Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Vegetation Health Data For Estimation Of Aus Rice Yield In Bangladesh, Atiqur Rahman, Leonid Roytman, Nir Y. Krakauer, Mohammad Nizamuddin, Mitch Goldberg

Publications and Research

Rice is a vital staple crop for Bangladesh and surrounding countries, with interannual variation in yields depending on climatic conditions. We compared Bangladesh yield of aus rice, one of the main varieties grown, from official agricultural statistics with Vegetation Health (VH) Indices [Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI) and Vegetation Health Index (VHI)] computed from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data covering a period of 15 years (1991–2005). A strong correlation was found between aus rice yield and VCI and VHI during the critical period of aus rice development that occurs during March–April (weeks 8–13 of the …

Interpretation Of Absorption Bands In Airborne Hyperspectral Radiance Data, Karl H. Szekielda, Jeffrey H. Bowles, David B. Gillis, W. David Miller

Publications and Research

It is demonstrated that hyperspectral imagery can be used, without atmospheric correction, to determine the presence of accessory phytoplankton pigments in coastal waters using derivative techniques. However, care must be taken not to confuse other absorptions for those caused by the presence of pigments. Atmospheric correction, usually the first step to making products from hyperspectral data, may not completely remove Fraunhofer lines and atmospheric absorption bands and these absorptions may interfere with identification of phytoplankton accessory pigments. Furthermore, the ability to resolve absorption bands depends on the spectral resolution of the spectrometer, which for a fixed spectral range also determines …

The Post-Synaptic Density Of Human Postmortem Brain Tissues: An Experimental Study Paradigm For Neuropsychiatric Illnesses, Chang-Gyu Hahn, Anamika Banerjee, Matthew L. Macdonald, Dan-Sung Cho, Joshua Kamins, Zhiping Nie, Karin E. Borgmann-Winter, Tilo Grosser, Angel Pizarro, Eugene Ciccimaro, Steven E. Arnold, Hoau-Yan Wang, Ian A. Blair

Publications and Research

Recent molecular genetics studies have suggested various trans-synaptic processes for pathophysiologic mechanisms of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Examination of pre- and post-synaptic scaffolds in the brains of patients would greatly aid further investigation, yet such an approach in human postmortem tissue has yet to be tested. We have examined three methods using density gradient based purification of synaptosomes followed by detergent extraction (Method 1) and the pH based differential extraction of synaptic membranes (Methods 2 and 3). All three methods separated fractions from human postmortem brains that were highly enriched in typical PSD proteins, almost to the exclusion of pre-synaptic proteins. We …

Development Of A Green Roof Environmental Monitoring And Meteorological Network In New York City, Stuart R. Gaffin, Reza Khanbilvardi, Cynthia Rosenzweig

Publications and Research

Green roofs (with plant cover) are gaining attention in the United States as a versatile new environmental mitigation technology. Interest in data on the environmental performance of these systems is growing, particularly with respect to urban heat island mitigation and stormwater runoff control. We are deploying research stations on a diverse array of green roofs within the New York City area, affording a new opportunity to monitor urban environmental conditions at small scales. We show some green roof systems being monitored, describe the sensor selection employed to study energy balance, and show samples of selected data. These roofs should be …

De Novo Establishment Of Wild-Type Song Culture In The Zebra Finch, Olga Feher, Haibin Wang, Sigal Saar, Partha P. Mitra, Ofer Tchernichovski

Publications and Research

What sort of culture would evolve in an island colony of naive founders? This question cannot be studied experimentally in humans. We performed the analogous experiment using socially learned birdsong. Culture is typically viewed as consisting of traits inherited epigenetically, via social learning. However, cultural diversity has species-typical constraints1, presumably of genetic origin. A celebrated, if contentious, example is whether a universal grammar constrains syntactic diversity in human languages2. Oscine songbirds exhibit song learning and provide biologically tractable models of culture: members of a species show individual variation in song3 and geographically separated groups have local song dialects 4,5. Different …

Development Of A Green Roof Environmental Monitoring And Meteorological Network In New York City, Stuart R. Gaffin, Reza Khanbilvardi, Cynthia Rosenzweig

Publications and Research

Green roofs (with plant cover) are gaining attention in the United States as a versatile new environmental mitigation technology. Interest in data on the environmental performance of these systems is growing, particularly with respect to urban heat island mitigation and stormwater runoff control. We are deploying research stations on a diverse array of green roofs within the New York City area, affording a new opportunity to monitor urban environmental conditions at small scales. We show some green roof systems being monitored, describe the sensor selection employed to study energy balance, and show samples of selected data. These roofs should be …

Conference Reports: Society For Renaissance Studies Third International Conference, Fern Luskin

Publications and Research

Report from the Third International Conference held at Trinity College, Dublin, July 10-12, 2008.

Analog To Digital: Conversion Of The Image Libraries At The City College Of New York, Ching-Jung Chen

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

It's All Happening At The Zoo: Children's Environmental Learning After School, Jason A. Douglas, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

Pairing dynamic out-of-school-time (OST) programs with zoos can encourage young people's relationships with and sense of responsibility for animals and the environment. The project presented in this article, Animal Rescuers, gave the authors the opportunity to examine how such a pairing can work. OST programs enable learning in settings that are generally unavailable during school time (Honig & McDonald, 2005). They provide space for collaboration among students, teachers, and others such as program visitors or outside educators. Taking advantage of the flexibility, location, and educational playfulness of an OST setting, the authors worked intensively with a small number of 10-12-year-old …

Information Literacy And Blind And Visually Impaired Students, Rebecca Schiff

Publications and Research

In the summer of 2007, as part of the City University of New York PeopleTech Summer Institute held at Baruch College, the author taught a class in information literacy to a group of blind and visually impaired students, using assistive technology to access the resources of the college library. Despite considerable preparation and experience, teaching the class presented unexpected difficulties, detailed in this paper. Rapid advances in information literacy technology present unusual challenges for the average student—challenges that are magnified when the intermediate assistive technology is itself not easy to master. The author explores the pertinent literature.

Tea Parties In Early Georgian Conversation Pieces, Ching-Jung Chen

Publications and Research

Conversation pieces were produced in large numbers in England from 1730 onward. In contrast to the grand manner of formal portraiture, the conversation piece depicts groups of small full-length figures engaged in conversation, music, tea, or cards within a detailed, naturalistically described landscape or architectural setting. This article examines how tea party conversation pieces, among the most popular subject of the genre, engage contemporary discourses about status. Differences between the actual practices of the tea party and the pictorial representations of it reveal the degree to which these pictures highlight the social standing of those portrayed.

Quantum Computing: Selected Internet Resources For Librarians, Researchers, And The Casually Curious, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

This article is an annotated selection of the most important and informative Internet resources for learning about quantum computing, finding quantum computing literature, and tracking quantum computing news.

The Trials And Tribulations Of Two Historians: Adjudicating Responsibility For Pollution And Personal Harm, David Rosner, Gerald Markowitz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Maximum Rectilinear Crossing Number Of The N Dimensional Cube Graph, Matthew Alpert, Elie Feder, Heiko Harborth, Sheldon Klein

Publications and Research

We find a.nd prove the maximum rectilinear crossing n1.1mber of the three-dimensional cube graph (Q₃). We demonstrate a method of drawing then-cube graph, Q_n., with many crossings, and thus find a lower bound for the maximum rectilinear crossing number of Q_n. We conjecture that this bound is sharp. We also prove an upper bound for the maximum rectilinear crossing number of Q_n.

Testimony Of Jeremy Travis, President Of John Jay College Of Criminal Justice, Before The U.S. House Of Representatives Committee On Appropriations, Subcommittee On Commerce, Justice, Science, And Related Agencies, On “What Works” For Successful Prisoner Reentry, Jeremy Travis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Lip-Reading Aids Word Recognition Most In Moderate Noise: A Bayesian Explanation Using High-Dimensional Feature Space, Wei Ji Ma, Xiang Zhou, Lars A. Ross, John J. Foxe, Lucas C. Parra

Publications and Research

Watching a speaker's facial movements can dramatically enhance our ability to comprehend words, especially in noisy environments. From a general doctrine of combining information from different sensory modalities (the principle of inverse effectiveness), one would expect that the visual signals would be most effective at the highest levels of auditory noise. In contrast, we find, in accord with a recent paper, that visual information improves performance more at intermediate levels of auditory noise than at the highest levels, and we show that a novel visual stimulus containing only temporal information does the same. We present a Bayesian model of optimal …

To See Or Not To See: Prestimulus Α Phase Predicts Visual Awareness, Kyle E. Mathewson, Gabriele Gratton, Monica Fabiani, Diane M. Beck, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

We often fail to see something that at other times is readily detectable. Because the visual stimulus itself is unchanged, this variability in conscious awareness is likely related to changes in the brain. Here we show that the phase of EEG α rhythm measured over posterior brain regions can reliably predict both subsequent visual detection and stimulus-elicited cortical activation levels in a metacontrast masking paradigm. When a visual target presentation coincides with the trough of an α wave, cortical activation is suppressed as early as 100 ms after stimulus onset, and observers are less likely to detect the target. Thus, …

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Avoidance Among Pregnant African-American Nonsmokers, Susan M. Blake, Kennan D. Murray, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Marie G. Gantz, Michele Kiely, Dana Best, Jill G. Joseph, Ayman El-Mohandes

Publications and Research

Background—Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during pregnancy contributes to adverse infant health outcomes. Limited previous research has focused on identifying correlates of ETS avoidance. This study sought to identify proximal and more distal correlates of ETS avoidance early in pregnancy among African-American women. Methods—From a sample of low-income, black women (n=1044) recruited in six urban, prenatal care clinics (July 2001–October 2003), cotinine-confirmed nonsmokers with partners, household/ family members, or friends who smoked (n=450) were identified and divided into two groups: any past-7-day ETS exposure and cotinine-confirmed ETS avoidance. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with ETS …

Non-Parametric Methods For Soil Moisture Retrieval From Satellite Remote Sensing Data, Tarendra Lakhankar, Hosni Ghedira, Marouane Temimi, Manajit Sengupta, Reza Khanbilvardi, Reginald Blake

Publications and Research

Satellite remote sensing observations have the potential for efficient and reliable mapping of spatial soil moisture distributions. However, soil moisture retrievals from active microwave remote sensing data are typically complex due to inherent difficulty in characterizing interactions among land surface parameters that contribute to the retrieval process. Therefore, adequate physical mathematical descriptions of microwave backscatter interaction with parameters such as land cover, vegetation density, and soil characteristics are not readily available. In such condition, non-parametric models could be used as possible alternative for better understanding the impact of variables in the retrieval process and relating it in the absence of …

Nonknowledge: The Bibliographical Organization Of Ignorance, Stupidity, Error, And Unreason: Part One, Jay H. Bernstein

Publications and Research

Starting with the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom paradigm in information science it is possible to derive a model of the opposite of knowledge having hierarchical qualities. A range of counterpoints to concepts in the knowledge hierarchy can be identified and ascribed the overall term “nonknowledge.” This model creates a conceptual framework for understanding the connections between topics such as error, ignorance, stupidity, folly, popular misconceptions, and unreason by locating them as levels or phases of nonknowledge. The concept of nonknowledge links heretofore disconnected discourses on these individual topics by philosophers, psychologists, historians, sociologists, satirists, and others. Subject headings provide access to the categories …

Right Hemispheric Contributions To Fine Auditory Temporal Discriminations: High-Density Electrical Mapping Of The Duration Mismatch Negativity (Mmn), Pierfilippo De Sanctis, Sophie Molholm, Marina Shpaner, Walter Ritter, John J. Foxe

Publications and Research

That language processing is primarily a function of the left hemisphere has led to the supposition that auditory temporal discrimination is particularly well-tuned in the left hemisphere, since speech discrimination is thought to rely heavily on the registration of temporal transitions. However, physiological data have not consistently supported this view. Rather, functional imaging studies often show equally strong, if not stronger, contributions from the right hemisphere during temporal processing tasks, suggesting a more complex underlying neural substrate. The mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the human auditory evoked-potential provides a sensitive metric of duration processing in human auditory cortex and lateralization …

Building Communities With Justice: Overcoming The Tyranny Of The Funnel. Keynote Address At The Marquette Law School On February 20, 2009 In Milwaukee, Wi., Jeremy Travis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Statistical Dynamics Of Flowing Red Blood Cells By Morphological Image Processing, John M. Higgins, David T. Eddington, Sangeeta N. Bhatia, L. Mahadevan

Publications and Research

Blood is a dense suspension of soft non-Brownian cells of unique importance. Physiological blood flow involves complex interactions of blood cells with each other and with the environment due to the combined effects of varying cell concentration, cell morphology, cell rheology, and confinement. We analyze these interactions using computational morphological image analysis and machine learning algorithms to quantify the non-equilibrium fluctuations of cellular velocities in a minimal, quasi-two-dimensional microfluidic setting that enables high-resolution spatio-temporal measurements of blood cell flow. In particular, we measure the effective hydrodynamic diffusivity of blood cells and analyze its relationship to macroscopic properties such as bulk …

Quality Improvement In Small Office Settings: An Examination Of Successful Practices, Daniel Wolfson, Elizabeth Bernabeo, Brian Leas, Shoshanna Sofaer, Gregory Pawlson, Donna Pillittere

Publications and Research

Background Physicians in small to moderate primary care practices in the United States (U.S.) (<25 physicians) face unique challenges in implementing quality improvement (QI) initiatives, including limited resources, small staffs, and inadequate information technology systems 23,36. This qualitative study sought to identify and understand the characteristics and organizational cultures of physicians working in smaller practices who are actively engaged in measurement and quality improvement initiatives. Methods We undertook a qualitative study, based on semi-structured, open-ended interviews conducted with practices (N = 39) that used performance data to drive quality improvement activities. Results Physicians indicated that benefits to performing measurement and QI included greater practice efficiency, patient and staff retention, and higher staff and clinician satisfaction with practice. Internal facilitators included the designation of a practice champion, cooperation of other physicians and staff, and the involvement of practice leaders. Time constraints, cost of activities, problems with information management and or technology, lack of motivated staff, and a lack of financial incentives were commonly reported as barriers. Conclusion These findings shed light on how physicians engage in quality improvement activities, and may help raise awareness of and aid in the implementation of future initiatives in small practices more generally.

Alcohol And Cardio-Respiratory Deaths In Chinese: A Population-Based Case-Control Study Of 32,462 Older Hong Kong, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Sai Yin Ho, Yao He, Kwok Hang Mak, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
In observational studies moderate alcohol use reduces cardio-respiratory mortality. However observational studies may be biased by many factors including residual confounding by unmeasured differences between moderate alcohol users and other groups or by changes in alcohol use with ill-health and aging. We used two different analytic strategies in an under-studied population, i.e. southern Chinese, to provide an assessment of the specific impact of moderate alcohol use on mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).

Methods
In a population-based case-control study of all adult deaths in Hong Kong Chinese in 1998, we used adjusted logistic …

Using The Lure Of Gang Life To Teach Interpersonal And Group Attraction, Gordon Alley-Young

Publications and Research

Course: Small Group Communication

Objective: Students will apply group and interpersonal attraction theories to discover the factors impacting a young man's small group membership choices in The Lure of Gang Life; this short story illustrates the forces that attract individuals to different small groups across their lives.

The Strategic Targeting Of Females By Transnational Tobacco Companies In South Korea Following Trade Liberalisation, Kelley Lee, Carrie Carpenter, Chaitanya Challa, Sungkyu Lee, Gregory N. Connolly, Howard K. Koh

Publications and Research

Background In 1988 South Korea opened its cigarette market to foreign companies under the threat of US trade sanctions. Despite strong social stigma against female smoking in South Korea, and restrictions on tobacco marketing to women and children, smoking rates among young Korean females increased from 1.6% in 1988 to 13% in 1998. Previous analyses describe how Asian countries have been targeted by transnational tobacco companies for new markets, with Asian females offering substantial future growth potential. An understanding of the strategies used by TTCs to increase smoking among Korean females is critical to public health efforts to adopt a …

Naloxone's Pentapeptide Binding Site On Filamin A Blocks Mu Opioid Receptor–Gs Coupling And Creb Activation Of Acute Morphine, Hoau-Yan Wang, Lindsay H. Burns

Publications and Research

Chronic morphine causes the mu opioid receptor (MOR) to switch its coupling from Gi/o to Gs, resulting in excitatory signaling via both Gαs and its Gβγ dimer. Ultra-low-dose naloxone (NLX) prevents this switch and attenuates opioid tolerance and dependence. This protective effect is mediated via a high-affinity interaction of NLX to a pentapeptide region in c-terminal filamin A (FLNA), a scaffolding protein interacting with MOR. In organotypic striatal slice cultures, we now show that acute morphine induces a dose-dependent Go-to-Gs coupling switch at 5 and 15 min that resolves by 1 hr. The acute Gs coupling induced by 100 µM …

Mercury From Chlor-Alkali Plants: Measured Concentrations In Food Product Sugar, Renee Dufault, Blaise Leblanc, Roseanne Schnoll, Charles Cornett, Laura Schweitzer, David Wallinga, Jane Hightower, Lyn Patrick, Walter J. Lukiw

Publications and Research

Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if high fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram …

A Role For The Igh Intronic Enhancer E Mu In Enforcing Allelic Exclusion, Fubin Li, Laurel A. Eckhardt

Publications and Research

The intronic enhancer (E mu) of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) locus is critical for V region gene assembly. To determine E mu's subsequent functions, we created an Igh allele with assembled V(H) gene but with E mu removed. In mice homozygous for this E mu-deficient allele, B cell development was normal and indistinguishable from that of mice with the same V(H) knockin and E mu intact. In mice heterozygous for the E mu-deficient allele, however, allelic exclusion was severely compromised. Surprisingly, this was not a result of reduced suppression of V-DJ assembly on the second allele. Rather, the striking …