cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New views on education for maternity care providers

M onumental changes are currently occurring in the organization and provision of health care to Americans, creating both the need and the opportunity for changes in the education of health care providers. This is especially true for providers of maternity care because the criticisms of current US health care tend to focus on our comparatively high infant mortality rates, our problems with unintended pregnancy with resultant infant neglect and child abuse, and the maleorientation of our health care research in the past. This article argues for dramatic changes in the way we train caregivers for mothers and babies following on proposed broad changes in maternity care itself.
Weighing evils: the C. S. Lewis approach

It is often argued that the great quantity of evil in our world makes God’s existence less likely than a lesser quantity would, and this, presumably, because the probability that some evils are gratuitous increases as the overall quantity of evil increases. Often, an additive approach to quantifying evil is employed in such arguments. In this paper, we examine C. S. Lewis’ objection to the additive approach, arguing that although he is correct to reject this approach, there is a sense in which he underestimates the quantity of pain. However, the quantity of pain in that sense does not significantly increase the probability that some pain is gratuitous. Therefore, the quantitative argument likely fails.
Further research into antecedents and correlates of androgyny.

243 male and 367 female college students were administered the Bern Sex-role Inventory and research instruments designed to measure the student's level of identification with parents, parental task distribution in the subject's family, the subject's mother's participation in the labor force, and the subject's self-concept characteristics, plans for forming a family, and social and political attitudes. The findings indicated that level of identification of males with their mothers was positively related to their femininity while for females mother's participation in the labor force had a positive effect on masculinity. Furthermore, sex-role traits were significantly related to self-concept factors and plans for formation of a family of both the males and females and to the social and political attitudes of males.
Induction of smooth muscle cell phenotype in cultured human prostatic stromal cells

Stromal cells are key regulators of growth and differentiation in the adult human prostate. Alterations in the stroma are believed to initiate the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and stromal-epithelial interactions may have a role in malignant progression. The prostatic stroma is composed of two major cell types, smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. Cell cultures from the prostatic stroma have been established by several investigators, but the phenotype of these cells has not been extensively characterized and it is not clear whether they are fibroblastic or smooth muscle-like. In this study, the response of stromal cells cultured from normal prostatic tissues to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) was investigated. We confirmed a previous report that TGF beta inhibited the growth of prostatic stromal cells in serum-containing medium, and showed that inhibition also occurred in serum-free medium. Growth inhibition by TGF beta was irreversible after 24 to 72 h of exposure. In the absence of TGF beta, cells were fibroblastic and expressed vimentin and fibronectin but little alpha-smooth muscle actin. After 3 days of exposure to 1 ng/ml of TGF beta, the majority of cells expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin, as demonstrated by immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analysis. This effect was specific and alpha-smooth muscle actin was not induced by two other growth-inhibitory factors, retinoic acid or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. These results suggest that TGF beta is an important regulator of growth and differentiation of prostatic stromal cells and that a smooth muscle cell phenotype is promoted in the presence of TGF beta.
Phase stability in Al/Ti multilayers

Structural stabilities in thin-film Al/Ti multilayers have been studied using transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that models based on interface-induced modifications to bulk stacking fault energies, and/or coherency-strain energy may not be used to explain the various phase transitions observed. Rather, phase stability may be rationalized by reference to a new model based on classical thermodynamics, involving the competition between bulk and interfacial energies. Thus, these phase transitions are shown to be driven by reductions in the overall interfacial energies. A biphase diagram (reciprocal of bilayer thickness vs composition) has been developed for the multilayers produced by magnetron sputtering. The influence of impurities possibly introduced during thin-foil preparation is considered and rationalized by reference to the biphase diagram for this system.
On phosphorimetry as quantitative microanalysis with application to some substances of biochemical interest

Abstract Because spectra of substances at low temperatures exhibit greater sharpness, resolution, and intensity and therefore also permit better discrimination between substances, spectrophosphorimetry at liquid nitrogen temperature was chosen for the quantitative analyses of an enzyme (α-chymotrypsin) and a peptide (N-acetyl- l -tyrosine ethyl ester). Such multipolar substances can be maintained in homogeneous solution at the temperature of liquid nitrogen by a mixture of water (25% by volume), methanol (55%), and ethanol (20%). At this temperature the solution forms a glass and fractures but with the aid of chips of fused silica and an internal standard (benzyl alcohol), a precision of 5 to 10% was reached.
Synthesis of Biomimetic Poly(hydroxybutyrate) : Alkoxy-and Carboxytriazolines as Latent Ionic Initiator

A well-defined high molecular weight poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) was synthesized by "living"/ controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of β-butyrolactone (BL) using a metal-free catalytic system. The ROP was initiated from either primary alcohol or carboxylic acid added with 1 equiv of a stable carbene, i.e., l,3,4-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene carbene, 1. Interestingly, perfect control over molecular weight (M n up to 32 000 g.mol -1 ), molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ∼ 1.1 - 1.3) and end group'fidelity was attained using t-BuOH as the only polymerization solvent at 80 °C. Structural and kinetics studies highlighted an anionic polymerization mechanism where the protonated 1 (1-H) played the role of associated counterion. Attesting for the control of the ROP, amphiphilic block copolymers were further synthesized by polymerization of BL from poly(ethylene oxide) α-methoxy, ω-carboxylic acid macroinitiator while their tensioactive properties were evidenced by the pendant drop method.
Biochemical and developmental evidence that ooplasmic maturation of prepubertal bovine oocytes is compromised.

Abstract Our previous studies have shown that oocytes collected from prepubertal calves lack developmental competence. The overall objective of this study was to assess causes by comparing biochemical and physiologic changes during in vitro maturation of oocytes collected from ovaries of adult cattle at slaughter and from superstimulated calves (<6 mo old) by either laporotomy or ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. Activity and/or concentrations of maturation-promoting factor (MPF), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) were determined by measuring phosphorylation of histone H-1 kinase, phosphorylation of myelin basic protein, or Western blotting, respectively, and were compared between oocytes collected from calves and for those collected from cows. The activities of MPF and MAPK and the relative amount of IP3R were significantly lower in calf oocytes. The physiologic significance of these observations was determined by assessing the developmental ...
Regioselective Bromination Tactics in the de Novo Synthesis of Chlorophyll b Analogues

The ability to introduce substituents at designated sites about the perimeter of the chlorin or 131-oxophorbine macrocycle is essential for fundamental studies related to chlorophylls. A chlorin is a dihydroporphyrin, whereas a 131-oxophorbine is a chlorin containing an annulated oxopentano ring spanning positions 13 and 15. 131-Oxophorbines bearing auxochromes at the 7-position of the macrocycle are valuable targets given their resemblance to chlorophyll a or b, which contains the 131-oxophorbine skeleton and bears a 7-methyl or 7-formyl group, respectively. A rational route to 7-substituted 131-oxophorbines was developed that relies on a new method for regioselective bromination. Under neutral conditions, a 13-acetyl-10-mesitylchlorin (FbC-M10A13) undergoes bromination (with 1 molar equiv of NBS in THF) both in ring B (7-position) and at the 15-position (42% versus 28% isolated yield), thereby thwarting installation of the isocyclic ring (ring E, spanning the 13−15 positions). Under acidic conditions (1...
ANGIOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF PULMONARY INSUFFICIENCY AFTER TETRALOGY OF FALLOT REPAIR

Pulmonary insufficiency(PI) has been implicated in the etiology of ventricular arrhythmias(VA) and biventricular dysfunction after Tetralogy of Fallot repair. To assess this, 30 consecutive postoperative TF pts with clinical PI have undergone branch pulmonary(PA) injections at follow-up catheterization. Group I consisted of 13 pts who cleared contrast normally from the right heart, within 2 beats of injection; Group II consisted of 17 pts who required 3-11 beats (=6) to clear the right heart. The groups did not differ significantly in age at surgery or evaluation, RV hypertension or RV outflow tract gradient. Five of 13 pts in Group I and 12/17 in Group II had obligatory surgical PI. The groups were compared for RV size by M-mode echocardiography expressed as RV/LV ratio diastolic dimension, RV and LV ejection fractions by radionuclide ventriculography, and grade of VPCs detected on treadmill exercise and ambulatory ECG. Findings are summarized below:
An IRE-Like AGC Kinase Gene, MtIRE, Has Unique Expression in the Invasion Zone of Developing Root Nodules in Medicago truncatula

The AGC protein kinase family (cAMP-dependent protein kinases A, cGMP-dependent protein kinases G, and phospholipid-dependent protein kinases C) have important roles regulating growth and development in animals and fungi. They are activated via lipid second messengers by 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase coupling lipid signals to phosphorylation of the AGC kinases. These phosphorylate downstream signal transduction protein targets. AGC kinases are becoming better studied in plants, especially in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where specific AGC kinases have been shown to have key roles in regulating growth signal pathways. We report here the isolation and characterization of the first AGC kinase gene identified in Medicago truncatula, MtIRE. It was cloned by homology with the Arabidopsis INCOMPLETE ROOT HAIR ELONGATION (IRE) gene. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis shows that, unlike its Arabidopsis counterpart, MtIRE is not expressed in uninoculated roots, but is expressed in root systems that have been inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti and are developing root nodules. MtIRE expression is also found in flowers. Expression analysis of a time course of nodule development and of nodulating root systems of many Medicago nodulation mutants shows MtIRE expression correlates with infected cell maturation during nodule development. During the course of these experiments, nine Medicago nodulation mutants, including sli and dnf1 to 7 mutants, were evaluated for the first time for their microscopic nodule phenotype using S. meliloti constitutively expressing lacZ. Spatial localization of a pMtIRE-gusA transgene in transformed roots of composite plants showed that MtIRE expression is confined to the proximal part of the invasion zone, zone II, found in indeterminate nodules. This suggests MtIRE is useful as an expression marker for this region of the invasion zone.
Interdemic variation in mixed-species association patterns: common diurnal primates of Kibale National Park, Uganda

We used interdemic variation in the tendency to form mixed-species groups to examine the costs and benefits of association among the primates of Kibale National Park, Uganda. A year-long survey of six sites revealed that the amount of time that the five common diurnal primates [red colobus (Procolobus tephrosceles), black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza), redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), and grey-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena)] spent in mixed-species groups varied dramatically among sites. In many cases, the proportion of time that species associated was positively related to their densities. By using detailed behavioral observations of redtail monkeys and red colobus made over 4 years (2660 h) at four sites, we were able to reject the null hypothesis that associations occur by chance for only one of four sites. However, a correlative approach exploring the costs and benefits of association suggests that ecological variables do influence association patterns. We found that redtail monkeys and red colobus overlapped in diet (19.2% of their foraging effort) and traveled further when in mixed-species groups than when alone. Having demonstrated this, we examined the applicability of the ecological constraints model for predicting the proportion of the time spent in mixed-species groups based on food availability. For this analysis we concentrated on red colobus from the site with 35 months of observation and demonstrated that their tendency to be in mixed- species groups was related to food availability. We used two methods to examine if mixed-species associations function to decrease predation risk. First, chimpanzees are known to prey heavily on red colobus, but rarely kill other primates. The time red colobus spent in mixed-species groups was correlated to chimpanzee density, but it was not for the other monkey species, suggesting that mixed-species groups serve to decrease predation risk. Second, when red colobus groups contain more infants and are presumably at the greatest risk of predation, they form mixed-species groups most often. These results demonstrate that the costs and benefits of mixed-species associations vary dramatically over small spatial and temporal scales. If such variation is generally the case, then studies conducted at different locations or different times could easily highlight the importance of difference selective agents in favoring mixed-species associations.
Textual dynamics of “the New South”

This essay examines stylistic dynamics in Henry W. Grady's landmark public address “The New South.” Working from the view that an important function of studies in public address is to account for the symbolic action in discourse, this essay offers a close reading of “The New South” based on Kenneth Burke's observations of substance, tropes and entitlement. The analysis demonstrates that through tropes and imagery Grady grounds the New South in familial and geometric substance that runs across sectional differences and temporal barriers. Grady deploys imagery and tropes that compel the reader or listener to see the Union as a crossing of sectional blood, the Civil War as travail imposed by God, and the New South as American soil—as a sanctified repository of blood shed to preserve the Union. Thus the tropes and imagery hold forth the potentialities in reunion by attributing purpose to the war; retrospect and prospect converging through symbolic interpretation of the past.
Comparison of growth constants of two aquatic plants, hydrilla and elodea.

Abstract Pseudo-first-order constants for production of oxygen and consumption of hydrogen ion are compared for two aquatic plants, Hydrilla and Elodea. These constants are resolved into individual rate constants associated with specific inorganic carbon species, bicarbonate and carbonate. The specific constants for Hydrilla and Elodea appear to be identical. The ratio of two specific constants for hydrogen consumption relative to oxygen production agree with the theoretical value of 2.0 within 15%. The use of a standard study system is described, and the implications for use in evaluating aquatic plant nutrient requirements are considered.
Culinary Tourism in the Music City: The Place of Culinary Icons and Local Flavors in Nashville Tourism

Food and culinary traditions are among the most important cultural markers that define community and regional identity. They often reflect locally grown plants and locally raised animals, as well as traditional recipes and cooking techniques of the specific region. While traditional sightseeing allows tourist to view the cultural Other, culinary tourism provides a more integrated way to explore the diverse cultural offerings of unfamiliar communities through taste, smell, and touch as well as sight. The development of a distinctive culinary style is common to all cultures, so culinary tourism provides a way for travelers to explore another culture while remaining grounded in a familiar context. The present content analysis examines culinary tourism in Nashville, Tennessee through in-depth study of restaurants along two indices: locality and iconicity. Four restaurants were selected as representative of the quadrants that correspond to the intersection of these indices. These restaurants are examined on two criteria directly controlled by the restaurant (self-description and menu) and two criteria not directly under the restaurant’s control (location and reviews). Local restaurants are more creative in their menu offerings and more favorable reviewed than non-local restaurants. Iconic restaurants are more likely to capitalize on their visibility by promoting their name, whereas non-iconic restaurants must market themselves through other means. This study examines the many dimensions along which restaurants offer culinary products to tourists and locals alike.
The Disclosure–Intimacy Link in Computer‐Mediated Communication: An Attributional Extension of the Hyperpersonal Model

The present research investigated whether the attribution process through which people explain self-disclosures differs in text-based computer-mediated interactions versus face to face, and whether differences in causal attributions account for the increased intimacy frequently observed in mediated communication. In the experiment participants were randomly assigned to a face-to-face or computer-mediated interaction with a confederate who made either high- or low-intimacy self-disclosures. Results indicated that computer-mediatedinteractionsintensifiedtheassociationbetweendisclosureandintimacy relative to face-to-face interactions, and this intensification effect was fully mediated by increasedinterpersonal (relationship) attributionsobserved in the computer-mediatedcondition. The articlepresents an attributionalextension of the hyperpersonal model (Walther, 1996) by demonstrating the role of causal attributions in interpersonal intensification processes in text-based computer-mediated interactions.
Anharmonicity in the statistical dynamical theory of solid state diffusion

The statistical mechanical and dynamical theories of solid state diffusion are combined in a many-body approach to the determination of a jump frequency which includes both harmonic and anharmonic terms in the crystal potential. Explicit correlation between the theories of Vineyard(1) and of Rice(3) is shown for the harmonic case. The cubic and quartic anharmonic terms in both the crystal potentials and in expansions of the force constant matrices are added for a consistent first order correction to the harmonic jump frequency. The jump frequency obtained shows a 1m12 dependence which is consistent with experimental observations of the mass dependence. The quantities which appear in the final equation for the jump frequency are the harmonic, cubic, and quartic force constants, temperature, mass, and the critical displacements, at the saddle point, of all the atoms which are displaced significantly in the diffusion process. The theory is written in classical terms but the second quantization formalism appears to be tractable within the framework of the approach.
The Type I Interferon Signaling Pathway Is a Target for Glucocorticoid Inhibition

Type I interferon (IFN) is essential for host defenses against viruses; however, dysregulated IFN signaling is causally linked to autoimmunity, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmune disease treatments rely on glucocorticoids (GCs), which act via the GC receptor (GR) to repress proinflammatory cytokine gene transcription. Conversely, cytokine signaling through cognate Jak/STAT pathways is reportedly unaffected or even stimulated by GR. Unexpectedly, we found that GR dramatically inhibited IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression in macrophages. The target of inhibition, the heterotrimeric STAT1-STAT2-IRF9 (ISGF3) transcription complex, utilized the GR cofactor GRIP1/TIF2 as a coactivator. Consequently, GRIP1 knockdown, genetic ablation, or depletion by GC-activated GR attenuated ISGF3 promoter occupancy, preinitiation complex assembly, and ISG expression. Furthermore, this regulatory loop was restricted to cell types such as macrophages expressing the GRIP1 protein at extremely low levels, and pharmacological disruption of the GR-GRIP1 interaction or transient introduction of GRIP1 restored RNA polymerase recruitment to target ISGs and the subsequent IFN response. Thus, type I IFN is a cytokine uniquely controlled by GR at the levels of not only production but also signaling through antagonism with the ISGF3 effector function, revealing a novel facet of the immunosuppressive properties of GCs.
Integration of Cockpit Displays for Surface Operations: The Final Stage of a Human-Centered Design Approach

A suite of cockpit navigation displays for low-visibility airport surface operations has been designed by researchers at NASA Ames Research Center following a human-centered process. This paper reports on the final research effort in this process that examined the procedural integration of these technologies into the flight deck. Using NASA Ames’ high-fidelity Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator, eighteen airline crews completed fourteen low-visibility (RVR 1000’) land-andtaxi scenarios that included both nominal (i.e., hold short of intersections, route amendments) and off-nominal taxi scenarios designed to assess how pilots integrate these technologies into their procedures and operations. Recommendations for integrating datalink and cockpit displays into current and future surface operations are provided.
ANTIDUMPING LAWS AS WEAPONS OF PROTECTIONISM: CASE STUDIES FROM ASIA

Antidumping laws have existed in some form since the early twentieth century. Ostensibly aimed at protecting domestic producers from unfair trade practices, they have sometimes been used as weapons of protectionism even when dumping has not occurred. When this happens, some special interest group gains at the expense of the general public. This paper begins with a review of the theory and practice of antidumping laws, then proceeds to examine recent trends in antidumping cases involving four Asian countries.
Terra Incognita: Vacant Land and Urban Strategies

Terra Incognita: Vacant Land and Urban Strategies. By Ann O'M. Bowman and Michael A. Pagano. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2004. 232 pages. $24.95.Public policies for vacant land are among the least understood but most important aspects of urban policy and politics. In this book, Ann O'M. Bowman and Michael Pagano highlight important issues regarding such land and offer useful frameworks for understanding the policies and politics that shape its future uses. In doing so, they provide a unique and useful perspective on land use policies and politics, which are a key—if not the key—aspect of local policy and politics.
Deconstructing Interference Relations in WiFi Networks

Wireless interference is the major cause of degradation of capacity in 802.11 wireless networks. We present an approach to estimate the interference between nodes and links in a live wireless network by passive monitoring of wireless traffic. This does not require any controlled experiments, injection of probe traffic in the network, or even access to the network nodes. Our approach requires deploying multiple sniffers across the network to capture wireless traffic traces. These traces are then analyzed to infer the interference relations between nodes and links. We model the 802.11 MAC as a Hidden Markov Model (HMM), and use a machine learning approach to learn the state transition probabilities in this model using the observed trace. This coupled with an estimation of collision probabilities helps us to deduce the interference relationships. We show the effectiveness of this method against simpler heuristics, and also a profiling-based method that requires active measurements. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is significantly more accurate than heuristics and quite competitive with active measurements. We also validate the approach in a real WLAN environment.
Insulin-like growth factors in sheep uterine fluids: concentrations and relationship to ovine trophoblast protein-1 production during early pregnancy.

Uterine luminal fluids (ULFs) from Days 10, 12, 14, and 16 cyclic (C) and pregnant (Px) ewes were analyzed for presence of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I, IGF-II) and other mitogenic factor(s). IGF content and non-IGF mitogenic activity were measured by IGF RIAs after removal of IGF binding proteins and by stimulatory effects on DNA synthesis of density arrested AKR-2B cells, respectively. ULF IGF-I content was not different between days, but differences in IGF-l between C and Px groups at Day 16 (C> Px) were found (p < 0.05). ULE IGF-ll content was not different between C and Px ewes; however, differences among days (p < 0.01) were apparent. In both C and Px ewes, Day 14 ULF had highest IGF-ll content (C: 4.60 ± 0.98 ng/ml, Px: 5.39 ± 1.38 ng/ml). In Day 12 and Day 14 (C and Px) ULF, IGF-II concentration was about 10-fold greater than that of IGFI. AKR-2B mitogemc activity in IJLF differed among days (p <0.01), but not between C and Px ewes. Highest activity was observed for Day 14 C and Px ULF, whereas lowest activity was for Day 10 C and Day 16 Px ULE. Sephadex G-200 gel-filtration chromatography of ULF from Day 14 Px ewes demonstrated mitogenic activity in the column void volume fractions and in the 30-kDa size range of eluted proteins. Day 13 conceptuses were cultured in serum-free medium to define the effect of exogenous IGF5 on ovine trophoblast protein-i (oTP-1) secretion. Amount of 0TP-i in conceptus culture medium was measured by RIA. Neither IGF-I nor IGF-I1 alone had any effect on oTP-1 secretion; however, simultaneous addition of both factors significantly increased 0TP-I secretion (p < 0.01). Results demonstrate the presence of IGF-l and IGF-II as well as other high M, fibroblast mitogens in ovine ULF, and the stimulatory effect of combined IGFs on 0TP-1 secretion in vitro, This suggests the potential involvement of peptide growth factors in pen-attachment conceptus development in sheep.
Hypercube algorithms suitable for image understanding in uncertain environments

Parallel algorithms for color image segmentation and edge detection are presented and analyzed. These algorithms are part of a recently developed computer vision system which uses multiple-valued logic to represent uncertainty in the imaging process and in intermediate results. Algorithms for the extraction of three-dimensional properties of objects using dynamic scene analysis techniques within the same computer vision system framework are briefly examined. Results from experimental studies using a 1024-element hypercube implementation of the algorithms as applied to a series of natural scenes are reported. >
Leukotriene antagonists and Churg-Strauss syndrome: the smoking gun

The cysteinyl leukotrienes, leukotriene C4 (LTC4), LTD4, and LTE4 are pro-inflammatory agents previously known as the “slow reacting substances of anaphylaxis”. These arachidonic acid derivatives have broad ranging pro-inflammatory actions including airway smooth muscle contraction and bronchoconstriction, increase in vascular permeability, increase in mucus secretion, and inflammatory cell infiltration of lung tissue.1 The leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) zafirlukast, pranlukast, and montelukast block the effects of these mediators and are the most recently released agents with potential anti-inflammatory action for use in asthma.2 They are antagonists of LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 and act as selective competitive antagonists of the cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT1) receptor, as distinct from the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor zileuton. An association between LTRAs and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) has recently been suggested by a series of published case reports. CSS is a rare systemic vasculitis whose characteristic features include extravascular eosinophil infiltration/vasculitis, peripheral eosinophilia, and asthma. The case reports published to date describe 15 subjects, 13 of whom were being treated with zafirlukast3-7 and one with pranlukast8; a single case of pulmonary eosinophilia following treatment with montelukast9 has also been reported although this case may reasonably be reclassified as CSS. The Medicines Control Agency (UK) has received five reports of CSS associated with the use of montelukast and notes 35 such …
Facilitating Autonomy With Broad Consent.

Grady and colleagues (2015) have provided a welcome and needed contribution to the robust debate surrounding informed consent for novel forms of research, including research on banked biospecimens,...
Compression of color images without visible blocking artifacts using a modified DCT computation scheme

The discrete cosine transform (DCT) is widely used in image compression and has been adopted in the lossy compression method of JPEG. At very low bit rates, however, severe blocking as well as color artifacts can be noticed with this algorithm. Another problem of the DCT is its computation time. The subband-DCT (SB-DCT), introduced by Jung et al. (1996), has been shown to have a better performance when used on grey scale images. In this paper we investigate the compression of color images using the SB-DCT. Different configurations regarding input data, subband-DCT and distribution of bits between the different components (YUV) have been tried to find the qualitatively best technique. We give experimental results on the higher computational speed of this approach. Quantitative and subjective testing methods are employed to show the higher quality of reconstructed images encoded using the SB-DCT as compared with those obtained using the standard DCT.
Breccia and Small-Scale Lower Pennsylvanian Overthrusting in Southern Illinois

Two unusual exposures of Pennsylvanian sediments occur adjacent to a tunnel along the Illinois Central Railroad in northwestern Pope County, Illinois. At the north end of the tunnel is an 1,800-foot exposure of a breccia probably Caseyville in age. At the south end, are two small imbricate overthrusts of Caseyville age. Midway between the pene-contemporaneous breccia and overthrusts is the McCormick fault zone-anticlinal trend. Both breccia and imbricate overthrusts are believed to be free gravity slides related to Caseyville activity of the McCormick fault zone-anticlinal trend. These exposures show that slide structures of appreciable magnitude are not limited to argillaceous sandstone sequences of major geosynclines but can also occur locally in the relatively clean sandstone sequences of intracratonic basins.
Racing to Theory or Retheorizing Race? Understanding the Struggle to Build a Multiracial Identity Theory

Empirical research on the growing multiracial population in the United States has focused largely on the documentation of racial identification, analysis of psychological adjustment, and understanding the broader political consequences of mixed-race identification. Efforts toward theory construction on multiracial identity development, however, have been largely disconnected from empirical data, mired in disciplinary debates, and bound by historically specific assumptions about race and racial group membership. This study provides a critical overview of multiracial identity development theories, examines the links between theory and research, explores the challenges to multiracial identity theory construction, and proposes considerations for future directions in theorizing racial identity development among the mixed-race population.
Detection of textured areas in natural images using an indicator based on component counts

An algorithm is presented for the detection of textured areas in natural images. Texture detection has potential application to image enhancement, tone correction, defect detection, content classification, and image segmentation. For example, texture detection may be useful for object detection when combined with color models and other descriptors. Sky, e.g., is generally smooth, and foliage is textured. The texture detector presented here is based on the intuition that texture in a natural image is comprised of many components. The measure we develop examines the structure of local regions of the image. This structural approach enables us to detect both structured and unstructured textures at many scales. Furthermore, it distinguishes between edges and texture, and also between texture and noise. Automatic detection results are shown to match human classification of corresponding image areas.
Power in a Channel of Distribution: Sources and Consequences:

This article empirically assesses the relationship between power and the sources of power in a channel of distribution that has a well-defined power source: the franchisor-franchisee channel. In ad...
Stylometry and Collaborative Authorship: Eddy, Lovecraft, and 'The Loved Dead'

The authorship of the 1924 short story ‘The Loved Dead’ has been contested by family members of Clifford Martin Eddy, Jr. and Sunand Tryambak Joshi, a leading scholar on Howard Phillips Lovecraft. The authors of this article use stylometric methods to provide evidence for a claim about the authorship of the story and to analyze the nature of Eddy’s collaboration with Lovecraft. Further, we extend Rybicki, Hoover, and Kestemont’s (Collaborative authorship: Conrad, Ford, and rolling delta. Literary and Linguistic Computing , 2014; 29 , 422–31) analysis of stylometry as it relates to collaborations in order to reveal the necessary considerations for employing a stylometric approach to authorial collaboration.
Endothelial Biology: The Role of Circulating Endothelial Cells and Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Abstract From the first description of circulating endothelial progenitor cells by Asahara and colleagues in 1997, our understanding of how the vascular endothelium tolerates stress and maintains its integrity has changed considerably. Endothelial biology in the adult constitutes a complex process of senescence, injury, and repair that is mediated by a complicated interaction of endothelial progenitor cells, sloughed circulating endothelial cells, microparticles, and an array of signaling proteins. This chapter will attempt to summarize what is currently known about this process, speculate on what new findings may lie ahead, and discuss the current state of our knowledge about manipulation of endothelial biology for the therapy of coronary artery disease. In so doing, it will elaborate our current understanding of endothelial cell turnover, the various factors that modify it, and the opportunities for both further research on and the clinical application of cell-based therapies.
The intelligent processing of materials for design and manufacturing

The intelligent processing of materials (IPM) is a nascent method of improving the processing and quality control of advanced materials and products manufactured from them. IPM exploits recent advances in diagnostic techniques, particularly those developed for non-destructive evaluation, to sense the features of a material that dominate its ultimate performance. Physical and mathematical process modeling plays an important part in ongoing research, linking sensed variables to the quantities being controlled, and facilitating real-time control of the process.
Teaching a Computer-Oriented Laboratory Course for Ordinary Differential Equations

(1973). Teaching a Computer-Oriented Laboratory Course for Ordinary Differential Equations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 80, No. 8, pp. 933-937.
The Distinction between Convenience Goods, Shopping Goods, and Specialty Goods:

The essence of the distinction between convenience goods and shopping goods may lie in the gain resulting from price and quality comparisons relative to the searching costs. For convenience goods t...
Spatial and temporal distribution of Korscheltellus gracilis larvae (Lepidoptera : Hepialidae) in the Green Mountains, Vermont

The spatial and temporal larval distributions of the newly recognized potential pest of boreal forests, Korscheltellus gracilis (Grote), are presented. Larvae were collected from 17 of 20 areas in the Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont, and highest densities were at elevations > 1,000 m. On Camels Hump Mountain (Huntington, Vt.), larval density during the summer of 1987 was approximately 440,000 ± 36,000 per hectare. Changes in density between May and August 1987 were not detected. Larvae were clumped in space and most abundant in the upper 9 cm of soil. Data from head capsule measurements suggest at least six instars.
Type I interferons and herpes simplex virus infection: a naked DNA approach as a therapeutic option?

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 are highly successful human pathogens that can elicit blinding herpetic keratoconjunctivitis, fatal sporadic encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, and increase the risk of acquiring additional sexually transmitted diseases. Type 1 interferons (IFN) play a significant role in controlling HSV pathogenesis by antagonizing viral replication and spread. Taking advantage of the susceptibility of HSV to IFNs, a novel approach of employing plasmid DNA cassettes expressing type 1 IFNs to antagonize viral pathogenesis has been undertaken. This review will describe recent work in our lab and those of other using naked DNA encoding cytokines to antagonize HSV replication and virus trafficking or immune-mediated pathogenesis as a result of viral assault to occular tissue.
Nucleation During the Solidification of Atomized Droplets Catalyzed by Spherically-Shaped Oxide Particles

Nucleation temperatures are calculated for the case of solidification in atomized metal droplets where spherical substrate particles act as nucleation catalysts. Following the method of Fletcher, the effect of substrate size on catalytic potency is illustrated, and the model is applied to the nucleation of bcc solid from pure, liquid iron containing oxide substrate particles as catalysts. Supercooling data from the literature are used to determine wetting angles for alumina, silica, and rare-earth oxide. Oxide particle-size distributions are then used to predict the supercooling behavior of atomized liquid droplets based on the probability that a given size of droplet will contain a particular size of substrate particle. A transition size regime is found separating droplet sizes undergoing very small and very large supercoolings, respectively. This is discussed in terms of the types and number densities of inclusions present during atomization of the melt.
LONGITUDINAL SYSTOLIC STRAIN PROFILES IN PERIPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY

To characterize left ventricular longitudinal systolic strain patterns in peripartum cardiomyopathy with depressed (PPCM) and a recently described variant form with preserved ejection fraction (PPPEF). Longitudinal systolic strain has been shown to be impaired in heart failure (HF) patients with
Institutional Enrollment and Survival Among NSCLC Patients Receiving Chemoradiation: NRG Oncology Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0617.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the effect of institutional accrual volume on clinical outcomes among patients receiving chemoradiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) on a phase III trial. METHODS Patients with LA-NSCLC were randomly assigned to 60 Gy or 74 Gy radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel +/- cetuximab on NRG Oncology RTOG 0617. Participating institutions were categorized as low-volume centers (LVCs) or high-volume centers (HVCs) according to the number of patients accrued (≤3 vs > 3). All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Range of accrual for LVCs (n = 195) vs HVCs (n = 300) was 1 to 3 vs 4 to 18 patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two cohorts. Treatment at a HVC was associated with statistically significantly longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with treatment at a LVC (median OS = 26.2 vs 19.8 months; HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.88, P = .002; median PFS: 11.4 vs 9.7 months, HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65-0.99, P = .04). Patients treated at HVCs were more often treated with intensity-modulated RT (54.0% vs 39.5%, P = .002), had a lower esophageal dose (mean = 26.1 vs 28.0 Gy, P = .03), and had a lower heart dose (median = V5 Gy 38.2% vs 54.1%, P = .006; V50 Gy 3.6% vs 7.3%, P < .001). Grade 5 adverse events (AEs) (5.3% vs 9.2%, P = .09) and RT termination because of AEs (1.3% vs 4.1%, P = .07) were less common among patients treated at HVCs. HVC remained independently associated with longer OS (P = .03) when accounting for other factors. CONCLUSION Treatment at institutions with higher clinical trial accrual volume is associated with longer OS among patients with LA-NSCLC participating in a phase III trial.
A View from Within: An Insider’s Reflection on the Effect of Relocation

(1990). A View from Within: An Insider’s Reflection on the Effect of Relocation. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 13, Communication Yearbook 13, pp. 95-106.
Wideband MIMO Frequency-Modulated Emission Design With Space-Frequency Nulling

A design approach is presented that jointly optimizes the beampattern and spectral content of a wideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar emission within the context of physically realizable frequency-modulated (FM) waveforms emitted from a uniform linear array. Such waveforms minimize the distortion induced by the power amplifier by virtue of being constant amplitude and inherently well-contained spectrally. The design approach is a specific form of alternating projections that shapes the emission spectrum as a function of spatial angle while intrinsically addressing the problem of reactive power that arises for the wideband MIMO emission. This scheme also permits incorporation of joint space-frequency nulling to facilitate spectrum cohabitation with other nearby RF users. The design process is performed in a discretized manner that is oversampled relative to waveform 3-dB bandwidth to capture a sufficient portion of the spectral roll-off to realize the physical waveform, which is subsequently implemented via the polyphase-coded FM structure.
System identification: 3d measurement using structured light system

The problem of 3D reconstruction from 2D captured images is solved using a set of cocentric circular light patterns. Once the number of light sources and cameras, their location and the orientations, and the sampling density (the number of circular patterns) are determined, we propose a novel approach to representation of the reconstruction problem as system identification. Akin to system identification using the relationship between input and output, to develop an efficient 3D functional camera system, we identify the reconstruction system by choosing / defining input and output signals appropriately. One algorithm states that an input and an output are defined as projected circular patterns and 2D captured image (overlaid with deformed circular patterns) respectively. Another one is that a 3D target and the captured 2D image are defined as the input and the output respectively, leading to a problem of input estimation by demodulating an output (received) signal. The former approach identifies the system from the ratio of output to input, and is akin to a modulation-demodulation theory, the latter identifies the reconstruction system by estimating the input signal. This paper proposes the approach to identification of reconstruction system, and also substantiates the algorithm by showing results using inexpensive and simple experimental setup.
Current Endovascular Management of Acute Limb Ischemia.

Acute limb ischemia is a vascular emergency, threatening the viability of the affected limb and requiring immediate recognition and treatment. Even with revascularization of the affected extremity, acute limb ischemia is associated with significant morbidity and mortality resulting in up to a 15% risk of amputation during the initial hospitalization and a 1 in 5 risk of mortality within 1 year of the index event. This review summarizes the current management of acute limb ischemia. Understanding the diagnosis and therapeutic options will aid clinicians in treating these critically ill patients.
Open Educational Resources and Rhetorical Paradox in the Neoliberal Univers(ity)

As a phenomenon and a quandary, openness has provoked conversations about inequities within higher education systems, particularly in regards to information access, social inclusion, and pedagogical practice. But whether or not open education can address these inequities, and to what effect, depends on what we mean by "open" and specifically, whether openness reflexively acknowledges the fraught political, economic, and ethical dimensions of higher education and of knowledge production processes. This essay explores the ideological and rhetorical underpinnings of the open educational resource (OER) movement in the context of the neoliberal university. This essay also addresses the conflation of value and values in higher education - particularly how OER production processes and scholarship labor are valued. Lastly, this essay explores whether OER initiatives provide an opportunity to reimagine pedagogical practices, to reconsider authority paradigms, and potentially, to dismantle and redress exclusionary educational practices in and outside of the classroom. Through a critique of neoliberalism as critically limiting, an exploration of autonomy, and a refutation of the precept that OER can magically solve social inequalities in higher education, the author ultimately advocates for a reconsideration of OER in context and argues that educators should prioritize conversations about what openness means within their local educational communities.
Subjective inflation of color saturation in the periphery under temporal overload

A long-standing puzzle in perception concerns the subjective impression of vivid color experience in the periphery. While peripheral color processing is not entirely insensitive, the subjective vividness seems unsupported by the relative paucity of representation in the periphery. Inspired by the flashed face distortion effect, in which peripheral faces are perceived as somewhat exaggerated or distorted when they are preceded by flashes of other faces in the same location, we attempted to create an equivalent illusion in the domain of color. The hypothesis is that under temporal overload, patches of colorful dots may be perceived as more exaggerated in terms of saturation. We confirmed this hypothesis with the observation of a significant effect of modest magnitude, which was replicated in a second experiment. These results suggest that subjective inflation of perceived color saturation does occur in the periphery, when the perceptual system is sufficiently occupied temporally and spatially. We discuss the relationship between the observed effects with previous findings of liberal detection biases in the unattended periphery.