cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Directional Building Blocks Determine Linear and Cyclic Silicon Architectures

Silicon nanomaterials combine earth abundance and biodegradability with exceptional electronic properties. Strategic synthesis promises access to novel architectures with well-defined surface structure, size, and shape. Herein, we describe a five-step synthesis of functional macrocyclic polysilanes. Comparison of the materials isolated from isomeric building blocks provides evidence that building block directionality controls the shape of the resulting nanomaterial. Infrared (IR) and 1H and 29Si NMR spectroscopies, coupled to computational data, provide evidence of a well-defined Si–H and Si–Me terminated structure. The intrinsic porosity and the polarization arising from the hydridic character of the Si–H bond suggest applications in lithium-ion batteries, which are supported by quantum chemical calculations.
Reproductive Hormones and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Midlife Women.

Context Reproductive hormones are important to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. However, standard estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) assays lack sensitivity at the levels of postmenopausal women. Objective Investigate relations of mass spectrometry-assessed estrone (E1), E2, and T and SHBG and subclinical CVD in women. Design, setting, and participants Three hundred and four perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 years underwent subclinical CVD measurements. E1, E2, and T were assayed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; free T (FT) was estimated using ensemble allostery models. Regression models were adjusted for CVD risk factors. Main outcome measures Carotid artery intima media thickness, interadventitial diameter (IAD), and plaque; brachial flow mediated dilation (FMD). Results Higher E1 was related to higher FMD [β(SE) = 0.77 (0.37), P = 0.04], indicating better endothelial function. Higher E2 was related to lower IAD [β(SE) = -0.07 (0.02), P = 0.004], indicating less carotid remodeling. Higher SHBG was related to higher FMD [β(SE) = 1.31 (0.40), P = 0.001], yet higher IAD [β(SE) = 0.15 (0.06), P = 0.02] and plaque [OR (95% CI) = 1.84 (1.16 to 2.91), P = 0.009]; FT showed a similar yet inverse pattern of relations as SHBG. Thus, higher SHBG and lower FT were associated with better endothelial function, yet greater carotid remodeling and plaque. Conclusions Endogenous E1 levels were related to endothelial function and E2 to vascular remodeling, suggesting distinct roles of these estrogens. SHBG and FT have complex roles depending on the vessel under study.
Reply: 6″-18F-Fluoromaltotriose PET Evaluation in Escherichia Coli-Induced Myositis: Is There Uptake Saturation in Control?

REPLY: We thank Laffon et al. for their comments on our paper on a new bacterial imaging PET tracer ([1][1]). In their Letter to the Editor, they took keen interest in the different shapes of the time–activity curves of 6″-18F-fluoromaltotriose in an Escherichia coli –infected mouse muscle and
Adolescent Girls and Outdoor Recreation: A Case Study Examining Constraints and Effective Programming

This study primarily sought to identify constraints to adolescent girls' participation in outdoor recreation. A secondary focus probed the efficacy of outdoor programs in surmounting constraints. F...
Smarter water management: a challenge for spatio-temporal network databases

Developing intelligent water resource management systems is necessary for a sustainable future. Many aspects of these systems are highly related to spatio-temporal (ST) databases, particularly spatiotemporal network databases (STNDB). However, this domain poses several challenges. In this paper we present our view of the important research issues, including the challenges of modeling of spatio-temporal networks (STN) and data access methods.
Orthogonally-Divergent Fisheye Stereo

An integral part of driver assistance technology is surround-view (SV), a system which uses four fisheye (wide-angle) cameras on the front, right, rear, and left sides of a vehicle to completely capture the surroundings. Inherent in SV are four wide-baseline orthogonally-divergent fisheye stereo systems, from which, depth information may be extracted and used in 3D scene understanding. Traditional stereo approaches typically require fisheye distortion removal and stereo rectification for efficient correspondence matching. However, such approaches suffer from loss of data and cannot account for widely disparate appearances of objects in corresponding views. We introduce a novel method for computing depth from fisheye stereo that uses an understanding of the underlying lens models and a convolutional network to predict correspondences. We also built a synthetic database for developing and testing fisheye stereo and SV algorithms. We demonstrate the performance of our depth estimation method on this database.
Grandparenting and support from adult children: Does children’s international migration make a difference for Chinese older adults?

ABSTRACTGuided by social exchange theory, this study investigates the association between grandparenting and support from adult children, and the role of children’s international migration in moderating such association. Data were derived from a 2012 survey of older adults in Beijing, China (478 adult children nested in 300 older parents). The results of independent cluster logistic and linear regressions showed that regardless of children’s migration status, grandparenting was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of receiving household help and personal care, but not with emotional or financial support from children. Children’s migration status moderated the associations between grandparenting and receiving support from children. Theoretical implications for research and practical implications for services and policies are discussed.
La fenomenología de la percepción en Spinoza

espanolEn este articulo desafio la aseveracion sostenida por Peden (2014) y Brandt (2011) de que la filosofia de Spinoza es esencialmente incompatible con ciertas posiciones fundamentales de la fenomenologia. Contra eso, sostengo que lo que Spinoza llama la imaginacion se asemeja a la percepcion en la fenomenologia de Merleau-Ponty. Se justifica esa tesis a partir de una lectura semiotico-hermeneutica de la teoria de la imaginacion spinozista, la cual permite ver ciertas semejanzas entre las epistemologias de percepcion entre estos respectivos filosofos. A la vez, al destacar las convergencias entre Spinoza y Merleau-Ponty, se ponen de relieve las divergencias entre el cartesianismo y la fenomenologia, y surge la posibilidad de una lectura novedosa de la fenomenologia desde una perspectiva spinozista EnglishIn this article, I challenge Peden (2014) and Brandt’s (2011) claims that Spinoza’s philosophy is essentially at odds with certain basic phenomenological positions. Against this, I argue that Spinoza’s theory of imagination is akin to Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of perception. I justify this thesis by developing a semiotic-hermeneutic interpretation of Spinoza’s theory of imagination which makes it possible to see certain similarities between these respective philosophers’ epistemologies of perception. By highlighting the convergences between Spinoza and Merleau-Ponty, the divergences between Cartesianism and phenomenology come to the fore along with the possibility of a novel reading of phenomenology from a Spinozist perspective
CiteSpace Based Knowledge Mapping Research of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Power System

Recently, the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has attracted more and more attention. It has been over two decades since AI techniques emerged in power systems as effective tools to solve many complex problems. The new generation AI technologies will promote energy transition and support future power system with no doubt. This paper tried to grasp the research hotspots, frontiers and mainstream trends of AI research in power systems through a literature data collected from the Web of Science (WOS) database between 2010 and 2018, by using a widely used tool in knowledge mapping—CiteSpace. The collaboration networks were analyzed among different countries/regions and institutions contributing to the publications. A detailed discussion was given based on the general statistical data and the visualized knowledge maps. The pivotal and mushrooming articles were identified and reviewed by introducing the betweenness centrality and citation bursts as indicators.
Combined use of minimal access craniotomy, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, and awake functional mapping for the resection of gliomas in 61 patients.

OBJECTIVECurrent management of gliomas involves a multidisciplinary approach, including a combination of maximal safe resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The use of intraoperative MRI (iMRI) helps to maximize extent of resection (EOR), and use of awake functional mapping supports preservation of eloquent areas of the brain. This study reports on the combined use of these surgical adjuncts.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective review of patients with gliomas who underwent minimal access craniotomy in their iMRI suite (IMRIS) with awake functional mapping between 2010 and 2017. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative adverse events, and treatment details were obtained. Volumetric analysis of preoperative tumor volume as well as intraoperative and postoperative residual volumes was performed.RESULTSA total of 61 patients requiring 62 tumor resections met the inclusion criteria. Of the tumors resected, 45.9% were WHO grade I or II and 54.1% were WHO grade III or IV. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring modalities included speech alone in 23 cases (37.1%), motor alone in 24 (38.7%), and both speech and motor in 15 (24.2%). Intraoperative MRI demonstrated residual tumor in 48 cases (77.4%), 41 (85.4%) of whom underwent further resection. Median EOR on iMRI and postoperative MRI was 86.0% and 98.5%, respectively, with a mean difference of 10% and a median difference of 10.5% (p 15% related to use of iMRI. Seventeen (60.7%) of 28 low-grade gliomas and 10 (30.3%) of 33 high-grade gliomas achieved complete resection. Significant intraoperative events included at least temporary new or worsened speech alteration in 7 of 38 cases who underwent speech mapping (18.4%), new or worsened weakness in 7 of 39 cases who underwent motor mapping (18.0%), numbness in 2 cases (3.2%), agitation in 2 (3.2%), and seizures in 2 (3.2%). Among the patients with new intraoperative deficits, 2 had residual speech difficulty, and 2 had weakness postoperatively, which improved to baseline strength by 6 months.CONCLUSIONSIn this retrospective case series, the combined use of iMRI and awake functional mapping was demonstrated to be safe and feasible. This combined approach allows one to achieve the dual goals of maximal tumor removal and minimal functional consequences in patients undergoing glioma resection.
Greening Our Front Porch: Environmental Sustainability in Collegiate Athletics

Sport organizations have begun to widely implement environmental sustainability into their daily operations, but more needs to be done to properly plan and implement these initiatives to ensure the...
Positioning the library at the epicenter of the networked biomedical enterprise

The changing economic environment in which our biomedical enterprises operate presents unparalleled opportunities to the profession of medical librarianship. Evidence-based medicine, patient empowerment, asynchronous learning networks, and research colaboratories each involve a new type of shared information, or access to information in new ways or by different people. These tasks are ones with which librarianship is directly involved. Librarians are therefore placed perfectly to provide new products and services. To position the library at the epicenter of the networked biomedical enterprise we must meet three challenges: We must align the library's business strategy with that of the larger enterprise. We must provide services in ways that will scale-up to enable new business strategies. We must measure the effectiveness of services in ways that document their role in supporting the enterprise.
Emerging structural insights into glycosyltransferase-mediated synthesis of glycans

Glycans linked to proteins and lipids play key roles in biology; thus, accurate replication of cellular glycans is crucial for maintaining function following cell division. The fact that glycans are not copied from genomic templates suggests that fidelity is provided by the catalytic templates of glycosyltransferases that accurately add sugars to specific locations on growing oligosaccharides. To form new glycosidic bonds, glycosyltransferases bind acceptor substrates and orient a specific hydroxyl group, frequently one of many, for attack of the donor sugar anomeric carbon. Several recent crystal structures of glycosyltransferases with bound acceptor substrates reveal that these enzymes have common core structures that function as scaffolds upon which variable loops are inserted to confer substrate specificity and correctly orient the nucleophilic hydroxyl group. The varied approaches for acceptor binding site assembly suggest an ongoing evolution of these loop regions provides templates for assembly of the diverse glycan structures observed in biology. Analysis of recent X-ray crystallography data on eukaryotic glycosyltransferases in complex with acceptor and donor substrates reveals structural features that govern substrate specificity and glycosylation site selection.
Untuning a politics of perception in Unsound: Undead

One moves through Unsound: Undead as a worldless thing, porous, a corpse – inside-out and all ears. As “zombie media,” the collection – less anthology than a collectively written sequence that, lik...
Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA): The MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) Experience

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic neoplasms demonstrating clonal proliferation of myeloid precursors and is typically a disease of older adults. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients (pts) have a distinct outcome, possibly influenced by type of therapy (i.e., usually better with more intensive regimens). There is little information about outcome of AML in AYA. Aims: To define the characteristics and outcome of AYA pts with AML treated at MDACC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of all pts with AML treated at MDACC from 1965 to 2008. Those aged 16 to 21 years were defined as AYA. Results: Among 3934 adult pts seen during this period, 163 (4%) were AYA. The median age was 19 yrs. These included 27 (17%) pts with Core Binding Factor (CBF)-AML [inv(16), t (8:21)]and 19 pts (12%) with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Among other evaluable pts, 50% had diploid cytogenetics, 39% miscellaneous changes, and 11% 5-and/or 7- abnormalities. Antecedent hematologic disorders were present in 33 (20%) and AML was a secondary malignancy in 6%. Among 20 evaluable pts, FLT3 ITD was documented in 4 and mutation in 2. CR rates were 89% for CBF AML, 79% for APL, and 75% for all others. The median survival for the total group was 88 weeks (wks) with 36% alive at 3 yrs, and median CR duration of 67 wks (30% CR at 3 yrs). Outcome is better for pts with CBF leukemias (3-yr survival 56%, CR duration 49%) and APL (3-yr survival 51%, CR duration 36%) compared to other AML (3-yr survival 28%, CR duration 24%). CR rates have improved from 71% in 1965–84, to 85% in 1985–94 and 83% after 1994. Similarly, overall survival (OS) has increased during the same time periods (3-yr survival 18%, 44%, and 53%, respectively) together with CR duration (3-yr CR duration 21%, 32% and 39%, respectively) as early mortality has decreased (11%, 8%, and 4%, respectively). To compare outcome with older adults, we focused on those with diploid cytogenetics (Table 1): | | Percentage by age group | |:-------------------------:| ----------------------- | ----- | | Outcome | 16–21 | 22–45 | 46–60 | >60 | | CR | 81 | 75 | 68 | 54 | | Induction mortality | 2 | 11 | 13 | 24 | | 3-year survival | 46 | 36 | 28 | 16 | | 3-year remission duration | 39 | 32 | 30 | 22 | Conclusion: The outcome of AYA pts with AML is significantly better than that of older adults with AML. Despite these improvements over time, there is still significant room for improvement in this area, particularly among those with AML other than CBF and APL. Exploration of new treatment options is needed in this patient population.
The Boreal Summer Madden–Julian Oscillation and Moist Convective Morphology over the Maritime Continent

AbstractWhile the boreal summer Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is commonly defined as a planetary-scale disturbance, the convective elements that constitute its cloud dipole exhibit pronounced var...
ASAP: An Agent-Assisted Smart Auction-Based Parking System in Internet of Things

By exploiting the ubiquitous nature of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in smart cities, we propose an Agent-assisted Smart Auction-based Parking (ASAP) system for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and Parking Facility Providers (PFP). In order to improve parking space allocation, we incorporate a fair recurrent Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) auction mechanism. ASAP leverages truthful bidding from the bidders while providing higher utilization to PFPs due to the inherent ability of AVs to move without the presence of an actual human in them, thus increasing revenue. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of parking auction through sophisticated software agents that are capable of quickly and seamlessly performing tasks such as parking lookup, negotiation, pricing, and reservation. We introduce an auction-related priority such that it serves two purposes: (1) provides fairness by restraining bidders opt out, and (2) reduces traffic that arises as a result of increased utilization of parking space with AVs' ability to move by themselves. ASAP guarantees the properties of strategy-proofness, individual rationality, and budget balance. It sacrifices allocation efficiency to ensure the fairness issue. Simulation results show that the proposed scalable and interactive agents of ASAP enable efficient processing of a vast amount of data, providing cost savings for parkers looking for parking, and improving usability of public and private parking facilities.
A Novel Approach to Data Driven Pandemic Recovery: The Pandemic Recovery Acceleration Model

A data driven approach to guide the global, regional and local pandemic recovery planning is key to the safety, efficacy and sustainability of all pandemic recovery efforts. The Pandemic Recovery Acceleration Model (PRAM) analytic tool was developed and implemented state wide in Nebraska to allow health officials, public officials, industry leaders and community leaders to capture a real time snapshot of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their local community, a region or the state and use this novel lens to aid in making key mitigation and recovery decisions. This is done by using six commonly available metrics that are monitored daily across the state describing the pandemic impact: number of new cases, percent positive tests, deaths, occupied hospital beds, occupied intensive care beds and utilized ventilators, all directly related to confirmed COVID-19 patients. Nebraska is separated into six Health Care Coalitions based on geography, public health and medical care systems. The PRAM aggregates the data for each of these geographic regions based on disease prevalence acceleration and health care resource utilization acceleration, producing real time analysis of the acceleration of change for each metric individually and also combined into a single weighted index, the PRAM Recovery Index. These indices are then shared daily with the state leadership, coalition leaders and public health directors and also tracked over time, aiding in real time regional and statewide decisions of resource allocation and the extent of use of comprehensive non-pharmacologic interventions.
Seepage Face in Steady-State Groundwater Flow between Two Water Bodies

AbstractAn implicit solution determining the seepage-face dimension formed in steady-state flow through an aquifer connecting two water bodies is achieved based on the Dupuit assumption and conserv...
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor utilization and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol control in familial hypercholesterolemia.

Abstract Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors were approved in August 2015 as an adjunct to maximally tolerated statin treatment in those with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Objective To assess PCSK9 inhibitor utilization patterns and cholesterol control in the high-risk FH population. Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of a large administrative database that includes privately insured and Medicare Advantage patients. Individuals with diagnosis codes for FH from October 2016–September 2019 were identified. Differences in PCSK9 inhibitor utilization between various groups were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results During the study period, 1:371 people enrolled in medical/pharmacy plans had a diagnosis of FH. While 62.5% (n = 33,649) had medication fills for statins (without PCSK9 inhibitors), only 2.0% (n = 1062) had medication fills for PCSK9 inhibitors (with or without other medications). Compared to men, women were more likely to be untreated (OR 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.18–1.28, p Conclusion PCSK9 inhibitor utilization in FH remains low. Significant differences exist based on demographic factors. Female sex, higher household incomes, and younger age were associated with increased PCSK9 inhibitor utilization.
Pain Patients: Collateral Victims of the War on Drugs

The more than 30 million chronic pain patients use opioid pain medication safely when prescribed. The vast majority of overdose deaths are caused by street drugs, particularly illicit fentanyl analogs. Restrictions on prescription pain medications, therefore will do little to curb overdose deaths, while imposing great harm to pain patients. A misplaced policy focus on restricting prescriptions leaves both pain patients and people with substance use disorder worse off..
Integrating experiments, theory and simulations into whole-cell models

Whole-cell models, still in the early stages of development, are poised to open the next frontier in integrative modeling.
Cardiac Substructure Dose in Patients Undergoing Cardiac-Sparing Techniques for Whole Breast Radiotherapy or Partial Breast Irradiation: A Dosimetric Follow-Up to IMPORT LOW.

Purpose/Objective(s) This dosimetric analysis evaluates the impact on dose to cardiac substructures using the cardiac-sparing techniques prone positioning and deep inspiratory breath hold (DIBH) with either whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) or partial breast irradiation (PBI) using the field designs employed by the IMPORT LOW trial. Materials/Methods Paired planning CT scans from women with left (n = 10) or right (n = 10) breast cancer (BC) each simulated in the prone vs. supine positions as well as 10 women with left BC simulated at free breathing (FB) vs. DIBH were contoured using target volumes as defined by IMPORT LOW. The right ventricle (RV) and right coronary artery (RCA) were delineated for right BC patients; the left ventricle (LV) and left anterior descending artery (LAD) were delineated for left BC patients. Maximum (max) and mean doses were compared using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni adjustment. Results In each cohort, PBI was associated with decreased cardiac substructure dose (Table 1). For patients with right BC, PBI in the supine position was associated with decreased RV max/mean doses compared to PBI in the prone position. For patients with left BC, lower LV max/mean and LAD mean doses were associated with use of PBI for treatment in the supine position and with WBRT for treatment in the prone position. For patients with left BC treated supine at FB vs. DIBH, lower LV max/mean and LAD max/mean doses were achieved using PBI and DIBH; the lowest doses among all left BC patients were found using PBI and DIBH in combination. Conclusion PBI is associated with significantly lower cardiac substructure dose. When using PBI for treatment of right BC, supine positioning is associated with decreased RV dose for right-sided BC compared to prone positioning. Prone positioning is associated with decreased LV/LAD dose for left-sided BC when delivering WBRT, and supine positioning is associated with decreased LV/LAD dose for administration of PBI. The lowest left-sided cardiac substructure doses were found using PBI with DIBH.
Studies on polynucleotides: LXXV. Specificity of tRNA for codon recognition as studied by the ribosomal binding technique

Abstract Multiple species of transfer RNA specific for individual amino acids from Escherichia coli and yeast were tested for their binding to ribosomes in the presence of the trinucleotides known to be codons for the respective amino acids. From the stimulation of binding, it is concluded that tRNA species can often recognize multiple codons differing in the third letter. The total results (including our previous work) on the recognition patterns of E. coli and yeast transfer RNA's which are summarized in Table 4, are in agreement with the postulates of the Wobble hypothesis (Crick, 1966) and show interesting differences in the recognition of a synonym codon set by transfer RNA's from yeast and E. coli .
Fate and transport of petroleum in the unsaturated soil zone under biotic and abiotic conditions.

Two different types of soil were selected to observe the migration and/or degradation of petroleum contaminants. One soil sample was composed of fine clay and was contaminated by an electrical insulating oil. The other soil sample was a coarse soil contaminated by fuel oil number 2 and number 6. A portion of each was cultured in a minimal medium to generate large concentrations of indigenous microbes capable of degrading each petroleum contaminant. Four columns fabricated of plexiglass with five ports at 6 inch intervals were filled with the contaminated soil which had been air dried and autoclaved for sterilization. These columns simulated unsaturated soil in the vadose zone. Two types of experiments were carried out during this research. In one type of experiment, the petroleum was added just once in order to simulate a petroleum spill. In the other type of experiment, petroleum was added to the column repeatedly at measured intervals in order to simulate a petroleum leak. To one of the two columns operated for each soil, the contaminating petroleum and water were added. To the second column operated for each soil, the contaminating petroleum, water, and cultured microbes were added. From these experiments, the biodegradability was observed to be affected by soil composition and conditions, concentrations of petroleum contaminants, and microbial concentrations. Better microbial degradation occurred in the fine soil for the simulated spill case than in the coarse soil. In this soil with low porosity, the microbes were confined to the top of the column and the petroleum concentration was low. In the simulated leak case, the biodegradation took place at a higher rate in the coarse soil than in the fine soil. Here, the high rate of advection distributed the microbes throughout the depth of the column and had a diluting effect on the high petroleum cumulative concentrations. From these experiments, a mass balance of petroleum contamination could be determined at all time intervals at all column depths. The sterile column behavior exhibited only physical changes such as adsorption and evaporation and could be compared to results in columns of biotic conditions. These differences permitted the development of a computer model to simulate and predict physical and biological processes in fine and coarse soils.
A comprehensive study of nucleation rates: A molecular cluster model approach

A Statistical mechanical method is discussed to evaluate the formation energies of homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters. Computed results of homogeneous nucleation rates are in good agreement with the nucleation rate measurements of water.Important to note is that there exists a simple linear relationship between In J (J, the nucleation rate) and I/T (T, the absolute temperature) at all saturation ratios, despite the temperature dependency [] of the formation energy and other prefactors in the expression of nucleation rate.
A Fall Classic? Assessing the Economic Impact of the World Series

An empirical analysis of the economic impact of the Major League Baseball’s postseason on host-city economies from 1972-2001 suggests that any economic benefits from the playoff are small or non-existent. An examination of 129 playoff series finds that any increase in economic growth as a result of the post-season is not statistically significantly different than zero and that a best guess of the economic impact is $6.8 million per home game. As a general method of economic development, public support of a baseball team’s attempt to reach the World Series should be seen as a gamble at best.
Satisfaction With Life, Coping, and Spirituality Among Urban Families.

Background: Urban families face many challenges that affect life satisfaction, including low income, limited access to resources, and unstable neighborhoods. Purpose: To investigate life satisfaction and identify potential mediators: neighborhood stability, emotional coping strategies, religion, and spirituality. Methods: A convenience sample of families presenting to an urban primary care clinic for routine care filled out an anonymous, voluntary survey that included demographic data, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Spiritual Inventory and Beliefs Scale, and an emotional coping inventory. Results: 127 individuals filled out the survey. Life satisfaction was high (21.3 ± 9). Families in the lowest quartile of the SWLS were 4.5 times as likely to have a child with a chronic medical illness. SWLS correlated with strategy planning (r = 0.24, P < .01), external practices of religion (r = 0.23, P < .01), and humility (r = 0.18, P < .05). Conclusions: Encouraging patients’ involvement in religion a...
What is This Thing Called Giftedness, and How Do We Develop It? A Twenty-Five Year Perspective:

This author provides reflections on the last 25 years of his work, focusing on the evolutions of models designed to help identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented students. The cited models include the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness, the Enrichment Triad Model, and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Summaries focus on the rationale supporting each model, including practical applications of the model in various school situations and underlying research. Also included are insights related to potential modifications and future developments of the models.
On the Spectrum Handoff for Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks Without Common Control Channel

Cognitive radio (CR) technology is a promising solution to enhance the spectrum utilization by enabling unlicensed users to exploit the spectrum in an opportunistic manner. Since unlicensed users are considered as temporary visitors to the licensed spectrum, they are required to vacate the spectrum when a licensed user reclaims it. Due to the randomness of the appearance of licensed users, disruptions to both licensed and unlicensed communications are often difficult to prevent, which may lead to low throughput of both licensed and unlicensed communications. In this chapter, a proactive spectrum handoff framework for CR ad hoc networks is proposed to address these concerns. In the proposed framework, channel switching policies and a proactive spectrum handoff protocol are proposed to let unlicensed users vacate a channel before a licensed user utilizes it to avoid unwanted interference. Network coordination schemes for unlicensed users are also incorporated into the spectrum handoff protocol design to realize channel rendezvous. Moreover, a distributed channel selection scheme to eliminate collisions among unlicensed users in a multi-user spectrum handoff scenario is proposed. In our proposed framework, unlicensed users coordinate with each other without using a common control channel, which is highly adaptable in a spectrum-varying environment. We compare our proposed proactive spectrum handoff protocol with a reactive spectrum handoff protocol, under which unlicensed users switch channels after collisions with licensed transmissions occur under different channel coordination schemes. Simulation results show that our proactive spectrum handoff outperforms the reactive spectrum handoff approach in terms of higher throughput and fewer collisions to licensed users. Furthermore, our distributed channel selection can achieve substantially higher packet delivery rate in a multi-user spectrum handoff scenario, compared with existing channel selection schemes. In addition, we propose a novel three-dimensional discrete-time Markov chain to characterize the process of reactive spectrum handoffs and analyze the performance of unlicensed users. We validate the numerical results obtained from our proposed Markov model against simulation and investigate other parameters of interest in the spectrum handoff scenario. Our proposed analytical model can be applied to various practical network scenarios.
Statistical methods in public health and epidemiology: a look at the recent past and projections for the next decade:

This article attempts to prognosticate from past patterns, the type of statistical methods that will be used in published public health and epidemiological studies in the decade that follows the millennium. With this in mind, we conducted a study that would characterize trends in use of statistical methods in two major public health journals: the American Journal of Public Health, and the American Journal of Epidemiology. We took a probability sample of 348 articles published in these journals between 1970 and 1998. For each article sampled, we abstracted information on the design of the study and the types of statistical methods used in the article. Our major findings are that the proportion of articles using statistical methods as well as the mean number of statistical methods used per article has increased dramatically over the three decades surveyed. Also, the proportion of published articles using study designs that we classified as analytic has increased over the years. We also examined patterns of use in these journals of three statistical methodologies: logistic regression, proportional hazards regression, and methods for analysis of data from complex sample surveys. These methods were selected because they had been introduced initially in the late 1960s or early 1970s and had made considerable impact on data analysis in the biomedical sciences in the 1970s-90s. Estimated usage of each of these techniques remained relatively low until user-friendly software became available. Our overall conclusions are that new statistical methods are developed on the basis of need, disseminated to potential users over a course of many years, and often do not reach maximum use until tools for their comfortable use are made readily available to potential users. Based on these conclusions, we identify certain needs that are not now being met and which are likely to generate new statistical methodologies that we will see in the next decade.
Considering Design Prohibitions in Product Line Optimization

To be competitive in today’s market, firms need to offer a variety of products that appeal to a diverse set of customer needs. Product line optimization provides a simple method to design for this challenge. Using a heterogeneous customer preference model allows the optimization to better explore the diversity in the market. The optimization should also consider aesthetic, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing constraints to ensure the feasibility of the final solution. However, as more constraints are added the difficulty of the optimization increases. There is an opportunity to reduce the difficulty of the optimization by allowing the heterogeneous customer preference model to handle a subset of these constraints termed design prohibitions. Design prohibitions include component incompatibility and dependency. This paper investigates whether design prohibitions should be handled solely in the heterogeneous customer preference model, solely in the optimization formulation, or in both. The effects of including design prohibitions in the creation of a hierarchical Bayes mixed logit model and a genetic algorithm based product line optimization are explored using a bicycle case study.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Mediating the deal: How to maximize value by enlisting a neutral's help at and around the bargaining table

Stephen B. Goldberg, of Evanston, Ill., explains how mediators can help a party's internal deliberations leading up to a transaction
Effect of Single-Ion Anisotropy on Two-Spin-Wave Bound State in a Heisenberg Ferromagnet

We consider the scattering of two spin waves in a uniaxial (easy axis) Heisenberg ferromagnet with single-ion anisotropy. The two-spin-deviation problem is solved exactly at zero temperature. We find (for $Sg\frac{1}{2}$), in addition to the usual two-spin-wave bound states, a new "single-ion bound state," in which at the zone corner the two spin deviations are on the same site. When the magnitude of the anisotropy is comparable to the exchange interaction, the single-ion bound state becomes the dominant feature of the bound-state spectrum. For arbitrary spin there is a critical anisotropy strength above which the single-ion bound state exists throughout the Brillouin zone. We conclude that the presence of single-ion anisotropy enhances the possibility of experimental observation of the bound states.
Wireless communication: the next wave of Internet technology

Abstract Wireless technology has many practical applications in business and society. Its mobility allows users to access information any time and from any location. Because users depend on network connections for their personal computers, wireless local area networks (LANs) offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for providing those connections. The continuing development of wireless technology means ever-evolving impacts on the computer, telecommunications, and microprocessor industries. With the help of wireless technology, society in general will also see changes in the ways it handles tasks like trading stocks and banking.
Dendrochronology of bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva

Since 1953 the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research has conducted dendrochronological studies of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey, sp. nov.) in the White Mountains of California. This research resulted in the establishment of a continuous tree-ring sequence of 8253 yr. The millennia-old pines have emerged as a unique source of chronological data and the precisely dated wood is essential to certain paleoenvironmental and geophysical investigations. Over 1000 dendrochronologically dated decade samples of bristlecone pine supplied to three C-14 laboratories have been used to calibrate the radiocarbon time scale for the past seven millennia, a development of far reaching consequences in the fields of archaeology and geology. In addition, recent advances in other methods of analyzing past climatic variability — techniques involving stable isotope ratios, amino acid racemization, remanent magnetism, and trace element abundances — have greatly increased the demand for wood of known age and, hence, for chronology development. Spanning the past 7500 yr, 1138 prepared decade samples, with a total weight of nearly 16 kg are available for study.
Preoperative chemotherapy with carboplatin alone in high risk medulloblastoma

Few studies have been carried out regarding preoperative chemotherapy utilized in the treatment of primitive neuroectodermal tumors/medulloblastomas (PNET/MB). In this paper, the authors report 3 cases of children under three years of age, with a presumed diagnosis of PNET/MB, who were preoperatively treated with chemotherapy consisting of high doses of carboplatin alone. The treatment improved the childrens' clinical condition prior to surgery and facilitated tumor removal, resulting in partial regression of the tumor. The preoperative single-drug therapy did not affect the distological diagnosis or prevent the presence of an effective degree of tumor sensitivity to the drug. All three children are still diseasefree, after a mean follow-up period of 42 months.
Alt-PSM for 0.10-μm and 0.13-μm polypatterning

While the use of phase shift masks can improve CD control and allow the patterning of smaller poly gate features, it also introduces new error terms for overlay. Four error terms are discussed: increased sensitivity of image placement to coma-type aberrations, image placement shifts resulting form phase errors, image placement shifts resulting from intensity imbalance between zero and 180 degrees shifter regions, and phase shift mask to trim mask overlay issues. These overlay issues become increasingly important for lower k1 patterning. Likewise, phase defect printability is magnified for lower k1 patterning, increasing the requirements for phase shift mask inspection and repair.
Medication Use for Hypercholesterolemia in the Pediatric Population

The past few decades have shown an increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions in the pediatric population. One of the chronic conditions that appears to be on the rise in this population is hypercholesterolemia. At the same time, the rate of obesity is increasing in children and adolescents and may be putting our youth at risk for abnormal lipid levels. First-line prevention and treatment should involve intensive lifestyle medicine therapy. If warranted, however, the use of medications may be started as early as 8 years of age, but this has many unknown variables related to safety and efficacy. Caution and vigilant observation for drug interactions and adverse events is warranted by the health care team and family members throughout treatment with drug therapy.
Convergence between statistically derived behavior problem syndromes and child psychiatric diagnoses.

The relations between scores on statistically derived behavior problem syndromes and DSM-III diagnoses were examined for 270 clinically referred children aged 6 through 16. Each child's parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and was administered the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC)-a structured interview covering DSM-III diagnostic criteria. Numerous behavior problems scales scored from the CBCL were significantly related to one or more diagnoses. The strongest relations were between scores on the Hyperactive, Delinquent, and Depressed scales and diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Depression/Dysthymia, respectively. This convergence supports the validity of some syndromal constructs common to both assessment paradigms.
Platelet pathology in sex-linked GATA-1 dyserythropoietic macrothrombocytopenia II. Cytochemistry.

A previous investigation detailed the pathology of platelets in a family with the X-linked GATA-1 G208S mutation causing dyserythropoiesis and megathrombocytopenia. The present study has used ultrastructural immunocytochemistry, cytochemistry, and tannic acid staining to answer questions raised in the original investigation. Earlier studies, as well as ours, had shown that GATA-1 megathrombocytes are hypogranular, but did not definitively determine which organelles are decreased. Cytochemical localization of aryl sulfatase revealed that lysosomes were present in normal numbers, and the whole mount technique showed a normal frequency of dense bodies rich in arlenine nucleotides and serotonin. Thus α granules were the only organelles deficient in GATA-1 platelets. Tannic acid staining confirmed that the membranes wrapped around each other to form tubular inclusions come from elements of the dense tubular system. The unique tubular membrane inclusions in GATA-1 megathrombocytes, thought originally to derive ...
Mechanism of Thermal Deazetization of 2,3-Diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene and Its Reaction Dynamics in Supercritical Fluids

The mechanism of thermal deazetization of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (DBH) is examined both theoretically and experimentally in this paper. The theoretical work involves CASPT2 ab initio MO calculations using the 6-31G(d) basis set. These calculations are shown to give relative enthalpies for the stationary points on the potential energy surface that are within ±3 kcal/mol of the experimental values. Surprisingly, the transition structure for the rate-limiting step is found to correspond to synchronous C−N cleavage, leading to the formation of the cyclopentane-1,3-diyl biradical. The alternative mechanism, involving stepwise C−N bond scission, is found to have an activation enthalpy that is at least 7 kcal/mol higher. The synchronous mechanism is in apparent conflict with earlier calculations and experiments, all of which seemed to favor the stepwise pathway. A resolution of this disagreement is proposed. The well-known preference for inversion of stereochemistry in the deazetization of 2,3-diazabi...
Friction stir microforming of superplastic alloys

The last decade has witnessed a strong technological thrust for manufacturing of micro-components. Polymers and ceramics have been replicated using micromolds, and are commercially used to produce microcomponents in large numbers. On the other hand, for demanding microsystems applications, metals are an attractive choice, for their mechanical and wear properties. Microforming of superplastic alloys has been investigated with good success. This paper discusses a novel technique of microforming using friction stir technology and superplastic materials science. Superplastic Al-7075 and Al-Mg-Zr alloys have been microformed and characterized in this study.
Characteristics and In-Hospital Outcomes of Patients With Non–ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the characteristics, therapies, and outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) presenting with non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This specific population has not been evaluated previously. Background Among patients with acute coronary syndrome, the presence of renal dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of death and major bleeding. Methods We examined data on 40,074 NSTEMI patients managed with PCI who were captured by the ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network) registry. Patients were divided according to baseline renal function in 4 groups: no CKD and CKD stages 3, 4, and 5. Results Overall, 31.1% (n = 12,045) of patients with NSTEMI undergoing PCI had CKD. Compared with patients with normal renal function, CKD patients managed with PCI had significantly more history of myocardial infarction, heart failure, and more 3-vessel coronary artery disease. They received fewer antithrombotic therapies but were treated more frequently with bivalirudin. In addition, they had significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality and major bleeding. CKD stage 4 was associated with the highest risk of adverse events relative to no CKD. The multivariable adjusted odds ratios of in-hospital mortality for CKD stages 3, 4, and 5 relative to no CKD were 2.0, 2.8, and 2.6, respectively (global p value Conclusions CKD patients presenting with NSTEMI and managed with PCI have more comorbidities and receive guideline-recommended therapies less frequently than do patients without CKD. CKD is strongly associated with in-hospital mortality and bleeding in NSTEMI patients undergoing PCI.