cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical layer considerations for wideband cognitive radio

Next generation cognitive radios will benefit from the capability of transmitting and receiving communications waveforms across many disjoint frequency channels spanning hundreds of megahertz of bandwidth. The information theoretic advantages of multi-channel operation for cognitive radio (CR), however, come at the expense of stringent linearity requirements on the analog transmit and receive hardware. This paper presents the quantitative advantages of multi-channel operation for next generation CR, and the advanced digital compensation algorithms to mitigate transmit and receive nonlinearities that enable broadband multi-channel operation. Laboratory measurements of the improvement in the performance of a multi-channel CR communications system operating below 2 GHz in over 500 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth are presented.
Regulated Expression and Inhibitory Function of FcγRIIb in Human Monocytic Cells

Human monocytes/macrophages express three classes of receptors for IgG: FcgammaRI, FcgammaRII, and FcgammaRIII. The expression and function of these receptors has been extensively studied with the exception of one, FcgammaRIIb. While the mRNA for FcgammaRIIb has been detected in human monocytes, the protein has remained elusive. Studies in mouse models indicated that the macrophage FcgammaRIIb serves to down-regulate FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis and immune complex-induced inflammation. FcgammaRIIb has also been shown to modulate the action of cytotoxic antibodies against tumors in mouse models. Hence, an understanding of how FcgammaRIIb expression is regulated is of great importance. Here we demonstrate for the first time FcgammaRIIb protein expression and function in human monocytes. We also report that the expression of FcgammaRIIb is highly up-regulated by interleukin-4, a Th2 cytokine, and that the up-regulation of FcgammaRIIb results in a decrease in the phagocytic efficiency of interleukin-4-treated THP-1 cells. Furthermore co-clustering FcgammaRIIb with FcgammaRIIa resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of the inositol phosphatase SHIP, association of SHIP with Shc, and phosphorylation of additional proteins around 120 and 60-65 kDa, with a concomitant attenuation of Akt activation. We, therefore, propose that FcgammaRIIb serves to inhibit FcgammaRI/IIa-mediated macrophage activation using SHIP as its effector.
The broken heart syndrome: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

First described in 1990, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy consists of a transient systolic dysfunction of localized segments of the left ventricle. Commonly occurring in postmenopausal women, Takotsubo is often associated with intense physical and/or emotional stress. It is traditionally identified by distinctive wall motion patterns on transthoracic echocardiogram and left ventriculography. Further understanding of the disease mechanisms and recognition of at-risk populations has potentially tremendous therapeutic benefit.
Student Attitudes, Satisfaction, and Learning in a Collaborative Testing Environment*

Introduction: This study examined the effect of collaborative testing on student learning, attitude toward testing, and course satisfaction at a chiropractic college. Methods: The study compared testing performance between two cohorts of students taking an advanced neuroanatomy course: a control group (n = 78) and an experimental group (n = 80). Scores examined for each cohort included sums of quizzes, examination scores, and a comprehensive final examination. The control cohort completed weekly quizzes as individuals, while the experimental cohort completed the quizzes collaboratively in small groups. Both cohorts completed three unit examinations and the comprehensive final examination as individuals. Additionally, pretest–posttest and delayed posttest scores were examined. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) (including repeated measures MANCOVA) were used for statistical analysis. Results: The experimental cohort scored significantly higher compa...
Stay out of My Forum! Evaluating Firm Involvement in Online Ratings Communities

As online review systems become increasingly prevalent it is imperative for companies to evaluate their involvement in online ratings. Despite the widespread popularity of online ratings among consumers and firms alike, the business value that such systems bring to organizations, and the degree to which these organizations should be involved in filtering these reviews, remains unanswered questions. This paper addresses these questions by studying the relationship between a firm's online product ratings and the purchases made on their Website. We find that the online ratings on a Website are significantly correlated with online purchases. In addition, we find that a firms' filtering strategy for online reviews affects the impact of these ratings on purchases. The results of our work provide evidence that firms must think very carefully about their filtering policies for online reviews; the strategy that a firm implements in filtering their online reviews could indeed affect their bottom line
An Analysis of Thaumarchaeota Populations from the Northern Gulf of Mexico

We sampled Thaumarchaeota populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including shelf waters under the Mississippi River outflow plume that are subject to recurrent hypoxia. Data from this study allowed us to: 1) test the hypothesis that Thaumarchaeota would be abundant in this region; 2) assess phylogenetic composition of these populations for comparison with other regions; 3) compare the efficacy of quantitative PCR (qPCR) based on primers for 16S rRNA genes (rrs) with primers for genes in the ammonia oxidation (amoA) and carbon fixation (accA, hcd) pathways; 4) compare distributions obtained by qPCR with the relative abundance of Thaumarchaeota rrs in pyrosequenced libraries; 5) compare Thaumarchaeota distributions with environmental variables to help us elucidate the factors responsible for the distributions; 6) compare the distribution of Thaumarchaeota with Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria (NOB) to gain insight into the coupling between ammonia and nitrite oxidation. We found up to 108 copies L-1 of Thaumarchaeota rrs in our samples (up to 40% of prokaryotes) by qPCR, with maximum abundance in slope waters at 200-800 m. Thaumarchaeota rrs were also abundant in pyrosequenced libraries and their relative abundance correlated well with values determined by qPCR (r2=0.82). Thaumarchaeota populations were strongly stratified by depth. Canonical correspondence analysis using a suite of environmental variables explained 92% of the variance in qPCR-estimated gene abundances. Thaumarchaeota rrs abundance was correlated with salinity and depth, while accA abundance correlated with fluorescence and pH. Correlations of Archaeal amoA abundance with environmental variables were primer-dependent, suggesting differential responses of sub-populations to environmental variables. Bacterial amoA was at the limit of qPCR detection in most samples. NOB and Euryarchaeota rrs were found in the pyrosequenced libraries; NOB distribution was correlated with that of Thaumarchaeota (r2=0.49)
Crystal Structure of RAIDD Death Domain Implicates Potential Mechanism of PIDDosome Assembly

Caspase-2 is implicated in stress-induced apoptosis that acts as an upstream initiator of mitochondrial permeabilization. Recent studies have shown that caspase-2 activation requires a molecular complex known as the PIDDosome comprising the p53-inducible protein PIDD, the adapter protein RAIDD and caspase-2. RAIDD has an N-terminal caspase recruitment domain (CARD) that interacts with the CARD of caspase-2 and a C-terminal death domain (DD) that interacts with the DD in PIDD. As a first step towards elucidating the molecular mechanisms of caspase-2 activation, we report the crystal structure of RAIDD DD at 2.0 A resolution. The high-resolution structure reveals important features of RAIDD DD that may be important for DD folding and dynamics and for assembly of the PIDDosome.
Bidirectional reflectance distribution function effects in ladar-based reflection tomography

Light reflection from a surface is described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). In this paper, BRDF effects in reflection tomography are studied using modeled range-resolved reflection from well-characterized geometrical surfaces. It is demonstrated that BRDF effects can cause a darkening at the interior boundary of the reconstructed surface analogous to the well-known beam hardening artifact in x-ray transmission computed tomography (CT). This artifact arises from reduced reflection at glancing incidence angles to the surface. It is shown that a purely Lambertian surface without shadowed components is perfectly reconstructed from range-resolved measurements. This result is relevant to newly fabricated carbon nanotube materials. Shadowing is shown to cause crossed streak artifacts similar to limited-angle effects in CT reconstruction. In tomographic reconstruction, these effects can overwhelm highly diffuse components in proximity to specularly reflecting elements. Diffuse components can be recovered by specialized processing, such as reducing glints via thresholded measurements.
Use of the modified WAIS-R with psychiatric inpatients: a caution.

Summary.-Use of the Modified WAIS-R described by Cella in 1984 with psychiatric inpatients was criticized on several grounds. First, the modification did not accurately identify areas of relative cognitive strength and weakness. An accuracy rate of 49% was considered unacceptable for interpretation of individual profiles, the task the WAIS-RM was originally designed to Second, use of the WAIS-RM does not significantly reduce total administration time. For the majority of 70 psychiatric inpatients, at least 80% of the WAIS-R items would be administered, resulting in saving just fifteen minutes. Finally, an inpatient's confidence and motivation to perform well could be compromised by skipping earlier, easier items. Administration of the fuU WAIS-R battery is recommended if a discussion of relative strengths and weaknesses is desired. To decrease the time required to obtain an accurate estimate of intellectual functioning, psychologists have shortened the WAIS-R (Wechsler, 1981) by using either selected subtests or selected items (Watkins, 1986). Subtest-reduction short forms attempt to provide an estimate of over-all intellectual functioning by administering every item of a selected number of subtests (Brooker & Cyr, 1986; Ishikuma & Kaufman, 1989; Reynolds, Wilson, & Clark, 1983; Silverstein, 1982, 1990b), resulting in a 53 to 86% reduction in administration time (Ryan & Rosenberg, 1984; Thompson, Howard, & Anderson, 1986; Ward, Selby, & Clark, 1987). Using a subtest-reduction approach, the clinician's task is to provide an estimate of global intellectual functioning, with no attention given to interpretation of the intersubtest profile. If a discussion of relative cognitive strengths and weaknesses is desired, advocates of the subtest-reduction approach encourage the administration of the standard WAIS-R (Kaufman, 1990; Sattler, 1788; Silverstein, 1990a; Watkins, 1986). In contrast, proponents of the item-reduction approach contend that referrals rarely seek only an estimate of the Full Scale IQ. In most cases, the referral also seeks statements regarding areas of relative intellectual strength and weakness (Cella, 1984; Himelstein, 1983; Satz & Mogel, 1962; Vincent, 1979). Instead of administering every item from a selected number of subtests, item-reduction techniques call for the administration of selected items from every subtest. This approach allows retention of some informa'I thank all the psychologists and psychology interns at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital for
Spectral Measurements of Alfalfa/Grass Fields Related to Forage Properties and Species Composition

ABSTRACT The relationship between plant canopy reflectance and plant nutritive value has not been extensively investigated. The goal of this study was to relate spectral canopy reflectance to plant nutritive value and species composition. Multiple grass/alfalfa fields were analyzed using a field spectrometer, and then species composition, forage nutritive quality, and plant biomass were determined. Derivative analyses of spectra as well as narrow-band vegetation indices were used to examine the relationship between canopy reflectance and plant biophysical properties. Derivative analysis found a high correlation between high-order derivatives at multiple wavelengths and some plant properties, which include species composition and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Wavelengths in the red region and between the red and near-infrared region of the spectrum showed the highest correlation in the derivative analysis. Analysis of whole canopy reflectance using spectroscopy may provide a quick, nondestructive method t...
Leveraging thermal storage to cut the electricity bill for datacenter cooling

The electricity cost of cooling systems can account for 30% of the total electricity bill of operating a data center. While many prior studies have tried to reduce the cooling energy in data centers, they cannot effectively utilize the time-varying power prices in the power market to cut the electricity bill of data center cooling. Thermal storage techniques have provided opportunities to store cooling energy in ice or water-based tanks or overcool the data center when the power price is relatively low. Consequently, when the power price is high, data centers can choose to use less electricity from power grid for cooling, resulting in a significantly reduced electricity bill.In this paper, we design and evaluate TStore, a cooling strategy that leverages thermal storage to cut the electricity bill for cooling, without causing servers in a data center to overheat. TStore checks the low prices in the hourahead power market and overcools the thermal masses in the datacenter, which can then absorb heat when the power price increases later. On a longer time scale, TStore is integrated with auxiliary thermal storage tanks, which are recently adopted by some data-centers to store energy in the form of ice when the power price is low at night, such that the stored ice can be used to cool the datacenter in daytime. We model the impacts of TStore on server temperatures based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to consider the realistic thermal dynamics in a data center with 1,120 servers. We then evaluate TStore using workload traces from real-world data centers and power price traces from a real power market. Our results show that TStore achieves the desired cooling performance with a 16.8% less electricity bill than the current practice.
Chirality and vacancy effect on phonon dispersion of MoS 2 with strain

Abstract With the first principles theory calculations, we reveal the strain, chirality and defect effects to the mechanical properties, phonon dispersion, and structural stability of monolayer MoS2. Phonon dispersion relation is calculated based on the lattice dynamics theory. Chirality effect is trivial to the Young's modulus at zero strain but significant to the ultimate strength and Poisson's ratio, regardless of the defects. A phonon band gap of 49 cm−1 exists in the perfect MoS2 lattice, and reduces to 30.6 cm−1 in the MoS2 lattice with two sulfur missing vacancy. The phonon band gap reduces with the increasing of tensile strain, regardless of chirality. The failure mode is investigated near the ultimate tensile strength of both the perfect MoS2 lattice and the MoS2 lattice with two sulfur missing vacancy. Regardless of the defect, elastic instability and structural instability are identified for the MoS2 in zigzag direction tension test and armchair direction tension test, respectively. Based on the weakly linear component in the flextural acoustic mode of phonon dispersion, we evaluate the intrinsic critical compressive strain of buckling to be ϵ C = − 2.0 % ± 0.5 % for the perfect MoS2 lattice and demonstrate it numerically from first principles theory calculation.
SONG PATTERN VARIATION IN THE SAGE SPARROW (AMPHISPIZA BELLI): DIALECTS OR EPIPHENOMENA?

ABSTmcT.--I investigated variation in the songs of Sage Sparrows (Amphispiza belli) breeding in the northwestern Great Basin over a 3-yr period. Individuals sang a single song type, which did not change during the day, through the breeding season, or between years. Although different individuals and populations differed in song parameters such as dura- tion, delivery rate, and notes and note types per song, these variations exhibited no overall patterns with respect to geography or habitat. Similarity matrices based upon the sequential arrangement of note types in songs were used to draw comparisons within and between populations. Within-population vocal similarity of individuals varied considerably, from populations in which most neighboring individuals sang similar or identical songs to sit- uations in which most individuals sang quite different songs; in one population, song variation was arrayed in "neighborhoods" of 3-5 individuals sharing similar songs, which differed markedly from those of adjacent clusters of individuals. Song variation between populations was significantly greater than that within popula- tions. Some populations located close to one another shared many song elements and pat- terns, but other nearby populations were totally different and showed greater similarity with populations located some distance away. The degree of song similarity between pop- ulations was neither a simple function of the physical distance between the populations, nor was it related to the distribution of topographic barriers in this region. Populations with greater between-individual dissimilarity in song patterns were also more variable from one year to the next and occurred in habitats of lower vegetation stature and greater patch- iness. Generally, however, the patterns of vocal variation within and between populations were unrelated to features of habitat structure, to the densities of Sage Sparrows or of other coexisting species, or to avian community attributes. I suggest that Sage Sparrows may have a simple, single-song repertoire because the song serves simple functions, and selection favoring a more elaborate song may be absent. The variety of patterns of within- and between-population vocal similarity may be associated with differences in population turnover rates, song ontogeny, dominance relationships, and dispersal, all of which require documentation to establish the foundations of vocal variation in this system (and others). The variety of population patterns, however, argues against a
Seasonal and Nonseasonal ARMA Models in Hydrology

The ARMA (autoregressive moving average) processes may be fitted to stationarized series obtained by subtraction of the seasonal means and division by the seasonal standard deviations. This standardization is effective in removing the cyclicities in the means and in the variances, but the ensemble cross-correlations are virtually unchanged. A modified family of ARMA models is presented in which the seasonality of the means, the variances, and the cross-variances are preserved. The model has seasonally varying coefficients based upon seasonally varying serial correlation coefficients. To further preserve the characteristics of the historical series, the probability distribution of the random numbers used for data generation should be similar to those of the residuals of the stochastic model. The ARMA models have been applied to 20 daily, weekly, and monthly runoff series for watersheds in the lower Ohio Basin.
Rediscovery of Figured Paleogene Echinoid Specimens from Clark and Martin (1901)

Clark and Martin (1901), in their study of the Paleogene deposits of Maryland, figured drawings of a fragment of a spatangoid echinoid from the Lower Eocene Nanjemoy Formation and a broken echinoid spine from the Upper Paleocene Aquia Formation. Echinoids are an important element of Paleogene faunas in the eastern United States, but these are the only reported occurrences of this age from either Maryland or Virginia and are therefore significant to the understanding of the evolution and paleogeography of echinoids in this region. The figured specimens …
A Comparison of Mechanical Engineering and Biology Students’ Ideation and Bioinspired Design Abilities

Bioinspired design uses nature as a source of inspiration for creating solutions to engineering design problems. Nature evolves time-tested, efficient designs that may offer an innovative solution. However, it appears that one of the main obstacles to bioinspired design is the engineers’ lack of biological knowledge, which causes difficulty in identifying analogous natural systems for the design problems. In this paper, we compare the ability of senior engineering and biology undergraduates to use nature as inspiration for concept generation. The two groups’ solutions were analyzed for quantity of non-redundant ideas, quality, novelty, and variety of the solutions. The initial results indicate that there is not a statistically significant difference between the two groups. General trends are examined, and a qualitative study of the results is presented. The overall results suggest that biology coursework does not significantly aid students in identifying analogous biological systems or developing more creative solutions.
Current state of 3D printing in tissue engineering

Faiz Y Bhora* Department of Thoracic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Health System, 1468 Madison Avenue, NY 10029, USA *Author for correspondence: fybhora@CHPNET.ORG First draft submitted: 22 December 2015; Accepted for publication: 23 December 2015; Published online: 22 January 2016 “As our understanding of stem cell biology, biomaterials and rapid prototyping technology gets more advanced, we expect to see a bigger and a more exciting role of 3D printing in the realm of tissue engineering and regeneration. We also anticipate that 4D printing will be the next frontier in this rapidly evolving field...”
Africans on the Move : Migration, Diaspora and Development Nexus

Preface 1. What if diasporas didn't think about development?: a critical approach of the international discourse on migration and development 2. 'Saving the Congo': transnational social fields and politics of home in the Congolese diaspora 3. Immigrants and transnational engagement in the diaspora: Ghana associations in Italy and the United Kingdom 4. Guinea-Bissau immigrant transnationalism in Portugal: A substitute for a failed state? 5. Being here and there: migrant communities in Sweden and the conflicts in the Horn of Africa 6. From 'remittance' to 'tax': the shifting meaning and strategies of capture of the Eritrean transnational party-state 7. Transnational mobility, social capital and cosmopolitan women traders in Ghana 8. 'Voting with their feet': Senegalese youth, clandestine boat migration and the gendered politics of protest 9. Affective economies: Eastleigh's metalogistics, urban anxieties and the mapping of diasporic city life
Its debug: practical results

An Intelligent Tutoring System to teach debugging skills to novice computer science students was previously proposed and discussed in [3] and [4]. [4] additionally discussed the implementation and some preliminary evaluation results. This paper presents new results from the completion of the formal evaluation of this system and discusses the practical implications of these results.
Cytotechnology labor market: an update.

Based on historic data, we recently developed a model for the cytotechnology labor market that predicted shrinkage in the workforce secondary to a reduced demand for cytotechnologists that would offset any expected increase secondary to demographic changes in the number of women eligible for cervical cancer screening. In this report, we describe the comparison of our previous model with data that were available for the 2005–2009 period. As predicted, the cytotechnology workforce experienced significant shrinkage. The 2008 wage decreased when adjusted for inflation, demand shifted downward significantly, and supply shifted, in response, slightly downward. In 2009 supply (6,064 available staff) and demand (6,355 open and filled positions) were lower than those of the 2005 market.
Taking the Long View: Christian Theology in Historical Perspective

Few historians in the fields of Church history and historical theology rank higher in the estimation of their colleagues than the late David C. Steinmetz, the author of this volume of lucid and ele...
Clinical and Electrophysiologic Characterization of Chronic and Critical Ischemic Monomelic Neuropathy after Revascularization: A Case Series (P07.151)

Objective: To assess the outcome of chronic and critical ischemic monomelic neuropathy after revascularization. Background Chronic and critical limb ischemia is a known cause of monomelic neuropathy. Although revascularization improves rest pain, objective neuropathic improvement has not been adequately studied in prospective studies. Design/Methods: A prospective study was performed in 9 patients with critical limb ischemia. The contralateral limb was used as a control. Neurologic Symptom Score (NSS – range 0-15, sensory/motor), Neurologic Examination Score (NES – range 0-52, sensory/reflexes/motor), and electrophysiologic data were available for 5 patients at baseline and 6 months post revascularization. Results: The mean improvement in NSS was 6.6/15 (44%) in the revascularized limbs compared to 1.4/15 (9%) in the control limbs (p = 0.052). The mean improvement in NES was 3/52 (6%) in the revascularized limbs compared to 0/52 (0.3%) in the control limbs (p = 0.266). The sural sensory amplitude in the revascularized limbs was unchanged in 2, worsened in 2, and improved in 1 (absent to 7.8 µV). In the control limbs, this response worsened in 2, improved in 2, and was unchanged in 1. Improvement in conduction velocities of the peroneal and tibial motor responses were greater in revascularized than control limbs. Sympathetic skin response (SSR) was absent in three affected limbs at baseline, but were recordable post revascularization in two of these limbs. In the control limbs, SSR was present in 5/5 at baseline and 4/5 at 6 months. Conclusions: Improvement of symptoms, neurologic exam findings, and sympathetic function can be seen following revascularization in patients with chronic critical ischemic monomelic neuropathy. Disclosure: Dr. Absalom has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wolfe has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company, Talecris and Genzyme Corporation as a speaker and/or participant on an advisory board. Dr. Nations has received personal compensation for activities with Hilton Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Nations has received research support from Genzyme Corporation. Dr. Trivedi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Muppidi has nothing to disclose.
Incidental Anterior Cruciate Ligament Calcification: Case Report

The calcification of knee ligaments is a finding noted only in a handful of case reports. The finding of an anterior cruciate ligament calcification has been reported once in the literature. Comparable studies involving the posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and an ossicle within the anterior cruciate ligament are likewise discussed in reports of symptomatic patients. We report a case of incidentally discovered anterior cruciate ligament calcification. We discuss the likely etiology and clinical implications of this finding.
The literature of neonatal nursing: stories from the turning points column.

Abstract The stories of neonatal care are a rich source of information, going beyond the typical clinical article to convey the meaning of nursing in this special environment. During its run, the Turning Points column in Neonatal Network gave nurses, doctors, and family members affected by the NICU an outlet to share their stories with others. The brief overview of the columns' contents provided in this article displays the wide variety of patient cases, workplace issues, and family situations encountered by neonatal nurses.
Influence of a training programme on a preservice teacher’s ability to promote moral and sporting behaviour in sport education

Sport education (SE) has been touted as a model particularly conducive to realizing affective objectives. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of a training programme on one preservice physical education (PE) teacher’s ability to promote moral and sporting behaviour in SE. The participants in the study were the teacher, Alex, and the 75 middle school students he taught within two 20-lesson SE Ultimate Frisbee seasons. The theories of structural development and social learning guided data collection and analysis. Data were collected with nine qualitative methods and reduced to themes by employing analytic induction and constant comparison. Many of the students in the study had been socialized into norms of sporting participation that were mostly negative and believed that it was acceptable to behave in an unfair and unsporting manner. During the course of the two seasons, Alex managed to get many of them to question this thinking and to engage in positive sporting behaviours. T...
ACTH-producing pituitary carcinoma presenting as the cauda equina syndrome

A 43-year-old woman presented with incontinence, weakness, and paresthesia, consistent with the cauda equina syndrome, 10 years after having a pituitary tumor surgically removed and 4 years after excision of two "meningiomas" of the cervical cord. The patient was also hypertensive and had a cushingoid habitus. Emergent surgical decompression of the spinal cord revealed intradural metastatic adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing pituitary carcinoma. Pituitary carcinomas are rare. The majority of reported cases of adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing carcinoma have exhibited metastases outside the central nervous system. To our knowledge, this represents the first case of an adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing pituitary carcinoma presenting with the cauda equina syndrome. A review of all reported cases of pituitary carcinoma indicated that central nervous system metastases were more common than metastases to distant sites, and patients with distant metastases experienced a shorter duration of disease than did those with central nervous system metastases.
Chirped superlattice asymmetric MQW electroabsorptlon modulators grown by MBE

We report the results of a systematic study performed on the MBE growth and electroabsorption characteristics of AlGaAs/GaAs P-J (MQW)-N transverse electroabsorption modulators on n-type GaAs, utilizing novel quantum well structures in the intrinsic region. In this region 50 wells were separated by barriers composed of 30 monolayers of AlAs. The novelty is in the well structure where effectively linear band gap grading was incorporated using a chirped superlattice scheme. We refer to these wells as chirped superlattice asymmetric wells. (CSAW) Aseries of CSAW were grown and studied in pairs: first member of the pair had the effective linear bandgap grading upwards in the growth direction, CSAW (UP), and the second type had the opposite grading direction, CSAW(DN).
Wave Transmission in a One-Dimensional Nonlinear Lattice: Multistability and Noise

We studied a nonlinear Schrodinger equation of the tight binding form and the related problem of wave transmission in one-dimensional nonlinear lattice. By introducing a two- dimensional nonlinear mapping and applying the concepts and methods of nonlinear dynamics to the investigation of such mapping, we discuss some of the interesting properties of the transmission problem. The Holstein molecular crystal model is used as a physical system that may be relevant to the nonlinear transmission phenomenon described.
Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries in the ?>Contact Athlete

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are a common problem in the general population and even more so in contact athletes. These athletes provide a difficult population for treatment of these injuries with competing interests of return to collision competition and long-term functional outcomes. Although conservative management is generally effective in treating acromioclavicular joint injuries, there is a subset of patients who require operative intervention for optimal results. A working algorithm can be useful in aiding the decision-making process to determine those at risk for failure of conservative management. The decision points include those at risk for maladaptation of scapular kinematics after acromioclavicular injury, including throwing athletes and those who plan to return to collision sports, as well as certain physical examination and radiographic findings that may place the conservatively treated athlete at risk for failure. Once an athlete is determined appropriate for surgical intervention, a number of techniques have been described to treat these injuries. More anatomical reconstructions of the coracoclavicular ligaments are becoming increasingly popular as biomechanical and clinical outcomes data expand to support their use. Outcomes of both conservative and surgical management in the appropriately indicated patients are generally good with the development of a clinical and radiographic algorithm for selecting athletes more likely to fail conservative management.
An error diffusion neural network for digital image halftoning

A novel technique for digital image halftoning is proposed, based on a symmetric error diffusion algorithm and a new form of artificial neural network. Using an error diffusion neural network, all pixel quantization decisions are computed in parallel and therefore visual artifacts resulting from the causality of the diffusion filter in classical error diffusion techniques are reduced and the resulting halftoned image quality is improved.
CBIO-45DNA METHYLATION DICTATES TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR BINDING AND GENE ACTIVATION IN BRAIN TUMOR

Dysregulation of DNA methylation is a hallmark of cancers including malignant brain tumors; yet the functional impact of DNA methylation on tumor malignancy remains largely elusive. Classical dogma states that promoter CpG island methylation (mCpG) influences tumor biology by silencing tumor suppressor genes through interfering with transcription factor (TF)-DNA binding. In this study, we challenge this view by showing that many TFs, including kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), preferentially bind to mCpG-containing motifs, and have the ability to activate gene expression. KLF4 is a cancer driver gene up-regulated in high-grade gliomas. We found that KLF4 can bind to mCpG-containing motifs in a sequence-specific manner and activate gene expression. We generated a KLF4 mutant (R458A) that no longer bound to methylated DNA motif but retained KLF4 binding to unmethylated motif. We engineered GBM cell lines to express either doxycycline (Dox)-inducible KLF4 wild type (KLF4-wt) or Dox-inducible KLF4R458A mutant (KLF4-mut) transgenes. Neither KLF4-wt nor KLF4-mut had appreciable effect on cell proliferation and cell viability. However, KLF4-wt but not KLF4-mut induced noticeable morphology changes characterized by elongated, spindle-like phenotypes. We further showed that KLF4-wt but not KLF4-mut promoted GBM cell migration and adhesion. This cell response was partially reversed by the DNA methytransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza), confirming by alternate methods a DNA methylation-dependent mechanism. We employed cell-motility q-PCR arrays and found that ∼10 genes involved in the cell motility pathway, including the small GTPase RhoC, were up-regulated by KLF4-wt but not KLF4-mut. ChIP-PCR demonstrated that KLF4 bound to its promoter region of RhoC via a mCpG-dependent mechanism. These data reveal the novel mechanism by which DNA methylation at CpG sites regulates cancer cell phenotype through transcription factor-dependent gene transactivation. Our studies will be paradigm shifting and will substantially impact our understanding on how CpG methylation influences tumor cell behavior such as migration and invasion.
Chemical Destruction of Mycobacterium bovis in Milk.

The tuberculocidal activity of phenol and 1-Stroke Environ was tested using five Mycobacterium bovis strains added separately to five samples of untreated cows milk. The tuberculocidal activity of each disinfectant was significantly improved (P = .005) by increasing exposure temperature from 4 to 23 C or by increasing exposure time from 1 to 6 h or by increasing disinfectant concentrations two-fold. Environ diluted 1:8 or phenol diluted 1:32 killed each of the five strains of M. bovis suspended in untreated milk (6 mg/ml) during a 6-h exposure at 23 C. Either disinfectant could be used to destroy M. bovis in unsalable milk from tuberculous cows scheduled for slaughter.
Semi-automated Analysis of Mouse Skeletal Muscle Morphology and Fiber-type Composition

For years, distinctions between skeletal muscle fiber types were best visualized by myosin-ATPase staining. More recently, immunohistochemical staining of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms has emerged as a finer discriminator of fiber-type. Type I, type IIA, type IIX and type IIB fibers can now be identified with precision based on their MyHC profile; however, manual analysis of these data can be slow and down-right tedious. In this regard, rapid, accurate assessment of fiber-type composition and morphology is a very desirable tool. Here, we present a protocol for state-of-the-art immunohistochemical staining of MyHCs in frozen sections obtained from mouse hindlimb muscle in concert with a novel semi-automated algorithm that accelerates analysis of fiber-type and fiber morphology. As expected, the soleus muscle displayed staining for type I and type IIA fibers, but not for type IIX or type IIB fibers. On the other hand, the tibialis anterior muscle was composed predominantly of type IIX and type IIB fibers, a small fraction of type IIA fibers and little or no type I fibers. Several image transformations were used to generate probability maps for the purpose of measuring different aspects of fiber morphology (i.e., cross-sectional area (CSA), maximal and minimal Feret diameter). The values obtained for these parameters were then compared with manually-obtained values. No significant differences were observed between either mode of analysis with regards to CSA, maximal or minimal Feret diameter (all p > 0.05), indicating the accuracy of our method. Thus, our immunostaining analysis protocol may be applied to the investigation of effects on muscle composition in many models of aging and myopathy.
The Theological and Pastoral Purposes of Aquinas’s Biblical Commentaries

This article examines how St. Thomas Aquinas developed rich theological insights to be used ultimately in his preaching ministry as a thirteenth century magister in sacra pagina . His exegetical approach deploys a careful divisio textus to arrive at the literal meaning and doctrinal sense of the scriptural passage. The ambiguities of difficult passages are examined dialectically by short logical disputations that uncover the riches of the text. The fruits of these labors were then brought together in the master’s university sermon for the conversion and perfection of souls. Thus, the three duties of the medieval master codified in the statutes of the University of Paris – namely, to teach, to dispute, and to preach – contextualize the task of the medieval theologian, rooting him in the revealed Word of God and requiring him to care for the souls of his students and colleagues in his preaching by announcing and explaining the sense and practical import of sacra doctrina . This article also examines the proximate historical source for these three duties as the practice of lectio divina was brought out of the monasteries and into the public sphere of the academies in the great cities of medieval Europe. There is much we could learn today from recovering this robustly ecclesial and pastoral way of pursuing biblical theology.
Evidence of Mate Guarding in the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

(1997). Evidence of Mate Guarding in the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami. Emu - Austral Ornithology: Vol. 97, No. 2, pp. 177-180.
TROPHERYMA WHIPPLEI: AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF MITRAL AND AORTIC VALVE ENDOCARDITIS

Whipple's disease is an uncommon, chronic systemic illness characterized by abdominal discomfort, weight loss and arthralgia, caused by Tropheryma whipplei. While cardiac involvement occurs less commonly, it has become apparent that some causes of culture-negative endocarditis may be attributed to
Group treatment of fibromyalgia: a 6 month outpatient program

Objective. To evaluate the impact of a 6 month group therapy program on the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Since FM is a common problem in rheumatology practice, a program was designed to treat patients in a group setting using allied health professionals. Methods. The FM group (15 to 25 patients) met once a week for 6 months. The average session lasted 90 min and consisted of formal lectures, group sessions emphasizing behavior modification, stress reduction techniques, strategies to improve fitness and flexibility and support sessions for spouses/significant others. The 2 major outcome measures were the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and the total tender point score. Secondary outcome measures were the quality of life scale, questionnaires to assess coping strategies and attitudes to illness, an index of aerobic conditioning, flexibility, distance walked in 6 min, Beck depression and Beck anxiety questionnaires. Patients were followed 2 years and compared to a group of patients outside the program. Results. Between 1989 and 1993 170 patients were evaluated and 104 patients completed the program. At the end of the 6 months 73 (70%) of patients had <11 tender points and FIQ improved 25%. Having a pain profile on MMPI or having major depression, did not predict poorer outcome. Thirty-three patients followed for 2 years after the program continue to show improvement. A control group of 29 patients who never entered the program showed no significant improvement. Conclusion. The group treatment of patients with FM in an outpatient setting shows promise ; a more formal controlled study is needed to confirm this impression.
Neural Integration of Thermoregulatory Responses

Temperature regulation, along with several other fields, is experiencing a quiet revolution in which the hypothalamus is losing its preeminent position as the major center of integrative control. This chapter considers whether the revolution can succeed or, indeed, if it has already. It examines the historical evidence which led to the hypothalamus being regarded as the only thermostat of the brain. It then discusses the current evidence for altering that view — evidence that other parts of the brain have been shown to be both thermosensitive and able to initiate thermoregulatory responses whether or not the hypothalamus is present.
Prevalence of Behavioral Health Concerns

This chapter explores the breadth of behavioral health (BH) concerns in greater detail. While there has been an increasing trend of BH disability claims, there are also multiple issues that occur within the treatment and management systems that serve to prolong them. Moreover, because there is a lack of standardization in identifying and treating BH concerns, each professional plays a role in the current iatrogenic disability process. These primary issues that occur within the BH disability management process will be discussed further in order for a consumer of clinical services to be of these potential pitfalls that lead to iatrogenic BH disability.
An International Survey of Tools and Methods Used by Certified Ergonomics Professionals

A survey of certified ergonomics professionals was conducted in 2017 by NIOSH researchers to understand the types of basic tools, observational methods, and direct measurement methods used by ergonomics professionals. This survey served to update findings from a previous survey of Certified Professional Ergonomists (CPEs) in the United States that was reported in 2005. The 2017 survey was expanded to include ergonomists certified in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Ireland. The 2005 survey content was used with the addition of technologies that were not available in 2005 (e.g., mobile devices and mobile applications) and tools likely to be of use by ergonomists outside the U.S. Overall, the participation rate was 34% (405 of 1,192 surveys that reached recipients) which was lower than the response rate of 53% for the 2005 survey. This may have been related to differences in the receipt format (postal versus internet) between the two surveys. The results for U.S. ergonomists were similar across both surveys for the most part, but there were also a number of differences. Differences across country/region were pronounced for some items, but similar for basic tools and several popular assessment tools. Overall, the results suggest that ergonomists gravitate towards inexpensive and efficient tools and methods. The strengths and limitations are discussed with suggestions for future research.
Automated Modular Invertebrate Research Environment Using Software Embedded Systems

In this paper, we propose the first model of an embedded system involving software and hardware components for complex animal behavior analysis. Currently, a monitoring system that automatically collects, processes and analyzes data from an invertebrate research environment does not exist. One solution to this problem is Software Engineering (SE). SE is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to solve a real-world problem by designing, developing, operating, and maintaining software that controls a complex hardware platform. In order to demonstrate the feasibility and validate our model, we will be applying AMIRE to the study of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches behaviors. While the use of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches as a species for training and investigation in behavior analysis grows in popularity, limitations in knowledge and research design hampers the field's ability to work effectively with this species.
Mitigating the Performance and Quality of Parallelized Compressive Sensing Reconstruction Using Image Stitching

Orthogonal Matching Pursuit is an iterative greedy algorithm used to find a sparse approximation for high-dimensional signals. The algorithm is most popularly used in Compressive Sensing, which allows for the reconstruction of sparse signals at rates lower than the Shannon-Nyquist frequency, which has traditionally been used in a number of applications such as MRI and computer vision and is increasingly finding its way into Big Data and data center analytics. OMP traditionally suffers from being computationally intensive and time-consuming, this is particularly a problem in the area of Big Data where the demand for computational resources continues to grow. In this paper, the data-level parallelization of OMP through blocking is examined. Traditionally blocking has been used to ac- celerate the performance of OMP reconstruction for big data image analytics. However, as we show in this work, blocking, particularly in the form of vectorizing, introduces significant error in terms of PSNR and SSIM index in the reconstruction quality. In response, we deploy the concept of stitching to recover the lost accuracy. We further examine the influence of the level of blocking and amount of stitching (overlap between each block) with regard to recon- struction time and reconstructed image quality. While stitching boosts up the image reconstruction accuracy significantly, the ob- ject detection count results show anywhere from 11.84% to 140.54% improvement, depending on the cases being compared, it introduces significant overhead with regard to reconstruction time. To address the overhead, we deploy hardware accelerated base solutions. Given the emergence of hardware accelerators in data centers and for big data analytics in form of FPGAs, our solution effectively utilizes this resource to enhance the performance overhead of stitching by 25%. We show the minimum block size required for an FPGA speed-up.