escalating war on intellectual property piracy, revealing the surprising debt that Obama-era IP policy owes to Nixon- and Reagan-era drug policy. I argue that recent developments in the war on piracy provide strong proof that the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 (CAFRA), which was intended to make the system fairer to property owners and less prone to abuse by law enforcement agents, did not substantially succeed in achieving either goal. The constitutional problems that remain in the federal civil forfeiture system are most acute with respect to the ex parte seizure of property alleged to facilitate crime — so-called facilitation property. Within that category, Internet domain names allegedly tainted by copyright crime present unique problems. “Property” is the pigeon hole into which domain names have been stuffed, but they are different from physical property in ways for which civil forfeiture law should account. Under a straightforward application of existing Supreme Court precedents, their ex parte seizure by federal agents fighting online copyright crime offends both due process and the First Amendment. To achieve deterrent effects that are transitory at best in the online environment, the ex parte seizure and civil forfeiture of Internet domain names exact disproportionately high constitutional costs and undermines the legitimacy and accountability of law enforcement.
Relationship of Circulating Growth and Differentiation Factors 8 and 11 and Their Antagonists as Measured Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry With Age and Skeletal Muscle Strength in Healthy Adults.

Background Growth and differentiation factors 8 (GDF8) and 11 (GDF11) have attracted attention as targets for rejuvenating interventions. The biological activity of these proteins may be affected by circulating antagonists such as their respective prodomains, follistatin (FST315), WFIKKN1, and WFIKKN2. Reports of the relationship of GDF8 and GDF11 and their antagonists with aging and aging phenotypes such as skeletal muscle strength have been conflicting possibly because of difficulties in measuring these proteins and polypeptides. Methods Plasma GDF8 and GDF11 and their antagonists were measured using a multiplexed selected reaction monitoring assay and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 160 healthy adults aged 22-93 years. Quadriceps strength was measured by knee extensor torque using isokinetic dynamometry. Results Spearman correlations with age were the following: GDF11 prodomain (r = .30, p = .001), GDF11 mature protein (r = .23, p = .004), FST315 (r = .32, p < .0001), WFIKKN1 (r = -.21, p = 0.008), and WFIKKN2 (r = .18, p = .02). Independent of age, FST315 and WFIKKN1 were negatively associated with knee strength (p = .02, p = .03, respectively) in a multivariable model that included both GDF8 and GDF11 mature proteins. Conclusions When measured by an antibody-free selected reaction monitoring assay, GDF8, GDF11, and their antagonists are found in the circulation in the ng/mL range. In healthy adults, plasma GDF11 and antagonists FST315, WFIKKN1, and WFIKKN2 differed by age. Antagonists of GDF8 and GDF11, but not GDF8 and GDF11, were independently associated with skeletal muscle strength. Further work is needed to characterize the relationship of these protein and polypeptides with sarcopenia-related phenotypes such as physical function and walking disability.
Coding and decoding of messages in human speech communication: Implications for machine recognition of speech

Abstract This paper postulates that linguistic message in speech is coded redundantly in both the time and the frequency domains. Such redundant coding of the message in the signal evolved over millennia of human evolution so that relevant spectral and temporal properties of human hearing can be used to extract these messages in the presence of noise. This view of human speech suggests a particular architecture of an automatic recognition (ASR) system in which longer temporal segments of spectrally-smoothed temporal trajectories of spectral energies in individual frequency bands of speech are used to derive estimates of the posterior probabilities of speech sounds. Combinations of these estimates in reliable frequency bands are then adaptively fused to yield the final probability vectors, which best satisfy the adopted performance monitoring criteria. Some ASR systems, which already use elements of the suggested architecture are mentioned in this paper.
OUTCOMES OF DEFERRED ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME LESIONS BASED ON NON-ISCHEMIC FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE AND INSTANTANEOUS WAVE-FREE RATIO: A META-ANALYSIS

Recent studies suggested that deferring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the basis of nonischemic fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) in patients with an initial presentation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with worse outcomes than those in
Low Rates of Patient-Reported Physician–Patient Discussion about Lung Cancer Screening among Current Smokers: Data from Health Information National Trends Survey

Background: Many professional societies published guidelines recommending lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scan. We examined the temporal trends in patient-reported physician–patient discussions about lung cancer screening, and aimed to determine the association of discussions of lung cancer screening with the smokers’ attempt to quit and intent to quit. Methods: Data from years 2012, 2014, and 2017 of the National Cancer Institute9s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were combined to create a multiple-year analytic dataset. We calculated the association between samples’ characteristics and the presence of discussion about lung cancer screening. Using logistic regression, we estimated the probability of smokers’ attempt to quit and intent to quit. Results: Among 9,443 subjects, the crude estimated rates of physician–patient discussion decreased from 6.7% in 2012, to 4.2% in 2014 and 4.3% in 2017. Across the age and smoking status groups, the current smokers ages 55 to 74 in 2012 (26.8%), and current smokers older than 74 years in 2014 (23.5%) and 2017 (22.1%) had the highest rates of discussion. The physician–patient discussion about lung cancer screening was not associated with patients’ intent to quit or attempt to quit in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Efforts are needed to improve the physician–patient discussion about lung cancer screening among individuals across a spectrum of lung cancer risk. Impact: Developing communication strategies for promoting beneficial lung cancer screening among lung cancer screening-eligible smokers and strategies for improving the quality of discussion on lung cancer screening integrating smoking cessation are needed to reduce the burden of lung cancer.
Survey of Sexual Function and Pornography

Introduction We aimed to explore and describe the pornography habits of young men and women. Given recent upward trends in pornography use and erectile dysfunction, along with a plausible pathophysiology, we hypothesized that pornography use would correlate with sexual dysfunction. Materials and methods Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Surveys were distributed to 20-40 year old men and women presenting to a urology clinic. Information was collected on demographics and medical history. Sexual function was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) in men and the Female Sexual Function Index in women. Extent of potential addiction to pornography was measured with the pornography craving questionnaire and the obsessive passion scale. Pornography use was measured based on both frequency and duration, and analyzed relative to sexual dysfunction. Results Men used pornography significantly more frequently than women (81.1% vs. 39%). Computer and cellular phone image viewing were the most popular modalities in both sexes. There was no association between IIEF and craving for, or obsessive passion for, pornography. Preference for pornography with masturbation was found to be significantly associated with erectile dysfunction (p = 0.001). Rates of erectile dysfunction were lowest in those preferring partnered sex without pornography (22.3%) and increased significantly when pornography was preferred over partnered sex (78%). No correlation was found between any variables and female sexual dysfunction. Conclusions Pornography and sexual dysfunction are common among young people. No clear relationship exists between extent of addiction to pornography and sexual dysfunction in either gender. However, men who prefer masturbation with pornography to partnered sex have a significantly increased risk of sexual dysfunction. Given sexual dysfunction may be associated with mental health concerns, further evaluation of its causes and impact on military operational readiness are warranted.
Chapter 2 – Classification, Mechanism, Biochemistry, and Genetics of Headache

Theories of headache pathophysiology have evolved over the past century, but perspectives on its neurobiological basis have transformed dramatically in this decade. Although an overall understanding of migraine pathophysiology remains elusive, several recent developments are noteworthy and are highlighted in this selective overview. Recent insights have focused on understanding the neurobiological basis of migraine pain and associated symptoms, such as photophobia. In addition, our understanding of migraine risk factors points towards a role for the hypothalamus as a causal factor in migraine, as new insights into the neurochemical and genetic determinants of migraine enhance and extend our understanding of the many regulatory functions of the hypothalamus. Classification has been addressed several times, including a complex version created by the International Headache Society. A brief and simple headache classification is included, which can be helpful to the researcher and the clinician.
Changes in non-nutritive suck between 3 and 12 months.

Abstract Background Non-nutritive suck (NNS) is one piece of the complex oral feeding process, yet there is paucity on how it develops throughout the first year of life. Aims To determine changes in infant NNS between 3 and 12 months. Study design Twenty-six full-term infants (65% male) completed this study. All infants were offered our custom research pacifier to attain a quantitative analysis of their suck pattern. Based on quantitative analyses of NNS cycle count, the best 2 min of infants' suck were selected and analyzed. Outcome measures NNS duration, amplitude, cycles/burst, frequency, cycles, and bursts. Results NNS duration, bursts, cycles/burst and cycles significantly decreased from 3 to 12 months, yet amplitude significantly increased over the same time period. Additionally, no significant differences were evident for NNS frequency. Three-month-old infants produced a median of 4.50 suck bursts per minute that contained 9.60 cycles/burst, resulting in a burst duration of 4.74 s. The median NNS frequency was 2.09 Hz, with an average amplitude of 14.05 cmH20. Twelve-month-old infants produced a median of 2.50 suck bursts that contained 3.75 cycles/burst, resulting in a burst duration of 1.67 s. The median NNS frequency was 2.11 Hz with an average amplitude of 19.75 cmH20. Conclusion Full-term infants significantly change their NNS duration, amplitude, burst number, cycles/burst and cycle number with no significant changes present in NNS frequency between 3 and 12 months. Knowledge of NNS emergence and maturation during the first year of life is imperative for proper NNS assessment so that healthcare professionals can identify delays.
Oligometastatic breast cancer: where are we now and where are we headed?-a narrative review

Metastatic breast cancer has traditionally been considered incurable, with treatments focused on systemic therapies and palliative local treatment. However, evidence is emerging that in some patients with limited metastatic disease, or "oligometastatic disease," often defined as five or fewer metastases diagnosed on imaging, aggressive metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) with surgery and/or hypofractionated image-guided radiation therapy (HIGRT) improves outcomes and may even be curative. This practice is becoming more common as evidence has grown to support the approach and as technology has made it more feasible. Treatment of certain oligometastatic breast cancers in particular (i.e., hormone receptor positive and bone-only metastases) may be especially useful given the long natural history of the disease in some of these patients. Recently, high quality data supporting ablative MDT in patients with oligometastatic disease has emerged from randomized trials for specific sites such as non-small cell lung cancer and prostate cancer, as well as from histology agnostic studies (i.e., SABR-COMET). However, randomized data in breast cancer specifically is currently lacking. Retrospective series and subgroup analysis from prospective trials have demonstrated improved outcomes with MDT for oligometastatic breast cancer. The ongoing phase II/III NRG BR002 trial seeks to provide the first randomized data to determine whether MDT in oligometastatic breast cancer improves outcomes. This may be especially important as improved systemic therapies such as targeted agents and immunotherapy prolong the disease course. Alternatively, if improved systemic therapies render patients disease free, MDT may not be necessary and only adds toxicity. However, MDT may also provide non-curative benefits for patients such as palliation of symptoms and extended time off systemic therapy. For now, aggressive MDT for certain favorable subgroups of oligometastatic breast cancer such as those with few metastases, hormone positive disease, and/or bone-only metastases is reasonable and may improve outcomes. We eagerly anticipate the results of NRG BR002 to further clarify the role of ablative therapy to all sites of disease in these patients.
Experimental electro-hydrodynamic investigation of flag-based energy harvesting in the wake of inverted C-shape cylinder

Abstract Series of water tunnel experiments are performed to study the improvement in energy harvesting by vortex-induced vibrations. Inverted C-shape cylinders with different cut angles are placed in the uniform fluid flow and electrical energy is harvested using the undulating behavior of the piezo-flag in the downstream vortices. Experimental results demonstrate different flapping modes like poorly and optimal coupling with the wake flow. It is also showed that the streamwise gap and flow speed have a significant impact on the amplitude and flapping frequency, which results in the variation of the energy output of piezo-flag. The results indicate that the highest gain in output power is 66% for an inverted C-shape cylinder with a 120° cut angle compared to a circular cylinder performance. For each cylinder and flow velocity, it is also observed that there exists a critical streamwise gap for which vortex shedding does not produce any energy using piezo-flag due to poor coupling with wake flow. The results show that there is no significant difference in the performance of circular and 60° inverted C-shape cylinders regarding energy harvesting. However, changing the shape and cut angle leads to a remarkable increase in the flapping amplitude and its growth rate along with the dominant frequency. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) experimentation also endorses the results as wake dynamics is in good agreement with the energy efficiency improvement. Therefore, a 120° cut angle configuration holds a vivid preeminence over a circular cylinder as the kinetic source of a fluid energy harvester. The present study contributes effectively to harvesting energy from impinging vortices by tuning the streamwise gap, flow velocity, and cut angle of the inverted C-shape cylinder.
Analysis of Repeat Learners in Computer Science MOOCs

Computation is becoming an integral part of education, especially at college-level. Two MOOC courses provide an introduction to computation and are offered by MIT on EdX: 6.00.1x Introduction to Computer Science Programming in Python has run 16 times and 6.00.2x Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science has run 11 times. These courses frame the world around computation, and show learners that they can think about problems they see in everyday life in the context of computation. Our paper shows an analysis of repeat learners (learners who enroll in the same course multiple times) and their behaviors over the many runs of these courses. Around 20% of learners in any given run of a course are repeat learners. Of these, the majority are two-time repeat learners (learners who took the same course exactly twice). We show that learners tend to perform better when they retake a course, and especially when they retake the course sooner rather than later. We also look at a subgroup of learners we call repeat cross-referencers (learner who accessed at least two previous runs of the course during the run time of a later run of the course). We found that repeat cross-referencers complete the course at a suspiciously high rate, and we speculate it is because they are looking back at answers from a previous course run. Lastly, we look at how learners perform in an introductory class and an advanced class. We found that many learners who take both courses are more likely to complete both courses and have more active days in the courses than those learners who only do one of the two classes.
Temperature measurement and stabilization in a birefringent whispering gallery mode resonator.

Temperature measurement with nano-Kelvin resolution is demonstrated at room temperature, based on the thermal dependence of an optical crystal anisotropy in a high quality whispering gallery mode resonator. As the resonator’s TE and TM modes frequencies have different temperature coefficients, their differential shift provides a sensitive measurement of the temperature variation, which is used for active stabilization of the temperature.
Mechanical Loading Disrupts Focal Adhesion Kinase Activation in Mandibular Fibrochondrocytes During Murine Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis.

Purpose Mechanical overloading is a key initiating condition for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA). The integrin-focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling axis is implicated in the mechanobiological response of cells through phosphorylation at Tyr397 (pFAK) but poorly defined in TMJ health and disease. We hypothesize that mechanical overloading disrupts TMJ homeostasis through dysregulation of FAK signaling. Materials and Methods To assess if FAK and pFAK are viable clinical targets for TMJ OA, peri-articular tissues were collected from patients with TMJ OA receiving a total TMJ replacement. To compare clinical samples with preclinical in vivo studies of TMJ OA, the joints of c57/bl6 mice were surgically destabilized and treated with and without inhibitor of pFAK (iFAK). FAK signaling and TMJ OA progression was evaluated and compared using RT-PCR, western blot, immunohistochemistry, and histomorphometry. To evaluate mechanical overloading in vitro, primary murine mandibular fibrochondrocytes were seeded in a 4% agarose-collagen scaffold and loaded in a compression bioreactor with and without iFAK. Results FAK/pFAK was mostly absent from the articular cartilage layer in the clinical sample and suppressed on the central condyle and elevated on the lateral and medial condyle in murine TMJ OA. In vitro, compressive loading lowered FAK/pFAK levels and elevated the expression of TGFβ, NG2, and MMP-13. iFAK treatment suppressed MMP13 and Col6 and elevated TGFβ, NG2, and ACAN in a load independent manner. In vivo, iFAK treatment moderately attenuated OA progression and increased collagen maturation. Conclusion These data illustrate that FAK/pFAK is implicated in the signaled dysfunction of excessive mechanical loading during TMJ OA and that iFAK treatment can moderately attenuate the progression of cartilage degeneration in the mandibular condyle.
The effect of mechanical grinding and thermal treatment on the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from kaolinite

Abstract REE recovery from a kaolinite sample was conducted in the present study. The results of mineralogical analyses, salt leaching, and acid leaching tests confirmed that REEs predominantly existed as florencite (REEAl3(PO4)2(OH)6) in the material, and the proportion of ion-exchangeable and ion-substituted REEs was negligible. Mechanical grinding for 4 h completely destroyed the crystal structure of the material, but the recovery of total REEs was less than 20%, indicating that insufficient liberation of the REE-bearing particles is not the only factor leading to the low recovery. Thermal treatment of the raw material at 600 °C for 2 h largely enhanced the total REE recovery to as high as 92%. The improved recovery was ascribed to the thermal decomposition of crystallized florencite into an amorphous phase, which was proved through transmission electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Findings from the study will contribute to REE recovery and comprehensive utilization of kaolinite.
The Political Power of Protest: Minority Activism and Shifts in Public Policy

Gillion demonstrates the direct influence that political protest behavior has on Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court, illustrating that protest is a form of democratic responsiveness that government officials have used, and continue to draw on, to implement federal policies. Focusing on racial and ethnic minority concerns, this book shows that the context of political protest has served as a signal for political preferences. As pro-minority rights behavior grew and anti-minority rights actions declined, politicians learned from minority protest and responded when they felt emboldened by stronger informational cues stemming from citizens' behavior, a theory referred to as the 'information continuum'. Although the shift from protest to politics as a political strategy has opened the door for institutionalized political opportunity, racial and ethnic minorities have neglected a powerful tool to illustrate the inequalities that exist in contemporary society.
A Marketing Strategy for a Campus Wellness Program

Abstract A strategic marketing plan was created for an east coast university campus wellness program serving over 12,000 students, faculty, and staff, to include three major program objectives: (1) to increase program awareness and name recognition, (2) to aid in recruitment and enrollment of program participants, and (3) to increase the profit margin by 100 percent. Moreover, a marketing philosophy, marketing goals, demographic analysis, mass segmentation, and marketing strategy analysis were established as components in the strategic plan. In addition to the various media vehicles employed in marketing strategies, several marketing techniques adapted and employed in this strategic plan to accomplish these objectives including: (1) LIFE Enhancement Leaders; specially trained groups of peer educators serving as liaisons to the academic departments and dormitories, (2) a Guest Speaker Series held at various locations on campus, and (3) evening and weekend wellness workshops and screening clinics. As a resu...
A Chemical Approach to the Discovery of Quasicrystals and Their Approximant Crystals

This review is intended to be a chemist-friendly introduction to what quasicrystals (QCs) and approximant crystals (ACs) are and what chemists may be able to contribute to the field. Readers will first be exposed to a must-know history of QC/ACs, then warmed up with the somewhat distant and prior concepts of metal clusters in halides, oxides etc., and then to polyanionic clusters in Zintl phases and intermetallic systems. Information on these last two has originated over about the last 50 years. We will draw on some more chemical insights and information on how these might be related and applicable to new and expanded QC and AC systems. Then follow our experiences on electronic and chemical tuning of five QC and AC systems and the structural regularities within ACs, from which important clues for quasicrystal structure modeling are evident.
An abundance of X-linked genes expressed in spermatogonia

Spermatogonia are the self-renewing, mitotic germ cells of the testis from which sperm arise by means of the differentiation pathway known as spermatogenesis1. By contrast with hematopoietic and other mammalian stem-cell populations, which have been subjects of intense molecular genetic investigation, spermatogonia have remained largely unexplored at the molecular level. Here we describe a systematic search for genes expressed in mouse spermatogonia, but not in somatic tissues. We identified 25 genes (19 of which are novel) that are expressed in only male germ cells. Of the 25 genes, 3 are Y-linked and 10 are X-linked. If these genes had been distributed randomly in the genome, one would have expected zero to two of the genes to be X-linked. Our findings indicate that the X chromosome has a predominant role in pre-meiotic stages of mammalian spermatogenesis. We hypothesize that the X chromosome acquired this prominent role in male germ-cell development as it evolved from an ordinary, unspecialized autosome.
Computational modeling suggests distinct, location-specific function of norepinephrine in olfactory bulb and piriform cortex.

Noradrenergic modulation from the locus coerulus is often associated with the regulation of sensory signal-to-noise ratio. In the olfactory system, noradrenergic modulation affects both bulbar and cortical processing, and has been show to modulate the detection of low concentration stimuli. We here implemented a computational model of the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex, based on known experimental results, to explore how noradrenergic modulation in the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex interact to regulate odor processing. We show that as predicted by behavioral experiments in our lab, norepinephrine can play a critical role in modulating the detection and associative learning of very low odor concentrations. Our simulations show that bulbar norepinephrine serves to pre-process odor representations to facilitate cortical learning, but not recall. We observe the typical non-uniform dose – response functions described for norepinephrine modulation and show that these are imposed mainly by bulbar, but not cortical processing.
ARFI imaging of the cardiovascular system

We present results of a pilot study of ex vivo and in vivo acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging demonstrating measurements of the mechanical properties of the medial and adventitial layers in the carotid, and popliteal arteries. The data was obtained on a commercial scanner, providing co-registered B-mode and Color Doppler images. A real-time ARFI imaging system capable of achieving frame rates of 0.75 Hz was developed. The 2-D and 1-D images of the tissue's response to brief and localized applications of radiation force show good correlation with B-mode and pathology based characterization of vessel geometry and plaque stiffness. Measurements of arterial response during both systole and diastole are presented. We address implementation issues and discuss the potential applications of this new vascular imaging method.
Basic Orthogonal Wavelet Theory

In this chapter we present the basic orthogonal wavelet theory. We construct many orthogonal wavelets that are continuous and may even be smooth functions. The study of orthogonal wavelets begins with the MRA. We begin by showing how an orthonormal basis of wavelets can be constructed starting from such a multiresolution analysis.
Performance evaluation of urban turf irrigation smartphone app

A new smartphone turf app was field tested in South Florida.Results showed water savings with the app comparable to evapotranspiration controllers.A water conservation option in the app offers additional seasonal water savings when rainfall exceeds evapotranspiration. Data and technology are available to support a real-time irrigation smartphone app for turf that would result in more efficient irrigation scheduling which is needed to reduce water volumes applied and increase irrigation water conservation. Objectives were to (1) develop a turf irrigation smartphone app for warm season turf that would generate real-time irrigation schedules for users to program automatic timers and (2) evaluate app performance in regards to turf quality and water volumes applied with a field plot study. A smartphone app was developed and tested in a plot study in Homestead, Florida, USA, from December 2013 to November 2014. Study treatments included different irrigation scheduling methods: time-based schedule, smartphone app, and two on-site evapotranspiration (ET) controllers. Results indicated that the app and ET controllers resulted in significantly lower irrigation depths compared to the time-based treatment, ranging in water savings from 42% to 57%. The difference among the app and ET controllers was how rainfall was integrated into the schedule. Use of the seasonal water conservation model in the smartphone app is recommended to compensate for the lack of on-site rainfall measurements in the generated irrigation schedule.
Lymphatics in Hyaline Membrane Disease

The report on "The Pulmonary Lymphatics in Neonatal Hvaline Membrane Disease" by Dr. J. M. Lauweryns and colleagues1 is welcome for the data which are presented and for the emphasis they place upon the pathologic anatomy of the disease, a facet too often overlooked. However, I believe it necessary to point to two portions of the paper which are in error. That of lesser importance is the statement repeatedly made that this morphologic feature of hyaline membrane disease has been previously unreported.
MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF A SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI TEGUMENTAL PROTEIN WITH SIMILARITY TO CYTOPLASMIC DYNEIN LIGHT CHAINS

Abstract The tegument of Schistosoma mansoni contains a number of proteins that presumably function in its maintenance and/or repair against damage incurred from host-mediated humoral immune responses. Here, we show that the schistosome antigen identified by monoclonal antibody 709A2/2 is a cytoplasmic dynein light chain. Dynein light chains are components of dynein, an enzyme complex involved in various aspects of microtubule-based motility. Monoclonal antibody 709A2/2 recognizes two polypeptides, one of 8.9 kDa and a second of 7.6 kDa, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We find that expression of S. mansoni dynein light chain is developmentally regulated and localized to the tegument in the schistosomula, lung stage worms, and adult worms, but is not present in the cercariae or ciliated miracidia. By Northern blot analysis of adult worm RNA, S. mansoni dynein light chain is encoded by a single message of ~600 base pairs. A cDNA encoding this polypeptide contains an open reading frame of 89 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 10.4 kDa. Coprecipitation of an apparent 18.4-kDa antigen with S. mansoni dynein light chain by monoclonal antibody 709A2/2 illustrates that this molecule has an affinity for other proteins. Such interactions may play a role in S. mansoni dynein light chain participation in organelle trafficking in S. mansoni.
An infrared emission study of the C=O stretch vibration of bridge-bonded CO on Pt(111)

We have studied the C=O stretch vibration of bridge-bonded CO on Pt(111) in the temperature range from 225 to 300 K. Our spectra are qualitatively different from those previously reported by Hayden and Bradshaw [Surface Sci. 125 (1983) 787] in that we do not observe the line near 1810 cm−1 that they attributed to three-fold bonded CO. We observe only a single line at 1849 cm−1. As the coverage is increased beyond 0.5 monolayer, the linewidth decreases, reaching its minimum value near ϱ=0.54. Little change in the frequency or integrated intensity of the line is seen. These observations tend to support “fault line” models for the high coverage structure of CO on Pt(111). The minimum linewidth of the line is 11.5±0.6 cm−1 for temperatures below 275 K, rising rapidly to ≈ 34 cm−1 at 300 K. This temperature dependence cannot be explained by current models of homogeneous broadening. We attribute it to inhomogeneous broadening associated with an order-disorder transition in the overlayer.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides by Rhizopus delemar immobilized on biomass support particles

Abstract The best medium composition for production of intracellular Iipase by Rhizopus delemar contained oleic acid and no glucose. The technique of cell immobilization using polyurethane foam biomass support particles was studied as a means of further enhancing intracellular lipase activity. Fungal mycelia were found to strongly adhere to the polyurethane foam matrix during growth to form immobilized cell biocataiysts, which, after cell membrane permeabiiization and drying, exhibited a Iipase activity 3.3 times greater than that of cells grown in a freely suspended state. Upase within the Immobilized cells showed properties similar to purified extracellular Rhizopus delemar lipase but was more thermostable than the free enzyme. The biocatalyst was used for triglyceride hydrolysis in a continuous stirred‐tank reactor. In this format it was found that the degree of hydrolysis of olive oil and the flavor profile of lipolyzed milk fat could be easily controlled.
Optimized Fibrin Gel Bead Assay for the Study of Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is a complex multi-step process, where, in response to angiogenic stimuli, new vessels are created from the existing vasculature. These steps include: degradation of the basement membrane, proliferation and migration (sprouting) of endothelial cells (EC) into the extracellular matrix, alignment of EC into cords, branching, lumen formation, anastomosis, and formation of a new basement membrane. Many in vitro assays have been developed to study this process, but most only mimic certain stages of angiogenesis, and morphologically the vessels within the assays often do not resemble vessels in vivo. Based on earlier work by Nehls and Drenckhahn, we have optimized an in vitro angiogenesis assay that utilizes human umbilical vein EC and fibroblasts. This model recapitulates all of the key early stages of angiogenesis and, importantly, the vessels display patent intercellular lumens surrounded by polarized EC. EC are coated onto cytodex microcarriers and embedded into a fibrin gel. Fibroblasts are layered on top of the gel where they provide necessary soluble factors that promote EC sprouting from the surface of the beads. After several days, numerous vessels are present that can easily be observed under phase-contrast and time-lapse microscopy. This video demonstrates the key steps in setting up these cultures.
Authorship Trends in Poultry Science, 1981 Through 1990

Abstract Patterns of authorship were studied in papers and research notes published in Poultry Science from 1981 through 1990. Bibliographic citations were obtained from the AGRICOLA database and tabulated with retrieval software. Mean authors per paper was determined by section within the journal and over time. The Environment and Health Section had significantly more authors per paper than the other sections. Papers in Poultry Science as a whole, and papers in the Environment and Health, Metabolism and Nutrition, and Research Notes sections all had increasing mean authors per paper over time, but the rate of increase was less than reported for other journals. The increase in mean authors per paper was caused mainly by a significant increase in papers with five or more authors. As a group, authors with 20 or more publications in the journal were not more likely to have higher mean authors per paper than average for the journal. Records of 63 authors with 20 or more publications were assessed in three ways: conventional method, by number of publications; divided method, with credit for each paper divided by number of authors; and proportional method, with each successive author of a paper receiving half the credit of the preceding author. The divided and proportional methods of counting publications had no advantage over the conventional method. No method of counting publications can substitute for evaluation of quality based on scientific merit.
The Worth of Resolving Uncertainty for Environmental Projects: Does One Add Value or Just Waste Money?

Aspects concerning the risk of a project are often not included in projecting the value or benefit expected of an environmental project. Three measures, involving the variance around the expected value, the volatility, and the cumulative probability of making a profit, are shown to be the correct way to characterize the risk. This procedure allows one to distinguish between projects that have the same expected value and that would otherwise be considered equal in worth. In addition, the acquisition (at some cost) of both further data and further studies in attempts to better resolve the project are shown to depend on two factors: first, whether the information is to be acquired in order to produce desired changes in the success and failure chances of the project (which such newly acquired data may not end up doing); and second, even if the data do as required, one cannot use the difference between expected values of the project in the absence and presence of the new data to provide an estimate of value-added to the project assessment. Such a determination can arise only when measures of risk and uncertainty are used in addition to expected value because expected value, on its own, does not contain the risk information required. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate these points.
A tunable far infrared laser

A continuously tunable far infrared (FIR) laser has been demonstrated; experimental results are presented. A high-pressure (10-12 atm) continuously tunable CO 2 TE laser is used to pump Raman transitions in CH 3 F; the generation of continuously tunable radiation in the 250-300 \mu m wavelength range is reported. Accurate frequency and bandwidth measurements have been made and the FIR bandwidth in superradiant emission is \approx4-5 GHz. Consequently, the generation of frequency tunable, subnanosecond pulses in the FIR appears feasible. The generation of tunable laser radiation from 150 to 1000 μm by stimulated Raman scattering should be possible using higher pump intensity and/or other gases.