cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Environmental Science to Non-STEM Majors

Teaching environmental science to non-STEM majors provides several challenges. EVPP 110 (Ecosphere I: Introduction to Environmental Science) has no pre-requisites, so students come with different levels of previous science education. Reasons for enrollment differ: some students having a strong interest in the subject, while others enrolled to fulfill degree requirements. In teaching the lab section of this course, I emphasized the connections between natural science, social science and cultural science to increase student engagement. Goals were 1) demonstrate that conservation goes beyond science and is at the nexus of many disciplines; and 2) show students how this material relates to their own field. One method was to create extra credit field trip opportunities to places like Huntley Meadows Park, a wetland that was once slated to become a waste disposal site. To receive credit, students wrote short papers on their experiences, plants and animals observed, the history of the park and connections to conservation. Guest speakers from GMU organizations were invited into the lab, including those from the Rooftop Greenhouse and the Honey Bee Initiative, to offer tours and volunteer opportunities. This work has benefitted my own Ph.D. research by helping me tailor content for non-scientists, including policymakers, NGOs and the private sector. This is particularly relevant to my efforts to conserve American eel (Anguilla rostrata), which is not usually a charismatic species. I recommend other graduate students consider implementing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching core courses to take into account the cultural and intellectual diversity of the Mason community.For more information about teaching in the disciplines:AÂ https://stearnscenter.gmu.edu/teaching/teaching-in-the-disciplines
On Prudent Love and Imprudent Lovelessness

In the first section of the chapter, I examine the notion of the compound virtue of prudent love, derived from the transformation of competence and care, and I discuss its relationship to the caring cycle and the care-competence cycle. I then follow with a section on the notion of the compound vice, imprudent lovelessness, derived from the transformation of incompetence and carelessness, which identifies and defines an unvirtuous physician, as well as its relationship to the uncaring cycle and the carelessness-incompetence cycle.
Wavefront divinding ring-interferometers for the far infrared

The incoming wavefront is diffracted at the reflectors. One set of reflectors is displacedwith respect to the other and light from the two sets is interfering with light from the other set. Formonochromatic light, if the optical path difference between the two sets is such that we haveconstructive interference, all the light travels in the direction of reflection (zero order). If we havedestructive interference, the light is diffracted into the first and higher orders and travel into adirection making an angle with the direction of reflection, but light is traveling in the direction ofreflection. We can change the displacement between the two sets of reflectors at a sequence ofintervals such that we have alternating light falling on the detector and not. The recorded intensityis the interferogram.
CHAPTER 1 – Nitrogen Fixation – A General Overview

Several synthetic reactivity models are available that bind nitrogen gas (N 2 ) and, in some cases, activate it toward reduction sufficiently so that ammonia and/or hydrazine are produced on protonation. Although they are unlikely to either compete directly with or even impact the technology of the Haber–Bosch process, they could be developed as alternative low- temperature and low-pressure technologies. These alternative systems could be relatively small, might serve only a limited locale, and be driven by electricity derived from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, or waterpower. In fact, N 2 oxidation in an electric arc has been revisited under exactly these circumstances. Such simple, inexpensive, small-scale systems may have a future in areas where fertilizer production capacity of a few tons per year can make a significant impact on agricultural production. An increasing number of new associative symbioses are also evaluated as potential conduits for delivery of fixed nitrogen to crops. These less formalized associations provide insight to how new associations might be engineered with the principal food crops that recently have a N 2 fixing partner.
Dissertation Chapter 2: Grounding Collective Memory: The Impact of Group Membership on Memory Work

This chapter explores the processes by which groups helped shape collective memory of the Oklahoma City bombing. It first addresses the emotional state of individuals at the inception of group membership, so as to appreciate the reconstructive roles that group membership played in helping individuals build new mnemetic foundations, new intrapersonal priorities, and new interpersonal structures. The chapter then considers group functions which emerged after the bombing, including the provision of companionship, the gravitation toward group narrative, and the organization of members around chosen reconstructive goals. Each of these functions served important mnemetic roles; companionship provided mnemetic support and enabled members to recognize that others were going through similar ordeals, group narrative helped members to build and maintain social frameworks of memory, and group goals gave concrete form to these mnemetic frameworks. Finally, this chapter concludes by exploring in more detail the effects of group membership on "seeking justice" - the facilitation of members' attendance and/or participation in legal proceedings against Timothy McVeigh, including his 1997 capital trial and 2001 execution. Each of these tasks is regarded as a central node in organizing the group's collective memory around the bombing.
Abstract WP139: MRI Evaluation and Functional Assessment of Brain Injury Improvement After 3K3A-Activated Protein C Treatment for Murine White Matter Stroke

Introduction: Subcortical white matter stroke (WMS) accounts for 25% of all incidences of stroke and results in severe motor and cognitive disability. WMS stands as the second leading cause of deme...
Knee Flexion Angle at Initial Contact During Jump Landing in Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability: A Critically-Appraised Topic

Clinical Scenario: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is characterized by the residual symptoms and feelings of instability that persist after an acute ankle sprain. Current literature has identified ...
Human Relationships and Healthy Aging

One of the most pressing issues in the modern era of healthcare is the unprecedented increase in human life expectancy. For many, however, old age is accompanied by poor health and disability. In an effort to extend the number of healthy years people are living, often termed the longevity dividend, healthcare systems are beginning to recognize the importance of promoting healthy aging. Biomedical determinants of healthy aging have received most of the attention, though social determinants of health (e.g., employment, housing, education, and the status of one’s social connections) are more often being considered. Still, even among these, the nature and quality of an individual’s social relationships has not received the attention it deserves. In this chapter, the centrality of human relationships for healthy aging is revealed through summarizing research findings on four main social constructs: social support, social engagement and isolation, and loneliness. Negative effects of social relationships and the broader social and cultural contexts are also examined. In conclusion, the authors discuss assessment strategies, provide recommendations for improved screening and evaluation of patients’ social health and wellness, and suggest human relationship interventions to promote good health in old age.
Advanced lipid based biosensors for food analysis.

Abstract The investigation of lipid films for the construction of nanosensors has recently given the opportunity to manufacture devices to selectively determine a wide range of food toxicants. Biosensor miniaturization using recent advances in nanotechnology has given the opportunity to investigate novel techniques to immobilize a wide range of enzymes, antibodies and receptors within the lipid film. This chapter reviews novel revent platforms in nanobiosensors based on lipid membranes that are used in food chemistry to determine various food toxicants. Examples of applications are described with an emphasis on novel systems, sensing techniques and nanotechnology-based transduction schemes. The compounds that can be monitored are insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, metals, toxins, hormones, etc. Finally, limitations and future prospects are presented herein on the evaluation/validation and eventually commercialization of the proposed sensors.
A Deep Learning-Based Model for Head and Eye Motion Generation in Three-party Conversations

In this paper we propose a novel deep learning based approach to generate realistic three-party head and eye motions based on novel acoustic speech input together with speaker marking (i.e., speaking time for each interlocutor). Specifically, we first acquire a high quality, three-party conversational motion dataset. Then, based on the acquired dataset, we train a deep learning based framework to automatically predict the dynamic directions of both the eyes and heads of all the interlocutors based on speech signal input. Via the combination of existing lip-sync and speech-driven hand/body gesture generation algorithms, we can generate realistic three-party conversational animations. Through many experiments and comparative user studies, we demonstrate that our approach can generate realistic three-party head-and-eye motions based on novel speech recorded on new subjects with different genders and ethnicities.
Asymmetric Bilateral Hip Dislocations with a Pulseless Left Lower Extremity: A Case Report.

CASE Traumatic bilateral asymmetric hip dislocation represents an exceedingly rare injury pattern in which one hip dislocates anteriorly and the contralateral hip dislocates posteriorly. Few reports of this injury pattern have been published in the English literature, and no report of this pattern with arterial occlusion has been described. We report a case of asymmetric hip dislocations presenting with a pulseless lower extremity after a motor vehicle accident. No arterial injury was identified on computed tomography angiogram. Fractures of the proximal femur and acetabulum were also absent, bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS We present a patient who patient underwent successful closed reduction with return of pulses in the left leg and required no further intervention for his hip dislocations.
Investigating the Relationship Between a Clinical Science Composite Score and USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Step 3 Performance.

Previous research has found a moderate relationship between performance on individual clinical science subject examinations and USMLE performance. Given the widespread use of the clinical science subject examinations and the need for measures of clinical knowledge that help predict performance on Steps 2 CK and 3 and performance in residency training, this study explores the use of composite scores based on clinical science subject examinations to predict clinical knowledge outcome measures. The data set included students who took all of the five most widely used clinical science subject examinations (medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017 (N = 65,516). Composite scores were calculated based on average equated percent correct scores across various combinations of clinical science subject examinations. Stepwise linear regression analyses were performed with composite score and Step 1 score as predictor variables and Step 2 CK score or Step 3 score as the dependent variable. In all cases, the proportion of variance explained (R2) by the composite score (0.62–0.65 for Step 2 CK score and 0.45–0.48 for Step 3 score) was greater than R2 for Step 1 by itself (0.52 for Step 2 CK score and 0.37 for Step 3 score). Logistic regression analyses found that higher composite scores were associated with a greater probability of passing Steps 2 CK and 3. Composite scores can be used alone or in conjunction with Step 1 to identify students at risk of failing Step 2 CK and/or Step 3 to facilitate remediation.
Elimination of electrostatic forces in precision Casimir force measurements using UV and Argon ion radiation

Contaminants on the boundary surfaces lead to electric potential inhomogeneities. The resulting poorly defined electric force leads to ambiguities in precision Casimir force measurements. We experi...
Double-Spend Counter-Attacks: Threat of Retaliation in Proof-of-Work Systems

Proof-of-Work mining is intended to provide blockchains with robustness against double-spend attacks. However, an economic analysis that follows from Budish (2018), which considers free entry conditions together with the ability to rent sufficient hashrate to conduct an attack, suggests that the resulting block rewards can make an attack cheap. We formalize a defense to double-spend attacks. We show that when the victim can counterattack in the same way as the attacker, this leads to a variation on the classic game-theoretic War of Attrition model. The threat of this kind of counterattack induces a subgame perfect equilibrium in which no attack occurs in the first place.
Information Loss in Harmonizing Granular Race and Ethnicity Data: Descriptive Study of Standards.

Background: Data standards for race and ethnicity have significant implications for health equity research. Objective: We aim to describe a challenge encountered when working with a multiple–race and ethnicity assessment in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN), a research collaborative of Barbados, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands. Methods: We examined the data standards guiding harmonization of race and ethnicity data for multiracial and multiethnic populations, using the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. Results: Of 1211 participants in the ECHORN cohort study, 901 (74.40%) selected 1 racial category. Of those that selected 1 category, 13.0% (117/901) selected Caribbean; 6.4% (58/901), Puerto Rican or Boricua; and 13.5% (122/901), the mixed or multiracial category. A total of 17.84% (216/1211) of participants selected 2 or more categories, with 15.19% (184/1211) selecting 2 categories and 2.64% (32/1211) selecting 3 or more categories. With aggregation of ECHORN data into OMB categories, 27.91% (338/1211) of the participants can be placed in the “more than one race” category. Conclusions: This analysis exposes the fundamental informatics challenges that current race and ethnicity data standards present to meaningful collection, organization, and dissemination of granular data about subgroup populations in diverse and marginalized communities. Current standards should reflect the science of measuring race and ethnicity and the need for multidisciplinary teams to improve evolving standards throughout the data life cycle.
Quantitation of tissue optical characteristics and hemoglobin desaturation by time- and frequency-resolved multi-wavelength spectrophotometry.

Photon migration in highly scattering tissues such as muscle and brain gives optical pathlengths that are dependent upon absorption and scattering parameters, μa μs’. Determination of these parameters gives the correct concentration of principal absorber such as hemoglobin in the red region of the spectrum. Determinations of scatter factor in functioning and pathological tissues are made.
STEM EBIC for High-Resolution Electronic Characterization

Electron beam-induced current (EBIC) data, acquired in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), are presented in the context of microelectronic device reliability. The mechanisms causing, and applications of, three distinct EBIC modes are discussed along with the requirements and challenges of preparing STEM EBIC-compatible samples with a focused ion beam (FIB). STEM EBIC images are acquired from samples extracted, by FIB lift-out, from off-the-shelf multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). These STEM EBIC images show two different EBIC modes simultaneously, which map both resistance and local electric fields. Observed variability in the distribution of BaTiO3 grain boundary resistivities is compared to predicted wear-out and reliability models. These techniques may be extended to other electronic components to map electronic signals that are otherwise inaccessible at high-resolution.
Respiratory Severity Score greater than or equal to 2 at birth is associated with an increased risk of mortality in infants with birth weights less than or equal to 1250 g.

OBJECTIVE Respiratory Severity Score (RSS), the product of mean airway pressure and the fraction of inspired oxygen may estimate the severity of neonatal lung disease. We aimed to determine if RSS on the first day of life is associated with mortality and/or comorbidities in infants born less than or equal to 1250 g. METHODS Data were extracted from the NYS Perinatal Data System for premature inborn infants from 2006 to 2016 born between 400 and 1250 g (N = 730). RSS was divided into three categories: less than 2 (low, n = 310), 2-5 (moderate, n = 265), greater than 5 (high, n = 155). The primary outcome was mortality. Logistic regression determined associations with composite outcomes of death or respiratory morbidity (respiratory support after 36 weeks postmenstrual age), death or neurologic morbidity (periventricular leukomalacia) or high-grade intraventricular hemorrhage), and death/severe morbidity (death or neurologic morbidity or respiratory morbidity or stage ≥ III retinopathy of prematurity or necrotizing enterocolitis) by RSS category. RESULTS Birthweight and gestational age were lower with the increasing RSS category (p < .001 for both). Mode of delivery, antenatal steroids, and maternal age did not differ by RSS. In adjusted analyses, there were increased odds of mortality in infants with moderate RSS (odds ratio [95% confidence intervals]: 3.1 (1.7-5.4) and high 4.5 (2.5-8.2). These groups had higher odds of death or respiratory morbidity, death or neurologic morbidity, and death/severe morbidity. CONCLUSION Higher RSS (≥2) is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidities in infants born less than or equal to 1250 g.
Structural organization of the bone marrow and its role in hematopoiesis.

Purpose of review The bone marrow is the main site for hematopoiesis. It contains a unique microenvironment that provides niches that support self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), multipotent progenitors (MPP), and lineage committed progenitors to produce the large number of blood cells required to sustain life. The bone marrow is notoriously difficult to image; because of this the anatomy of blood cell production -- and how local signals spatially organize hematopoiesis -- are not well defined. Here we review our current understanding of the spatial organization of the mouse bone marrow with a special focus in recent advances that are transforming our understanding of this tissue. Recent findings Imaging studies of HSC and their interaction with candidate niches have relied on ex-vivo imaging of fixed tissue. Two recent manuscripts demonstrating live imaging of subsets of HSC in unperturbed bone marrow have revealed unexpected HSC behavior and open the door to examine HSC regulation, in situ, over time. We also discuss recent findings showing that the bone marrow contains distinct microenvironments, spatially organized, that regulate unique aspects of hematopoiesis. Summary Defining the spatial architecture of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow is indispensable to understand how this tissue ensures stepwise, balanced, differentiation to meet organism demand; for deciphering alterations to hematopoiesis during disease; and for designing organ systems for blood cell production ex vivo.
Recent Advances in the Pursuit of an Effective Acinetobacter baumannii Vaccine

Acinetobacter baumannii has been a major cause of nosocomial infections for decades. The absence of an available vaccine coupled with emerging multidrug resistance has prevented the medical community from effectively controlling this human pathogen. Furthermore, the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has increased the risk of hospitalized patients developing ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by bacterial opportunists including A. baumannii. The shortage of antibiotics in the development pipeline prompted the World Health Organization to designate A. baumannii a top priority for the development of new medical countermeasures, such as a vaccine. There are a number of important considerations associated with the development of an A. baumannii vaccine, including strain characteristics, diverse disease manifestations, and target population. In the past decade, research efforts have revealed a number of promising new immunization strategies that could culminate in a safe and protective vaccine against A. baumannii. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in the development of A. baumannii vaccines, discuss potential challenges, and propose future directions to achieve an effective intervention against this human pathogen.
Immediate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient health, health-care use, and behaviours: results from an international survey of people with rheumatic diseases.

Background: The impact and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with rheumatic disease are unclear. We developed the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Patient Experience Survey to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with rheumatic disease worldwide. Methods: Survey questions were developed by key stakeholder groups and disseminated worldwide through social media, websites, and patient support organisations. Questions included demographics, rheumatic disease diagnosis, COVID-19 diagnosis, adoption of protective behaviours to mitigate COVID-19 exposure, medication access and changes, health-care access and communication with rheumatologists, and changes in employment or schooling. Adults age 18 years and older with inflammatory or autoimmune rheumatic diseases were eligible for inclusion. We included participants with and without a COVID-19 diagnosis. We excluded participants reporting only non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. Findings: 12 117 responses to the survey were received between April 3 and May 8, 2020, and of these, 10 407 respondents had included appropriate age data. We included complete responses from 9300 adults with rheumatic disease (mean age 46·1 years; 8375 [90·1%] women, 893 [9·6%] men, and 32 [0·3%] participants who identified as non-binary). 6273 (67·5%) of respondents identified as White, 1565 (16·8%) as Latin American, 198 (2·1%) as Black, 190 (2·0%) as Asian, and 42 (0·5%) as Native American or Aboriginal or First Nation. The most common rheumatic disease diagnoses included rheumatoid arthritis (3636 [39·1%] of 9300), systemic lupus erythematosus (2882 [31·0%]), and Sjogren's syndrome (1290 [13·9%]). Most respondents (6921 [82·0%] of 8441) continued their antirheumatic medications as prescribed. Almost all (9266 [99·7%] of 9297) respondents adopted protective behaviours to limit SARS-CoV-2 exposure. A change in employment status occurred in 2524 (27·1%) of 9300) of respondents, with a 13·6% decrease in the number in full-time employment (from 4066 to 3514). Interpretation: People with rheumatic disease maintained therapy and followed public health advice to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. Substantial employment status changes occurred, with potential implications for health-care access, medication affordability, mental health, and rheumatic disease activity. Funding: American College of Rheumatology.
Impact of COVID-19 on Dermatology Residency

COVID-19 has created challenges across medicine, including in medical education, with deeply rooted impacts in the dermatology residency experience. Its effects are both acute and chronic, including: shifts to virtual education and conferences, skewed clinical experiences, negatively impacted wellness, and uncertainty in the future. As educators and mentors, it is important to recognize and address these issues so that we may remain transparent, adaptable, and engaged as we continue to build a better tomorrow for our resident trainees.
Application of Genetic Algorithm for Planar Transmission Lines

Genetic-algorithm (GA) optimizers are one of the most robust and stochastic search methods based on the concepts of natural selection and evolution for several applications [1] . Complex electromagnetic optimization problems involve a large number of parameters such as continuous, discrete, or both, which often include constraints in allowable values that might be non-differentiable and exist in discontinuous regions. This creates a challenge for conventional numerical techniques. The approach used by genetic algorithms differs from that of other numerical optimization methods that the optimum evolves for the GA and enables a good solution in regions where the parameter space contains a relatively high proportion of good solutions [2] .
Mantle cell lymphoma involving tonsils: a clinicopathologic study of 83 cases.

We report 83 cases of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) involving the tonsil as initial manifestation (IM). The median age at the time of tonsillar involvement was 58 years (range, 35 to 79 years). Most (85%) patients presented like acute tonsillitis. Lymphadenopathy (84%) and advanced stage of disease (81%) were frequent. With a median follow-up of 6.1 years (range, 0.5 to 18.4 years), the median overall survival (OS) was 11.3 years for all patients. Cases with classic MCL morphology demonstrated a superior overall survival (median OS: 11.7 years vs. 7.8 years for aggressive morphology, p=0.0361). Approximately 20% of patients had limited stage of disease and they had excellent outcome (median OS: not reached vs. 11.3 years for advanced-stage MCL, p=0.0479). All of the patients were alive after median follow-up of 6.6 years (range: 1 to 16.2 years). There were no differences in relapse free survival in morphology and stage (p>0.05). When tonsils were involved by relapsed MCL, patients less commonly had acute tonsillitis-like symptoms, lymphadenopathy and advanced stage of disease compared to MCL as initial manifestation. Patients in the relapse group had poorer OS compared to patients in the IM group from the time of tonsillar involvement by MCL to the date of death or last follow-up (7.8 vs. 11.7 years, p=0.003). Compared with a group of 93 patients whose initial biopsy specimen was a lymph node, patients whose initial biopsy specimen was tonsil had similar OS (11.7 vs. 8.8 years, p=0.1764). However, patients with tonsillar MCL more commonly had limited stage disease (19% vs. 8%, p=0.0385) and a low risk MIPI score (71% vs. 47%, p=0.0025).
Respect for Persons in the Psychiatric Treatment of Children and Adolescents

Child and adolescent psychiatry involves simultaneously balancing duties to various vulnerable parties. Balancing autonomy and protection for adolescents is complex; state laws governing these situations often add confusion. Common prescribing patterns in child psychiatry lack robust evidence, and utilization of stimulants, atypical antipsychotics, and polypharmacy has skyrocketed. Significant concerns about distributive justice arise from alarming patterns in psychiatric treatment of vulnerable populations, like those affected by poverty, racism, adverse childhood experiences, and certain legal statuses. Principles of justice and respect for persons support the need for safe, adequate, and appropriate psychiatric treatment, including psychosocial interventions and resources, for all children.
Influence of Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder on Survival in Children After Heart Transplantation

The influence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) on long-term survival in children after heart transplantation (HTx) is not well studied. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried from 1987 to 2013 for data on PTLD in relation to induction immunosuppression and recipient Epstein-Barr virus status in children (<18 years of age) who underwent HTx. Of 6818 first-time pediatric heart transplants, 5169 had follow-up data on posttransplant malignancy, with 360 being diagnosed with PTLD. Univariate Cox analysis identified diminished survival after PTLD onset using a time-varying measure of PTLD (HR 2.208; 95 % CI 1.812, 2.689; p < 0.001), although Kaplan-Meier survival functions found no difference in survival between the group ever diagnosed with PTLD and the non-PTLD reference group (log-rank test: χ 1 (2) = 0.02; p = 0.928). A multivariate Cox model found a greater mortality hazard associated with the development of PTLD after adjusting for recipient EBV seronegativity and other covariates (HR 3.024; 95 % CI 1.902, 4.808; p < 0.001). Induction immunosuppression at time of HTx did not significantly influence posttransplant mortality. The development of PTLD adversely influenced long-term survival in children after HTx after adjusting for confounding variables.
The first balloon flight of the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator technology demonstration mission

To improve the state of the art in Mars supersonic decelerator technology, the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) technology demonstration mission has embarked upon a series of high altitude balloon lofted, rocket propelled, supersonic reentry tests. Similar to Mars reentry technology tests performed in the 1970s, including the Planetary Entry Parachute Program (PEPP) and the Balloon Launch Decelerator Test (BLDT), LDSD relies on a zero pressure balloon to deliver the test vehicle to its high altitude initial conditions. The test architecture was successfully demonstrated in the first test flight of the project from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Kauai on June 28th, 2014. In adapting this test architecture from the 1970s to today, many new developments were made to the balloon system including: a new balloon static launch technique and new balloon trajectory predictive capabilities. Additional diagnostic tools, intended for characterization of the test vehicle flight, were also available to characterize the balloon flight including: meteorological rockets for atmospheric characterization and the test vehicle's inertial measurement unit, which was able to measure the dynamic rates of the suspended payload. These results provided the test architecture validation and data necessary for the LDSD flights planned in 2015.
An anatomical and clinical study of a thoracopagus monster delivered alive at full term

Abstract The specimen of the case herein reported consisted of two female infants united by a thick band composed of cartilage and soft tissue extending from the xiphoid process of each fetus to the common umbilicus. The thorax contained four pleural cavities, a single pericardium, a conjoined heart, and two thymus glands. A common diaphragm separated the thoracic structures from a single peritoneal cavity, the peritoneum being continuous throughout with the exception of a thin reflection for a short distance over the anterior surface of the fused liver. No gallbladder was encountered during the dissection. The gastrointestinal tract was characterized by a fusion of the right and left duodena to form a common jejunoileum, which further on divided into a short right and left ileum with a separate and distinct cecum, appendix, colon, sigmoid, and rectum in each infant. The genitourinary system was complete and intact in each case. In Twin-A, an aberrant vein from the rectum joined the left renal vein. The two pulmonary systems presented no anomalies other than the presence of three lobes in each of the lungs. However, the embryologic defects in the cardiovascular system were very pronounced and gave rise to a circulatory incompatibility. There was almost an entire absence of the interauricular and interventricular septa in each heart and between the two hearts, so that the eight cardiac chambers, the four auricles and the four ventricles, were found to be in complete and intimate communication with one another and with both the systemic arterial and venous blood, as well as the pulmonary circulation. A patent ductus arteriosus and a patent ductus venosus were present in each twin. The single umbilical cord attached to a common placenta contained six vessels, two umbilical veins and four arteries, normal in origin and distribution. No examination of the central nervous system was made. As far as can be ascertained, there is no similar specimen reported in the literature that was delivered alive at full term without either operative or instrumental interference. In the present case the conjoined heart, the fused liver and diaphragm, and the partially fused intestinal tract would have made surgical separation of the twins entirely out of the question had the monster survived.
Serum phosphatase relations in mother and fetus

Abstract Profound alterations in the body's economy of calcium and phosphate occur during pregnancy and lactation, to provide for the fetal needs for these substances and for their excretion by the mammary glands. Studies in placental permeability employing tracer doses of radioactive phosphorus have shown, for example, that the guinea pig fetus near term retains in each hour as much phosphorus as the total quantity of this element in the circulating plasma of its mother. 27 Changes in inorganic phosphate as well as calcium in the serum of the pregnant woman are so slight, however, that they are practically completely lacking in significance for the interpretation of metabolic phenomena. Maternal stores are obviously essential to the growth of the fetus. These stores of phosphorus exist in the form of organic esters, the phosphate ions being liberated as needed through the mediation of enzymes, notably alkaline phosphatase. This enzyme, widely distributed in the body, occurs in particularly high concentration in bone and cartilage, where it presumably plays an essential part in the process of ossification by producing an excess concentration of phosphate ions which leads in turn to the precipitation of calcium phosphate. The enzyme is present also in the blood serum, where it can be measured by a variety of techniques. Its activity is expressed in arbitrary units, dependent upon the type of substrate employed in the determination. When glycerophosphate is used (Bodansky method) the range of normal for adults is 1.5 to 4.0 units per 100 c.c. of serum. In children the phosphatase activity is increased, ranging between 5 to 12 units per 100 c.c. The enzyme concentration is also elevated in some diseases of the liver, especially those with obstructive jaundice, and in many types of bone disease including rickets, osteomalacia, osteitis fibrosa cystica, and osteitis deformans. 24 The behavior of alkaline phosphatase in relation to the various phases of reproduction is interesting because of the need for mobilization of phosphorus which the reproductive cycle imposes. This study is divided into four parts: pregnancy, puerperium, lactation, and fetal-maternal relations.
Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred method to assess treatment-related skeletal changes in children with brain tumors.

Purpose To evaluate the growing skeleton for potential altered skeletalgenesis associated with antiangiogenesis therapy. Patients and Methods Knee radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were prospectively obtained on patients enrolled on two consecutive clinical trials using vandetanib, a potent oral (VEGF receptor 2) VEGFR-2 inhibitor alone or combined with dasatinib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in children with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Results Fifty-nine patients (32 females) underwent 119 MRIs; 51 patients underwent 89 radiographs of the knees. The median age at enrollment was 6.2 years (range, 2.4–17.6 years). The dose of vandetanib ranged from 50 to 145 mg/m2/day. The median treatment duration was 205 days. Only two patients have not experienced disease progression after 18 and 60 months from diagnosis. MRI identified clinically significant premature physeal fusion in both knees of one patient, focal physeal thickening in one, osteonecrosis in eight patients (present at enrollment in one), and bony spicules crossing the physis in two patients (bilateral in one). MRI follow-up period averaged 5.3 months (range, 0–25.5 months; median, 3.5 months). Radiographs delineated normally fused physes in two patients but no cases of premature physeal fusion, osteonecrosis or bony spicules. Conclusions As MRI provided greater information than radiographs, and thus would be a more sensitive test to assess skeletalgenesis in pediatric patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;160:1552–1556. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oxygen-induced restructuring of the TiO2(110) surface: a comprehensive study

We report a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the eVect of oxidizing a TiO 2 (110) surface at moderate temperatures. The surfaces are investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM ), low-energy He+ ion scattering (LEIS ) and static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SSIMS ). Flat (1◊1)-terminated TiO 2 (110) surfaces are obtained by sputtering and annealing in UHV at 880 K. These surfaces are exposed to oxygen gas at elevated temperatures in the range 470‐830 K. Formation of irregular networks of pseudo-hexagonal rosettes (6.5 A ˚ ◊ 6A ˚ ) and small (11:0] oriented (1◊1) islands along with {001}-oriented strands is induced at temperatures from 470 to 660 K. After annealing above 830 K, only regular (1◊1) terraces and white strands are observed. The composition of these oxygen-induced phases is quantified using 18O 2 gas in combination with LEIS and SSIMS measurements. The dependence of the restructuring process on annealing time, annealing temperature, and sample history is systematically investigated. Exposure to H 2 18O and air in the same temperature regime fails to induce the restructuring. UHV annealing of restructured, oxygen-enriched TiO 2 (110) surface smooths the surfaces and converts the rosette networks into strands and finally into the regular (1◊1) terraces. This is reported in an accompanying paper [M. Li, W. Hebenstreit, U. Diebold, Phys. Rev. B (1999), submitted ]. The rosette model is supported by first-principles density functional calculations which show a stable structure results, accompanied by significant relaxations from bulk-truncated positions. A mechanism for the dynamic processes of the formation of rosettes and (1◊1) islands is presented and the importance of these results for the surface chemistry of TiO 2 (110) surfaces is discussed. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Ab Initio Calculations on the Electronically Excited States of Small Helium Clusters

The vertical excitation energies of small helium clusters, He7 and He25, have been calculated using configuration interaction singles, and the character of the excited states was determined using attachment/detachment density analysis. It was found that in the n = 2 manifold the excitations could be interpreted as superpositions of atomic states, with excitations on the surface of the clusters being lower in energy than those in the bulk. For the n = 2 excited states with significant density on the interior of the cluster, mixing with the atomic n = 3 states resulted in lower excitation energies. For the n = 3 states the spatial extent of the excited-state density can be much larger than the size of the cluster, making analysis of the states more difficult and highly dependent on the internuclear distance. Introducing disorder into the clusters results in some localization of the excited states, although highly delocalized states are always observed in these small clusters. In addition, experimental resul...
Photogenerated carrier conduction mechanisms for Schottky a-Si:H solar cells

Carrier conduction mechanisms are described for Schottky a-Si:H solar cells. Characteristics of a-Si:H cells under illumination are very close to those of an ideal semiconductor whereas dark I–U characteristics indicate space charge limited phenomena. Barrier height values, relationships between metal work function and barrier height, and temperature independent carrier conduction mechanisms are observed and analyzed. Barrier height values for Pd and Cr a-Si:H Schottky solar cells are 0.94 and 0.80 eV, respectively. The relationship φm = 0.23φB - 0.25 eV is derived. U0c decreases by about 2 mV/K with increasing temperature but is also a function of incident photon density. Diode quality factor, n1, is 1.08 under illumination and independent of both, temperature and Schottky barrier metal. Ladungstragerleitungsmechanismen fur Schottky-a-Si:H-Solarzellen werden beschrieben. Die Charakteristiken von a-Si: H-Zellen sind unter Belichtung denen von idealen Halbleitern sehr ahnlich, wahrend I–U-Dunkelcharakteristiken raumladungsbegrenzte Phanomene zeigen. Die Werte der Barrierenhohe, die Beziehungen zwischen Metallaustrittsarbeit und Barrierenhohe und temperaturunabhangige Ladungstragerleitungsmechanismen werden beobachtet und analysiert. Die Werte fur die Barrierenhohe fur Pd- und Cr-a-Si:H-Solarzellen betragen 0,94 bzw. 0,80 eV. Die Beziehung φm = 0,23φB - 0,25 eV wird abgeleitet. U0c nimmt um etwa 2 mV/K mit zunehmender Temperatur ab, ist jedoch auch eine Funktion der einfallenden Photonendichte. Der Diodenqualitatsfaktor n1 betragt unter Belichtung 1,08 und ist sowohl von Temperatur und Metall der Schottky-Barriere unabhangig.
'To Market to Market…' and Risk for Global Disease

“...[T]he sound of water escaping from mill-dams... old rotten planks, slimy posts, and brick work, I love such things.... As long as I do paint, I shall never cease to paint such places. They have always been my delight,” wrote John Constable (1776–1837), English landscape painter and source of inspiration for Constant Troyon and others, who looked for subjects not in the classical or academic tradition but in natural surroundings (1). Bucolic farms, rivers, trees, animals, and the common people populated 19th-century French painting as fi elds, streams, and rural life seemed palatable alternatives to the ravages of industrial development. Artists, among them Charles-Francois Daubigny, Theodore Rousseau, Jules Dupre, Narciso Diaz del la Pena, rejecting the urban scene, migrated to the countryside south of Paris, near Fontainebleau Forest, to live and work in the small village of Barbizon. There, eschewing modernity and its unwelcome transformations, they sought their own style and in the process laid the foundation for realism and, later, impressionism (2). The Barbizon school, as these artists became known, took the studio outdoors, in plein air, where the landscape ceased to be just the backdrop of classical or historical scenes and became a subject in its own right. And, recalling 17th-century Dutch traditions, it contained animals and peasant farmers engaged in everyday activities. Among the fi rst Barbizon artists to become successful, Troyon became known as one of the best animal painters of his time. A native of Serves, he learned painting at the porcelain manufactory, where his father and grandfather were painters. Porcelain painting served him well, not for its exacting technique and judicious use of color alone but as back-up whenever he needed support to travel with other landscapists (Louis Cabat, Camille Roqueplan) and to paint the countryside around Serves and farming landscapes of Brittany and Normandy. In the 1830s, Troyon started exhibiting in the Salon, where his landscapes attracted much attention among experts and the public. He was able to travel to Holland and see the masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age. Inspired by works of Aelbert Cuyp, Esaias van de Velde, and Paulus Potter, he became more and more interested in painting animals: sheep fl ocks on country roads, oxen in plowing scenes. In his paintings, often large and imposing, landscapes were identifi ed by the animals they sustained: Normandy by dairy cows grazing the lowlands, Fontainebleau by hunting dogs, recalling royal hunting parties at a nearby chateau (3). These tranquil landscapes, painted in a casual unaffected style, gained him popularity abroad. Some of Troyon’s later works, among them On the Way to the Market, on this month’s cover, were recognized masterpieces. He was decorated with the Legion of Honor and counted Napoleon III as his patron. His last exhibit in
Biotic and Abiotic Reduction and Solubilization of Pu(IV)O2•xH2O(am) as Affected by Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA)

This study measured reductive solubilization of plutonium(IV) hydrous oxide (Pu(IV)O2·xH2O(am)) with hydrogen (H2) as electron donor, in the presence or absence of dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB), anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). In PIPES buffer at pH 7 with excess H2, Shewanella oneidensis and Geobacter sulfurreducens both solubilized <0.001% of 0.5 mM Pu(IV)O2·xH2O(am) over 8 days, with or without AQDS. However, Pu(aq) increased by an order of magnitude in some treatments, and increases in solubility were associated with production of Pu(III)(aq). The solid phase of these treatments contained Pu(III)(OH)3(am), with more in the DMRB treatments compared with abiotic controls. In the presence of EDTA and AQDS, PuO2·xH2O(am) was completely solubilized by S. oneidensis and G. sulfurreducens in ∼24 h. Without AQDS, bioreductive solubilization was slower (∼22 days) and less extensive (∼83–94%). In the absence of DMRB, EDTA facilitated reductive solubili...
Information content of bank insider trading

The degree of asymmetric information between insiders and uninformed traders is partially dependent on the characteristics of the firm. Since banks have unique operating and regulatory characteristics, asymmetric information levels for banks may differ from other types of firms. This study shows that the information contained in bank insider buy transactions is conditioned on the bank's size and recent performance. Insider buy transactions contain more favourable information when they involve smaller banks that recently experienced more favourable valuation effects.
Predicting nuclear incidents

In this paper we review earlier work in predicting incidents of like severity in nuclear power plants. Attention is focused on nuclear core-melts which can lead to disastrous releases of radioactivity. By combining engineering knowledge with operational experience, we attempt to predict observable quantities such as the time to the next incident and the number of incidents in a fixed future period. The prior distribution of failure rates is obtained from Rasmussen et al (1975), the well-known Wash-1400 study. It is then compared with the Gamma prior, and conditions under which the latter is appropriate to use are discussed. The paper concludes with estimates of the expected time to the first core-melt, the median and quantiles of time to the next partial core-melt and the probability that at least one severe incident will occur in the next decade. Operating experience to data indicates that while the failure rate of complete core-melt has been decreasing, that of partial core-melt has increased dramatically.