cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New guidance to seekers of autism biomarkers: an update from studies of identical twins.

The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are common neuropsychiatric conditions of childhood for which the vast proportion of population risk is attributable to inheritance, and for which there exist few if any replicated biomarkers. This commentary summarizes a set of recent studies involving identical (monozygotic, MZ) twins which, taken together, have significant implications for the search for biomarkers of inherited susceptibility to autism. A first is that variation-in-severity of the condition (above the threshold for clinical diagnosis) appears more strongly influenced by stochastic/non-shared environmental influences than by heredity. Second is that there exist disparate early behavioral predictors of the familial recurrence of autism, which are themselves strongly genetically influenced but largely independent from one another. The nature of these postnatal predictors is that they are trait-like, continuously distributed in the general population, and largely independent from variation in general cognition, thereby reflecting a developmental substructure for familial autism. A corollary of these findings is that autism may arise as a developmental consequence of an allostatic load of earlier-occurring liabilities, indexed by early behavioral endophenotypes, in varying permutations and combinations. The clinical threshold can be viewed as a “tipping point” at which stochastic influences and/or other non-shared environmental influences assert much stronger influence on variation-in-severity (a) than do the genetic factors which contributed to the condition in the first place, and (b) than is observed in typical development. Biomarkers identified on the basis of association with clinical symptom severity in ASD may reflect effects rather than causes of autism. The search for biomarkers of pathogenesis may benefit from a greater focus on traits that predict autism recurrence, among both clinical and general populations. In case–control studies, salient developmental liabilities should be systematically measured in both cases and controls, to avoid the erosion in statistical power (i.e., to detect differences) that can occur if control subjects carry sub-clinical aggregations of the same unmeasured traits that exert causal influences on the development of autism.
Flagging Fake News on Social Media: An Experimental Study of Media Consumers’ Identification of Fake News

Abstract Policymakers are taking action to protect their citizens and democratic systems from online misinformation. However, media consumers usually have a hard time differentiating misinformation from authentic information. There are two explanations for this difficulty, namely lazy reasoning and motivated reasoning. While lazy reasoning suggests that people may feel reluctant to conduct critical reasoning when consuming online information, the motivated reasoning theory points out that individuals are also thinking in alignment with their identities and established viewpoints. A proposed approach to address this issue is adding fact-checking flags in the hope that flags could alert people to information falsehoods and stimulate critical thinking. This study examines the impact of fact-checking flags on media consumers' identification of fake news. Conducting an experiment (n = 717) on Amazon Mechanical Turk, the study finds that experimental participants with different political backgrounds depend heavily on flag-checking results provided by flags. Flags are powerful to influence people's judgments in a way that participants have blind beliefs in flags even if the flag assessments are inaccurate. Furthermore, the study's results indicate that flag assessments made by professional fact-checkers or crowdsourcing are equally influential in shaping participants' identification. These observations provide public and private leaders with suggestions that fact-checking flags can significantly affect media consumers' identification of fake news. However, flags appear to have little ability to promote critical thinking in this experiment.
Pearls and Pitfalls in Lung Cancer Imaging

Imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis and staging of pulmonary malignancy. Familiarity of less common manifestations of lung cancer including subsolid nodule, consolidation, and cyst associated lung cancer is important to avoid delayed diagnosis and improve patient outcomes. In this article, we review the staging of multifocal lung cancer, PET negative lung cancers (carcinoid and indolent lung adenocarcinoma), and false positive lymph nodes on PET due to infectious and inflammatory etiologies. Knowledge of these potential pitfalls and pearls in lung cancer imaging and correlation with patients’ clinical history are essential to prevent misinterpretation.
The Weight of Being Unauthorized? Legal Status Variation in the Association between US Exposure and Obesity among Hispanic Immigrants in Los Angeles.

We examine whether exposure to the US, experienced under certain conditions of disadvantage, namely immigrant legal status, is associated with body weight. Using the pooled, cross-sectional 2001 and 2008 Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (LAFANS) (n = 2063), we examine whether body mass index (BMI) and obesity vary by Hispanic immigrants’ legal status and time exposure to the US. The increased risk of obesity associated with greater US exposure is more pronounced among unauthorized Hispanic immigrants compared to their legally resident coethnic peers, after adjusting for age and age-at-arrival. It is not only residing in the US that is associated with increases in body weight, but residing in the US as an unauthorized immigrant. Improved data and methods are needed to facilitate research of greater policy significance and a refined understanding of how health integration processes vary by legal status.
Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) PET: A Counterpart to Prostate MRI.

Abstract Prostate cancer is projected to remain the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States in 2021[1]. Traditionally, initial staging and post-treatment surveillance require a variety of imaging exams, from bone scan and CT to MRI, however conventional imaging is limited by low sensitivity[2-4]. This has given rise to the development of radiotracers which target molecular processes more specific for prostate cancer, such as 11 C- or 18 F-choline and 18 F-fluciclovine [4] . In December 2020, 68 Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 (68 Ga-PSMA-11) received FDA approval for use in men with prostate cancer in the United States[5]. Studies have consistently demonstrated superior performance of 68 Ga-PSMA-11, 11 C-/ 18 F-choline and 18 F-fluciclovine PET for cancer detection compared to conventional imaging, particularly at PSA levels of less than 1.0 ng/mL[3, 6-10]. A recent study showed that 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET led to significantly more frequent changes in patient management than conventional imaging[9]. The increasing availability of PSMA PET/MR scanners is likely to pave the way for simultaneous integration of anatomic, functional and biologic information for men undergoing prostate cancer care[4]. In this article, we provide an overview of the clinical applications of 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET-MR with case examples.
Book Review: Post-Communist Teen Magazines Bend Language and Culture

This is a book review of "Language in Use: The Case of Youth Entertainment Magazines" (2010), edited by Loredana Fratila and Hortensia Parlog.
Increased Multiple Sclerosis disease activity in patients transitioned from fingolimod to dimethyl fumarate (P4.2-030)

Objective: To describe six patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with fingolimod that experienced MS exacerbations after being transitioned to dimethyl fumarate. Background: Fingolimod is a potent oral immunomodulatory agent approved for the treatment of relapsing MS. It modulates S1P receptors blocking the egression of activated lymphocytes from lymph nodes with resultant lymphopenia, predominantly decreasing CD4 cells. In the last years, several cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have been reported in MS patients treated with fingolimod, without a clear association with lymphopenia. No specific guidelines for the monitoring of lymphocyte subsets of MS patients on fingolimod are currently available. This issue has raised concerns for long-term management, and in some cases prompting the switch in therapy to an alternative agent with a different mechanism of action. Design/Methods: All patients were clinically and radiologically stable on fingolimod from 1–5 years. The switch of therapy was due to significantly low peripheral CD4 lymphocyte count ≤ 61 cells/ul (normal range 359–1519 cells/ul). The patients were transitioned to dimethyl fumarate after a wash out period of 5–11 weeks to allow the increase of absolute lymphocyte count to 500 cells/ul or higher. Results: Patients experienced MS relapses with several enhancing lesions in the brain and/or spinal cord during the first six months following the discontinuation of fingolimod, and between 1–18 weeks after starting dimethyl fumarate treatment. One of the patients experienced two relapses within four months of treatment with dimethyl fumarate. Conclusions: Additional studies are needed to develop guidelines for long term surveillance of MS treatments associated with lymphopenia and some risk of opportunistic infections including PML. When a switch in therapy is a consideration, due to the unpredictable individual response of MS patients to disease modifying therapies, close monitoring is essential during the first months of the transition to evaluate the new treatment’s efficacy. Disclosure: Dr. Delgado has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hernandez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tornes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rammohan has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Genzyme, Biogen, EMD Serono, Novartis, TG Therapeutics. Dr. Rammohan has received research support from Genentech, Biogen, EMD Serono, Novartis, Department of Defense.
Poincaré's stabilization

Abstract The data and press commentaries studied in this paper call for a reinterpretation of the French inflationary crisis and its stabilization in 1926. In contrast with Sargent's interpretation, there is evidence that the budgetary situation was well in hand and that only fear of a capital levy made the public unwilling to buy government bonds. As a result, the government had to repay the bonds coming to maturity with monetary financing. Only when Poincare introduced a bill to shift the tax burden off bondholders did the demand for government bonds recover and inflation stop.
The modern distribution of chironomid sub-fossils (Insecta: Diptera) in the Sierra Nevada, California: Potential for paleoclimatic reconstructions

Surface lake sediment was recovered from 57 lakes along an elevation gradient in the central, eastern Sierra Nevada of California. The surface sediment was analysed for subfossil chironomid remains in order to assess the modern distribution of chironomids in the region. The lakes sampled for the calibration dataset were between 2.0 and 40.0 m in depth, spanned an altitudinal gradient of 1360 m and a surface water temperature gradient of approximately 14 °C. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified that five of the measured environmental variables – surface water temperature, elevation, depth, strontium, particulate organic carbon – accounted for a statistically significant amount of the variance in chironomid community composition. Quantitative transfer functions, based on weighted-averaging (WA), partial least squares (PLS) and weighted-averaging partial least squares (WA-PLS), were developed to estimate surface water temperature from the chironomid assemblages. The best model was a WA model with classical deshrinking, which had a relatively high coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.73), low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP = 1.2 °C) and a low maximum bias (0.90 °C). The results from this study suggest that robust quantitative estimates of past surface water temperature can be derived from the application of these models to fossil chironomid assemblages preserved in late-Quaternary lake sediment in this region.
Feasibility of Inertialess Conscan Utilizing Modified DSN Feedsystems

The closed-loop conical-scan (conscan) technique has proven to be a useful method for pointing the DSN antennas more accurately than is possible by open-loop methods. As presently implemented, the antenna beam is scanned about the received signal direction by physical movement of the antenna. While straightforward, this approach has at least two disadvantages. Firstly, because of structural distortions, finite angle encoder resolution, and drive servo response, the actual antenna beam direction only approximates the commanded beam direction. Secondly, because of the large mass moved during scan, the rate of scan is severely restricted. If there are significant gain or signal level variations during a scan period, the conscan system interprets these variations as antenna pointing error. Both of these disadvantages would be alleviated in an inertialess conscan system in which the beam scanning was performed electronically. Recently, standard JPL antenna feedhorn software was upgraded to calculate, among other things, asymmetric corrugated horn radiation patterns of the type that would be needed for electronic beam scan. The required horn excitation is discussed and the results were described.
Antisocial Personality and Psychopathy

Antisocial personality is a mental disorder that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood, and involves the persistent violation of the rights of others and social norms in general. Deficits in emotional, motivational, and cognitive processes contribute to the development of the disorder. Keywords: fearlessness; impulsivity; passive avoidance; decision-making; frontal lobe deficits
Minimal Dependency Length in Realization Ranking

Comprehension and corpus studies have found that the tendency to minimize dependency length has a strong influence on constituent ordering choices. In this paper, we investigate dependency length minimization in the context of discriminative realization ranking, focusing on its potential to eliminate egregious ordering errors as well as better match the distributional characteristics of sentence orderings in news text. We find that with a state-of-the-art, comprehensive realization ranking model, dependency length minimization yields statistically significant improvements in BLEU scores and significantly reduces the number of heavy/light ordering errors. Through distributional analyses, we also show that with simpler ranking models, dependency length minimization can go overboard, too often sacrificing canonical word order to shorten dependencies, while richer models manage to better counterbalance the dependency length minimization preference against (sometimes) competing canonical word order preferences.
Operating frequency trends for high performance off-chip buses

This paper presents predictions for the operating frequency limits of the two main styles of inter-chip connections based on the existing product results for IBM's S/390 MCMs. Simulation results available in the literature are used to validate future projections for the operating frequency limit of synchronous interconnections (700 MHz) and source synchronous interconnections (1.5 GHz).
Accelerating the discovery of unsupervised-shapelets

Over the past decade, time series clustering has become an increasingly important research topic in data mining community. Most existing methods for time series clustering rely on distances calculated from the entire raw data using the Euclidean distance or Dynamic Time Warping distance as the distance measure. However, the presence of significant noise, dropouts, or extraneous data can greatly limit the accuracy of clustering in this domain. Moreover, for most real world problems, we cannot expect objects from the same class to be equal in length. As a consequence, most work on time series clustering only considers the clustering of individual time series "behaviors," e.g., individual heart beats or individual gait cycles, and contrives the time series in some way to make them all equal in length. However, automatically formatting the data in such a way is often a harder problem than the clustering itself. In this work, we show that by using only some local patterns and deliberately ignoring the rest of the data, we can mitigate the above problems and cluster time series of different lengths, e.g., cluster one heartbeat with multiple heartbeats. To achieve this, we exploit and extend a recently introduced concept in time series data mining called shapelets. Unlike existing work, our work demonstrates the unintuitive fact that shapelets can be learned from unlabeled time series. We show, with extensive empirical evaluation in diverse domains, that our method is more accurate than existing methods. Moreover, in addition to accurate clustering results, we show that our work also has the potential to give insight into the domains to which it is applied. While a brute-force algorithm to discover shapelets in an unsupervised way could be untenably slow, we introduce two novel optimization procedures to significantly speed up the unsupervised-shapelet discovery process and allow it to be cast as an anytime algorithm.
The effects of alternatives in bargaining

Abstract Research in bargaining situations has shown that the outcomes obtained by the parties if agreement cannot be reached have significant effects on the nature of the agreement. However, no previous study has attempted to determine the precise nature of the relationship between such alternative outcomes and bargaining agreements. Groups of 2, 3, and 4 undergraduate males were asked to negotiate the division of five prizes under two distributions of alternatives, and the predictions of three norms of reward division were compared. The Equal Excess norm specifies that each member receives the value of his alternative and that the excess (prize less sum of alternatives) is equally divided. This norm provided the best description of the data, but systematic errors of prediction were observed. The implications of the results for theories of coalition formation and for equity theory are discussed.
A Singular Perturbation Analysis Of Eigenvalue Veering And Modal Sensitivity In Perturbed Linear Periodic Systems

Abstract An investigation into the eigenvalue loci veering and modal sensitivity is presented for mistuned structural systems. Examples from both the weakly coupled uniaxial component systems and the cyclic symmetric systems are considered. The analysis is based on singular perturbation techniques. It is shown that uniform asymptotic expansions for the eigenvalues and eigenvectors can be constructed in terms of the mistuning parameters, and that these solutions are in excellent agreement with the exact solutions. The modal sensitivity function and the eigenvector rotations are then used to show the singular behavior of the eigenvectors in the neighborhood of a singular point. Rapid changes in the sensitivity function may signify large relative differences in the amplitudes of forced vibratory response between the tuned and the mistuned states.
Mitogenic proteins of the 3T3 plasma membrane

A mitogenic factor from 3T3 plasma membranes has been identified and partially characterized. The factor appears to be a peripheral membrane protein that can be released by mild trypsin, chymotrypsin, or plasmin treatment. This component is sensitive to heat and acid, and has a molecular weight in the range of 150,000-200,000 daltons as determined by gel filtration. A similar mitogenic activity has also been found on the membranes of both SV-40-transformed 3T3 cells and human fibroblasts. The factor appears to be distinct from all previously described mitogenic components.
Production of alkanes from biomass derived carbohydrates on bi-functional catalysts employing niobium-based supports

Abstract Bi-functional catalysts consisting of Pt supported on niobium-based solid acids were synthesized and utilized in the aqueous-phase dehydration and hydrogenation of sorbitol to alkanes at temperatures near 530 K and pressures of 54 bar. At low space velocities, the yield of alkanes is highest but decreases in favor of oxygenated compounds as the space velocity is increased. Niobium-based catalysts demonstrate superior reactivity in comparison to a silica–alumina based catalyst. This higher reactivity is not related to the concentration of acid sites but rather is attributed to the coordination environment of the niobium acid center.
Oscillopsia and pseudonystagmus in kidney transplant patients.

Abstract PURPOSE: Modern immunosuppressants have improved the success of kidney transplantation for renal failure patients. They also may induce neurotoxic effects including tremor. We report two cases of pseudonystagmus and oscillopsia in transplant patients caused by immunosuppressant-induced head tremor and gentamicin-induced vestibulotoxicity. METHODS: Case reports. Head tremor, static visual acuity, and dynamic visual acuity were measured. Vestibular function was evaluated with ice water calorics. RESULTS: Both patients had significant head tremor and pseudonystagmus. Head stabilization improved static visual acuity. Dynamic visual acuity revealed a 4-line and 10-line loss of visual acuity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings of pseudonystagmus and oscillopsia are likely to become more prevalent as more renal failure patients receive transplants. Improvement may be seen with reduction of immunosuppressant, reduction of stimulant intake, use of medications to reduce head tremor, and vestibular rehabilitation.
SU-E-T-474: IMRT Verification Using the On-Board EPID

Purpose: To verify IMRT and Rapid Arc (RA) plan's agreement with treatment delivery for radiation therapy using an on-board EPID compared to MapCHECK2 and ArcCHECK. Methods: On-board EPID (Exact arm) is commissioned using manufacturer's Preconfigured Data Input Package (PDIP). Portal dose calculation engine for comparison with measurement was commissioned with PDIP. The absolute dosimetric calibration of the EPID is performed using 10×10cm field size at 105cm source to image detector distance with 90.7 CU in the integrated mode. The dark and flood field of EPID were also calibrated in the integrated mode for all energies and dose rates. The output dose-response data from the manufacturer was verified. The improved gamma test method was used for EPID data analysis. Gamma test were used for MapCHECK2 (or ArcCHECK). The sensitivity of the method was tested using collimator rotation at 3 degree and 5 degree. Student T-test was used to distinguish the difference among the groups. Results: IMRT: The average of Gamma passing rate using EPID and MapCHECK2 is 98.9±1.6% and 98.7±2.0% (p = 0.342). There is no statistical difference between two groups.RA: The average of Gamma passing rate using EPID and ArcCHECK is 97.2±2.3% and 93.2±4.1%. (p = 0.002). EPID significantly improved the RapidARC plan passing rate compared to the ArcCHECK. 5% dose change typically causes between 3 – 55% change in Gamma. Conclusion: Using the EPID, we were able to perform QA verification on IMRT plans comparable to MapCHECK2 (p=0.342) and superior to that of ArcCHECK (p=0.002) using Gamma 3%, 3mm criteria. The sensitivity of EPID was found to be comparable to that of the MapCHECK2 and ArcCHECK. EPID dosimetry is faster (4.3 mins vs. 10 mins) due to easier setup and integrated data processing.
Older Adults in Multifamily Housing: Residential Satisfaction and Intention to Move

This study examined the relationship between residential satisfaction and intention to move among older adults living in multifamily housing based on Morris and Winter's theory of housing adjustment. Residents age 55 years and over living in market-rate multifamily housing were recruited from a convenience sample (n = 431). Exploratory factor analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, and multiple regressions were employed. Results revealed that those who were (i) older, healthier, retired, had higher incomes, were owners, living in larger units within newer buildings with elevators located in a city, and paid more monthly housing costs showed higher residential satisfaction; (ii) younger, nonmarried single, and renters were more likely to intend to move; and (iii) satisfied with the unit design and the multifamily community were less likely to intend to move. Findings support the theory of housing adjustment and suggest multifamily housing can be an appealing alternative for seniors.
Optical Rotatory Silica Materials Prepared via Sol−Gel Processes

A series of transparent, monolithic silica materials doped with 5−20 wt % of (−)-dibenzoyl-l-tartaric acid (DBTA) and (+)-d-glucose have been prepared via the acid-catalyzed sol−gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of the organic dopants. The materials show optical rotations, which can be directly measured on a common polarimeter. The optical rotation was found to be proportional to the dopant concentration and to the thickness of the samples. The specific rotations measured at 589 nm at 25 °C are +53° for the d-glucose-doped and −112° for the DBTA-doped silica samples, which are close to those for the same compounds measured in liquid solutions. Both the DBTA- and d-glucose-doped silicas exhibit a simple normal dispersion with negligible concentration effects. The organic compounds retain their stereochemical structures during the sol−gel reactions and, therefore, their optical activities. These materials can be regarded as nanocomposites in which the organic dopants uniformly distri...
AlGaN/GaN MODFET regrown by rf-MBE on MOCVD templates

AlGaN/GaN devices are typically grown on foreign substrates such as SiC and sapphire due to lack of commercial bulk GaN. Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is a widely used method for growth of GaN templates for these structures even for other growth methods. Because the growth temperature during molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is low, dislocation motion is hindered leading to a high dislocation density, particularly pure edge type, when grown directly on foreign substrates. On the other hand, low background doping, sharp interface and well-controlled growth rate allow MBE to grow high performance modulation doped field effect transistor (MODFET) structures on MOCVD GaN templates. However, the regrowth interface in this case has been reported to act as a parallel channel unless Zn-doped GaN templates were used. [ J. Appl. Phys. v92 p338 ] In this paper we report on the control of the regrowth interface of GaN/AlGaN MODFETs by rf-assisted MBE on GaN templates prepared by MOCVD. We have found that the defective parallel channel at the regrowth interface could be effectively eliminated by a proper growth procedure and pre-cleaning using KOH combined with high temperature (800 o C) thermal annealing in vacuum. Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was used to monitor the interface quality to a first order during the initial growth stages. Electrical and structural properties at the regrowth interface were analyzed by capacitance-voltage (CV) measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 N/GaN MODFET structures grown under the optimized conditions exhibited a maximum transconductance of 230 mA/mm for a 1mm gate length.
Primary hypothyroidism alters expression and function of the hexokinase I gene which mediates brain glucose phosphorylation. † 1390

Primary hypothyroidism alters expression and function of the hexokinase I gene which mediates brain glucose phosphorylation. † 1390
Investigating the dose distribution in the uncompressed breast with a dedicated CT mammotomography system

A dual modality SPECT-CT prototype dedicated to uncompressed breast imaging (mammotomography) has been developed. The CT subsystem incorporates an ultra-thick K-edge filtration technique producing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray cone beam to optimize the dose efficiency for uncompressed breast tomography. We characterize the absorbed dose to the breast under normal tomographic cone beam image acquisition protocols using both TLD measurements and ionization chamber-calibrated radiochromic film. Geometric and anthropomorphic breast phantoms are filled with 1000mL of water and oil to simulate different breast compositions and varying object shapes having density bounds of 100% glandular and fatty breast compositions, respectively. Doses to the water filled geometric and anthropomorphic breast phantoms for a tomographic scan range from 1.3-7.3mGy and 1.7-6.3mGy, respectively, with a mean whole-breast dose of 4.5mGy for the water-filled anthropomorphic phantom. Measured dose distribution trends indicate lower doses in the center of the breast phantoms towards the chest wall along with higher doses near the peripheries and nipple regions. Measured doses to the oil-filled phantoms are consistently lower across all volume shapes (mean dose, 3.8mGy for the anthropomorphic breast). Results agree with Monte Carlo dose estimates generated for uncompressed breast imaging and illustrate the advantages of using the novel K-edge filtered beam to minimize absorbed dose to the breast during fully-3D imaging.
Dynamic Simulations of Mars Science Laboratory EDL Landing Loads and Stability

The Mars Science Laboratory is being planned to launch in 2009 to deliver the third generation rover safely to the surface of Mars and conduct comprehensive in situ investigations. To deliver the rover for precision touchdown landing, it requires a new Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) approach using hypersonic aeromaneuver guided entry and skycrane-based powered descent and landing. The skycrane system is capable of efficiently and safely landing a large payload on Mars using a propulsion system configured into a descent stage. The rover will be released from the descent stage via descent-rate-limiter umbilical device and then placed directly onto the surface of Mars. As required by the skycrane landing architecture, the MSL rover is designed as a "lander" to survive touchdown as well as traverse environments. Since it is difficult, costly and, in many cases, impossible to test the skycrane descent and landing system in Mars-like environments, the MSL project relies heavily on dynamic simulations to validate the skycrane landing concept and predict the landing loads and stability of the rover. As a result, a multi-year extensive Loads and Stability Analysis Program has been conducted to develop seamless and robust simulations of the complicated skycrane landing dynamics with a large set of environmental parameters. This paper describes the overall approaches to the MSL touchdown simulation effort, landing loads and stability analysis, rover developmental test program, and applications of both the analysis and testing results to a mass-efficient and landing-capable rover structure design.
The Reporting of Core Program Components: An Overlooked Barrier for Moving Research Into Practice

The successful implementation of school-based behavioral interventions requires school personnel to be competent with program content and procedures. An unfortunate trend within school-based behavioral intervention research is that the core intervention components and implementation features are often not fully described. Without clear descriptions of these critical elements, it is difficult for school personnel to successfully identify, adopt, and implement research-based programs. The practical implications that study reporting has on the integration of research into practice is illustrated in the present study through a systematic review of a widely researched anxiety prevention program. Results indicated that study authors often did not provide sufficient detail on the intervention components used and whether those components were implemented with sufficient levels of treatment fidelity. Moreover, the supports used to facilitate the implementation of the intervention varied widely across studies. Thes...
Alpha-decay properties of 247Cf, 248Cf, 252Fm and 254Fm

Abstract Alpha-decay properties of 247Cf, 248Cf, 252Fm and 254Fm were measured using thin massseparated sources. Alpha spectra were measured with Au-Si surface barrier detectors and a magnetic spectrometer, and these were used to determine energies and intensities of α-groups. The energies and intensities are: 6.296 (95 %), 6.238 (5 %) in 247Cf decay; 6.258 (80.0 %), 6.217 (19.6 %), 6.118 (0.4 %) in 248Cf decay; 7.039 (84.0 %), 6.998 (15.0 %), 6.904 (0.97 %), 6.759 (0.023 %) in 252Fm decay; 7.192 (85.0 %), 7.150 (14.2 %), 7.050 (0.82 %), 6.898 (0.0066 %) in 254Fm decay. Gamma-ray spectra of mass-separated 252Fm and 254Fm samples were measured with a high-resolution Ge(Li) spectrometer, and the 2+ → 0+ and 4+ → 2+ transitions were observed in the decays of both nuclei. The half-lives of 247Cf and 252Fm were measured to be 3.11 ± 0.03 h and 25.39 ± 0.04 h, respectively. The α branching ratio α (α + EC ) for 247Cf was found to be (3.5±0.5) × 10−2% and the fission/α ratio was measured to be (2.3 ± 0.2) × 10−3% which corresponds to a fission half-life of 125 ± 8 y.
Cadmium's action on NRK-49F cells to produce responses induced also by TGFβ is not due to cadmium induced TGFβ production or activation

Abstract Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is a multifunctional regulator of cell growth that has either a stimulatory or inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, depending on TGFβ concentration and on cell type, history and culture conditions. Cadmium mimics some of the effects of TGFβ in cultured cells. In this study the effects of Cd 2+ and TGFβ on EGF-induced DNA synthesis in a clonal subpopulation (NI) of NRK-49F cells were compared. It was found that TGF β 1 and cadmium both inhibit EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion, but that neither inhibits EGF-induced myc oncogene accumulation. TGF β 1 and cadmium added at the same time as EGF or several hours after EGF addition showed similar inhibitory effects on EGF-induced [ 3 H]Tdr incorporation, indicating that the inhibitory effect of TGF β 1 and cadmium on EGF-induced DNA synthesis does not involve early G 1 events. Rather, they occur in late G 1 , at the G 1 /S boundary or during S phase. Because of the similarities in nature and timing of the Cd 2+ and TGFβ responses, the possibility that Cd 2+ acts through stimulation of TGFβ production and/or activation was explored. It is shown in this paper however that TGFβ neutralizing antibody blocks the effects of TGF β 1 , but not the cadmium effects, on EGF-induced DNA synthesis, suggesting that cadmium is not functioning through activation or preinduction of TGFβ.
Separating the scales of confinement and chiral-symmetry breaking in lattice QCD with fundamental quarks

Suggested holographic duals of QCD, based on AdS/CFT duality, predict that one should be able to vary the scales of color confinement and chiral-symmetry breaking independently. Furthermore they suggest that such independent variation of scales can be achieved by the inclusion of extra 4-fermion interactions in QCD. We simulate lattice QCD with such extra 4-fermion terms at finite temperatures and show that for strong enough 4-fermion couplings the deconfinement transition occurs at a lower temperature than the chiral-symmetry restoration transition. Moreover the separation of these transitions depends on the size of the 4-fermion coupling, confirming the predictions from the proposed holographic dual of QCD. We use simpler 4-fermion interactions than those suggested by these dual theories to facilitate our simulations. This is because we believe that the physics we wish to study should be insensitive to the precise form of these interactions.
Parentheticals in Russian

Parentheticals are represented by a morphosyntactically disparate group of linguistic items, united in function: they signal information from a different discourse plane and function in the process of context selection. This paper proposes an integrated approach to the definition of parentheticals, through an examination of functional characteristics, prosodic features, syntactic and pragmatic constraints. Parentheticals are divided into two classes, procedural parentheticals and conceptual parentheticals, based on a distinction between procedural and conceptual meaning which stems from Relevance Theory. They are further analyzed in terms of four functional categories: subjective evaluation, addressee-oriented shifts, supplementary information, and metastatements.
Defects, defect ordering, structural coherence and superconductivity in the 123 copper oxides

Abstract We discuss the influence of oxygen defects and defect ordering on superconductivity in 123 compounds. Because of the complexity of the high-temperature phase diagram, the synthesis history can significantly influence the properties. Room-temperature annealing experiments show that defect ordering on a short length scale can have a remarkable affect on superconductivity. We propose that structural coherence in the CuO 2 planes, which is present only if there is orthorhombic symmetry on at least a short length scale, is a requirement for superconductivity in these compounds.
Insights on aging and exceptional longevity from longitudinal data: novel findings from the Framingham Heart Study

Age trajectories of physiological indices contain important information about aging-related changes in the human organism and therefore may help us understand human longevity. The goal of this study is to investigate whether shapes of such trajectories earlier in life affect the residual life span distribution. We used longitudinal limited access data from seven physiological indices and life spans of respective individuals collected in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). These include: diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol (SCH), blood glucose (BG), hematocrit (HC), and pulse rate (PR). We developed a method for assigning individuals to groups of potentially long-lived (PLL) and potentially medium-lived (PML) groups using age trajectories of physiological indices at the age interval between 40 and 60 years. The analysis shows that the longevity of individuals who survived to age of 65 depends on the behavior of the physiological indices between 40 and 60 years of age.
Correlations between magnetic resonance spectroscopy and image-guided histopathology, with special attention to radiation necrosis.

OBJECTIVE: The differentiation of tumor recurrence from radiation necrosis in patients with malignant gliomas who have been treated previously remains a challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography cannot provide definitive histopathological insight. Multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ( 3 H MRSI) may be reliable in guiding the clinical management of untreated patients; however, its value in managing previously treated patients remains unclear. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients who had been treated previously with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and reoperated for clinical and/or radiographic signs that caused suspicion for recurrent disease were studied. Tissues were categorized into four groups: spectroscopically normal, pure tumor, mixed tumor and radiation necrosis, and pure radiation necrosis. Spectral data for choline (Cho), lipid-lactate (Lip-Lac), N-acetylaspartate, and creatine (Cr) were analyzed as Cho/normal Cr (nCr), Lip-Lac/ Cho, Lip-Lac/nCr, N-acetylaspartate/Cho, N-acetylaspartate/nCr, and Cho/normal Cho (nCho). Stereotactic biopsies were obtained within 48 hours of 1 H MRSI and were directly correlated digitally with 1 H MRSI data. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the basis of data obtained from 99 1 H MRSI observations to determine whether the 1 H MRSI ratios varied according to tissue category. RESULTS: 1 H MRSI ratios were found to distinguish pure tumor from pure necrosis. The odds of a biopsy's being pure tumor and having either a Cho/nCr value greater than 1.79 or a Lip-Lac/Cho value less than 0.75 are seven times the odds of that biopsy's being pure necrosis (odds ratio, 7.00; P = 0.0136). The odds of a biopsy's being pure necrosis and having either a Cho/nCr value less than 0.89 or a Cho/nCho value less than 0.66 are six times the odds of that biopsy's being pure tumor (odds ratio, 5.71; P = 0.0329). The odds of a biopsy's being pure necrosis and having either a Lip-Lac/Cho value greater than 1.36 or a Lip-Lac/nCr value greater than 2.84 are more than five times the odds of the biopsy's being pure tumor (odds ratio, 5.25; P = 0.0322). In addition, although only marginally significant, Lip-Lac/Cho and Lip-Lac/nCr ratios distinguish pure tumor from pure necrosis. No values suggested that mixed specimens could be distinguished in a statistically significant way from either pure tumor or pure necrosis. CONCLUSION: The data that we gathered suggest that metabolite ratios derived on the basis of 1 H MRSI spectral patterns do allow reliable differential diagnostic statements to be made when the tissues are composed of either pure tumor or pure necrosis, but the spectral patterns are less definitive when tissues composed of varying degrees of mixed tumor and necrosis are examined.
QUANTUM VERSION OF THE SZILARD ONE-ATOM ENGINE AND THE COST OF RAISING ENERGY BARRIERS

We present a variation on the Szilard one-atom engine "paradox," in which an adiabatic (in the quantum-mechanical sense) splitting of the container removes the need for a demon or measurement. We show that the solution depends on an interesting difference between the energetic cost of raising partitions in quantum and classical containers.
Clinical features of patients intubated by a flight team

Abstract Introduction Little information exists about the clinical features of patients intubated by a flight program and the relationships of those factors with flight team intervention. Methods Prospective analysis was conducted of consecutive patients intubated by a helicopter flight team. Results The flight team intubated 11.1% of patients transported. Scene origin and trauma diagnosis were associated with flight team intubation ( P P P Conclusion The flight team most commonly intubated patients who originated at the scene, suffered traumatic injury, and had altered mental status. Both the diagnosis distribution and primary clinical indicator for intubation varied with patient origin.
A new cutting-stock heuristic for scheduling production

Abstract This study interprets a scheduling problem in the woven fiberglass industry as an example of the cutting-stock problem; where wasted production capacity rather than wasted material is to be controlled. The solution is complicated due to the need to consider setup costs, so a heuristic is developed and tested. Comparison to one company's a historical production decisions indicates that both wasted capacity and setup Costs can be substantially reduced through application of the heuristic.
A 9.2µA gen 2 compatible UHF RFID sensing tag with −12dBm Sensitivity and 1.25µVrms input-referred noise floor

Passive RFID technology enables battery-free wearable and implantable sensors with an unlimited lifespan, small size, and sub-gram weight. These properties facilitate advanced biomedical research (such as untethered monitoring of freely-behaving insects and small animals) and unobtrusive human health monitoring. Passive sensor tags reported to date have employed simple ring oscillator temperature sensors with no protocol or addressability [1,2]. However, realistic applications demand accurate processing of µV-level biosignals and compatibility with industry standard RFID protocols.
Worst-case execution time analysis on modern processors

Many of the trends that have dominated recent evolution and advancement within the computer architecture community have complicated the analysis of task execution times. Most of the difficulties result from two particular emphases: (1) Instruction-level parallelism, and (2) Optimization of average-case behavior rather than worst-case latencies. Both of these trends have resulted in increased nondeterminism in the time required to execute particular code sequences. And since the analysis required to determine worst-case task execution times on modern processors is so complicated, it is not practical for programmers to perform all of the necessary analyses by hand. Tools must aid them. This paper describes ongoing research on a collection of tools intended to automate the analyses that must be performed in order to build reliable real-time software for modern computing environments. Emphasis is given to the interplay between components of the development environment.
Chlorhexidine vs. Sterile vaginal wash during labor to prevent neonatal infection.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if a dilute solution of chlorhexidine used as a one-time vaginal wash intrapartum can reduce the use of postnatal antibiotics and neonatal infection.
Results of Surgery for Bronchiectasis and Pulmonary Abscesses

Bronchiectasis and lung abscess are generally treated medically, reserving surgery for when medical treatment has failed. Current goals of surgical therapy for bronchiectasis are to offer possible cure and better quality of life after medical treatment has failed and to resolve and prevent complications, such as empyema, severe hemoptysis, and lung abscess. Whenever possible, complete resections of localized disease should be done, reserving palliative resections to selected diffuse bronchiectasis with localized severe disease. Most lung abscesses can be successfully treated medically provided early diagnosis and prompt treatment are instituted.
TPO-mimetics and myelofibrosis? A reticulin question!

In this issue of Blood , Kuter and colleagues present further information about the incidence and temporal course of bone marrow reticulin fiber formation after treatment with a TPO-mimetic. Reticulin fiber formation is present to some degree in normal bone marrows of healthy adults,[1][1] whereas
The Controlled Environment

In framing a prognosis for the 1980s with respect to our indoor environment, we could, like Orwell, select 1984 as a target date and this after all is only 13 years away. One way to cut fanciful prognoses down to size is to think back 13 years ago to 1958 and ask oneself, c what have we really accomplished in the last 13 years?’. Well, there has been progress technically but the most impressive change has been the public acceptance and market development of the concept of indoor environment control. That is, all-season air conditioning. In the 13 years since 1958, air conditioning has become a major industry in the United States currently amounting to an installed value of nearly $6 x 109 per year, and this is more than four times the level of 1958. I offer some pertinent statistics: (1) In the past 13 years annual installation of central residential air conditioning has multiplied 8.5 times to 1.2 million units per year and today one-third of all new single family detached houses built are air conditioned. (2) Today more than 85 % of all multi-family buildings are air conditioned as built. (3) Classroom buildings for colleges and universities are today nearly always air conditioned. (4) Air conditioning is installed 50 % of the time in new primary and secondary schools as compared to less than 2% 13 years ago. (5) Practically 100 % of major office buildings that are built are air conditioned and have been so designed for the past 20 years.