cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Transmission Electron Microscope

This chapter gives a short description of the physical instrumentation of the transmission electron microscope (fixed beam and scanning modes). It starts with the fundamental physics of electron dynamics for energies in the range 100–1000 keV. Some types of magnetic lenses and aberration correctors used to focus the electrons in the microscope are discussed. Various approximation used in modeling the microscope are introduced. Optical aberrations are defined, and general methods of aberration correction are described briefly.
Computational Models of Vascular Mechanics

Many of the world’s leading causes of death involve pathology of the vasculature, both arterial and venous. In addition to the biochemical and genetic factors governing vascular health and disease, mechanics strongly modulates the form and function of the vessel wall. Biomechanical analysis is being increasingly used to not only elucidate key disease processes, but also to predict disease progression and response to therapeutic and surgical intervention on a patient-specific basis. This chapter reviews some of the recent advances in computational vascular mechanics, with references to key works in constitutive modeling, fluid-structure interaction, image-based modeling, and atherosclerotic plaque mechanics.
Two-dimensional NMR Spectroscopy for the Structural Characterization of Polymers

The recent use of two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the study of polymers has contributed significantly to a better understanding of polymer structure-physical property relationships. 2D NMR experiments have provided detailed structural and dynamic information in synthetic polymers and polymer blends that often could not be obtained in any other way. This has been made possible due to recent significant advances in 2D NMR experimentation.
Does the Accuracy of Medical Diagnoses Affect Novice Listeners' Auditory-Perceptual Judgments of Dysphonia Severity?

Summary Objective/Hypothesis To determine whether the presence and accuracy of a laryngeal medical diagnosis affects novice listeners' judgments of dysphonia. Study Design Prospective, within subjects, modified factorial experimental design. Methods Twenty-six speakers with dysphonia and four normophonic speakers provided speech recordings. Forty novice clinicians evaluated speech samples for roughness and breathiness using 100-mm visual analog scales in two conditions. First, speech samples were presented without diagnostic information. In the second condition, 50% of the speech samples were presented with the accurate laryngeal medical diagnosis, while the other 50% of samples were presented with an inaccurate (alternative) diagnosis. Results Results showed that judgments of dysphonia were affected by the presence of both accurate and inaccurate diagnoses. As expected, when compared to no known diagnosis, judgments of roughness significantly increased in severity when an accurate diagnostic label of vocal fold lesions was presented. Likewise, in comparison to no known diagnosis, judgments of breathiness trended toward an increase in severity when an accurate diagnostic label of vocal fold paralysis/paresis was presented. Interestingly, increases in perceived severity of dysphonia were also observed with the presentation of inaccurate diagnoses, with the overall effect of inaccurate diagnostic information being greater than accurate diagnoses. Specifically, increases in perceived roughness and breathiness were observed when inaccurate diagnoses included benign vocal fold lesion(s) and vocal fold paralysis/paresis. In contrast, inaccurate diagnostic labels indicating “clear larynx” or diagnoses other than benign vocal fold lesion(s) or paralysis/paresis resulted in decreased perceived roughness and breathiness severity. The magnitude of the differences in perceived severity between conditions was overall reduced for breathiness compared to roughness. Conclusions Sources of bias such as knowledge and accuracy of medical diagnoses should be considered when novice clinicians use auditory-perceptual measures to evaluate dysphonia and measure treatment outcomes.
Evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of cervical spine disorders

Neck pain from cervical spine disorders is the second-leading cause of musculoskeletal disorders. Neck pain can exist alone or with the presence of upper extremity symptoms. This review of evidence-based guidelines assists the provider in identifying and treating various cervical disorders.
Abstract 2316: Systemic Control of CAR T Cell Activity Using a Secret Passageway Fusion Receptor

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are modified T cells that have been genetically engineered to recognize and kill any cancer cell expressing a specific cell surface tumor antigen. Despite the remarkable success of CAR T cell technologies to date, adoption of the technologies has been limited by severe side-effects such as a potentially fatal cytokine release syndromes (CRS), neurologic toxicities, and on-target off-tumor toxicities, etc. Moreover, chronic exposure of CAR T cells to tumor antigen can lead to CAR T cell exhaustion, which results in inactivation of the CAR T cell therapy. Therefore, an ability to sensitively control CAR T cell fate in vivo, either to suppress its activity when confronted with a cytokine storm, or to rejuvenate its activity when encountering CAR T cell exhaustion, would be highly desirable. We have developed a CAR T cell regulatory platform that enables delivery of any desired modulator selectively into an engineered CAR T cell without simultaneously permitting any modulator uptake by other cells. For this purpose, a fusion receptor that contains two subdomains, a ligand binding module and a membrane-anchoring/internalizing module, is co-expressed with the classical CAR construct in the desired T cell. In the embodiment described here, the ligand binding domain is comprised of human FK506 binding protein (FKBP), while the membrane-anchoring/internalizing domain is comprised of sequences from human folate receptor alpha (FRα). Because the fusion construct is human, it is not expected to be highly immunogenic. Moreover, because FRα is a GPI-anchored cell surface protein that constitutively internalizes, the fusion construct is predicted to constantly enter cells by endocytosis throughout the lifespan of the CAR T cell. We show here that this fusion construct can be co-expressed with an anti-CD19 CAR in the same human T cell with a T2A linker in between in one lentiviral vector. We then demonstrate that any CAR T cell modulator can be selectively targeted to CAR T cells in vivo by linking the desired modulator to FK506; i.e. the ligand that binds FKBP. Upon binding FKBP, the FK506-modulator conjugate is shown to rapidly internalize into the targeted CAR T cell via standard FRα endocytosis. Furthermore, when the linker connecting FK506 to the desired modulator is designed to be cleaved within early endosomes, the modulator is demonstrated to be released following entry into the CAR T cell, where it becomes immediately available for modulation of CAR T cell properties. In the panels shown in this poster, examples of the use of this universal CAR T cell regulatory strategy to control the activities of CAR T cells following their infusion into animal models are provided. Citation Format: Boning Zhang, John V Napoleon, Philip Low. Systemic Control of CAR T Cell Activity Using a Secret Passageway Fusion Receptor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2316.
Clinical and prognostic features of adult patients with gangliogliomas.

2063 Background: Gangliogliomas (GG) represent less than 1% of primary brain tumors in adults. Little is known regarding prognostic features, clinical characteristics or the impact of treatment on ...
Applied Ethnobiology and Advocacy: A Case Study from the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe of Death Valley, California

Attention has turned in the past 30 years to the situation of Indigenous Peoples in National Parks and protected areas worldwide. Their position brings historical problems, as well as new opportunities, for applied ethnobiology to contribute to cooperative management situations that could help rectify past injustices. In the mid-1990s, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe began a struggle for land within and surrounding Death Valley National Park, California. This was capped by the passage of the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act in 2000. It granted the Tribe trust lands and the right to co-manage additional lands held by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Ethnobiology was used during negotiations to document the extent and uses of Timbisha traditional lands through ethnobotanical, ethnozoological, traditional resource and environmental management (TREM), and place name studies. The Tribe then initiated a pilot project in applied ethnobiology to bring TREM back to their lands through a honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) management project, designed to demonstrate to the agencies the value of traditional care practices. The project was in place for two years when problems arose that could not be easily resolved. This case study outlines some of the procedures used and the problems encountered. It also illustrates the value of the project, as well as some of the frustrations that can occur during the course of an applied ethnobiology project.
Gender differences in the association between mental health status, hypertension, and emergency department visits in the United States:

Hypertension has been found to be elevated in people with mental illness, and this comorbidity may lead to differential emergency department use by gender. Gender differences in this association we...
Cerium(IV) Enhances the Catalytic Oxidation Activityof Single-Site Cu Active Sites in MOFs

The rates of catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane and CO are 4 and 20 times higher, respectively, with Cu supported on a cerium-based metal–organic framework (MOF) than on the structurally analogous ...
Developing a Research Practice

This chapter describes the development of my research practice, which includes my theoretical framework, methodology, method of analysis, and quality criteria in my study. The theoretical framework is critical as it sets the stage for the methodology, which in my case was qualitative and thereby influenced my method of analyzing the data and my quality criteria.
Phenotypic size heterogeneity is a viral mechanism of persistence

Many enveloped animal viruses, including emerging human pathogens Ebola, Nipah, and Hendra viruses, produce a mixture of virus-particle sizes including very long, filamentous members. However, the function of the filamentous particles is unknown. The main impediments to characterizing viral filaments are their phenotypic origin (a single infecting particle gives rise to a range of particle sizes), difficulty of purifying particles to homogeneity according to their size, and the apparent lack of filament advantage in vitro. Influenza virus particles range in length by three orders of magnitude (~55 nm to ~30 μm). All influenza particles package at most a single genome, but the total number of the surface-exposed viral glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), and the HA/NA ratio scale with particle length. HA is the cell-entry protein of influenza, which mediates fusion between the viral and the endosomal membranes by the combined action of 3-5 active HA neighbors (fusion cluster). Here we identify influenza filaments as viral persisters increasing the probability of fusion-cluster formation and cell entry under HA-directed selective pressure. We fractionated viruses to enrich for spherical or filamentous particles and measured the single-particle kinetics of membrane fusion. As a surrogate for HA-directed selective pressure, we used a Fab fragment of a broadly neutralizing antibody that inactivates bound HA. In its presence, filamentous particles fuse more rapidly and more efficiently than do spherical ones. We show that the infectious advantage of filaments derives from their enhanced fusion efficiency rather than from rate effects. Filaments also offer universal protection from extreme HA inactivation. Our results show how the virus can adapt to any condition limiting HA function, and suggest targeting viral filaments as a strategy to prolong vaccine effectiveness or to thwart viral pandemic adaptation.
The association between anti-Müllerian hormone and vitamin 25(OH)D serum levels and polycystic ovarian syndrome in adolescent females.

High anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency have been associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in adult women, and implicated in its pathogenesis. Herein we determined if the level of both AMH and 25(OH)D are altered in adolescent females with clinical features of PCOS. This is a cross-sectional study utilizing a retrospective chart review of 128 patients aged 12–20 referred to an academic adolescent gynecology and endocrinology clinic for an evaluation of suspected PCOS. Unadjusted comparisons of AMH and 25(OH)D distributions between subjects with and without PCOS were performed using the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. Quantile regression was used to compare the median AMH and 25(OH)D between subject groups; adjusting for race, ethnicity, BMI, insurance type, age, and season when bloodwork was performed. Seventy-four subjects were classified as having PCOS by meeting ≥2 of the three Rotterdam diagnostic criteria, and 47 subjects met only one Rotterdam diagnostic criteria, and were used as the comparative non-PCOS group. There were statistically significant unadjusted differences in median levels of AMH and 25(OH)D. In the adjusted analyses, median AMH was significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to the non-PCOS group (+ 2.39 ng/mL, 95% CI 0.43, 4.35, p = 0.018); 25(OH)D was significantly lower in the PCOS group (− 9.01 ng/mL, 95% CI -14.49, − 3.53 p = 0.001). In our sample, adolescents in both groups had insufficient 25(OH)D level (22 ng/mL) and elevated BMI (32.2 kg/m2). Adolescents with PCOS display high levels of AMH and low 25(OH)D levels. Since traditional clinical markers of PCOS may be physiologic in adolescents, AMH and 25(OH)D may be used as surrogate markers of PCOS risk in adolescents.
Controls for University Fabrication Laboratories—Best Practices for Health and Safety

3D printing or more specifically fused deposition modeling is the process of using a computer-aided design to extrude filament through a heated nozzle into an object, in which particulates and chem...
Zernike integrated partial phase error reduction algorithm

Abstract A modification to the error reduction algorithm is reported in this paper for determining the prescription of an imaging system in terms of Zernike polynomials. The technique estimates the Zernike coefficients of the optical prescription as part of a modified Gerchberg-Saxton iteration combined with a new gradient-based phase unwrapping algorithm. Zernike coefficients are updated gradually as the error reduction algorithm converges by recovering the partial pupil phase that differed from the last known pupil phase estimate. In this way the wrapped phase emerging during each iteration of the error reduction algorithm does not represent the entire wrapped phase of the pupil electric field and can be unwrapped with greater ease. The algorithm is tested in conjunction with a blind deconvolution algorithm using measured laboratory data with a known optical prescription and is compared to a baseline approach utilizing a combination of the error reduction algorithm and a least-squares phase unwrapper previously reported in the literature. The combination of the modified error reduction algorithm and the new least-squares Zernike phase unwrapper is shown to produce superior performance for an application where it is desirable that Zernike coefficients be estimated during each iteration of the blind deconvolution procedure.
Social Support, Depression, and Anxiety in Female Adolescents: Associations and Profiles

Robust research indicates that social support is negatively associated with depression and anxiety. Less work has investigated social support as a network of support across sources like parents and classmates. Past work suggests that sources of support have differential associations with internalizing outcomes. More work exploring the differential associations between each source along with the cumulative network of social support and internalizing symptoms is warranted. In a sample of female adolescents, the current study explored (1) what patterns of social support across sources emerged, and (2) how do depressive and anxiety symptoms vary based on those social support patterns?. The study utilized Latent Profile Analysis on a sample of female adolescents from four different high schools (N = 143) to identify patterns of social support across sources. Parent support emerged as a unique, individual predictor of depressive symptoms. Five unique profiles of social support emerged. Profile membership was associated with reports of depression but not with reports of anxiety. Reports of depression differed by profile such that profiles with moderate support from most sources and low support from siblings had the highest levels of depressive symptoms. Social support is associated with symptoms of depression in female adolescents. The study highlights the importance of parent–child relationships for female adolescents and suggests that additional work on sibling support is warranted. The study promotes that the network of social support is an important factor to consider when researching associations between social support and internalizing outcomes.
Measuring Actual Practices: A Computational Analysis of LibGuides in Academic Libraries

This study investigates organizational patterns from 12,781 subject guides at 114 academic institutions, comparing practices evident on LibGuides with stated best practices from the literature of l...
PNS Analysis on Folded and Non-folded Gradient Coil Designs with a Coupled EM-Neurodynamic Simulation Method

The gradient coil (GC) is an essential component in MRI scanners as it provides linear Bz fields for spatial encoding. In advanced neuroimaging applications, head-only GCs have significant advantages over whole-body GCs. This is because the smaller GC can achieve higher gradient amplitude (Gmax) and higher slew rate (SR) more efficiently and usually also has a higher peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) threshold. With the advent of high levels of Gmax and SR to significantly improve the quality and geometric fidelity of structural and functional brain imaging, methodologies for PNS prediction and assessment become more critical for patient safety. In this work, we first designed one non-folded and one folded X-coil with the target field method [1] , then we utilized a coupled EM-neurodynamic simulation method to compare the PNS response of these two coils and further proposed a design with lower PNS risk by balancing electric field intensities in different part of the body.
Moroccan Arabic borrowed circumfix from Berber: investigating morphological categories in a language contact situation

Moroccan Arabic (MA) has a derivational noun circumfix /ta-...-t/ that is borrowed from the neighboring Berber languages. This circumfix is highly productive on native MA noun stems but not productive on borrowed Berber stems (which are rare in MA). This pattern of productivity is taken to be evidence in support of direct borrowing of morphology (c.f. Steinkruger and Seifart 2009) and against a theory where borrowed morphology enters a language as part of unanalyzed complex forms which later spread to native stems (c.f. Thomason and Kaufman 1988; Thomason 2001); furthermore, it challenges the principle of a "borrowability hierarchy" (c.f. Haugen 1950) where lexical morphemes are borrowed before grammatical morphemes. Additionally, the prefixal portion of the MA circumfix, ta-, is a complex (presumably unanalyzed) form from the Berber /t-/ feminine + /a-/ absolute state. Moreover, the morpheme in MA has been borrowed as a derivational morpheme while the primary functions of the donor morphemes in Berber are inflectional. This case of a borrowed circumfix is examined as an instance which does not conform to traditional typologies of language change through contact patterns and how the boundaries between morphological categories (i.e. inflectional/derivational) are transformed in a language contact situation.
The use of bite mark evidence as an investigative aid

The purpose of this research paper is to review the literature dealing with the handling and subsequent examination of bite marks. The approach taken will be to explain the various uses of bite marks as an investigative aid to law enforcement personnel.
Fine Structure of the Feeding Stage of A Sorogenic Ciliate, Sorogena Stoianovitchae Gen. N., Sp. N.

SYNOPSIS. A new species of kinetophragminophoran ciliate, collected from dried vegetation and capable of forming an aerial sorocarp, is described and named Sorogena stoianovitchae gen. n., sp. n. This ciliate is a voracious predator that feeds on species of Colpoda, and, when the latter is depleted in numbers, aggregates to forms sorogens. Each sorogen rises into the air from the surface of the water, forming a secreted stalk with a sorus of cysts at its apex. the feeding stage of the ciliate resembles an Enchelys in that it has an apical, slit-like mouth surrounded by a lip, a somewhat dorso-ventrally flattened body, and meridional kineties. Its length ranges from 40–75 μm and width from 23–55 μm. It has a typical rhabdos type of cytopharynx, but no specialized oral ciliature. the somatic kineties are formed of rows of paired kinetosomes with associated microfibrils, the arrangement of which differs a little from that of other ciliates of this subclass. Sorogena has tentatively been placed in the order Haptorida although it lacks toxicysts, recognizable mucocysts, and clavate cilia. Its unique life cycle and some of the details of its fine structure indicate differences between Sorogena and other haptorids so profound that a new family, SOROGENIDAE, is created for it. the type species (PNG76-73) was collected on dry figs at the Wau Ecology Institute, Papua New Guinea.
Robust execution of bipedal walking tasks from biomechanical principles

Effective use of robots in unstructured environments requires that they have sufficient autonomy and agility to execute task-level commands successfully. A challenging example of such a robot is a bipedal walking machine. Such a robot should be able to walk to a particular location within a particular time, while observing foot placement constraints, and avoiding a fall, if this is physically possible. Although stable walking machines have been built, the problem of task-level control, where the tasks have stringent state-space and temporal requirements, and where significant disturbances may occur, has not been studied extensively. This thesis addresses this problem through three objectives. The first is to devise a plan specification where task requirements are expressed in a qualitative form that provides for execution flexibility. The second is to develop a task-level executive that accepts such a plan, and outputs a sequence of control actions that result in successful plan execution. The third is to provide this executive with disturbance handling ability. Development of such an executive is challenging because the biped is highly nonlinear and has limited actuation due to its limited base of support. We address these challenges with three key innovations. To address the nonlinearity, we develop a dynamic virtual model controller to linearize the biped, and thus, provide an abstracted biped that is easier to control. The controller is model-based, but uses a sliding control technique to compensate for model inaccuracy. To address the under-actuation, our system generates flow tubes, which define valid operating regions in the abstracted biped. The flow tubes represent sets of state trajectories that take into account dynamic limitations due to under-actuation, and also satisfy plan requirements. The executive keeps trajectories in the flow tubes by adjusting a small number of control parameters for key state variables in the abstracted biped, such as center of mass. Additionally, our system uses a novel strategy that employs angular momentum to enhance translational controllability of the system's center of mass. We evaluate our approach using a high-fidelity biped simulation. Tests include walking with foot-placement constraints, kicking a soccer ball, and disturbance recovery. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Realization of dual-gated Ge- SixGe1-x core-shell nanowire field effect transistors with highly doped source and drain

We demonstrate dual-gated germanium (Ge)-silicon germanium (SixGe1−x) core-shell nanowire (NW) field effect transistors (FETs) with highly doped source (S) and drain (D). A high-κ HfO2 gate oxide was deposited on the NW by atomic layer deposition, followed by TaN gate metal deposition. The S and D regions of NW were then doped using low energy (3 keV) boron (B) ion implantation with a dose of 1015 cm−2. The electrical characteristics of these devices exhibit up to two orders of magnitude higher current and an improved ON/OFF current ratio by comparison to dual-gated NW FET with undoped S/D.
The relationship of spawning mode to conservation of North American minnows (Cyprinidae)

Approximately 20% of North American minnows are considered imperiled. The factors responsible for imperilment in this group are complex, but the relationship of spawning mode to conservation of North American minnows has not been explored. I provide a summary of the spawning modes of imperiled North American minnows, discuss patterns between these modes and conservation status, and predict the spawning modes for several poorly-known imperiled species. Of the 46 species of North American minnows that are imperiled, spawning modes are known for only 13 species. All spawning modes are represented in the imperiled group of minnows except mound-building and egg-clustering, and with the exception of crevice-spawners and pit-ridge-builders, the percentage of imperiled minnows in each category of spawning mode is roughly proportional to the percentage of minnows in that category overall. Species with complex spawning modes, such as mound-building, pit-building and egg-clustering, are among the most common fishes in North American streams. This pattern suggests that there is a relationship between parental care and success (lack of imperilment) in minnows. Spawning mode is an important consideration in the formulation of recovery plans and proactive conservation efforts.
Nonlinear response to a click in a time-domain model of the mammalian ear

In this paper, a state-space implementation of a previously developed frequency-domain model of the cochlea is coupled to a lumped parameter model of the middle ear. After validation of the time-domain model by comparison of its steady-state response to results obtained with a frequency-domain formulation, the nonlinear response of the cochlea to clicks is investigated. As observed experimentally, a compressive nonlinearity progressively develops within the first few cycles of the response of the basilar membrane (BM). Furthermore, a time-frequency analysis shows that the instantaneous frequency of the BM response to a click progressively approaches the characteristic frequency. This phenomenon, called glide, is predicted at all stimulus intensities, as in experiments. In typical experiments with sensitive animals, the click response is characterized by a long ringing and the response envelope includes several lobes. In order to achieve similar results, inhomogeneities are introduced in the cochlear model. Simulations demonstrate the strong link between characteristics of the frequency response, such as dispersion and frequency-dependent nonlinearity, and characteristics of the time-domain response, such as the glide and a time-dependent nonlinearity. The progressive buildup of cochlear nonlinearity in response to a click is shown to be a consequence of the glide and of frequency-dependent nonlinearity.
Effect of quinine on autoreceptor-regulated serotonin release in the rat hippocampus.

Abstract The involvement of K+ channels in the autoregulation of terminal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) release was investigated by microdialysis in the hippocampus of conscious rats. Extracellular 5-HT was increased concentration-dependently by the K+ channel blocker quinine (10, 100 and 1000 μM in perfusate), and tetrodotoxin (10 μM) but not fluoxetine (5 μM) exerted a partially attenuating influence. The 5-HT1/2/6 receptor antagonist methiothepin (50 μM) increased dialysate 5-HT, most likely through 5-HT1B autoreceptors tonically activated in the hippocampus of awake rats as opposed to the previously reported lack of effect 5-HT1B autoreceptor blockade in anesthetized rats. The effect of methiothepin was greatly reduced by preperfusion with quinine (100 μM), consonant with a role for quinine-sensitive K+ channels in the autoregulation of 5-HT release in the hippocampus by 5-HT receptor antagonism. In contrast, the reduction in dialysate 5-HT induced by the 5-HT1 receptor agonist RU 24969 (1 μM), in the presence of fluoxetine (5 μM), persisted in the co-presence of quinine, consonant with the involvement of (extrasynaptic?) 5-HT autoreceptors not coupled with quinine-sensitive K+ channels.
Time-Resolved, Step-Scan FTIR Spectroscopy of Excited States of Transition Metal Complexes

Abstract Time-resolved, step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been developed as a method of studying electronically excited states of transition metal complexes. The technique takes advantage of the unique properties of carbonyl and cyanide stretching vibrations, including high infrared oscillator strength and well established sensitivity of vibrational frequency, intensity, and bandwidth to electronic and molecular structure. Electronic excitation generally produces significant transient infrared absorption changes which are characteristic of the changes in electronic structure, such as oxidation of the metal. TRIR spectroscopy thus provides new insight on the nature of the excited state transition (e.g. charge transfer vs. ligand centered), the extent of charge transfer, communication between metal centers, and energy and electron transfer processes. The step-scan FTIR approach has significant advantages over conventional time-resolved techniques, including spectral multiplexing, increas...
Landsat-7 and Landsat-5 Thermal Band Calibration Updates

ABSTRACT Landsat-7 ETM+, launched in April 1999, and Landsat-5 TM, launched in 1984, both have a single thermal band. Both instruments thermal band calibrations have been updated: ETM+ in 2001 for a pre-launch calibration error and TM in 2007 for data acquired since the current era of vicarious ca libration has been in place (1999) . This year, the vicarious calibration teams have made regular collects of very hot targets, and have been able to make use of archived buoy data to extend the TM calibration back in time. The new data has made it clear that both instruments require slight adjustments in their thermal calibration coefficients. These new coefficien ts will be generated and put into the operational processing system to remove the calibration errors. The JPL vicarious calibration team has long operated automated buoys on Lake Tahoe for the purpose of vicarious calibration. This year, the Salton Sea station came on line. Salton Sea, located in southern California, gets far hotter than Lake Tahoe. Vicarious calibration results of the Salton Sea for both instruments added to the understanding of a small gain error that the Tahoe data had suggested. With the Salton Sea data, an ETM+ gain error became statistically significant. Though it causes errors as large as 1.2K at high temperatures (35C), at more usual earth temperatures (4-20C) the calibration error is within the noise of the calibration methodology (+/-0.6K). With an ETM+ calibration update, the RMSE will be +/-0.6K for all temperatures. The RIT vicarious calibration team mined the archive of the NOAA National Data Buoy Center for sites on the Great Lakes and in the Atlantic Ocean where buoy data was regularly available between 1984 and 2007 and there were radiosonde data within close proximity to allow for atmosphe ric correction. Four Landsat scenes were chosen and the study made use of almost 200 separate acquisitions of these scenes. The technique was first tested with Landsat-7 data, and was shown to be as reliable as the standard RIT vicarious calibration methods. The TM calibration was largely unmonitored for most if its lifetime. The buoy results sugges t a lifetime error in gain and a change in the offset after 1997. The 2007 TM calibration update accounted for much of the offset error but was only implemented for data acquired after 1999. With the additional buoy data, the ca libration will be corrected for the earlier time period and the result will be a consistent calibration to within +/-0.6K for the lifetime of the TM. Keywords: Landsat, radiometry, calibration, thermal
A DICOM document-oriented approach to PACS infrastructure

The need for long-term storage requires the future migration of image data from a PACS to its successor system. This paper considers the cost of such migration. It is proposed that storage of data as “documents” in DICOM Part 10 formats on industrystandard media could reduce the time and cost of data migration relative to on-line DICOM transfer. The relation to present efforts in developing document-oriented electronic patient records is discussed. DICOM Part 10 files are found to be a sufficient representation of image documents, but additional software tools will be needed to reach its full potential. There is a significant cost benefit of the document storage method, but it is one of many factors which must be balanced in the selection of a PACS.
Enhancement of water-gas-shift conversion via externally imposed temperature profiles: Comparison of linear, convex and Gaussian profiles

Abstract Microchemical systems enable the creation of reproducible and tunable temperature profiles, owing to their inherently low thermal inertia. An externally imposed decreasing temperature profile may be employed to enhance exothermic, equilibrium-limited chemical reactions by continuously balancing equilibrium limitations against kinetics along the reactor length, in comparison to isothermal operation. In this manuscript, the authors provide a side-by-side theoretical comparison of three archetypical temperature profiles (linear, convex and Gaussian) and their influence upon the water-gas-shift reaction over an appropriate range of microreactor parameters. Comparison of optimal designs identified over a broad range of temperature profile magnitude and shape with the reference case of an isothermal reactor operating at the maximum gradient temperature indicates that imposition of a temperature profile is a useful means for enhancing the performance of a pre-existing reactor design by enabling (i) an increase in CO conversion without change in capacity, or (ii) an increase in reactor capacity with no reduction in CO conversion. Comparison of optimal designs against a reference case of an isothermal reactor operating at the minimum gradient demonstrates the volume-efficiency of the optimized reactor design; lastly, analysis indicates that for each gradient shape studied (linear, convex, Gaussian) there exists a range of viable operating conditions capable of achieving CO conversions in excess of the equilibrium conversion corresponding to the average temperature of the temperature profile.
X-ray crystal structure of a hindered 7-cis isomer of vitamin A. 7-cis-8-fluororetinal

Abstract The X-ray crystal structure of the title compound is the first for a hindered 7-cis isomer in the vitamin A series. The structural data show a simultaneous twisting of the 6,7-single bond that defines the ring-chain conformation (54°) and the adjacent 8,9-bond (30° for the 7,8–9,10 dihedral angle). The critical distance between the center of the cyclohexenyl ring and the carbonyl carbon is 11.1 A, a value in between those of the binding isomers (11-cis and 9-cis) and the non-binding all-trans in interaction with the visual protein opsin.
Behavioral neuropsychology: Past, present, and future direction with organically based affect/mood disorders

Affective/mood disturbances have been widely described in association with central nervous system dysfunction. There have been multiple divergent viewpoints regarding the origin of these disorders, however. This is not surprising, as theories evolve in relation to our degree of technological advancement. This review describes the evolution of some of these views, and discusses the advantages of behavioral neuropsychology as an effective approach to assessment/treatment in this context. Although there have been few articles published describing the use of behaviorally based approaches to treat these disorders, it is thought that this approach shows promise, particularly when combined with information based on neuropsychological assessment data. Future directions for the continued evolution of this field are outlined.
Physical chemical properties of oral drug candidates in the discovery and exploratory development settings

Abstract The advent of automated in vitro screening of hundreds of thousands of compounds has introduced biases into the drug discovery process that have significant implications for subsequent drug development. Screening biases that impact oral absorption adversely are discussed, and approaches are suggested for the prediction, assessment and communication of absorption-related physical chemical properties in drug discovery and exploratory development.
Detection of Bartonella henselae in the blood of 2 adult horses.

Background: Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic agents that have been found in a wide variety of domestic animals and wildlife and cause a number of clinical syndromes. Bartonella sp. infection has been identified in a growing number of animal species, including cats, rodents, porpoises, and canids, but has not been reported in horses. Objective: To document the presence of Bartonella sp. in the blood of horses. Animals: One horse with chronic arthropathy and 1 horse with presumptive vasculitis. Methods: Blood samples were tested for the presence of Bartonella sp. by a combination of multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction and enrichment culture technique. Results: Bartonella henselae was isolated or detected in the blood of both horses. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Bartonella henselae infection should be investigated as the cause of disease in horses.
Perceptions and preferences of commercial fishers for dedicated access privilege framework in a multispecies fishery

Abstract The decline of the world's fisheries and the inability of traditional management frameworks to maintain them, has led managers to adopt alternative management frameworks. The use of dedicated access privileges have often been shown to have varying popularity among factions within the commercial fishing industry and managers. Here, we examine commercial fishers' preference for alternative management frameworks in the context of a unique multispecies fisheries of the Florida Keys. By surveying commercial fishers, we find that that the size of operation plays no role in affecting fisher perception regarding dedicated access privileges. Furthermore, fishers who are organized are less likely to support dedicated access privilege frameworks. Overall, we do not find enough support in the fishing industry for the implementation of dedicated access privileges in the Florida Keys. These findings can provide inputs in developing effective management plans in the region.
Synaptic excitation is regulated by the postsynaptic dSK channel at the Drosophila larval NMJ

In the mammalian central nervous system, the postsynaptic small-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ (SK) channel has been shown to reduce postsynaptic depolarization and limit Ca2+ influx through N-methy...
Student Evaluation of Faculty:Psychometric Validity of Court's Views

In two previous papers, it was noted that while a controversial history of research on the reliability and validity of student evaluation of faculty (SEF) exists, it has not been typically viewed as an infringement on academic freedom, promotion, reappointment, and tenure rights. As a consequence, legal aspects of SEF are neither readily apparent, nor available. Legal rulings, their implications and assumptions in relation to their accuracy and psychometric validity where SEF are integral to the denial of academic freedom, tenure, promotion, and reappointment are reviewed along with the legal principles of Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact, and the scientific Precautionary Principle in policy decisions.
Decoupling Optical and Potentiometric Band Gaps in π-Conjugated Materials

Syntheses, optical spectroscopy, potentiometric studies, and electronic structural calculations are reported for two classes of conjugated (porphinato)metal oligomers that feature a meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged linkage topology. One set of these systems, bis[(5,5‘-10,20-bis[3,5-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]ethyne (DD), 5,15-bis[[5‘-10‘,20‘-bis[3,5-di(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]ethynyl]-10,20-bis[3,5-di(9-methoxy-1,4,7-trioxanonyl)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II) (DDD), and 5,15-bis[[15‘ ‘-(5‘-10‘,20‘-bis[3,5-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-butyloxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]-[(5‘ ‘-10‘ ‘,20‘ ‘-bis[3,5-di(9-methoxy-1,4,7-trioxanonyl)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]ethyne]ethynyl]-10,20-bis[3,5-di(9-methoxy-1,4,7-trioxanonyl)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II) (DDDDD), constitute highly soluble analogues of previously studied examples of this structural motif having simple 10,20-diaryl substituents, while a corresponding set of conjugated oligomers, [(5-10,20-bis[3,5-bis(3,3-dimethyl-1-buty...
Multi-institutional practice patterns and outcomes in uncomplicated gastroschisis: A report from the University of California Fetal Consortium (UCfC)

Abstract Background/Purpose Gastroschisis is a resource-intensive birth defect without consensus regarding optimal surgical and medical management. We sought to determine best-practice guidelines by examining differences in multi-institutional practices and outcomes. Methods Site-specific practice patterns were queried, and infant–maternal chart review was retrospectively performed for gastroschisis infants treated at 5 UCfC institutions (2007–2012). The primary outcome was length of stay. Univariate analysis was done to assess variation practices and outcomes by site. Multivariate models were constructed with site as an instrumental variable and with sites grouped by silo practice pattern adjusting for confounding factors. Results Of 191 gastroschisis infants, 164 infants were uncomplicated. Among uncomplicated patients, there were no deaths and only one case of necrotizing enterocolitis. Bivariate analysis revealed significant differences in practices and outcomes by site. Despite wide variations in practice patterns, there were no major differences in outcome among sites or by silo practice, after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusions Wide variability exists in institutional practice patterns for infants with gastroschisis, but poor outcomes were not associated with expeditious silo or primary closure, avoidance of routine paralysis, or limited central line and antibiotic durations. Development of clinical pathways incorporating these practices may help standardize care and reduce health care costs.
High Incidence of Non-Random Template Strand Segregation and Asymmetric Fate Determination In Dividing Stem Cells and their Progeny

Decades ago, the “immortal strand hypothesis” was proposed as a means by which stem cells might limit acquiring mutations that could give rise to cancer, while continuing to proliferate for the life of an organism. Originally based on observations in embryonic cells, and later studied in terms of stem cell self-renewal, this hypothesis has remained largely unaccepted because of few additional reports, the rarity of the cells displaying template strand segregation, and alternative interpretations of experiments involving single labels or different types of labels to follow template strands. Using sequential pulses of halogenated thymidine analogs (bromodeoxyuridine [BrdU], chlorodeoxyuridine [CldU], and iododeoxyuridine [IdU]), and analyzing stem cell progeny during induced regeneration in vivo, we observed extraordinarily high frequencies of segregation of older and younger template strands during a period of proliferative expansion of muscle stem cells. Furthermore, template strand co-segregation was strongly associated with asymmetric cell divisions yielding daughters with divergent fates. Daughter cells inheriting the older templates retained the more immature phenotype, whereas daughters inheriting the newer templates acquired a more differentiated phenotype. These data provide compelling evidence of template strand co-segregation based on template age and associated with cell fate determination, suggest that template strand age is monitored during stem cell lineage progression, and raise important caveats for the interpretation of label-retaining cells.
A Mechanical Model for Radial Keratotomy: Toward a Predictive Capability

A detailed three-dimensional finite element model for radial keratotomy has been developed. The model includes the full load-bearing tunic of the eye and employs realistic geometry. Incisions are modeled explicitly, and material parameters are obtained from in vivo data. Calculated results obtained with the model are compared with data from two independent medical studies on radial keratotomy.
Stroke/International Stroke Conference Collaboration

See related article, pages 1952–1962. In this issue of Stroke, the articles by Broderick et al1 and Sandvei et al2 represent the culmination of a new initiative between the Journal and the International Stroke Conference (ISC), recently held …
Impact of tillage and fertilizer application method on gas emissions in a corn cropping system

Abstract Tillage and fertilization practices used in row crop production are thought to alter greenhouse gas emissions from soil. This study was conducted to determine the impact of fertilizer sources, land management practices, and fertilizer placement methods on greenhouse gas (CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O) emissions. A new prototype implement developed for applying poultry litter in subsurface bands in the soil was used in this study. The field site was located at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center in the Appalachian Plateau region of northeast Alabama, USA, on a Hartsells fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Hapludults). Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions followed GRACEnet (greenhouse gas reduction through agricultural carbon enhancement network) protocols to assess the effects of different tillage (conventional vs. no-tillage) and fertilizer placement (subsurface banding vs. surface application) practices in a corn ( Zea mays L.) cropping system. Fertilizer sources were urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN), ammonium nitrate (AN) and poultry litter (M) applied at a rate of 170 kg ha −1 of available N. Banding of fertilizer resulted in the greatest concentration of gaseous loss (CO 2 and N 2 O) compared to surface applications of fertilizer. Fertilizer banding increased CO2 and N2O loss on various sampling days throughout the season with poultry litter banding emitting more gas than UAN banding. Conventional tillage practices also resulted in a higher concentration of CO 2 and N 2 O loss when evaluating tillage by sampling day. Throughout the course of this study, CH 4 flux was not affected by tillage, fertilizer source, or fertilizer placement method. These results suggest that poultry litter use and banding practices have the potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions.