cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Canine Cranial Reconstruction Using Autologous Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Limited-sized transplants of culture-expanded autologous or allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) form cortico-cancellous bone in rodent models. Initiation of clinical studies using autologous BMSC transplantation requires effective bone formation among sizable transplants in a large animal model as well as noninvasive techniques for evaluating transplant success. Here, we obtained bone marrow from the femurs of six dogs and expanded BMSCs in tissue culture. Autologous BMSC-hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) transplants were introduced into critical-sized calvarial defects and contralateral control skull defects received HA/TCP vehicle alone. At intervals ranging from 2 to 20 months, transplants were biopsied or harvested for histological and mechanical analysis. Noninvasive studies, including quantitative computed tomography scans and ultrasound, were simultaneously obtained. In all animals, BMSC-containing transplants formed significantly more bone than their control counterparts. BMSC-associated bone possessed mechanical properties similar to the adjacent normal bone, confirmed by both ultrasound and ex vivo analysis. Evaluation by quantitative computed tomography confirmed that the extent of bone formation demonstrated by histology could be discerned through noninvasive means. These results show that autologous cultured BMSC transplantation is a feasible therapy in clinical-sized bone defects and that such transplants can be assessed noninvasively, suggesting that this technique has potential for use in patients with certain bone defects.
Comparisons of Online Reading Paradigms: Eye Tracking, Moving-Window, and Maze.

This study compares four methodologies used to examine online sentence processing during reading. Specifically, self-paced, non-cumulative, moving-window reading (Just et al. in J Exp Psychol Gen 111:228–238, 1982), eye tracking (see e.g., Rayner in Q J Exp Psychol 62:1457–1506, 2009), and two versions of the maze task (Forster et al. in Behav Res Methods 41:163–171, 2009)—the lexicality maze and the grammaticality maze—were used to investigate the processing of sentences containing temporary structural ambiguities. Of particular interest were (i) whether each task was capable of revealing processing differences on these sentences and (ii) whether these effects were indicated precisely at the predicted word/region. Although there was considerable overlap in the general pattern of results from the four tasks, there were also clear differences among them in terms of the strength and timing of the observed effects. In particular, excepting sentences that tap into clause-closure commitments, both maze task versions provided robust, “localized” indications of incremental sentence processing difficulty relative to self-paced reading and eye tracking.
Laser heterodyne spectrometer for helioseismology.

The technique of laser heterodyne spectroscopy has been applied to the measurement of solar oscillations. Coherent mixing of solar radiation with the output of a frequency-stabilized CO2 laser permits the measurement of fully resolved profiles of solar absorption lines with high spectral purity and excellent frequency stability. This technique has been used to measure OH pure rotation lines in the infrared solar spectrum. Power spectra of these line frequency measurements show the well-known 5-min oscillations as well as significant velocity power at shorter periods.
Ratcheting Problems of the U.S. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

AbstractBecause of the presence of high cyclic thermal stress, coolant pressure-induced primary stress, and disruption-induced high cyclic primary stress, ratcheting (i.e., incremental accumulation of plastic strain) in the first wall poses a serious challenge to the designers of the U.S. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Existing design tools, such as the Bree diagram in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessels Code, are not directly applicable to the U.S. ITER because of important differences in geometry and loading modes. Available alternative models for ratcheting are discussed, and new Bree diagrams, which are more relevant for fusion reactor applications, are proposed.
Gas Phase Synthesis of Molybdenum and/or Iron Nitrides, Carbides and Sulfides

The thermolytic decomposition of Mo(CO)6 with hydrogen sulfide or ammonia vapor (in a He carrier stream) at temperatures ranging from 300 to 1100 °C produces high surface area molybdenum sulfides (MoS2 or Mo2S3) or molybdenum carbides (hexagonal Mo2C) and carbonitrides, (hexagonal MoN(C) or cubic Mo2N(C)), respectively. The MoS2 surface areas range from 16.7 to 82.0 m2/g, while the surface areas of molybdenum carbides and carbonitrides vary from 14.9 to 21.1 m2/g. The maximum surface area for MoS2 is achieved at 500 °C and decreases with increasing or decreasing temperature. The surface area of the carbonitrides formed from 300 to 800 °C increases with increasing temperature up to 950 °C, where lower surface area Mo2C is formed. Crystallographically pure hexagonal MoN is prepared by decomposing Mo(CO) 6 in pure ammonia. Fe(CO) 5 decompositions in ammonia produce FexZ (where 5.8≥x≥1.6 and Z=C and N), and in some cases elemental Fe. Hexagonal Fe3 N(C) forms when Fe(CO) 5 is thermolyzed in ammonia from 300 to 600 °C, with surface areas ranging from 9.5 to 13.7 m2/g, whereas orthorhombic Fe3C and cubic Fe are produced at 700, 800, 900 and 1000 °C with surface areas of 6.7, 7.6, 2.2 and 2.0 m2/g, respectively. Within the same phase, the surface areas of the carbonitrides increase with increasing reaction temperature. These iron and molybdenum carbonitrides catalyze the conversion of CO/H2 to alkanes and methanol. Based on preliminary catalytic studies, the highest rate of methane (2850 g/kg/hr at 374 °C) and methanol (440 g/kg/hr at 284 °C) formation was accomplished with an FeMo carbonitride prepared by decomposing Mo(CO)6 and Fe(CO)5 in ammonia at 800 °C.
Protection of normal brain cells from γ-irradiation-induced apoptosis by a mitochondria-targeted triphenyl-phosphonium-nitroxide: a possible utility in glioblastoma therapy.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most frequent and aggressive primary brain tumor. A strong rationale to identify innovative approaches to treat these tumors is required since treatment failures result in local recurrences and median survivals range from 9 to 12 months. Glioma cells are reported to have less mitochondrial content compared to adjacent normal brain cells. Based on this difference, we suggest a new strategy, utilizing protection of normal brain cells by mitochondria-targeted electron scavengers and antioxidants—nitroxides—thus allowing for the escalation of the radiation doses. In this paper, we report that a conjugate of nitroxide with a hydrophobic cation, triphenyl-phosphonium (TPEY-Tempo), significantly protected brain endothelial cells from γ-irradiation-induced apoptosis while radiosensitizing brain tumor cells. Thus, TPEY-Tempo may be a promising adjunct in the treatment of glioblastoma with the potential to not only prolong survival but also to maintain quality of life and reduce treatment toxicity.
Predictors of nonfatal assault injury to public school teachers in Los Angeles City

BACKGROUND: School violence is a well-recognized concern for student safety, although less recognized as an occupational hazard. This study examines school characteristics that increase the odds of nonfatal teacher assaults and the influence of community crime on these relationships. METHODS: Assaults from California Employers' Reports of Occupational Injury or Illness were linked to California Department of Education data for Los Angeles City public schools. Community crime rates were calculated from Los Angeles Police Department data. Random-intercept logistic models were used to examine associations between school characteristics and teacher assault injury across community crime levels. RESULTS: Teacher assault was associated with teaching staff's total years of educational service, gender, and education level. Community crime surrounding the schools influenced the relationships between teacher assault injury and school, student and teacher characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: School-based programs to reduce violence on school grounds may be more effective in collaboration with programs to prevent community crime. Language: en
Korean American Clergy Practices Regarding Intimate Partner Violence: Roadblock or Support for Battered Women?

Although it is common for Korean Americans to seek assistance from clergy for intimate partner violence (IPV), there has been lack of research on Korean American clergy’s practices regarding IPV. 152 Korean American Protestant clergy were surveyed on their practices regarding IPV in their congregations. 92.7 % of respondents reported counseling people who had experienced IPV; however, one-third stated that they had never referred congregants to additional resources. Additionally, the great majority of respondents recognized their important role in responding to IPV; however, only 16 % of them reported feeling well-prepared to deal with IPV. Practice and research implications are discussed to improve a partnership between religious leaders and victim advocates for the purpose of supporting battered Korean immigrant women.
Hyperbolastic modeling of wound healing

A new mathematical model for wound healing is introduced and applied to three sets of experimental data. The model is easy to implement but can accommodate a wide range of factors affecting the wound healing process. The data sets represent the areas of trace elements, diabetic wounds, growth factors, and nutrition within the field of wound healing. The model produces an explicit function accurately representing the time course of healing wounds from a given data set. Such a function is used to study variations in the healing velocity among different types of wounds and at different stages in the healing process. A new multivariable model of wound healing capable of analyzing the effects of several variables on accelerating the wound healing process is also introduced. Such a model can help to formulate appropriate strategies to treat wounds. It also would enable us to evaluate the efficacy of different treatment modalities during the inflammatory, proliferative, and tissue remodeling phases.
Getting beyond Boole

Abstract Although most computer-based information search systems in current use employ a Boolean search strategy, there is by no means a clear consensus throughout the information retrieval research community that the conventional Boolean approach is best. The well-known drawbacks of the Boolean design include an inhospitable request formalism, frequent null output and output overload, and lack of provision for differing emphasis on different facets of the search. Nontraditional design principles that overcome these problems are already known and available in the research literature. In this article several such alternative approaches are sketched and their advantages over the Boolean design indicated.
Body composition by DXA: tried and true?

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is unquestionably the method of choice for the assessment of bone mass. Recent generations of DXA instruments also have the capability of assessing soft tissue mass, thereby providing a three-compartment model of body composition, i.e., bone mineral, fat, and bone-free lean masses. Although hydrodensitometry has long been considered the reference method of assessing body composition, assumptions regarding the constancy of the constituents of fat-free mass may compromise its validity in some populations. Because DXA appears to be less dependent on assumptions regarding biological consistency, it is possible that it has the potential to provide a more accurate assessment of body composition across populations than does hydrodensitometry, and that it should be considered the reference method. DXA has been shown to provide precise measures of body composition, but it remains questionable as to whether those measures are accurate. Contributing to the uncertainty regarding validity is the variability among manufacturers of DXA instruments in the methods of calibration, data acquisition, and data analysis. Although DXA holds great promise in becoming the criterion method of assessing body composition, and has been promoted as such by some investigators, available data indicate that this endorsement is premature.
Reliability and validity of the instrument used in BRFSS to assess physical activity.

Introduction: State-level statistics of adherence to the physical activity objectives in Healthy People 2010 are derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. BRFSS physical activity questions were updated in 2001 to include domains of leisure time, household, and transportation-related activity of moderate- and vigorous intensity, and walking questions. This article reports the reliability and validity of these questions. Methods: The BRFSS Physical Activity Study (BPAS) was conducted from September 2000 to May 2001 in Columbia, SC. Sixty participants were followed for 22 d; they answered the physical activity questions three times via telephone, wore a pedometer and accelerometer, and completed a daily physical activity log for 1 wk. Measures for moderate, vigorous, recommended (i.e., met the criteria for moderate or vigorous), and strengthening activities were created according to Healthy People 2010 operational definitions. Reliability and validity were assessed using Cohen's kappa ([kappa]) and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: Seventy-three percent of participants met the recommended activity criteria compared with 45% in the total U.S. population. Test-retest reliability ([kappa]) was 0.35-0.53 for moderate activity, 0.80-0.86 for vigorous activity, 0.67-0.84 for recommended activity, and 0.85-0.92 for strengthening. Validity ([kappa]) of the survey (using the accelerometer as the standard) was 0.17-0.22 for recommended activity. Validity ([kappa]) of the survey (using the physical activity log as the standard) was 0.40-0.52 for recommended activity. Conclusions: The validity and reliability of the BRFSS physical activity questions suggests that this instrument can classify groups of adults into the levels of recommended and vigorous activity as defined by Healthy People 2010. Repeated administration of these questions over time will help to identify trends in physical activity.
Desorption as a Rate Limiting Step for Gas Permeation through a Polymer Membrane

Under certain conditions, permeation of gases through polymer membranes is not adequately represented by classic diffusion theory. Specifically, thin films can present stronger resistance to gas tr...
A reconfigurable distributed all-digital clock generator core with SSC and skew correction in 22nm high-k tri-gate LP CMOS

As platform integration continues, different modules, including CPU, graphics, I/O interface, wireless transceivers and the power management unit, operate at different frequencies as shown in Fig. 3.8.1. In addition, maximizing battery life requires localized dynamic voltage frequency scaling (DVFS) and sleep mode support leading to independent clock domains for various functional unit blocks (FUBs). Also, clock generation units should be able to go to sleep and wake up rapidly to conserve power. Generating multiple clock signals while minimizing skews at the module interfaces is challenging. Furthermore, some modules require spread spectrum clocking (SSC), with different modulation patterns to avoid EMI, but yet such spreading is forbidden in modules requiring frequency accuracy (e.g. display interfaces). Diverse SSC generation requirements necessitate multiple reference clocks, extra pins, and off-chip components. With analog integer-n PLL-based clock generators, it is difficult to meet all these needs with a common reference clock. One disadvantage is that the frequency resolution in an integer-n PLL is limited by the reference frequency. A lower reference frequency limits the bandwidth and lock time, amplifies jitter from the reference, and increases the loop filter area. Additionally, analog PLLs suffer from unpredictable loop dynamics and clock skews with PVT, mismatch, and transistor leakage, further exacerbated by process scaling. Turning off and waking up an analog PLL requires charging or discharging loop filter capacitors which is inherently slow. This paper presents an all-digital clock generation architecture which (1) provides fractional-n capability in the digital domain; (2) implements SSC within the PLL loop; (3) performs digital clock deskew; and (4) provides dynamic loop bandwidth adjustment to shorten lock time.
Kant on Apperception and the Unity of Judgment

It is safe to say that more has been written in an attempt to come to terms with Kant's second‐edition Transcendental Deduction (TD) than has been written on any other similarly sized section of hi...
Numerical determination of the ambipolar electric field in a stellarator-reactor plasma

A numerical parametric study of the radial ambipolar electric field in a stellarator reactor has been undertaken. With the numerical neoclassical code FLOCS (Flow Code for Stellarators), which is capable of handling both ions and electrons of all relevant kinetic energies, the radial ambipolar field (Er)AMB is determined from the algebraic condition that ion and electron fluxes are equal. As expected, the potential is of the same order of magnitude as the temperature. Somewhat surprisingly at first sight, however, the potential does not change much with the temperature (in the parameter range under consideration), being somewhat insensitive to moderate variations of T. An explanation for this behaviour is presented. Finally, the radial particle fluxes, consistent with the obtained (Er)AMB, and the particle confinement time are computed.
An ART network with fuzzy control for image data compression

The application of a simplified ART1 (adaptive resonance theory 1) network with a fuzzy controller to image data compression is presented. The unique feature of a vigilance parameter of ART allows the direct control of the trade-off between compression ratio and image quality; the fuzzy controller can be used to adjust vigilance to seek a better compromise automatically. Furthermore, the decision table of this fuzzy controller is designed to guarantee convergence. Therefore, the network is insensitive to the given initial vigilance values. Simulations are performed, and the results indicate that this fuzzy-control-equipped, simplified ART1 network provides a promising technique for image data compression. >
Workshop Classroom Border Crossings: Incorporating Feminist and Liberative Pedagogies in your CSET Classroom

Effective teachers use a variety of pedagogies to engage a wider diversity of students, providing a more equitable classroom. In this workshop, participants will explore the use of feminist and liberative pedagogies in CSET classrooms. These pedagogies are founded on the ideals of social justice and democracy. The workshop will include discussions of classroom management strategies, critiques and redesign of the engineering process, and assessment and evaluation of student learning. Participants will leave the workshop with a list of concrete ideas for implementing feminist and liberative pedagogies and an annotated bibliography of helpful references. This workshop continues the collaborative work of these authors, presented in a 2004 Special Session and a 2005 Paper Session at FIE conferences.
Work in progress - math infusion in a middle school engineering/technology class

Engineering design projects can provide a rich opportunity to enhance middle school student knowledge in core disciplinary subject areas, such as mathematics and science and forms an important aspect of the NSF-supported mathematics, science, technology education partnership (MSTP) project . A key goal of the project has been to develop a model for infusing mathematics into science and technology at the middle school level. The informed design process was created as part of a NSF materials development program and formed the engineering design framework for this study. Structured mathematics activities (knowledge and skill builders - KSBs) were developed that linked to the design challenge. As a result of these hands-on activities, students apply the mathematical reasoning developed in order to solve an engineering problem; the design of a bedroom. A pilot research study, involved implementation of a math-infused bedroom design lesson. A paired t-test indicated the difference was statistically significant t (128) = 2.828, p<.005, providing evidence that students were showing gains on their math content knowledge.
The deleterious effects of RV pacing: applicable to all patients?

In their paper Gierula et al ,1 present results from a small prospective series of 66 consecutive patients who, at the time of pulse generator replacement, underwent programming changes to minimise unnecessary pacing of the RV. While substantial data exists from randomised trials to suggest RV pacing is detrimental in patients with heart failure, whether long-term RV pacing is safe in patients with normal or mildly impaired cardiac function remains an unanswered question. In a twist on the theme, this study examines the question, not at the time of initial implantation but, on average, 10 years later, at the time of generator replacement. Unfortunately, an important remaining question cannot be answered by this study. That is, what percentage of patients with normal left ventricular function at the time of initial dual chamber pacemaker implantation develop symptomatic heart failure over the long term (∼10 years) due solely to RV pacing-induced systolic heart failure? That question will almost always be confounded by the fact that patients with a bradycardia need for pacing most often have underlying cardiac disease and, therefore, have an alternative reason to ultimately develop heart failure. The patients for this study were followed prospectively at Leeds General Infirmary, UK. Patients who had already demonstrated a low LVEF by the time of pacemaker generator replacement were not included in this study, but were instead, considered for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) upgrade. As a consequence, the patients in this study had normal or only mildly impaired cardiac function. The question asked was whether programming changes instituted to reduce unneeded RV pacing at the time of generator change would favourably impact the outcome measures of LVEF, quality of life (QOL), NT-pro-BNP levels, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 6 months of follow-up. Programming changes made in those patients considered to have avoidable RV pacing included, …
Fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography using referenced measurements of heterogeneous media

A three-dimensional image reconstruction for fluorescence-enhanced frequency-domain photon migration (FDPM) measurements in turbid media is developed and investigated for three different simulated measurement types: 1) absolute emission measurement, or emission measurements of phase and amplitude attenuation made for a given incident point source of excitation light; 2) referenced emission measurements made relative to an excitation measurement conducted at a single reference point away from the incident source; and 3) referenced emission measurements made relative to the excitation measurement conducted at identical points of detection. The image reconstruction algorithm employs a gradient-based constrained truncated Newton (CONTN) method which implements a bounding parameter, which can be used to govern the level of contrast used to discriminate tissue volumes from heterogeneous background tissues. Reverse differentiation technique is used to calculate the gradients. Using simulated data with superimposed noise to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of 55 and 35 dB to mimic experimental excitation and emission FDPM measurements, respectively, we show the robustness of emission measurements referenced to excitation light. We investigate the performance of algorithm CONTN using these measurement techniques and show that the absorption coefficients due to fluorophore are reconstructed by CONTN accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, we demonstrate the performance of the bounding parameter for rejection of background artifacts owing to background tissue heterogeneity.
Multilevel models in model-driven engineering, product lines, and metaprogramming

Model-driven engineering (MDE) aims to raise the level of abstraction in program specification and increase automation in program development. These are also the goals of product lines (a family of related programs) and metaprogramming (programming as computation). We show that the confluence of MDE, product lines, and metaprogramming exposes a multilevel paradigm of program development, and further, we can use object-oriented design techniques to represent programs, the metaprograms that produced these programs, and the meta-metaprograms that produced these metaprograms, recursively. The paradigm is based on a small number of simple and well-known ideas, scales to the synthesis of applications of substantial size, and helps clarify concepts of MDE.
Regulation of Immune Synapse Cytoskeleton Mechanics by CD3 and LFA1

Cytoskeletal reorganization is a key element of immune synapse function. Acto-myosin contractility leads to a rapid and dynamic flow of material towards the interface center, leading to complex regulation of immune receptors within this structure. Here, surfaces presenting micropatterned, spatially separated ligands are used to determine the viscoelastic properties of the immune synapse cytoskeleton. Anti-CD3 and ICAM-1, which activate the T Cell Receptor complex and LFA-1 integrin, respectively, are patterned as orthogonal lines forming a grid. Human CD4+ T cells spread anisotropically along these lines in response to the different adhesion signals. Measurement of cell spreading along each direction and the free cell-edge curvature radius allowed analysis of how these two receptor systems differentially influence cytoskeletal mechanics. Activation of CD3 alone induced a high degree of cytoskeleton fluidity and low accumulation of elastic tension. Concurrent engagement of LFA-1 lead to higher accumulation of elastic potential energy but higher spreading response to TCR ligand. These data point to competing influences of TCR and ICAM-1 on immune synapse force generation and cytoskeletal fluidization. These effects may dictate the dynamics of T cell - antigen presenting cell interaction, modulating T cell activation.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
The Interacting Boson Model and its connection with group theory

The Interacting Boson Model for only one kind of s and d bosons is described, and its connection with the group U(6) of unitary transformations in six dimensions is demonstrated. It is then shown how the subgroup chains of U(6) facilitate the solution of the eigenvalue problem for the s and d bosons in certain limiting cases.
A comparison of weight average and direct boundary fitting of sedimentation velocity data for indefinite polymerizing systems.

Abstract Analysis of sedimentation velocity data for indefinite self-associating systems is often achieved by fitting of weight average sedimentation coefficients ( s 20, w ). However, this method discriminates poorly between alternative models of association and is biased by the presence of inactive monomers and irreversible aggregates. Therefore, a more robust method for extracting the binding constants for indefinite self-associating systems has been developed. This approach utilizes a set of fitting routines (SedAnal) that perform global non-linear least squares fits of up to 10 sedimentation velocity experiments, corresponding to different loading concentrations, by a combination of finite element simulations and a fitting algorithm that uses a simplex convergence routine to search parameter space. Indefinite self-association is analyzed with the software program isodes fitter, which incorporates user provided functions for sedimentation coefficients as a function of the degree of polymerization for spherical, linear and helical polymer models. The computer program hydro was used to generate the sedimentation coefficient values for the linear and helical polymer assembly mechanisms. Since this curve fitting method directly fits the shape of the sedimenting boundary, it is in principle very sensitive to alternative models and the presence of species not participating in the reaction. This approach is compared with traditional fitting of weight average data and applied to the initial stages of Mg2+-induced tubulin self-associating into small curved polymers, and vinblastine-induced tubulin spiral formation. The appropriate use and limitations of the methods are discussed.
Proposed beam diagnostics instrumentation for the LANSCE refurbishment project

Presently, the Los Alamos National Laboratory is in the process of planning a refurbishment of various subsystems within its Los Alamos Neutron Science Center accelerator facility. A part of this LANSCE facility refurbishment will include some replacement of and improvement to existing older beam-diagnostics instrumentation. While plans are still being discussed, some instrumentation that is under improvement or replacement consideration are beam phase and position measurements within the 805-MHz side-coupled cavity linac, slow wire profile measurements, typically known as wire scanners, and possibly additional installation of fast ionization-chamber loss monitors. This paper will briefly describe the requirements for these beam measurements, what we have done thus far to answer these requirements, and some of the technical issues related to the implementation of the instrumentation.
Psychosocial correlates of women's health in middle adulthood.

Psychosocial variables are not only highly salient to health, but also potentially modifiable if women receive accurate information from care providers. Employing a multivariate multitheoretical ap...
Study of readout for groups of position sensitive avalanche photodiodes used in a 1 mm 3 resolution clinical PET system

We are developing a 1 mm3 resolution, high sensitivity PET system for breast cancer imaging. The system comprises two 16cm × 9cm × 2cm detector panels each containing 2304 position sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs) coupled to 8×8 arrays of 1×1×1 mm3 LYSO scintillation crystal elements for a total of 294,912 crystal elements. The LYSO-PSAPD detectors are multiplexed in pairs (“dual LYSO-PSAPD modules”) to reduce the number of channels, resulting in 9216 channels per panel. The readout system has a modular data acquisition structure based on a 36-channel readout ASIC. This system design has multiple dual LYSO-PSAPD modules read out by a single ASIC, with each dual module having an adjustable high voltage bias and gain. This paper characterizes performance when groups of dual LYSO-PSAPD modules are read out simultaneously.
Assessment and the fear of punishment: how the protection of anonymity positively influenced the design and outcomes of postsecondary assessment

This study examines how a state system of higher education, located in the Rocky Mountains area of the United States, allowed faculty members from the state's public institutions of higher education to control the design and implementation of a pilot assessment of statewide general education courses. One of the primary reasons faculty were allowed to control the assessment process was to assuage the commonly held fear by faculty, academic departments, and institutions that they could be punished for the poor assessment results of their students who took the pilot assessment. An important conclusion of this study is that the promise of anonymity, given by the state board of regents (and tacitly by the legislature) to individual faculty members, academic departments, and institutions, was essential to the success of the assessment process.
From Duty to Desire: Remaking Families in a Spanish Village

From Duty to Desire: Remaking Families in. Spanish Village. Jane Fishburne Collier. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.264 pp.
A neural tree network for phoneme classification with experiments on the TIMIT database

Neural tree networks (NTNs) provide an efficient technique for pattern classification. They combine the concept of decision trees with neural networks (NNs). An efficient algorithm is presented for growing NTNs through analysis of the relative confusion among the classes. The NTN is tested on 36 phonemes extracted from the TIMIT database. Results show that this implementation with five hidden neurons at each tree node grows to 8 levels and scores 58.6% correct classification, as opposed to a NN with best performance of 52.4% using 130 hidden neurons. In addition to advantages in computational complexity and recognition performance, the NTN is found to provide important phonemic correlations which are known to exist in the human auditory system. >
CALIBRATING THE NEW ULTRACAM OSPREY OBLIQUE AERIAL SENSOR

We present methods and results to calibrate the new oblique sensor UltraCam Osprey which was presented for the first time at the ASPRS 2013 conference and exhibition in Baltimore, MD, March 2013. Even if this was not the first time when oblique sensors were introduced into the market, the UltraCam Osprey did show several new conceptual details which are illustrated in this presentation. The design of the camera is focusing on two important characteristics, a metric nadir component which has been derived from the UltraCam Lp sensor, and collection efficiency through very large swath width. The nadir sensor consists of the 90 megapixel panchromatic camera, true-color RGB, and a near-infrared camera. Adding six oblique camera heads, with two each in forward and backwards direction, results in unmatched oblique collection efficiency. We first explain the camera and cone configuration along with the geometric layout of the sensor system. Then we describe the laboratory setup for geometric calibration of the UltraCam Osprey and the calibration process along with the actual results of one such calibration showing sub-pixel accurate image geometry. This proves that the UltraCam Osprey is a fully calibrated metric camera system suitable for photogrammetric survey applications.
Evolution of Tidal Creek Networks in a High Sedimentation Environment: A 5-year Experiment at Tijuana Estuary, California

In a large (8 ha) salt marsh restoration site, we tested the effects of excavating tidal creeks patterned after reference systems. Our purposes were to enhance understanding of tidal creek networks and to test the need to excavate creeks during salt marsh restoration. We compared geomorphic changes in areas with and without creek networks (n = 3; each area 1.3 ha) and monitored creek cross-sectional areas, creek lengths, vertical accretion, and marsh surface elevations for 5 yr that included multiple sedimentation events. We hypothesized that cells with creeks would develop different marsh surface and creek network characteristics (i.e., surface elevation change, sedimentation rate, creek cross-sectional area, length, and drainage density). Marsh surface vertical accretion averaged 1.3 cm yr−1 with large storm inputs, providing the opportunity to assess the response of the drainage network to extreme sedimentation rates. The constructed creeks initially filled due to high accretion rates but stabilized at cross-sectional areas matching, or on a trajectory toward, equilibrium values predicted by regional regression equations. Sedimentation on the marsh surface was greatest in low elevation areas and was not directly influenced by creeks. Time required for cross-sectional area stabilization ranged from 0 to > 5 yr, depending on creek order. First-order constructed creeks lengthened rapidly (mean rate of 1.3 m yr−1) in areas of low elevation and low vegetation cover. New (volunteer) creeks formed rapidly in cells without creeks in areas with low elevation, low vegetation cover, and high elevation gradient (mean rate of 6.2 m yr−1). After 5 yr, volunteer creeks were, at most, one-fourth the area of constructed creeks and had not yet reached the upper marsh plain. In just 4 yr, the site’s drainage density expanded from 0.018 to reference levels of 0.022 m m−2. Pools also formed on the marsh plain due to sediment resuspension associated with wind-driven waves. We conclude that excavated creeks jump-started the development of drainage density and creek and channel dimensions, and that the tidal prism became similar to those of the reference site in 4–5 yr.
Methods for precisely trimming block faces for ultramicrotomy.

Two devices are described to aid in trimming block faces of embedded tissue for ultramicrotomy. The first, a reticle to fit the ocular of a stereomicroscope, can be manufactured by the ultramicrotomist and is designed to outline the edges of the block face so that it can be trimmed to a standard size and shape with the area of interest centered in it. The second, a rectangular “trim-align” block mounted in the knife holder of the uitramicrotome, is, with the block face, aligned to the plane of sectioning, and aids in retrimming the top and bottom edges of the block face. This is the simplest trimming device yet described and the first which will, from any sort of embedded material, produce a block face with parallel top and bottom edges even if the block face is not perpendicular to the axis of the specimen holder. If the edge of the diamond knife used for sectioning is parallel to the axis of rotation of the knife holder, the block face has also been automatically aligned to the knife as a consequence of...
Persistent Induction of Hepatic and Pulmonary Phase II Enzymes by 3-Methylcholanthrene in Rats

We reported earlier that exposure of rats to 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) causes sustained induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A expression for up to 45 days by mechanisms other than persistence of the parent MC (Moorthy, J. 2000. Pharmacology. Exp. Ther. 294, 313–322). The CYP1A genes are members of the Ah gene battery that also encode CYP1B1 and phase II enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST-a), UDP glucuronyl transferase (UGT)1A, NAD(P)H (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced):quinone oxidoreductase I (NQO1), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), etc. Therefore, in this investigation, we tested the hypothesis that MC elicits persistent induction of CYP1B1 and phase II genes, which are in part regulated by the Ah receptor (AHR). Female Sprague– Dawley rats were treated with MC (100 mmol/kg), ip, once daily for 4 days, and expression of CYP1B1 and several phase II (e.g., GST-a, NQO1) genes and their corresponding proteins were determined in lung and liver. The major finding was that MC persistently induced (3- to 10-fold) the expression of several phase II enzymes, including GST-a, NQO1, UGT1A1, ALDH, and epoxide hydrolase in both tissues for up to 28 days. However, MC did not elicit sustained induction of CYP1B1. Our results thus support the hypothesis that MC elicits coordinated and sustained induction of phase II genes presumably via persistent activation of the AHR, a phenomenon that may have implications for chemical-induced carcinogenesis and chemopreventive strategies in humans. Key Words: 3-methylcholanthrene; phase II enzymes; CYP1A1; gene expression; carcinogenesis; CYP1B1; Ah receptor; NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase; rat; in vivo.
COMT Val158Met × SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR interaction impacts on gray matter volume of regions supporting emotion processing

There have been several reports on the association between the Val158Met genetic polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT), as well as the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), and fronto-limbic region volumes, which have been suggested to underlie individual differences in emotion processing or susceptibility to emotional disorders. However, findings have been somewhat inconsistent. This study used diffeomorphic anatomic registration through exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to study the genetic effects of COMT Val158Met and SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR, as well as their interaction, on the regional gray matter volumes of a sample of 91 healthy volunteers. An interaction of COMT Val158Met x SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR genotypes with gray matter volume was found in bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, hippocampus, vermis of cerebellum and right putamen / insula. In particular, the gray matter volume in these regions was smaller in individuals who were both COMT-Met and 5-HTTLPR-S carriers, or both COMT-Val and 5-HTTLPR-L homozygotes, as compared to individuals with intermediate combinations of alleles. The interaction of COMT Val158Met and SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR adds to the understanding of individual differences in emotion processing.
A Review of: “ Common Statistical Methods for Clinical Research with SAS Examples , Third Edition, by G. A. Walker and J. Shostak”

This nice reference book is in its third edition and continues to get better over time. This latest edition includes discussion of SAS procedures PROC MIXED and PROC GENMOD, is updated with SAS 9.2...
Too Many Questions? The Uses of Incomplete Cyclic Designs for Paired Comparisons

The author describes a method for constructing incomplete designs for paired comparisons data, using cyclic designs that place each item in the same number of pairings. He tests the reliability of the method using judged similarity data on twenty-one animal names and finds that designs that use 30% of the data have an acceptable level of reliability. The method has great potential value in field research as a means of reducing the number of questions required.
Clade stability and the addition of data: A case study from erigonine spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae, Erigoninae)

This study presents a new phylogeny of erigonine spiders with emphasis on genera from the Neotropics. Thirty-nine exemplar taxa representing mostly Neotropical genera were added to a global sample of 31 erigonine and 12 outgroup exemplar taxa analyzed in a previous study. These 82 taxa were coded for 176 (172 informative) mostly morphological characters. Eighty-one characters were identical to or modified from the 73 (67 informative) characters included in a previous study; the remaining 95 characters are new. The complete data set includes 70 erigonine exemplars representing 65 genera, seven nonerigonine linyphiid exemplars, and five exemplars representing four araneoid families in the outgroup. Cladistic analysis resulted in a single most parsimonious tree (L =904, CI = 0.23, RI = 0.58; uninformative characters excluded: L = 900, CI = 0.23). This paper explores the implications of the new topology for the evolution of several characters of interest in erigonine evolution. The phylogeny implies that the desmitracheate condition is a synapomorphy of erigonines, with a reversal to the haplotracheate condition in one large clade within Erigoninae. We infer that the loss of the paracymbium in Neotropical erigonines occurred twice and may have progressed by different evolutionary pathways. Our phylogeny differs markedly from the previous cladistic hypothesis of erigonine relationships. We investigate how the addition of characters and taxa (alone and together) have altered the earlier hypothesis of erigonine phylogeny. We conclude that topological changes from the previous study to the current one are largely the result of adding and modifying characters, not adding taxa. Continuous Jackknife Function (CJF) analysis predicts that the inclusion of additional character data will continue to imply changes in the relationships among taxa in our analysis.
Crustal structure and surface-wave dispersion in Africa

In 1953, through cooperation of the Bernard Price Geophysical Institute of the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Natal, a Columbia University-type long-period seismometer (To = 15 sec., Tg = 75 sec.) was installed in the seismological observatory of the University of Natal at Pietermaritzburg, Union of South Africa. This instrument was well situated for receiving surface waves from the shock in northern Algeria of September 9, 1954, and the aftershock next day, which was of such intensity that its seismogram supplemented that of the original shock for the larger phases. The dispersion of the Rayleigh waves from these seismograms can be measured with greater precision than has been practicable heretofore for continents, because the path is longer (7,890 km.) than any which has been available for a long-period vertical instrument, and is remarkably free from obvious anomalies such as major mountain ranges. The scarcity of suitable seismograms for the study of Raleigh-wave dispersion along continental paths is due to the fact that suitably placed long-period vertical seismographs have not been available until recently.
Error exponents and test channel optimization for the Gaussian Wyner-Ziv problem

We consider the quadratic Gaussian Wyner-Ziv problem, i.e., the problem of lossy compression of a Gaussian source with Gaussian side information at the decoder and a quadratic distortion measure. Motivated by applications in video coding, we study how to minimize the probability that the distortion exceeds a given threshold, as opposed to the conventional approach of minimizing the average distortion. We obtain an achievable exponent for this problem, which is positive above the rate distortion function, and expose a tension in the choice of the test channel; the optimal test channel balances two competing error events.
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) in Forest Understory: Leaf and Whole Plant Responses to Nitrogen Availability

We investigated whether Japanese barberry in forest understory responded to N availability through physiological adjustments at the leaf level or growth components at the plant level. Barberry increased foliar N, photosynthesis at ambient and saturating light and specific leaf area in proportion to N availability. Barberry relative production rate increased with foliar N, leaf biomass, specific leaf area and total canopy N mass. Increases in production and N uptake were proportional and, thus, neither photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency nor production per unit of total canopy N differed with treatment or across the range of N status.