Feasibility study of the solar scientific instruments for Spacelab/Orbiter

The feasibility and economics of mounting and operating a set of solar scientific instruments in the backup Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) hardware was evaluated. The instruments used as the study test payload and integrated into the ATM were: the Solar EUV Telescope/Spectrometer; the Solar Active Region Observing Telescope; and the Lyman Alpha White Light Coronagraph. The backup ATM hardware consists of a central cruciform structure, called the "SPAR', a "Sun End Canister' and a "Multiple Docking Adapter End Canister'. Basically, the ATM hardware and software provides a structural interface for the instruments; a closely controlled thermal environment; and a very accurate attitude and pointing control capability. The hardware is an identical set to the hardware that flow on Skylab

Reduced cortical thickness with increased lifetime burden of PTSD in OEF/OIF Veterans and the impact of comorbid TBI☆

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in military personnel is increasing dramatically following the OEF/OIF conflicts and is associated with alterations to brain structure. The present study examined the relationship between PTSD and cortical thickness, and its possible modification by mTBI, in a 104-subject OEF/OIF veteran cohort ranging in age from 20 to 62 years. For each participant, two T1-weighted scans were averaged to create high-resolution images for calculation of regional cortical thickness. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and scores were derived based on the previous month's symptoms (“current”) and a Cumulative Lifetime Burden of PTSD (CLB-P) reflecting the integral of CAPS scores across the lifetime. Mild TBI was diagnosed using the Boston Assessment of TBI-Lifetime (BAT-L). Results demonstrated a clear negative relationship between current PTSD severity and thickness in both postcentral gyri and middle temporal gyri. This relationship was stronger and more extensive when considering lifetime burden (CLB-P), demonstrating the importance of looking at trauma in the context of an individual's lifetime, rather than only at their current symptoms. Finally, interactions with current PTSD only and comorbid current PTSD and mTBI were found in several regions, implying an additive effect of lifetime PTSD and mTBI on cortical thickness

Detecting deception during a structured interview.

Deception is a part of everyday life for many people. Given this reality, how can employers be certain employees are being relatively honest during interviews? Can an interviewer be trained to detect deception while conducting an interview? The purpose of this research was to determine if an interviewer could be trained to detect deception while conducting an interview. To address this, participants were given one of three levels of training, including structured interview training, deception detection training, and probe question training. Each level of training included the previous level(s) of training. Following training, participants interviewed another person using the criteria checklist from training. After the interview, participants completed a questionnaire where they rated, among other things, honesty and deceptiveness. Additionally, participants reviewed the interview on videotape, again using the criteria checklist and completing a second questionnaire. Results indicated that training improved performance relative to no training in terms of criteria application. However, training beyond the criteria (e.g., probe training) reduced the ability to use the criteria checklist, but did not reduce accuracy in applying the criteria. Additionally, training did not influence the overall judgments. Finally, there were no differences between the interview and the video review in terms of judgments and criteria application

Differential associations of metabolic risk factors on cortical thickness in metabolic syndrome

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. While sizable prior literature has examined associations between individual risk factors and quantitative measures of cortical thickness (CT), only very limited research has investigated such measures in MetS. Furthermore, the relative contributions of these risk factors to MetS-related effects on brain morphology have not yet been studied. The primary goal of this investigation was to examine how MetS may affect CT. A secondary goal was to explore the relative contributions of individual risk factors to regional alterations in CT, with the potential to identify risk factor combinations that may underlie structural changes. Methods: Eighteen participants with MetS (mean age = 59.78 years) were age-matched with 18 healthy control participants (mean age = 60.50 years). CT measures were generated from T1-weighted images and groups were contrasted using whole-brain general linear modeling. A follow-up multivariate partial least squares correlation (PLS) analysis, including the full study sample with complete risk factor measurements (N = 53), was employed to examine which risk factors account for variance in group structural differences. Results: Participants with MetS demonstrated significantly reduced CT in left hemisphere inferior parietal, rostral middle frontal, and lateral occipital clusters and in a right hemisphere precentral cluster. The PLS analysis revealed that waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and glucose were significant contributors to reduced CT in these clusters. In contrast, diastolic blood pressure showed a significantly positive association with CT while systolic blood pressure did not emerge as a significant contributor. Age was not associated with CT. Conclusion: These results indicate that MetS can be associated with regionally specific reductions in CT. Importantly, a novel link between a risk factor profile comprising indices of obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and diastolic BP and localized alterations in CT emerged. While the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these associations remain incompletely understood, these findings may be relevant for future investigations of MetS and might have implications for treatment approaches that focus on specific risk factor profiles with the aim to reduce negative consequences on the structural integrity of the brain