cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reservoir riparian zone characteristics in the Upper Tennessee River Valley

Impoundments in the upper Tennessee River Basin have inundated historic river riparian and mesic valley slope habitats. Fifteen major Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reservoirs, upstream of Chattanooga TN, have effected 50,000 ha of modern reservoir riparian zones on formerly mesic terrain. These zones were defined here as winter mudflats between winter pool shores and summer pool shores and summer riparian habitats with diminishing soil saturation from summer shores up to flood zone boundaries. Watts Bar (WB), the largest of these 15 projects in terms of area, was chosen for background and field analyses of the consequential reservoir riparian processes and expressions. WB, at the median age of areal TVA reservoirs, was closed in 1942. Transects were taken in the WB summer riparian forest after consideration of topoedaphics, species composition, and the level of contemporary disturbance. Regional bottomland forests were compared. Coefficients of species similarity showed 70% compositional similarity. The basal area (BA) density of WB summer riparian forests was not similar as was composition in regional bottomland stands. Four (of twelve) subjectively selected WB transect BA densities were compared nonparametrically and were the same (90% confidence) as other bottomland stands of like chronology. Overall however, WB stands averaged 19.6 m2/ha BA to 30.0 + for regional comparisons. Stocking was low, but measured litterfall was relatively high, resulting in similar biomass productivity corrected on a unit area basis. The winter mudflats showed expanding development of phenologically distinct herbaceous and graminoid communities under a five to six month drawdown exposure regime. Thermal modifications from the winter pool heat sink were determined to alter the mudflat microenvironment. A recent shortening of the drawdown period has interrupted the adapted life history strategy of the counter-seasonal plants, and seed maturity has been restricted. Erosion of the summer shore has been increasing the extent of the mudflats at the expense of the hydrologically influenced summer riparian habitat foreslope. The discernable trend of summer riparian stand succession over mesic expression will be limited by the height and hydric avoidance occasioned by an abrupt slope to mesic, unsaturated profile, conditions. Approximations of biomass production potential pre- and post impoundment have shown a 12∶1 diminution from historic carbon detention, on a seasonal basis, within normal pool shore boundaries. Further approximations comparing the WB summer riparian forest carbon retention and detention to historic forest compartments highlighted the importance of a relatively copious, non-lignified, litterfall in the seasonally available carbon budget.
Groove-Coupled InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Laser/Waveguide on Silicon

We demonstrate a monolithically integrated laser-waveguide device implemented with InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures grown on silicon by molecular beam epitaxy. Focused-ion-beam (FIB) etching is utilized to form high-quality laser mirrors for feedback and grooves for coupling and electrical isolation. Based on a transmission matrix and a generalized beam propagation approach in terms of intensity moments and Gouy phase shifts, a self-consistent model is developed to estimate the reflectivity and coupling coefficient at etched grooves and optimize these parameters for real devices. High-quality FIB-etched facets with a reflectivity of R~0.28 and efficient coupling with coupling coefficients of up to 30% for well-defined grooves have been achieved.
Optimal Regularized Dual Averaging Methods for Stochastic Optimization

This paper considers a wide spectrum of regularized stochastic optimization problems where both the loss function and regularizer can be non-smooth. We develop a novel algorithm based on the regularized dual averaging (RDA) method, that can simultaneously achieve the optimal convergence rates for both convex and strongly convex loss. In particular, for strongly convex loss, it achieves the optimal rate of O(1/N + 1/N2) for N iterations, which improves the rate O(log N/N) for previous regularized dual averaging algorithms. In addition, our method constructs the final solution directly from the proximal mapping instead of averaging of all previous iterates. For widely used sparsity-inducing regularizers (e.g., l1-norm), it has the advantage of encouraging sparser solutions. We further develop a multistage extension using the proposed algorithm as a subroutine, which achieves the uniformly-optimal rate O(1/N | exp{– N}) for strongly convex loss.
A Simple Model of Herd Behavior

We analyze a sequential decision model in which each decision maker looks at the decisions made by previous decision makers in taking her own decision. This is rational for her because these other decision makers may have some information that is important for her. We then show that the decision rules that are chosen by optimizing individuals will be characterized by herd behavior; i.e., people will be doing what others are doing rather than using their information. We then show that the resulting equilibrium is inefficient.
Cinefluoroscopy as the gold standard for mechanical valve mobility

A 35-year-old man with congenital aortic stenosis had several porcine valve replacements before receiving a mechanical St Jude bileaflet valve (St Jude Medical, USA) at the age of 18 years. For 17 years, he took only acetylsalicylic acid and refused to take warfarin. He then presented with dyspnea on exertion, at which time a transthoracic echocardiogram, followed by a transesophageal echocardiogram, showed aortic regurgitation. Both tests were suspicious, but inconclusive (due to acoustic shadowing) of one-leaflet immobility and possible thrombosis. Fluoroscopy showed free mobility of both leaflets (Figures 1A and ​and1B),1B), sparing the patient a planned surgery.
Inducible Covalent Posttranslational Modification of Histone H3

The physiological state of a eukaryotic cell is determined by endogenous and exogenous signals, and often the endpoint of the pathways that transmit these signals is DNA. DNA is organized into chromatin, a nucleoprotein complex, which not only facilitates the packaging of DNA within the nucleus but also serves as an important factor in the regulation of gene function. The nucleosome is the basic unit of chromatin and generally consists of approximately two turns of DNA wrapped around an octamer of core histone proteins. Each histone also contains an accessible N-terminal tail that extends outside the chromatin complex and is subject to posttranslational modifications that are crucial in the regulation of gene expression. Two distinct categories of histone posttranslational modification have been observed: (i) inducible or stimulation-dependent and (ii) mitosis-dependent. Stimulation by mitogens or stress leads to rapid transient posttranslational modifications of histones, in particular histone H3, which are mechanistically and temporarily distinct from modifications associated with mitosis. This Review focuses mainly on the inducible phosphorylation of histone H3 brought about by different stimuli, such as epidermal growth factor, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, arsenite, or ultraviolet radiation. We examine the most recent, and at times controversial, research data concerning the identity of the histone H3 kinases responsible for this phosphorylation. In addition, the interdependence of phosphorylation and acetylation will be discussed in light of data showing patterns of inducible modification at specific genes.
Strand Switching During Retroviral Reverse Transcription

A distinctive feature of the retroviral life cycle is the process of reverse transcription which results in the conversion of the single stranded RNA genome into a linear double stranded DNA copy. A principal area of research in our lab has centered on template switching during reverse transcription and the consequences of this translocation depending on whether switching occurs intermolecularly or intramolecularly. For these studies we have examined the process of nucleic acid replication in replication-competent avian reticuloendotheliosis viruses (REV).
Cognitive and Behavioral Correlates of Childhood Depression

Cognitive—behavioral models have received widespread attention pertaining to the etiology, symptom display, and treatment of depressed children and adolescents. This chapter addresses the myriad cognitive—behavioral perspectives relevant to depression in youth. This work is integrated with principles from developmental psychology. A developmental perspective for conceptualizing the cognitive and behavioral functioning of children necessitates understanding children as organisms who are different from adults rather than deficient relative to adults, and viewing children’s behavior in the context in which it is embedded. The incorporation of notions from developmental psychology within a cognitive—behavioral framework enhances our understanding of the development of competencies and deficits as manifested in depressed youth of different ages.
Empowerment-Oriented Practice Applied to Long-Term Care

Abstract Empowerment-oriented social work practice seeks to engage participants in the process of increasing their knowledge and skills relative to their efforts to meet their own needs and those of others. The form of intervention focuses on personal, interpersonal, organizational and larger political economic aspects of the issues faced by participants. This article outlines the theory and practice strategies of empowerment-oriented practice as a method of intervention with elders who require long-term care. Special content and strategies are suggested. Emphasis is on knowledge generated by the target population, as well as, knowledge generated through professional research and training. The role of social workers in these interventions and the special challenges facing empowerment-oriented practice with this population are also addressed.
Role of TGF-β Signaling in Coupling Bone Remodeling

TGF-β signaling plays a key role in the temporal and spatial regulation of bone remodeling. During osteoclast bone resorption, TGF-β is released from the bone matrix and activated. Active TGF-β recruits mesenchymal stem cells to the bone resorption pit through the SMAD signaling pathway. Mesenchymal stem cells undergo osteoblast differentiation and deposit new bone filling in the resorption pit and maintaining the structural integrity of the skeleton. Thus, TGF-β signaling plays a key role in the coupling process and disruptions to the TGF-β signaling pathway lead to loss of skeletal integrity. This chapter describes methods on how to quantitate bone matrix TGF-β and assess its role in mesenchymal stem cell migration both in vitro and in vivo.
Comparison of Single Versus Multiple Echogenic Foci in the Fetal Heart Regarding Risk of Aneuploidy

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multiple echogenic cardiac foci (ECF) are associated with an increased risk of fetal trisomy 21 in our patient population. Methods. During a span of 38 months, all women found to have an ECF on obstetric sonography were identified as study patients and grouped into single- and multiple-ECF groups. Age- and race-matched patients were identified as a control group. Fetal anatomic sonographic examinations were assessed for other markers of aneuploidy and major abnormalities. The baseline risk for trisomy 21 was assessed by maternal serum screening or age alone if no serum screening had been performed. Trisomy 21 was assessed by amniocentesis or clinically at birth. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess for associations with trisomy 21. Results. Six of 71 patients (8.5%) with multiple ECF and 1 of 171 patients (0.6%) with a single ECF had trisomy 21. One of 242 control patients (0.4%) had trisomy 21. Logistic regression found multiple ECF (P < .008), the presence of a major finding or multiple minor findings (P = .0012), and a baseline risk for trisomy 21 of greater than 1 in 100 (P = .003) as independent associations with trisomy 21. Conclusions. Our results suggest that finding multiple ECF is a stronger predictor of trisomy 21 than what is described for a single ECF.
Modeling the Radical Chemistry in an Oxidation Flow Reactor: Radical Formation and Recycling, Sensitivities, and the OH Exposure Estimation Equation

Oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) containing low-pressure mercury (Hg) lamps that emit UV light at both 185 and 254 nm (“OFR185”) to generate OH radicals and O3 are used in many areas of atmospheric science and in pollution control devices. The widely used potential aerosol mass (PAM) OFR was designed for studies on the formation and oxidation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA), allowing for a wide range of oxidant exposures and short experiment duration with reduced wall loss effects. Although fundamental photochemical and kinetic data applicable to these reactors are available, the radical chemistry and its sensitivities have not been modeled in detail before; thus, experimental verification of our understanding of this chemistry has been very limited. To better understand the chemistry in the OFR185, a model has been developed to simulate the formation, recycling, and destruction of radicals and to allow the quantification of OH exposure (OHexp) in the reactor and its sensitivities. The model outputs of ...
Disinfection Effect of Sewage from 2 General Hospitals in Qingyuan City

[Objective]To understand and master the current status and existed problem in sewage discharge in Qingyuan city affiliated general hospitals,strengthen the supervision and management of the hospitals' sewage discharge,and prevent the surrounding environment and water pollution from iatrogenic pollution through sewage discharge.[Methods]During 2004—2007 samples of the hospital-discharged water were collected per half year for fecal coliform and intestinal bacteria tests.The results were evaluated according to "GB18466-2005 medical institutions,water pollutant discharge standards".[Results]A total of 92 discharged sewage samples of 2 hospitals were sampled,81(88.04%)were MPN/L qualified,among which 53 were collected from People's Hospital,48(90.56%)were qualified;39 of a Chinese medicine hospital,33(84.62%)were qualified;intestinal bacteria was not detected in all the samples.[Conclusion]The disinfection effects of sewage discharged in the 2 hospitals are instable and the qualified rate cannot rise up to 100%,the supervision and management of medical discharged sewage disinfection should be further strengthened.
Inflammatory Diseases of the Paranasal Sinuses and Mucoceles

Inflammatory diseases of the paranasal sinuses are commonly encountered. In addition to the clinical evaluation, paranasal sinus films are often included for the diagnosis and follow-up. Complications of such infections and mucoceles are best evaluated by CT and MRI.
TH-AB-206-00: Challenges and Opportunities for Nuclear Medicine Theranostics

In the past few decades, the field of nuclear medicine has made long strides with the continued advancement of related sciences and engineering and the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides. Leveraging these advancements while combining the advantages of therapeutic and diagnostic radionuclides into one radiopharmaceutical has also created a new subfield “theranostics” in nuclear medicine that has the potential to further propel the field into the future. This session is composed of two talks; one focused on the physics principles of theranostics from properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides to dosimetric models and quantification; while the second describes preclinical and clinical applications of theranostics and discusses the challenges and opportunities of bringing them to the clinic. At the end of the session the listener should be able to identify: •The different properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides •Which radionuclides are selected for which nuclear medicine therapies and why •How PET can be used to accurately quantify the uptake of tumor targeting molecules •How individualized dosimetry can be performed from the management of thyroid cancer to novel radiolabeled antibody therapies •Promising pre-clinical radiopharmaceutical pairs in prostate cancer and melanoma. •Promising clinical Theranostics in neuroendocrine cancers. •Challenges of bringing Theranostics to the clinic. E. Delpassand, RITA Foundation -Houston; SBIR Grant; CEO and share holder of RadioMedix.
Daughters of the trade: Atlantic slavers and interracial marriage on the Gold Coast

Pernille Ipsen's book, Daughters of the Trade, joins a growing body of literature that examines the history of Euro-Africans in Africa, the Americas and Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth ...
SU-G-TeP1-09: Modality-Specific Dose Gradient Modeling for Prostate IMRT Using Spherical Distance Maps of PTV and Isodose Contours

Purpose: Overlapping volume histogram (OVH) and distance-to-target histogram (DTH) calculations rely on the assumption that dose gradients are symmetric with respect to primary target volume (PTV) expansion and minimum distance to PTV surface, respectively. It is desirable to lift this assumption and instead account for achievable modality-specific dose gradients (MSDG) for a given PTV shape. Methods: From a library of 96 prostate 7-beam IMRT plans, we computed spherical distance maps (SDMs) for PTVs and 3 iso-dose contours. Each SDM contains the minimum distances between plan isocenter and the object's surface for a fixed set of azimuthal and polar angles. We performed principal component analysis (PCA)-based missing data recovery with PTV SDM as input and a single iso-dose contour SDM as output. Repeating this process for the set of iso-dose contours sparsely reconstructed the MSDG for a given PTV. DVH points were computed from the MSDG for bladder and rectum (OARs) as a natural way of casting patient-specific geometric information into modality-specific dose space (vs. OVH and DTH where data is purely geometric). For comparison, we implemented a cumulative (c)DTH-based prediction algorithm, and produced DVH for both OARs separately. We then computed linear regressions between each method and the DVH of the original patient plan for three different OAR DVH points. Results: R-squared for MSD-Gcomputed DVH vs. original plan DVH at V90%, V80% and V60% of max dose were 0.86, 0.83, and 0.78, for bladder and 0.36, 0.52, and 0.55 for rectum, respectively; R-squared for cDTH-based predicted DVH vs. original plan DVH were 0.67, 0.81, and 0.83, for bladder and 0.44, 0.50, and 0.51, for rectum, respectively. Conclusion: By simply modeling the MSDG about a given PTV, we are able to reproduce DVHs consistent with a validated cDTH-based DVH prediction. Regression analysis suggests MSDG could further improve predictions.
Patient Navigation in Breast Cancer Treatment and Survivorship: A Systematic Review

PurposePatient navigation is an intervention approach that improves cancer outcomes by reducing barriers and facilitating timely access to cancer care. Little is known about the benefits of patient navigation during breast cancer treatment and survivorship. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of patient navigation in improving treatment and survivorship outcomes in women with breast cancer.MethodsThe review included experimental and quasi-experimental studies of patient navigation programs that target breast cancer treatment and breast cancer survivorship. Articles were systematically obtained through electronic database searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool was used to evaluate the methodologic quality of individual studies.ResultsThirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were of moderate to high quality. Outcomes targeted included timeliness of treatment initiation, adhere...
Optimizing Blue Persistent Luminescence in (Sr1−δBaδ)2MgSi2O7:Eu2+,Dy3+ via Solid Solution for Use in Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Inorganic persistent luminescent phosphors are an excellent class of optical reporters for enabling sensitive point-of-care diagnostics, particularly with smartphone-based biosensing devices in testing formats such as the lateral flow assay (LFA). Here, the development of persistent phosphors for this application is focused on the solid solution (Sr1−δBaδ)2MgSi2O7:Eu2+,Dy3+ (δ = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375), which is prepared using a high-temperature solid-state reaction as confirmed by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. The substitution of barium for strontium enables control over the Eu2+ 5d-orbital crystal field splitting (CFS) as a tool for tuning the emission wavelength while maintaining luminescence lifetimes >9 min across the composition range. Thermoluminescence measurements of the solid solution provide evidence that trap states contribute to the persistent lifetimes with the trap depths also remaining constant as a function of composition. Time-gated luminescence images of these compounds are captu...
Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Recovery in Highly Endurance-Trained Athletes

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has recently entered the spotlight as a potentially key nutritional component to skeletal muscle recovery during periods of high training volume in endurance athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of BCAA supplementation on anaerobic and aerobic performance, substrate utilization during constant-load exercise to exhaustion, and plasma creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels during post-exercise recovery. Nine well-trained cyclists (5 male, 4 female) underwent a morning session and an afternoon session of exercise testing under BCAA or Placebo conditions. Morning tests included two 15-second Wingates to determine peak and mean anaerobic power output, followed by an incremental test to exhaustion to determine peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). Afternoon tests included two 15-second Wingates, followed by a constant-load exercise to exhaustion at 75% VO2peak, during which only water was provided. During the latter test, pulmonar...
“She treated us like we bring valid ideas to the table:” Youth experiences of a youth-led participatory budgeting process

• Youth-led participatory budgeting is one mechanism for engaging youth in governmental decision-making.
Many-Body Interactions in Ice.

Many-body effects in ice are investigated through a systematic analysis of the lattice energies of several proton ordered and disordered phases, which are calculated with different flexible water models, ranging from pairwise additive (q-TIP4P/F) to polarizable (TTM3-F and AMOEBA) and explicit many-body (MB-pol) potential energy functions. Comparisons with available experimental and diffusion Monte Carlo data emphasize the importance of an accurate description of the individual terms of the many-body expansion of the interaction energy between water molecules for the correct prediction of the energy ordering of the ice phases. Further analysis of the MB-pol results, in terms of fundamental energy contributions, demonstrates that the differences in lattice energies between different ice phases are sensitively dependent on the subtle balance between short-range two-body and three-body interactions, many-body induction, and dispersion energy. By correctly reproducing many-body effects at both short range and...
Oxide Thin-Film Transistors: Device Physics

Abstract An oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) is the foundational device of oxide electronics. Thus, acquiring a deep understanding of the device physics operation of an oxide TFT is a worthwhile endeavor. To this end, basic static and dynamic oxide TFT models are derived within the framework of appropriate equivalent circuits. The static model is then extended to account for more complicated, nonideal phenomena often encountered in the electrical assessment of a real oxide TFT. Finally, oxide TFT modeling via technology computer-aided design simulation is discussed.
Using Tech Prep Principles to Improve Teacher Education

In response to the need for more active involvement by higher education in Tech Prep reforms, university researchers conducted four separate research and synthesis activities: (1) A synthesis of recent reforms in science, mathematics and English/language arts; (2) A survey of Tech Prep program administrators; (3) A focus group interview with Tech Prep teachers; and (4) An analysis of stakeholder perceptions of Tech Prep via concept mapping. Five major themes for teacher preparation emerged: (1) Teaching through application, (2) Student-centered/inquiry-based instruction, (3) vocational/academic integration, (4) collaboration and (5) real-world experience. Teacher education programs need to focus on developing these skills in prospective Tech Prep teachers. This entails making significant changes in the structure and delivery of teacher preparation, including interdisciplinary courses, requiring work experience of teacher candidates and modeling applications-based teaching methodologies. Many so-called educational reforms have emerged over the past decade. Their genesis can usually be traced to A Nation at Risk ( National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983 ), and they have taken on various forms: more stringent college entrance requirements, (which led to) heavier academic requirements for high school graduation, "back to basics," site-based management, outcome-based education, charter schools, schools-within-a-school, authentic assessment, and so on. One characteristic shared by most reforms is a concentration on secondary school education. Likewise, several parallel reforms emerged from vocational/technical education, dating back to The Unfinished Agenda ( National Commission on Secondary Vocational Education, 1984 ). Many of these were based on the concept of "vocational/academic integration" and, like those in general education, took on various forms and were focused at the secondary level. The emergence of "Tech Prep" galvanized integration activities by providing a substantive framework for implementation. An additional feature was the linking of secondary and postsecondary programs. Most activity, however, has again concentrated at the secondary level and the burden for development and implementation has fallen on high school teachers, counselors, and administrators ( Boesel, Rohn, & Diech, 1994 ; Bragg, Layton, & Hammons, 1994 ). To many, Tech Prep appears to provide a realistic vehicle for broad, cross-disciplinary reform. It is therefore incumbent on educators at all levels to explore the potential for these reforms and, if there, to develop and support it. More specifically, teacher educators need to be aware of the salient aspects of Tech Prep and their potential impact on teacher preparation. The purpose of the research and synthesis activities described in this article was to identify needs and priorities for teacher preparation in a "Tech Prep" mode.
Pancreas Transplantation for Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the United States: A Registry Report

Successful pancreas transplantation is still the only method to restore short-term and long-term insulin independence and good metabolic control for patients with diabetes. Since the first transplant in 1966, tremendous progress in outcome was made; however, transplant numbers have declined since 2004. This article describes the development and risk factors of pancreas transplantation with or without a kidney graft between 2001 and 2016. Patient survival and graft function improved significantly owing to careful recipient and donor selection, which reduced technical failure and immunologic graft loss rates.
Synergism: A Rotation Effect of Improved Growth Efficiency

Abstract Cropping systems in the Great Plains are changing because of no-till. Rotations now include a diversity of crops in contrast with rotations in tilled systems that grow only one or two crops. This diversity of crops often leads to yield increases because of the rotation effect. We have observed that crop response to the rotation effect can be categorized as either improving resource-use efficiency or increasing plant size and yield capacity. An example of the efficiency response, which we term synergism, is that some crops improve water-use efficiency (WUE) of following crops. Crops produce more grain with the same water use in synergistic sequences; in contrast, crops that increase yield capacity consume more water to produce more grain. Further, synergism among crops increases tolerance of weed interference because of improved resource-use efficiency. Synergism is more prominent in low-yielding environments due to stresses such as drought, and appears to be rare among crop sequences. The cause of synergism among crops is likely related to a multitude of interacting factors such as microbial changes, growth-promoting substances, and altered nutrient cycling. Quantifying WUE as affected by preceding crop may provide a method to identify synergism among crops. No-till rotations that include synergistic crop sequences are improving land productivity, farm economics, soil health, and resource-use efficiency in the semiarid Great Plains.
Acoustic emission during the deformation and fracture of molybdenum at low temperatures

The acoustic emission (AE) generated during the deformation and fracture of MO has been investigated. Tensile tests as a function of temperature were carried out at 295-218 K. At 295 K, ductile failure was observed with a reduction of cross-sectional area at failure of approximately 50 percent. At lower temperatures the failure was completely brittle with no reduction in the cross sectional area at failure. Typical AE generated at room temperature is characterized by a well-defined narrow peak of continuous AE at yield, little if any AE from yield to the onset of necking, and then substantial burst type of AE from the onset of necking until failure. 12 references.
Building Descriptors From Local Feature Neighborhoods for Applications in Semi-Dense 3D Reconstruction

This paper introduces a novel class of descriptors constructed solely from the extraction of a feature set’s qualities of location, magnitude, and orientation. Oriented feature constellations (OFC) descriptors are unlike typical feature descriptors that separate feature extraction from definition, where local underlying pixel information is used to form a unique high-dimensional vector for matching. We use other extracted features within the local neighborhood, or local constellation, to define unique descriptors for matching. This idea is demonstrated by creating a corner orientation extension to features from accelerated segment test (FAST) corners and use these features to create descriptors, called OFC-FAST. Using a standard two stage matcher to generate dense matches across test image sets, we compare our results with those obtained using scale invariant feature transform features. OFC-FAST descriptors were able to generate disparity maps of higher densities while using less computational time than the comparison method was able to achieve. We believe that the capability of OFC descriptors to quickly generate higher density disparity maps will be useful for applications in semi-dense 3D reconstruction.
Bone manifestations in neuronopathic Gaucher disease while receiving high-dose enzyme replacement therapy

Abstract Avascular necrosis (AVN), one type of bone infarction, is a major irreversible complication of Gaucher disease (GD). In this report, two pediatric patients with GD type 3, homozygous for the L483P pathogenic variant (formerly L444P), developed AVN despite treatment on long-term, high-dose enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). ERT was initiated in both patients, who had intact spleens, shortly after diagnosis with an initial dramatic response. However, both patients exhibited AVN after 5.5 and 11 years on high-dose ERT, respectively, despite good compliance and normalized hematological findings and visceral symptoms. This report demonstrates the importance of careful, regular surveillance of the musculoskeletal system in addition to monitoring the neurological symptoms associated with neuronopathic GD. Additionally, it highlights the limitations of ERT in terms of targeting certain sanctuary sites such as bone marrow and suggests the need for new treatment modalities other than ERT monotherapy to address these limitations.
Preparing for Your At-Sea Astrophotography Session

Now that you know Redfern’s Rules we’re going to take you through a step by step process that you can use each time you conduct an astrophotography session. As you go through the steps it will become clear why each step is done and why Redfern’s Rules apply. We’ll provide appropriate tips as we go along that are very useful and are based on the author’s sea experience. You may want to use this as a checklist for your sessions at least in the beginning. Never hurts to have a proven process checklist.
POPULATION BOUNDARIES FOR COMPACT WHITE DWARF BINARIES IN LISA's AMPLITUDE-FREQUENCY DOMAIN

In an earlier investigation, we proposed population boundaries for both inspiralling and mass-transferring double white dwarf (DWD) systems in the distance independent "absolute" amplitude-frequency domain of the proposed space-based gravitational-wave (GW) detector, Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The degenerate zero-temperature mass-radius (M – R) relationship of individual white dwarf stars that we assumed, in combination with the constraints imposed by Roche geometries, permits us to identify five key population boundaries for DWD systems in various phases of evolution. Here, we use the nonzero entropy donor M – R relations of Deloye & Bildsten to modify these boundaries for both DWD and **neutron star-white dwarf (NSWD) binary systems. We find that the mass-transferring systems occupy a larger fraction of space in "absolute" amplitude-frequency domain compared to the simpler T = 0 donor model. We also discuss how these boundaries are modified with the new evolutionary phases found by Deloye et al.. In the initial contact phase, we find that the contact boundaries, which are the result of end of inspiral evolution, would have some width, as opposed to an abrupt cutoff described in our earlier T = 0 model. This will cause an overlap between a DWDs and NSWDs evolutionary trajectories, making them indistinguishable with only LISA observations within this region. In the cooling phase of the donor, which follows after the adiabatic donor evolution, the radius contracts, mass-transfer rate drops and slows down the orbital period evolution. Depending upon the entropy of the donor, these systems may then lie inside the fully degenerate T = 0 boundaries, but LISA may be unable to detect these systems as they might be below the sensitivity limit or within the unresolved DWD background noise. We assess the limits and applicability of our theoretical population boundaries with respect to observations and find that a measurement of by LISA at high frequencies (log [f] ≥ 2) would likely distinguish between DWD/NSWD binary. For low-frequency sources, GW observations alone would unlikely tell us about the binary components, without the help of electromagnetic observations.
Mathematics Education: The People's Republic of China.

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA has attempted to use education as the main avenue for ideological, so ciological, and technological advancement. In the educational campaigns that have taken place on mainland China since 1949, two disciplines have always received pri mary attention: the Chinese language and mathematics. Improved language profi ciency was necessary for the processes of indoctrination, while mathematics pro vided a base for the scientific studies so vital to an industrial competency. The Communists inherited a school sys tem that had suffered from years of war time privation: physical facilities were lacking, the supply of trained teachers scarce, and textbooks almost nonexistent. At the elementary level1 the six-year mathematics curriculum encompassed the usual topics of arithmetic, stressed the solution of word problems, and empha sized a theory of decimal fractions over that of common fractions. Secondary stud ies of the same duration included further work in arithmetic and algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and analytic geometry. At each academic level mathematics teaching suffered from redundancy and formaliza tion. Since a student's learning was fo cused on the passing of examinations, there was a strong dependence on mem orization. Teachers for the schools re
Absorption-Based Far-Field Label-Free Super-Resolution Microscopy

Materials absorption, which happens in all light–matter interactions, has been studied systematically and inspires various chemical-specific measurement methods for extensive non-fluorescent species. In this chapter, we review recent achievements of far-field label-free super-resolution microscopy (LFSRM) that deploys materials absorption to provide the contrast. In the linear absorption modalities, samples convert photon energy to heat efficiently, which turns the photothermal detection with single-molecule sensitivity into possible. The photothermal microscope breaks the diffraction limit of the excitation beam by probing the localized thermal lens effect using a shorter-wavelength beam. In the nonlinear absorption modalities, one pump beam profile could be engineered to doughnut shape and reduce the size of the nonlinear region, which helps achieve sub-diffraction resolution. Both mechanisms use the intrinsic vibrational or electronic absorption of molecules, through which different species are readily discriminated. Owing to the chemical specificity and high sensitivity, this label-free LFSRM provides unique advantages in various materials and in biomedical applications, including nanomaterial inspection and in vivo imaging of living cells and organisms.
Vision in the snapping shrimp Alpheus heterochaelis

ABSTRACT Snapping shrimp engage in heterospecific behavioral associations in which their partners, such as goby fish, help them avoid predators. It has been argued that snapping shrimp engage in these partnerships because their vision is impaired by their orbital hood, an extension of their carapace that covers their eyes. To examine this idea, we assessed the visual abilities of snapping shrimp. We found the big claw snapping shrimp, Alpheus heterochaelis, has spatial vision provided by compound eyes with reflecting superposition optics. These eyes view the world through an orbital hood that is 80–90% as transparent as seawater across visible wavelengths (400–700 nm). Through electroretinography and microspectrophotometry, we found the eyes of A. heterochaelis have a temporal sampling rate of >40 Hz and have at least two spectral classes of photoreceptors (λmax=500 and 519 nm). From the results of optomotor behavioral experiments, we estimate the eyes of A. heterochaelis provide spatial vision with an angular resolution of ∼8 deg. We conclude that snapping shrimp have competent visual systems, suggesting the function and evolution of their behavioral associations should be re-assessed and that these animals may communicate visually with conspecifics and heterospecific partners.
Making ‘Brain Food’: converting photosynthesis into a positive learning experience through authentic instruction

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore the impact of authentically based instruction using the 5E model as the structure for lesson delivery on student emotions and the extent to which th...
Microbiota-modulated CART+ enteric neurons autonomously regulate blood glucose

The gut microbiota affects tissue physiology, metabolism, and function of both the immune and nervous systems. We found that intrinsic enteric-associated neurons (iEANs) in mice are functionally adapted to the intestinal segment they occupy; ileal and colonic neurons are more responsive to microbial colonization than duodenal neurons. Specifically, a microbially responsive subset of viscerofugal CART+ neurons, enriched in the ileum and colon, modulated feeding and glucose metabolism. These CART+ neurons send axons to the prevertebral ganglia and are polysynaptically connected to the liver and pancreas. Microbiota depletion led to NLRP6- and caspase 11–dependent loss of CART+ neurons and impaired glucose regulation. Hence, iEAN subsets appear to be capable of regulating blood glucose levels independently from the central nervous system.
A structural analysis of the Washita Valley Fault in the southeast Anadarko Basin

AbstractWe propose that the Washita Valley Fault in the southeast Anadarko Basin originated when Precambrian-Cambrian preexisting rift-related faults became reactivated as a rotational stress field...
VLX600 Disrupts Homologous Recombination and Synergizes with PARP Inhibitors and Cisplatin by Inhibiting Histone Lysine Demethylases

Tumors with defective homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair are more sensitive to chemotherapies that induce lesions repaired by HR as well as PARP inhibitors (PARPis). However, these therapies have limited activity in HR-proficient cells. Accordingly, agents that disrupt HR may be a means to augment the activities of these therapies in HR-proficient tumors. Here we show that VLX600, a small molecule that has been in a phase I clinical trial, disrupts HR and synergizes with PARPis and platinum compounds in ovarian cancer cells. We further found that VLX600 and other iron chelators disrupt HR, in part, by inhibiting iron-dependent histone lysine demethylases (KDM) family members, thus blocking recruitment of HR repair proteins, including RAD51, to double-strand DNA breaks. Collectively, these findings suggest that pharmacologically targeting KDM family members with VLX600 may be a potential novel strategy to therapeutically induce HR defects in ovarian cancers and correspondingly sensitize them to platinum agents and PARPis, two standard-of-care therapies for ovarian cancer.
Wildfire disturbance affects species interactions of a harmful invasive annual in second year of post-fire vegetative recovery

The increasing frequency of wildfires in Southern California’s Mediterranean-type habitats has been facilitating the displacement of native plants by invasive annuals. Black mustard (Brassica nigra) is an abundant, allelopathically harmful, invasive forb, which readily colonizes soil niches following most disturbances. Wildfires, however, are unlike other forms of disturbance because they can fundamentally alter plant–soil interactions through both physical and chemical changes in the soil. Here, a comparative field study of burned and unburned sites suggests that the Woolsey Fire—the largest wildfire ever recorded in California’s Santa Monica Mountains—inhibited dispersal of B. nigra and changed how it interacts with other plant species in the second year of post-fire recovery. More surprisingly, native plants were more likely to replace B. nigra than non-native plants in burned sites. These results indicate the possibility of post-fire seeding with specific “fire follower” native plant species may allow native flora to occupy soil niche space until longer-lived, competitive native shrubs establish.
Chemical Cleavage as a Probe of Ribosomal Structure

This chapter deals with the cleavage of RNA as an approach to the study of ribosome structure. Chemical nucleases, such as EDTA-Fe(II) and phenanthroline-Cu(II), have been widely used to cleave both RNA and DNA, and more recently, they have been used to study ribosomes. The authors have conducted studies, with tethered phenanthroline-Cu(II), that focused primarily on rRNA sites proximal to mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA regions targeted by oligonucleotide probes. The use of different cleavage reagents is warranted due to the quite different mechanisms of cleavage utilized by the two compounds. They have tethered the phenanthroline-Cu(II) to tRNA, mRNA, and, recently, to short DNA oligomers targeted to various sites on the rRNA. Phenanthroline-Cu(II) was then conjugated to these modified transcripts, the conjugated transcripts were bound to the 50S ribosomal subunits on the P-P or P-E sites, and cleavage was induced. More recently, efforts have been made to increase the specificity of the previous study by inserting a single phosphorothioate group between adjacent nucleotides in transcribed tRNA. Because of the fastidious nature of the phenanthroline-Cu(II) cleavage, it can readily be used as a proximity probe to identify movement of the rRNA. By comparing the cleavage patterns before and after an event such as activation or translocation, movement can be discovered. By using tethers of different lengths, the amount of movement may be quantified as well.
Relating the degree of ambiguity of finite automata to the succinctness of their representation

We consider the problem of how the size of a nondeterministic finite automaton (nfa) representing a regular language depends on the degree of ambiguity of the nfa. We obtain results for the unary and bounded inputs, and partial results for the unrestricted inputs. One of the main results of this paper shows that for unrestricted inputs, deterministic, unambiguous and nondeterministic machines form a hierarchy with respect to the number of states, solving an open problem of Stearns and Hunt. We also propose a new approach to the study of the succinctness of representation through regularity preserving closure properties and obtain some results in this direction.
Population type can influence the magnitude of inbreeding depression in Clarkia concinna (Onagraceae)

Fragmented populations may face high risk of extinction due to the deleterious consequences of increased inbreeding or of genetic drift in small and isolated populations. Theories on the mechanisms of inbreeding depression predict that the severity of inbreeding depression can eventually decrease in populations that persistently inbreed, and hence populations that are isolated through habitat fragmentation might experience a decrease in inbreeding depression over time. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using the patchily distributed, outcrossing annual plant, Clarkia concinna concinna (Onagraceae), which naturally experiences many fragmentation effects. We collected seeds from isolated and central subpopulations and created artificially inbred and outcrossed lines. Progeny from these crosses were planted into the field and greenhouse and assayed for fitness traits over the course of a growing season. Overall, inbreeding depression was substantial, ranging as high as 0.76 (for cumulative fitness in the field), and significant for plant height, fecundity, and above-ground biomass in all experiments. No inbreeding depression was detected for germination or survival rates in the greenhouse experiments, but in the field, survival was significantly depressed for inbred progeny. There was no evidence to support our hypothesis that increased inbreeding in isolated populations would lead to the purging of deleterious alleles and a decrease in the severity inbreeding depression. The most likely hypothesis to explain our results is that purging is not occurring more strongly in the isolated populations due to details of a number of genetic factors (e.g., selection against deleterious alleles is inconsistent or insufficient, or drift has caused fixation of deleterious alleles in these populations). This study supports the view that even when inbreeding depression is predicted to be less problematic, it may still be an important force influencing the fitness of populations.