cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left on Base: Minor League Baseball Stadiums and Gentrification:

Researchers have analyzed stadiums as an urban redevelopment tool for two decades but little work has studied what effect sports facilities have on gentrification. This article attempts to fill tha...
Tipping Points: Doctoral Students and Consideration of Departure

This exploratory mixed-methods study examines factors contributing to doctoral students’ consideration of departure from their graduate programs with comparisons made by sex and affiliation with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. Logistic regression and qualitative analyses point to the importance of strong relationships with advisors and faculty, collegiality, and preparation for students’ desired careers. Yet, results also suggest that women in STEM may be less satisfied than their male peers with the advising and career preparation received. The findings propose that university administrators and faculty should foster better faculty–student relationships and help students make more informed decisions prior to entering doctoral study.
Rethinking displacement in peri-urban transformation in China

This article examines the spatiality of peri-urban villages in Guangzhou, offering an analysis that critically rethinks displacement as a phenomenon that need not be bracketed by the narrow spatial...
Gift Giving, Identity, and Transformation: The AIDS Memorial Quilt

Those who have originated the AIDS Memorial Quilt have often referred to it as a “gift.” In this essay, the author discusses theories related to gift giving to discuss the quilt and its constructed effects for those who experience it as a gift. In particular, Weiner's notion of “inalienable possessions” is highlighted to address how the quilt, as a gift that is kept inalienable from its original creators, maintains historical identity and immortality for its originators, many of whom are gay and bisexual men. Also, Hyde's notion of “erotic gifts” is presented to consider the quilt's ability to draw people together, create feeling-bonds among them, and affect their transformation.
Weekly Bortezomib with or without Glucocorticosteroids Is Effective in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

Well-tolerated, effective and simple regimens are warranted in multiple myeloma (MM). Bortezomib is an active novel agent for MM therapy. A phase III randomized trial in patients with relapsed and refractory MM demonstrates bortezomib to be superior to dexamethasone in time to progression and overall survival. The FDA approved schedule of bortezomib (days 1, 4, 8 and 11 infusion of a 21-day cycle) is rather inconvenient. We investigated the synergy between weekly bortezomib and glucocorticosteroids in order to the frequency of patients’ clinic visits. Methods: Patients with relapsed or refractory MM referred to Indiana University Cancer Center were offered bortezomib 1.3 mg/m 2 by intravenous push and methylprednisone 500–2000 mg by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes. Treatments were given on days 1, 8 and 15 of 28-day cycles. Therapy was maintained as long as subjects’ diseases were responding and side effects were minimal. Both efficacy and tolerability of the regimen were evaluated. Results: Thirty patients were treated on the protocol. Twenty six received bortezomib in combination with methylprednisone, while 4 received single agent bortezomib. Patient age ranged from 50–79 years (median 62); there were 15 females and 15 males. Twenty-one patients (70%) had prior high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, including 2 with prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Thirteen patients were in third relapse or higher. The response was evaluable in 28 patients. Eighteen patients achieved clinical response (60 %), including 1 (3%) complete response, 1 (3%) near complete response, and 16 (53%) partial response. Five (17%) had stable disease, and 5 (17%) had progression. The median number of treatment cycles was 5 (range 2 to 12). Among responders, the median number of cycles given to achieve the best response was 3 cycles (range 1–8 cycles). Major adverse effects included neuropathy (2 grade III), gastrointestinal side effects (1 grade III) and congestive heart failure (1 grade III). The updated time to progression and overall survival will be presented at the meeting. Conclusion: Weekly bortezomib with or without steroid is a convenient and efficacious therapy for patients with heavily pretreated relapsed and refractory MM and should be further explored in a larger patient cohort.
An Adaptive Control Architecture for Mitigating Sensor and Actuator Attacks in Cyber-Physical Systems

Recent technological advances in communications and computation have spurred a broad interest in control law architectures involving the monitoring, coordination, integration, and operation of sensing, computing, and communication components that tightly interact with the physical processes that they control. These systems are known as cyber-physical systems and due to their use of open computation and communication platform architectures, controlled cyber-physical systems are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. In this technical note, we propose a novel adaptive control architecture for addressing security and safety in cyber-physical systems. Specifically, we develop an adaptive controller that guarantees uniform ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop dynamical system in the face of adversarial sensor and actuator attacks that are time-varying and partial asymptotic stability when the sensor and actuator attacks are time-invariant. Finally, we provide a numerical example to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed adaptive control architecture.
Sudden Cardiac Death in a Young Athlete: Imaging Techniques to Evaluate the Etiology

Abstract Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) is a rare form of congenital heart disease with varying implications. Although most of the population with this congenital heart defect may remain completely asymptomatic and never know of the diagnosis, the risk of sudden cardiac death among healthy children and young adults during or just after exercise is significant. A previously healthy adolescent female athlete presented to the pediatric intensive care unit after sudden cardiac arrest on the playing field. She was successfully resuscitated, and further imaging revealed a diagnosis of AAOCA. She underwent surgical correction of her defect without complications. AAOCA remains a rare and often undetected form of congenital heart disease based on the asymptomatic nature of the defect; however, with proper imaging, a diagnosis can be made to allow for correct treatment.
Leveraging Electron Transfer Dissociation for Site Selective Radical Generation: Applications for Peptide Epimer Analysis

Traditional electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) experiments operate through a complex combination of hydrogen abundant and hydrogen deficient fragmentation pathways, yielding c and z ions, side-chain losses, and disulfide bond scission. Herein, a novel dissociation pathway is reported, yielding homolytic cleavage of carbon–iodine bonds via electronic excitation. This observation is very similar to photodissociation experiments where homolytic cleavage of carbon–iodine bonds has been utilized previously, but ETD activation can be performed without addition of a laser to the mass spectrometer. Both loss of iodine and loss of hydrogen iodide are observed, with the abundance of the latter product being greatly enhanced for some peptides after additional collisional activation. These observations suggest a novel ETD fragmentation pathway involving temporary storage of the electron in a charge-reduced arginine side chain. Subsequent collisional activation of the peptide radical produced by loss of HI yields spectra dominated by radical-directed dissociation, which can be usefully employed for identification of peptide isomers, including epimers.
Muscle biochemistry of a pelagic delphinid (Stenella longirostris longirostris): insight into fishery-induced separation of mothers and calves.

The length of time required for postnatal maturation of the locomotor muscle (longissimus dorsi) biochemistry [myoglobin (Mb) content and buffering capacity] in marine mammals typically varies with nursing duration, but it can be accelerated by species-specific behavioral demands, such as deep-diving and sub-ice transit. We examined how the swimming demands of a pelagic lifestyle influence postnatal maturation of Mb and buffering capacity in spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris longirostris). Mb content of newborn (1.16±0.07 g Mb per 100 g wet muscle mass, n=6) and juvenile (2.77±0.22 g per 100 g, n=4) spinner dolphins were only 19% and 46% of adult levels (6.00±0.74 g per 100 g, n=6), respectively. At birth, buffering capacity was 52.70±4.48 slykes (n=6) and increased to 78.53±1.91 slykes (n=6) once a body length of 141 cm was achieved, representing 1.6- to 2.0-year-old dolphins. Based on the age of weaning (1.3-1.6 years post-partum), muscle maturation occurred just after weaning as described for coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Thus, a pelagic lifestyle does not promote rapid maturation of muscle biochemistry. Rather, it promotes enhanced muscle biochemistry: newborn and adult spinner dolphins had four- and two-times greater Mb contents than newborn and adult bottlenose dolphins, respectively. Indeed, adult levels rivaled those of deep-diving cetaceans. Nonetheless, the relatively underdeveloped muscle biochemistry of calves likely contributes to documented mother-calf separations for spinner dolphins chased by the tuna purse-seine fishery.
Mathematics of Jains

Jains regarded mathematics as a part of their religion. They believed that the earth and the heavenly bodies were circular in shape and hence the study of the circle to them became an area of great importance. They also believed that the universe is of the form of three trapezoidal solids piled one upon another. As a consequence, the mensuration of circle and trapezoid formed the geometry of Jains.
A Rapid, Confirmatory Test for Body Fluid Identification,

We have developed a technique that allows investigators to confirm the presence of blood, semen, and/or saliva in a crime scene sample. It is a confirmatory test where multiple samples can be processed in less than an hour, and it is potentially portable, permitting samples to be processed at the crime scene. Samples at a scene giving a positive result can be further processed while those failing to do so may be ignored. There is a large and growing backlog of DNA evidence in the USA, slowing down the criminal justice system. This backlog has continued to grow despite an increase in the ability to process evidence faster. This technique uses quantum dot molecular beacons to test for tissue-specific RNA species, identifying particular body fluids. We have demonstrated the tissue specificity of molecular beacons for blood, semen, and saliva.
Costs on the Mind: The Influence of the Financial Burden of College on Academic Performance and Cognitive Functioning

The current studies test the hypothesis that the financial burden of college can initiate a psychological process that has a negative influence on academic performance for students at selective colleges and universities. Prior studies linking high college costs and student loans to academic outcomes have not been grounded within relevant social psychological theory regarding how and when the financial burden of college can influence students’ psychological and cognitive processes. We test the hypothesis that the salient financial burden of college impairs students’ cognitive functioning, especially when it creates an identity conflict or perceived barrier to reaching a student’s desired financially successful future. First, we use longitudinal data from 28 selective colleges and universities to establish that students who accumulate student loan debt within these contexts are less likely to graduate from college because student loan debt predicts a decline in grades over time, even when controlling for factors related to socioeconomic status and prior achievement. Then, in an experiment, we advance research in this area with a direct, causal test of the proposed psychological process. An experimental manipulation that brings high college costs to mind impairs students’ cognitive functioning, but only when those thoughts create an identity conflict or a perceived barrier to reaching a student’s desired financially successful future.
Concentration-Driven Assembly and Sol–Gel Transition of π-Conjugated Oligopeptides

Advances in supramolecular assembly have enabled the design and synthesis of functional materials with well-defined structures across multiple length scales. Biopolymer-synthetic hybrid materials can assemble into supramolecular structures with a broad range of structural and functional diversity through precisely controlled noncovalent interactions between subunits. Despite recent progress, there is a need to understand the mechanisms underlying the assembly of biohybrid/synthetic molecular building blocks, which ultimately control the emergent properties of hierarchical assemblies. In this work, we study the concentration-driven self-assembly and gelation of π-conjugated synthetic oligopeptides containing different π-conjugated cores (quaterthiophene and perylene diimide) using a combination of particle tracking microrheology, confocal fluorescence microscopy, optical spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Our results show that π-conjugated oligopeptides self-assemble into β-sheet-rich fiber-like struct...
In-class use of clickers and clicker tests improve learning and enable instant feedback and retests via automated grading

An audience response system ('clickers') was gradually incorporated into introductory physics courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the years 2011–14. Clickers were used in lectures, as a means of preparing for labs, and for collection of exam data and grading. Average student grades were 13.5% greater, as measured by comparing exam results with a previous year. Student acceptance of clickers was high, ranging from 66% to 95%, and grading time for exams was markedly reduced, from a full day to a few hours for approximately 150 students. The streamlined grading allowed for a second test on the same material for the students who failed the first one. These improvements have the immediate effects of engagement, learning, and efficiency, and ideally, they will also provide an environment in which more students will succeed in college and their careers.
Sino-Russian War on the Amur

As stated earlier the Russians reappeared on the Amur owing to the withdrawal of the Chinese from Albazin and to the greedy expansion of Russia toward the Amur. Although Spathary had directed that the Russians were not to navigate the lower Amur and Dzeya nor collect tribute from the Tunguzians, his directions were disregarded. In 1676 a Yashnoi Simovie was built at the mouth of the Gilui from whence parties went to the upper Dzeya to collect tribute. In 1678 Zeisko ostrog was built at the mouth of the Numisha (Amumish), and many tribesmen were forced to pay tribute to Albazin. In 1679 Selimbinskoi ostrog was built on the Slimba and Dolonskoi ostrog on the Dolonza. In 1681, the Russians built an ostrog on the Arguni, the first one, in that region. In the same year, several ostrogs were built on the Dzeya and its branches, interfering greatly with Chinese hunters and traders. China remonstrated but was loath to act. In 1683 a Russian party from Albazin found on the Bureya River, twenty Chinese hunters and traders burnt them alive in their huts, and carried away whatever property they had. Moreover, many Chinese criminals fled to Albazin where they were protected. It also became difficult at times for China to gather tribute from certain native tribes who tried to play off one government against the other. These matters irritated China and finally drove her to take up arms.1
Early Intervention for Students with Special Needs

Early-intervention services for children with disabilities are necessary for remediating problems confronting young children. There are different professional perspectives in this issue. One thing is clear – the assessment of children or the focus on children from 0 to 2 or 3 is necessary to insure that no child is allowed to fall through the crack. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of early identification and intervention are discussed – assessment, placement, and cost frameworks.
The Efferent Auditory System in Doppler-Shift Compensating Bats

Studies on the innervation of outer hair cells (OHCs) of common laboratory animals have repeatedly demonstrated a general pattern of efferent terminals throughout the cochlea (Smith and Sjostrand, 1961; Iurato et al., 1978; Spoendlin, 1979). Many efferent endings typically contact each OHC in the basal turn of the cochlea and the number decreases in more apical regions, particularly on the outermost rows. The present study on the efferent innervation of outer hair cells in different species of Doppler-shift compensating bats has revealed marked interspecies differences as well as striking departures from the basic plan known to occur in common laboratory animals. Studies were carried out on the cochlea of the neotropical mormoopid, Pteronotus p. parnellii and on the Old World rhinolophids, Rhinolophus rouxi and Hipposideros lankadiva. The rhinolophids and P. parnellii have independently evolved sophisticated biosonar systems; although the frequency resolving properties of their ears are similar, marked structural and physiological differences exist (Bruns, 1980; Kossl and Vater, 1985; Henson et al., 1985).
The Body, Expressive Movement, and Physical Contact in Psychotherapy

An overview of the current “therapeutic marketplace” (Frank, 1972) reveals the proliferation, and increasing popularity, of a wide range of body- or movement-oriented therapies, e.g., orgone therapy (Reich, 1949), bioenergetic analysis (Lowen, 1967), postural-relearning (Feldenkrais, 1949), Rolf structural integration (Rolf, 1963), psychomotortraining (Pesso, 1969), the Alexander technique (Alexander, 1974), and the various forms of dance-movement therapy (e.g., Chace, 1953; Schoop, 1971; Siegel, 1973; Bartenieff, 1972), etc. These approaches do not share a common vocabulary, a standardized repertoire of techniques, nor are they unified by a comprehensive theory of psychopathology and behavior change. They evolved to meet the needs of different types of patient populations. They are practiced in a wide variety of institutional contexts and their practitioners come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Feldenkrais was originally a physicist, Rolf a biochemist, Alexander an actor. The pioneers in the scientific rediscovery of the “art” of movement as a mode of therapy were dancers.
Chapter 20 – Epilogue

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the direct and indirect outcomes of the emergence of a research field concerned with process models of interactive knowledge communication. Knowledge communication touches upon fundamental epistemological, cognitive, pedagogical, linguistic, and cultural issues, and so it can both motivate and validate related research. As a research context, knowledge communication has shown a remarkable propensity for spawning seminal investigations. Occurring as it does at the crossroads of artificial intelligence, epistemology, psychology, education, linguistics, anthropology, and man–machine studies—not to mention the subject matters themselves—this research is inherently interdisciplinary. The complexity of the task of knowledge communication and its universality as a manifestation of human intelligence make computational models of the process revealing test beds for theories and techniques in all the disciplines involved. An aspect of the research that tends to be overlooked is that process models of knowledge communication are themselves a fundamental topic of the quest for principles of intelligence.
An experimental evaluation of three teacher quality measures: Value-added, classroom observations, and student surveys

Abstract Nearly every state evaluates teacher performance using multiple measures, but evidence has largely shown that only one such measure—teachers’ effects on student achievement (i.e., value-added)—captures teachers’ causal effects. We conducted a random assignment experiment in 66 fourth- and fifth-grade mathematics classrooms to evaluate the predictive validity of three measures of teacher performance: value-added, classroom observations, and student surveys. Combining our results with those from two previous random assignment experiments, we provide additional experimental evidence that value-added measures are unbiased predictors of teacher performance. Though results for the other two measures are less precise, we find that classroom observation scores are predictive of teachers’ performance after random assignment while student surveys are not. These results thus lend support to teacher evaluation systems that use value-added and classroom observations, but suggest practitioners should proceed with caution when considering student survey measures for teacher evaluation.
Incentivizing Crowdsensing-Based Noise Monitoring with Differentially-Private Locations

Mobile crowd sensing is a technique where a crowd sensing server outsources sensing tasks to the crowd for mobile data collection. In mobile crowd sensing, some tasks require location information to achieve their objectives, such as road monitoring, indoor floor plan reconstruction, and smart transportation. This required information incurs severe concerns on location privacy leakage and threatens workers’ properties as well as public safety. In some cases, even sensing data itself can be used as auxiliary information resulting in location privacy breaches. Many existing works apply differential privacy mechanisms for location privacy preservation to tackle this problem, but they cannot efficiently fulfill privacy goals because each worker only considers his own privacy. As a consequence, the accumulated privacy budget will lower down the composed privacy level of all the workers’ locations. In addition, deploying differential privacy is costly for workers and it will degrade the quality of data required in crowd sensing tasks. How to balance the cost and provide accurate aggregated data while fulfilling privacy objectives becomes a challenging issue. In this paper, we propose a group-differentially-private game-theoretical solution, which addresses these limitations in a privacy-preserving and efficient way. Our scheme enables the indistinguishability of workers’ locations and sensing data without the help of a trusted entity while meeting the accuracy demands of crowd sensing tasks. The effectiveness and efficiency of our scheme are thoroughly evaluated based on real-world datasets.
Non-Visual Beats: Redesigning the Groove Pizza

Unlike past eras in which select few had the means and con- nections to compose music, today almost anyone can engage in meaningful music making and craft their own compositions thanks in part to the ubiquity of affordable and easy-to-use music software. However, this advancement has not fully extended to non-sighted users as evidenced by online com- munities seeking and offering help and third party companies that have stepped in to fill a void of accessibility features. To address the lack of alternative input modalities and pervasive visual design of music creation software, we redesigned the Groove Pizza, a popular online rhythm application. This work describes our implementation and its use of custom key- board mappings for sequencing rhythm, screen reader output using text-to-speech and sonification, and global audio settings designed for different use cases.
Establishment Clause Inversion in the Bladensburg Cross Case

In American Legion v. American Humanist Association, decided at the end of the Supreme Court’s 2018-2019 Term, the Court rejected an Establishment Clause challenge to a 40-foot tall Latin cross, publicly owned and maintained as a World War I memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland. We ask how the Court could take the preeminent symbol of Christianity—the Latin cross—and understand it as a secular symbol, and further what that act of interpretation means for the Establishment Clause going forward. We argue that American Legion represents a significant development in the dismantling of Establishment Clause jurisprudence. The Court has been chipping away steadily on precedent that restricts the government from providing material and expressive support for religion. American Legion could be read narrowly as part of the ongoing demise of the separation of church and state, which has been underway since the Rehnquist Court. But in our view, the decision amounts to something more, namely, an inversion of disestablishment principles. The Court did not use the Establishment Clause as a shield to protect vulnerable minorities, but rather as a sword against them. In upholding the Bladensburg Cross, and in declaring that its removal would show hostility toward religion, the Court has entrenched the views of past religious majorities and opened the way toward Christian preferentialism. In the midst of rising ethno-religious nationalism in the United States, and around the world, American Legion participates in undermining constitutional safeguards against the integration of church and state.
The Atlantic Forest Ecological History: From Pre-colonial Times to the Anthropocene

The Atlantic Forest has a long history of human interaction and transformation, since as early as the Late Pleistocene. Throughout the centuries, native populations coevolved with their environment, at the same time that always exerted some degree of pressure on the system. The early human interactions may have contributed to the extinction of megafauna, coupled with climate becoming warmer and humid. In a second moment, more modern native populations developed slash-and-burn agriculture, leaving a distinct mark in the landscape, altering forest structure and composition. Up to this point, human interaction, although leaving a footprint, left intact a large portion of forest cover. With the implementation of the Portuguese colonial enterprise, in less than 500 years, much of the Atlantic Forest was transformed into a non-forest matrix. This dramatic spatial reorganization was mainly driven by large plantation systems, particularly sugarcane and coffee, intermixed with the introduction of large grazing mammals, converting forest into pastures using exotic African grasses. With urbanization and industrialization, energy demand leads to the transformation of large forest tracts into charcoal, up until the mid-twentieth century. The Anthropocene accelerated deforestation processes with growing urbanization and industrialization until the late twentieth century with the birth of modern conservation movements that have helped diminish deforestation rates.
Systemic Implications of Melanoma

Although the most common presentation of cutaneous malignant melanoma is in the form of a localized primary tumor of the skin, systemic involvement (regional and/or distant metastases) is apparent at diagnosis in approximately 15% of cases [1]. It is important for the practicing clinician to have a thorough understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of melanoma, as endorsement of prevention strategies, proper screening regimens, and appropriate treatment of early stage disease all play a role in preventing the development of advanced disease. For patients who do present with systemic involvement, recent advances in molecular biology and immunology have led to novel therapeutic targets and resultant life-prolonging treatment options.
Determinants of community pharmacy utilisation among the adult population in Malaysia: findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019.

Community pharmacies provide alternatives for medication procurement and other basic and minor health-related services in addition to mainstream hospitals and primary healthcare services. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of community pharmacy users and associated factors for community pharmacy utilisation in Malaysia. Secondary data analysis was performed using data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, a nationwide cross-sectional household survey that used a two-stage stratified random sampling design. Adults aged 18 years and over were included in the analysis. Respondents who reported visiting the community pharmacy for health purposes two weeks prior to the study were considered as users. Complex sample descriptive statistics were used to describe the respondents’ characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were employed to determine factors associated with community pharmacy utilisation. Of the 11,155 respondents interviewed, 10.3 % reported community pharmacy utilisation for health purposes. Females (OR = 1.41, 95 % CI = 1.14, 1.73), those with tertiary education (OR = 2.03, 95 % CI = 1.26, 3.29), urban dwellers (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI = 1.13, 1.79), and those with self-reported health problems (OR = 7.62, 95 % CI = 6.05, 9.59) were more likely to utilise the community pharmacy. Demographic and socioeconomic factors were important determinants of community pharmacy utilisation in Malaysia with sex, age, education level, locality, and self-reported health problems as the associated factors. These findings serve as evidence for policy interventions, crucial for improvements in accessibility to healthcare services.
Attentional Disengagement and the Locus Coeruleus - Norepinephrine System in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background Differences in non-social attentional functions have been identified as among the earliest features that distinguish infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and may contribute to the emergence of core ASD symptoms. Specifically, slowed attentional disengagement and difficulty reorienting attention have been found across the lifespan in those at risk for, or diagnosed with, ASD. Additionally, the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which plays a critical role in arousal regulation and selective attention, has been shown to function atypically in ASD. While activity of the LC-NE system is associated with attentional disengagement and reorienting in typically developing (TD) individuals, it has not been determined whether atypical LC-NE activity relates to attentional disengagement impairments observed in ASD. Objective To examine the relationship between resting pupil diameter (an indirect measure of tonic LC-NE activation) and attentional disengagement in children with ASD. Methods Participants were 21 school-aged children with ASD and 20 age- and IQ-matched TD children. The study consisted of three separate experiments: a resting eye-tracking task and visual and auditory gap-overlap paradigms. For the resting eye-tracking task, pupil diameter was monitored while participants fixated a central crosshair. In the gap-overlap paradigms, participants were instructed to fixate on a central stimulus and then move their eyes to peripherally presented visual or auditory targets. Saccadic reaction times (SRT), percentage of no-shift trials, and disengagement efficiency were measured. Results Children with ASD had significantly larger resting pupil size compared to their TD peers. The groups did not differ for overall SRT, nor were there differences in SRT for overlap and gap conditions between groups. However, the ASD group did evidence impairments in disengagement (larger step/gap effects, higher percentage of no-shift trials, and reduced disengagement efficiency) compared to their TD peers. Correlational analyses showed that slower, less efficient disengagement was associated with increased pupil diameter. Conclusion Consistent with prior reports, children with ASD show significantly larger resting pupil diameter, indicative of atypically elevated tonic LC-NE activity. Associations between pupil size and measures of attentional disengagement suggest that atypically increased tonic activation of the LC-NE system may be associated with poorer attentional disengagement in children with ASD.
Why focus matters

In this study, we trace the impact of corporate focus by estimating the relationships of focus with cash flow and firm value. In contrast to past studies that examine the effects of diversifying across SIC code defined industries, we show, using Tobin's q, that diversification even within a single industry negatively affects value. Our evidence indicates that this value reduction is not due to poor managerial performance. Project level cash flows are actually higher for less focused firms. However, these gains are exactly offset by higher management, administrative and interest expenses. Thus the corporate cash flows available to shareholders are not related to focus. Finally, we provide empirical evidence that links the effect of focus on value to informational asymmetries which cause the equity of diversified firms to be less liquid.
Relationship closeness predicts unsolicited advice giving in supportive interactions

Advice is a common element of supportive interactions, but unsolicited advice can harm the advice recipient as well as the relationship between the advice recipient and the advice giver. Despite the potential negative implications of unsolicited advice, very little is known about what predicts unsolicited advice giving in personal relationships. The present studies provide an empirical test of the association between relational closeness and unsolicited advice giving. In two studies, undergraduate students and members of the general population responded to hypothetical statements of discontent from friends who were not asking for advice. Relational closeness and unsolicited advice giving were positively correlated, with participants tending to provide more unsolicited advice to friends toward whom they felt greater relational closeness. Overall, participants gave unsolicited advice to their friends at a very early stage of a supportive interaction in approximately 70% of cases. Explanations and implicatio...
Network Topology Inference With Partial Information

Full knowledge of the routing topology of the Internet is useful for a multitude of network management tasks. However, the full topology is often not known and is instead estimated using topology inference algorithms. Many of these algorithms use Traceroute to probe paths and then use the collected information to infer the topology. We perform real experiments and show that, in practice, routers may severely disrupt the operation of Traceroute and cause it to only provide partial information. We propose iTop, an algorithm for inferring the network topology when only partial information is available. iTop constructs a virtual topology, which overestimates the number of network components, and then repeatedly merges links in this topology to resolve it toward the structure of the true network. We perform extensive simulations to compare iTop to state-of-the-art inference algorithms. Results show that iTop significantly outperforms previous approaches and its inferred topologies are within 5% of the original networks for all considered metrics. Additionally, we show that the topologies inferred by iTop significantly improve the performance of fault localization algorithms when compared with other approaches.
Current Trends in Translation

Driven by the growth of a global economy and developments in high technology, the process of creating and translating technical documentation has been evolving rapidly. In particular, machine translation (MT) has shown increasing capabilities of efficaciously accomplishing the early stages of the eight stages of translation identified years ago by Robert Bly. As a consequence, translators have learned to use MT as a tool to accelerate their work, but they have also grown wary of MT’s potential for replacing them. To ensure steady employment, some translators have begun cross-training as technical writers; correspondingly, a few technical writers have begun cross-training as translators, as the two professions appear to be undergoing a gradual trend of convergence. Academic programs are urged to respond to the evolving trends.
Effect of coronary bypass surgery on survival patterns in subsets of patients with left main coronary artery disease: Report of the collaborative study in coronary artery surgery (CASS)

The 3 year cumulative survival rate of 1,492 patients with left main coronary artery disease (50 percent or greater stenosis of luminal diameter) enrolled in the Collaborative Study in Coronary Artery Surgery (CASS) was 91 percent for the surgical group and 69 percent for patients treated medically (p less than 0.0001). Mortality was significantly greater in patients with impaired left ventricular function. The difference between medical and surgical therapy was significant for patients who had normal, moderately abnormal and severely impaired left ventricular function and for patients with stenosis of the left main coronary artery of 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79 and 80 percent or greater. Aortocoronary bypass surgery did not significantly improve survival in patient subgroups who had (1) a nonstenotic dominant right or balanced coronary circulation, (2) a stenotic dominant right coronary artery and normal left ventricular function, and (3) left main coronary stenosis of 50 to 59 percent and normal or mildly abnormal left ventricular function. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to select baseline variables that were independent predictors of long-time mortality. The model selected left ventricular score, age, congestive heart failure score, hypertension, percent left main coronary arterial stenosis and coronary arterial dominance as the baseline variables most predictive of long-term survival. A clinical and angiographic prognostic risk index developed from these six baseline variables showed significantly improved survival for the surgical cohort in each of four risk categories. In the best and worst risk category, the 3 year survival rate was 97 and 82 percent, respectively, for the surgical group and 85 and 34 percent, respectively, for the medical group (p less than or equal to 0.0002). The data from this observational study show that coronary bypass surgery prolongs life in most patients with left main coronary artery disease, particularly those who have severe narrowing of the left main coronary artery or impaired left ventricular function. The results permit a better understanding of the natural history of left main coronary artery disease and permit a more accurate estimate of long-term survival for individual patients through the use of a clinical-angiographic risk index.
The process and theories of aging

A wide variety of theories to explain the aging process have been proposed including: (1) stochastic (somatic mutation, error catastrophe, protein glycosylation); (2) developmental (immune and neuroendocrine); (3) programmed (genome-based); and (4) free radical. Although no single hypothesis fully explains all aging phenomena, the genome-based and free radical theories, in particular, are supported by significant observational and experimental evidence. In addition, these two proposals are related to each other in some respects, and possibly to other theories as well. Continued basic and clinical research in this highly complex and critically important area will add to our understanding and appreciation of the theoretical and practical implications of the aging process.
Thermal noise measurements on space-charge-limited hole current in silicon

Abstract Silicon pvp devices were manufactured whose d.c. and a.c. properties conform closely to the simple model of trap-free space-charge-limited current (sclc) of holes. Room temperature measurements of the spectral density of the noise from 10 kHz to 10 MHz at various operating points reveal a white noise component whose value is given by S v  〈Δν 2 〉 Δƒ = β · 4kT (V/I), where β = 1.0±6% , and V/I is the d.c. resistance of the device at the operating point. At high operating points, where the d.c. characteristic agrees quantitatively with the dependence J = ( 9 8 )ϵϵ 0 μV 2 /W 3 of pure sclc, the results reduce to Si = α · 4kT (∂I/∂V), with α = 2.0±7%.
The Effect of Shear Instability on the Transverse Circulation in the Atmosphere.

In this paper it is shown that the shear fields on either side of the westerlies are dynamically unstable and will roll up to form discrete eddies. A study of the stable vortex systems into which these eddies might collect shows that a "vortex street" is stable for a certain range of the ratio of width to vortex spacing. It is also shown that a formation with vortices placed on the corners of a regular polygon is stable if the number of vortices is less than seven. This still holds if the effect of the shear field north of the westerlies is stimulated by a fixed polar cyclone. It further appears that with a strong general circulation, i.e. strong westerlies, only two or three high pressure cells should be found while the numbers, up to six, should be found with weaker circulations. This conclusion is verified by Northern Hemisphere mean pressure charts.
One-to-many embeddings of hypercubes into Cayley graphs generated by reversals

Among Cayley graphs on the symmetric group, some that have a noticeably low diameter relative to the degree of regularity are examples such as the ``star'' network and the ``pancake'' network, the latter a representative of a variety of Cayley graphs generated by reversals. These diameter and degree conditions make these graphs potential candidates for parallel computation networks. Thus it is natural to investigate how well they can simulate other standard parallel networks, in particular hypercubes. For this purpose, constructions have previously been given for low dilation embeddings of hypercubes into star networks. Developing this theme further, in this paper we construct especially low dilation maps (e.g., with dilation 1, 2, 3, or 4) of hypercubes into pancake networks and related Cayley graphs generated by reversals. Whereas obtaining such results by the use of ``traditional'' graph embeddings (i.e., one-to-one or many-to-one embeddings) is sometimes difficult or impossible, we achieve many of these results by using a nontraditional simulation technique known as a ``one-to-many'' graph embedding. That is, in such embeddings we allow each vertex in the guest (i.e., domain) graph to be associated with some nonempty subset of the vertex set of the host (i.e., range) graph, these subsets satisfying certain distance and connection requirements which make the simulation possible.
The synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO and H2 over well-characterized supported PtFe catalysts

Abstract A combination of Mossbauer spectroscopy, chemisorption measurements and kinetic studies of the synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO and H 2 has been employed to investigate alumina-supported Fe, Pt and PtFe catalysts. Three different chemical states of Fe have been identified in the reduced catalysts: ferrous ions, ferromagnetic Fe metal and PtFe bimetallic clusters. The relative amounts of these species depend upon the Pt:Fe ratio and the total metal loading. At low concentrations (0.1%) iron was not reduced by hydrogen beyond the ferrous state at 773 K, and the ferrous ions had no catalytic activity in the synthesis reaction. However, catalysts containing 1.75 wt.% Pt and varying amounts of Fe showed marked differences. The addition of this amount of platinum to iron on alumina led to the formation of PtFe clusters on reduction. At high Pt:Fe ratios (∼5) all of the iron combined with platinum to form clusters. The iron in the PtFe clusters was catalytically inert in the CO/H 2 synthesis reaction and the clusters exhibited essentially the catalytic behaviour of platinum. At low Pt:Fe ratios (0.1) ferromagnetic iron metal, in addition to Fe 2+ ions and PtFe clusters, was produced. The ferromagnetic iron dominated the activity and selectivity pattern of the catalyst because of the higher specific activity of the iron compared to Pt or PtFe clusters. The inert behavior of the iron in PtFe clusters is attributed to a decrease in the electron density on the iron as indicated by the Mossbauer isomer shift. The direction of electron transfer is opposite to that proposed for alkalimetal-promoted Fe catalysts on which the production of higher molecular weight species and the activity was enhanced. Finally, this investigation shows that bimetallic alloys with stoichio-metries identical to the metal loading are not necessarily formed in reduced supported catalysts.
Optimal process variance under Taguchi loss

Most research on the process control charts concentrates on the economic design of its parameters. Reduction of variance as a control decision has not been researched. Presents a model for optimal decision on variance reduction and includes the rejection losses of the non‐conforming units increasing due to increased variance, Taguchi loss of the conforming units, and the cost of reducing variance. Optimal policies are derived analytically for uniform distribution and numerically for normal distribution. Applications of the model to the area of machine replacement and global manufacturing are suggested.
LDPC Decoding by Parity Augmentation and Maximization

Two iterative decoding algorithms, which are alternatives to belief propagation (BP) decoding LDPC codes, are introduced in this paper. In parity augmentation (PA) decoding, probabilities are modifled in such a way that the probability of even parity is increased at every iteration. This is a low-complexity algorithm which does not require both row and column interleavers. We also examine the nature of the probability of even computation (which is also done in BP), providing evidence about the breakdown in decoding as the weight of the parity check matrix increases besides explanations related to short cycles in the Tanner graph. In parity maximization (PM) decoding, the probability of even parity is explicitly maximized at every iteration. Again there is low per-iteration complexity.
Chronic flurazepam differentiallu regulates a behavioral effect of GABA agonists

Subsensitivity to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists was sought in rats treated 1 or 4 weeks with flurazepam (FZP). Sensitivity to GABA and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) was assessed by measuring contralateral rotation following unilateral microinjection of drug into the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr). Immediately and 48 h after chronic treatment GABA, 200 μg or THIP, 60 ng was infused into SNpr. Immediately, but not 48 h after 1 week of FZP treatment, GABA subsensitivity was shown by a significantly reduced total number of contralateral turns and peak rotation rare. There was no change in the response to THIP after 1 week FZP treatment. Following 4 week FZP treatment, no subsensitivity to GABA or THIP was evident. Previous results showed subsensitivity to muscimol after 4, but not 1 week of FZP treatment. Since muscimol and THIP are not subject to uptake, there may be increased uptake of GABA after 1 week of FZP treatment, though it may not persist during continued treatment. Differential regulation of GABA agonist effects in SNpr may be related to their acting at differing GABAA receptor subpopulations, and variable responses of these subpopulations to chronic BZ treatment.