cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are Credit Ratings More Rigorous for Widely Covered Firms

ABSTRACT We study how business press coverage can discipline credit rating agency actions. Because of their greater prominence and visibility to market participants, more widely covered firms can pose greater reputational costs for rating agencies. Consistent with rating agencies limiting such risk, we find that ratings for more widely covered firms are more timely and accurate, downgraded earlier and systematically lower in the year prior to default, and better predictors of default and non-default. We also find that the recent tightening of credit rating standards is largely explained by growing business press coverage of public debt issuers. Additionally, we find that credit rating agencies take explicit actions to improve their ratings by assigning better educated and more experienced analysts to widely covered firms. Moreover, we document that missed defaults of more visible firms create greater negative economic consequences for rating agencies, and that rating improvements following the financial c...
Enhanced cortical bone expansion in Lgals3-deficient mice during aging.

Imbalances between bone formation and bone resorption, which can occur due to aging or sex hormone deprivation, result in decreased bone mass and an increased risk of fracture. Previous studies have suggested that the β-galactoside binding lectin, galectin-3, is involved in bone remodeling. We compared bone parameters of mice having null alleles of the galectin-3 gene (Lgals3-KO) with those of their wild-type littermates. Lgals3 deficiency increased cortical bone expansion at 36 weeks (wk) and preserved or enhanced bone mass in both male and female mutant mice. In addition, female Lgals3-KO mice were protected from age-related loss of trabecular bone. Histomorphometry and ex vivo primary cell differentiation assays showed increased osteoblastogenesis with little-to-no effect on osteoclastogenesis, suggesting the increased bone mass phenotype is primarily due to increased anabolism. Our study identifies galectin-3 as a negative regulator of bone formation and suggests that disruption of galectin-3 may be useful in preventing bone loss during aging. Researchers have identified a promising new drug target to reduce bone loss during aging, a protein called galectin-3. Bones undergo lifelong remodeling via resorption of old bone and generation of new bone. With aging, the balance tips towards resorption, weakening bones. Galectin-3 was known to be involved in bone remodeling and levels increased with age. Bart Williams and co-workers at the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, USA, investigated whether the age-related increase in galectin-3 increased bone loss. Using mice lacking the gene encoding galectin-3, the researchers measured bone mass at different ages. In older mice, bone mass was preserved or even enhanced. Further investigation of bone cells showed the increase was probably due to increased bone formation, rather than decreased bone resorption. The researchers conclude that disrupting galectin-3 may help to prevent aging-related bone loss.
Language and mentality: Computational, representational, and dispositional conceptions

The purpose of this paper is to explore three alternative frameworks for understanding the nature of language and mentality, which accent syntactical, semantical, and pragmatical aspects of the phenomena with which they are concerned, respectively. Although the computational conception currently exerts considerable appeal, its defensibility appears to hing upon an extremely implausible theory of the relation of form to content. Similarly, while the representational approach has much to recommend it, its range is essentially restricted to those units of language that can be understood in terms of undefined units. Thus, the only alternative among these three that can account for the meaning of primitive units of language is one emphasizing the basic role of skills, habits, and tendencies in relating signs and dispositions.
Safety of intravenous thrombolysis in telestroke and impact of an acute stroke training curriculum (P2.255)

Objective: To assess impact of acute-stroke training-curriculum by comparing safety outcomes in patients treated by fellowship-trained stroke neurologists (FTSN) versus other neurologists (ON) via telemedicine. Background: Stroke telemedicine has the potential to improve access to intravenous thrombolysis nationwide. No formal training or credentialing process has been established for neurologists to provide telestroke care. Our academic Remote Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke (REACH) program has been delivering telestroke care for 9 years in South Carolina. Every telestroke provider neurologist undergoes a training curriculum prior to providing telestroke care. Design/Methods: All REACH consults from May-2008 to July-2017 were analyzed. Patients were classified based on whether remote evaluation was performed by FTSN or ON. Symptomatic ICH (sICH), asymptomatic ICH (aICH), and any ICH rates were determined in the 2 groups. Fisher’s exact-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare categorical variables and continuous variables respectively. Results: Total number of telestroke consults were 10,904 (7644 by 12 FTSN and 3260 by 13 ON respectively). IV tPA was given to 1446 (18.91%) patients in FTSN and 569 (17.45%) patients in ON group (p=0.07). sICH occurred in 59 (2.92%) patients overall, [42 (2.90%) FTSN vs 17 (2.98%) ON, p=0.88]. aICH occurred in 121 (6%) patients overall, [77 (5.32%) FTSN vs 44 (7.73%) ON group (p=0.04)]. Any ICH occurred in 180 patients overall [119 (8.22%) FTSN and 61 (10.72%) ON, (p=0.08)]. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates safety of IV tPA delivery via telestroke in AIS patients. There were no differences in IV tPA administration, sICH and any ICH rates between FTSN and ON providers, but the aICH rate was higher among ON. The comparable safety outcomes between ON and FTSN in our study are likely attributed to an AIS training curriculum at credentialing. National standardized credentialing training curricula for telestroke providers may help improve outcomes in AIS patients. Disclosure: Dr. Girotra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kohli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Debenham has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holmstedt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Banerjee has nothing to disclose.
The Potential of Information Technology to Navigate Caregiving Systems: Perspectives from Dementia Caregivers

Technologies designed to support caregivers of adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/RD) have been developing at an increasingly rapid pace. However, little remains known about caregivers' perspectives on how technologies can and should help them navigate larger service systems they interact with to engage in caregiving. This study involved in-depth interviews and a beta test of an AD/RD caregiver app to learn more about how they currently use technologies and how potential technological features and functions can best meet their needs. Thematic findings suggest a conceptual model for designing AD/RD caregiver technologies. The findings suggest that eHealth and individual technologies may not fully meet the needs of caregivers as they navigate the larger systems within which they provide care. Findings highlight the need to develop technologies for caregivers that are effective, easy to use, and more widely disseminated - especially for caregivers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Developing cross-cultural competence with traditional Chinese Americans in family therapy : Background information and the initial therapeutic contact

This paper presents an overview of Chinese American history, cultural values, family dynamics, traditional beliefs concerning psychological and interpersonal problems, and help seeking behaviors. Recommendations are given to family therapists in making initial contact with the more traditionally-oriented Chinese Americans.
(Dis)placing the Law: Lessons from South Africa on Advancing U.S. Asylum Rights

As the administration vastly erodes asylum rights in its efforts to reshape the immigration landscape, advocates are taking the battle to the courts. But their legal victories may have little impact on the lived realities of asylum seekers. Asylum seekers face continuing obstacles in accessing legal guarantees because, outside of the formal legal space, the law operates within a sociopolitical context that mediates access to rights. Frontline bureaucratic actors who interact directly with asylum seekers have considerable autonomy to implement their own more localized understandings of rights and justice, understandings that may, in turn, reinforce centralized policy preferences. While these frontline actors generally mediate interactions between the citizen and the state, asylum seekers stand outside of the political community defined by citizenship. The fact that the rights holder is external to the political community upon which they are making claims creates more space for frontline actors to displace formal legal rights and may limit the reach of judicial decisions. This paper focuses on the actions of frontline, or street level, actors and the efforts of an intransigent executive, characterized by hostility to the legal framework, to show how centralized (executive) and decentralized (street level) processes work in concert to circumvent legal guarantees. An intransigent executive whose policy interests diverge from the legal framework may create more opportunities for autonomous bureaucratic actors on the frontlines to implement their own legal understandings. The argument contextualizes emerging developments in the US by looking to South Africa. Despite highly progressive refugee legislation, street level actors implementing more localized understandings of rights and justice have prevented asylum seekers in South Africa from accessing their legislated rights, a process that converges with and is reinforced by national level policy preferences. Similar dynamics are now at work in the US as the Trump administration significantly alters the asylum system. Understanding these dynamics can lead to more effective judicial remedies. The argument reveals that these processes can affect the implementation of legislated and judicially recognized rights not just in emerging democracies, but also in established democracies where there rule of law is highly institutionalized. It also informs global discussions around refugee protection as countries around the world adopt similar strategies to limit asylum rights.
COX-2 inhibitor assay in InvTCC.

5272 Urinary bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma, TCC) affects more than 2 million people worldwide. Even with aggressive treatment, invasive TCC (InvTCC) is lethal in up to 50% of cases. A promising new target for InvTCC treatment is cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 is up-regulated in InvTCC. COX inhibitors have antitumor activity against naturally occurring invasive TCC in pet dogs and in experimentally induced bladder tumors in rodents. Mechanisms of the antitumor activity of COX inhibitors, however, remain to be fully defined, and this prevents optimal use of these drugs. One reason why mechanisms have not been defined is that COX inhibiting drugs do not have antiproliferative effects in standard in vitro assays. The purpose of this work was to define different in vitro systems for studies of COX-2 inhibitor antitumor effects, and to study the mechanism of action of a COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib. Human InvTCC cell lines used included: HT1376 (high COX-2 expression), TCC-SUP (modest COX-2 expression), and UMUC-3 (no detectable COX-2 expression). Assay variables tested included different microenvironment (monolayer, soft agar, collagen, and poly HEMA coated culture dishes); length of treatment (72-120 hrs); presence or absence of serum and fatty acids; and concentration of the COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib. In addition, cell proliferation was “rescued” from COX-2 inhibitor effects by the addition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Soft agar assays were found to be useful for the study of COX-2 inhibitors (38% reduction in colony number) with relevant celecoxib concentrations (i.e. those safely achieved in vivo in humans;
The Effect of Fixation Methods on Outcomes in Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair.

Introduction The ideal fixation methods in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair continue to be debated. Early series touted the importance of suture and tack fixation; however, due to the perceived concern for increased pain, newer tack-only fixation methods have emerged. The purpose of this study was to compare fixation methods in laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs using a large hernia database. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed data from the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) database comparing two groups of fixation (all tacks vs. all sutures and tacks and sutures and permanent tacks vs. sutures and absorbable tacks). The primary outcome measures were hernia recurrence, hospital length of stay, surgical site infection, surgical site occurrence, pain intensity scores, and quality-of-life scores evaluated at 30 days, six months, one year, and two years, Propensity score matching was used to strengthen the retrospective nature of the study. Results Eight hundred and fifty-two patients were included for analysis; 426 patients with tack-only fixation and 426 with tack and suture fixation. Eight hundred and four total patients were included for analysis; 402 patients with sutures with permanent tacks and 402 patients with sutures and absorbable tacks. For both comparisons, there was no significant difference in hospital length of stay, hernia recurrence rate, surgical site infection rate, surgical site occurrence rate, or surgical site occurrence requiring procedural intervention (p>0.05). There was also no significant difference in pain scores and quality-of-life scores at baseline, 30 days, six months, and one year. The only significant difference was in quality of life at two years. Patients with sutures and tacks had better quality-of-life scores compared with patients with tacks only (64 vs. 39, p Conclusion Data available in the AHSQC database reviewed in this study indicate that there were no clinically significant differences between types of fixation methods when used in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.
The Compounding Effect of Race/Ethnicity and Disability Status on Children's Health and Health Care by Geography in the United States.

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the potential compounding effect of race/ethnicity, and disability status on children's health and health care, stratified by selected geographies. Methods We used the 2011/2012 NSCH and the 2012 Boston Survey of Children's Health for our compounded disparity analysis. We used VanderWheel and Knol method to first predict combined risk ratios of race/ethnicity and disability and then compared them with the observed combined risk ratios. Results We demonstrated that racial/ethnic minority children with disabilities experience additional disparities in health care access outcomes that are greater than the sum of the effects from either characteristic alone. Further, we demonstrate that disparities persist across all selected geographies irrespective of whether children lived in states or metropolitan cities with the best health care systems in the United States. Conclusions Despite reform efforts, our study demonstrates that racial/ethnic minority children with disabilities experience a double burden. Given the deleterious compounded disparities, public health and social service programs at all geographical levels should prioritize identifying participants that face this and tailor programs to meet their needs.
The practice and its authority: an elaboration

A ‘practical’ theory of human rights should make sense of two claims: a ‘practice claim’ – that international human rights can fruitfully be regarded as an existing social practice – and an ‘author...
Stellar Populations in Ten Clump-Cluster Galaxies of the Ultra Deep Field

Color-color diagrams for the clump and interclump emission in 10 clump-cluster galaxies of the Ultra Deep Field are made from B,V,i, and z images and compared with models to determine redshifts, star formation histories, and galaxy masses. The clump colors suggest declining star formation over the last ~0.3 Gy, while the interclump emission is older. The clump luminous masses are typically 6x10^8 Msun and their diameters average 1.8 kpc. Total galaxy luminous masses average 6.5x10^10 Msun. The distribution of axial ratios is consistent with a thick disk geometry. The ages of the clumps are longer than their internal dynamical times by a factor of ~8, so they are stable clusters, but the clump densities are only ~10 times the limiting tidal densities, so they could be deformed by tidal forces. This is consistent with the observation that some clumps have tails. The clumps could form by gravitational instabilities in accreting disk gas, or they could be captured as gas-rich dwarf galaxies. Support for this second possibility comes from the high abundance of nearly identical bare clumps in the UDF field. Several clump-clusters have disk densities that are much larger than in local disks, suggesting they do not survive but get converted into ellipticals by collisions.
Tumor lysis Syndrome in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Alpelisib.

Purpose:Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a rare but life-threatening phenomenon that occurs mainly in patients with aggressive hematologic or highly chemotherapy sensitive solid tumors such as high-gr...
An Empirical Ultraviolet Template for Iron Emission in Quasars as Derived from I Zw 1

We present an empirical template spectrum suitable for fitting/subtracting and studying the FeII and FeIII line emission in the restframe UV spectra of active galatic nuclei (AGNs), the first empirical UV iron template to cover the full 1250 - 3090 A range. Iron emission is often a severe contaminant in optical--UV spectra of AGNs. Its presence complicates and limits the accuracy of measurements of both strong and weak emission lines and the continuum emission, affecting studies of line and continuum interrelations, the ionization structure, and elemental abundances in AGNs. Despite the wealth of work on modeling the AGN FeII emission and the need to account for it in observed AGN spectra, there is no UV template electronically available to aid this process. The iron template we present is based on HST spectra of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1, IZw1. Its intrinsic narrow lines (~900 km/s) and rich iron spectrum make the template particularly suitable for use with most AGN spectra. The iron emission spectrum and the line identifications and measurements are presented and compared with the work of Laor et al. We illustrate the application of the derived FeII and FeIII templates by fitting and subtracting the iron emission from UV spectra of four high-z quasars and of the nearby quasar, 3C273. We briefly discuss the small discrepancies between this observed iron emission and the UV template, and compare the template with previously published ones. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the templates and of the template fitting method. We conclude that the templates work sufficiently well to be a valuable and important tool for eliminating and studying the iron emission in AGNs, at least until accurate theoretical iron emission models are developed. (Abridged)
Dynamic neuroimaging of intranasal-administered radiotracers to assess brain waste clearance

1606 Objectives: Diminished waste clearance from the brain is partially mediated by the glymphatic system (GS) and hypothesized to contribute to protein aggregation, neurotoxicity, and cognitive decline in elderly and dementia patients. The impact of reduced glymphatic efficacy has not been investigated, as clinical methods to evaluate the GS are lacking. A sensitive, non-invasive, and translatable approach was investigated to quantify brain waste clearance following intranasal delivery of 18F-Fluoride and 18F-2-deoxy-2-fluorosorbitol (18F-FDS). Methods: Brain uptake and clearance were measured in rats using a 7T Bruker BioSpec 70/30 MRI with PET insert following intranasal (IN) dosing (0.550 mCi, n=4) or tail vein injection (0.409 mCi, n=6) of 18F-Fluoride. To reduce skull accumulation and spillover into brain tissue, 18F-FDS brain clearance was evaluated following IN (.07 mCi, n=2) or intravenous (IV; .05 mCi, n=2) dosing. PET scans were acquired in 14 frames for 18F-Fluoride scans (5x60 seconds; 9x5 minutes with 5-minute delay between each frame) or three static frames for 18F-FDS (3 5-minute frames at 25-, 105-, and 240-minutes post-dose). Nyquist sampling tested the PET resolution using 0.43 mm cubic voxels spanning an 18F-Fluoride-filled tube. Spillover characterization was used to identify a brain region (“Deep VOI”, VOI: volume of interest) with minimal skull contribution. PET reconstruction was achieved using a MLEM algorithm (12 iterations, 0.75 mm isotropic voxels) following randoms, scatter, dead time, decay, and attenuation correction using MRI-generated attenuation maps for each subject. PET scans were manually registered to a RARE anatomical MRI (TE 72.91 ms; TR 210 ms; echo spacing 9.121 ms; 90-degree excitation angle; 180-degree refocusing angle; 4 averages) for analysis in Pmod 4.1. Brain uptake and clearance were assessed as percent change from baseline, where baseline is the first 5-minute PET frame (25-minutes post-dose). For 18F-FDS scans, analysis was conducted for the whole brain. Results: For both tracers, brain clearance patterns differed between IN and IV dosing. 18F-Fluoride showed high skull accumulation and similar Deep VOI uptake profiles for both IV and IN delivery. After 105 minutes, 18F-Fluoride given IN showed a 57.5% reduction in signal, while IV showed an increase of 36.9%. Skull uptake was absent in 18F-FDS subjects. IN 18F-FDS showed brain uptake and clearance (110% signal reduction after 105 minutes) whereas brain accumulation of IV 18F-FDS only declined from baseline. Conclusions: PET/MRI had sufficient resolution for imaging brain clearance of 18F-Fluoride independent of 18F in adjacent skull. IN delivery of tested tracers was better suited for imaging brain clearance than IV. 18F-FDS may be preferred for future studies due to the lack of skull uptake and spillover, potentially improving sensitivity by analyzing the whole brain.
Who Are African Americans

Who are African Americans looks at the historical timelines of Africans to African Americans from the 1500s to 2016. It starts from the definitional context of Locke and Bailey (2013) that “African American refers to descendants of enslaved Black people who are from the United States” and then further explains that they define them … “from an entire continent (Africa) instead of a country (e.g., Irish American) because slave masters purposefully obliterated tribal ancestry, language, and family units in order to destroy the spirit of the people they enslaved, thereby making it impossible for their descendants to trace their history prior to being born into slavery.” O’Bryant’s review of historical timelines contrast the achievements against the setbacks, the intent of enslavers against the resilience of the enslaved, the guidance of elders, and the continuity of messaging from generation to generation. O’Bryant concludes that Who are African Americans is more accurately defined with qualitative descriptors to reflect the resilience, commitment, and determination of the descendants of enslaved Africans born in America who have persisted in their quest to achieve equality, equity, and justice for African Americans despite the oppressive injustices perpetrated against them by the descendants of white immigrants for nearly five centuries.
Axon Guidance in the Spinal Cord

Neural circuit assembly requires the coordination of various developmental processes, including axon guidance and synapse formation. Growth cones, the leading edges of axons, navigate by interacting with different kinds of attractive and repulsive axon guidance cues along their trajectories and at target areas.
Theory of Multiple Resonance and ESR Saturation in Liquids and Related Media

The well-known result from the steady-state solution of the Bloch equations is that the absorption is given by the y component of magnetization \(\tilde M_y\) in the rotating frame(1): $$\tilde M_y = \frac{{\gamma H_1 T_2 }} {{1 + \left( {T_2 \Delta \omega } \right)^2 + \gamma _e^2 \beta _1^2 T_1 T_2 }}M_0 $$ (1) with M 0 the equilibrium magnetization, β1 the strength of the rf magnetic field, and γ e the electron-spin gyromagnetic ratio.
Immiscibility and Crystallization in A12O3‐SiO2 Glasses

Metastable glass-in-glass separation was observed on rapid quenching of A12O3-SiO2 melts containing from 10 to 50 mol% A12O3. Nucleation and subsequent crystallization of mullite within the high-alumina-dispersed glass phase may occur either during cooling from the melt or on reheating. The metastable binary two-liquid region is compositionally defined, and a structural interpretation of the phase separation and the effects of small oxide additions on it is offered. Evidence for both classical and possible spinodal nucleation mechanisms during liquid segregation in this system is presented.
DNA analysis in forensics, disease and animal/plant identification.

Abstract During 1993, significant advances have been achieved in applications of DNA analysis to forensic science, disease assessment, and animal/plant identification. These advances include the development of simple and high sample-throughout techniques for highly informative personal identification, rapid screening for pathogens and the development of polymorphic genetic markers in plants and animals.
Price analysis, risk assessment, and insurance for organic crops

The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 recognized organic farming as a"good farming practice," making federal crop insurance coverage available for organiccrops, and taking into account the idiosyncrasies of the organic production system. Inaddition to the production risks covered for conventional producers, organic farmerswho sign up for coverage are compensated for production losses from damage due toinsects, disease, and/or weeds. However, the incorporation of organic production intothe crop insurance rating structure has been limited. Organic producers are charged anarbitrary 5% premium surcharge over conventional crop insurance. The actuarialfairness of this premium is, at least, questionable. In addition, in the case of crop failure,organic farmers receive compensation based on the prices of conventionally producedcrops. Thus, price premiums that organic producers are able to obtain in the market arenot compensated for under the current insurance policy structure.The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, which amends part of theFederal Crop Insurance Act, was written to investigate some of these claims, requiringthe U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine the currently offered federal cropinsurance coverage for organic crops as described in the organic policy provisions of theAct (Title XII). Such provisions established the need to review, among other things, theunderwriting risk and loss experience of organic crops; determine whether significant,consistent, or systematic variations in loss history exist between organic and nonorganicproduction; and modify the coverage for organic crops in accordance with the results.Here we present the major findings of three analyses we performed on keyelements of the insurance of organic cropsâ€”prices, yields, and revenueâ€”in an effort tocontribute to the design of an organic crop insurance policy that covers organicproducers according to their idiosyncratic risks.
CHAPTER 4 – Analog/Digital Conversions

This chapter focuses on the data conversion of data acquisition systems. Data conversion lies at the heart of data acquisition systems. Data must be in a digital form. Digital waveforms have discrete values and have a specified time interval between values. The process of converting an analog signal to a digital one is called analog-to-digital conversion and the device that does this is an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The reverse process of converting digital data to an analog signal is called digital-to-analog conversion and the device that does this is called a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). DACs use either current or voltage switching techniques to produce an output analog value equal to the sum of several discrete analog values. It is easier to sum currents using analog circuitry, most commonly available DACs are current-mode devices. On the other hand, one of the simplest approaches in implementing an ADC is the ramp converter. It consists of a digital counter, a DAC, an analog comparator, and control logic with timing generation. Basically, when an analog conversion is requested, the digital counter starts counting up from zero.
A Range-Dependent Analysis of Acoustic Transmission Across a Cold Filament in the California Current

CTD data were taken in an area where satellite imagery had detected a cold water filament to frequently recur in the California Current System in order to determine the temporal and spatial variability of the hydrographic and velocity fields. Sound speed profiles were constructed from this data and predicted sonar ranges (PSRs) were computed for passive sonar using a range-dependent parabolic equation model. Analysis of model results applied to tactical scenarios showed the acoustic advantage between two adversaries to change as their positions relative to the front and to each other were changed. An investigation of the acoustic mechanisms involved in the variations of PSRs showed that small variations in surface temperature were enough to cause significant changes in PSRs. Changes in temperature of sufficient magnitude to effect PSRs were found also in SST imagery of cold filaments in other eastern boundary currents around the world.
1.6% people productivity improvement through prompt and precise MMHS

• Background: In the beginning of Mar., ATE provides14,000 transports per day that include 16% inefficient ones. — Lot centralized (Ex: IMP, PHO, ETCH) — TE puts lots in wrong e-racks
Sensor node localization via spatial domain quasi-maximum likelihood estimation

A Sensor node localization algorithm for indoor quasi-static sensor environments using spatial domain quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) estimation is presented. A time of arrival (TOA) based algorithm is used to arrive at the “pseudo” range estimates from the base stations to the sensor nodes. The localization algorithm uses spatial domain quasi-maximum likelihood estimation to determine the actual sensor location. The algorithm is preceded by a calibration phase during which statistical characterization of the line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) returns are derived. Using a synthesized bandwidth of 2GHz, a 4-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and 5–10dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), localization with high accuracy is achieved.
Antioxidants and Brain Function in HIV/AIDS

Impaired neuroprotection, due to increased oxidative stress, has been implicated as a factor affecting neuronal degeneration in HIV/AIDS. This chapter reviews the role of biological antioxidants in maintaining adequate brain function in HIV-1 disease. Cognitive impairment is the major neurological complication of HIV-1 infection, ranging in severity from a mild subclinical cognitive deficit to a dementing illness (HIV-1- associated dementia [HAD]). The advent of protease inhibitors has raised the possibility of HIV-1 suppression and potential eradication, as well as potential neuropsychological benefit. Treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) appears to produce a beneficial effect on neurocognitive functioning. Microglial activation, through the mediation of oxidative stress, appears to play a major role in neuronal apoptosis and consequent neuronal loss in HIV-1-infected individuals. Antioxidants may also decrease neuropathogenesis through regulation of specific proinflammatory cytokines that contribute to neurodegenerative changes and are evident in HIV-1 disease. Alterations in nutritional status have long been acknowledged in various HIV-1-infected cohorts, including men who have sex with men, drug users, heterosexual adults, and children. Antioxidative treatment (daily intake of selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C) has been reported to inhibit progression of mental deterioration in patients with multiple sclerosis. Moreover, antioxidant therapies have been reported to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and improve cognitive function in late life for those without dementia.
Evolution of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars

A brief survey is given of the principal kinds of mechanisms that are believed to be important to the evolution of terrestrial-planet atmospheres. Escape processes are thermal, both gentle and hydrodynamic; various nonthermal mechanisms; and impact erosion. Interactions with the solid body are also important, and show profound differences between the various planets. The paper concludes with a brief survey of the evolution of Venus, earth, and Mars and a few remarks on the principal processes believed to be occurring today.
Cutting Edge: NKT Cells Constitutively Express IL-23 Receptor and RORγt and Rapidly Produce IL-17 upon Receptor Ligation in an IL-6-Independent Fashion

Th17 cells require IL-6 and TGFβ for lineage commitment and IL-23 for maintenance. Unexpectedly, naive IL-6−/− splenocytes stimulated with anti-CD3 and IL-23 produced normal amounts of IL-17 during the first 24 h of culture. These rapid IL-6-independent IL-17 producers were identified as predominantly DX5+ TCRβ+ NKT cells, and a comparable response could be found using the invariant NKT-specific ligand α-galactosylceramide. Human NKT cells also produced IL-17. NKT cells constitutively expressed IL-23R and RORγt. Ligation of either TCR or IL-23R triggered IL-17 production and both together had a synergistic effect, suggesting independent but convergent pathways. IL-17 production was not restricted to a particular subset of NKT cells but they were NK1.1 negative. Importantly, in vivo administration of α-galactosylceramide triggered a rapid IL-17 response in the spleen. These data suggest an important biological role for innate IL-17 production by NKT cells that is rapid and precedes the adaptive IL-17 response.
When registration barriers fall, who votes?: An empirical test of a rational choice model

It is well known that those with higher SES characteristics tend to vote at higher rates in U.S. elections. Over the past several decades many proponents of eased voter registration requirements have predicted that liberalizing voter registration laws will significantly improve turnout, especially among the least well- educated and the poor. In this article we offer a rational choice model of turnout that leads us to expect the greatest turnout gains from virtually eliminating voter registration costs will instead accrue to those with medium income and education. We test this prediction longitudinally over the period 1972–1992 using a vast survey and a natural experiment comparing voters in states that adopted election day registration (EDR) with those residing in states maintaining more traditional closing dates. Contrary to much of the literature, citizens with medium education and medium income voted more under EDR, as the model predicts. We conclude that the methods used here better capture and empirically identify the curvilinear relationship between voter registration laws and the turnout probabilities at various SES levels.
A new method for design of robust digital circuits

As technology continues to scale beyond 100 nm, there is a significant increase in performance uncertainty of CMOS logic due to process and environmental variations. Traditional circuit optimization methods assuming deterministic gate delays produce a flat "wall" of equally critical paths, resulting in variation-sensitive designs. This paper describes a new method for sizing of digital circuits, with uncertain gate delays, to minimize their performance variation leading to a higher parametric yield. The method is based on adding margins on each gate delay to account for variations and using a new "soft maximum" function to combine path delays at converging nodes. Using analytic models to predict the means and standard deviations of gate delays as polynomial functions of the device sizes, we create a simple, computationally efficient heuristic for uncertainty-aware sizing of digital circuits via geometric programming. Monte-Carlo simulations on custom 32 bit adders and ISCAS'85 benchmarks show that about 10 % to 20 % delay reduction over deterministic sizing methods can be achieved, without any additional cost in area.
Novelty and individual differences influence neophobia in orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica).

Abstract Environmental enrichment both improves the welfare of captive animals and increases the validity of research using these animals. Enrichment programs have been shown to prevent or reduce the development of behavioral vices, stereotypy, and fearfulness. However, the protocols used in enrichment studies can be inconsistent: under some protocols, enrichments are provided but not changed, while under others, enrichments are rotated frequently. Enrichment experiments to date have also largely ignored the influence of individual differences on fearfulness. The aim of this study was to determine whether frequent rotation of enrichment objects (“high novelty”) was more effective than simply providing enrichment objects (“low novelty”) in reducing neophobia in juvenile orange-winged Amazon parrots and to determine whether individual differences significantly affected neophobia. Thirty-four juvenile orange-winged Amazon parrots received both an 11-week high-novelty (HN) treatment and an 11-week low-novelty (LN) treatment, which were given in random order. Neophobia was assessed by measuring birds’ latency to feed from a dish of highly favored food in the presence of various novel objects at approximately 10-day intervals. Our results indicate that the HN treatment significantly reduced neophobia in juvenile orange-winged Amazons. We also found that both individual variation in fearfulness and the novel object used for testing significantly affected birds’ latency to feed in the presence of novel objects. Our results indicate that rotation of enrichment objects is more effective than simply providing enrichments in reducing fearful behavior in parrots. The effect of rotating enrichments was strong enough to overcome approximately four-fold differences in birds’ latency to feed in the presence of different novel objects and even greater individual differences in neophobia. However, we also found that in highly fearful individuals, HN actually increased birds’ latency to feed in the presence of novel objects. Our results indicate that rotation of enrichment objects is more effective than simply providing enrichments in reducing fearful behavior in parrots, but that both enrichment object properties and individual differences should be carefully considered in the design of future enrichment studies and protocols.
Resonances in Electron Atom and Molecule Scattering

Publisher Summary This chapter is restricted to the significance of the techniques used and the observations of effects in electron-atom and molecule scattering for four simple target systems. While a large number of investigators has studied these simple targets carefully, the chapter shows that the detailed understanding of resonance effects in these systems is still not complete indicating the necessity of additional work. The chapter begins with a mathematical discussion of the single-channel Schrodinger equation, which leads to the Siegert definition of an isolated resonance. The discussion of the multichannel problem is outlined and various computational methods based on a partial wave expansion of the wave function are discussed in the chapter. The chapter also reviews some of the experimental techniques used to study resonances; the results of both theory and experiment are discussed and compared. The targets considered in detail are H, He, H2, and N2 that are, respectively, the simplest atomic target to treat theoretically, the lightest two-valence electron target, the simplest molecular target, and the first molecular target for which resonances were shown to play a dominant role.
Initial and final state contributions of the core level shifts for Gd(0001)

Abstract The initial state and final state contributions to the core level shift are separated by comparing the shifts of occupied and unoccupied Gd 4f levels, which exhibit the initial state shift with equal signs and the final state shift with opposite signs. For clean Gd(0001) we find a surface shift of −0.4 eV for both the unoccupied and occupied 4f level. On the other hand, with 3–4 L of oxygen the unoccupied surface 4f level is shifted by + 1.0 eV with respect to the bulk, and the occupied 4f by −1.0 eV. Therefore, the initial state effect dominates at the clean surface, while the final state effect plays a significant role at the oxidized surface. The difference is explained by metallic versus dielectric screening.
Trends in the near-zero range of the minimum air-temperature distribution

This study estimated the trends in the number of days that fall within the near-zero (0 °C) range of the temperature continuum. This narrow range has importance for potential transportation hazards and freeze-thaw cycles. While the tails of the air-temperature distribution and their trends often are closely examined under the climate change context, the frequency and trend of other portions of the air-temperature distribution can be equally important, as many societal impacts are caused by events in the non-tail region, such as near-zero °C temperatures (NZT). Examining the trend of the number of NZT days over the conterminous USA for the period of 1948–1949 through 2010–2011, we found three distinct spatial clusters. The most distinctive spatial clusters are found along the West Coast (positive temperature trends leading to a decrease in NZT days), the High Plains and Northern Rockies (positive temperature trends leading to an increase in NZT days), and the southeastern USA (negative temperature trends l...
Heterogeneous planning for homogeneous protocols

Clinical trials often require homogeneous treatment plans. Many institutions, however, have begun using heterogeneous plans. Is it possible to satisfy the requirements of such a protocol while achieving the superior accuracy of heterogeneous treatment planning? At the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, we currently use conformal treatment planning with heterogeneities for thoracic cancers. This paper describes a procedure that has been developed to satisfy the requirements of a homogeneous protocol, such as RTOG 98-01 (A Phase III Study of Amifostine mucosal protection), while maintaining accuracy in treatment planning.
Adaptive matched filter spatial detection performance on standard imagery from a wideband VHF/UHF SAR

The adaptive matched filter was implemented as a spatial detector for amplitude-only or complex images, and applied to an image formed by standard narrowband means from a wide angle, wideband radar. Direct performance comparisons were made between different implementations and various matched and mismatched cases by using a novel approach to generate ROC curves parametrically. For perfectly matched cases, performance using imaged targets was found to be significantly lower than potential performance of artificial targets whose features differed from the background. Incremental gain due to whitening the background was also found to be small, indicating little background spatial correlation. It is conjectured that the relatively featureless behavior in both targets and background is due to the image formation process, since this technique averages together all wide angle, wideband information. For mismatched cases where the signature was unknown, the amplitude detector losses were approximately equal to whatever gain over noncoherent integration that matching provided. However, the complex detector was generally very sensitive to unknown information, especially phase, and produced much larger losses. Whitening under these mismatched conditions produced further losses. Detector choice thus depends primarily on how reproducible target signatures are, especially if phase is used, and the subsequent number of stored signatures necessary to account for various imaging aspect angles.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Genotypic divergence precedes clinical dissemination in a case of synchronous bilateral B-cell malignant lymphoma of the testes.

Abstract Malignant lymphoma of the testis occurs bilaterally more often than any other tumor type. We report the case of a 62-year-old man who presented with synchronous, bilateral, testicular malignant lymphomas without clinical or radiologic evidence of extratesticular disease. The patient received no therapy other than bilateral orchiectomy and subsequently developed widespread disease 6 months later. Southern blot DNA analysis was performed on the initial orchiectomy samples for immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements. These genotypic analyses showed different clonal rearrangements in the Ig heavy chain J H region but identical clonal rearrangements in the Ig light chain C Kappa region. To our knowledge this is the first genotypic demonstration of a common clonal origin in synchronous, bilateral, testicular malignant lymphomas. We interpret these findings as molecular evidence that the patient's malignant lymphoma was already disseminated at initial presentation, although it was clinically undetectable at that time.
Liberalism, Community, and Culture

Introduction LIBERALISM: Liberalism The Right and the Good COMMUNITY: Communitarianism and the Self Taylor's `Social Thesis' Marxism and the Critique of Justice LIBERALISM AND CULTURAL MEMBERSHIP: Liberalism in Culturally Plural Societies The Value of Cultural Membership Equality for Minority Membership Equality for Minority Cultures Minority Rights and Liberal Tradition Walzer and Minority Rights Communitarianism and Minority Rights Apartheid in South Africa Conclusion
Bone marrow depression in murine leukaemia.

ON occasions the appearance of leukaemia in humans is preceded by a period of bone marrow depression and evidence of aplastic anaemia1. Such findings may persist for some time and may result in confusion in diagnosis or the leukaemia is regarded as an aleukaemic form of the disease. In a group of A strain mice at present being studied for the effects of intermittent X-radiation, it was noted that while, as expected, the mice developed lymphocytic neoplasms and leukaemia in response to the irradiation, a significant proportion of animals with these diseases also showed aplastic or hypoplastic changes in their marrows when examined at autopsy. This hypoplasia initially affected the erythropoietic cells (Fig. 1), but as it became more severe appeared to affect all elements of the bone marrow (Fig. 2). The incidence of lymphoid leukaemia and the various forms of that disease in this group of mice have been considered elsewhere2 ; this communication presents some of the features of the marrow depression which is seen in the mice with lymphoma and lymphoid leukaemia. Table 1 shows the distribution of marrow hypoplasia or aplasia in the different groups of mice. A fuller discussion of the incidence of this condition, its time of appearance and relationship to radiation dose will be presented elsewhere. However, it is obvious that two factors, apart from radiation, appear to increase the incidence of bone marrow depression ; they are femaleness and the absence of a thymic tumour or enlargement.