cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of urokinase synthesis and cell surface binding alters the motile behavior of embryonic endocardial-derived mesenchymal cells in vitro

The expression of the serine protease urokinase is elevated during the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of the endocardium in the developing avian heart. Elevated urokinase expression is associated with the migrating mesenchymal cells of the atrioventricular canal and bulbotruncus and not the myocardium. Treatment of isolated endocardial-derived mesenchymal cells with phosphatidyinositol-specific phospholipase C released urokinase and its receptor from the cell surface and caused significant alterations in cell morphology and motility. Likewise inhibition of urokinase synthesis by treatment of cells with antisense oligonucleotides also inhibited the migration and motility of the endocardial-derived cells. These results suggest an important role for this enzyme in cell-matrix interactions and cell migration during development.
Blunted Neural Responses to Reward in Remitted Major Depression: A High-Density Event-Related Potential Study

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly recurrent condition, and improving our understanding of the abnormalities that persist in remitted MDD (rMDD) may provide insight into mechanisms that contribute to relapse. Reward learning deficits linked to dysfunction in frontostriatal regions are characteristic of MDD. Although initial behavioral evidence of reward learning deficits in rMDD has emerged, it is unclear whether these deficits reflect impairments in neural reward processing that persist into remission. Methods We examined behavioral reward learning and 128-channel event-related potentials (ERPs) during a well-validated probabilistic reward task in 26 individuals with rMDD and 34 control subjects with no history of depression. Temporospatial principal components analysis was used to separate overlapping ERP components, and group differences in neural activity in a priori regions were examined using low-resolution electromagnetic tomography. Results Individuals with rMDD displayed reduced behavioral reward learning and blunted ERP amplitude to reward feedback. The reduction in ERP amplitude occurred at a principal components analysis factor that peaked during the time at which phasic reward feedback-related signaling—hypothesized to originate in the striatum and project to the anterior cingulate cortex—is thought to modulate scalp-recorded activity. Consistent with this finding, low-resolution electromagnetic tomography analyses revealed reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex in the rMDD group, and this blunting correlated with poorer reward learning. Conclusions These findings suggest that the reward learning impairment observed in acute MDD persists into full remission and that these impairments may be attributable to abnormalities in the neural processes that support reward feedback monitoring, particularly within the anterior cingulate cortex.
Toward the Oxidation of the Phenyl Radical and Prevention of PAH Formation in Combustion Systems.

The reaction of the phenyl radical (C6H5) with molecular oxygen (O2) plays a central role in the degradation of poly- and monocyclic aromatic radicals in combustion systems which would otherwise react with fuel components to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and eventually soot. Despite intense theoretical and experimental scrutiny over half a century, the overall reaction channels have not all been experimentally identified. Tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization in conjunction with a combustion simulating chemical reactor uniquely provides the complete isomer specific product spectrum and branching ratios of this prototype reaction. In the reaction of phenyl radicals and molecular oxygen at 873 K and 1003 K, ortho-benzoquinone (o-C6H4O2), the phenoxy radical (C6H5O), and cyclopentadienyl radical (C5H5) were identified as primary products formed through emission of atomic hydrogen, atomic oxygen and carbon dioxide. Furan (C4H4O), acrolein (C3H4O), and ketene (C2H2O) were also identified as...
Path shape impacts the extent of CA1 pattern recurrence both within and across environments

Similarities and differences in the visual content, scale, and shape of environmental boundaries for two environments have been extensively examined for their impact on the recurrence of spatially ...
Life Cycle of Coptodisca negligens (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) on Cranberry

The life cycle of a leaf miner, Coptodisca negligens Braun, was studied on wild large cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait., at East Haddam, Conn., during 1985 and 1986. This univoltine heliozelid leaf miner spent 9 mo as an egg within the cranberry leaf and then developed from first instar to adult between mid-April and early July. The solitary larva had four feeding stadia and a nonfeeding fifth stadium. Larval head capsule width increased from first to fourth instar and decreased from fourth to fifth. Adult emergence and flight were each concentrated in 2 wk between late June and mid-July. Females oviposited in the undersides of young cranberry leaves. Moth activity overlapped with bloom and pollinator activity, suggesting that insecticidal control of adults would not be feasible.
FRONTIERS IN GEOFLUIDS

By Bruce Yardley, Craig Manning, and Grant Garven, Eds. (2011) Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 978-1-4443-3330-5 (hardcover), 328 p. Frontiers in Geofluids celebrates the 10th anniversary of the journal Geofluids . It comprises a set of papers originally published electronically as a special double issue of the journal. The volume clearly illustrates the central role of fluids and fluid flow in a wide spectrum of geological processes, including heat flow in the oceanic crust, metamorphism, ore deposit and petroleum reservoir formation, deformation and seismicity, and late-stage magmatic crystallization, to name just a few. A central aim of Geofluids is to bring fluid research in these disparate but linked areas together. As this volume shows, the effort has been highly successful. Frontiers in Geofluids is loosely organized into five major groups or themes, addressed in 19 articles written by an impressive international cohort of more than 30 authors. Field, laboratory, and theoretical approaches to fluid study are all represented. The papers are quite recent—dating from 2009–2010—and thus present up-to-date perspectives on fluid processes. The editors also …
Histopathologic and mutational analysis of a case of blue nevus-like melanoma

Blue nevi are a heterogeneous group of dermal melanocytic proliferations that share a common clinical appearance but remain controversial in their histopathologic and biologic distinction. While common blue nevi and cellular blue nevi are well-defined entities that are classified without significant controversy, the distinction between atypical cellular blue nevi and blue nevus-like melanoma remains diagnostically challenging. We report a case of a 46-year-old female with recurrent blue nevus-like melanoma of the scalp with liver metastases; mutational analysis showed GNA11 Q209L and BAP1 Q393 mutations. To our knowledge, this is the first case of blue nevus-like melanoma with GNA11 and BAP1 mutations. These particular mutations and the predilection for liver metastases in our patient's case underscore a fundamental biological relationship between blue nevi and uveal melanoma and suggest the two entities may prove amenable to similar diagnostic and prognostic testing and targeted therapies.
Institutional Trust Across Cultures: Its Definitions, Conceptualizations, and Antecedents Across Eastern and Western European Nations

Trust has been defined in a variety of ways across disciplines. The issue of defining trust becomes even more convoluted when considering linguistic variations, cultural differences, and colloquial definitions. In addition to interdisciplinary variations in trust definitions, languages vary in the vocabulary, meanings, and origins of their words for “trust.” These variations may contribute to the inconsistent and/or contradictory findings previous researchers have identified in predictors of institutional trust. The purpose of this chapter is fourfold: first we examine the philosophical issues surrounding cross-cultural conceptualizations of institutional trust by comparing intra/cross-cultural and interdisciplinary divergence in the definitions and conceptualization of institutional trust. Second, we compare cross-national findings from empirical studies to highlight important factors in institutional trust across different cultures. Third, we compare predictors of diffuse support for the highest national court in the country, as a measure of institutional trust, between Western European and Eastern European countries. In the present analysis, we examined the impact of previously identified factors important in predicting institutional trust, such as the importance of procedural and distributive justice, and the perception of corruption as an important problem, from data collected previously in a cross-national study conducted shortly after the end of communism in Eastern Europe. Finally, we close comments on the state of the field and with suggestions for future directions in cross-national research in institutional trust.
Room temperature housing results in premature cancellous bone loss in growing female mice: implications for the mouse as a preclinical model for age-related bone loss.

Room temperature housing (22 °C) results in premature cancellous bone loss in female mice. The bone loss was prevented by housing mice at thermoneutral temperature (32 °C). Thermogenesis differs markedly between mice and humans and mild cold stress induced by standard room temperature housing may introduce an unrecognized confounding variable into preclinical studies. Female mice are often used as preclinical models for osteoporosis but, in contrast to humans, mice exhibit cancellous bone loss during growth. Mice are routinely housed at room temperature (18–23 °C), a strategy that exaggerates physiological differences in thermoregulation between mice (obligatory daily heterotherms) and humans (homeotherms). The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether housing female mice at thermoneutral (temperature range where the basal rate of energy production is at equilibrium with heat loss) alters bone growth, turnover and microarchitecture. Growing (4-week-old) female C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice were housed at either 22 or 32 °C for up to 18 weeks. C57BL/6J mice housed at 22 °C experienced a 62 % cancellous bone loss from the distal femur metaphysis during the interval from 8 to 18 weeks of age and lesser bone loss from the distal femur epiphysis, whereas cancellous and cortical bone mass in 32 °C-housed mice were unchanged or increased. The impact of thermoneutral housing on cancellous bone was not limited to C57BL/6J mice as C3H/HeJ mice exhibited a similar skeletal response. The beneficial effects of thermoneutral housing on cancellous bone were associated with decreased Ucp1 gene expression in brown adipose tissue, increased bone marrow adiposity, higher rates of bone formation, higher expression levels of osteogenic genes and locally decreased bone resorption. Housing female mice at 22 °C resulted in premature cancellous bone loss. Failure to account for species differences in thermoregulation may seriously confound interpretation of studies utilizing mice as preclinical models for osteoporosis.
Maternal Characteristics and Offspring Growth in Chacma Baboons: A Life History Perspective

The pace of growth and development of offspring is a critical component of female reproductive success. Optimality models assume selection favoring maternal characteristics associated with a growth trajectory of maximum rate and minimum cost. Moreover, these attributes vary with social and ecological context. This chapter examines the interaction between maternal and offspring characteristics that affect immature growth in chacma baboons. The analyses evaluate offspring growth, measuring the probability of a weight measurement below the weight-for-age curve for the population. As maternal age increases beyond 10–14 years, offspring growth rate significantly decreases, controlling for maternal rank. Male offspring with younger mothers grow more slowly than others, but the trend is not significant. Maternal rank significantly affects female growth independent of maternal age variation. The female offspring of lower-ranking mothers grow more slowly than their higher-ranking peers. Maternal rank appears to have a weaker and opposing effect on male offspring growth. Male offspring of the lowest-ranking mothers seem to grow slightly faster than their higher-ranking counterparts. However, this effect disappears when maternal age is included in the model, suggesting minimal impacts of maternal rank on male growth. The effects of maternal rank on female growth are consistent and strong, controlling for variation in maternal age and variation in rainfall. These analyses indicate that the benefits of rank to reproductive success in terms of female offspring growth are most pronounced under conditions of environmental stress. These findings contribute to our understanding of the complex dynamics relating maternal characteristics of rank and age to the growth trajectories of male and female offspring. Identifying mediating variables that affect trajectories of growth and development allows us to synthesize the allocation rules that affect maternal decision making and the pattern of investment. The addition of environmental variation permits an evaluation of the varying intensity with which maternal rank affects reproductive success.
Fluid Particle Energy Storage, Transport, and Transformation Kinetics

Fluid particle refers to matter in a gas or liquid phase, with the particle being the smallest unit (made of atoms or molecules) in it, for which further breakdown would change the chemical identity of the particle. For a fluid in motion, the convection heat flux vector q u = ρ f c p, f u f T and the surface-convection heat flux vector q ku (which describes the interfacial heat transfer between two phases in relative motion, in which at least one phase is a fluid) are influenced by the specific heat capacity c p, f of the fluid particle (whereas q ku also depends on the isotropic fluid thermal conductivity k f , viscosity u f , and velocity). The fluid (gas or liquid) velocity u f can be subsonic or supersonic, and for contained gases at low pressures or in small spaces, it is possible for fluid particle–surface collisions to dominate over the interparticle collisions. In this chapter, we examine energy storage and transport in fluids, as well as fluid interactions with surfaces (and the associated fluid flow regimes). We will discuss how the effective conductivity of the fluid ⟨ k f ⟨ can be influenced by suspended particle, turbulence, and free electrons. Fluid particles can be monatomic, diatomic, or polyatomic, mononuclear or polynuclear, with various molecular symmetries and asymmetries, and can have five types (forms) of energy: potential (among the constituent atoms and molecules), electronic, translational, vibrational, and rotational (Figure 1.1). The electronic energy is part of potential energy, however, here we use the potential energy for inter fluid particle interactions only.
The Temporal Gene Expression Patterns of Embryonic Hematopoiesis after Hemangioblast Commitment.

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells provide a unique model for studying the development and function of human tissues. To better understand early development of the hematopoietic lineage, here we use microarray expression analysis to examine the temporal patterns of gene expression in embryoid bodies derived from human ES cells around the time when the definitive hematopoiesis peaks. We use an empirical Bayes hierarchical modeling approach, called EBarrays, to assess each of the possible temporal patterns of gene expression for the 5 time points examined, and correlate those patterns with the emergence of definitive hematopoiesis. We find that several genes known to be associated with early hematopoietic commitment, such as Flk-1 and TAL-1/SCL, are expressed 4-6 days before the peak colony formation cells (CFCs) production. The expression of a distinct group of genes previously identified as important in adult hematopoietic self-renewal (such as PIK3R1, ABCB1/MDR-1, RGS18, IRS1, SENP6/SUMO-1, and Wnt5A etc. correlated with the emergence of definitive hematopoiesis. Novel genes demonstrating the same expression pattern as this group are likely to have critical roles in the development and self-renewal of definitive hematopoietic precursors.
Monitoring Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere and Heavy Metals in Runoff Water at Active Landfill, Retired Landfill, and Forest Control Sites to Determine Remediation Effectiveness

With the exponential growth of the human population and the focus on â€œWesternizingâ€ the globe, waste and landfill use has spread. This makes the search for better remediation methods imperative. This paper describes the environmental impact of an active and a retired landfill. Carbon dioxide levels in ambient air and heavy metal concentrations in runoff water were monitored at both landfills and a control site. Data showed a significant difference in carbon dioxide levels among the sites, with the active landfill having the highest concentration and the control site having the lowest. Heavy metal tests revealed higher concentrations of lead and copper at the retired landfill compared to the active landfill and control site. The collected data is not sufficient to make a broad conclusion about remediation effectiveness; therefore, the researchers encourage continued investigation of this topic. Â
Electron Dynamics: Concrete Physical Models

This Chapter introduces and characterizes the so called lattice models, which integrate naturally in the general framework for homogeneous materials introduced in Chap. 1. It also fixes the notations and the conventions used throughout. A model of disorder is introduced and the various regimes of disorder are discussed. The Chapter concludes with the introduction and characterization of the topological invariants corresponding to the phases classified by \({\mathbb Z}\) and \(2{\mathbb Z}\) in Table 1.1.
Targeting the Immune System with Pharmacotherapy in Schizophrenia.

The clinical manifestations of increased cytokine activity in individuals with schizophrenia have not been clearly delineated; thus, planning pharmacological interventions remains an entirely empirical endeavor. Although there are many preliminary findings regarding the use of adjunct pharmacotherapeutic strategies targeting the immune system, in most instances, clearly efficacious results require further validation. Antipsychotics remain the most effective pharmacological treatment approach in schizophrenia, and evidence suggests that they impact cytokine and immune cellular physiology in the patient, though this requires improved mechanistic understanding. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and statins may be a beneficial supplement in the situation where a patient with metabolic syndrome is a candidate for dietary modifications and/or control of LDL-cholesterol. Such an approach would require adjusting the diet and pharmacology towards a profile that could have antiinflammatory effects, especially considering that adiposity is a source of increased inflammatory activity. Another strategy would be the addition of the neurosteroid pregnenolone, which appears to be well tolerated. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are routinely prescribed for other clinical conditions; thus, their use in schizophrenia could be easily implemented; however, their efficacy is unclear, and side effects require careful monitoring. The use of tetracycline antibiotics such as minocycline or antiimmune drugs such as azathioprine or methotrexate should be left to an academic research group, where the outcome and molecular signatures can be monitored in a controlled manner. Ultimately, the benefit/risk ratio of each of these adjunct treatments should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Finally, lifestyle changes such as improved sleep, reduced smoking, and weight reduction strategies, all factors which are associated with increased inflammation, should not be overlooked when working towards an improved functional outcome.
Comparison between qualitative and quantitative assessment of background parenchymal enhancement on breast MRI.

Background Potential clinical implications of the level of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on breast MRI are increasing. Currently, BPE is typically evaluated subjectively. Tests of concordance between subjective BPE assessment and computer-assisted quantified BPE have not been reported. Purpose or hypothesis To compare subjective radiologist assessment of BPE with objective quantified parenchymal enhancement (QPE). Study type Cross-sectional observational study. Population Between 7/24/2015 and 11/27/2015, 104 sequential patients (ages 23 - 81 years, mean 49 years) without breast cancer underwent breast MRI and were included in this study. Field strength/sequence 3T; fat suppressed axial T2, axial T1, and axial fat suppressed T1 before and after intravenous contrast. Assessment Four breast imagers graded BPE at 90 and 180 s after contrast injection on a 4-point scale (a-d). Fibroglandular tissue masks were generated using a phantom-validated segmentation algorithm, and were co-registered to pre- and postcontrast fat suppressed images to define the region of interest. QPE was calculated. Statistical tests Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and kappa coefficients (k) were used to compare subjective BPE with QPE. Results ROC analyses indicated that subjective BPE at 90 s was best predicted by quantified QPE ≤20.2 = a, 20.3-25.2 = b, 25.3-50.0 = c, >50.0 = d, and at 180 s by quantified QPE ≤ 32.2 = a, 32.3-38.3 = b, 38.4-74.5 = c, >74.5 = d. Agreement between subjective BPE and QPE was slight to fair at 90 s (k = 0.20-0.36) and 180 s (k = 0.19-0.28). At higher levels of QPE, agreement between subjective BPE and QPE significantly decreased for all four radiologists at 90 s (P ≤ 0.004) and for three of four radiologists at 180 s (P ≤ 0.004). Data conclusion Radiologists were less consistent with QPE as QPE increased. Level of evidence 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1685-1691.
Predicting performance in health professions education programs from admissions information - Comparisons of other health professions with pharmacy.

Abstract Background The goal of the present review was to assess the state of performance prediction in healthcare programs generally, versus performance prediction in pharmacy schools, using didactic and non-didactic admissions measures. This is important because clinical success represents a combination of skills that are not fully predicted by either type of measure alone. Methods PubMed searches were conducted focusing on work published from 2000 onwards, since it is during this period that non-didactic admissions measures have come to be incorporated into the applicant evaluation process. Relevant free full text papers available were used. When these papers were not available by direct import into EndNote, we went directly to the journal to try to retrieve the paper. Results We acknowledge that health professions programs have been successful in recruiting excellent candidates into their schools. However, based on the modest amount of healthcare program performance accounted for by didactic measures, admissions committees should consider expanding their holistic evaluation of applicants. Schools would benefit from using two-step screening phases in the application process – perhaps evaluating didactic potential in phase 1 and experiential in phase 2. Using combination measures throughout the admission process should help ensure admission of students more likely to be successful throughout their healthcare practice. Implications Future investigations of the prediction of healthcare program performance by formal combinations of didactic and non-didactic admissions measures are imperative. In addition, it is likely that combination admission measures will incorporate more metrics of critical thinking than do simpler approaches. Furthermore, systematic evaluation of the usefulness of the two-step screening approaches to admissions used by most competitive health professions programs also needs to be done.
Resource Prospector (RP): A Cost-Effective Lunar Resource Pathfinder

The Resource Prospector (RP) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission under study by the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD). This clever mission is currently planned to launch in 2020 and will demonstrate extraction of oxygen, water and other volatiles, as well measure mineralogical content such as silicon and light metals, like aluminum and titanium, from within lunar regolith. Efficient expansion of human presence beyond low-Earth orbit to asteroids and Mars will require the maximum possible use of local materials, so-called in-situ resources. The moon presents a unique destination to conduct robotic investigations that advance ISRU capabilities, as well as provide significant exploration and science value.
The economic consequences of neurosurgical disease in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study was to estimate the economic consequences of neurosurgical disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).METHODSThe authors estimated gross domestic product (GDP) losses and the broader welfare losses attributable to 5 neurosurgical disease categories in LMICs using two distinct economic models. The value of lost output (VLO) model projects annual GDP losses due to neurosurgical disease during 2015-2030, and is based on the WHO's "Projecting the Economic Cost of Ill-health" tool. The value of lost economic welfare (VLW) model estimates total welfare losses, which is based on the value of a statistical life and includes nonmarket losses such as the inherent value placed on good health, resulting from neurosurgical disease in 2015 alone.RESULTSThe VLO model estimates the selected neurosurgical diseases will result in $4.4 trillion (2013 US dollars, purchasing power parity) in GDP losses during 2015-2030 in the 90 included LMICs. Economic losses are projected to disproportionately affect low- and lower-middle-income countries, risking up to a 0.6% and 0.54% loss of GDP, respectively, in 2030. The VLW model evaluated 127 LMICs, and estimates that these countries experienced $3 trillion (2013 US dollars, purchasing power parity) in economic welfare losses in 2015. Regardless of the model used, the majority of the losses can be attributed to stroke and traumatic brain injury.CONCLUSIONSThe economic impact of neurosurgical diseases in LMICs is significant. The magnitude of economic losses due to neurosurgical diseases in LMICs provides further motivation beyond already compelling humanitarian reasons for action.
(K 4 -e)-free perfect graphs and star cutsets

We show that a perfect graph not containing (K4-e) as an induced subgraph, and whose clique-node incidence matrix does not belong to a restricted class of totally unimodular matrices, has a star cutset. This result yields a new proof that the Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture is true for this class of graphs.
Growth of tracheal anastomoses in lambs. Comparison of PDS and Vicryl suture material and interrupted and continuous techniques.

Tracheal anastomoses were performed in 19 lambs (mean age 4 weeks, mean weight 9.8 kg) to compare polydioxanone (PDS) and polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) suture material (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.) and simple continuous and simple interrupted suture technique. Each animal had two anastomoses with full-thickness bites for both suture techniques. Animals were killed at 4 months (n = 6) or 8 months (n = 5). Eight animals died before they were scheduled to be put to death (mean 6 weeks postoperatively). Transverse sections of the trachea were taken at the level of the anastomoses and three tracheal rings above and below each anastomosis. The cross-sectional area of the tracheal lumen of these transverse sections was measured with a computerized digitizing tablet. A percent luminal area for each anastomosis was calculated relative to the mean tracheal area three rings above and three rings below the anastomosis. There was little difference between interrupted and continuous technique with either suture material (p = 0.94). In 10 animals that each served as its own control for suture material, PDS anastomotic area was 55.0% +/- 4.1% of mean tracheal luminal area compared with 45.4% +/- 7.1% for Vicryl anastomoses (p = 0.06). Histologic analysis revealed a more intense inflammatory reaction surrounding multifilament Vicryl sutures with more rapid resorption and greater subsequent fibrosis relative to the reaction seen with PDS sutures. A small clinical experience with seven infants has confirmed short-term satisfactory clinical performance of continuous PDS suture for tracheal anastomosis.
Tracking Microorganisms and Genes in the Environment

Many concerns have been expressed about the possible hazards resulting from the release into natural environments of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) derived from recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology (7, 15, 42). These concerns center around the possibilities that GEMs, or host cells into which rDNA might move, could demonstrate pathogenicity, causing disease in plants or animals, or that GEMs or subsequent hosts for the rDNA could have detrimental effects on natural ecosystems. Many different disaster scenarios have been postulated, ranging from a deadly “Andromeda strain” pathogen produced by rDNA technology causing massive mortalities, to the release of a GEM altering the world climate. Many similar concerns were raised in the early 1970s when the technology for producing GEMs was first developed, leading to the Asilomar Conference in February 1975, and the development of guidelines and oversight by the Recombinant Advisory Committee (RAC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the safe handling of GEMs.
Realization of a plug-and-play, low SWAP-C, MIR imaging system utilizing a commercially available low-cost VOx microbolometer array for enabling imaging applications

In this report the development of a low SWAP-C mid-infrared imaging system is outlined. This system is designed with a commercially available Vanadium-oxide (VOx) microbolometer camera costing $250 controlled via a Raspberry Pi (RPi) and Python. The camera used was previously characterized to have a NEDT of 25 mK for an integration time of 3.43s at 7 Hz framerate, but from software modifications discussed in this paper it was found that the cameras framerate can be pushed to 32 Hz lowering this integration time to 0.75 s. Due to the low SWAP-C characteristics of the design and the plug-and-play nature of the camera paired with Python code, this system can enable MIR imaging applications that are currently limited by the SWAPC characteristics of currently available detection systems. After outlining the development of interfacing the camera with a computer/microcontroller, the cameras code is extended to a client-server operation that allows for wireless control of the imaging system. This further enables remote operation for applications such as dronebased monitoring/surveillance or trace explosives detection. The report concludes with the discussion of two potential applications of distributed imaging and spectroscopic organics detection.
Joint Attention in Hearing Parent–Deaf Child and Hearing Parent–Hearing Child Dyads

In this paper, we characterize establishment of joint attention in hearing parent–deaf child dyads and hearing parent–hearing child dyads. Deaf children were candidates for cochlear implantation who had not yet been implanted and who had no exposure to formal manual communication (e.g., American Sign Language). Because many parents whose deaf children go through early cochlear implant surgery do not themselves know a visual language, these dyads do not share a formal communication system based in a common sensory modality prior to the child’s implantation. Joint attention episodes were identified during free play between hearing parents and their hearing children ( $N = 4$ ) and hearing parents and their deaf children ( $N = 4$ ). Attentional episode types included successful parent-initiated joint attention, unsuccessful parent-initiated joint attention, passive attention, successful child-initiated joint attention, and unsuccessful child-initiated joint attention. Group differences emerged in both successful and unsuccessful parent-initiated attempts at joint attention, parent passive attention, and successful child-initiated attempts at joint attention based on proportion of time spent in each. These findings highlight joint attention as an indicator of early communicative efficacy in parent–child interaction for different child populations. We discuss the active role parents and children play in communication, regardless of their hearing status.
dPEN: deep Progressively Expanded Network for mapping heterogeneous agricultural landscape using WorldView-3 satellite imagery

Abstract Accurately mapping heterogeneous agricultural landscape is an important prerequisite for agricultural field management (e.g., weed control), plant phenotyping and yield prediction, as well as ecological characterization. Compared to traditional mapping practices that require intensive field surveys, remote sensing technologies offer efficient and cost-effective means for crop type mapping from regional to global scales. However, mapping heterogeneous agricultural landscape is a challenge because of diverse and complex spectral profiles of crops. We propose a novel deep learning method, namely deep progressively expanded network (dPEN), for mapping nineteen different objects including crop types, weeds and crop residues, in a heterogeneous agricultural field using WorldView-3 (WV-3) imagery. To assess the mapping accuracy of dPEN, we created a calibrated WV-3 dataset with the corresponding ground truth. In addition, the suitability of visible/near-infrared (VNIR, 400–1040 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1195 nm–2365 nm) bands of WV-3 to classification accuracy were examined and discussed in detail. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to explore the significance of all SWIR bands in WV-3 for classification accuracy in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape. The results demonstrated that: (1) The proposed dPEN allows for building a deeper neural network from multispectral data which was the limitation of many convolutional neural networks; (2) dPEN was able to extract more discriminative features from VNIR and SWIR bands by producing the highest overall accuracy (OA: 86.06%) over competing methods such as support vector machine and random forest; (3) The inclusion of WV-3 SWIR bands greatly improved the classification accuracy; (4) SWIR bands were particularly beneficial to improve the classification accuracy of some individual classes such as weeds, crop residues, and corn and soybean during late developmental stages; (5) The red-edge band (705–745 nm) was identified as the most important band affecting the classification accuracy nearly 10%, whereas the coastal band (400–450 nm) provided the lowest contribution; and (6) SWIR-5 band (2145–2185 nm) contributed most to OA by enhancing it approximately 4% when combined with VNIR bands, while SWIR-1 (1195–1225 nm) yielded the lowest improvement (1.55%) for OA. These research outcomes provide useful information for efficiently mapping agricultural landscape, and indicate the potential practices of dPEN and contributions of spectral bands in WV-3 for plant phenotyping, weed control, and crop residue retention.
The Nobel Memorial Prize for William D. Nordhaus

William D. Nordhaus and Paul M. Romer received the 2018 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. This paper surveys Nordhaus’ contributions on “integrating climate change into long‐run macroeconomic analysis”, for which he was recognized with this Prize.
James Petiver's 'Kind Friends' and 'Curious Persons' in the Atlantic World: commerce, colonialism and collecting.

In 1695, James Petiver concluded the first ‘century’ of his Musei Petiveriani by observing that he had received the specimens described within it from his ‘Kind Friends from divers parts of the Wor...
Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Ion Channels in Orofacial Pain

Orofacial pain, including temporomandibular joint disorders pain, trigeminal neuralgia, dental pain, and debilitating headaches, affects millions of Americans each year with significant population health impact. Despite the existence of a large body of information on the subject, the molecular underpinnings of orofacial pain remain elusive. Two decades of research has identified that transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels play a crucial role in pathological pain. A number of TRP ion channels are clearly expressed in the trigeminal sensory system and have critical functions in the transduction and pathogenesis of orofacial pain. Although there are many similarities, the orofacial sensory system shows some distinct peripheral and central pain processing and different sensitivities from the spinal sensory system. Relative to the extensive review on TRPs in spinally-mediated pain, the summary of TRPs in trigeminally-mediated pain has not been well-documented. This review focuses on the current experimental evidence involving TRP ion channels, particularly TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPV4, and TRPM8 in orofacial pain, and discusses their possible cellular and molecular mechanisms.
Discussion Magnitude of Proliferating Fraction and Rate of Proliferation of Populations of Leukemic Cells in Man

In the past our findings in regard to the proliferation kinetics of acute leukemia have differed from those of Dr. Mauer and his colleagues in two major respects. The first concerns the size of the proliferating fraction. Drs. Mauer and Fisher have reported the actively dividing fraction to be as small as 12 percent in some patients (12) while our estimates have been much larger (3, 2). The second point of disagreement concerns the generation times of the proliferating fractions. Dr. Mauer has previously reported generation times as short as 15–20 hours (2) whereas we have never found the mean generation time to be less than about 2 days and in most patients it was appreciably longer. We have also found considerable variability in the generation time within any one population of leukemic cells (3, 2, 7, 8). Since our studies were in adults while Dr. Mauer’s were in children, it is important to know if a real difference exists between adult and childhood leukemia. The more recent studies of Dr. Mauer and his colleagues are much more in accord with our own; that is, mean generation times of the order of 60 hours (16) ; recognition that there may be wide variability of generation times within one population; and redefinition of the so-called “non-proliferative” cells to include resting cells which are capable of resuming active proliferation.
Pardon our dust: remodeling care to serve you better

Overview The Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid), a national leader in health-care transformation, contracts with 16 regional Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) to provide integrated medical, behavioral, and dental care in patientcentered primary care homes. The transformation seeks increased access to primary care, better control of healthcare cost increases, and improved health outcomes using global budgets and shared savings to promote quality of care rather than quantity of care.
Resonantly pumped amplification in a thulium-doped large mode area photonic crystal fiber

We demonstrate resonantly pumped amplification in a thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber. This enables greatly increased efficiencies compared to 795nm or 1550nm pumping and is attractive for pulsed amplification.
Bureaucracy, economy, and leadership in China: The financial coalition

The center of economic reform proposals in 1956–1957 was the coalition of interests associated with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The leaders of these and other bureaucracies articulated a series of policies from late 1956 into 1957 that if sustained over time (and implemented reasonably effectively) would have changed China from a centrally planned, Soviet-style economy to one that combined market and planned elements. The priority for heavy industry and the high levels of investment in metallurgical and machine building industries associated with centrally planned economies would have been lessened, and more attention would have been devoted to consumer goods, agriculture, and consumption levels. It is not possible to determine whether a true market socialist economy would have developed in China as a result of these reforms. Yet this was the direction in which Chen Yun, Li Xiannian, and other ranking figures were pushing China's political economy. The financial, or budgeteer, coalition sought both to circumscribe and to undermine the power of planning and heavy industry in the Chinese economy, and to constrain the ability of political generalists to intervene in economic decision making. Changes in rules, procedures, and patterns of policy making were all part of the financial coalition's reform proposals. In its efforts to limit interventions by nonspecialists, this group received support from the planning coalition and from a number of top leaders.
Low-temperature operation of silicon bipolar ECL circuits

Silicon bipolar transistors with current gain as high as 80 at 77 K are described. ECL (emitter-coupled-logic) circuits using these transistors are operational at low temperatures with no degradation in circuit speed observed until about 165 K as compared to its speed at a typical system operating temperature of 358 K (85 degrees C). The key design and performance issues for low-temperature operation of bipolar (or BiCMOS) circuits are addressed. The device used in the investigation is a scaled double-poly self-aligned transistor. Transistor small-signal response measured by standard S-parameter techniques as a function of temperature is shown. The static noise margin improves at low temperatures, suggesting that reduction of circuit logic swings will be possible. State gain can be greater than unity with V/sub L/ less than 200 mV at 85 K provided the pull-up resistance to emitter resistance ratio is kept sufficiently large. >
Software process improvement experience in the DP/MIS function

This experience report outlines Corning Inc.'s experience in successfully using software process assessment as part of their Information Service Division's software process improvement program. Improvement actions executed as indicated and prioritized by our self-assessment findings resulted in largely eliminating the cost and schedule overruns on projects in ISD's Systems Engineering Group. This paper describes the ISD process improvement initiative; a summary of our observations and the key lessons we learned concludes the paper. >
Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship Analysis of the Effect of Metoclopramide and Related Compounds on the Surface Ionization of Fumed Silica

Abstract Potentiometric titration curves were generated for fumed silica with various concentrations of dissolved metoclopramide. The effects of various benzamide analogs of metoclopramide, which are positively charged in the titration medium and differ solely by their aromatic substituents, as well as lidocaine, which is also structurally analogous but is mainly in the unionized form, were also studied. At sufficiently high pH, pH 7.0 and above, the silica surface charge was independent of the metoclopramide concentration. A reasonable linear relationship with a positive slope was found between the logarithmic octanol–water partition coefficient (log P ) values of the compounds and the negative surface charge determined at pH 7.0 and 7.2. These results can be attributed to specific adsorbate–surface interactions rather than concentration effects. The carbonyl oxygens of the benzamide structures most likely form hydrogen bonds with the neutral silanols. The use of positively charged triethylamine and ephedrine resulted in surface charge values that were the least negative in the aforementioned quantitative structure–activity relationship analyses. These results are consistent with ionic interactions between the positively charged aliphatic amine groups and the negatively charged surface silanols occurring simultaneously with the nonionic interactions.
An Exploratory study of the fertility of live-in maids and prostitutes in a Colombian city: suggestons for further research

Cali Colombia like many Latin American cities has an excess of reproductive age females some of whom are employed as live-in maids and prostitutes. Since these occupations preclude cohabitation and child bearing for extended periods this study examines their possible impact on the urban fertility rate. The data obtained suggest that prostitutes have about national average fertility while maids have completed fertility that is less than 1/4 the national average. Some implications of these findings for further research are suggested. (Authors) (Summary in FRE)
Molecular Level Understanding of Adhesion Mechanisms at the Epoxy/Polymer Interfaces

It is important to understand the buried interfacial structures containing epoxy underfills as such structures determine the interfacial adhesion properties. Weak adhesion or delamination at such interfaces leads to failure of microelectronic devices. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to examine buried interfaces at polymer/model epoxy and polymer/commercial epoxy resins (used as underfills in flip chip devices) at the molecular level. We investigated a model epoxy: bisphenol A digylcidyl ether (BADGE) at the interfaces of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) before and after curing. Furthermore, small amounts of different silanes including (3-glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (γ-GPS), (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (ATMS), Octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS(18C)), and Octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS(8C)) were mixed with BADGE. Silane influences on the polymer/epoxy interfacial structures were studied. SFG was also used to study molecular interfacial structures between polymers and...
Cohomological field theory from field-space cohomology

Abstract Cohomological field theories are defined and investigated in an approach that begins with a cohomological theory on the (usually trivial) space of all field configurations and then imposes constraints and gauge fixing to restrict to a subspace such as a moduli space. This approach makes manifest the connection between the language of field theory and the topology, and implies that all cohomological information about the subspace is encoded in the cohomological theory. Derivations of lagrangians are also simplified. Cohomological Yang-Mills and cohomological gravity are examined from this perspective, a derivation of world-sheet Feynman rules for cohomological gravity is outlined.
Thrombectomy with the Transluminal Endarterectomy Catheter (TEC) System: Experimental Study and Case Report

The transluminal endarterectomy catheter (TEC) system was employed as a percutaneous rotational mechanical thrombectomy device in 1-week-old thrombi in five dogs (five thrombosed polytetraflu-oroethylene grafts and four thrombosed native superficial femoral arteries). Luminal patency was restored in all vessels with no angiographic evidence of significant distal embolization. The TEC catheter was also successfully used for recanalization of the superior vena cava in a patient with superior vena cava syndrome.