cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The case for automatic higher-level features in forensic speaker recognition.

Approaches from standard automatic speaker recognition, which rely on cepstral features, suffer the problem of lack of interpretability for forensic applications. But the growing practice of using “higher-level” features in automatic systems offers promise in this regard. We provide an overview of automatic higher-level systems and discuss potential advantages, as well as issues, for their use in the forensic context.
Uncovering the Useful Structures of Complex Networks in Socially-Rich and Dynamic Environments

Many group activities can be represented as a complex network where entities (vertices) are connected in pairs by lines (edges). Uncovering a useful global structure of complex networks is important for understanding system behaviors and in providing global guidance for application designs. We briefly review existing network models, discuss several tools used in the traditional graph theory, distributed computing, distributed systems, and social network communities, and point out their limitations. We discuss opportunities to uncover the structural properties of complex networks, especially in a mobile environment, and we summarize three promising approaches for uncovering useful structures: trimming, layering, and remapping. Finally, we present some challenges in algorithmic techniques, with a focus on distributed and localized solutions, to represent various structures.
Can a better understanding of WIC customer experiences increase benefit redemption and help control program food costs

ABSTRACTThe Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program benefits nutritionally vulnerable populations by providing them with vouchers to buy healthful foods. In the retail sphere, the WIC program faces 2 challenges to maximizing its effectiveness: ensuring a positive retail experience that leads to full redemption of benefit vouchers and controlling food costs paid by the program. Unfavorable retail experiences may result in reductions in WIC benefit redemption, switching to other stores (even if expensive), or program dropout. We find that these WIC customer experiences depend on retailer size, store crowding, employee–customer interactions, and retailers’ WIC program management. WIC vendor managers can set normative retailer benchmarks of what is expected for WIC customer experiences resulting in WIC participant retention, thereby nudging underperforming retailers to improve and rewarding already excellent performing retailers.
Transport, fate, and toxicity of selected public health insecticides in waterways

Application of public health insecticides for mosquito control has increased dramatically with the recent outbreaks in the continental United States of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. Mosquito contr...
Investigating the Effect of Simulator Functional Fidelity and Personalized Feedback on Central Venous Catheterization Training.

Objective To compare the effect of simulator functional fidelity (manikin vs a Dynamic Haptic Robotic Trainer [DHRT]) and personalized feedback on surgical resident self-efficacy and self-ratings of performance during ultrasound-guided internal jugular central venous catheterization (IJ CVC) training. In addition, we seek to explore how self-ratings of performance compare to objective performance scores generated by the DHRT system. Design Participants were randomly assigned to either manikin or DHRT IJ CVC training over a 6-month period. Self-efficacy surveys were distributed before and following training. Training consisted of a pretest, 22 practice IJ CVC needle insertion attempts, 2 full-line practice attempts, and a posttest. Participants provided self-ratings of performance for each needle insertion and were presented with feedback from either an upper level resident (manikin) or a personalized learning system (DHRT). Setting A study was conducted from July 2016 to February 2017 through a surgical skills training program at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Participants Twenty-six first-year surgical residents were recruited for the study. Individuals were informed that IJ CVC training procedures would be consistent regardless of participation in the study and that participation was optional. All recruited residents opted to participate in the study. Results Residents in both groups significantly improved their self-efficacy scores from pretest to posttest (p Conclusion Simulation training with the DHRT system and the personalized learning feedback can improve resident self-efficacy with IJ CVC procedures and provide sufficient feedback to allow residents to accurately assess their own performance.
Effect of continuing care for people with cocaine dependence on criminal justice sentences

While continuing care for substance use treatment has been associated with reduced involvement in the criminal justice system, much of this research lacks random assignment to continuing care and so is limited by self-selection bias. This study sought to determine the impact of adding telephone-based continuing care to intensive outpatient programs on criminal justice outcomes for people with cocaine dependence. In three continuing care studies, spanning 1998-2008, participants were randomly assigned to an intensive outpatient program or an intensive outpatient program plus a telephone-based continuing care intervention. Cocaine-dependent participants from these three studies were included in the analyses, with outcomes derived from a dataset of jurisdiction-wide criminal sentences from a state sentencing agency. Multiple logistic regression was employed to examine the odds of a criminal conviction occurring in the 4 years after enrollment in a continuing care study. The results showed that, controlling for a criminal sentence in the previous year, gender, age, and continuing care study, people with cocaine dependence randomized to an intensive outpatient program plus a telephone-based continuing care intervention had 54% lower odds (p = 0.05, odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.20-1.02) of a criminal sentence in the 4 years after enrollment in the continuing care study, compared with those randomized to an intensive outpatient program alone. We can conclude that adding telephone monitoring and counseling to intensive outpatient programs is associated with fewer criminal convictions over a 4-year follow-up period compared with intensive outpatient programs alone.
Severe Lumbar Disability Is Associated With Decreased Psoas Cross-Sectional Area in Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

Study Design:Retrospective cohort.Objectives:Alterations in lumbar paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) may correlate with lumbar pathology. The purpose of this study was to compare paraspi...
PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2) regulates G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5)-induced cardiac hypertrophy in vitro.

PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) is a serine/threonine phosphatase that has been shown to regulate cell growth and survival through dephosphorylation of several members of the AGC family of kinases. G-protein–coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) is an AGC kinase that regulates phenylephrine (PE)-induced cardiac hypertrophy through its noncanonical function of directly targeting proteins to the nucleus to regulate transcription. Here we investigated the possibility that the PHLPP2 isoform can regulate GRK5-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). We show that removal of PHLPP2 by siRNA induces hypertrophic growth of NRVMs as measured by cell size changes at baseline, potentiated PE-induced cell size changes, and re-expression of fetal genes atrial natriuretic factor and brain natriuretic peptide. Endogenous GRK5 and PHLPP2 were found to interact in NRVMs, and PE-induced nuclear accumulation of GRK5 was enhanced upon down-regulation of PHLPP2. Conversely, overexpression of PHLPP2 blocked PE-induced hypertrophic growth, re-expression of fetal genes, and nuclear accumulation of GRK5, which depended on its phosphatase activity. Finally, using siRNA against GRK5, we found that GRK5 was necessary for the hypertrophic response induced by PHLPP2 knockdown. Our findings demonstrate for the first time a novel regulation of GRK5 by the phosphatase PHLPP2, which modulates hypertrophic growth. Understanding the signaling pathways affected by PHLPP2 has potential for new therapeutic targets in the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
A modified streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin stabilization matrix for time-domain FEM

While both discontinuous-Galerkin (DG) and Petrov-Galerkin (PG) methods are used for solving electromagnetic problems, it has been shown in that on a given mesh the approximate degrees of freedom for a DG scheme is about 24 times for a linear element and about 7 times for a quadratic element compared to the PG scheme. The stabilization matrix, often simply referred to as [τ], in the Streamline Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) scheme is computed from the flux Jacobians. Computing [τ] is an expensive process, therefore in this work [τ] is approximated by a diagonal matrix which renders its computation trivial. The proposed formulation is verified by the computation of Radar Cross Sections (RCS) for canonical spheres made up of Perfectly Electric Conducting (PEC).
An economic and engineering analysis of a 700°C advanced ultra-supercritical pulverized coal power plant

Abstract: EPRI has completed an engineering and economic evaluation of advanced ultra-supercritical pulverized coal (A-USC PC) technology to determine its generating efficiency and cost effectiveness. For a location in the United States, absent any cost imposed for CO 2 emissions, the cost of electricity from the A-USC PC design is slightly higher than that from a conventional supercritical PC design. However, as the CO 2 /MWh emitted by the A-USC PC plant is lower, imposing a relatively modest cost of $25 per tonne of CO 2 shifts the economics in its favor. The lower CO 2 emissions also lower the cost of carbon capture and storage once integrated with the A-USC PC power plant.
Intralabyrinthine pressure transmission of intracranial pressure in the normal guinea pig

Although basic for understanding normal inner ear function, our knowledge of intralabyrinthine fluid and pressure dynamics is only fundamental and remains largely theoretical. Sound is a pressure variation of a magnitude less than the steady state pressure maintained within the inner ear. The intralabyrinthine fluid movement that occurs within the inner ear secondary to a sound stimulus will be dependent on the intrinsic pressures within the fluids. Similarly with rotational vestibular stimulation; fluid movement within the inner ear occurs and is dependent on inner ear pressure. To further confound the issue, it is likely that the inner ear pressure is dynamic and constantly changing with activity (Andrews et al 1991). Yet the inner ear is able to instantaneously adapt providing a stable baseline for receiving an auditory or vestibular stimulus without distortion. The mechanism for fluid and pressure regulation is likely complex with a number of possibilities for error leading to inner ear disorders such as Meniere’s disease.
Examining contradictory evidence on racial/ethnic differences in perceived need for behavioral health treatment.

Objectives The study aims to investigate apparently contradictory evidence regarding racial/ethnic differences in perceived need for behavioral health treatment in two prominent surveys of the U.S. population, the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) and the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Methods The two surveys were compared with respect to two components of perceived need: service use and perceived need among the untreated. Logistic regression models were estimated to adjust comparisons for demographic characteristics. Comparisons were conducted in samples representing the entire population, without selection on a mental health assessment, and for samples meeting criteria for lifetime major depression. Results The surveys are concordant with respect to racial/ethnic differences in service use and discordant with respect to perceived need among the untreated. For instance, among untreated individuals, the odds of perceiving a need for treatment are significantly higher in Blacks than Whites in the NCS-R (OR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.1, 2.9]) but do not differ between these groups in the NSDUH (OR = 0.9, 95% CI [0.7, 1.2]). Temporal trends do not appear to explain this discordance. Conclusion Assessments of racial/ethnic differences in perceived need among untreated individuals are affected by methodological differences across surveys. Resolving contradictory evidence is critical to efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities.
Gaining Weight: Insulin-Eating Islet Macrophages.

The role of the immune system in homeostasis of pancreatic β cells in type 2 diabetes mellitus is poorly characterized. In a recent issue of Cell Metabolism, Ying et al. (2018) report that two subpopulations of macrophages expand during obesity to impair β cell function.
Procedural Fairness in Antitrust Enforcement: The U.S. Perspective

Due process and fairness in enforcement procedures represent a critical aspect of the rule of law. Allowing greater participation by the parties and making enforcement procedures more transparent serve several functions, including better decision-making, greater respect for government, stronger economic growth, promotion of investment, limits corruption and politically motivated actions, regulation of bureaucratic ambition, and greater control of agency staff whose vision do not align with agency leadership or who are using an enforcement matter to advance their careers. That is why such distinguished actors as the International Competition Network (ICN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the American Bar Association (ABA) have all offered frameworks for promoting greater fairness in antitrust enforcement. Because the U.S. was the first country to enact an antitrust law, it has enjoyed the longest opportunity to develop its enforcement practices. As such, after first introducing the key antitrust enforcement institutions, this chapter will explore the manner in which U.S. implements four key procedural protections (legal representation, notice of the legal basis and evidence underlying the alleged violation, engagement between the parties and the investigative staff, and internal checks and balances/judicial review) to provide insights into ways to improve U.S. law and in the hopes that other jurisdictions might benefit from the U.S. experience.
Implications of 4D weather cubes for improved cloud free line of sight assessments of free space optical communications link performance

This study advances the benefits of previously reported 4D Weather Cubes towards creation of high fidelity cloud free line of sight (CFLOS) beam propagation for realistic assessment of auto-tracked/dynamically routed free space optical communication datalink concepts. 4D Weather Cubes are the product of efficient processing of large, computationally intensive, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gridded numerical weather prediction (NWP) data coupled with embedded physical relationships governing cloud, fog, and precipitation formation to render highly realistic 4D cloud free line of sight analytical environments. The Weather Cubes accrue parameterization of optical effects and custom atmospheric resolution through implementation of the verified and validated Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) atmospheric characterization and radiative transfer code. 4D Weather Cube analyses have recently been expanded to accurately assess Directed Energy weapons and sensor performance (probabilistic climatologies and performance forecasts) at any wavelength/frequency or spectral band in the absence of field test and employment data. The 4D Weather Cubes initialize the High Energy Laser End to End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) propagation code, which provides a means to dynamically point the communication link. HELEEOS’ calculation of irradiance at the detector as a function of transmission, optical turbulence, and noise sources such as path radiance was the basis for comparative percentile performance binning of FSO communication bit error rates as a function of wide-ranging azimuth/elevation, earth-to-space uplinks. The aggregated, comparative bit error rate binning analyses for different regions, times of day, and seasons using a full year of data provided numerous occasions of clouds, fogs, and precipitation events, thus demonstrating the relevance of 4D Weather Cubes for adroit management of CFLOS opportunities to enhance performance analyses of point-to-point as well as evolving multilayer wireless network concepts.
Improving Incidental Finding Documentation in Trauma Patients Amidst Poor Access to Follow-up Care.

Abstract Background Incidental findings (IFs) are common among injured patients and create a complex problem with no standardized solution. Materials and methods This is a retrospective review of adult trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center from January to May 2017. IFs from abdominal, chest, and neck imaging were categorized based on previously published guidelines focused on clinically significant IFs. Patient demographics related to access to care were collected. Outcome measures included documentation and patient notification of IFs. A univariate analysis was performed to identify characteristics that were associated with these outcomes. Results Of 1671 patients, 682 met inclusion criteria, and 418 (61.3%) had any IF based on the a priori categorization scheme. In total, 67 (9.8%) were homeless, 58 (8.5%) had no health insurance, and 115 (16.9%) had no established primary care provider prior to admission. Documentation of IFs was included in discharge summaries and instructions 76.5% and 40.2% of the time, respectively. Physicians were statistically more likely to appropriately document IFs when radiologists provided specific recommendations. Transfer to another hospital service prior to discharge and discharge to another acute care facility were associated with reduced rates of successful documentation. No factors significantly affected documentation of patient notification. Conclusions Trauma patients are at risk for poor access to follow-up care of IFs. Expanding IF-specific guidelines, collaborating with radiologists to facilitate their inclusion in reports, and ensuring that IFs are part of patient hand-offs could provide systematic methods of improving their documentation.
The consequences of economic inequality for presidential elections in the United States

Abstract We apply an approach to building a dense and consistent data set for income inequality that was developed for international comparisons to the case of the fifty states (and the District of Columbia) within the United States. This permits us to measure the change of economic inequality year-to-year for each state going back to 1969, something that was previously difficult to do for years before 2000, owing to the small sample size of the Current Population Survey and the fact that the Census is conducted only once in ten years. Given that US presidential elections are decided on a state-by-state basis through a winner-take-all allocation of votes in the Electoral College, we ask whether and to what degree levels or changes of economic inequality at the level of individual states affect the partisan alignment of those states and therefore the outcome of US presidential elections. There is a strong association, and one that suggests an economic model of current American presidential politics, as well as making a prediction for its future direction.
Are U.S. Schools Closing the “Gifted Gap”? Analyzing Elementary and Middle Schools’ Gifted Participation and Representation Trends (2012–2016):

This article tests hypotheses by examining variations in the percentage of elementary and middle schools offering gifted and talented programs as well as gifted student participation and representa...
Market Dynamics of Human Trafficking: Part I Introduction

This chapter introduces the subsequent chapters in Part I: Market Dynamics of Human Trafficking and provides a brief overview of legal and illicit markets (historical and present) that are impacted by human trafficking. This introduction offers examples of how industries using forced and coerced labor infiltrate the fabric of society for all who live in the United States. Moreover, a successful public health approach to exploitation prevention work requires context-based governmental and community-level engagement.
The influence of anxiety sensitivity, & personality on social anxiety symptoms

A growing research base supports the separate and distinct role of Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) in the etiology of anxiety disorders. AS is a belief that experiencing anxiety will cause negative consequences cognitively, psychologically, and physically. There is an interest in understanding how well transdiagnostic factors such as Anxiety Sensitivity can identify different anxiety disorders. This study examined the role of anxiety sensitivity as measured by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index- 3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al., 2007) in relation to social anxiety symptoms using two different measures: Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; Mattick & Clarke, 1989) and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE, Leary, 1983). One hundred ninety-eight participants completed self-report measures assessing anxiety sensitivity, trait anxiety, positive and negative affect and social anxiety symptoms. Regression analyses results showed that the ASI-3 Social Concerns factor significantly estimated both BFNE and SIAS symptoms. Trait anxiety and positive and negative affect were differentially effective in estimating BFNE and SIAS symptoms. Seven variables accounted for 50% of the variance in self-reported social anxiety symptoms. These findings provide insight into the etiology of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and support the transdiagnostic value and incremental validity of the ASI-3 in predicting social anxiety symptoms.
Erratum to: Lagrangian differentiation, integration and eigenvalues problems

Calogero recently proposed a new and very powerful method for the solution of Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problems based on Lagrangian differentiation. In this paper, I present some results of a numerical investigation of Calogero's method for physically interesting problems. I then show that one can «invert» his differentiation technique to obtain a flexible, factorially convergent Lagrangian integration scheme which should be useful in a variety of problems,e.g., solution of integral equations.
Density of Gallai multigraphs

Diwan and Mubayi asked how many edges of each color could be included in a $3$-edge-colored multigraph containing no rainbow triangle. We answer this question under the modest assumption that the multigraphs in question contain at least one edge between every pair of vertices. We also conjecture that this assumption is, in fact, without loss of generality.
The Finances of Poor School Districts

(1994). The Finances of Poor School Districts. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 74-77.
Sphingomyelin synthesis is involved in adherence during macrophage differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Prior studies demonstrated that sphingomyelin degradation via a sphingomyelinase antagonized phorbol ester-mediated differentiation of HL-60 cells into macrophages (Kolesnick, R.N. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 7617-7623). The present studies show that phorbol esters induce early sphingomyelin synthesis in HL-60 cells and that this event may play a direct role in development of an adherent macrophage population. A maximally effective concentration of the potent phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 1 x 10(-7) M) stimulated an elevation in the sphingomyelin level at 24 h from 560 to 700 pmol/10(6) cells; a peak level of 1400 pmol/10(6) cells was achieved at 48 h. Phosphatidylcholine levels did not change significantly, indicating sphingomyelin synthesis was selective. The phosphatidylcholine:sphingomyelin ratio decreased from 10.3 to 7.9 at 24 h and to 5.3 at 48 h. Phorbol ester-induced sphingomyelin synthesis was biphasic. A burst of synthesis, detectable within 1 h and linear for 4 h, was followed by a prolonged phase at a slower rate. Ceramide synthesis was also biphasic. Ceramide levels decreased initially consistent with activation of the enzyme, phosphatidylcholine:ceramide cholinephosphotransferase and increased during the prolonged phase of sphingomyelin synthesis. During phorbol ester-induced differentiation, an adherent macrophage population was demonstrable by 14 h. This population contained the entire elevation of sphingomyelin levels. This demonstrates that early sphingomyelin synthesis defines a population of cells destined to become adherent macrophages. Studies were performed to directly manipulate sphingomyelin levels. Small unilamellar vesicles containing sphingomyelin did not directly induce macrophage differentiation but rather potentiated the effect of submaximal concentrations of phorbol ester. Sphingomyelin vesicles (2 x 10-6 M) enhanced TPA (5 x 10-10 M)-induced adherence 2-fold from 12 to 24% of the total population. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (5 x 10-6 M), which may be acylated to sphingomyelin, was similarly effective. Further, exogenous sphingomyelinase, but not various phospholipases A2 and C, induced detachment of adherent macrophages. In sum, these studies demonstrate that phorbol esters induce early, selective synthesis of sphingomyelin in HL-60 cells. This event defines a population of cells destined to become adherent macrophages and may play a direct role in the adherence process.
Protein–DNA Interactions: Polyelectrolyte Effects

The stability of noncovalent protein–DNA complexes is typically sensitive to the ionic composition of the solution, in a manner that is dependent on the specific ion concentrations and is not a simple ionic strength effect. One important origin of this sensitivity to solution conditions is the polyelectrolyte effect. Keywords: Protein–nucleic acid interactions; thermodynamics; polyelectrolytes; binding
Waiting time distribution in real-time integrated service systems

The author examines an integrated services system at a time-division multiplexing (TDM) node where packets of two priorities, the HP (high priority) and the LP (low priority), are served. The arrivals of LP packets are assumed to be Poisson, while the HP arrivals have a frame-to-frame dependency that characterizes many real-time systems. The system is modeled as a discrete-time system with a fluctuating number of servers for the LP packets. The analysis yields a closed-form expression for a probability generating function (PGF) of the LP waiting time distribution. >
Spectroscopic distinguishability of glucose from tissues in the porcine eye

An optical, non-invasive technique, Raman spectroscopy, has been used to detect glucose in ex vivo porcine eyes. This method can be used in the development of a detection system that could be an alternative to the current diabetic patients' blood glucose finger-stick test, which is painful and so done infrequently. The measurement system in this study is designed to optimize the signal collection from the anterior chamber of the eye. In this initial study, high concentrations of 10% and 20% glucose solutions are injected into the anterior chamber of the eyes, and the Raman spectrum due to the presence of glucose in identified. Raman spectra of porcine lenses and corneas were also measured to determine the distinguishability of these contributions from the glucose. Although there are Raman peaks of porcine cornea and lens that are close to the positions of signature glucose peaks, they have distinguishable characteristics. The system used in this study was relatively inexpensive and employs a reduced incident laser power compared to the systems used in similar studies of Raman scattering from glucose.
Career Awareness: Successful Strategies That Work

The more students know about them selves and the world of work, the more likely they will be to make satis fying decisions about their future. School counselors at the middle level are in a unique position to offer stu dents a variety of career awareness experiences.
Effects of low dissolved oxygen events on the macrobenthos of the lower Chesapeake Bay

The effects of low dissolved oxygen or hypoxia (<2 mg l−1) on macrobenthic infaunal community structure and composition in the lower Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries, the Rappahannock, York, and James rivers are reported. Macrobenthic communities at hypoxia-affected stations were characterized by lower species diversity, lower biomass, a lower proportion of deep-dwelling biomass (deeper than 5 cm in the sediment), and changes in community composition. Higher dominance in density and biomass of opportunistic species (e.g., euryhaline annelids) and lower dominance of equilibrium species (e.g., long-lived bivalves and maldanid polychaetes) were observed at hypoxia-affected stations. Hypoxia-affected macrobenthic communities were found in the polyhaline deep western channel of the bay mainstem north of the Rappahannock River and in the mesohaline region of the lower Rappahannock River. No hypoxic effects on the infaunal macrobenthos were found in the York River, James River, or other deep-water channels of the lower Chesapeake Bay.
Large Millimeter Telescope project: overview and optical design

The 'Large Millimeter Telescope' (LMT), or 'Gran Telescopio Milimetrico' (GTM), is a joint USA/Mexico Project and will be the worlds's largest short millimeter-wavelength ((lambda) equals 1 to 3.4 mm) radio telescope. The large collecting area, equivalent to a circular aperture of 50 m diameter, and the high altitude (4600 m) site will allow the LMT/GTM to achieve unprecedented astronomical performance. The telescope will be equipped with state-of-the-art heterodyne ((lambda) equals 3 mm) and bolometric ((lambda) equals 1 mm) focal plane arrays which will make it a powerful high angular resolution mapping instrument. Here, we present the current status of the LMT/GTM Project and its primary astronomical performance specifications. We then describe the optical design of the telescope, including some important aspects related to the wobbling subreflector and to the reimaging optics. We also analyze some of the electromagnetic characteristics of the alternative telescope configurations, enclosed or open-air, that were considered before the final selection of an open-air telescope took place.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prenatal and Neonatal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Levels and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Thyroid hormones are critical for normal brain development. This study examined autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels measured in mid-pregnancy maternal serum and infant blood after birth. Three groups of children born in Orange County, CA in 2000–2001were identified: ASD (n = 78), developmental delay (n = 45), and general population controls (GP) (n = 149). Samples were retrieved from prenatal and newborn screening specimen archives. Adjusted logistic regression models showed inverse associations between ASD and log transformed TSH levels in maternal serum samples (ASD vs. GP: OR [95 % CI] 0.33 [0.12–0.91], Early Onset ASD vs. GP: 0.31 [0.10–0.98]). Results for thyroid levels in newborn blood samples were similar though not significant (ASD vs. GP: 0.61 [0.18–2.04]).
An Empirical Comparison of Genetically Evolved Programs and Evolved Neural Networks for Multi-agent Systems Operating under Dynamic Environments

This paper expands on the research presented in [12] by comparing the performance of genetically evolved programs operating under dynamic game environments with that of neural networks with evolved weights. On the genetic programming side, the maximum allowed tree depth was varied in order to study its effect on the evolutionary process. For evolution of neural networks, encoding included direct encoding of weights and three different L-Systems. Empirical results show that genetic evolution of neural networks weights provided better performance under dynamic environments when evolved to choose which of several high-level actions to perform, such as "defend" or "attack". On the other hand, genetic programming evolved better solutions for low-level actions, such as "move left," "move right," or "accelerate." Solutions are analyzed in order to explain these differences.
The Rate of Progression of Radiation-Transformed Mammary Epithelial Cells Is Enhanced after Low-Dose-Rate Neutron Irradiation

Studies in this laboratory have shown enhancement of the mammary tumorigenic effects of neutron irradiation after low-dose-rate neutron exposures. To investigate possible reasons, a mammary cell system was used which allows quantitation of initiated mammary epithelial cells and examination of the progression of these radiation-altered cells toward the neoplastic phenotype. Female BALB/c mice were irradiated with fission-spectrum neutrons at dose rates of I rad/min or 1 rad/day. Twenty-four hours or 16 weeks after irradiation, mammary cells were obtained by enzymatic dissociation. Mammary outgrowths were derived by injection of 104 cells into glandfree fat pads of 3-week-old female BALB/c mice. The frequency of ductal dysplasias in outgrowths from cells irradiated at high or low dose rates was similar. Persistence of dysplasias differed markedly. Few of the dysplasias in outgrowths derived from cells irradiated at the high dose rate persisted, while a large fraction of the dysplasias in outgrowths derived from cells irradiated at low dose rate persisted. When cells remained in situ for 16 weeks prior to dissociation a higher frequency of persistent altered cells was also observed in outgrowths derived from cells irradiated at low neutron dose rates. These data suggest that low-dose-rate neutron exposures enhance the probability of progression of carcinogen-altered cells rather than increase the numbers of initiated cells.
Corrigendum to “Fall prevention and safety communication training for foremen: Report of a pilot project designed to improve residential construction safety” [J Safety Res 44 (2013) 111–118]

Corrigendum to “Fall prevention and safety communication training for foremen: Report of a pilot project designed to improve residential construction safety” [J Safety Res 44 (2013) 111–118] Vicki Kaskutas⁎, Ann Marie Dale, Hester Lipscomb, Brad Evanoff a a Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Campus Box 8005, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA b Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3834, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Particle settling rates increase with depth in the ocean

Abstract Time and depth-scales of particulate organic carbon degradation and CaCO3 and biogenic opal dissolution are critical to understanding the depth distribution of CO2 and dissolved nutrients in the ocean. The speed at which particles sink and the factors that control sinking speed are of primary importance to the distribution of oceanic nutrient concentrations and to the preservation of biogenic material in the sediment record. Sequencing sediment trap collectors deployed at US JGOFS sites in the equatorial Pacific and Arabian Sea provided a time series of particle fluxes from which particle settling rates were estimated. A comparison of settling velocities obtained from 100–500 m (Pilskaln et al., Deep Sea Research 45 (1998) 1803) to settling velocities obtained for depths between 1000 and 3500 m indicate an increase of a factor of 2–10 between 100 and 2000 m and an increase of 15–60% between 2000 and 3500 m. The increase in settling velocity in the deep ocean is generally correlated with the loss of Corg with depth. Lithogenic content does not appear to impact particle settling rate. Variability in particle settling rate is systematically related to physical forcing of the surface ocean in the Equatorial Pacific, but not in the Arabian Sea. The increase in particle settling rate with depth likely influences the delivery of CaCO3 to the sea floor.
The many measurements of self-control: How re-operationalized self-control compares

Since Gottfredson and Hirschi’s A General Theory of Crime was published in 1990, self-control has become a major focus in criminological theory and research and the issue of measuring self-control ...
Will the combination of US contrast microbubbles and high-intensity focused ultrasound enable noninvasive brain surgery?

McDannold et al have demonstrated that the administration of a microbubble-based US contrast agent reduces the acoustic power threshold required to induce lesions in rabbit brains with high-intensity focused ultrasound and that this procedure may potentially be monitored with MR thermometry. If these results can be reproduced in future clinical trials, this combination may enable precisely controlled noninvasive ablation of brain tumors with MR imaging guidance.
The effect of pulsed HVEM irradiation on microstructure evolution in a simple Fe-Ni-Cr alloy

Abstract The effect of pulsed, electron irradiation on microstructure evolution was studied in a simple Fe-Ni-Cr alloy and the results compared with a theoretical model. Pulse periods of 2.5 to 60 seconds (duty factor near 50%) at 600°C significantly reduced the maximum swelling rate compared to continuous irradiation. The void concentration was observed to increase and void size and swelling rates to decrease for the pulsed cases compared to the steady irradiation. Preliminary model calculations were used to guide the experiments and in the qualitative interpretation of the results. While there are several areas of agreement with experiment, the results indicate that further development of the models is required.
Adaptive Compact Magnetic Tunnel Junction Model

Electrical control of magnetic tunnel junc- tions (MTJs) provides opportunities to introduce MTJs into high- performance applications requiring low power consumption. The magnetic state of an MTJ can be electrically controlled through: 1) the spin transfer torque (STT) effect; 2) the voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) effect; and 3) the fusion of STT and VCMA. Several compact models have been published for MTJs. All of these models consider an MTJ whose magnetic state is controlled through the STT effect. In this paper, a model of an MTJ comprising a free layer, an analysis layer, and a spin polarizing layer is described. The MTJ compact model, adaptive compact MTJ (ACM) model, includes the effects of asymmetry on the MTJ behavior, and models a device controlled through the STT, VCMA, or a fused STT-VCMA mechanism. The ACM model includes the dynamics of the junction temperature. The proposed model can be adapted to experimental configurations including in-plane MTJ (IMTJ), IMTJ with a perpendicular- to-the-plane polarizer, perpendicular-to-the-plane MTJ (PMTJ), and PMTJ with an additional easy axis. The ACM model is validated with published experimental data, showing reasonably accurate results with an average error of less than 6%.
Medial septal lesions retard classical conditioning of the nicitating membrane response in rabbits

Lesions of the medial septum were produced in 7 of 14 rabbits prior to classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response. Lesions significantly altered the hippocampal electroencephalogram, attenuated conditioned hippocampal unit responses, and slowed the behavioral rate of acquisition. The contrast of the behavioral results with those of studies of massive septal or hippocampal ablation suggests a functional subdivision of the septo-hippocampal system in learning.
Determination of red blood cell velocity by video shuttering and image analysis.

A novel modification of conventional video imaging techniques has been developed to determine the velocity of red blood cells (RBCs), which offers compatibility with existing video-based methods for determining blood oxygenation and hemoglobin concentration. Traditional frame-by-frame analysis of video recordings limits the maximum velocity that can be measured for individual cells in vivo to about 2 mm/s. We have extended this range to about 20 mm/s, by electronic shuttering of an intensified charge-coupled device camera to produce multiple images of a single RBC in the same video frame. RBCs were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and the labeled cells (FRBCs) were used as probes to determine RBC velocities in microvessels of the hamster retractor muscle. Velocity was computed as the product of the distance between centroids of two consecutive image positions of a FRBC and the shuttering frequency of the camera intensifier. In vitro calibrations of the system using FRBC and Sephadex beads coated onto a rotating disk yielded an average coefficient of variation of about 6%. Flow conservation studies at bifurcations indicated that the maximum diameter of microvessels below which all the FRBCs in the lumen could be detected was 50 μm. The technique was used to estimate mean-FRBC velocity distributions in vessels with diameters ranging from 8 to 50 μm. The mean-FRBC velocity profiles were found to be blunter than would be expected for Poiseuille flow. Single FRBCs tracked along an unbranched arteriole exhibited significant temporal variations in velocity. © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Visual-Feedback Distortion in a Robotic Rehabilitation Environment

We create a robotic rehabilitation environment that distorts the visual feedback of a movement representation to restore lost movements. The use of visual-feedback distortion produces a perceptual gap between the perceived (visual) and actual somatosensory experiences, in which movements can be manipulated without patients' knowledge. Previously, we reported the smallest amount of distortion that is imperceptible by measuring just noticeable difference (JND), the distortion size that is tolerable without detection, and the invariance of perceived physical effort under visual-feedback distortion. In this paper, we report the performance changes under visual-feedback distortion in a robotic rehabilitation environment. By interleaving trials with no visual feedback, we showed that the internal somatosensory representation of the movement goal changed along with visual distortion for unimpaired and motor-impaired subjects. In addition, a gradual change of visual-feedback distortion within one experiment allowed movement changes significantly larger than the JND. These changes were robust under sudden lack of visual feedback and even when subjects were informed of possible distortion ahead of time. Finally, preliminary results of a six-week rehabilitation paradigm are reported. Improvements in the patient's hand condition were found, particularly in the range of motion of the index and middle fingers
Does substance use moderate the effects of parents and peers on risky sexual behaviour

We investigated the moderating effects of drug/alcohol use in the past 3 months on the relationships of peer influence, parental permissiveness, and teen disposition (i.e., achievement motivation, attitude toward school, and value placed on health) with adolescent risky sexual behaviour. Participants were 207 adolescents receiving psychiatric care. Substance use did not moderate the relationship between adolescent disposition and risky sex. By contrast, peer influence and parental permissiveness were linked to risky sex but only for teens who reported using drugs/alcohol. Controlling for other predictors in the model, negative peer influence explained 21% and parental permissiveness explained 13% of the variance in risky sex among substance users, but less than half of 1% of the variance among non-substance users. The disinhibiting effects of substance use on decision-making and the need for effective parental monitoring to reduce opportunities for risk behaviour are discussed.
Improved multilevel quantization for detection of narrowband signals

Nearly optimum quantization levels for multileveled quantizers in radar receivers and distributed-detection are calculated for preassigned false-alarm probability Q/sub 0/ by maximizing the detection probability Q/sub d/ after replacing both Q/sub 0/ and (1-Q/sub d/) by the saddlepoint approximations. Narrowband signals of random phase and with both fixed and Rayleigh-fading amplitudes in Gaussian noise are treated, and the loss in signal detectability incurred by quantization is estimated. >
Intracerebroventricular Leptin Regulates Hepatic but Not Peripheral Glucose Fluxes

Acute intravenous infusions of leptin markedly alter hepatic glucose fluxes (Rossetti, L., Massillon, D., Barzilai, N., Vuguin, P., Chen, W., Hawkins, M., Wu, J., and Wang, J. (1997)J. Biol. Chem. 272, 27758–22763). Here we examine whether intracerebroventricular (ICV) leptin administration regulates peripheral and hepatic insulin action. Recombinant mouse leptin (n = 14; 0.02 or 1 μg/kg·h) or vehicle (n = 9) were administered ICV for 6 h to conscious rats, and insulin action was determined by insulin (3 milliunits/kg·min) clamp and tracer dilution techniques. During physiologic hyperinsulinemia (∼65 microunits/ml), the rates of glucose uptake (R d, 20.1 ± 0.6 and 23.1 ± 0.7 versus 21.7 ± 0.6 mg/kg·min;p = NS), glycolysis and glycogen synthesis were similar in rats receiving low- and high-dose leptin versusvehicle. ICV leptin resulted in a 2–3-fold increase in hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA levels. Glycogenolysis and PEP-gluconeogenesis (2.1 ± 0.3 mg/kg·min) contributed similarly to endogenous glucose production (GP) in the vehicle-infused group. However, gluconeogenesis accounted for ∼80% of GP in both groups receiving ICV leptin, while hepatic glycogenolysis was markedly suppressed (0.7 ± 0.3 and 1.2 ± 0.3 versus2.2 ± 0.4 mg/kg·min, in rats receiving low- and high-dose leptin versus vehicle, respectively; p
SIP server performance on multicore systems

This paper evaluates the performance of a popular open-source Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server on three different multicore architectures. We examine the baseline performance and introduce three analysis-driven optimizations that involve increasing the number of slots in hash tables, an in-memory database for user authentication information, and incremental garbage collection for user location information. Wider hash tables reduce the search time and improve multicore scalability by reducing lock contention. The in-memory database reduces interprocess communication and locking. Incremental garbage collection smooths out peaks of both central processing unit and shared memory utilization, eliminating bursts of failed SIP interactions and reducing lock contention on the shared memory segment. Each optimization affects single-core performance and multicore scalability in different ways. The overall result is an improvement in absolute performance on eight cores by a factor of 16 and a doubling of multicore scalability. Results somewhat vary across architectures but follow similar trends, indicating the generality of these optimizations.