cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Level of Tryptase in Human Tears An Indicator of Activation of Conjunctival Mast Cells

Tryptase, a neutral endoprotease, is secreted by activated mast cells in human tissues. Tryptase levels in various body fluids have been used as an indicator of mast cell activation. The authors determined tryptase levels in unstimulated tears collected from the following groups of patients: (1) normal control, (2) nonallergic ocular inflammation, (3) asymptomatic seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, (4) symptomatic seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, (5) vernal conjunctivitis, and (6) contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis. They also assessed the release of tryptase into the tear fluid after provoking the conjunctiva with (7) allergens, (8) compound 48/80, and (9) rubbing. Tryptase levels were elevated in tears of patients with active ocular allergy and also increased after provoking the conjunctiva with allergens in atopic subjects and with compound 48/80 and rubbing in nonatopic subjects. Tryptase levels in tear fluid may prove useful as a clinical indicator of mast cell involvement in ocular allergic disorders. In provocation experiments, tryptase levels may be used to evaluate and compare different mast cell stabilizing agents.
Ion conduction in solid electrolytes

There is considerable technological interest in ion conducting solids for utilization in high energy and high power density battery and fuel cell systems and an intensive search is underway for materials with high conductivity for specific ions at low temperature. The majority of ionic crystals are insulators and exhibit small conductivity at temperatures appreciably below their melting point. A few solids, such as the silver halides and chalcogenides, the beta-alumina family of compounds, and mixed valence oxides with the fluorite arrangement, have exceptionally high ionic conductivity at relatively low temperatures (Fig. 1). This paper discusses the theoretical crystal-chemical and structural factors limiting high ionic conductivity in solids and problems hindering the discovery of superior new solid ionic conductors.
Changing Views of Self-as-Leader: What Female College Students Tell Us

Leadership has been the focus of ample scholarship; however, female college students’ leadership identity remains under-studied. This chapter describes a four-phase model which emerged from a grounded theory study that sought to understand the process by which female college students develop a leadership identity. In this model, participants (traditional-aged female college students) moved from views of (1) leadership as external to themselves to (2) leadership as positional to (3) collaborative to (4) becoming social change agents. Students’ awareness of whether or how being a woman mattered to their conceptualization of leadership shifted from limited identification to deepened consciousness of how leadership is gendered. In our discussion of these findings, we consider implications for practice and research.
Abstract ES9-2: ES9-2 Metastatic TNBC: New targets/new strategies

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a diagnosis of exclusion as these tumors lack ER, PR and HER2. Through advances in molecular profiling, the heterogeneity of TNBC has been revealed as subsets with molecular features targetable with either investigational or existing FDA approved drugs. Basal-like TNBCs (BL1 and BL2) are associated with proliferative gene signatures. BL1 tumors demonstrate at higher rate of pCR to standard chemotherapy compared to other subtypes. The BL2 subset demonstrates gene ontologies involving growth factor signaling such as EGFR and IGF1R. Preclinical models demonstrate that basal-like TNBCs have high sensitivity to cisplatin and relative resistance to PI3K inhibitors in cell culture and xenografts. Germ line aberrations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 lead to a defect in DNA repair in cancers harboring such mutationsand these tumors appear to be more sensitive to therapy inducing DNA breaks, such as those induced by platinum based therapies or PARP inhibition. Approximately 30% of TNBCs display mesenchymal features and carry a high rate of molecular aberrations that activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis with clinical data suggesting that this subgroup may be responsive to therapeutic regimens targeting this pathway. Approximately 10-15% of TNBCs are associated with expression of androgen receptor (AR+ or LAR) and are characterized by the expression of luminal genes and a high rate of PI3K activation/mutation. Response to AR and/or PI3K directed therapy has been demonstrated in preclinical models and AR inhibition has demonstrated response in early phase clinical trials. Lastly, though breast cancer is generally considered a non-immunogenic malignancy, some TNBCs have tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Novel agents to enrich immune response have been associated with durable responses in a subset of patients with metastatic TNBC. In summary, molecular characterization has identified subsets of TNBC that show promising response to existing or emerging targeted agents. Citation Format: Moulder SL. ES9-2 Metastatic TNBC: New targets/new strategies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES9-2.
THESEUS1 positively modulates plant defense responses against Botrytis cinerea through GUANINE EXCHANGE FACTOR4 signaling.

Summary The plant cell wall is an important interface for sensing pathogen attack and activating signaling pathways that promote plant immune responses. THESEUS1 (THE1) acts as a sensor of cell wall integrity that controls cell elongation during plant growth. However, no specific role for THE1 in plant defense responses has been reported. Here, we found that THE1 interacts with GUANINE EXCHANGE FACTOR4 (GEF4) and that both proteins play regulatory roles in plant resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea). Genetic analysis showed that THE1 and GEF4 function in the same genetic pathway to mediate plant defense responses. In addition, using transcriptome analysis, we identified various genes (such as defense-related, secondary metabolite-related, and transcription factor genes) that are likely downstream targets in the THE1-GEF4 signaling pathway. Our results suggest that THE1 functions as an upstream regulator of GEF4 signaling to positively regulate defense responses against B. cinerea in Arabidopsis.
Nonlinear Frequency Conversion in Periodically-Poled Ferroelectric Waveguides

By patterning the domains in ferroelectric crystals, it is possible to introduce periodic changes in the sign of the nonlinear susceptibility in waveguide frequency conversion devices. Appropriate choice of the spatial frequency of the modulation allows quasi-phasematching of any nonlinear interaction involving radiation in the transparency range of the crystal. Room temperature second harmonic generation of visible radiation and difference frequency generation of infrared radiation have been demonstrated.
A Year in the Life of a Pilot Program for Implementing a Digital Clinical Experience Assessment Model

In efforts to more efficiently assess and manage the student teaching experience (internship) of students, a pilot program was undertaken to implement the LiveText Field Experience Management (FEM) tool. This paper relates the efforts of stakeholders (mentor teachers, university supervisors, school district administrative personnel, teacher education faculty) to implement the FEM tool into the internship at The University of Alabama. Outlined in the paper are the efforts of the pilot team as they implemented the FEM tool over the course of 18 months. This article identifies the challenges the pilot team faced and how those challenges were addressed. The article concludes with suggestions offered by the pilot team for others who may consider adopting a similar system.
Mechanism design and analysis using simulation-based game models

As agent technology matures, it becomes easier to envision electronic marketplaces teeming with autonomous agents. Since agents are explicitly programmed to optimally compete in these marketplaces (within bounds of computational tractability), and markets themselves are designed with specific objectives in mind, tools are necessary for systematic analyses of strategic interactions among autonomous agents. While traditional game-theoretic approaches to the analysis of multi-agent systems can provide much insight, they are often inadequate, as they rely heavily on analytic tractability of the problem at hand; however, even mildly realistic models of electronic marketplaces contain enough complexity to render a fully analytic approach hopeless. To address questions not amenable to traditional theoretical approaches, I develop methods that allow systematic computational analysis of game-theoretic models in which the players' payoff functions are represented using simulations (i.e., simulation-based games). I develop a globally convergent algorithm for Nash equilibrium approximation in infinite simulation-based games, which I instantiate in the context of infinite games of incomplete information. Additionally, I use statistical learning techniques to improve the quality of Nash equilibrium approximation based on data collected from a game simulator. I also derive probabilistic confidence bounds and present convergence results about solutions of finite games modeled using simulations. The former allow an analyst to make statistically-founded statements about results based on game-theoretic simulations, while the latter provide formal justification for approximating game-theoretic solutions using simulation experiments. To address the broader mechanism design problem, I introduce an iterative algorithm for search in the design space, which requires a game solver as a subroutine. As a result, I enable computational mechanism design using simulation-based models of games by availing the designer of a set of solution tools geared specifically towards games modeled using simulations. I apply the developed computational techniques to analyze strategic procurement and answer design questions in a supply-chain simulation, as well as to analyze dynamic bidding strategies in sponsored search auctions. Indeed, the techniques I develop have broad potential applicability beyond electronic marketplaces; they are geared towards any system that features competing strategic players who respond to incentives in a way that can be reasonably predicted via a game-theoretic analysis.
Embryo Adoption Theologically Considered: Bodies, Adoption, and the Common Good

When a genuinely contested question arises in moral theology, initial analyses inevitably settle around particular lines of argument and counter-argument that rely on relevant moral claims which are presumed stable and settled. Mutual criticism, discussion, and further reflection bring more nuance and texture to these lines of argument as they also illumine those claims and teachings taken to be reliable moral markers or building blocks. What takes shape is a “debate” with more or less clearly demarcated “sides,” and subsequent scholarly entries into the contested question must traverse the debate’s terrain. Eventually, however, new routes into the question are called for and charted, as newcomers to and veterans of the debate alike begin to challenge the terms on which the conversation has settled. In the case of embryo adoption, analyses have settled around the question whether it is morally permissible to transfer a genetically unrelated embryo into the uterus of a married woman, and answers to this question are crafted by appealing to relatively stable and settled Catholic teaching on marriage, or more specifically to the marriage “act” (i.e., heterosexual intercourse) or to the marital/nuptial significance of the human body. This essay argues that many of the heretofore available Catholic arguments about embryo adoption are methodologically flawed, problematically gendered, and theologically deficient. After developing these charges, the essay explores embryo adoption in light of theological reflection on Christ’s body and ours, adoption, and the common good. While I judge that embryo adoption is at least sometimes morally permissible, my aim here is not so much to argue for the moral permissibility of the practice, but (like Eric Gregory does admirably in his contribution to this volume) to call for and inaugurate more robustly moral theological consideration of the practice. More specifically, I consider embryo adoption in light of the affirmation that we are made God’s adopted children by being incorporated into Christ’s body.
Canadian French rhotics and their continued change

In previous decades, Canadian French has undergone a sound change throughout Western Quebec where the apical trill [r] has moved to a production using the tongue dorsum, often being produced by speakers as a velar fricative [x, ɣ], uvular trill [ʀ], or uvular fricative [χ, ʁ] (Sankoff and Blondeau 2007, 2010). This change is argued to have been primarily driven by younger female speakers adopting the dorsal production, but change is also reported across the lifespan of older speakers. Discrepancies about whether variation in rhotic productions is the result of allophony from syllable position (Sankoff and Blondeau 2010) or whether variation is socially constrained (Milne 2012) also exist in the literature. This study presents an analysis of rhotics in harmonic words as produced by 9 speakers from Montreal, Quebec. We report preliminary results highlighting the acoustic differences in production (measuring center of gravity, F1, & F0) between speakers of different genders. These results support the hypothesis that variation is socially constrained, in addition to lending support to early reported hypotheses about the role of women as a driving force of this sound change (Sankoff et al. 2001).
Abstract TP22: Stent Retriever Diameter and Impact on Reperfusion Rates in Intracranial Carotid Occlusions

Background: The impact of oversized stent-retrievers in reperfusion rates during thrombectomy is unclear. Devices matching the vessel diameter may lead to proportionally larger cells and facilitate...
Fundamental Limits in Detecting Whether a Signal Has Been Quantized

It is often important to know whether a received signal was sent directly by a friend, or was recorded by an adversary and then replayed. In this paper, we use a characteristic of the recording, namely the quantization, to study if the replayed (quantized) signal can be detected. In particular, we consider the requirements on the quantizer to keep the quantization from being detected in additive Gaussian noise. If a signal with length $m$ is sent and a uniform quantizer with $b$ quantization bits is employed for recording, we prove that $2^{b} = \omega (\sqrt {m})$ and a quantizer span of $\omega (\sqrt {\ln m})$ are sufficient for the adversary to avoid detection; that is, the probability of error $P_{e}$ of the observer is bounded as $P_{e} \geq \displaystyle \frac {1}{2} -\epsilon $ for any $\epsilon > 0$. Conversely, having $2^{b} =\mathrm {O}(\sqrt {m})$ or a quantizer span of $o(\sqrt {\ln m})$ results in detection by the observer with high probability as $m\rightarrow \infty .$
Clinical prediction score of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS-HS index).

Objective Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common in obese adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but there are no inexpensive ways to accurately identify NAFLD in PCOS. The objective was to develop a simple clinical score to screen for NAFLD risk in obese adolescents with PCOS. Design This is a secondary analysis of 3 cross-sectional studies on metabolic characterization of obese adolescents with PCOS. 108 overweight and obese adolescents with PCOS (BMI > 90th percentile, age 12-19 years) were enrolled from 2012 to 2018. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify hepatic fat fraction (HFF). A development cohort of 87 girls were divided by presence of NAFLD (HFF > 5.5%). A logistic regression model with the outcome of NAFLD and candidate predictor variables was fit. A simplified model (PCOS-HS index) was created using backwards stepdown elimination. Validation was performed using 200 bootstrapped sample and in a second cohort of 21 PCOS participants. Results 52% of the development cohort had NAFLD. The PCOS-HS index that included BMI percentile, waist circumference, ALT and SHBG had an AUCROC of 0.81, sensitivity 82%, specificity 69%, negative predictive value (NPV) 78% and positive predictive value 74%, using a threshold of 0.44 to predict HS. A threshold of 0.15 ruled out NAFLD with a NPV 90%. In the validation cohort, the model showed an accuracy of 81%, sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 70%. Conclusions We developed a clinical index to identify NAFLD in girls with PCOS who would need further evaluation and treatment.
An equine-assisted therapy intervention to improve pain, range of motion, and quality of life in adults and older adults with arthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Research aim To compare equine-assisted therapy to exercise education on pain, range of motion, and quality of life in adults and older adults with arthritis. Background Quality of life for adults and older adults is negatively impacted by arthritis pain, stiffness, and decreased function. Equine-assisted therapy provides unique movements to the rider's joints and muscles improving pain, range of motion, and quality of life and has improved outcomes in balance, gait, strength, functional mobility, and spasticity for older adults, stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis patients. No research has investigated the effects on adults and older adults with arthritis. Methods Twenty adults and older adults with arthritis recruited from rheumatology clinics participated in a randomized controlled trial for six weeks. Participants and research assistants were blinded to assignment. Standardized valid and reliable instruments were used to measure pain, range of motion, and quality of life targeting back, knees, shoulders, and hips. Results Mean age was 63.85 (SD 6.885, 53–75) years. Pain significantly improved in shoulders (p = 0.007), hips (p = 0.027), and back (p = 0.006), not knees (p = 0.061). Range of motion improved for back (p = 0.02), hips (p = 0.04), shoulders (p = 0.005) and not knees. Quality of life improved for upper limb (p = 0.002), lower limb (p = 0.021), and affect (p = 0.030), not social interaction and symptoms. Conclusion This randomized controlled trial provides evidence that equine-assisted therapy decreases pain, and improves range of motion, and quality of life for adults and older adults with arthritis. Further fully powered research with cost/benefit outcomes would be beneficial.
Coexpression uncovers a unified single-cell transcriptomic landscape

Researchers stand to gain insight into complex biological systems by assembling multiple single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies to reveal a panoramic view of overarching biological structure. Unfortunately, many existing scRNA-seq analyses are limited by sensitivity to study-specific noise patterns, by lack of scalability to large datasets, or by integrative transformations that obscure biological relevance. We therefore introduce a novel algorithmic framework that analyzes groups of cells in coexpression space across multiple resolutions, rather than individual cells in gene expression space, to enable multi-study analysis with enhanced biological interpretation. We show that our approach reveals the biological structure spanning multiple, large-scale studies even in the presence of batch effects while facilitating biological interpretation via network and latent factor analysis. Our coexpression-based analysis enables an unprecedented view into two complex and dynamic processes - neuronal development and hematopoiesis - by leveraging a total of seven studies containing 1,460,527 cells from laboratories spanning three continents, yielding systems-level insight unattainable by any individual experiment. Our work demonstrates a path toward probing highly complex biological systems from emerging consortium-scale single-cell transcriptomics.
Complex upper mantle anisotropy in the Pacific Northwest: Evidence from SKS splitting

Abstract We use a dense network of observations and an automated method of analysis to investigate complex patterns of seismic anisotropy in the Pacific Northwest. We present SKS splitting results for approximately 220 broadband seismic stations, including 33 stations from the new Wallowa2 array deployed between 2016 and 2018 in northeast Oregon. Our data set contains approximately 3300 splitting measurements. Our anisotropy measurements indicate that anisotropy in the Pacific Northwest can be divided into two domains: near the subduction zone, anisotropy is perpendicular to the slab; and inboard of the subduction zone anisotropy tends to parallel the velocity structure and is roughly oriented with “absolute” plate motion. However, splitting analysis performs poorly in northeast Oregon, and results are not consistent with uniform or layered anisotropy. We argue that the complex splitting behavior in northern Oregon is a result of spatially variable upper mantle anisotropy, related to the complex upper mantle seismic structure. Interpreting the mantle anisotropy in this region requires methods not limited to standard ray theoretical shear wave splitting analysis.
Can money buy you (climate) happiness? Economic co-benefits and the implementation of effective carbon pricing policies in Mexico

Abstract It is difficult for governments to implement effective climate change mitigation policies because they often create short-term costs for concentrated industry groups who oppose them. As such, climate policy scholars have theorized that governments will be more willing and able to implement mitigation policies where they align with other economic policy objectives. The logic of this “economic co-benefits” argument is that co-benefits create short-term gains for governments to offset the immediate costs they face in introducing mitigation policies. Through a most-similar systems design comparative study of a carbon tax and an emissions trading scheme (ETS) in Mexico, this article interrogates the economic co-benefits theory of mitigation policy adoption. By comparing the motivations underpinning two carbon pricing policies in a single country, the article suggests that the presence of immediately accruing fiscal revenues created short-term incentives for the Mexican government to implement the carbon tax, whereas such short-term incentives were not present with respect to the ETS. However, in both cases concentrated affected industry groups were able to dilute the carbon prices to which they were subject. The implications of this study are that economic co-benefits may not be as useful in achieving effective mitigation policy outcomes, in the absence of measures which also independently change the interests of concentrated industry groups.
An Analysis of Open-Ended Coaxial Probe Sensitivity to Heterogeneous Media.

Open-ended coaxial probe spectroscopy is commonly used to determine the dielectric permittivity of biological tissues. However, heterogeneities in the probe sensing region can limit measurement precision and reproducibility. This study presents an analysis of the coaxial probe sensing region to elucidate the effects of heterogeneities on measured permittivity. Coaxial probe spectroscopy at 0.5–20 GHz was numerically simulated while a homogenous background was perturbed with a small inclusion of contrasting permittivity. Shifts in the measured effective permittivity provided a three-dimensional assessment of the probe sensitivity field. Sensitivity was well-approximated by the square of the electric field for each analyzed probe. Smaller probes were more sensitive to heterogeneities throughout their sensing region, but were less sensitive to spectral effects compared to larger probes. The probe sensing diameter was less than 0.5 mm in all directions by multiple metrics. Therefore, small heterogeneities may substantially impact permittivity measurement in biological tissues if located near the probe-tissue interface.
Multi-compartment tumor organoids

Abstract Organoid cultures are widely used because they preserve many features of cancer cells in vivo. Here, we developed high-throughput oil-in-water droplet microtechnology to generate highly uniform, small-volume, multi-compartment organoids. Each organoid culture features a microenvironmental architecture that mimics both the basement membrane and stromal barriers. This matrix architecture, which allows accessing both proliferative and invasive features of cancer cells in a single platform, has profound effect on observed drug responsiveness and tumor progression that correlate well with in vivo and clinical outcomes. The method was tested on multiple types of cancer cells including primary cells and immortalized cell lines, and we determined our platform is suitable even for cells of poor organoid-forming ability. These new organoids also allow for direct orthotopic mouse implantation of cancer cells with unprecedented success.
Suspended License: Censorship and the Visual Arts

Suspended License offers a wide-ranging approach to censorship of the visual arts over recent centuries and in a variety of cultural contexts, seeking to elucidate the range of political, social, and artistic circumstances in which censorship has occurred. Using examples from 16th-century Germany and Italy, late 18th-century Spain, 19th-century France, and 20-century Germany, China, and America, leading art historians examine what these various experiences reveal historically and what light they shed on current dilemmas and controversies.Essays explore the censure of artworks by famous masters -- Michelangelo, Veronese, Goya, Daumier, Manet -- as well as the censored art of less familiar figures, such as contemporary artists in China. The rejection of modernism as an allegedly corrupt and dangerous style is considered both in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and in McCarthy era Texas in the 1950s. The recent debates in America over government sponsorship for the arts are also discussed, as well as the claims raised about the allegedly pornographic content of work by contemporary artists Wojnarowicz and Mapplethorpe.Suspended License demonstrates that recent controversies over sponsorship, pornography, sacrilege, and aesthetic integrity in modern art are not without historical precedent, and also shows that many of the works now universally regarded as masterpieces have been the objects of censorious action in the past. Numerous illustrations contribute greatly to the reader's understanding of this important subject.
Butane Oxidation to Maleic Anhydride in A Recirculating Solids Reactor

Abstract Butane oxidation to maleic anhydride is currently commercially practiced in fixed bed reactors using a vanadium phosphate catalyst. Fluid bed reactors have been proposed, mainly due to more efficient heat removal for this highly exothermic reaction. Commercialization of fluid bed technology has been impeded by low yields and lack of adequate catalyst attrition resistance. We have solved the yield problem by use of a recirculating solids bed reactor concept. The vanadium phosphate is circulated between two reactors. In one, butane is oxidized by vanadium phosphate; in the other, the vanadium phosphate is reoxidized. Using this approach, selectivities to maleic anhydride higher than 90% have been achieved. We have discovered a novel method of imparting catalyst attrition resistance without loss of selectivity to maleic anhydride. The attrition resistance is provided using only small amounts (~10 wt%) of silica. The catalyst is synthesized through a spray drying step whereby a thin SiO 2 coating is produced which is physically protective but which also allows free passage of reactants and products. The active component, (VO) 2 P 2 O 7 , is prepared via a (VO) 2 H 2 O(PO 3 OH) 2 precursor for best selectivity. Both morphology and defect control of (VO) 2 P 2 O 7 appear to be important for the best catalytic properties.
Clockscalpel: understanding root causes of internet clock synchronization inaccuracy

Synchronizing clocks is an integral part of modern network and security architectures. However, the ability to synchronize clocks in modern networks is not well-understood. In this work, we use testbeds equipped with a high-accuracy GPS receiver to acquire ground truth, to study the accuracy of probe-based synchronization techniques to over 1861 public time servers. We find that existing synchronization protocols provide a median error of 2 - 5 ms, but suffer from a long-tail. We analyze sources of inaccuracy by decoupling and quantifying different network factors. We found that most inaccuracies stem from asymmetry of propagation delay and queueing delay. We discuss possible schemes to compensate these errors to improve synchronization accuracy.
Intonational Accompaniments of Japanese Morphemes WA and GA

An experiment was conducted to study intonational characteristics that accompany the grammatical morphemes wa and ga in Japanese utterances. Twelve native speakers of Japanese read aloud twelve sentences that contained various sub-types of wa and ga. Acoustical analysis of fundamental frequency and pause durations revealed that wa was preceded by a larger fall in fundamental frequency than ga and that wa was frequently followed by a pause, unlike ga. Thematic and contrastive sub-types of wa were differentiated by pauses as well as fundamental frequency fall. Three sub-types of ga were not clearly differentiated by pauses, although differences were observed in the patterns of fundamental frequency.
Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to the N-terminal domain of lambda repressor.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies reactive with distinct regions of the N-terminal domain of the lambda repressor protein have been isolated. By comparing the affinities of these antibodies for mutant repressors with increased and decreased thermal stabilities, each of the antibodies can be shown to bind to epitopes accessible in the native conformation of the N-terminal domain. Experiments probing antibody binding to protein fragments, mutant variants, and peptides have also been used to define likely regions of contact between the antibodies and the N-terminal domain.
Importance of Magellanic Clouds Studies for Extra-Galactic Work

The apparently early evolutionary state of the Magellanic Clouds, while they are coeval with the Galaxy in their earliest star condensations, may be due to perturbation by the Galaxy as well as to their low mass and low density. Whereas classical barred spirals are probably characterised by large angular momentum, the Clouds may owe their ‘barred’ and asymmetrical distribution, including departure of the centre of rotation from the geometrical centre, to local fluctuations in H1 density and rate of star formation at different epochs. Comparison is made with some other asymmetrical galaxies.
Interactive stress analysis: Boundary formulations in engineering instruction

This article describes a program based on the boundary element analysis BEA method that has been designed to bring continuum stress analysis to the academic environment. Interactive Stress Analysis is a unique interactive graphic computer program designed for use in undergraduate engineering education that allows students and instructors to pose continuum stress analysis problems naturally and examine their answers. Currently, the program is in a prototypical, yet demonstrable form. First deployment in a strength of materials course is planned for Fall 1994. With additional support we propose to investigate the incorporation of multimedia technology and an enhanced version of Interactive Stress Analysis in a prototype lecture series on strength of materials with potential widespread distribution. In the sections that follow, the capabilities, techniques employed, and overall rationale and philosophy associated with the development of this program are described.
Database Intrusion Detection and Response

Why is it important to have an intrusion detection (ID) mechanism tailored for a database management system (DBMS)? There are three main reasons for this. First, actions deemed malicious for a DBMS are not necessarily malicious for the underlying operating system or the network; thus ID systems designed for the latter may not be effective against database attacks. Second, organizations have stepped up data vigilance driven by various government regulations concerning data management such as SOX, GLBA, HIPAA and so forth. Third, and this is probably the most relevant reason, the problem of insider threatsis being recognized as a major security threat; its solution requires among other techniques the adoption of mechanisms able to detect access anomalies by users internal to the organization owning the data.
Tactical jet aircraft detection, targeting, and elimination using pneumatic ballistics projectiles

A system for enemy jet aircraft detection, targeting, and elimination using ballistic projectiles is demonstrated using a scaled down model. The enemy jet aircraft is a plastic 1/48 scale model of a F-16C tactical air defense fighter. An optical target acquisition system is used to locate the jet aircraft in 3-dimensional space. Once the aircraft is located, a microcontroller then calculates the required ballistics to fire a 'ping pong ball' projectile at the target. A pneumatic reservoir is used as a pressure source. The main gun uses a high velocity jet stream to propel the projectile down the firing tube. Upon operator command, the microcontroller will fire the projectile eliminating the Bogie. Communication occurs through a 10 button key pad and a 40 character 2-line display on the main control unit. This project demonstrates the maximum I/O usage of the MC68HC11 EVB Evaluation Board at the minimum cost. It incorporates mixed signal integration of analog and digital signals using proven noise reduction techniques. This project explores basic engineering equations and included fabrication of a pressure sensor using the storage container as the sensing element.
Modeling public management: Empirical analysis of the management-performance nexus

This article reports on our systematic effort to measure and model the impact of management on public programs. Using a parsimonious, nonlinear model of management built by Meier and O'Toole from the extensive case study literature, empirical papers have focused on managerial networking, managerial quality, managerial stability, and personnel stability; and how they relate to overall performance. There is now a substantial body of empirical work that demonstrates that management matters for performance and that this impact is often nonlinear in form. This article recaps the research agenda and sets out a series of unanswered questions for future research.
Culture and Mental Health

The North American continent is comprised of a diverse array of individuals who range culturally. A substantial number practice diverse approaches to health and have mental health issues that are dissimilar from mainstream culture. In this article, we define culture and mental health, review some major health disparities, and summarize the basic factors surrounding assessment and treatment of mental health across cultural groups. We base our discussion in the context of health disparities, the existence of which presents a major problem for healthcare in America, and with an eye towards aiding the development of cultural competence for clinicians and healthcare providers nationwide.
An application of complex task modeling

The paper presents some experimental results from scheduling analysis of a task set on a commercial real-time operating system using a complex task modeling and analysis framework. Simple task models, used in traditional scheduling analysis techniques, are only concerned with a task's execution time. Complex task models examine shared resource contention and varying priorities, resulting in an enhanced view of a task's behavior. A series of experiments using VxWorks(R) generates complex task models for the tasks executing on a system, predicts system behavior, and explores the limits of current modeling and analysis techniques.
METHODS FOR COMPILING LISTS OF MINIMALLY RELATED WORDS

3 procedures for selecting lists of unrelated words were evaluated in two experiments. The procedures were based on (a) Deese's (1959) normatively established “Zero” interitem associative strength, (b) the consensual judgment of several Es, and (c) random selection from a dictionary. Judged by recall criteria, all these methods were equally appropriate, random selection being least laborious. However, considerable intra-method variability in list difficulty was found. Thus, whenever comparisons involve several list conditions, more than one list should be used in each condition. Negative effects on recall of including several parts of speech or very low-frequency items in a list suggested that it is desirable to control these features in selecting stimulus words.
Oil agglomeration of sulfurized pyrite

Abstract The surface of high-grade mineral pyrite from Huanzala, Peru, appeared to oxidize rapidly on exposure to the atmosphere and the oxidized surface was hydrophilic. When fine particles of this material were suspended in water and treated with small amounts of heptane under rigorous agitation, there was only limited tendency for the particles to agglomerate. However, if the pyrite particles, were first treated with an acidified solution of sodium sulfide, the particles became highly oleophilic and they were readily agglomerated by heptane. Compact spherical agglomerates were produced with relatively small amounts of heptane. The oleophilicity appeared due to a coating of elemental sulfur on the surface of the pyrite. The coating was fairly durable as the aggromerability of the particles declined only slightly when the material was stored as a dry powder for up to three weeks. The agglomerability of the coated pyrite declined somewhat in suspensions having a high pH. Also agglomeration of the material was suppressed by sodium sulfide, especially at high pH.
Müllerian-inhibiting substance regulates androgen synthesis at the transcriptional level.

Mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) is a hormone produced by Sertoli cells of the fetal testes that causes regression of the Mullerian ducts, the precursors to female reproductive tract structures that are present in the bipotential urogenital ridge. MIS is also produced in the adult gonads of both males and females, albeit at much lower levels than those measured during the fetal and perinatal periods. Adult transgenic mice chronically overexpressing MIS exhibit severe gonadal abnormalities and, in males, dramatically reduced levels of testosterone, which might lead to the incomplete virilization observed in some of the males. To understand the roles played by MIS in the adult gonad, we performed Northern analyses to show that the MIS type II receptor is expressed in purified Leydig cells and in two rodent Leydig cell lines, R2C and MA-10. Addition of purified recombinant human MIS to cultures of both R2C and MA-10 cells reduced steroid production. With MA-10 cells, the reduction of testosterone secreti...
Determination of the relative visibility thresholds for basis functions of the Frazier-Jawerth transform

A new method for spatial-frequency analysis, the Frazier-Javierth transform (FJT), has recently been introduced which allows the simultaneous encoding of image properties in both the space and frequency domains. This technique appears to have applicability to the problem of image data compression, in a way similar to the Fourier transform or discrete cosine transform. A necessary step in the development of an FJT compression algorithm is to produce a method for appropriately quantizing the FiT coefficients. The current work undertakes the measurement of the thresholds for the visual detection of the FJT basis functions. These results will be used in the development of a psychovisually-based quantizer. The thresholds were determined by the use of psychovisual observer experiments. It is shown that the detectability of the basis functions is in accord with current knowledge of the spatial frequency sensitivity of the human visual system. However, these results are not predictable from simple psychovisual models, and because of the frequency domain behavior of the FJT, the measured values must be corrected before they can be used in a quantizer. The corrected values imply that the FJT quantizer may not match the properties of ordinary images as well as the psychovisual quantizers used for such methods as the discrete cosine transform.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The S100 family of multipurpose calcium‐binding proteins

Antibodies reactive with S100 protein are useful markers in a diagnostic immunohistochemistry laboratory dealing with cutaneous tumors. However, S100 protein is not a single protein but instead a group of S100 proteins with diverse functions. S100 proteins constitute a family of acidic calcium-binding proteins that are important in intracellular calcium metabolism. Recent evidence that some S100 proteins are secreted makes it likely that they are also involved in cell-cell interactions. The exploration of the status of the different members of the S100 family may yield not only diagnostic clues but also relevant functional information about the cells. Considerable recent progress has been made in our understanding of S100 proteins. This review surveys some of these findings that may be either directly or indirectly relevant to cutaneous pathology.
Apolipoprotein E-low density lipoprotein receptor interaction affects spatial memory retention and brain ApoE levels in an isoform-dependent manner.

Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) exists in three isoforms: apoE2, apoE3 and apoE4. APOE e4 is a major genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE mediates cholesterol metabolism by binding various receptors. The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has a high affinity for apoE, and is the only member of its receptor family to demonstrate an apoE isoform specific binding affinity (E4>E3>>E2). Evidence suggests that a functional interaction between apoE and LDLR influences the risk of CVD and AD. We hypothesize that the differential cognitive effects of the apoE isoforms are a direct result of their varying interactions with LDLR. To test this hypothesis, we have employed transgenic mice that express human apoE2, apoE3, or apoE4, and either human LDLR (hLDLR) or no LDLR (LDLR(-/-)). Our results show that plasma and brain apoE levels, cortical cholesterol, and spatial memory are all regulated by isoform-dependent interactions between apoE and LDLR. Conversely, both anxiety-like behavior and cued associative memory are strongly influenced by APOE genotype, but these processes appear to occur via an LDLR-independent mechanism. Both the lack of LDLR and the interaction between E4 and the LDLR were associated with significant impairments in the retention of long term spatial memory. Finally, levels of hippocampal apoE correlate with long term spatial memory retention in mice with human LDLR. In summary, we demonstrate that the apoE-LDLR interaction affects regional brain apoE levels, brain cholesterol, and cognitive function in an apoE isoform-dependent manner.
Lawmakers' Preferences for Bureaucratic Discretion: The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996

Research on delegation stresses that chief executives are “privileged actors” well positioned to influence bureaucratic policy decisions. Therefore, legislative coalitions provide less authority to...
Improving pantropical forest carbon maps with airborne LiDAR sampling

Background: Countries interested in monitoring and quantifying the carbon stock of their tropical forests need cost-effective methodologies to map aboveground carbon density (ACD) at regional and national project levels, and with measurable precision and accuracy. This study reports on improvements made possible by the use of airborne high resolution LiDAR samples to regionally fine-tune freely available moderate resolution remote sensing data, and generate maps of ACD with greater detail and improved accuracy than existing pantropical data sets. Results: Regions in the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon indicate that, although existing pantropical data sets of ACD explain approximately 70% of the variance in ACD relative to high resolution LiDAR estimates, by fine calibration with airborne LiDAR samples, it is possible to reduce the relative root mean squared error from 25.2 and 31.4 MgC ha-1, to 15.7 and 17.6 MgC ha-1, respectively, in Colombia and Peru. Conclusion: Airborne LiDAR data can successfully be us...
Sequential equivalence checking of clock-gated circuits

Sequential clock-gating can lead to easier equivalence checking problems, compared to the general sequential equivalence checking (SEC) problem. Modern sequential clock-gating techniques introduce control structures to disable unnecessary clocking. This violates combinational equivalence but maintains sequential equivalence between the original and revised circuits. We propose the use of characteristic graphs (CGs) to extract essential LTL clock-gating properties, which when proved imply certain sequential redundancies. The extraction, proof and subsequent removal of the implied redundancies lead to an efficient SEC procedure for clock-gated circuits. Experiments show that the proposed SEC procedure substantially outperforms existing methods in terms of speed and scalability when applied to several difficult cases.
Effects of Automation Types on Air Traffic Controller Situation Awareness and Performance

The Joint Planning and Development Office has proposed the introduction of automated systems to help air traffic controllers handle the increasing volume of air traffic in the next two decades (JPDO, 2007). Because fully automated systems leave operators out of the decision-making loop (e.g., Billings, 1991), it is important to determine the right level and type of automation that will keep air traffic controllers in the loop. This study examined the differences in the situation awareness (SA) and collision detection performance of individuals when they worked with information acquisition, information analysis, decision and action selection and action implementation automation to control air traffic (Parasuraman, Sheridan, & Wickens, 2000). When the automation was unreliable, the time taken to detect an upcoming collision was significantly longer for all the automation types compared with the information acquisition automation. This poor performance following automation failure was mediated by SA, with lower SA yielding poor performance. Thus, the costs associated with automation failure are greater when automation is applied to higher order stages of information processing. Results have practical implications for automation design and development of SA training programs.