cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Change detection in epilepsy monitoring video based on Markov random field theory

Video recording is often conducted during electroencephalographic (EEG) recording from epilepsy patients. This type of video contains small local motions and mostly idle segments. Change detection provides a powerful tool to detect local motions for analyzing, editing and archiving this type of video. Classic change detection methods utilize predetermined thresholds to test variations between frames. The determination of these thresholds, however, is often problematic. In this work, we present a new approach to change detection from the probabilistic optimization point of view. By modeling images as Markov random fields, we formulate change detection into a problem of seeking the optimal configuration of the change detection map (CDM). An algorithm that searches the optimal configuration is constructed by applying mean field theory (MFT), which greatly reduces computational complexity. Our experimental results show that this method detects changes accurately and is resilient to noise.
Machismo, marianismo, and negative cognitive-emotional factors: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

There is limited research on the traditional Hispanic male and female gender roles of machismo and marianismo, respectively, in relation to negative cognitions and emotions. Given the vulnerability of Hispanics to negative cognitions and emotions, it is important to examine sociocultural correlates of emotional distress. Therefore, we examined associations of machismo and marianismo with negative cognitive-emotional factors (i.e., depression symptoms; cynical hostility; and trait anxiety and anger) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study, a cross-sectional cohort study of sociocultural and psychosocial correlates of cardiometabolic health. Participants were aged 18-74 years and self-identified as Hispanic of Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, and other Hispanic background (N = 4,426). Results revealed that specific components of machismo (traditional machismo) and marianismo (family and spiritual pillar dimensions) were associated with higher levels of negative cognitions and emotions after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (p < .05); these associations remained consistent across sex, Hispanic background group, and acculturation. Findings can inform mental health interventions and contribute to our understanding of the importance of gender role socialization in the context of self-reported negative cognitive-emotional factors in Hispanics.
Line Tension Controls Liquid-Disordered + Liquid-Ordered Domain Size Transition in Lipid Bilayers

To better understand animal cell plasma membranes, we studied simplified models, namely four-component lipid bilayer mixtures. Here we describe the domain size transition in the region of coexisting liquid-disordered (Ld) + liquid-ordered (Lo) phases. This transition occurs abruptly in composition space with domains increasing in size by two orders of magnitude, from tens of nanometers to microns. We measured the line tension between coexisting Ld and Lo domains close to the domain size transition for a variety of lipid mixtures, finding that in every case the transition occurs at a line tension of ∼0.3 pN. A computational model incorporating line tension and dipole repulsion indicated that even small changes in line tension can result in domains growing in size by several orders of magnitude, consistent with experimental observations. We find that other properties of the coexisting Ld and Lo phases do not change significantly in the vicinity of the abrupt domain size transition.
Increased mortality in women: sex differences in burn outcomes

There is increasing evidence that sex differences may influence responses after thermal injury and affect clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationships between sex, thermal injury, body size, and inpatient mortality in burn patients. Medical records of adults with >20% total body surface area (TBSA) burn injury admitted to two American Burn Association (ABA)-verified burn centers between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Injury details and baseline characteristics, including body size as estimated by body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI) were recorded, along with details of the hospital course. The primary outcome of inpatient mortality was compared between sexes. Out of 334 subjects, 60 were women (18%). Median TBSA was 33% (IQR 25–49) in this cohort, with 19% full thickness burns and 30% inhalation injury. Despite no significant difference in age, presence of inhalation injury, TBSA, or depth of burn, women had significantly higher rates of inpatient mortality (45 vs. 29%, P = 0.01). BSA was significantly lower in women vs. men (P < 0.001), but this difference was not more pronounced among non-survivors. There was no difference in BMI between men and women non-survivors. Although not significant (P = 0.28), women succumbed to their injuries sooner than men (day 4 vs. 10 post-injury). Women are less likely to survive burn injuries and die sooner than men with similar injuries. Body size does not appear to modulate this effect. Burn centers should be aware of the higher mortality risk in women with large burns.
Grid Framework to Address Password Memorability Issues and Offline Password Attacks

Passwords today are the most widely used form of authentication, yet have significant issues in regards to security due to human memorability limitations. Inability to remember strong passwords causes users generally to only satisfy the bare minimum requirements during an enrollment process. Users having weak passwords are vulnerable to offline password attacks, where an adversary iteratively guesses the victim’s password and tests for correctness. In this paper, we introduce a new password scheme, Grid framework, that takes advantage of current encryption technologies and reduces the user’s effort to create a strong password. The Grid Framework scheme translates an easy-to-remember sequence on a grid into a complex password consisting of randomly selected uppercase, lowercase, numeric, and special symbols with a minimum length of eighteen characters that the user is not required to memorize. The Grid Framework results in a system that increases memorability for secure authentication.
Experimental observations of twin formation during thermal annealing of nanocrystalline copper films using orientation mapping

Abstract This study employed a TEM-based automated crystal orientation mapping technique that enables orientation mapping with nanoscale spatial resolution. This nanoscale orientation mapping technique was employed to study thermally-assisted grain growth and to quantify the attendant formation of nanotwins and twin junctions in nanocrystalline Cu. The grain size increased from 29 ± 14 nm to 57 ± 22 nm and the fraction of twin-containing grains increased from 0.18 to 0.70. Close inspection of the twins and twin junctions captured within orientation maps documented a frequency of junctions that was remarkably consistent with previous molecular dynamics predictions.
Misperceiving a Code of Silence: Peer Support for Telling Authorities about Weapons at School among Middle School and High School Students in the United States.

This study explores misperceptions about peer norms in support of telling authorities about weapons at school and whether perceptions predict personal support for telling authorities. Anonymous sur...
Tutorial sessions: Electrostatic discharge protection of consumer electronics: Challenges and solutions

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is one of the most prevalent threats to the reliability of electronic components. It is an event in which a finite amount of charge is transferred from one object (i.e., humanbody) to the other (i.e., microchip). This process can result in a very high current passing through the microchip within a very short period of time, and more than 35% of chip damages can be attributed to such an event. As such, designing robust on-chip ESD structures to protect microchips against ESD stress is a high priority in the semiconductor industry. The continuing scaling of CMOS technology makes the ESD-induced failures even more prominent, and one can predict with certainty that the availability of effective and robust ESD protection solutions will be a critical factor to the success of the deep sub-micron technology advancement. In fact, many semiconductor companies worldwide are having difficulties in meeting the increasingly stringent ESD protection requirements for various electronics applications. There has been a wide spread use of integrated circuits in consumer applications. An example is the automotive electronics which are typically operated in a voltage range of 40-60 V This relatively high-voltage operation imposes certain challenges to the design of ESD protection solutions embedded in the modem vehicles. On the other hand, due to the huge market of civil wireless communications, low-voltage integrated circuits are also in high demands. Effective ESD protection solutions for these high-speed circuits are typically required to operate within a very narrow ESD design window and with a minimal loading effect (i.e., high transparency), hence introducing a different set of challenges. This talk gives a comprehensive coverage on challenges and solutions pertinent to ESD protection of high- and low-voltage IC's utilized in various consumer electronics.
The Use of the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) in Myelomeningocele

Surgical management of gibbus deformity in the child with myelomeningocele is challenging. The use of using a growth-friendly rib-to-pelvis construct to correct this deformity was first described by Smith and Novais in 2010 (J Bone Joint Surg Am 92:2211–2215, 2010). The purpose of this chapter is to describe the technique for this procedure.
Development of Live Load Model for Strength II Limit State in AASHTO LRFD Design Specifications

The AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications defines Strength II limit state for agencies to consider the load combination by owner-specified special design vehicles, evaluation permit vehicles, or...
Implementation of Scrum in Pakistan's IT Industry

Scrum provides a way to monitor and control different activities of Software Project Management. It involves the usage of human, monetary and temporal assets in project development, increasing the rate of its successful deliveries. The subsequent four steps have been defined to enable the Scrum implementation: substructure planning and installation, team building, motivation and training, Scrum deployment, and scrum control and refinement. The outcomes of these principals will be received from the survey of IT companies of Pakistan and show how they accommodate requirement change request by using Scrum methodology. The most important improvements involve communication, team building, leading, motivation, and rapid development inside IT enterprise. Projects often consist of multiple participants with different values that can reason conflicts in the team causing lower in members' motivation/morale, participation/team-working, productivity, and quality. Command-and-control structures typically are eliminated largely; Project Management have to deal with this effectively.
A Design Methodology for Abstracting Character Archetypes onto Robotic Systems

Given the increase in robotic systems for the household, it is imperative to design the expressive modes of these systems, that in turn engender likability, animacy, acceptance, and trust. This paper approaches this problem by proposing a design methodology that can be used to abstract archetypal characters across the system, including form factor, user instructions, and interactive modalities. This approach uses Laban Movement Analysis paired with the Kansei Engineering iterative design approach to dissect movement and visual traits of archetypal characters and marry them to features of the robot. These character traits are explored in a product, channel, consumer framework and are realized through interface elements, such as color, animated eyes, and character specific motion profiles. Finally, the use of priming using familiar characters from popular culture as a means to enhance the recognition of character traits is explored. Results show that users associated traits specific to each character archetype that were consistent with the intended design and that an aggregate measure of interaction success went up with character priming. This was bolstered in the priming cases, where users rated these traits more strongly. Thus, this methodology serves as a tool to create meaningful design variations to robotic systems using character archetypes, allowing us to design user-specific personality traits and interactive elements.
US Doctoral Study to Early Career

The US doctoral education systems are the most competitive systems in the world and attract global talents since WWII. This chapter provides an overview of the historial development of doctoral education in the US, the factors that have contributed to the strengths of the current system, demographic trends, as well as changes in the fields of study. However, US doctoral education is also challenged by many factors including reduced funding for doctoral students and political barriers for international students.
Exploring the skill of being "good with accents": A study of monolingual English speakers' ability to reproduce a novel foreign accent

We collected production data from monolingual English speakers who were trained to produce a foreign accent of English, specifically Russian English (RE). First, the subjects read a paragraph in their own accent (baseline). Second, they listened to recordings of English sentences produced by a native speaker of Russian; next, the sentences were replayed, and the subjects imitated each sentence after hearing it. Finally, they were instructed to read the baseline sentences again (without audio prompts), trying their best to reproduce the RE accent. Several acoustic analyses are underway, addressing (a) vowel characteristics, (b) realization of stops, and (c) intonation patterns. Preliminary results show considerable differences in speakers' performance. The questions we address based on the data collected are (1) is there a continuous or more categorical change in speakers' ability to reproduce the RE accent? (2) which aspects of RE are most salient to native English speakers?, and (3) is there a correlation in quality and quantity such that speakers who pick up on more cues also produce them in more native-like manner? Our goal is to develop an algorithm to predict a given speaker's accentedness, and compare its performance with native speakers' accentedness ratings in a follow-up perceptual experiment. We collected production data from monolingual English speakers who were trained to produce a foreign accent of English, specifically Russian English (RE). First, the subjects read a paragraph in their own accent (baseline). Second, they listened to recordings of English sentences produced by a native speaker of Russian; next, the sentences were replayed, and the subjects imitated each sentence after hearing it. Finally, they were instructed to read the baseline sentences again (without audio prompts), trying their best to reproduce the RE accent. Several acoustic analyses are underway, addressing (a) vowel characteristics, (b) realization of stops, and (c) intonation patterns. Preliminary results show considerable differences in speakers' performance. The questions we address based on the data collected are (1) is there a continuous or more categorical change in speakers' ability to reproduce the RE accent? (2) which aspects of RE are most salient to native English speakers?, and (3) is there a correlatio...
Body composition and bone mineral density in childhood

Abstract Background Body mass compartments may have different directions of influence on bone accrual. Studies of children are limited by relatively small sample sizes and typically make strong assumptions of linear regression. Objective To evaluate associations of overall body mass, components of overall body mass (fat-free and total fat), and components of total fat mass (truncal and non-truncal fat), measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry, with total body less head areal bone mineral density (aBMD) Z-score in mid-childhood. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study among 876 Boston-area children who had DXA measures. We evaluated linearity of associations using generalized additive models. Results Children were median 7.7 (range 6–10) years of age, and 61% were white. After adjustment for sociodemographics and other compartments of body mass, overall body mass, particularly the fat-free mass component, appeared to have a positive relationship with aBMD Z-score [e.g., 0.25 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.28) per 1-kg fat-free mass]. The relationship between truncal fat and aBMD Z-score appeared non-linear, with a negative association only in children with levels of fat mass in the upper 15th percentile [−0.17 (95% CI: –0.26, −0.07) aBMD Z-score per 1-kg truncal fat mass], while non-truncal fat mass was not associated with aBMD Z-score. Conclusions Our analyses suggest that central adiposity is associated with lower aBMD Z-score only in children with the highest levels of abdominal fat. This finding raises the possibility of a threshold above which central adipose tissue becomes more metabolically active and thereby adversely impacts bone.
Effective communication in the era of precision medicine: A pilot intervention with low health literacy patients to improve genetic counseling communication

Abstract Effective communication, where all parties share a common understanding, is necessary to realize the promise of Genomic Medicine. It is especially salient given the imperative to increase the participation of diverse populations in genomics research and to expand the reach of clinical genomics. We have previously shown that cancer genetic counseling is suboptimal for patients with limited health literacy. To address this finding, we implemented a pilot study to improve verbal communication between genetic counselors and their patients of limited health literacy that consisted of: i) curriculum development and delivery of a Genetic Counselors (GC) communication workshop; ii) two-month post-workshop interviews with GC participants (n = 9); iii) observations/audio recordings of counseling sessions involving 24 patients and two GC workshop participants; iv) post-counseling interviews with patients (n = 9). The 4.5-h workshop presented evidenced-based principles and strategies for effective communication with limited health literacy patients (e.g. use of plain language and teach-back), and offered specific techniques and exercises to practice adoption of such practices in the genetic counseling context. GCs expressed appreciation for the opportunity to refine their skills; however, they reported that some strategies were challenging given their professional training and communication habits. For example, GCs were concerned that use of plain language could undermine efforts to obtain informed consent and provide scientifically accurate information. Observations and patient interviews after the workshop revealed that GCs were able to employ the communication strategies with positive effects, with patients indicating sufficient understanding of the genetic test and its implications as well as satisfaction with the counselors’ communication. While derived from research on communication with those of limited health literacy, the communication approaches taught in the GC workshop could benefit most patients, given the high rates of low health literacy in many countries, and the many factors beyond health literacy that can contribute to reduced comprehension in health care environments.
Proceedings of the conference on Visualization '94

Visualization '94 is the fifth conference in a series devoted to data visualization. The conference is sponsored by the IEEE Technical Committee on Computer Graphics in cooperation with ACM SIGGRAPH. In the short time since the first Visualization conference in San Francisco in 1990, the visualization field has continued to increase in importance and activity, while the conference itself has matured rapidly. From the beginning, the Visualization conferences have been designed to attract both visualization researchers and visualization users with a goal of providing a forum for multi-disciplinary interaction. These Proceedings represent a permanent record of the major aspects of the Conference program - the keynote events, the papers, the case studies, and the panels.
Charlotte Smith’s “The Sea View”: Reimagining Burke’s Sublime and Beautiful

Deeply engaged with Edmund Burke’s psycho-aesthetic categories of the Sublime and Beautiful, Charlotte Smith’s 1797 sonnet “The Sea View,” part of her ever-expanding series of Elegaic Sonnets, none...
Hexagonal Origami Dual Frequency Antenna

A major component of any communication or wireless sensor is an antenna. There is interest in developing multifunctional and reconfigurable antennas that can morph into different shapes and provide different functionalities. The interest of using one antenna for multiple purposes is usually due to limitations of size and weight, and the increasing need for wireless devices such as wireless power transfer, communication and wireless sensors. Some of the challenges to overcome include having a small form factor, being low-cost and robust, and providing high gain. In this work we are presenting an origami inspired hexagonal shape antenna array. Origami is the art of paper folding and the basis of origami method can be used to design antennas that can be folded and unfold based on deployment need. For example, Kimonis et. al. [1] proposed a power-harvesting cube with the antennas made using inkjet printing. The shape memory hinges are used to change the cube to a flat shape. Another example is the use of a 3D printing method by Shah and Lim [2]. In this paper they designed a push/pull method to change the shape of the array. The initial results of the basic hexagonal antenna elements needed to reconfigure form 2.4 GHz to 5.8 GHz are presented and discussed.
Introduction to housing

Housing means many things to many people—a swift glance through this journal alone yields research on topics from homeownership to homelessness, from real estate transactions to inclusive design. W...
How to endorse conciliationism

I argue that recognizing a distinct doxastic attitude called endorsement, along with the epistemic norms governing it, solves the self-undermining problem for conciliationism about disagreement. I provide a novel account of how the self-undermining problem works by pointing out the auxiliary assumptions the objection relies on. These assumptions include commitment to certain epistemic principles linking belief in a theory to following prescriptions of that theory. I then argue that we have independent reason to recognize the attitude of endorsement. Endorsement is the attitude of resilient and committed advocacy which is appropriate for researchers to have toward their own theory. Recognizing the importance of endorsement, and of its resiliency, gives us reason to deny the epistemic principles that serve as auxiliary assumptions in the self-undermining objection. This defuses the objection, and provides additional support for the theory of endorsement.
The Impact of Social Vulnerability on COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships.

Introduction Because of their inability to access adequate medical care, transportation, and nutrition, socially vulnerable populations are at an increased risk of health challenges during disasters. This study estimates the association between case counts of COVID-19 infection and social vulnerability in the U.S., identifying counties at increased vulnerability to the pandemic. Methods Using Social Vulnerability Index and COVID-19 case count data, an ordinary least squares regression model was fitted to assess the global relationship between COVID-19 case counts and social vulnerability. Local relationships were assessed using a geographically weighted regression model, which is effective in exploring spatial nonstationarity. Results As of May 12, 2020, a total of 1,320,909 people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the U.S. Of the counties included in this study (91.5%, 2,844 of 3,108), the highest case count was recorded in Trousdale, Tennessee (16,525.22 per 100,000) and the lowest in Tehama, California (1.54 per 100,000). At the global level, overall Social Vulnerability Index (eβ=1.65, p=0.03) and minority status and language (eβ=6.69, p Conclusions Large-scale disasters differentially affect the health of marginalized communities. In this study, minority status and language, household composition and transportation, and housing and disability predicted COVID-19 case counts in the U.S. Addressing the social factors that create poor health is essential to reducing inequities in the health impacts of disasters.
A commentary on “the role of services in the future”

The goal of this commentary is to promote the critical thinking and research needed to better understand the challenges that face scholars and practitioners relative to the role of services in the ...
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Antiepileptic Prophylaxis in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background Frequency of clinical seizures may be as high as 16% in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Current guidelines recommend against antiepileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis, but this recommendation is based on older trials, and the effect of newer AEDs is uncertain. The aim of this review was to study effects of AEDs on seizure occurrence and outcome in patients with spontaneous ICH. Methods We searched key databases using combinations of the following terms: “levetiracetam,” “prophylaxis,” “ICH,” “intracerebral hemorrhage,” “intraparenchymal hemorrhage.” Selected studies were reviewed for level of evidence and overall quality of data using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations criteria. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate seizure prevention, functional outcome, and mortality in patients with seizure prophylaxis compared with no prophylaxis following spontaneous ICH. Results Seven articles met inclusion criteria and were graded level III studies. Administration of AEDs was not associated with reduced seizure risk (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.47–2.77, P = 0.77). There was an association between AED prophylaxis and poor functional outcome (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.17–2.31, P = 0.004) but not mortality (odds ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.62–1.72, P = 0.89). The overall quality of evidence using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations criteria was low. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis including recent studies focusing on newer AEDs supports the 2015 guidelines regarding AED use in spontaneous ICH. There are some important caveats, including a possible confounding association between AED use and higher ICH score and the overall poor quality of the available data. A randomized clinical trial may be helpful.
An overview of the role of remote sensors for global ocean observations

Over the past two decades, a significant number of remote sensing techniques have been developed and validated for quantitative observations of ocean surface phenomena and air-sea interaction processes. Infrared and microwave radiometers can make accurate measurements of surface temperature patterns, multispectral optical systems can monitor upper ocean biological productivity, active and passive microwave systems can map wind fields and rainfall, altimeters routinely track the large scale circulation systems, and imaging radars are capable of monitoring surface waves and currents, internal waves, and tidal flows over bathymetric features. Along with the development of these tools has come a heightened awareness of the role of the world's oceans as a primary determinant of our weather systems and the global climate. Within the next decade, new satellite systems will be launched as part of an international effort to assemble the beginnings of a truly global ocean observing system that will provide unprecedented opportunities to better understand, monitor, and predict the impacts of oceanic changes on global processes and habitability. This presentation will provide an overview of where we have come and a glimpse of where we can expect to go in the near future. >
Energy measurement of muons above 1 TeV

Pair production and bremsstrahlung cross-sections have sufficient magnitude and energy-dependence for muons above 1 TeV to suggest the use of these cross-sections for measurement of muon energies. A series of Monte Carlo calculations was developed to examine the precision of energy measurement attainable for individual muons when bursts produced in a large thickness of lead are sampled by interleaved proportional or scintillation counters. Resolution of ± 21% can be expected for 3 TeV muons passing through 2.8 · 104 g/cm2 of lead if all burst energies greater that 1 GeV are sampled with ± 30% resolution. The muon energy resolution becomes ± 25% if the detectable burst threshold is raised to 8 GeV. It is reasonable to expect that the sampling quality for the latter case could be accomplished with counters spaced every few radiation lengths in the lead.
Helley-Smith Bed Load Samplers

This paper reports findings and experiences in using Helley-Smith bed load samplers in streams on the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in southwest Idaho. Equipment and procedures developed in sampling during peak streamflow evens are described.
Band Structure Calculations by Modal Analysis

In this paper we present a new paradigm by which modal analysis – which is well established in engineering structural dynamics – is applied to band structure calculations for phononic crystals, or periodic media in general. Our method, which we refer to as reduced Bloch mode expansion (RBME), is essentially an expansion employing a natural basis composed of a selected reduced set of Bloch eigenfunctions. This reduced basis is selected within the Irreducible Brillouin Zone at high symmetry points determined by the crystal structure and group theory (and possibly at additional related points). At each of these high symmetry points, a number of Bloch eigenfunctions are selected up to the frequency range of interest for the band structure calculations. Since it is common to initially discretize the problem at hand using some choice of basis, reduced Bloch mode expansion constitutes a secondary expansion using a set of Bloch eigenvectors, and hence keeps and builds on any favorable attributes a primary expansion approach might exhibit. We report phonon band structure calculations by the proposed method showing up to two orders of magnitude reduction in computational effort with negligible loss in accuracy.
Pomak Portraits: The Women of Breznitsa and Old Ibrahim's World

Pomak Portraits: The Women of Breznitsa (43 minutes) and Old Ibrahim's World (41 minutes"). Two Videos by Asen Balikei. produced 1994. released 1997. For more information contact Institut fuur den Wissenschaftliche Film. Postfach 235 I. D-37013. Gottingen. Germany (tel 0551/5024-0: fax 0551/5024-400).
Integrin αXβ2 is a leukocyte receptor for Candida albicans and is essential for protection against fungal infections

The opportunistic fungus Candida albicans is one of the leading causes of infections in immunocompromised patients, and innate immunity provides a principal mechanism for protection from the pathogen. In the present work, the role of integrin αXβ2 in the pathogenesis of fungal infection was assessed. Both purified αXβ2 and αXβ2-expressing human epithelial kidney 293 cells recognized and bound to the fungal hyphae of SC5314 strain of C. albicans but not to the yeast form or to hyphae of a strain deficient in the fungal mannoprotein, Pra1. The binding of the integrin to the fungus was inhibited by β-glucans but not by mannans, implicating a lectin-like activity in recognition but distinct in specificity from that of αMβ2. Mice deficient in αXβ2 were more prone to systemic infection with the LD50 fungal inoculum decreasing 3-fold in αXβ2-deficient mice compared with wild-type mice. After challenging i.v. with 1.5 × 104 cell/g, 60% of control C57BL/6 mice died within 14 d compared with 100% mortality of αXβ2-deficient mice within 9 d. Organs taken from αXβ2-deficient mice 16 h postinfection revealed a 10-fold increase in fungal invasion into the brain and a 2-fold increase into the liver. These data indicate that αXβ2 is important for protection against systemic C. albicans infections and macrophage subsets in the liver, Kupffer cells, and in the brain, microglial cells use αXβ2 to control fungal invasion.
Numerical methods for nonlinear stress wave propagation (abstract)

The partial differential equations characterizing stress wave propagation problems include conservation of volume, mass, momentum, and energy plus the constitutive relations for the materials involved. Generally these constitutive relations are nonlinear and numerical methods are required for solutions in various coordinate systems and spatial dimensions. The philosophy of stress wave propagation code development and application at Sandia Laboratories is given in this paper. The way different methods are developed, utilized, and tested is illustrated by many examples in which code solutions are compared to analytic solutions, experiments, and solutions from other codes.
Environmental Control, Social Context, and Individual Differences in Behavioral and Cortisol Responses to Novelty in Infant Rhesus Monkeys

The effects of appetitive controllability on behavioral and cortisol reactivity to novelty in 12 infant rhesus monkeys were studied. Surrogate-peer-reared infants had homecage access to food treats contingently via lever pressing ("master") or noncontingently ("yoked") for 12 weeks from postnatal month 2. Masters lever-pressed more, but did not differ in baseline cortisol. At month 5, infants were exposed to a novel environment in social groups and individually. Masters were significantly more active and exhibited significantly lower cortisol reactivity to the novel environment, but only in the individual context. Also, individual differences in operant behavior were positively correlated with behavioral activity and negatively correlated with cortisol reactivity to the novel environment. The results reveal context-specific benefits of contingent stimulation in infancy.
Nuclear localization of basic fibroblast growth factor is mediated by heparan sulfate proteoglycans through protein kinase C signaling

Understanding the process of wound healing will provide valuable insight for the development of new strategies to treat diseases associated with improper regeneration, such as blindness induced by corneal scarring. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are not normally expressed in the corneal stroma, but their presence at sites of injury suggests their involvement in the wound healing response. Primary cultured corneal stromal fibroblasts constitutively express HSPG and represent an injured phenotype. Recently, nuclear localization of HSPG was shown to increase in corneal stromal fibroblasts plated on fibronectin (FN), an extracellular matrix protein whose appearance in the corneal stroma correlates with injury. One possible role for the nuclear localization of HSPG is to function as a shuttle for the nuclear transport of heparin-binding growth factors, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). Once in the nucleus, these growth factors might directly modulate cellular activities. To investigate this hypothesis, cells were treated with (125)I-labelled FGF-2 under various conditions and fractionated. Our results show that nuclear localization of FGF-2 was increased in cells plated on FN compared to those on collagen type I (CO). Interestingly, FGF-2-stimulated proliferation was increased in cells plated on FN compared to CO and this effect was absent in the presence of heparinase III. Furthermore, pre-treatment with heparinase III decreased nuclear FGF-2, and CHO cells defective in the ability to properly synthesize heparan sulfate chains showed reduced nuclear FGF-2 indicating that the heparan sulfate chains of HSPG are critical for this process. HSPG signaling, particularly through the cytoplasmic tails of syndecans, was investigated as a potential mechanism for the nuclear localization of FGF-2. Treatment with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), under conditions that caused downregulation of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha), decreased nuclear FGF-2. Using pharmacological inhibitors of specific PKC isozymes, we elucidated a potential mode of regulation whereby PKCalpha mediates the nuclear localization of FGF-2 and PKCdelta inhibits it. Our studies suggest a novel mechanism in which FGF-2 translocates to the nucleus in response to injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury, Microglia, and Beta Amyloid

Recently, there has been growing interest in the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). TBI and AD share many pathologic features including chronic inflammation and the accumulation of beta amyloid (Aβ). Data from both AD and TBI studies suggest that microglia play a central role in Aβ accumulation after TBI. This paper focuses on the current research on the role of microglia response to Aβ after TBI.
Entertainment Media and Sexual Health: A Content Analysis of Sexual Talk, Behavior, and Risks in a Popular Television Series

Recent landmark content analyses of sexual content on television (e.g., Kunkel, Biely, Eyal, Cope-Farrar, Donnerstein, & Fandrich, 2003) provide a baseline for interpreting depictions of sex on individual programs. The present study was designed to investigate the nature and extent of sexual content on HBO’s popular television series Sex and the City. Compared to television in general, Sex and the City is more likely to depict sexual content (including sexual talk and behavior), intercourse between established partners (rather than between partners who had just met), and sexual risks and responsibilities (including sexual patience, precaution, and risks/negative consequences). Sex and the City does not differ from television in general in terms of pairing alcohol or drugs with sexual intercourse. The results suggest that Sex and the City is more likely than television in general to depict “healthy” sex.
Microwave puffing: Determination of optimal conditions using a coupled multiphase porous media – Large deformation model

Abstract Increased interest in microwave puffing is due to its ability to obtain low-fat and ready-to-eat healthy products. Determination of optimal conditions for this complex process has been difficult and although several patents exist on the concept, we are yet to see any large scale commercial use. A fundamental physics based modeling approach integrated with relevant experimentation, developed in this work, is an ideal framework to understand and optimize microwave puffing. The results showed that puffing may not be successful unless carried out using an intensive heating source such as microwaves. Addition of infrared and hot air leads to better quality product whereas using forced air convection is not desirable. There is an optimum initial moisture content depending on the puffing conditions. The study provides critical guidelines to food product/process developers for successful development, control and automation of microwave puffing, thereby leading to value-added nutritious products.
A radiation model for nonequilibrium molecular gases

Solutions to the radiative transfer equation in a nonequilibrium gas are derived in a form paralleling the usual equilibrium solutions These nonequilibrium solutions are given in terms of an absorption coefficient and a Planck-like energy distribution, both of which are expressed as functions of effective electronic excitation temperatures and relative oscillatorstrength distributions across the spectrum Approximate oscillator-strength distributions are presented which are functions of vibrational temperature only, and which give an averaged profile of the band produced by a given electronic transition Example calculations are made at vibrational temperatures of 1000°, 3000 , and 10,000°K for the strong molecular bands in nitrogen: namely, the N2 firstand second-positive and the N2 + first-negative bands
A cholinergic agonist induces cerebral hyperemia in isoflurane- but not pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs.

We tested whether the cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to the cholinergic agonist oxotremorine (OXO) is affected by the choice of anesthetics in dogs. We studied two anesthetics, pentobarbital and isoflurane, which produce similar levels of cerebral metabolic depression but have opposing effects on CBF. We also tested the contribution of nitric oxide (NO, or a NO-containing compound) in mediating the CBF response to OXO by determining whether NO synthase inhibition with N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) would attenuate OXO-induced hyperemia in both anesthetic groups. CBF (microspheres) was measured before and after OXO administration (50 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 intravenously [i.v.] for 10 min). Animals were divided randomly to receive OXO alone (n = 10) or L-NAME (40 mg/kg i.v.) followed by OXO (n = 10). Within each group, half of the animals received pentobarbital anesthesia (30 mg/kg i.v.) and half received isoflurane (1.4% end-tidal). In pentobarbital-anesthetized animals OXO produced no change in blood flow to cerebrum, caudate, diencephalon, neurohypophysis, or cerebellum in the absence (e.g., cerebrum 37 +/- 2 vs 42 +/- 5 mL/min/100 g) or presence of L-NAME (e.g., cerebrum, 29 +/- 4 vs 30 +/- 3 mL.min-1 x 100 g-1). In isoflurane-anesthetized animals, however, blood flow to forebrain regions increased after OXO (e.g., cerebrum 108 +/- 10 vs 232 +/- 15 mL.min-1 x 100 g-1; P < 0.05) without alteration in oxygen consumption in cerebrum (CMRO2) or blood flow to hindbrain regions. In isoflurane-anesthetized animals, L-NAME decreased baseline blood flow to cerebrum, caudate, diencephalon, cerebellum, and neurohypophysis (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Simultaneous Production of Desalinated Water and Power Using a Hybrid-Cycle OTEC Plant

A systems study for simultaneous production of desalinated water and electric power using the hybrid-cycle OTEC system was carried out. The hybrid cycle is a combination of open and closed-cycle OTEC systems. A 10 MWe shore-based hybrid-cycle OTEC plant is discussed and corresponding operating parameters are presented. Design and plant operating criteria for adjusting the ratio of water production to power generation are described and their effects on the total system were evaluated. The systems study showed technical advantages of the hybrid-cycle power system as compared to other leading OTEC systems for simultaneous production of desalinated water and electric power generation.
A wandering liver

A wandering liver has been described throughout modern medical literature as a rare entity. During the last few years, an increasing number of cases have been reported associated with colonic volvulus. We report a 17-year-old with a hypermobile liver seen on multiple radiographs and CT. The intraoperative findings demonstrated the liver in its normal anatomic position. We suggest that this entity is more common than thought, and the rise in incidence is likely secondary to increased utilization of pre-operative imaging of patients with colonic obstruction. Increased suspicion might result in further increased incidence of this exceedingly rare entity.
Theory of laser gain in a Ge-on-Si laser

A theory is developed for the gain versus injected current density under different tensile strains and doping densities. Many-body effects are included to account for energy renormalization modifications to the impact of n-doping.
Neural Network Modeling of Deterministic Unsteadiness Source Terms

A neural-network-based lumped deterministic source term technique is presented that results in the prediction of an approximate time-average solution when used to modify a steady-state solver. Three different neural networks are developed for simple cavity flows using Mach number, cavity length-to-depth ratio, and aft wall translation as parameters. The results indicate that axial force data can be reproduced with less than 15% error as compared to the time average of a fully unsteady calculation. Computation times for the resultant neural network lumped deterministic source term approach were up to two orders of magnitude less than the comparable unsteady solution and were essentially identical to that of a steady-state calculation, although it must be noted that a database of unsteady calculations is required to develop the technique. The lumped deterministic source terms did not appear to affect the robustness of the steady-state solver adversely.
Spectroscopy of Dy(3+) in Ge-Ga-S glass and its suitability for 1.3-microm fiber-optical amplifier applications.

Absorption and emission spectra, along with lifetime measurements, of Dy3+ in Ge–Ga–S glasses are reported. Fluorescence is observed at 1.3, 1.8, and 2.9 μm. A Judd–Ofelt analysis is performed to determine branching ratios and quantum efficiencies. The hypersensitive transition 6F11/2 → 6H15/2 at 1.3 μm has a quantum efficiency of 17%. Its suitability for an optical amplifier at 1.3 μm depends on the excited-state absorption from the 6H11/2 and 6H13/2 states, which has not yet been measured.
Lumber value differences from reduced CT spatial resolution and simulated log sawing

Abstract In the past few years, computed tomography (CT) scanning technology has been applied to the detection of internal defects in hardwood logs for the purpose of obtaining a priori information that can be used to arrive at better log sawing decisions. Because sawyers currently cannot even see the inside of a log until the log faces are revealed by sawing, there is little perceived need to obtain scan images as detailed as those obtained in medical CT imaging. Yet, CT scanner speed and the usefulness of CT data for decision-making are dependent on the spatial resolution of scans. Spatial resolution is a function of three factors: physical pixel size, scan thickness, and scan frequency (pitch). A 3×2 3 factorial experiment was designed with two levels for each of these three factors, to test their effect on lumber values. Three hypothetical logs corresponding to three hardwood log grades were simulation-scanned, then simulation-sawed by a human operator using a modified Malcolm opening face heuristic. Log grade affected lumber value recovery as expected, although reduced spatial resolution (by doubling the pitch, thickness, and pixel size) exhibited no discernible pattern in our statistical tests for effects. Volume recovery for below grade boards was predicted very accurately by size, thickness, and pitch-size. The greatest opportunity for lumber value recovery improvement using information-augmented sawing appears to be in grade #2 logs.
Joint Segmentation and Reconstruction of Coded Aperture Hyperspectral Data

This work presents experimental verification of a joint segmentation reconstruction algorithm on real data from a snapshot hyperspectral imager. Accurate spectra can be computed for any pixel location in the data cube.