cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cavity electro-optic circuit for microwave-to-optical conversion in the quantum ground state

In the development of microwave-to-optical (MO) quantum transducers, suppressing added noise induced by the optical excitation remains a major challenge. Here we report an integrated superconducting cavity electro-optic circuit based on single crystalline thin-film aluminum nitride of ultralow microwave and optical losses. We demonstrate efficient bi-directional MO conversion at milli-Kelvin temperatures, with near-ground state microwave thermal excitation $({\overline{n}}_{\mathrm{e}}=0.09\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06)$, despite the peak power of the optical drive exceeding the cooling power of the dilution refrigerator mixing chamber. Our dynamical study further reveals different light-induced noise generation mechanisms and provides crucial guidelines for optimizing electro-optic circuits in future hybrid microwave-optical quantum links.
Effect of Integrated Gastroenterology Specialists in a Primary Care Setting: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

Gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are common in primary care practices. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) may improve coordination and collaboration by facilitating coordination across healthcare settings and within the community, enhancing communication between providers, and focusing on quality of care delivery. To investigate the effect of integrated community gastroenterology specialists (ICS-GI) model within a large primary care practice. Retrospective cohort with propensity-matched historic controls. We identified 265 patients who had a visit with one of our ICS-GI specialists and matched them (1:2) to 530 similar patients seen prior to the implementation of the ICS-GI model. Frequency of diagnostic testing for GI indications, visits to our outpatient GI referral practice, emergency department and hospital utilization, and time to access of specialty care for the whole population and by GI condition group. Patients seen in our ICS-GI model had similar outpatient care utilization (OR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.7–1.4, p = 0.90), were more likely to have visits in primary care (OR OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.2, p = 0.02), and were less likely to have visits to our GI outpatient referral practice (OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.2–0.7, p < 0.0001). Condition-specific analyses show that all GI conditions experienced decreased visits to the outpatient GI referral practice outside of patients with GI neoplasm. Populations did not differ in emergency department, hospital, or diagnostic utilization. We observed that an embedded specialist in primary care model is associated with improved care coordination without compromising patient safety. The PCMH could be extended to include subspecialty care.
Reduced coupling between cerebrospinal fluid flow and global brain activity is linked to Alzheimer disease-related pathology.

The glymphatic system plays an important role in clearing the amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau proteins that are closely linked to Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology. Glymphatic clearance, as well as Aβ accumulation, is highly dependent on sleep, but the sleep-dependent driving forces behind cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) movements essential to the glymphatic flux remain largely unclear. Recent studies have reported that widespread, high-amplitude spontaneous brain activations in the drowsy state and during sleep, which are shown as large global signal peaks in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), are coupled with CSF movements, suggesting their potential link to glymphatic flux and metabolite clearance. By analyzing multimodal data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) project, here we showed that the coupling between the global fMRI signal and CSF influx is correlated with AD-related pathology, including various risk factors for AD, the severity of AD-related diseases, the cortical Aβ level, and cognitive decline over a 2-year follow-up. These results provide critical initial evidence for involvement of sleep-dependent global brain activity, as well as the associated physiological modulations, in the clearance of AD-related brain waste.
Greater frequency of APOE E4 in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (P5.099)

Objective: Determine if apoliproprotein E4 (APOE4) is a risk factor for logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease with three variants that differ in their clinical symptoms, atrophy patterns and pathology. The lvPPA variant, characterized by phonological deficits, posterior temporoparietal atrophy and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, is also a variant of AD. The role of APOE4, a potent risk factor for sporadic amnestic AD, is unclear in lvPPA. Some studies have reported an increased frequency of the E4 allele in lvPPA compared to healthy controls, but others have not. Learning disability has separately been shown to be a risk factor for lvPPA. We hypothesized that APOE4 does influence the development of lvPPA in a subset of patients and that learning disability influences the development of lvPPA in a different group of patients. Design/Methods: 205 patients were diagnosed with PPA based on current consensus criteria. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate for a personal history of learning disability. Patients underwent APOE genotyping, and frequencies of APOE alleles and genotypes were compared among the PPA variants and healthy controls using Fisher’s exact test and corrected for multiple comparisons. Results: We found that there was a greater frequency of APOE4 in lvPPA patients compared to healthy controls (P = 0.0005) and patients with non-fluent agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) (P = 0.0002). These findings were driven by the subset of lvPPA patients without learning disability (P = 0.0162 vs healthy controls; P = 0.0059 vs nfvPPA). In contrast, the subset of lvPPA patients with learning disability had a similar frequency of APOE4 compared to healthy controls (P = 0.3585). Conclusions: APOE4 is associated with risk for disease in a subset of lvPPA patients, and this effect may be strongest in individuals without a history of learning disability. Disclosure: Dr. Deleon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yokoyama has nothing to disclose. Dr. Karydas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rabinovici has received personal compensation for activities with Eisai, Roche, Lundbeck, and Putnam as a speaker or consultant. Dr. Rabinovici has received research support from NIH, Alzheimer9s Association, Tau Consortium, American College of Radiology, Michael J Fox Foundation, Association for Frontotemporal Degneration, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals/Eli Lilly, GE Healthcare, and Piramal Imaging. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tempini has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity from Neuroimage Clinical.
Safety Analysis of Slopes

Recent research on soil properties and analysis of slope stability have thrown light on the uncertainties and errors of many assumptions that are commonly adopted in practice. This study considers a problem in slope stability which is designed by a set of procedures deemed representative of current practice. This is called the conventional practice. The various uncertainties and errors are evaluated from published research results, and are used to compute the failure probability of slopes designed according to the conventional practice. Statistical decision theory is used to obtain the optimum safety factor and the expected cost. The results also show the effect of uncertainties on the optimum design and the expected cost. This study illustrates one approach in the application of research results to practice and the evaluation of benefits gained from research.
ULTRASONIC TOMOGRAPHY FOR DIFFERENTIAL THERMOGRAPHY.

This paper describes work in progress in the study of ultrasound computer aided tomography (UCAT) and its application to differential thermography. There are many situations in which it is desirable to determine the amount of induced heating generated by applied hyperthermia (microwave or ultrasound). However, it is not always possible or safe to insert a temperature sensitive probe into the subject. The application of assessing tissue temperature from the temperature dependence of ultrasonic speed has been suggested by others (Bowen et al., 1979; Nasoni et al., 1979; Rajagopalan et al., 1979). But it may be possible to refine the assessment of temperature change from the simultaneous determination of the acoustic speed and the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient. A method is outlined for producing maps of temperature change after heating.
Survey of Pesticide Residues and Their Metabolites in Urine from the General Population

The National Human Monitoring Program for Pesticides is collaborating with the U.S. Public Health Service in a three year study to assess the exposure of the general population of the United States of America through analysis of human urine for residues of selected pesticides and their specific metabolites. Samples are collected on a national probability design and analyzed for selected organochlorine, carbamate, chlorophenoxy and organophosphorous pesticides. Medical, nutritional and pesticide usage data are available from each donor. Preliminary results of the urine analyses indicate that the general population is being exposed to some of these types of pesticides.
OpEM directed graph model of a farm road traffic light system

The requirements for a farm road traffic light system are defined and a Operational Evaluation Modeling (OpEM) directed graph model of system operation is discussed. The paper concludes with a very brief discussion of the benefit of using OpEM models during the systems design and evaluation of complex systems.
Independent and joint effects of prenatal maternal smoking and maternal exposure to second-hand smoke on the development of adolescent obesity: a longitudinal study.

Aim To examine associations of prenatal maternal smoking and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure with the development of adolescent obesity. Methods Longitudinal data (1991–2007) from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development involving mothers that smoked and or exposed to SHS during the year before birth were analysed. Adolescent obesity in ages 12.0–15.9 years was defined as a BMI ≥ 95th percentile. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were used for the analyses. Results Obesity was more prevalent among adolescents whose mothers smoked or had SHS exposure than those that did not smoke or exposed to SHS. After adjusting for maternal and child factors, GEE models showed that odds of adolescent obesity increased with prenatal maternal smoking (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.03–2.39) and SHS exposure (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.04–2.27). The odds for obesity increased more than two times among adolescents exposed to both maternal smoking and SHS (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.24, 3.56) compared with those without exposure. Additionally, not breastfeeding, maternal obesity, and longer screen viewing hours per day were associated with increased odds of obesity. Conclusions There is possibly a long-term joint effect of prenatal maternal smoke (smoking and SHS) exposure on obesity among adolescent offspring, and the effect is independent of birthweight. These findings suggest that adolescent obesity could possibly be curtailed with the development and promotion of smoking cessation programmes for families during the year before birth.
PD-1 inhibits Th1 responses during cryptococcus neoformans infection (IRC2P.452)

PD-1 is an inhibitory receptor expressed on the surface of activated T cells. PD-1 previously has been shown to play a significant role in regulating effector T cell responses against viral infections and tumors. However, its role in the control of CD4 T cell responses during infection with fungal pathogens remains poorly understood. Here we examine the role of PD-1 in regulating host responses and resistance to the opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. We find that in wild-type mice C. neoformans elicits Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses, and PD-1 is expressed on each of these effector T cell subsets. In PD-1 deficient mice, the frequency of IFN-γ-producing and t-bet expressing CD4+ T cells were increased, while CD4+ T cells making IL-13, IL-5, and IL-4 were decreased and Th17 responses were unchanged. Also, PD-1 deficient mice show a decrease in eosinophils in the lung, and in fungal burden. These data suggest that PD-1 impairs host resistance to C. neoformans by selectively inhibiting Th1 responses. The work was supported by the NIH Intramural Research Program.
MAGNETIC FORM FACTOR OF THULIUM AND TERBIUM METALS.

The magnetic form factors of thulium and terbium have been measured with polarized neutrons. For the two metals the samples that were used in the experiment were single crystals. Both thulium and teroium crystallize in the hexagonal close-packed structure. The form factor of thulium was measured at 4.2 °K and in a magnetic field of 10 kOe applied parallel to the c-axis. The magnetic structure of thulium at 4.2 °K and in low fields (less than 28 kOe) applied parallel to the c-axis is an antiphase domain structure with a net ferromagnetic moment parallel to the c-axis. The magnitude of the moment is 1 iUg fjer atom. In this experiment the magnetic form factor of this ferro­ magnetic moment has been determined. The form factor of terbium was measured at 298 °K and in a magnetic field of 22 kOe applied parallel to both the aand the baxis. Terbium is paramagnetic at 298 and the magnitude of the induced moment in a field of 22 kOe is 0.8 Mg per atom for the two directions of the field. The magnetic form factor of the induced moment has been measured in this experiment. Within the experimental uncertainty the form factors for the directions of the magnetic field were identical. Theoretical form factors has been calculated for both thulium and terbium using the 4f wave functions of Freeman and Watson. A comparison between the theoretical and experimental form factors indicates that the free ion wave functions of Freeman and Watson are too contracted for both metals.
Recent Advances in Molecular Distance Geometry

Distance geometry is geometric theory of molecular conformation, wherein one formulates conformational problems mathematically in terms of distance and chirality constraints. The most general method of generating a conformational ensemble is widely known as the EMBED algorithm. This algorithm actually puts several combinatorial and multivariate algorithms together in order to randomly generate coordinates that approximate satisfy the distance constraints. In this report we describe several recent improvements to the EMBED algorithm, as implemented by the DG-II program package, which substantially increase its efficiency and reliability in many important applications.
Activation of bovine epididymal sperm respiration by caffeine: Its transient nature and relationship to the utilization of acetyl carnitine

Abstract Caffeine, which stimulates the motility of freshly extruded bovine epididymal spermatozoa, caused a large but transient increase in the respiratory activity of these cells incubated in a modified Ringer buffer without exogenously added substrate. In spermatozoa that were incubated without added substrate for 2 h at 30 °C or for 15 min at 37 °C, caffeine addition failed to increase respiratory activity even transiently. However, subsequent addition of pyruvate to these aged and caffeine-treated cells resulted in a rapid increase in the respiratory rate, nearly equal to that observed after caffeine addition to fresh cells or to cells stored at 4 °C. These observations indicate that the loss in metabolic response to caffeine is a result of the active metabolism of the spermatozoa. In freshly prepared sperm that were incubated without added substrate, the acetyl carnitine content declined and the free carnitine content of the sperm increased in amounts sufficient to account for the entire respiratory increment produced by caffeine addition. Respiratory stimulation by caffeine was sustained in the presence of those exogenously added substrates that are capable of entering the acetyl carnitine pool, such as acetate, pyruvate, l (+)-lactate, glucose, fructose or β-hydroxybutyrate. Tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates were not effective. These observations clarify the relationship between the stimulatory effects of caffeine and the metabolic state of the spermatozoan and suggest the importance of the acetyl carnitine pool to the activation of sperm motility and oxidative metabolism.
Connections: marketing the University of Arkansas College of Engineering

This is the first in a series of six companion papers that address the marketing of the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA. While valuable as an independent resource, the content of this document should be considered within the context of all six papers. The University of Arkansas College of Engineering has been involved in a comprehensive proactive marketing effort since February, 2000, designed to help them meet their goal of becoming a top-25 public college of engineering as measured by the number of tenure/tenure track faculty and degree and research productivity. They are in the process of altering their collective engineering culture about the role of marketing. Marketing tools that meet their needs have been identified and utilized with some success. However, there are many issues that have to be addressed on a regular basis.
Compelling Arguments and Attitude Strength: Exploring the Impact of Second-Level Agenda Setting on Public Opinion of Presidential Candidate Images

This study explores the relationship between attribute agenda setting and public opinion of political candidates. Specifically, media salience of presidential candidate attributes across five natio...
Toward elimination of perinatal human immunodeficiency virus transmission in the United States: effectiveness of funded prevention programs, 1999-2001.

The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of federal funds in preventing perinatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in the United States. We used surveillance data from 1999 and 2001 in 6 funded areas to estimate the proportion of HIV-infected women prescribed perinatal prophylaxis and whose infants were HIV infected. We compared outcomes with 5 unfunded areas in which surveillance data were available. The proportion of funded-area women prescribed prophylaxis increased from 80.1% to 85.9% ( P P P P P = .59); the difference in trends between groups was P = .24). The number of perinatal HIV infections in the funded areas decreased by 56%, achieving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's goal of a 50% reduction in incidence by 2005.
Gauss quadrature routines for two classes of logarithmic weight functions

By means of the Matlab symbolic/variable-precision facilities, routines are developed that generate an arbitrary number of recurrence coefficients to any given precision for polynomials orthogonal with respect to weight functions of Laguerre and Jacobi type containing logarithmic factors. The vehicle used is a symbolic modified Chebyshev algorithm based on ordinary as well as modified moments, executed with sufficiently high precision. The results are applied to Gaussian quadrature of integrals involving weight functions of the type mentioned.
Capsuloligamentous restraints to dorsal and palmar carpal translation.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine biomechanically the relative contributions of the dorsal and palmar capsuloligamentous structures to dorsal and palmar carpal stability. Methods: Seven fresh-frozen cadaver specimens were tested using a testing machine (MTS, Eden Prairie, MN) with low loads applied perpendicular to the axis of the radial diaphysis. We determined the loads required to achieve dorsal and palmar translation of the carpus on the radius as palmar and dorsal ligaments and capsule were sectioned sequentially. The relative contributions of the dorsal and palmar capsuloligamentous structures to dorsal and palmar stability were determined. Results: The palmar structures provided a statistically significantly greater restraint (61%) to dorsal translation of the carpus than did the dorsal structures (2%). The palmar structures also provided a statistically greater restraint (48%) to palmar translation of the carpus than did the dorsal structures (6%). Conclusions: The palmar capsuloligamentous structures provided greater restraint to both dorsal and palmar translation of the carpus. We suggest that surgeons consider repair or reconstruction of traumatic injuries to these structures.
Characterization of a novel and potent 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor antagonist.

A series of pindolol derivatives (n = 7) was analyzed in radioligand binding, biochemical and behavioral studies. Three of these drugs (Compounds A, B, and C) are extremely potent (i.e., Ki values <1.0 nM) at 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) sites labeled by [3H] 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). Moreover, these drugs are selective in that they are approximately an order of magnitude less potent at beta-adrenergic receptors labeled by 3H-dihydroalprenolol (DHA). Compound A (N1-(bromoacetyl)-N8-[3-(4-indolyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]-(Z)-1,8-diamino-p-methane) is also significantly less potent at 10 other neurotransmitter receptor sites analyzed. In addition, Compound A (10−10 M to 10−3 M) has no effect on baseline forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in rat hippocampus. By contrast, nanomolar concentrations of the drug significantly (p<0.01) reverse 8-OH-DPAT-induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated activity. In behavioral studies, Compound A (0.5 mg/kg) alone has no effect on baseline measures of reciprocal forepaw treading in the rat. Pretreatment with Compound A, however, significantly (p<0.05) inhibits the reciprocal forepaw treading induced by 8-OH-DPAT. These data suggest that Compound A is a potent and selective antagonist of 5-HT1A receptors in the CNS.
A Convenient Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Nitroalkenes to Alkylamines Using Boron Hydrides

Abstract α,β-Unsaturated nitroalkenes are reduced to alkylamines in good yields by excess of borane-THF in presence of catalytic amount of sodium borohydride.
Construction of a partitioned gel slab electrophoresis cell of fused Borosilicate glass.

Abstract A method of constructing partitioned borosilicate fused-glass cells for gel slab electrophoresis is described (see Fig. 1). The cell mentioned here is designed for a technique used by Chrambach et al. (1), in which partitions keep the samples separate in the mechanically unstable stacking gel into which they are loaded.
A Pulsatile Roller Pump for Cardiac Bypass

This short communication describes a cardiac bypass pump which produces a pulsatile flow. By driving a roller pump with a dc torque motor, it has been possible to provide electronic control of pulse rate and stroke volume. Flow and pressure recordings in dogs undergoing left-heart bypass are nearly physiological.
Bladder Biopsy of Normal-Appearing Mucosa is Not Helpful in Patients with Unexplained Positive Cytology after Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Purpose: Malignant voided cytology with normal endoscopic evaluation represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in many patients with a history of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Bladder biopsy is often advised but its efficacy is unclear. We evaluated the usefulness of bladder biopsy in patients with unexplained positive cytology and describe recurrence patterns in this unique patient subset.Materials and Methods: From an institutional database we retrospectively identified patients with a history of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer and surveillance cystoscopy from 2008 to 2012 who had malignant voided urine cytology but normal cystoscopy. Patients underwent systematic bladder biopsy or cystoscopic surveillance and were followed for recurrence and progression.Results: Of 444 patients 343 were followed with surveillance only and 101 underwent a total of 118 biopsies of normal-appearing bladder mucosa. Three biopsies (2.5%) showed carcinoma in situ and none revealed invasive carcinoma. During th...
The stability of electric energy markets

Abstract Power system markets represented by dynamic equations provide insights into the market behavior which are not available from static models. In particular: (1) markets that are required to balance supply and demand precisely at all times may be unstable if one supplier exhibits economies of scale and will be unstable if two suppliers exhibit this behavior. The instability is characterized by one or more positive eigenvalues. (2) Markets where some energy imbalance is allowed to accumulate can exhibit an instability, depending on the exact values of time constants and delays in the system. (3) Congestion can be helpful from the perspective of stability: a market can become unstable in the eigenvalue sense if congestion is removed. (4) A power system (with stable electromechanical dynamic behavior when considered by itself) and market (by itself stable) can, when analyzed jointly, exhibit unstable behavior. Some of the instabilities alluded here are nothing more than fluctuations in demands and prices. However, fluctuations are likely to require larger security margins, thus greater costs to operate the system.
Secreting von Willebrand factor in a Gα-SNAP.

In this issue of Blood , Rusu et al use a state-of-the-art combination of pharmacological, genetic, and molecular techniques to dissect a mechanism for von Willebrand factor (vWF) secretion from endothelial cells mediated via Gαq/11 and Gα12 that can be triggered in basal or stimulated conditions
Locus of control and achievement motivation-critical factors in educational psychology†

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of research on locus of control and achievement motivation for the practicing educational psychologist. The relation to learning and the implications for psychological evaluation of each construct are discussed. It is suggested that locus of control and achievement motivation influence the ways in which a child approaches school-related tasks, interprets the outcome of tasks, selects tasks, and persists in activities.
Photocapacitive effects at silicon-collodion-gold contacts

Abstract The paper describes the photocapacitive response of silicon-collodion-gold contacts in the visible and near-infrared regions. The principal light effects are shown to be associated with the lateral diffusion of light-generated minority carriers under the gold electrode. They are therefore essentially edge effects. Factors governing spectral response and sensitivity are discussed.
Effect of Dynamic Deformational Loading on the Transport of Dextran Molecules Into Agarose Gels

The poor intrinsic healing capacity of articular cartilage has led to a number of attempts to engineer a replacement tissue [1]. One of these approaches, termed functional tissue engineering, suggests that the application of mechanical preconditioning, mimicking the in vivo loading environment, may enhance the development of material properties in these constructs [2,3]. Using this approach, our previous studies have demonstrated that dynamic loading (DL) increases the mechanical properties of chondrocyte-seeded agarose hydrogels relative to free swelling (FS) controls [4–6]. One mechanism by which the increase in mechanical properties occurs is hypothesized to be due to enhanced transport of nutrients and/or growth factors under dynamic loading [7]. The goal of the current study is to determine the effect of dynamic loading on the transport of neutral dextran molecules into agarose gels. Dextran, a neutral and generally inert solute commonly used in diffusion and transport studies, is used in its fluorophore-conjugated form thus making it possible to track the solute and quantify its content inside a hydrogel. We hypothesize that the uptake of dextran molecules into the agarose gels will be significantly enhanced under the influence of physiological dynamic deformation loading. Two varying molecular weights of dextran, 3 kDa and 70 kDa, were chosen in this study to ascertain a wide range of transport behaviors, and to interpret the experimental results in the context of a recently developed mixture theory model for the transport of neutral solutes in a neutrally charged gel, such as agarose [8].Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing for clinical and epidemiologic purposes

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is one of the most important and useful tests performed by the clinical microbiology laboratory. The value of disk susceptibility testing in epidemiology is enhanced by its simplicity of performance, reproducibility of results, and ability to indicate whether a single strain is likely to be the cause of many infections. By using a specific set of antimicrobials for either gram-positive or gram-negative bacterial susceptibility testing and by following recommended testing procedures, laboratories can reliably identify similarities and differences in strains. We propose a list of antimicrobial agents chosen specifically for their value in disk susceptibility testing for clinical and epidemiologic purposes and describe the recommended methods of testing.
Critical material and processing issues of SiC electronic devices

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide bandgap semiconductor suitable for high-voltage, high-power and high-temperature devices operating from DC to microwave frequencies. However, the commercial production of SiC devices is limited by certain critical materials and fabrication problems, which are the focus of current research and development activities. The most important of these research areas are (i) growth of single crystal substrates, where larger wafers with lower defect density are needed, (ii) activation of ion-implanted dopants, (iii) fabrication of thermally stable low-resistance ohmic contacts, and (iv) formation of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) quality dielectric interfaces.
Nonparametric Estimation of Stage Occupation Probabilities in a Multistage Model with Current Status Data

Multistage models are used to describe individuals (or experimental units) moving through a succession of "stages" corresponding to distinct states (e.g., healthy, diseased, diseased with complications, dead). The resulting data can be considered to be a form of multivariate survival data containing information about the transition times and the stages occupied. Traditional survival analysis is the simplest example of a multistage model, where individuals begin in an initial stage (say, alive) and move irreversibly to a second stage (death). In this article, we consider general multistage models with a directed tree structure (progressive models) in which individuals traverse through stages in a possibly non-Markovian manner. We construct nonparametric estimators of stage occupation probabilities and marginal cumulative transition hazards. Empirical calculations of these quantities are not possible due to the lack of complete data. We consider current status information which represents a more severe form of censoring than the commonly used right censoring. Asymptotic validity of our estimators can be justified using consistency results for nonparametric regression estimators. Finite-sample behavior of our estimators is studied by simulation, in which we show that our estimators based on these limited data compare well with those based on complete data. We also apply our method to a real-life data set arising from a cardiovascular diseases study in Taiwan.
Traffic grooming for survivable WDM mesh networks

This paper addresses the problem of dynamically establishing dependable low-rate traffic stream connections in WDM mesh networks with traffic grooming capabilities. To establish a dependable connection, we set up link-disjoint primary and backup traffic stream paths between the source and destination and use backup multiplexing to reduce the overhead of backup traffic streams. We present a dynamic algorithm to obtain the optimal spare capacity on a wavelength on a link when a number of backup traffic streams are multiplexed onto it. We propose two schemes for grooming traffic streams onto wavelengths: Mixed Primary-Backup Grooming Policy (MGP) and Segregated Primary-Backup Grooming Policy (SGP). We illustrate how these schemes can be applied in a WDM mesh network scenario along with a routing and wavelength assignment algorithm. We conduct simulation experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes on different network topologies, using different routing and wavelength assignment methods. The effect of change in granularity and change in the number of alternate paths on the grooming policies are also presented. From the simulation results, it is inferred that SGP is useful in network topologies, such as mesh-torus, characterized by good connectivity and a good amount of traffic switching and mixing at the nodes. On the other hand, MGP is useful in network topologies, such as a ring, characterized by low connectivity and high load correlation.
Physical aging deep in the glassy state of a fully cured polyimide

Physical aging of a fully cured polyimide/glass fiber specimen has been investigated deep in the glassy state using a freely oscillating torsion pendulum (TBA). A single specimen, the physical aging effects of which could be erased by heating to above Tg = 304°C (0.8 Hz), could be used for all experiments. Data were obtained during isothermal aging at different aging temperatures, Tα, (from 10°C to Tg) and during subsequent temperature scans (Tα to 5 to 315°C). The aging rate depended upon the value of Tα relative to both Tg and the β-relaxation temperature, Tβ = 139°C (1.3 Hz). Changes in thermomechanical behavior due to aging were localized about Tα. This suggests that only an intermediate portion of the relaxation spectrum participates in, and is affected by, isothermal physical aging. It follows, and is observed, that the intensity of the β-relaxation mechanical loss peak is perturbed most significantly by aging at Tα near Tβ. The effect of isothermal aging deep in the glassy state could be essentially eliminated by heating to below Tg. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Buffering of 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride/Aluminum Chloride Ionic Liquids Using Alkali Metal Bromides and Iodides

The buffering of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminum trichloride room-temperature ionic liquids (melts) using alkali metal bromides and iodides was studied. The bromide or iodide salts buffer the melts by reaction with the ion, but the bromide or iodide ions do not replace the chloride from the in the melts. Unlike melts buffered with alkali metal chlorides, it is easy to deposit the alkali metals, and thus it may be possible to use these buffered melts in power sources. In melts buffered with a mixture of lithium chloride and iodide, it is possible to both deposit and strip lithium metal. As seen with melts buffered with alkali metal chlorides, the buffered melts appear to be more acidic than expected from the low concentration of the acidic ion. © 2001 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Mean-square stability properties of an adaptive time-stepping SDE solver

We consider stability properties of a class of adaptive time-stepping schemes based upon the Milstein method for stochastic differential equations with a single scalar forcing. In particular, we focus upon mean-square stability for a class of linear test problems with multiplicative noise. We demonstrate that desirable stability properties can be induced in the numerical solution by the use of two realistic local error controls, one for the drift term and one for the diffusion.
Communication in the socialization of preservice teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of communication in preservice teacher socialization. Using case studies of 12 student interns in a secondary education program, 21 topics of talk, with target persons, were identified and categorized according to the communication concern phases of self, task, and impact. The topics of talk were further refined according to function. Results indicated that most of the talk was related to self and task dimensions, and that talk with others in the school setting was primarily integrative, informative, and regulative. Talk with family and friends served cathartic and acknowledging functions. The internship period of preservice training was characterized primarily as a period of occupational socialization, but with some organizational socialization occurring as well.
Quantum tunneling times: A crucial test for the causal program?

It is generally believed that Bohm's version of quantum mechanics is observationally equivalent to standard quantum mechanics. A more careful statement is that the two theories will always make the same predictions for any question or problem that is well posed in both interpretations. The transit time of a “particle” between two points in space is not necessarily well defined in standard quantum mechanics, whereas it is in Bohm's theory since there is always a particle following a definite trajectory. For this reason tunneling times (in a scattering configuration through a potential barrier may be a situation in which Bohm's theory can make a definite prediction when standard quantum mechanics can make none at all. I summarize some of the theoretical and experimental prospects for an unambiguous comparison in the hope that this question will engage the attention of more physicists, especially those experimentalists who now routinely actually do gedanken experiments.
Predicting the vibrational spectra of some simple fluorocarbons by direct scaling of primitive valence force constants

Using the scaled quantum-mechanical (SQM) force field approach with direct scaling of individual primitive force constants, we derive optimal scaling factors by a least-squares fit to the experimentally observed fundamentals of some selected “simple” fluorocarbons. We use the derived scaling factors to predict the vibrational spectra of all possible fluoromethanes, fluoroethylenes, fluoroethanes, and monofluoropropenes, proposing a reassignment of some experimental fundamentals. Two separate sets of scaling factors are derived for both traditional Hartree–Fock (HF) calculations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the hybrid three-parameter B3-PW91 density functional. With the split-valence 6-31G(d) basis set, our scaling procedure gives an average error of less than 9 cm−1 in the scaled frequencies with the B3-PW91 functional. The average percentage error is around 1%. The HF results are not as good—the average error is 12.6 cm−1—showing that hybrid density functional SQM schemes are better for predicting vibrational spectra than basic Hartree–Fock. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 1187–1204, 1998
Practice Characteristics of Male and Female Physicians

During the 1970s, more and more women chose medicine as a profession. In 1970–1971, only 9.2 percent of all U.S. medical graduates were women. Ten years later, the percentage of women graduating from medical school had increased to 25.0 percent, and in the most recent graduating class, 1985–1986, the percentage of female medical graduates rose to 30.7 percent. Despite increases in the number of female physicians, a number of differences persist in the socioeconomic practice patterns of male and female physicians. One of the most striking is a continued difference in net income. Previous studies, using data from the 1970s, have attempted to explain the higher earnings of male physicians. These studies found a significant earnings differential, even after controlling for differences in the personal characteristics of male and female physicians. A more recent paper, based on 1982 and 1983 American Medical Association (AMA) data, reported an unadjusted 30 percent difference in the hourly earnings of male and female physicians. After controlling for a number of differences in the personal characteristics of male and female physicians, this study pointed to an unexplained earnings differential of 12 to 13 percent. In effect, this percentage acts as “an upper-bound estimate of the impact of market discrimination on the earnings of female physicians.” Even today, the hourly earnings differential persists. An analysis of 1986 data shows that male physicians continue to make about 30 percent more than their female colleagues make, either per hour or per patient visit. This DataWatch examines the most recent data on the earnings of male and female physicians, paying particular attention to those socioeconomic characteristics that may explain their income differences. The data used in this DataWatch come from the AMA’s Socioeconomic Monitoring System (SMS), a telephone survey program designed to provide information on all nonfederal patient-care physicians, exclud-
Risk analysis for thoracoscopic lung volume reduction: a multi-institutional experience.

Objective: Most reports of thoracoscopic lung volume reduction (TLVR) are relatively small and early experiences from a single institution, factors which limit both the statistical validity and the applicability to the population at large. In order to address these shortcomings we undertook an analysis of the TLVR experience at five separate institutions to assess operative morbidity and identify predictors of mortality. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to four groups of surgical investigators at five institutions actively performing TLVR. Data was requested regarding preoperative, operative and postoperative parameters. Twenty-five potential predictors of mortality were analyzed and seven proved to be at least marginally significant (P , 0:10). These parameters were entered into a stepwise logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors. Results: The 682 patients (415 males, 267 females, mean age 64.0 years) underwent unilateral (410) or bilateral (272) TLVRs. Overall, operative mortality was 6% with half of the deaths resulting from respiratory causes. The remaining patients were discharged to home (88%), a rehabilitation facility (4%) or a ventilator facility (2%). There were 25 perioperative factors chosen representing clinically important indices such as spirometry, oxygenation, functional status, clinical and demographic variables. Univariate analysis identified seven variables as predictors of mortality (P , 0:10) and these were entered into a stepwise logistic regression analysis. Only age, 6-min walk, gender (male 8%, female 3% mortality) and the procedure performed (unilateral 4.6%, bilateral 8%) were independent predictors while preoperative steroid therapy, preoperative oxygen administration, and time since smoking cessation dropped out of the model. The specific institution, learning curve (early vs. late experience), type of lung disease, spirometric indices and predicted maximum VO2 were not significant predictors. Conclusion: This experience suggests that unilateral and bilateral lung volume reduction procedure can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Although age, gender, exercise capacity and the procedure performed are all independent predictors of mortality, the risk of operative death did not appear excessive in this fragile patient subset. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A nonlinear full order observer for rotor flux position estimation of induction motors

The paper discusses the problem of rotor flux position estimation for the induction motor (IM) drive and presents a full-order nonlinear observer that is developed based on the motor's stationary reference frame model. In the method, the IM speed is treated as a slowly time varying parameter and nonlinear control methods are used to design the observer. In the initial development, the speed of the IM is assumed as known and the paper shows how to design the gains of the observer for convergence — some of the resulting gains are time varying. Later, the speed signal is replaced by a speed estimate in an attempt to obtain a speed sensorless observer. The resulting observer is analyzed and it is shown that, despite the lack of asymptotic stability, it allows to estimate the rotor flux position of the IM drive with good accuracy. The theoretical developments are validated with simulations and experimental tests.
Historical aspects of inflammatory bowel disease.

Ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis (Crohn's disease), probably first appeared as isolated cases, several centuries ago; but not until the latter half of the 19th century did their clinical presentation attract medical interest as definable entities. This review of the early medical literature
Electron-atom collisions in a laser field

Abstract Cross sections tor the 1S–2S and 1S–2P0 transitions in laser assisted e-H(1S) collisions are calculated in both the multichannel eikonal and the Born-wave treatments as a function of impact energy and laser field intensity and phase. The laser considered is a monotonic, plane polarized CO2 laser (photon energy = 0.117 eV), with the polarization direction parallel to the initial projectile velocity. Floquet dressing of the hydrogen atom in the soft-photon weak-field limit reveals a concise description of the laser assisted electron-atom collision. This model also links the microscopic detail of the individual collisions with the macroscopic considerations of experimental analysis.
From human genome to cancer genome: The first decade

The realization that cancer progression required the participation of cellular genes provided one of several key rationales, in 1986, for embarking on the human genome project. Only with a reference genome sequence could the full spectrum of somatic changes leading to cancer be understood. Since its completion in 2003, the human reference genome sequence has fulfilled its promise as a foundational tool to illuminate the pathogenesis of cancer. Herein, we review the key historical milestones in cancer genomics since the completion of the genome, and some of the novel discoveries that are shaping our current understanding of cancer.
The relationship between the adiabatic bulk modulus and enthalpy for mantle-related minerals

It is found that the adiabatic bulk modulus, KS, is linear with enthalpy over a wide temperature range: up to at least 1825 K, the present limit of the measurement of the bulk modulus. This correlation is shown to hold for Al2O3, MgO, and Mg2SiO4. Since the enthalpy is listed in thermodynamic tables up to 3000 K, one can reasonably safely extrapolate KS up to lower mantle temperatures using this correlation. This correlation was anticipated in a theoretical 1966 paper, where the definition of the anharmonic parameter δS was made in terms of properties which vary with temperature, \(\delta _s = - \left( {\frac{1}{{\alpha K_S }}} \right)\left( {\frac{{\delta K}}{{\delta T}}} \right)_{P'}\) where α is the volume coefficient of thermal expansion. The correlation was first confirmed for polycrystalline oxides in an experimental 1966 paper. Since the isotropic shear modulus, G, is linear with T, it is possible to estimate the sound velocities in the temperature regime just below the melting point.
Sex and Ethnic Group Differences in Mathematics Achievement: Results from the National Longitudinal Study

The mathematics test achievement of 11 914 young men and women, aged 15 to 22, who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth Labor Force Behavior in 1980 was analyzed to assess sex, education, and ethnic group effects. The mathematics knowledge and arithmetic reasoning subtests of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery were the measures of achievement. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for sex, education, and ethnic group membership. Generally, the mathematics achievement of all groups increased the longer they were in school. White males showed the greatest benefit of continued education, and blacks as a group showed the smallest. However, significant two-way interaction effects confounded these general trends.