cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient estimation and testing of cointegrating vectors in the presence of deterministic trends

Estimation and inference in cointegrated models is examined in the presence of deterministic trends in the data. It is suggested that trends be excluded in the levels regression for maximal efficiency. Fully modified test statistics are asymptotically chi-square. A chi-square test for the validity of trend exclusion is presented. The asymptotic distributions of standard cointegration test statistics are shown to depend both upon regressor trends and estimation detrending methods.
Cooperative motion of domain walls in magnetic multilayers

It is well known that the sequence of induced emf spikes in a Barkhausen spectrum bears no resemblance to the sequence of spikes in successive field cycles; in general, no two spectra are ever alike. The present study reports the observation of remarkably reproducible Barkhausen spectra over repeated field cycling in TbFe/FeCo exchange spring multilayers. Their reproducibility is shown to have origins in the highly synchronized and cooperative motion of domain walls in different layers. Whereas a handful of previous studies have shown limited reproducibility in small field excursions, in small samples, or over small distances, the reproducibility of magnetic avalanches in the present study occurs along the entire major magnetization loop, and the emf avalanches can be reproducibly transmitted over macroscopic distances (\ensuremath{\sim}1 cm). The complexity of these highly reproducible spectra varies with the in-plane field direction, and reveals a new mode of magnetization reversal along the hard axis. Results also provide an avenue for information transmission over macroscopic distances in a magnetic medium.
Relativistic klystron two-beam accelerator.

A high-energy linear collider consisting of two beams, a driver beam of electrons and a high-energy beam, in which the intense low-energy driver beam is bunched, is analyzed theoretically. The low-energy beam is made to travel through resonant transfer cavities, in which it radiates microwave energy that is used to accelerate the second beam to very high energies. The low-energy beam is maintained at a constant energy by periodic induction acceleration cavities.
Management of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the presentation, management, and outcome of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum at a specialist colorectal unit and develop a strategy for therapy. METHODS: Patients with peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum were identified from a prospectively accrued Institutional Review Board-approved stoma database. Data were collected regarding demographics, disease status, history of illness, time to healing, and treatments used from the database and by chart review. RESULTS: Sixteen patients presented between 1997 and 2002 with peristomal ulceration consistent with a diagnosis of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum. Diagnosis was predominantly clinically based on a classic presentation of painful, undermined peristomal ulceration. The underlying diagnosis was Crohn's disease in 11 patients, ulcerative colitis in 3, indeterminate colitis in 1, and posterior urethral valves in 1. At the time of development of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum, the underlying disease was active in 69 percent of patients. Stoma care, ulcer debridement with unroofing of undermined edges, and intralesional corticosteroid injection was associated with a 40 percent complete response rate and further 40 percent partial response rate. Of five patients who received infliximab, four (80 percent) responded to therapy. Complete response after all forms of therapy, including stoma relocation in seven patients, was 87 percent. CONCLUSIONS: Local wound management and enterostomal therapy are extremely important for patients with peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum. Infliximab may provide a useful option for those failing other forms of medical therapy. Relocation of the stoma is reserved for persistent ulceration failing other therapies, because peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum may recur at the new stoma site.
Sterically Tunable Phosphenium Cations: Synthesis and Characterization of Bis(arylamino)phosphenium Ions, Phosphinophosphenium Adducts, and the First Well-Defined Rhodium Phosphenium Complexes

A family of bis(arylamino)chlorophosphines of the general formula (Ar = 4-MeO-C6H4, 3a; Ar = 2,4,6-Me3-C6H2, 3b; Ar = 2,6-(CHMe2)2-C6H3, 3c) has been prepared from PCl3 and the appropriate diamine. Steric interactions involving the 2,6-aryl substituents in 3b,c result in hindered rotation about the N−CAr bond, as evidenced by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Treatment of halophosphines 3a−c with AgOSO2CF3 (AgOTf) or Tl{B[3,5-(CF3)2-C6H3]4} (TlBArF) affords the cationic bis(arylamino)phosphenium compounds (4a−e; A = OTf, BArF), in high yield. Phosphenium cations 4a−d reversibly form adducts with trimethylphosphine. The structure of the phosphinophosphenium adduct 5c (Ar = 2,6-(CHMe2)2-C6H3) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, revealing both the steric influences of the 2,6-Ar substituents and the electronic nature of the bonding in 5. Treatment of Wilkinson's catalyst, RhCl(PPh3)3, with 1 equiv of 4a gives the first well-defined Rh phosphenium complex, (6), which is isolated in 80% yiel...
Prognostic analysis of ovarian cancer associated with endometriosis

Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the prognosis of ovarian cancer arising in endometriosis. Study Design We retrospectively compared 42 cases of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) with 184 cases of ovarian carcinoma without endometriosis (OC). Results The median age in the EAOC group was 52 vs 59 years in OC ( P P = .04) and early-stage tumors (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics I and II combined) (49% vs 24%; P = .002). Clear cell (21% vs 2%) and endometrioid (14% vs 3%) tumors were more frequent in EAOC, whereas mucinous tumors were more prevalent in OC ( P = .001). The median survival (199 vs 62 months) and the 5 year survival (62% vs 51%) were better for EAOC when compared with OC ( P = .038). After controlling for age, stage, grade, and treatment, association with endometriosis was not an independent predictor of better survival in ovarian cancer. Conclusion As such, EAOC has a much better survival rate than OC. This could be explained by the higher prevalence of early-stage and low-grade tumors in EAOC when compared with OC.
Cost per quality-adjusted life year gained of laminectomy and extension of instrumented fusion for adjacent-segment disease: defining the value of surgical intervention

Object Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of spinal fusions performed in the US and a corresponding increase in the incidence of adjacent-segment disease (ASD). Surgical management of symptomatic ASD consists of decompression of neural elements and extension of fusion. It has been shown to have favorable long-term outcomes, but the cost-effectiveness remains unclear. In this study, the authors set out to assess the cost-effectiveness of revision surgery in the treatment of ASD over a 2-year period. Methods Fifty patients undergoing neural decompression and extension of fusion construct for ASD-associated back and leg pain were included in the study. Two-year total back-related medical resource utilization, missed work, and health state values (quality-adjusted life years [QALYs], calculated from the EQ-5D with US valuation) were assessed. Two-year resource use was multiplied by unit costs based on Medicare national allowable payment amounts (direct cost), and patient an...
Eight new species of microsporidia (Microspora) from Argentine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Seven new species of Amblyospora and one of Parathelohania are described from larvae of neotropical mosquitoes: Aedes albifasciatus, Aedes crinifer, Anopheles evansae, Culex dolosus, Culex tramazayguesi, Mansonia indubitans, Psorophora ferox and Uranotaenia nataliae . This is the first formal description of microsporidia from mosquitoes in Argentina and the first report of an Amblyospora sp. from the genus Uranotaenia . New species were distinguished on the basis of meiospore morphology and presumed host specificity. The proposed new species are Amblyospora albifasciati n. sp., Amblyospora criniferis n. sp., Amblyospora dolosi n. sp., Amblyospora ferocis n. sp., Amblyospora indubitantis n. sp., Amblyospora nataliae n. sp., Amblyospora tramazayguesi n. sp., and Parathelohania evansae n. sp. A complete list of all of the described species of Parathelohania from mosquitoes is given.
One Pot Synthesis of Multifunctional Aramid Aerogels

Aerogels are quasi-stable, low-density, three-dimensional assemblies of nanoparticles, but they are commonly associated with poor mechanical properties. The most successful efforts to improve their mechanical properties involve cross-linking of the skeletal nanoparticles with polymers. However, post gelation cross-linking is time-consuming. Hence, it is reasonable to seek robust all-polymer aerogels among polymers known for their high mechanical strength. As a result, here we report the facile one-pot synthesis of a new class of Kevlar-like aerogels based on the rather underutilized reaction of multifunctional isocyanates and carboxylic acids. The resulting materials are up to 84% v/v porous with surface areas as high as 380 m2 g-1. The ultimate compressive strength per unit density is within 10% equal to that of Kevlar 49. The high specific energy absorption (37 J g-1) and Styrofoam-like thermal conductivity (0.028 W m-1 K-1) combined with thermal stability up to 350 °C render aramid aerogels multifunctional materials suitable for defense, civil and transportation related applications. Upon pyrolysis at 800 °C they can be converted to 80% (v/v) porous, electrically conducting carbons with surface areas as high as 474 m2 g-1.
A novel method to derive explicit KLT kernel for AR(1) process

The derivation of explicit Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT) kernel for an auto-regressive order one, AR(1), process has been of a major implementation concern. The main reason is due to difficulties in finding the roots of a transcendental tangent equation as required in the derivation. We propose a novel method to derive explicit KLT kernel for discrete AR(1) process. The merit of the proposed technique is highlighted. The proposed method has a good potential to make real-time KLT applications more feasible in the coming years.
Beam Coupling to Films

The coupling of a gaussian beam into thin films is investigated utilizing a full wave analysis. Maximum coupling efficiency for a planar structure is found to be 75% and is independent of the phase velocity of the waveguide mode in the film. Measured coupling values of up to 57% are reported. Coherence properties of the coupling procedure are discussed and optimization of physical parameters is outlined.
SYNTHESIS OF 3‐AMINO‐2,3,6‐TRIDEOXY‐D‐RIBO‐ AND ‐L‐LYXO‐HEXOFURANOSES SUITABLE FOR NUCLEOSIDE SYNTHESIS

Abstract N -Acetylepidaunosamine (3-acetamido-2,3,6-trideoxy- d - ribo -hexopyranose) was converted into the diethyl dithioacetal and this was cyclized with HgCi 2 , HgO, and MeOH, to give methyl 3-acetamido-2,3,6-trideoxy-α- and -β- d - ribo -hexofuranoside ( 4 and 5). These anomers were acetylated or ( p -nitrobenzoyl)ated, and the esters were subjected to acetolysis, to afford 3-acetamido-1,5-di- O -acetyl-2,3,6-trideoxy- d - ribo -hexofuranose and 3-acetamido-1- O -acetyl-2,3,6-trideoxy-5- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)- d - ribo -hexofuranose, respectively. Alternatively, compounds 4 and 5 were hydrolyzed to the free bases with barium hydroxide, and these were converted into the trifluoroacetamido derivatives which, on ( p -nitrobenzoyl)ation and acetolysis, afforded 1- O -acetyl-2,3,6-trideoxy-5- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-3-(trifluoroacetamido)- d - ribo -hexofuranose. To prepare the corresponding daunosamine derivative, 2,3,6-trideoxy-3-(trifluoroacetamido)- l - lyxo -hexopyranose was converted into the diethyl dithioacetal, and this was cyclized in the same way, to afford methyl 2,3,6-trideoxy-3-(trifluoroacetamido)-α- and -β- l - lyxo -hexofuranoside. On ( p -nitrobenzoyl)ation and acetolysis, both afforded 1- O -acetyl-2,3,6-trideoxy-5- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-3-(trifluoroacetamido)- l - lyxo -hexofuranose.
On Compton and thermal models for X-ray emission from clusters of galaxies.

Aspects of Compton and thermal models for cluster X-ray emission are discussed. Some restrictions on the origin and propagation of the relativistic electrons, whose existence in large numbers is postulated in the Compton model, are imposed and implications of the model are discussed.Within the context of a thermal interpretation of the X-ray emission, we investigate the possible role of heat conduction in determining the state of the intracluster gas. A hydrostatic-conductive model is treated under different assumptions on the nature of possible heating mechanisms.
The response of cultured human kidney capillary endothelium to immunologic stimuli.

Abstract We have developed in culture for the first time one of the actual target cells in kidney rejection by establishing long-term cultures of human kidney capillary endothelium and have begun to explore their response to immunologic stimuli. Microvascular endothelial cells were obtained from the human kidney cortex by mechanical separation, enzyme digestion, and density gradient centrifugation. The cells were exposed to 1% PHA, a PHA-stimulated PBL supernatant, human and mouse IL-1 and human γ-interferon. They were stained with FITC-conjugated monoclonalantibodies specific for β 2 -microglobulin, HLA-DR, and DQ and analyzed by flow cytometry (FACS-II). HKCE cells express HLA-ABC antigens during growth and confluent phases but do not express DR or DQ antigens. Only the PHA-stimulated PBL supernatant and γ-interferon induced class II antigen expression. A change in cellular morphology was noted after 72 hr of incubation in the presence of lectin-stimulated PBL supernatant. Our findings show that microvascular endothelial cells express selected Ia antigens only after immunologic induction. This is an agreement with studies using umbilical and aortic endothelial cells. These data suggest that a dynamic interaction takes place between activated lymphocytes whose products induce expression of class II antigens and human kidney endothelial cells.
Racial differences in parental perceptions of the neighborhood as predictors of children's physical activity and sedentary behavior

Objective Most U.S. children engage in insufficient physical activity (PA) and spend too much time in sedentary behaviors (SBs), leading to increased risk of obesity and chronic disease. Evidence remains inconsistent on relationships between parental perceptions of the neighborhood and children's PA and SB. This study examines parental neighborhood perceptions, stratified by race, as predictors of children's PA and SB.
A simple diversity index based on the theory of runs

Abstract An easily calculated species diversity index, based on the statistical theory of runs, is presented with a description of statistical inference procedures. While not requiring taxonomic expertise, the index maintains a strong intuitive appeal. Although developed for use in sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates, the proposed index can be used to measure the numeric relation of taxa in any biological sample.
Effect of Current Pulses on Fatigue of Thin NiTi Wires for Shape Memory Actuators

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are used in many technological applications, thanks to their unique properties: superelasticity and shape memory (SM) effect. Many efforts have been made to improve performance of SMA wires to utilize them as thermal actuators also for many thousands of cycles. Near-equiatomic nickel-titanium compound is the most used materials for SM actuators because of its high recoverable values of strain and good cycling stability, if compared to the other known SMA. In this study, the functional properties of NiTi thin wires (80 μm) thermally cycled under a constant load (200 MPa) were investigated. In particular, the effect of two heating conditions, carried out by a step and a ramp current pulses, on functional fatigue of SMA has been studied. By means of an experimental apparatus, thermomechanical cycling, thermal loop under constant load and actuation time (AT) tests were carried out to investigate the alteration and the trend of recovered strain, irreversible strain, characteristic temperatures, and ATs of the thin SM wires.
One- and two-item measures of pain beliefs and coping strategies

Pain-related beliefs and pain coping strategies are central components of current cognitive-behavioral models of chronic pain, and have been found in numerous studies to be associated significantly with psychosocial and physical disability. However, the length of most measures of pain-related beliefs and coping restricts the ability of clinicians and researchers to perform a thorough assessment of these variables in many situations. The availability of very brief versions of existing scales would make possible the assessment of a range of important pain beliefs and coping strategies in settings where subject or patient assessment burden is an issue. In this study, one- and two-item versions of the subscales of several commonly used measures of pain beliefs and coping strategies were developed using both rational and empirical procedures. The findings support the validity of these brief subscales. The appropriate use and limitations of these measures are discussed.
Environmental control of lipids and fatty acid production in the diatomNavicula saprophila

The unique ability of microalgae to accumulate large amounts of lipids has led to an increase in the research on the cultivation of these organisms for the production of fuels. This paper describes the accumulation of cellular lipids by the diatom,Navicula saprophila, as a result of culture management strategies. The cells were grown in two different nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and silica) maintained at 20° and 30°C. The biomass, lipids, and fatty acids were measured. Biomass yield was higher in a nutrient (nitrogen/silica) nonstress treatment; however, the production of lipids was enhanced in a nutrient stress medium at 30 °C. The influence of the environmental conditions on the distribution of fatty acids was also observed.
Improvements to spectral spot-scanning technique for accurate and efficient data acquisition

An improved and optimized spectral spot-scanning system for visible focal plane array (FPA) sub-micron pixel photoresponse testing is presented. This updated configuration includes: (1) additional diagnostic analysis tools which more completely characterize the operation of the system; (2) a confocal microscope fitted into the optical system to aid in more precise determination of spot focusing on the imager; (3) a post-acquisition transformation to imager pixel response data to reduce overall data acquisition time. Wavelength-dependent pixel response data is presented to demonstrate the repeatability of this setup as well as to quantify the impact of random and systematic experimental errors.
The Goals and Promise of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The primary goal of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was to fix auditing of U.S. public companies, consistent with its full, official name: the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002. By consensus, auditing had been working poorly, and increasingly so. The most important, and most promising, part of Sarbanes-Oxley was the creation of a unique, quasi-public institution to oversee and regulate auditing, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In controversial section 404, the law also created new disclosure-based incentives for firms to spend money on internal controls, above increases that would have occurred after the corporate scandals of the early 2000s. In exchange for these higher costs, which have already fallen substantially, Sarbanes-Oxley promises a variety of long-term benefits. Investors will face a lower risk of losses from fraud and theft, and benefit from more reliable financial reporting, greater transparency, and accountability. Public companies will pay a lower cost of capital, and the economy will benefit because of a better allocation of resources and faster growth. Sarbanes-Oxley remains a work in progress -- section 404 in particular was implemented too aggressively - but reformers should push for continued improvements in its implementation, by PCAOB, rather than for repeal of the legislation itself.
Evolution as a Controversial Issue: A Review of Instructional Approaches.

Although evolution has long been considered a controversial issue, little effort has been made to ensure that instructional approaches address the controversial nature of the issue. A framework for understanding the nature of controversy and some defining characteristics of controversial issues are provided. In light of this framework evolution is evaluated to address the defining characteristics of the issue that make it controversial. The purpose of this exploratory review of evolution instruction is to identify a range of instructional approaches reported in extant literature and to determine the extent to which each approach is commensurate with teaching evolution as a controversial issue.
The development of clinical research training: past history and current trends in the United States.

This article provides a brief account of the history of the development of training opportunities in clinical research in the United States. It highlights some developments in the clinical research enterprise since World War II and focuses examination on the involvement of the U.S. government and academic sector. Clinical research training is a relatively new academic field, and curricula in the design and conduct of clinical research have only emerged since the 1980s. The growing complexity of clinical trials and the emergence of evidence-based medicine in the last several decades created great demand for clinicians with knowledge of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. Amidst alarm bells rung by physician–scientist leaders about the endangered species of clinical researchers, numerous proposals and solutions emerged to address these workforce and educational problems in the 1990s. Traditionally, physicians wishing to expand their education had to get a master’s degree in public health or participate in unique programs such as the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Since the 1990s, the National Institutes of Health, through K awards, the Roadmap Initiative, and other funding mechanisms, has furnished tremendous support for the development of clinical research training opportunities from predoctoral immersion programs to degree-granting graduate programs. The author discusses key components of successful clinical research training programs and concludes with empirical recommendations for promoting careers in clinical research.
The impact of hypothermia on trauma care at the 31st combat support hospital.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to review the incidence of hypothermia, and its effect on surgical management, resource utilization, and survival at the 31st Combat Support Hospital (CSH). Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of all combat trauma injuries treated at the 31st CSH over a 12-month period. All trauma admissions were included. Descriptive and inferential analysis were performed using SPSS 11.0 software package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results: A cohort of 2848 patients was identified; 18% were hypothermic (temperature 36°C). Hypothermia was significantly (P .05) correlated with admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), tachycardia, hypotension, lower hematocrit, and acidosis. Hypothermic patients had a significantly higher blood product and factor VIIa requirement. Hypothermia was an independent predictor of operative management of injuries, damage control laparotomy, factor VIIa use, and overall mortality (P .05). Conclusion: Combat trauma patients have a high percentage of penetrating injuries with variable evacuation times. Hypothermia was a pre-hospital physiologic marker, and independent contributor to overall mortality. Prevention of hypothermia could reduce resource utilization and improve survival in the combat setting. © 2006 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.
Designing waveguides in inverse opal photonic crystals

We report a theoretical analysis on line defects in self-assembled photonic crystals. Several defect geometries have been considered in order to achieve a structure with a large single-mode bandwidth.
The home advantage revisited winning and crowd support in an era of national publics

Home teams win over 50% of sporting contests. The sociological appeal of this is the assumption that home advantages are partly the result of the support fans provide, with the collective inspiring teams to performances above normal achievements. Recent changes in professional sports suggest that home support may not be as strong as once expected as structural conditions producing the home advantage have shifted. Distancing of players from fans via free agency and rapid salary escalation, coupled with marketing designed to create national publics, can produce declines in the home advantage. Levels of home advantage have decreased over 20 years, and now, an increase in crowd size reduces the home team's chances of winning. Teams can still garner support from home crowds, but professional sports are less likely to be representations for local communities; the social bases of the home advantage have been eroded by economic forces and league marketing.
Combination of interpolation and self-organizing approximation techniques-a new approach to circuit performance modeling

An interpolation scheme (maximally flat quadratic interpolation (MFQI) and an approximation scheme (group method of data handling (GMDH)) are combined to obtain a novel heuristic approximation method. This composite structure overcomes the shortcomings of the individual methods while maintaining their desirable features. The combined method is efficient and much more accurate than either of the two individual schemes. This is the case especially when the functions being approximated are complex within the input variable range specified. Several analog and digital circuit examples, in addition to a variability minimization example for a delay circuit, demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach. >
Simultaneous measurement of the Raman gain coefficient and the nonlinear refractive index of optical fibers: theory and experiment

We report for the first time, to our knowledge, a technique that has the capability to measure both the Raman gain coefficient and the nonlinear refractive index of an optical fiber, using the same experimental setup. This measurement utilizes the induced-grating autocorrelation (IGA) technique, which is based upon time-delayed four-beam coupling in a photorefractive crystal. The standard IGA trace, which is based upon two-beam coupling, fits a simple model based on pure self-phase modulation (SPM). We demonstrate that, in the negligible-dispersion regime of an optical fiber, the addition of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) leads to a measurable distortion of the standard (pure SPM) IGA trace. We have developed a new IGA model from the analytical solution of the coupled-amplitude nonlinear Schrodinger equation. This new model successfully accounts for the effect of SRS on the IGA trace in the negligible-dispersive regime of the fiber and allows the direct determination of the Raman gain coefficient and the nonlinear refractive index from the fit of the SRS distorted IGA trace. The measured nonlinear refractive index and the Raman gain coefficient are in good agreement with published results.
Spectrophotometric Nitrogen Dioxide Analysis in Smoking and Non-Smoking Las Vegas Areas

ABSTRACT Pollution and consistent exposure to nitrogen dioxide are known as factors in respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and emphysema.. Therefore, careful air monitoring of public areas is necessary. A convenient and cost-effective method uses passive diffusion tubes. These tubes, treated with Triethanolamine or TEA - a nitrogen dioxide absorbent, were placed in a non-smoking environment, The Meadows School in Las Vegas, for a control and smoking environments, which consisted of several small, neighborhood casino bars also in the Las Vegas area. After the tubes absorbed nitrogen dioxide from the designated environment for a week's time, they were analyzed and then tested spectrophotometrically. The results indicated that the non-smoking environments had a nitrogen dioxide concentration of approximately 0.004–0.011 ppm, semi-smoking areas (the dining area of the pubs) had a nitrogen dioxide concentration of 0.012–0.029 ppm and the most smoky areas (the bar area of the pubs) had a nitrogen dioxide c...
Preliminary Investigation of the Length Measurement of Cotton Fibers with the Peyer Texlab System: Comparability and Repeatability'

The short fiber content of raw cotton is important to yarn manufacturers, but current measurement methods are slow and may not accurately characterize short fibers. The Peyer Fibroliner-AL101 system is a relatively easy and rapid method of determining the length-frequency distribution of cotton samples. A comparison between Suter- Webb and Peyer fiber length distributions by weight (barbe) indicates that barbe 25% length is approximately 0.10 inch shorter than Suter-Webb upper quartile length, and the mean length is approximately 0.05 inch shorter than the Suter-Webb mean length. The barbe percent fibers shorter than ½ inch averaged 1.70% greater than the Suter- Webb percent short fibers. The Peyer Fibroliner-Almeter test can be performed in approximately 15 minutes, while it takes about two hours to make the Suter- Webb test.
Trends in legionnaires disease, 1980-1998: declining mortality and new patterns of diagnosis.

New diagnostic tests and empirical therapy for pneumonia may have important ramifications for the identification, treatment, and control of legionnaires disease (LD). To determine trends in the epidemiology of LD, we analyzed data for 1980-1998 from the passive surveillance system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During this time period, there were 6757 confirmed cases of LD (median annual number, 360 cases/year). Diagnosis by culture and by direct fluorescent antibody and serologic testing decreased significantly; diagnosis by urine antigen testing increased from 0% to 69%. The frequency of isolates other than Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LP1) decreased from 38% to 4% (P = .003). The case-fatality rate decreased significantly, from 34% to 12% (P<.001) for all cases, from 46% to 14% (P<.0001) for nosocomial cases, and from 26% to 10% (P =.05) for community-acquired cases. LD-related mortality has decreased dramatically. The decrease in culture-based diagnosis limits the recognition of non-LP1 disease and impairs outbreak investigation, because fewer Legionella isolates are provided for further examination.
Performance of robust metrics with convolutional coding and diversity in FHSS systems under partial-band noise jamming

The performance of robust metrics (metrics that can be computed from the outputs of the matched filters only) with convolutional coding and diversity under worst-case partial-band noise jamming is analyzed. Both binary and dual-k convolutional codes employing these metrics with diversity are compared via Union-Chernoff bounds. The performances of metrics considered in the literature that assume perfect side-information are given for comparison purposes. It is found that there exist very good robust metrics that provide performance comparable to metrics using perfect side-information. Among the robust metrics considered, the self-normalized metric offers the best performance and achieves performance practically identical to that of the square-law-combining metric with perfect side-information for M=8. >
The University of South Alabama Mesonet and Coastal Observing System: A Technical and Statistical Overview

Abstract The University of South Alabama Mesonet consists of 26 sites across the north-central Gulf of Mexico coast. Although the original purpose of the mesonet was monitoring landfalling tropical systems, meteorological data are collected and disseminated every 5 min year-round to serve a multitude of purposes, including weather forecasting, education, and research. In this paper a statistical analysis and like-sensor comparison demonstrates that variables, measured by different sensor types or by sensors at different heights, correlate well. The benefits of sensor redundancy are twofold, offering 1) backup sensors in the case of sensor failure during severe weather and 2) the ability to perform a large number of internal consistency checks for quality control purposes. An oceanographic compliment to the University of South Alabama Mesonet system, which was deployed by NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) to measure surface waves and ocean currents in an area south of Mobil...
Gaussian mixture model for edge-enhanced images

In this paper we present a new stochastic model for pixels in an edge-enhanced image. The model is robust because it allows for the possibilities of false and multiple edges, and may be efficiently estimated using an expectation-maximization technique with a minimum description length metric. The direct applicability of the model for the sequential edge linking algorithm is investigated and shown to improve edge detection for low signal-to-noise ratio cases.
Approaches to organize cells on surfaces

The binding of cell surface receptors to local bioactive ligands is the principal mechanism by which cells survey their microenvironment and accordingly modulate their behaviors, such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and suicide. Using microfabrication approaches to engineer cellular microenvironments, we examine how the spatial positioning of cells and their intercellular contacts can control cellular functions. Here, we describe methods to pattern the adhesivity of surfaces to 1) control the position of cells on surfaces, 2) measure forces generated by cells against deformable substrata, and 3) control the extent of cell-to-cell contact. We hope to use the microengineered substrates to improve the interface between artificial surfaces and living cells.
A study of student attitude towards Media Based Instruction in introductory engineering courses

In this paper, Media Based Instruction technique is used to enhance student understanding of engineering fundamentals. It also seeks to examine the effects of technology based instruction in order to complement conventional instruction. This progress as well as lessons learned in the first two semesters of Media Based Instruction in introductory engineering courses namely Circuits, Electronics, and C++ for digital computation is evaluated and some statistics are offered. Pilot study: A concluding section assesses the advantages of complementing conventional instruction with Media Based Instruction.
Investment, liquidity, and private debt: The case of REIT credit facilities

Executive Summary. This study examines Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) credit facilities with banks. Credit facilities allow flexibility, but may create agency problems due to the potential for misuse. The findings suggest that REITs enter credit facilities when expecting large investments. The net investments to total assets ratio is significantly higher when credit facilities are arranged. Combined with lower year-end liquidity, this suggests that REITs use credit facilities to correct shortfalls caused by large investment needs. The findings do not reveal that REITs are more cash constrained when credit facilities are announced. Rather, the results suggest REITs are constrained in years when no credit facility is formed.
Room for Improvement: Priorities in Academic Libraries’ Strategic Plans

ABSTRACTAcademic libraries are under enormous pressure to demonstrate their value through assessment. As a department within a larger institution, libraries also need to show how they support the mission and goals of the college. Strategic plans, which set the direction of an organization for the near future, can provide insight into how libraries are prioritizing goals, and the extent to which they are assessing those goals. Campus administrators and library directors will be interested in seeing the extent to which libraries are aligning their activities with those of the parent institution and holding themselves accountable for achievement of their goals.
Double Binding, Abusive Intimate Partner Relationships, and Pregnancy

The purpose of this study was to extend and integrate the process theories of abuse and becoming a mother in order to provide a contextually appropriate perspective for understanding women's behavioural responses to intimate partner abuse during pregnancy. Double binding is proposed as a construct for understanding intimate partner abuse during pregnancy. Double binding refers to the simultaneous and often conflicting psychological and social processes of binding-in to the unborn child and to the abusive intimate partner that women engage in as they perform the developmental tasks associated with becoming a mother while living with an abusive partner. This construct was developed through an inductive-deductive process using clinical experience, a literature review, and qualitative data from 2 studies of abuse during pregnancy. The authors conclude that double binding is a suitable lens through which to interpret pregnant women's behavioural responses to abuse. They offer suggestions regarding clinical practice and research to further develop appropriate interventions incorporating this construct.
Reports to the Club of Rome

The Club of Rome was formed to publicize the contemporary human predicament—an unprecedented social pathology which, according to founder Aurelio Peccei, “is aggravated by the interrelatedness … of everything in the human system.” The Club has commissioned and accepted nine reports, the first and most famous of which is Limits to Growth (1972). This report's “Malthusian” viewpoint and popular format identified the Club with a controversial issue evidently unacceptable to many of its members, not to mention most economists and technologists. Subsequent reports, with one exception, have progressively retreated from that initial position by denying the predicament's resistance to serial solution. Instead, reports have taken refuge in conventional liberal nostrums and blindly asserted technological optimism. The debate on the future of industrial civilization brought to the fore by Limits deserves a better fate.
Kropotkin, Read, and the Intellectual History of British Anarchism: Between Reason and Romanticism

In his 1940 essay “The Philosophy of Anarchism,” the prominent British art critic and anarchist Herbert Read declined to speculate in any detail about the organization of a future anarchist society...
Measurements of top quark properties in top pair production and decay at the LHC using the CMS detector

Measurements are presented of the properties of top quarks in pair production and decay from proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The data were collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV by the CMS experiment during the years 2011 and 2012. The top quark-antiquark charge asymmetry is measured using the difference of the absolute rapidities of the reconstructed top and anti-top kinematics, as well as from distributions of the top quark decay products. The measurements are performed in the decay channels of the tt‾ pair into both one and two leptons in the final state. The polarization of top quarks and top pair spin correlations are measured from the angular distributions of top quark decay products. The W-boson helicity fractions and angular asymmetries are extracted and limits on anomalous contributions to the Wtb vertex are determined. The flavor content in top-quark pair events is measured using the fraction of top quarks decaying into a W-boson and a b-quark relative to all top quark decays, R=B(t→Wb)/B(t→Wq), and the result is used to determine the CKM matrix element Vtb as well as the width of the top quark resonance. All of the results are found to be in good agreement with standard model predictions.
MO‐D‐BRC‐00: In Memoriam of Jan Van De Geijn: Knowledge‐Based Planning

Treatment planning is a central part of radiation therapy, including delineation in tumor volumes and critical organs, setting treatment goals of prescription doses to the tumor targets and tolerance doses to the critical organs, and finally generation of treatment plans to meet the treatment goals. National groups like RTOG have led the effort to standardize treatment goals of the prescription doses to the tumor targets and tolerance doses to the critical organs based on accumulated knowledge from decades of abundant clinical trial experience. The challenge for each clinical department is how to achieve or surpass these set goals within the time constraints of clinical practice. Using fifteen testing cases from different treatment sites such as head and neck, prostate with and without pelvic lymph nodes, SBRT spine, we will present clinically utility of advanced planning tools, including knowledge based, automatic based, and multiple criteria based tools that are clinically implemented. The objectives of this session are: 1.Understand differences among these three advanced planning tools 2.Provide clinical assessments on the utility of the advanced planning tools 3.Discuss clinical challenges of treatment planning with large variations in tumor volumes and their relationships with adjacent critical organs. Ping Xia received research grant from Philips. Jackie Wu received research grant from Varian; P. Xia, Research support by Philips and Varian; Q. Wu, NIH, Varian Medical
Cost Benefit Aspects of the Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: When and What Diagnostic Test?

It is the policy at our institution, as examplified in the John Hopkins Swallowing Center, to perform imaging procedures early in the diagnostic work-up of the patient with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A variety of imaging modalities are available and special maneuvers are employed during these studies according to the individual patient’s symptoms. A careful history by the referring physician and the radiologist conducting the imaging evaluation will assist in tailoring the radiographic studies to individual needs. Hence, it is the radiologist’s role to assess swallowing performance, to rule out disorders mimicking reflux symptoms, to assess the pattern and degree of pharyngeal and esophageal involvement, and to detect and localize complications such as esophagitis, stricture or Barrett’s esophagus.
How Hippocampal Memory Shapes, and Is Shaped by, Attention

Attention has historically been studied in the context of sensory systems, with the aim of understanding how information in the environment affects the deployment of attention and how attention in turn affects the perception of this information. More recently, there has been burgeoning interest in how long-term memory can serve as a cue for attention, and ways in which attention influences long-term memory encoding and retrieval. In this chapter, we highlight this emerging body of human behavioral, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological work that elucidates these bidirectional interactions between attention and memory. Special emphasis will be given to recent findings on how the quintessential “memory system” in the brain—the hippocampus—influences and is influenced by attention.
Comparative analysis of hybrid Magnetic Tunnel Junction and CMOS logic circuits

Spin Transfer Torque (STT) is a promising technology for storage in which the information is stored in the form of magnetic orientation of a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) rather than electric charge. Besides memory applications, this technology is promising for non-volatile reconfigurable logic design. The major challenge in realizing this technology is the power and performance overhead associated with reading the state of MTJs (high and low resistance states) and converting it into high and low voltages for interface to next stage circuits. In this paper, methods are proposed to reduce this overhead by MTJ resistance optimization at the device level and mapping multiple low fan-in logic gates into a STT-based Look Up Table (STT-LUT) at the circuit level. The paper demonstrates that by optimally mapping logic gates to STT-LUTs, the power and performance overhead of a reconfigurable design can be reduced to become competitive with a full-custom design. Our results on an arithmetic benchmark circuit shows that by optimal logic gate mapping into STT-LUTs, the power and performance of the design is improved by 65% and 54%, respectively, compared to the design where each individual logic gates is replaced by an STT-LUT.
CYTOSKELETAL MICROFILAMENT NETWORK AND ENERGY METABOLISM AFFECT ABILITY OF ANIMAL CELLS TO RESIST SHEAR INJURY

Abstract Our earlier experimental findings have shown that suspended animal cells are more sensitive to shear and other fluid-mechanical forces under conditions of reduced growth and energy metabolism. Here we employ a battery of effectors (drugs) to specifically probe the involvement of the cell's cytoskeletal structure and energy metabolism in the ability of cells to resist shear injury. Cell injury was quantitated by the fractional normalized cell viability and the release of lactate dehydrogenase after exposing the cells for a short time period (10 min) to well-defined, laminar shear in a rotational Couette viscometer. Treatment of our model hybridoma cells with either cytochalasin E or B, which disrupt the microfilament (actin) network, resulted in a marked increase in shear sensitivity. On the contrary, treatment with colchicine, which disrupts the microtubule network, did not affect the cell's shear fragility. When glycolysis was inhibited by treatment with deoxy-D-glucose, or when respiration was separately inhibited with KCN treatment, small effects were observed on the cell's shear sensitivity. A combined inhibition of glycolysis and respiration resulted in larger increases in shear injury.