cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic switching between noise classification and speech enhancement for hearing aid devices

This paper presents a voice activity detector (VAD) for automatic switching between a noise classifier and a speech enhancer as part of the signal processing pipeline of hearing aid devices. The developed VAD consists of a computationally efficient feature extractor and a random forest classifier. Previously used signal features as well as two newly introduced signal features are extracted and fed into the classifier to perform automatic switching. This switching approach is compared to two popular VADs. The results obtained indicate the introduced approach outperforms these existing approaches in terms of both detection rate and processing time.
Radiation Injury of the Lung After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Lung Cancer. CT and PET/CT Imaging.

1298 Objectives Describe the SBRT technique and the mechanisms of SBRT induced lung injury. Describe and illustrate the characteristic CT and PET/CT patterns of radiation pneumonitis and radiation fibrosis as well as CT imaging risk factors. Discuss guidelines for the timing and interpretation of post SBRT CT and the role of FDG PET CT imaging. Stereotactic body-radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment with excellent results for patients with peripheral stage I non-small-cell lung cancer that is inoperable. SBRT delivers large doses of radiation to the target volume with millimeter accuracy and minimizes the dose to the adjacent normal tissue. Despite technological advances that permit the precision required for SBRT, normal tissues near the tumor receive higher biologic doses of radiation than with standard treatment. The Nuclear Medicine Physicians and Radiologists need to be familiar with the appearance of the CT changes after SBRT and the indications and timing of performing FDG PET/CT to evaluate treatment response and to differentiate between post SBRT changes and tumor recurrence. Methods - Results - Conclusions -
Abstract B24: Regulation of mutant p53 stability by the mevalonate pathway-Hsp40-CHIP axis

Missense mutations in the p53 gene result in accumulation of dysfunctional p53 proteins in tumors with oncogenic gain-of-function activities, such as metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. Increasing evidence indicates that stabilization of mutant p53 (mutp53) in tumors is crucial for its oncogenic activities, while its knockdown reduces malignant progression. Thus, malignant properties of cancer cells are dependent on the presence of mutp53, providing a rationale to identify compounds that deplete mutp53 with minimal effects on wild-type p53 (wtp53). Toward this goal, we performed luciferase assay-based high-throughput screening of ~9,000 chemical compounds using cells expressing a chimeric fusion protein of p53R175H and a luciferase reporter. This screening led us to identify statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, as degradation inducers of conformational p53 mutants. Interestingly, statins showed minimal effects on wtp53 and DNA contact mutants. Moreover, CHIP ubiquitin ligase, but not MDM2, mediated statin-induced nuclear export, ubiquitination, and degradation of mutp53. Surprisingly, degradation of mutp53 by statins was independent of protein prenylation/lipidation or cholesterol synthesis, and specific reduction of mevalonte-5-phosphate (MVP) triggered mutp53 degradation. We also demonstrated that downregulation of a molecular chaperone Hsp40/DNAJA1 mirrored statin9s effects on mutp53, while its overexpression nullified them. Moreover, statin-induced reduction of MVP inhibited the DNAJA1-mutp53 interaction. Biologically, statins preferentially suppressed malignant properties of mutp53-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Our study proposes a novel role of DNAJA1 in inhibiting CHIP-mediated degradation of mutp53 induced by statins and highlights the significance of p53 status in impacting the efficacy of statins in cancer therapy and of DNAJA1 as a viable target for inducing mutp53 degradation. Citation Format: Alejandro Parrales, Atul Ranjan, Swathi V. Iyer, Scott Weir, Anuradha Roy, Tomoo Iwakuma. Regulation of mutant p53 stability by the mevalonate pathway-Hsp40-CHIP axis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Targeting the Vulnerabilities of Cancer; May 16-19, 2016; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B24.
Geostatistical Analyses of Soil Salinity in a Large Field

Estimating spatial variability of soil salinity is an important issue in precision agriculture. Geostatistical methods provide a means to study the heterogeneous nature of spatial distributions of soil salinity. In this study, geostatistical methods, kriging and cokriging, were applied to estimate sodium . adsorption ratio SAR in a 3375 ha agricultural field. In cokriging, more easily measured data of . electrical conductivity EC were incorporated to improve the estimation of SAR. The estimated spatial distributions of SAR using the geostatistical methods with various reduced data sets were compared with the extensive salinity measurements in the large field. The results suggest that sampling cost can be dramatically reduced and estimation can be significantly improved using cokriging. Compared with the kriging results using total SAR data, cokriging with reduced data sets of SAR improves the estimations greatly by reducing mean squared error and kriging variance up to 70% and increasing correlation of estimates and measurements about 60%. The sampling costs for SAR estimation can be reduced approximately by 80% using extensive EC data together with a small portion of SAR data in cokriging.
Nutrition modulation of human aging: The calorie restriction paradigm

Globally, the aging population is growing rapidly, creating an urgent need to attenuate age-related health conditions, including metabolic disease and disability. A promising strategy for healthy aging based on consistently positive results from studies with a variety of species, including non-human primates (NHP), is calorie restriction (CR), or the restriction of energy intake while maintaining intake of essential nutrients. The burgeoning evidence for this approach in humans is reviewed and the major study to date to address this question, CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), is described. CALERIE findings indicate the feasibility of CR in non-obese humans, confirm observations in NHP, and are consistent with improvements in disease risk reduction and potential anti-aging effects. Finally, the mechanisms of CR in humans are reviewed which sums up the fact that evolutionarily conserved mechanisms mediate the anti-aging effects of CR. Overall, the prospect for further research in both NHP and humans is highly encouraging.
Carfilzomib as salvage therapy in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: a case series

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable disease with frequent relapse after frontline therapy [1]. With one approved agent (ibrutinib) and no standard of care [1,2], new treatment option...
The Regular Solution

In the one-dimensional case it is customary and very useful to define a solution of the Schrodinger equation by a k-independent boundary condition at a point. Such a solution is necessarily an entire analytic function of k of exponential type |x|. It is this property that is exploited in the solution technique of the inverse spectral problem due to Gel’fand and Levitan.
Introduction and Overview Chairman’s Comments

Modern agriculture is highly dependent upon the use of chemical and biological agents to produce the food and fiber needed to sustain human and animal life. Agricultural science has successfully produced many valuable products and has, for the large part, adopted appropriate measures to ensure their efficacy and safety. Indeed, it is essential that efficacy and safety be considered simultaneously. Since many agricultural products are by their very nature toxic, it is important that their use be restricted to situations where appropriate benefits accrue and where relative safety can be maintained. It is also important to recognize that nothing is completely safe; nor is it possible to achieve desired benefits without incurring some risks.
More Apology than Utopia. Reviewing Curtis A. Bradley, International Law in the U.S. Legal System

Curtis Bradley’s book, International Law in the U.S. Legal System, provides a skillful description of its topic in a much-needed contribution to several fields of law. This short review provides an overview of the book, notes its many strengths, and points out a few minor weaknesses in coverage. It concludes by offering some thoughts on an issue largely unaddressed by Bradley: how to evaluate as a normative matter the controversial doctrinal developments he describes.
Gold/chromium metallizations for electronic devices

The thin films of gold which are applied so extensively in electronic devices are normally deposited over thin films of other metals in two, three or even four component metallization systems. The problems arising in such systems are vividly illustrated in this article on the gold/chromium metallization system developed in large measure at the Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Using administrative laboratory result data to describe adverse events.

e18698Background: Adverse events (AE) on cooperative group trials are manually reported by research assistants using the Common Terminology Criteria (CTC). Our prior work demonstrated that pediatri...
TET2 Deficiency Sets the Stage for B-cell Lymphoma

Summary: TET2 is a well-established tumor suppressor in the context of myeloid malignancies, but its role in lymphoma development has been less clear. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Dominguez and colleagues report that TET2 function is critical for germinal center exit and plasma cell differentiation, and its deficiency can lead to B-cell lymphoma phenotypes. See related article by Dominguez et al., p. 1632.
Compassion Satisfaction Among Camp Counselors: A Pilot Study:

Background: The intense nature of the camp experience and the unique role of camp counselors can be a rewarding experience for camp counselors and campers alike. However, to experience compassion s...
Quality Improvement Interventions across a Network of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinics.

Introduction Achieving improvement in quality among different institutions is challenging. Immunocompromised children with febrile neutropenia are at high risk of severe infection. Pediatric hematology-oncology patients frequently experience central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) associated with implanted catheters. A network of 8 pediatric hematology-oncology clinics affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital launched 2 initiatives designed to reduce the incidence of infections and improve infection treatment. Methods We reviewed the timing of antibiotic administration for immunocompromised patients with a fever before and after a quality improvement intervention tailored to each affiliate clinic. We also reviewed the frequency of CLABSIs before and after implementing a central line care bundle for implanted catheters in ambulatory patients. Results Across the affiliate clinic network, the timing of antibiotic administration improved from the preintervention period (23% of patients received antibiotics within 60 min of registration) to 53% and 73%, in successive postintervention periods. Implementing a central line bundle for implanted catheters was associated with increased compliance and a trend toward increased time between CLABSIs. Conclusion We describe an approach to quality improvement utilizing a system of monitoring with annual clinical audits, development of joint quality improvement initiatives, ongoing education, and focused training of staff for effecting change that improves patient healthcare across multiple institutions.
Short-range charge density wave order in 2 H − T a S 2

$2H\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Ta}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ undergoes a charge density wave (CDW) transition at ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}\ensuremath{\sim}75$ K, however key questions regarding the onset of CDW order remain under debate. In this study, we explore the CDW transition through a combination of temperature and excitation-dependent Raman spectroscopy, angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT). Below ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}$ we identify two CDW amplitude modes that redshift and broaden with increasing temperature and one zone-folded mode that disappears above ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}$. Above ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}$, we observe a strong two-phonon mode that softens substantially upon cooling, which suggests the presence of substantial lattice distortions at temperatures as high as 250 K. This correlates with the ARPES observation of the persistence of a CDW energy gap above ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}$ and finite-temperature DFT calculations of the phonon band structure that indicate an instability occurring well above the CDW transition temperature. DFT also provides the atomic displacements of the CDW amplitude modes and reproduces their temperature dependence. From these observations we suggest that short range CDW order exists well above ${T}_{\mathrm{CDW}}$, which poses new questions regarding the interplay between electronic structure and vibrational modes in layered CDW materials.
The potential use of CAMS for suicidal youth: building on epidemiology and clinical interventions

ABSTRACTIt is vital to better understand and effectively treat suicide, as it remains a leading cause of death for youth. The present article discusses the epidemiology of suicidal outcomes for you...
Measurement of the Photothermal Signal Phase Using Step-Scan Interferometry

The inherent phase lag in the photothermal effect and its use in materials characterization and spectroscopy have been active areas of research for fifteen years. Measurements of the photoacoustic/ photothermal (PA/PT) phase have been proposed and demonstrated for a variety of purposes including determination of nonradiative lifetime, thermal diffusivity, sample thickness, depth profiles and quantitative absorption spectra. Spectroscopic use of the phase is attractive due to its immunity to variations in light intensity, reflectance, and temperature, which do affect the magnitude of the signal. Methods for determining both relative and absolute absorptivities from PA/PT data by use of the magnitude and phase, or the phase alone, have been demonstrated [1]. Practical application of these methods using FT spectroscopy is the goal of this research.
Do Immigrants Differ from Migrants? Disentangling the Impact of Mobility on High School Completion and Performance

As immigrant students continue to enter U.S. schools in large numbers, policymakers, parents and school leaders have become intensely interested in their academic performance and educational attainment. While previous evidence has pointed to superior performance by foreign-born students in their elementary and middle school years, growing concern has centered around the education and life chance of immigrants who come to the United States in their high school years and pointed to a significant gap in the research literature. This paper takes a step toward filling the gap. We use data on a cohort of New York City public high school students to examine how the performance of immigrant students differs between students who enter in high school, middle school or elementary school, adjusting for the conventional student characteristics that may shape outcomes. We then compare these disparities to the disparities experienced by the native-born population in order to remove any differences in performance due merely to differences in mobility. Thus, we derive estimates of the “cost” in performance due to their entry in high school that has been purged of a range of possible confounding factors. Importantly, our difference-in-difference estimates suggests that, ceteris parabis, immigrant students do quite well and high school entrants even better than earlier entering immigrants.
Abstract A32: Targeting RON-mediated metabolic vulnerabilities in recurrent/progressive breast cancer

Despite advances in clinical detection, molecular subtyping, and targeted therapeutics, breast cancer (BC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Recurrent and metastatic disease is the underlying cause of BC mortality. Due to fear of recurrence, BC is the most overtreated cancer, creating significant ethical and financial burdens. Through a discovery-based genomics approach, the RON receptor tyrosine kinase was identified as a predictor of BC recurrence. We and others have shown that RON overexpression occurs in more than half of all BCs and that RON levels are a predictor of metastasis and poor survival. Through evaluation of human breast tumor tissue, we provide the first line of evidence that RON overexpression occurs independent of molecular subtype and provide prognostic evidence of RON expression as a biomarker of BC recurrence. Further, we identified glycolysis and cholesterol biosynthesis, two potentially therapeutically targetable processes, as being significantly upregulated by RON. To test the efficacy of reducing cholesterol as a therapy for BC with RON expression, we treated two independent, spontaneous murine breast cancer models with inhibitors directed at RON and/or cholesterol biosynthesis (atorvastatin). Our studies show that either RON or cholesterol inhibition reduced BC progression and that combination treatments blocked progression further. Current studies are under way to determine the mechanisms by which RON promotes metabolic pathway dependency and to directly test in a novel murine model of BC recurrence if targeting these pathways provides a survival benefit. We anticipate that our studies will serve as the scientific underpinnings for rationally designed new combinatorial therapeutic strategies to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with advanced breast cancer. Citation Format: Brian G. Hunt, Christina A. Wicker, Jennifer Bourn, Elyse Lower, Vinita Takiar, Susan E. Waltz. Targeting RON-mediated metabolic vulnerabilities in recurrent/progressive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A32.
Manipulative Therapies for Chronic Pain

Manipulative therapies are a type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that focuses on physical manipulation of the body by a mostly active therapist and passive patient. These providers primarily rely on their hands to move soft tissue, muscles, tendons, and/or bones. Chiropractic, osteopathic manipulative treatment, and massage therapy are popular choices. There is a brief discussion of the techniques used. The risks and potential benefits are also discussed. In general adverse events were few and included muscle soreness, muscle stiffness, and worsening pain. There is a risk of severe adverse events. Internet resources are provided to give providers and patients access to reliable evidence-based information. Manipulative therapies appeared to be studied most on musculoskeletal conditions and can be offered to appropriate patients for chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Editorial Comment on "Background Parenchymal Uptake on Molecular Breast Imaging and Breast Cancer Risk: A Cohort Study".

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Background Parenchymal Uptake on Molecular Breast Imaging and Breast Cancer Risk: A Cohort Study.
Socioeconomic status and health

During the last 150 years, a rich scientific literature has developed that extends earlier observations that link socioeconomic position with health, and in recent years there has been an exponential increase in scientific work on this topic. As a prelude to summarizing this literature, it is first necessary to briefly discuss the ways in which socioeconomic status or position has been conceptualized in this research tradition. The term ‘socioeconomic position’ (SEP) is used generically to refer to the various measures that have been used. The article concludes that the pervasive associations observed between various measures of SEP and many health outcomes, and the risk factors for these outcomes, supports the fundamental role of SEP as a determinant of health. Understanding these associations requires elucidating the variety of multilevel determinants and pathways that link SEP and individual health outcomes as well as determining the societal and individual forces that stratify these determinants and pathways along socioeconomic dimensions.
Effects of spatial non‐uniformity of streamer discharges on spectroscopic diagnostics of peak electric fields in transient luminous events

[1] The electric fields associated with streamer discharges in transient luminous events (TLEs) have been recently measured by considering the ratios of spatially integrated radiation intensities of band systems with different energy excitation thresholds. Following recent work by Naidis (2009) we demonstrate that due to strong spatial variations of the electron density and electric field in streamer heads such measurements may lead to a significant underestimation of the peak values of electric fields. The modeling analysis of streamers as a function of altitude, applied reduced electric field, and streamer polarity indicate that the ratios based electric fields derived from spectrophotometric data need to be multiplied by a corrective factor >1.4 for positive streamers and >1.5 for negative streamers, to obtain the true peak values of electric fields.
The Dynamics of Supergravity

In these lectures I will deal with supergravity as a dynamical system, necessarily self-coupled, of spin 2 plus 3/2 fields. I will discuss its Hamiltonian formulation and those of its properties which can best be understood in this way. The Hamiltonian approach, while often neglected in quantum field theory because it is not immediately related to diagrams and calculations, has in fact been essential in understanding the structure of other gauge theories, notably general relativity itself. In addition to the many other insights this approach offers into gauge theories (as we shall see) is the matter of principle that canonical quantization is really the only sure starting-point from which to get the correct path integral form (and Feynman rules) complete with ghosts and correct integration measures - see for example [1].
A Message from the Incoming Editor Team

A transition in editor teams will occur at the Journal of Business Logistics before the end of the year. This brief editorial addresses vital facets of the transition. We emphasize the importance of maintaining the journal's key traditions, namely publishing applied logistics and supply chain research yielding meaningful managerial implications. We speak to remaining open to diverse research questions and assorted research methods, while emphasizing the imperative for state-of-the-art application of methods. Next, we iterate important aspects of the journal's review process. The provision of timely, knowledgeable, constructive, and detailed reviews is underscored as essential to assuring JBL's reputation as the “journal of choice” for leading-edge logistics and supply chain research.
Minimizing subject loss in a longitudinal study of deviant behavior

A number of techniques are described to prevent attrition of four different categories of subjects in a longitudinal study of deviant behavior.Difficult to schedule subjects required persistence, empathy and flexibility to ensure their continued participation.Reluctant subjects were persuaded to participate by taking special care to build rapport with that family.Subjects who initially refused were “turned around” by assuming that a subject's refusal one year was circumstantial, and approaching that subject the following year with personalized correspondence that emphasized the importance of their contribution to the research. Persistence was an important factor in successfully locating and recruitingtransient subjects.
The use of high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) as a molecular weight screening technique for polygalacturonic acid for use in pharmaceutical applications

Polygalacturonic acid is a linear carbohydrate polymer of monomeric galacturonic acid. It is commercially available as apple and citrus pectins comprised of a mixture of partially methoxylated and/or amidated polygalacturonic acids with molecular weights ranging from 25,000 to > 100,000 Da. Pectin can be chemically or enzymatically hydrolyzed to yield polygalacturonic acid fractions of diverse average molecular weight ranges and polydispersities for a variety of uses. Pectin and polygalacturonic acid are used extensively as gelling agents and stabilizers by the food industry, and have applications as therapeutic, and diagnostic pharmaceutical agents such as the magnetic resonance imaging agent LumenHance. A simple high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) method, employing commonly available non-specialized HPLC instrumentation, is described for use as a rapid molecular weight screening technique to determine the average molecular weight range and polydispersity of polygalacturonic acid intended for use in pharmaceutical formulations. A TosoHaas G3000PWXL HPLC column, 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH approximately 6.9) mobile phase, and refractive index detection were used. A molecular weight calibration curve was linear for polysaccharide standards of 180-100,000 Da with a coefficient of correlation of 0.999. The method was employed to screen commercially available polygalacturonic acid raw materials for average molecular weight data (Mn, Mw, and Mp) and polydispersity (Mw/Mn).
Endogenous trade policy and lobby formation: an application to the free-rider problem

Abstract This paper develops a model in which tariffs are determined through bargaining between a utility maximizing policy maker and an industry lobby. Individual firms only contribute to the lobbying effort if it is in their own self-interest so that both trade policies and lobby formation are endogenous. By introducing bargaining between the industry and the government, the paper provides microfoundations for the tariff-formation function approach taken by many authors in the political economy literature. Applied to the free-rider problem, the model identifies general conditions under which increasing the number of firms in an industry makes cooperation between them more difficult.
An Experiment for the Study of Free-Flying Supercavitating Projectiles

Applications and research utilizing supercavitation for high-speed underwater flight has motivated study of the phenomenon. In this work, a small scale laboratory experiment for studying supercavitating projectiles has been designed, built, and tested. Similar existing experimental work has been documented in literature but using large, elaborate facilities, or has been presented with ambiguous conclusions from test results. The projectiles were 63.5 mm in length and traveled at speeds on the order of 145 m/s. Measurement techniques are discussed and used to record projectile speed, supercavity dimensions, and target impact location. Experimental observations are compared with a six degrees-of freedom dynamics simulation based on theoretical models presented in literature for predicting supercavity shape and hydrodynamic forces on the supercavitating projectile during flight. Experimental observations are discussed qualitatively, along with quantitative statistics of the measurements made. Successful operation of the experiment has been demonstrated and verified by agreement with theoretical models.
Epidemiology, pathogenesis, animal models, and treatment of Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome is characterized by dry eyes (xerophthalmia) and dry mouth (xerostomia). Although general agreement exists about the ocular features of Sjogren's syndrome, significant controversy surrounds the classification criteria for defining the oral component. This has resulted in confusion in both the clinical and the research literature. The recent litigation involving silicone breast implants has forced clinicians to evaluate critically whether the condition of a particular patient fulfills specific diagnostic criteria for Sjogren's syndrome. Research studies have focused on potential genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Sjogren's syndrome. Studies of various ethnic populations have demonstrated an association with particular HLA-DR and -DQ alleles. However, the associated alleles are different for each ethnic group. No single environmental agent has been identified as a critical cofactor. Studies have concentrated on herpesviruses (Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus type 6), hepatitis C virus, and retroviruses. Epstein-Barr virus isolated from patients has altered the ability to transform and lytically infect particular types of lymphocytes. Hepatitis C can lead to sicca symptoms, even in patients with relatively normal salivary gland biopsy findings. One report of Japanese patients indicated the presence of human T cell lymphotropic virus type I-like tax genes in the salivary biopsy specimens of a subset of patients and no gag, pol, or env sequences; this finding suggested a potential infection by a defective retrovirus. Studies on the pathogenesis have indicated that cytokines produced in the salivary gland are similar to T helper type 1 lymphocytes (interferon gamma).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Use, Safety and Cost of Bariatric Surgery Before and After Medicare's National Coverage Decision

Objective:To determine the impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) bariatric surgery national coverage decision (NCD) on the use, safety, and cost of care CMS beneficiaries.Background:In February 2006, the CMS issued a NCD restricting reimbursement for bariatric surgery to ac
Interacting N = 1 vector-spinor multiplet in 3D

with the minimal spin content (3=2;1) [1][2]. Here the importantpoint is that the vector-spinor has no spin 2 superpartner, but has only spin 1 counterpart.In other words, the system has only global supersymmetry, but no local supersymmetryor supergravity. One of the ultimate aims is to establish the foundation for more generalsupersymmetric higher-spin interactions [3].However, there have been so far no consistent interactions introduced for the (3=2;1) mul-tiplet, at least in terms of component elds. This situation is understandable through theconventional wisdom that once spin 3/2 is introduced, there should be spin 2 graviton, re-sulting necessarily in supergravity for consistency. Another technical reasons is that theauxiliary eld structure with o -shell super elds [1][2][4] is so involved that the correspond-ing formulations in component elds is impractically complicated. This is despite the factthat o -shell super eld formulation is powerful enough to present interaction lagrangians insuperspace.This problem appears to be easily solved in superspace. In superspace, the (3=2;1) mul-tiplet is represented by a spinor super eld and a real scalar super eld V [1][2][4]. Wecan conjecture, for example, a total action to be II
TGF-beta 1 and urinary excretion of pyridinium crosslinks: two often overlooked risk factors for assessing risk of progression in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

The article by Sackmann et al is highly interesting and provides an excellent analysis of the factors that predict the risk of progression in patients with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS).[1][1] Two other parameters that may also aid in assessing risk progression and are
Perception and aesthetics of the urban environment: Review of the role of vegetation

Abstract This paper is a review of the role that urban vegetation plays in regard to human behavior and the perception of urban environments. This includes a review of the functions or benefits of urban vegetation to human use-economic benefits, instrumental or physiological functions and perceptual functions including visual, sensory benefits and symbolic aspects. The second part of the paper reviews the roles of urban vegetation in performing these various functions at different environmental scales and in different contexts. Finally, there is a review of means to assess change in the quality of urban vegetation in the environment as well as using vegetation to improve urban environmental perceptual quality.
National Cancer Data Base Report on Malignant Paragangliomas of the Head and Neck

BACKGROUND Malignant paragangliomas of the head and neck are rare, with previous reports limited to nine or fewer patients. The current review included 59 cases extracted from the National Cancer Data Base that were diagnosed between 1985–1996. METHODS The primary criterion for inclusion in the current study was verified metastatic spread from a paraganglioma of the head and neck. Patterns of presentation and treatment as well as clinically relevant associations were demonstrated in contingency tables. Relative survival was used for analysis of outcome. RESULTS The average patient age at presentation was 44 years, and gender distribution was equivalent. Metastases were confined to regional lymph nodes in the majority of cases (68.6%), with carotid body tumors found to have an even higher rate of regional confinement (93.8%). Surgery was the most common treatment (76.3%). The use of adjuvant irradiation for regionally confined disease increased across time, from 27% (1985–1990) to 46% (1991–1996). The 5-year relative survival rate was 59.5% (76.8% for regionally confined carcinoma and 11.8% for distant metastasis). Among patients who were followed until death, those treated with adjuvant irradiation had a longer median survival (45 months) compared with those patients who were treated with surgery alone (12 months). CONCLUSIONS Malignant paraganglioma represents metastatic spread of a tumor type that, when restricted to the site of origin, is considered benign. Metastases from malignant paragangliomas of the head and neck usually are regionally confined. The primary management of a recognized malignancy should be directed toward complete surgical removal of the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes. Postoperative irradiation may be beneficial in slowing the progression of residual disease. Cancer 2002;94:730–7. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10252
Photoperiod in three xanthium populations from the tropic of cancer in Mexico.

Diverse photoperiodic responses were shown by three populations of Xanthium strumarium L. originating between 22 degrees and 25 degrees N on the western coast near Culiacan, Sinaloa; in the Chihuahuan Desert near Matehuala, San Luis Potoś; and on the Gulf Coast near Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, respectively. A combination of differences in critical night length and in ripeness-to-flower response (maturity) appears to be the basis for reproductive adaptation of these populations to different climatic regimes that prevail at the same latitude (and photoperiodic regime).
Food of striped bass in the Upper Bay of fundy, Canada

Abstract Eighty specimens of striped bass Morone saxatilis were sampled from commercial catches during the summer and fall of 1985 along the north shore of Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay, Nova Scotia, for stomach content analysis. Striped bass fed on invertebrates as young of year. They became more piscivorous with age, although invertebrates remained an important component of the diets of older fish.
Spin torque nano oscillators as key building blocks for the systems-on-chip of the future

Emerging nanotechnologies have the potential to completely revolutionize the semiconductor industry by providing "more than Moore" capabilities. Instead of trying to compete in areas where conventional CMOS is still dominant, such as digital processing, emerging technologies can provide a perfect complement to CMOS in areas where conventional solutions are not scaling, such as memory, interconnect, analog and mixed-signal, and RF. This paper focuses on the application of such an emerging nanotechnology, Spin Torque Nano Oscillators (STNOs), for on-chip mixed-signal and RF applications. Bulky and power-hungry CMOS active (e.g. oscillators and amplifiers) and passive (e.g. capacitors and spiral inductors) elements can be replaced by single STNO nanodevice with improved overall metrics: small footprint of the order of 100nm on a side, low power, high-Q, tunability, etc. Additionally, since STNOs fundamentally use similar materials and geometries as Spin Torque Transfer RAM (STT-RAM), they can be readily integrated on chip and can benefit from all advances in that field. This paper proposes a new STNO device structure appropriate for on-chip mixed-signal and RF applications, as well as several hybrid STNO/CMOS circuits that take advantage of the STNO device characteristics to obtain desired behaviors, such as frequency generation, pass and notch filters, etc.
Proactive recruitment predicts participant retention to end of treatment in a secondhand smoke reduction trial with low-income maternal smokers

Improving smoking intervention trial retention in underserved populations remains a public health priority. Low retention rates undermine clinical advancements that could reduce health disparities. To examine the effects of recruitment strategies on participant retention among 279 low-income, maternal smokers who initiated treatment in a 16-week behavioral counseling trial to reduce child secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe). Participants were recruited using either reactive strategies or methods that included proactive strategies. Logistic regression analysis was used to test associations among retention and recruitment method in the context of other psychosocial and sociodemographic factors known to relate to retention. Backwards stepwise procedures determined the most parsimonious solution. Ninety-four percent of participants recruited with proactive + reactive methods were retained through end of treatment compared to 74.7% of reactive-recruited participants. Retention likelihood was five times greater if participants were recruited with proactive + reactive strategies rather than reactive recruitment alone (odds ration [OR] = 5.36; confidence interval [CI], 2.31–12.45). Greater knowledge of SHS consequences (OR = 1.58; CI, 1.07–2.34) was another significant factor retained in the final LR model. Proactive recruitment may improve retention among underserved smokers in behavioral intervention trials. Identifying factors influencing retention may improve the success of recruitment strategies in future trials, in turn, enhancing the impact of smoking interventions.
A NOVEL BIOFOULING ASSAY USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED MOTION ANALYSIS OF HINCKSIA IRREGULARIS SPORE SWIMMING

Computer-assisted motion analysis of the swimming behavior of spores of the brown alga Hincksia irregularis was used in a novel antifouling bioassay. Newly released spores were exposed to water soluble compounds of organic and aqueous body wall extracts of two sympatric sea stars, Astropecten articulatus and Luidia clathrata. Changes in the swimming behavior of H. irregularis spores were quantified by changes in speed (decrease at extract exposure) and rate of change of direction (increase at extract exposure). Sea star extracts were tested at natural concentrations (mg extract/g wet weight) and at approximate 10-, 100-, and 1000-fold dilution. Significant effects (p ≤ 0.05) were observed at 1000-fold dilution of the natural concentration in both extracts of A. articulatus, and at 100- and 10-fold dilution of the aqueous and organic extract, respectively, in L. clathrata. Germination of spores after short time exposure (30 min) to sea star body wall extracts indicates that compounds were not toxic but affected spore mobility, a factor that plays an important role during spore settlement. We suggest that this assay is very useful for bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts because it is very sensitive and requires only small amounts of extracts or isolated compounds.
Arachidonic acid metabolites as mediators of synaptic modulation.

The neurotransmitters histamine, dopamine and the peptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFa) cause presynaptic inhibition in the nervous system of the marine mollusk Aplysia Californica by combined down-modulation of a Ca++ conductance and up-modulation of a K+ conductance. The action of FMRFa on the S-type K+ channels of Aplysia sensory neurons is mediated by a metabolite of the 12-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid, possibly 12-HPETE. A Pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP binding protein couples FMRFa receptor to the activation of the arachidonic cascade. Once produced, 12-HPETE does not require ATP- or GTP-dependent processes to act on the K+ channels, but it may directly modulate the channel via an external membrane receptor. Based on this observation, a role for eicosanoids as possible intercellular messengers in the C.N.S. is discussed.
Experimental determination of UO2(cr) dissolution kinetics: Effects of solution saturation state and pH

Abstract To evaluate the release of uranium from natural ore deposits, spent nuclear fuel repositories, and REDOX permeable reactive barriers (PRB), knowledge of the fundamental reaction kinetics associated with the dissolution of uranium dioxide is necessary. Dissolution of crystalline uranium (IV) dioxide under environmental conditions has been studied for four decades but a cardinal gap in the published literature is the effect of pH and solution saturation state on UO2(cr) dissolution. To resolve inconsistencies, UO2 dissolution experiments have been conducted under oxic conditions using the single-pass flow-through system. Experiments were conducted as a function of total dissolved carbonate ( [ CO 3 - 3 ] T ) from 0.001 to 0.1 M; pH from 7.5 to 11.1; ratio of flow-through rate (q) to specific surface area (S), constant ionic strength (I) = 0.1 M, and temperatures (T) from 23 to 60 °C utilizing both powder and monolithic specimens. The results show that UO2 dissolution varies as a function of the ratio q/S and temperature. At values of log10 q/S > −7.0, UO2 dissolution becomes invariant with respect to q/S, which can be interpreted as evidence for dissolution at the forward rate of reaction. The data collected in these experiments show the rate of UO2 dissolution increased by an order of magnitude with a 30 °C increase in temperature. The results also show the overall dissolution rate increases with an increase in pH and decreases as the dissolved uranium concentration approaches saturation with respect to secondary reaction products. Thus, as the value of the reaction quotient, Q, approaches equilibrium, K, (with respect to a potential secondary phase) the dissolution rate decreases. This decrease in dissolution rate (r) was also observed when comparing measured UO2 dissolution rates from static tests where r = 1.7 ± 0.14 × 10−8 mol m−2 s−1 to the rate for flow-through reactors where r = 3.1 ± 1.2 × 10−7 mol m−2 s−1. Thus, using traditional static test methods can result in an underestimation of the true forward rate of UO2(cr) dissolution. These results illustrate the importance of pH, solution saturation state, and the concentration of dissolved carbonate on the release of uranium from UO2 in the natural environment.
The ingredients of definiteness and the definiteness effect

Keenan (1987) observed that trivial determiners built from basic existential determiners (e.g.,either zero or else more than zero) are allowed inthere-insertion contexts, and that trivial determiners built from basic non-existential determiners (e.g.,either all or else not all) are not. This result is unexpected under the analyses ofthere-sentences proposed in Barwise and Cooper (1981), Higginbotham (1987), and Keenan (1987). I argue that the class of NPs barred from the postverbal position ofthere-sentences (strong NPs) is correctly characterized in presuppositional terms, as suggested in de Jong and Verkuyl (1985) and Lumsden (1988). According to this characterization, strong NPs share one of the defining components of definiteness proposed in Heim (1982), namely the Descriptive Content Condition (DCC). How to derive the prohibition against strong NPs inthere-insertion contexts (definiteness effect) from the fact that strong NPs meet the DCC is not obvious, however. I argue that accounting for this prohibition involves regarding the XP-coda in [there be NP XP] as providing the contextual domain for the interpretation of the postverbal NP.
A method for the near-source anisotropy by the pair-event inversion of Rayleigh-wave radiation patterns

Summary. A novel method is proposed for retrieving the 3-D orientation of axes of symmetry of near-source anisotropy by a non-linear inversion of observed radiation patterns of seismic displacement spectra of Rayleigh waves. If faulting is generated within an anisotropic source region, body force equivalents for the faulting are in general not a double couple but the sum of three orthogonal dipole forces (Kosevich; Kawasaki & Tanimoto). As a result of the third dipole force, radiation patterns of Rayleigh waves are deformed, the deformation amounting to several per cent of those for an isotropic source medium. The non-linear inversion is carried out to find the optimum fault plane solutions giving the minimum square residual between observed and theoretical radiation patterns in some period range. In order to remove effects of heterogeneity along propagation paths, a pair-event scheme is involved in the inversion, which denotes taking spectral amplitude ratios and differential phases of the seismic displacement spectra of the pair-events having close hypocentres and different fault plane solutions. The uniqueness of the fault plane solutions of the non-linear inversion is afforded a proof by the Monte-Carlo experiment. The non-linear inversion is repeated for some possible types of symmetry of the near-source orthotropic anisotropy due to the preferred orientation of olivine crystals as mantle materials. Square residuals thus obtained are compared with each other to see which orientation gives the minimum. The method is applied to pair-events which occurred in the anomalous mantle beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This leads to a discovery that one type of symmetry of the preferred orientations with a-, b- and c-axes aligned vertical, parallel to and perpendicular to the trend (N11E) of the ridge axis, respectively, is most likely existing in the anomalous mantle.
Anatomy of a composite Higgs model

In this paper we explain how to construct models where the weak interactions are broken by the composite Higgs mechanism. Such theories differ markedly from SU(2) × U(1) breaking scenarios that involve either fundamental scalars or technicolor. The low-energy spectrum of such theories include a composite Higgs boson, as well as exotic composite scalars and a new massive U(1) gauge boson. We analyze in detail the working of the SU(5)/SO(5) composite Higgs model, previously described by two of the authors, in order to acquaint the reader with the generic traits of such theories.
The Effects of DSM-5 Criteria on Number of Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

A growing body of research has raised concerns about the number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to DSM-IV-TR who may no longer qualify for diagnoses under the new DSM-5 criteria, published in May 2013. The current study systematically reviews 25 articles evaluating samples according to both DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 ASD criteria. Consistent with previous reviews, the majority of included studies indicated between 50 and 75% of individuals will maintain diagnoses. We conducted visual analyses of subgroups using harvest plots and found the greatest decreases among high-functioning populations with IQs over 70 and/or previous diagnoses of PDD-NOS or Asperger's disorder. We discuss the potential research and clinical implications of reduced numbers of individuals diagnosed with ASD.