cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architecture of a surface exploration traverse analysis and navigational tool

Human path planning has typically been performed manually, especially within the context of planetary Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) — whether historically (Apollo program) or simulated (e.g., NASAs Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS)). However, human ability to explore and extract relevant information for path planning from datasets such as birds-eye imagery or hillshaded terrain is limited. This can lead to plans that are more time and energy intensive than anticipated, or plans that are revealed to be hard to traverse during mission execution. When combined with time delays on Mars, where the expert path planners would be on Earth, there is a clear need for rapidly re-planning under contingencies. Surface Exploration Traverse Analysis and Navigational Tool (SEXTANT) addresses these challenges through automation of the traverse planning process. The tool has been used on several case studies and most recently it was successfully adopted and deployed during the field-based Mars Exploration Analog mission: NASA BASALT (Biologic Analog Sciences Associated with Lava Terrains) research project. This paper describes SEXTANTs software architecture, and critical changes that have been made for it to adapt to a real use. It brings together three components: an environmental model (terrain data), an explorer model (with energetic cost functions) and a solver or path planner. Notably one solver for cost functions in general, based on the A∗ algorithm is discussed, and the paper goes into more detail on how to use the A∗ algorithm with large map datasets, planning when raw data resolution varies, and planning when computational performance is paramount. The latter point is especially critical for real-time re-planning in the field under potential contingencies. Finally the paper brings forth how to use SEXTANT in practicality, and the flexibility it offers to interface with most other applications.
The Utility of Modeling and Simulation in Determining Transport Performance Properties of Semiconductors

The RKDG method has been effectively used in modeling and simulating semiconductor devices, where the underlying models are hydrodynamic in nature. These include classical as well as quantum models. In this paper, we survey and interpret some of these results. For classical transport, we review the simulation of a benchmark MESFET transistor by means of discontinuous Galerkin methods of degree one. For quantum transport, we report the success in simulation of the resonant tunneling diode. The principal features here are negative differential resistance and hysteresis.
Structure-Function Relationships in Bacterial Light-Harvesting Complexes Investigated by Reconstitution Techniques

Exploration of conditions to achieve the reversible dissociation of the core light-harvesting complexes (LH1) of photosynthetic bacteria led to the isolation of the fundamental subunit complex, B820. Further reversible dissociation of B820 provided conditions for reconstitution of both this subunit complex and LH1 from separately isolated polypeptides and bacteriochlorophyll (BChl). Native-like LH1 complexes have also been reconstituted using BChl, isolated polypeptides from Rhodospirillum (Rsp.) rubrum or Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides and carotenoid. The reconstitution methodology has also been applied to the peripheral light-harvesting complex (LH2) of Phaeospirillum (Phs.) molischianum in which it was demonstrated that LH2 contained the same B820-type subunit structure found in LH1.
Reinterpreting the Limited PartnerExclusion to Maximize Labor Income inthe Self-Employment Tax Base

Table of ContentsI. Introduction 2390II. Historical Foundations of the Self-Employment Tax 2395A. Landmark Legislation: Social Security Act of 1935 2395B. Funding Social Security: Affirming the Tie Between Benefits and Labor 2398C. Current Structure of Social Insurance Financing 2402III. Excluding Returns on Capital from the Self-Employment Tax Base 2405IV. I.R.C. § 1402(a)(13): The Limited Partner Exclusion 2409A. The Limited Partner Exclusion Generally 2409B. Limited Partners as a Dividing Line 2410C. Enforcement and Interpretation Before Renkemeyer 2412D. Evolution of Business Organizations Since 1977 24151. The Limited Liability Company 24162. The Limited Liability Partnership 24173. The Limited Liability Limited Partnership 24184. Changes to Limited Partnerships: The "Control Rule" Fades Away 2418E. Problems Presented by New Unincorporated Business Entity Forms 2420V. Attempts to Interpret and Apply § 1402(a)(13) in the Modern Business Context 2422A. 1994 Proposed Treasury Regulations 2423B. 1997 Proposed Treasury Regulations 2425C. Moratorium and Aftermath 2429VI. Renkemeyer Renews Attention on the Issue 2431A. Analyzing Renkemeyer 2431B. Responses to Renkemeyer 2434VII. The Next-Best Solution: Adopt a Material Participation Standard 2436A. Increasing Fairness 2438B. Enhancing Consistency Within the Internal Revenue Code 24391. Section 469 24402. Section 1411 2443C. Supporting the Self-Employment Tax Base's Original Goals 2444D. Criticisms of a Material Participation Standard 2445VIII. Conclusion 2446I. IntroductionIncome from employment (FICA)1 and self-employment (SECA)2 taxes represents more than one-third of annual federal revenue.3 Likewise, Social Security and Medicare-the social insurance programs that these taxes support-account for more than one-third of all federal government spending each year.4 The government expects Medicare and Social Security expenditures to rise at an accelerated clip in the coming decades due to demographic changes and increasing health care costs.5 Expenditures on these programs already exceed annual revenue from employment and self-employment taxes,6 and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the deficits will worsen.7 While our country undoubtedly needs broader policy changes to address those deficits, there is no reason to neglect opportunities to maximize employment and self-employment tax revenues by effectively enforcing existing tax law until those changes arrive. …
Depression and PTSD-related anhedonia mediate the association of military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in female service members/veterans

Abstract Previous research shows a direct link between military sexual trauma and suicide risk. Little is known about mediators of this association, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression severity, mental health conditions that are correlated with both suicide risk and military sexual trauma. Moreover, existing studies of military sexual trauma do not distinguish between harassment and assault, resulting in a gap in our knowledge regarding suicide risk as a function of sexual trauma type. We explored whether PTSD symptom clusters and depression mediated the association of military sexual trauma type (none, harassment-only, assault) and suicidal ideation (SI). Female service members/Veterans (n = 1190) completed a demographic inventory, military sexual trauma history and type screening, and PTSD symptom cluster severity, depression severity, and SI measures. Structural equation modeling revealed that the association of military sexual trauma, particularly assault, with SI was mediated by depression severity and PTSD-related anhedonia. Screening for SI among those endorsing a history of military sexual trauma, PTSD-related anhedonia, and depression may help identify those at risk for SI. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing PTSD-related anhedonia and depression symptoms may be the most efficient way to mitigate suicide risk in those with histories of assault military sexual trauma.
The Eye of Horus: The Connection Between Art, Medicine, and Mythology in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest cultures in human history. Ancient Egyptians are well-known for pioneering the fields of art, medicine, and the documentation of discoveries as mythological tales. The Egyptians mastered the integration of anatomy and mythology into artistic symbols and figures. The mythology of Isis, Osiris, and Horus is arguably one of the most recognized mythologies in ancient Egypt. The Eye of Horus was used as a sign of prosperity and protection, derived from the myth of Isis and Osiris. This symbol has an astonishing connection between neuroanatomical structure and function. Artistically, the Eye is comprised of six different parts. From the mythological standpoint, each part of the Eye is considered to be an individual symbol. Additionally, parts of the Eye represent terms in the series 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32; when this image is superimposed upon a sagittal image of the human brain, it appears that each part corresponds to the anatomic location of a particular human sensorium. In this manuscript, we highlight the possible scientific speculation of the ingenuity of ancient Egyptians' remarkable insight into human anatomy and physiology.
Characterizing relative degrees of clumping structure in vegetation canopy using waveform LiDAR

Abstract With the advances in complexity and resolution in ecological modeling, there is an increasing demand for more detailed characterization of vegetation canopy architecture. Clumping, a characteristic of foliage distribution, is one of the important aspects of canopy structure and significantly influences light penetration through the canopy. Airborne full-waveform LiDAR data contains large amounts of structural information, and presents a powerful avenue for providing detailed foliage distribution information over large areas. In this study, we present a method for describing physical canopy clumping structure for individual trees that can resolve fine scale variations in foliage clumping. We first utilize K-means clustering algorithm to extract structure found within full-waveform LiDAR data. Then we use representative traits for each data cluster to classify them into their natural groups. Based on these traits, we draw conclusions about physical representations of each group and identify groups as containing clumps in vegetation ranging from spares to dense. We formulate a clumping index multiplier based on cluster traits that inform relative degrees of vegetation clumping at the sub-canopy scale. We use the clumping index multiplier to introduce heterogeneity to a modeled plot level clumping index and generate a vertical clumping index profile for a forested plot. This study demonstrates that large amounts of canopy structural information can be extracted from waveform LiDAR data. The fine resolution canopy clumping structure found by the method described in this work can be used as valuable input for ecological models.
Control Strategy Approach for a Well-Characterized Vaccine Drug Product

Trumenba (MenB-FHbp; bivalent rLP2086), the first meningococcal serogroup B vaccine approved in the United States and subsequently approved in Europe, Canada, and Australia, is well-characterized. Pfizer devised a control strategy approach by using a simplified control strategy wheel for Trumenba based on International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) Q8 (R2), Q9, Q10, and Q11 guidelines, which provide complementary guidance on pharmaceutical development, quality risk management, quality systems, and development and manufacture of drug substances, respectively. These guidelines ensure product quality using a scientific and risk-based approach. Trumenba contains two factor H binding proteins (FHbps), one from each of the two FHbp subfamilies (A and B), adsorbed onto aluminum phosphate. Trumenba manufacturing processes are complicated by the recombinant protein expression of Subfamily A and B proteins and the nature of the drug product (suspension in syringes); the latter also introduces challenges in controlling product critical quality attributes during the development process. In such complex systems, the control strategy is critical to ensuring consistent desired product quality; it also supports the regulatory requirement of continued improvement through continuous process verification and aids regulatory filing. This article describes Pfizer's approach toward robust control strategy development, built on product and process understanding, and links control strategy to regulatory document sections and flow of controls. Specifically, an approach is presented on product quality attribute criticality determination based on safety and efficacy and on an understanding of process parameter criticality. This was achieved by studying the impact of the approach on product quality attributes to define process parameter and in-process controls. This approach is further explained through Trumenba case studies, highlighting specific quality attributes and the associated controls implemented, and provides a holistic view of controls employed for both drug substance and drug product.
Dynamical simulations of the Muon Campus at Fermilab

The Muon Campus at Fermilab is a system through which muons are delivered to the storage ring of the Muon g − 2 Experiment (E989). It consists of a set of 1 km beamlines that transport and prepare ...
Data Analytics : Handbook of Formulas and Techniques

Good data analytics is the basis for effective decisions. Whoever has the data, has the ability to extract information promptly and effectively to make pertinent decisions. The premise of this handbook is to empower users and tool developers with the appropriate collection of formulas and techniques for data analytics and to serve as a quick reference to keep pertinent formulas within fingertip reach of readers. This handbook includes formulas that will appeal to mathematically inclined readers. It discusses how to use data analytics to improve decision-making and is ideal for those new to using data analytics to show how to expand their usage horizon. It provides quantitative techniques for modeling pandemics, such as COVID-19. It also adds to the suite of mathematical tools for emerging technical areas. This handbook is a handy reference for researchers, practitioners, educators, and students in areas such as industrial engineering, production engineering, project management, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, technology management, and business management worldwide.
A Survey on Principles, Models and Methods for Learning from Irregularly Sampled Time Series

Irregularly sampled time series data arise naturally in many application domains including biology, ecology, climate science, astronomy, and health. Such data represent fundamental challenges to many classical models from machine learning and statistics due to the presence of non-uniform intervals between observations. However, there has been significant progress within the machine learning community over the last decade on developing specialized models and architectures for learning from irregularly sampled univariate and multivariate time series data. In this survey, we first describe several axes along which approaches to learning from irregularly sampled time series differ including what data representations they are based on, what modeling primitives they leverage to deal with the fundamental problem of irregular sampling, and what inference tasks they are designed to perform. We then survey the recent literature organized primarily along the axis of modeling primitives. We describe approaches based on temporal discretization, interpolation, recurrence, attention and structural invariance. We discuss similarities and differences between approaches and highlight primary strengths and weaknesses.
From leptin to lasers: the past and present of mouse models of obesity.

Introduction: Obesity is a prevalent condition that accounts for significant morbidity and mortality across the globe. Despite substantial effort, most obesity pharmacotherapies have proven unsafe ...
Shared-Memory Communication for Containerized Workflows

Scientific computation increasingly consists of a workflow of interrelated tasks. Containerization can make workflow systems more manageable, reproducible, and portable, but containers can impede communication due to their focus on encapsulation. In some circumstances, shared-memory regions are an effective way to improve performance of workflows; however sharing memory between containerized workflow tasks is difficult. In this work, we have created a software library called Dhmem that manages shared memory between workflow tasks in separate containers, with minimal code change and performance overhead. Instead of all code being in the same container, Dhmem allows a separate container for each workflow task to be constructed completely independently. Dhmem enables additional functionality: easy integration in existing workflow systems, communication configuration at runtime based on the environment, and scalable performance.
Development and Evaluation of a TaqMan Real-Time PCR Assay for the Rapid Detection of Cross-Contamination of RD (Human) and L20B (Mouse) Cell Lines Used in Poliovirus Surveillance

Abstract Background The cross-contamination of cell lines in culture is a persistent problem. Genetically modified L20B (Mouse) and RD (Human Rhabdomyosarcoma) cell lines are commonly used in poliovirus research, surveillance, and diagnostics. Cross-contamination between these cell lines leads to unreproducible results and unreliable surveillance data, negatively affecting public health. The gold standard method for cell authentication is Short Tandem Repeats analysis, which is time-consuming and expensive. The disadvantage of STR is limited detection of interspecies contamination. Methods This assay targets the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (MTCO1) gene, a highly conserved and emergent DNA barcode region for detection of cross-contamination in RD and L20B cell lines. The MagNA Pure Compact instrument and ABI 7500 Fast Dx Real-time PCR systems were used for DNA extraction and to perform real-time PCR respectively. Results The newly developed assay is very sensitive with a limit of detection of 100 RD cells/1 million L20B/mL. The amplification efficiency and R2-value were 102.26% and 0.9969 respectively. We evaluated specificity of the assay with five human and four mouse cell lines, as well as monkey and rat cell lines. The assay showed no cross-reactivity with genomic DNA from human, mouse, rat, or monkey cell lines. The analytical sensitivity was also evaluated by spiking varying amounts of RD cells (0.001% - 10%) into L20B cells. There was no difference in CT values when running single-plex or duplex PCR reactions with similar experimental conditions. Conclusions We have developed and validated a TaqMan real-time PCR assay, a sensitive method for the detection of cross-contamination of RD and L20B cell lines.
Identification of lens crystallins : a model system for gene recruitment

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses techniques to screen and identify the major protein components of vertebrate and invertebrate eye lenses, pointing out some of the special insights into evolutionary processes that have arisen from these studies and that may have wider relevance. None of the technologies involved is peculiar to the lens. Instead, it is the particular nature of the tissue itself, which makes the lens so amenable to studies of molecular evolution and molecular zoology. The most outstanding features of the lens are the simplicity of its composition and its apparent evolutionary plasticity. Because it provides part of a direct interface with the outside world, the lens is sensitive to changes in environment and habit, such as the change in refractive index from water to air and the varying requirements for soft, accommodating lenses for active, diurnal vertebrates. The chapter explains the preparation of lens extracts.
Capacity and cycle time-throughput understanding system (CAC-TUS) an analysis tool to determine the components of capacity and cycle time in a semiconductor manufacturing line

The investment required for a new semiconductor manufacturing line is currently in excess of /spl Theta/. Improving asset utilization by increasing equipment productivity has been a major focus in order to maximize the profit of a line in the face of this significant investment. A number of methodologies and analysis systems, both homegrown and commercial, have been developed to determine equipment productivity. Most of these analysis tools use data generated solely from this equipment (e.g., down states, up stares, number of wafers processed, etc.) to understand the components of equipment productivity. However, equipment suppliers have been very successful in providing equipment whose availability is usually greater than 85%. As a result, there are other capacity detractors that are as large or larger than those dealing with equipment availability. Examples are idle-no-WIP for cycle time, idle-no-operator due to wait for load/unload, and the effect of mix and volume on batch size. A common characteristic of these capacity detractors is that they occur when the equipment is available to run production. This paper describes an analysis tool, the capacity and cycle time-throughput understanding system (CAC-TUS), that has been developed and implemented to provide accurate and meaningful capacity loss components, especially when equipment is available to run production. This system combines equipment state data and lot logistical data to determine the magnitude of capacity and cycle time components, including idle-no-WIP and no operator. One of the advantages of this tool is that it greatly reduces the effort associated with operator coding. In addition, it can help determine elements of production such as train size, raw process time, etc. As a result, the magnitude of all capacity loss problems can be accurately measured, the correct owners can be assigned to resolve these problems, and efforts to improve capacity can be better focused.
Software architectures change propagation tool (SACPT)

To assist the analysis software architectures, we have developed a Web-based CASE tool that automates the steps of capturing, modeling, and inspection of software architectures, in order to derive and display the change propagation probabilities.
The Airline Industry and the Impact of Deregulation

In the fast-changing theatre of air transportation, the strategic development of airlines and the operating economics of scheduled airline services have been transformed, following the profound impact of US deregulation. The lessons gleaned from the US experience, including effective ways of constraining rivals, have quickly been adopted by carriers facing the opening up to competition of their own local markets. In addition, in response to the hunt by the successful US survivors for further international traffic, carriers have been forced to emulate certain tactics adopted by these megacarriers, virtually irrespective of their own government’s regulatory stance. The economics of the sector, particularly with regard to revenue generation, has resulted in increased market concentration. In the longer term, prospects for competition remain unclear, given the likely existence of only a small number of similarly endowed, globally alligned megacarriers. This book explores the impact of deregulation policies on key areas of the airline industry, analyzes the response of incumbent carriers to economic freedom and examines whether or not it is possible to devise a pro-competitive regulatory strategy for this sector. The author provides the reader with a clear explanation as to: ¢ why airline deregulation policies have produced a number of unanticipated outcomes; ¢ why low-cost new entrants have been unable to survive under deregulation; ¢ why the impact of airline deregulation has differed between the USA and Western Europe. Using this analysis as a basis, he explores the future development of the sector, indicating the likely future trends towards globalization. He also argues that a competitive marketplace is not a guaranteed outcome of full deregulation and suggests an alternative approach. The book is of special interest to those members engaged in the airline industry, regulatory authorities and government departments of transport and industry. It wil
Metabolic responses to isoproterenol and epinephrine in the rabbit: Influence of state of nourishment, alloxan diabetes and pretreatment with propranolol

Abstract Previous reports have shown that isoproterenol (ISO) is less active then epinephrine (EPI) in producing hyperglycemia in rabbits in vivo but ISO in vitro is more active than EPI in releasing glucose from rabbit liver slices. This difference in activities of the catecholamines in vivo was investigated by comparing responses in plasma glucose, lactate and glycerol in fed normal, fasted normal and fed alloxan-diabetic rabbits. Changes in the state of nourishment had more effect on the plasma glucose response to EPI than to ISO. In Contrast, the hyperglycemic response to ISO was augmented by prior chemical destruction of pancreatic β-cells whereas the peak response to EPI was unchanged. Neither the lactate nor the glycerol responses to the catecholamines were modified drastically by changes in the state of nourishment or by lack of endogenous insulin release. Pretreatment with propranolol in fed normal rabbits suppressed the rise in lactate and glycerol induced by both catecholamines, but the rise in glucose produced by EPI was not depressed and the rise produced by ISO was inhibited by only 50 per cent. These results suggest that the hyperglycemic response to EPI is primarily a result of hepatic glycogen breakdown whereas the response to ISO is largely dependent upon gluconeogenic mechanisms. Therefore, catecholamines may not only affect certain metabolic substrate levels by direct actions on liver, muscle and adipose tissue, but they may also influence the responsiveness of the pancreatic islet cells, which, in turn, alters the disposition of key metabolic substrates.
CD34 Expression by Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells

For more than a decade it was believed that hematopoietic stem cells express CD34. However, this dogma was recently challenged by the observation that stem cells of normal adult mice are CD34-. In order to clarify the controversy, we carried out systematic examination of stem cells by using C57BL/6 mice that are congenic for Ly-5. As reported previously, stem cells in the normal adult mice were CD34-. However, stem cells stimulated in vivo by 5-fluorouracil injection or in vitro by a combination of interleukin-11 and steel factor were CD34+. The activated CD34+ stem cells reverted to CD34- when the recipients' marrow achieved steady state. The majority of G-CSF-mobilized stem cells also were CD34+ and reverted to CD34- under steady-state conditions. Most recently, we examined the developmental changes of stem cell CD34 expression. In order to gain information on the total population of stem cells we prepared CD34+ and CD34- populations of mononuclear cells without prior enrichment and studied their engrafting potentials. All stem cells from perinatal to 5-week-old mice were CD34+. In 7-week-old mice CD34- stem cells began to emerge, and the majority of the stem cells were CD34- in the 10- and 20-week-old mice. An estimated 20% of the adult stem cells expressed CD34. These observations provide insight into the current controversy regarding CD34 expression by adult hematopoietic stem cells.
Hope deferred: Mormon feminism and prospects for change in the LDS church

This thesis examines how Mormon constructions of gender that limit women’s sphere and narrowly prescribed women’s roles have elicited strong resistance from many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A rich tradition of feminist theology and activism exists within the LDS church, but little work has been done to analyze the overarching effectiveness of these feminist efforts in bringing about change in the tradition. In order to address this issue I begin by teasing out how the LDS church’s process for making changes to doctrine, policy, and practice differs from the change process of mainstream Protestant denominations, and how LDS church’s particular change process informed its response to the civil rights movement—explaining why the eventual resolution took the form it did. I follow this with a consideration of how Mormon feminists have presented their positions and arguments for change, how the church as an organization has responded, and the current state of official church positions and rhetoric with respect to feminist issues. Finally, I pose the following questions: What lessons does the history of race related change within the LDS church hold for us regarding the potential change process for addressing feminist concerns? What avenues are available to the church for making changes in the roles it prescribes for LDS women? And is there evidence of imminent change or that change is in process right now? After analyzing the evidence available in the literature, I suggest that the LDS church is currently experiencing neither the internal nor the external conditions necessary to motivate it to seek and enact deep, genuine change in its construction of gender roles. In addition, I argue that while some of the church’s behavior suggests movement toward a more conciliatory stance toward women, on balance, the majority of evidence suggests that the church is not taking steps to prepare for a major doctrinal change as it did in the lead-up to changing its doctrine on race.
Vitamin B12 Uptake by Human Small Bowel Homogenate and its Enhancement by Intrinsic Factor

Mucosal homogenates of human ileum were demonstrated to have enhanced vitamin B 12 uptake in the presence of normal human gastric juice or hog intrinsic factor concentrate. This process was demonstrated to require Ca ++ or Mg ++ and to be optimal at pH 6.6 and above. The enhancement was blocked by antibody to intrinsic factor. Pernicious anemia gastric juice and normal and pernicious anemia serum did not enhance B 12 uptake. In fact, these substances diminished nonspecific uptake of the vitamin, presumably by binding it and rendering it unadsorbable. "Enhancement" by saliva appeared to be an artifact due to the presence of B 12 binders precipitable by centrifugation. Human jejunal mucosa homogenate uptake was not enhanced by intrinsic factor, supporting the concept that the active process of vitamin B 12 uptake is localized to the ileum. Nonspecific uptake of vitamin B 12 , unrelated to intrinsic factor, appeared to be uniform in jejunal and ileal mucosa homogenates, and to be unaffected by p H or cations. Poor vitamin B 12 uptake in some but not other ileal homogenates from patients with regional ileitis suggests that the ileal homogenate technique may be useful in evaluating in vivo function of intestinal receptors for the intrinsic factor-vitamin B 12 complex. This awaits further studies, correlating this technique with in vivo absorption studies.
An Empirical Examination Of The Usefulness Of The Motley Fools Flow Ratio

An item in the Motley Fool recently caught our attention. The article Cisco vs. Lucent: The Flow Ratio Tells All (by Matt Richey, June 6, 2000, in The Motley Fool.fool.com), introduced a new ratio that Richey claimed to be useful for measuring the investment worthiness of a company. Since our Financial Statement Analysis course covers traditional ratio analysis and since we were exploring some research ideas on measuring liquidity, the Fool Ratio seemed worthy of investigation.
A Mobile, Low-Cost Headset for 3D Point of Gaze Estimation

This paper presents a low-cost, wearable headset for 3D Point of Gaze (PoG) estimation in assistive applications. The device consists of an eye tracking camera and forward facing RGB-D scene camera which, together, provide an estimate of the user gaze vector and its intersection with a 3D point in space. The resulting system is able to compute the 3D PoG in real-time using inexpensive and readily available hardware components. Existing systems suffer from several limitations. First, they only obtain 2D scene information using a standard camera, so that while they may determine the 3D point at which the user is gazing, that point does not have much meaning in a 2D scene image. Furthermore, existing systems are generally designed so that all objects of interest to the user exist on a single plane, such as icons on a computer monitor. The system proposed in this paper overcomes these limitations by providing valuable scene depth information and allowing objects of interest to be located at any depth within range of the RGB-D camera.
A Rab10-Dependent Mechanism for Polarized Basement Membrane Secretion during Organ Morphogenesis

Basement membranes (BMs) are specialized extracellular matrices that are essential for epithelial structure and morphogenesis. However, little is known about how BM proteins are delivered to the basal cell surface or how this process is regulated during development. Here, we identify a mechanism for polarized BM secretion in the Drosophila follicle cells. BM proteins are synthesized in a basal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) compartment from localized mRNAs and are then exported through Tango1-positive ER exit sites to basal Golgi clusters. Next, Crag targets Rab10 to structures in the basal cytoplasm, where it restricts protein delivery to the basal surface. These events occur during egg chamber elongation, a morphogenetic process that depends on follicle cell planar polarity and BM remodeling. Significantly, Tango1 and Rab10 are also planar polarized at the basal epithelial surface. We propose that the spatial control of BM production along two tissue axes promotes exocytic efficiency, BM remodeling, and organ morphogenesis.
Exposure to ethylene oxide during the early zygotic period induces skeletal anomalies in mouse fetuses.

Exposure of mouse zygotes to ethylene oxide (EtO) has been shown to increase the incidence of external malformations among late fetuses [Generoso et al. (1987) Mutat. Res., 176:267-274; Rutledge and Generoso, (1989) Teratology, 39:563-572]. The present study was designed to determine whether EtO also affects the skeletal system. We report here the effects of varying times of exposure during the zygotic period on skeletal development. Female hybrid mice were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with 125 mg/kg EtO at 1, 3, 5, or 7 hr postmating. A positive control group consisted of female mice that were injected IP with 150 mg/kg EtO once daily between the 6th to 8th days of gestation. Day 17 fetuses were double-stained for “blind” examination of skeletal deviations and degree of ossification. Zygotic exposure to EtO significantly increased loss of conceptuses as well as the incidence of external defects, skeletal anomalies, and retarded ossification in live day 17 fetuses. An increase in the number of exposed fetuses with cleft sternum was observed with the highest rate (58.5%) occurring in fetuses whose mothers were exposed to EtO 3 hours postmating. Cleft sternum was seen in only 5% of fetuses exposed during the period of organogenesis and less than 1% of control fetuses. It is concluded that zygotic exposure to EtO produces a pattern of skeletal defects that differs from those observed following treatment with EtO during organogenesis. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Why manuscripts fail, according to 12 experts

Since this column began, only my views, opinions, harangues, and suggestions on technical writing have been emphasized. As wonderful as they are, this month I’ve broadened the scope to include the opinions and harangues of a gaggle of experts. Recently, I emailed two questions to the Associate Editors of Geophysics: (1) What are the most common errors, shortcomings, or pitfalls you find in your reviewing and editing? (2) What are the most difficult or most profound errors, shortcomings, or pitfalls you find in your reviewing and editing? I received 12 replies. I think you’ll find the variations in answers very enlightening. I certainly did.
Comorbidity of Asperger syndrome: A preliminary report

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by autistic social dysfunction and idiosyncratic interests in the presence of normal intelligence. There is no history of language delay. Although people with AS are known to suffer from comorbid psychiatric conditions, few studies have systematically addressed this topic. This preliminary report describes the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in a series of patients with AS diagnosed according to the ICD-10/DSM-IV criteria. Out of 35 patients (29 males and six females; mean age 15.1 years; mean verbal IQ 105.9; mean performance IQ 97.5; mean full-scale IQ 102.7), 23 patients (65%) presented with symptoms of an additional psychiatric disorder at the time of evaluation or during the 2-year follow-up. Children were most likely to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, while depression was the most common diagnosis in adolescents and adults. The implications of these findings are discussed.
The electroencephalogram in thalamic hemorrhage

Abstract In a case of intrathalamic hemorrhage, the spontaneous cortical electrical activity was found to be similar on the two sides and to have a dominant frequency of approximately 8 per sec. Periodic bursts of slower, higher voltage activity occurred particularly on the side of the lesion. The finding favors the conclusion that the cerebral cortex has an inherent autorhythmicity and does not require corticothalamocortical systems for the maintenance of an 8 per sec. rhythm.
The Propagation of Luminosity in Discharge Tubes

The velocity of propagation of luminosity in long discharge tubes, when a high potential was suddenly applied to one electrode, was studied by means of a mirror rotating between 2000 and 3000 revolutions per sec. Air and hydrogen at pressures from 0.04 to 0.5 mm of mercury were used in the tube. The luminosity always moved from the electrode to which the potential was suddenly applied toward the electrode maintained at ground potential. The velocity of the luminosity after progressing a few centimeters from the electrode to which the surge potential was applied, travelled with almost a constant speed, usually within the limits of ${10}^{9}$ to ${10}^{10}$ cm/sec, depending upon the conditions of the experiment. A qualitative explanation of the results is offered based upon the formation of space charge.
Four Insecticides Tested in the Field for Control of Diatraea grandiosella

Four insecticides, Azotlrin® (3-hydroxy-N-methyl-ciscrotonamide dimethyl phosphate), carbofuran, endosulfan, and endrin, were tested in the held as treatments for the southwestern corn borer on corn in 1966-68. Treatments increased yield significantly in 3 tests and reduced infestations and stalk girdling significantly in 8 of 9 tests.
Prenatal prediction of pulmonary hypoplasia using the maternal hyperoxygenation test and neonatal outcome

HYPEROXYGENATION TEST AND NEONATAL OUTCOME RIMA BADER, JAMES HUHTA, University of South Florida, Pediatrics and Obstetrics, St. Petersburg, Florida OBJECTIVE: To evaluate maternal hyperoxygenation test (MHT) in predicting the outcome of fetuses at risk for neonatal pulmonary hypoplasia. STUDY DESIGN: MHT test was performed on 9 pregnant women (median maternal age 28.5 years) with fetuses with congenital anomalies(median gestation 31.5 weeks) that may cause pulmonary hypoplasia.(hypoplastic left heart syndrome(n = 2), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (left) (n = 2), Epstein anomaly with pulmonary artesia (n = 1), tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve (n = 1), prune belly syndrome (n = 1), lung hypoplasia of unknown etiology (n = 2).During MHT the Doppler blood velocity pattern and PI in the first branch of either pulmonary arteries were obtained before and 1015 minutes after maternal breathing of 100% oxygen was obtained for each fetus at R30weeks GA. An increase in fetal blood flow with oxygen (a decrease of R20% in PI) was considered positive for pulmonary reactivity. The primary outcome for this study was neonatal death from possible pulmonary hypoplasia. RESULTS: Of the 9 fetuses tested, 5 (55%) had a reactive MHT and all were delivered and alive and well (100%). Of the 4 fetuses (45%) who had a non reactive MHT 2 died in the early neonatal period (50%) and 1 (25%) was born alive but no data was available for followup, 1 (25%) is alive and well. CONCLUSION: Preliminary data suggest that testing fetal pulmonary vascular reactivity with MHT could be useful in assessing fetal pulmonary vascular resistance prenatally and in predicting the neonatal outcome. More data is needed to assess the limitations of this test.
A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT DURING IMMERSION FRYING

The convective heat transfer coefficient is a useful parameter in characterizing heat flow across a fluid/solid interface when the fluid flow field is complex and solution of the coupled transport equations impractical. While convective heat transfer coefficient values for many unit operations have been tabulated, the boiling phase of immersion frying has not been quantified. The objective of this study was to develop a laboratory method for the measurement of the convective heat transfer coefficient during immersion frying. The method that was developed was applied to the immersion frying of potato cylinders at an oil temperature of 180C. The convective heat transfer coefficient was initially 300 W/m 2 K, it increased sharply to 1100 W/m 2 K, and gradually decreased to 300 W/m 2 K over the duration of the process. Use of this new method will allow the study of the effects of oil temperature, oil quality, product shape/size, and product quality on heat transfer coefficients.
Risk factors for depression among the oldest-old in urban congregate housing: Contribution of grief

The objective of this study was to research grief and depression in oldest-old people living in urban congregate housing by examining the various types of grief that they experience by using a stress process model for depression among the oldest old. This study used a convenience sample of the 128 participants aged 80 and older living in congregate housing. We found that the two types of grief most significantly associated with depressive symptoms were grieving about relocating, and loss of health. Our findings demonstrate the need to explore a variety of grief which influences mental health among oldest-old.
Das System des deutschen Artenschutzrechts und die Auswirkungen der Caretta-Entscheidung des EuGH auf den Absichtsbegriff des § 43 Abs. 4 BNatSchG

Das Artenschutzrecht ist eine ausdifferenzierte, volker-, europa- und nationalrechtlich gepragte Rechtsmaterie. Ausgangspunkte einer Prufung sind Schutzstatus der Art und die Handlung, die vorgenommen werden soll. Bei Eingriffen in besonders geschutzte Arten durch Land-, Forst- oder Fischereiwirtschaft sowie durch zugelassene Eingriffe ist § 43 Abs. 4 BNatSchG eine Schlusselnorm, die absichtliches Handeln voraussetzt. Absichtlich sind gezielte Beeintrachtigungen von Tieren und Pflanzen, nicht absichtlich sind Beeintrachtigungen, die sich als unausweichliche Konsequenz rechtmasigen Handelns ergeben. An dieser Auslegung hat sich durch die Caretta-Entscheidung des EuGH nichts geandert.
Functional variation in promoter region of monoamine oxidase A and subtypes of alcoholism: haplotype analysis.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in the degradation of certain neurotransmitter amines. MAO-A, due to its function in central nervous system, has been one of the important candidate genes involved in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the MAO-A gene has been identified. This variation affects the transcriptional efficiency of the gene. To determine the role of this MAO-A functional polymorphism in the development of subtypes of alcoholism, a sample of alcoholics and normal controls were screened with this marker. The allele frequency differences between total alcoholics, Types I and II alcoholics, and normal controls was not significant. Comparison of male alcoholics to male normal controls for the frequencies of two-loci and three-loci haplotypes was statistically significant. After Bonferroni's correction for multiple tests none of the results remained significant at P < 0.05. Our results indicate that MAO-A may play a role in the development of alcoholism but the gene effect is very small. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Correlates of parental teaching strategies in families of children evidencing normal and atypical development

Abstract Eighty-six families with a 6-year-old (target) child participated in a study of the relation between children's competency levels and parents' teaching strategies. Of these families, 44 included a target child who had been diagnosed as communication handicapped (CH) by service professionals in the community and was currently enrolled in an intervention program. The remaining families consisted of children who had no known disabilities or handicaps. Using a family-systems approach, it was hypothesized that the intellectual ability of both the target children and their siblings would be related to teaching behaviors evidenced by mothers and fathers during interactions with the target child. When the target child evidenced a communication handicap, however, it was hypothesized that family dynamics would be altered. As a result, the target child's ability level was expected to be more strongly related to the parents' behaviors when the target child was communication handicapped than when the child was nonhandicapped. The siblings' contributions to parental teaching strategies were expected to be diminished when there was a child in the family who evidenced atypical development, as in the case of a communication handicap. Correlational analyses and path analyses revealed these differences in patterns of relations obtained for families with and without a CH child, and provided some support for a systems approach to the study of determinants of parents' teaching strategies.
The Mtm1p carrier and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate cofactor trafficking in yeast mitochondria.

Biochemical communication between the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial subsystems of the cell depends on solute carriers in the mitochondrial inner membrane that transport metabolites between the two compartments. We have expressed and purified a yeast mitochondrial carrier protein (Mtm1p, YGR257cp), originally identified as a manganese ion carrier, for biochemical characterization aimed at resolving its function. High affinity, stoichiometric pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) cofactor binding was characterized by fluorescence titration and calorimetry, and the biochemical effects of mtm1 gene deletion on yeast mitochondria were investigated. The PLP status of the mitochondrial proteome (the mitochondrial ‘PLP-ome’) was probed by immunoblot analysis of mitochondria isolated from wild type (MTM1+) and knockout (MTM1−) yeast, revealing depletion of mitochondrial PLP in the latter. A direct activity assay of the enzyme catalyzing the first committed step of heme biosynthesis, the PLP-dependent mitochondrial enzyme 5-aminolevulinate synthase, extends these results, providing a specific example of PLP cofactor limitation. Together, these experiments support a role for Mtm1p in mitochondrial PLP trafficking and highlight the link between PLP cofactor transport and iron metabolism, a remarkable illustration of metabolic integration.