cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constrained design strategies for improving normal approximations in nonlinear regression problems

In nonlinear regression problems, the assumption is usually made that parameter estimates will be approximately normally distributed. The accuracy of the approximation depends on the sample size and also on the intrinsic and parameter-effects curvatures. Based on these curvatures, criteria are defined here that indicate whether or not an experiment will lead to estimates with distributions well approximated by a normal distribution. An approach is motivated of optimizing a primary design criterion subject to satisfying constraints based on these nonnormality measures. The approach can be used either to I) find designs for a fixed sample size or to II) choose the sample size for the optimal design based on the primary objective so that the constraints are satisfied. This later objective is useful as the nonnormality measures decrease with the sample size. As the constraints are typically not concave functions over a set of design measures, the usual equivalence theorems of optimal design theory do not hold for the first approach, and numerical implementation is required. Examples are given, and a new notation using tensor products is introduced to define tractable general notation for the nonnormality measures.
Evidence that Src-type tyrosine kinase activity is necessary for initiation of calcium release at fertilization in sea urchin eggs.

The initiation of Ca(2+) release from internal stores in the egg is a hallmark of egg activation. In sea urchins, PLCgamma activity is necessary for the production of IP(3), which leads to the initial rise in Ca(2+). To examine the possible function of a tyrosine kinase in activating PLCgamma at fertilization, sea urchin eggs were treated with the specific Src kinase inhibitor PP1 or microinjected with recombinant Src-family SH2-domain proteins, which act as dominant interfering inhibitors of Src-family kinase function. Both modes of inhibiting Src-family kinases resulted in a specific and dose-dependent delay in the onset of Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum at fertilization. The rise in cytoplasmic pH at fertilization also was inhibited by microinjection of Src-family SH2-domain proteins. Further, an antibody directed against Src-type kinases recognized a protein of ca. M(r) 57K that was enriched in the membrane fraction of eggs. The kinase activity of this protein was stimulated rapidly and transiently at fertilization, as measured by autophosphorylation and by phosphorylation of an exogenous substrate. Together, these data indicate that a Src-type tyrosine kinase is necessary for the initiation of Ca(2+) release from the egg ER at fertilization and identify a Src-type p57 protein as a candidate in the signaling pathway leading to this Ca(2+) release.
Hispanic women and AIDS: gendered risk factors and clinical implications.

Current theory and research indicate that Hispanic women?s increased risk for AIDS is due to sociocultural and psychological factors that are influenced by gender. Hispanic women?s low social status limits their ability to negotiate safer sex behaviors for AIDS prevention. Female gender identity, based upon the desire for interpersonal attachment, places Hispanic women at risk for AIDS through a fear of abandonment by male sexual partners who perceive safer sex behaviors as unmasculine. Male sexual partners? beliefs, practices, and behaviors, such as bisexuality and the practice of anal intercourse, increase Hispanic women?s AIDS risk. The experience of involuntary sexual encounters and the lack of power to determine sexual behaviors and practices within these encounters also place Hispanic women at risk for AIDS.
Instantaneous envelope and phase extraction from real signals: Theory, implementation, and an application to EEG analysis

Abstract This paper presents a unified treatment of various important signal processing techniques for the extraction of the instantaneous envelope and phase of a real signal. These techniques include Complex Demodulation, Hilbert Transformation, In-Phase and In-Quadrature Filtering, Phase-Locked Loop Demodulation, and Peak Amplitude and Zero-Crossing Detection. The salient points in the mathematical theory and implementation of these techniques are outlined, as well as their interrelationships via the theory of analytic signals. The advantages and limitations of each of these techniques are elaborated upon, and Complex Demodulation is shown to be the most effective and flexible method from an implementation point of view. The relation of the above techniques to Fourier spectrum analysis is elucidated, and an example is presented of applying Complex Demodulation for the quantification of time nonstationarities in the electrographic morphology of an EEG waveform.
African-American ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and breast cancer survival: a meta-analysis of 14 studies involving over 10,000 African-American and 40,000 White American patients with carcinoma of the breast.

BACKGROUND African-American women are at increased risk for breast cancer mortality compared with white American women, and the extent to which socioeconomic factors account for this outcome disparity is unclear. METHODS A MEDLINE search was conducted to identify published studies that used a Cox proportional hazards regression model to evaluate the outcome of African-American women and white American women with breast carcinoma after adjusting for socioeconomic status. A meta–analysis was performed using specialized statistical software; the random-effects method of statistical evaluation was used because of the a priori impression that the studies reviewed would be at least moderately heterogeneous in study design and patient populations. RESULTS The initial literature search yielded 3962 studies. Fourteen studies met all criteria for inclusion in the meta–analysis, resulting in a sample size of 10,001 African-American patients and 42,473 white American patients with breast carcinoma. There was substantial variation in the method used for defining socioeconomic status. Summary statistics revealed a significant odds ratio of 1.22 (95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.30) for the adverse effect of African-American ethnicity on breast cancer mortality. Subset meta–analyses yielded similar results, supporting the robustness of this finding. CONCLUSIONS This meta–analysis revealed that African-American ethnicity is an independent predictor of a worse breast cancer outcome. The pooled analysis has added strength because of the aggregate sample size and indicates that the true biologic and/or therapeutic determinants of disparities in breast cancer outcome for different ethnic groups and for different socioeconomic strata are incompletely understood. Cancer 2002;94:2844–54. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10575
Phenomenological model analysis of elastic and inelastic scattering of ≊ 180 MeV antiprotons from various nuclei

Recent experimental data on elastic and inelastic scattering of \ensuremath{\approxeq}180 MeV antiprotons from $^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{18}\mathrm{O}$, $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$, and $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ have been analyzed. The calculations have been performed by using the formulations based on a phenomenological model given by one of the authors in an earlier paper. It is found that the calculated differential cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering and those measured experimentally in most cases are in very good agreement. Furthermore, the effective values of the equilibrium radius and surface thickness derived from the present analysis for each of the nuclei investigated as well as the estimated values of the ${C}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ associated with the nuclear restoring force are very satisfactory. The results of the analysis also suggest that it is mainly the geometrical structure of the target nuclei which, in effect, determines the elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for exciting the low-lying collective states.
Low-level exposures: some implications for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) maintains several programs to study and understand the health and environmental effects of exposure to low levels of energy-related agents. These programs include research to understand the mechanisms of action of agents of concern and to assess the risks associated with exposures of people and ecological systems to these agents. They also include implementing appropriate occupational safety and health standards and remediating waste sites to environmental standards. These programs require that the U.S. DOE pursue a realistic understanding of the effects of exposures to small amounts of energy-related agents. The largest of these programs involves hazardous waste remediation and includes potentially harmful exposures to low levels of numerous agents. The U.S. DOE conducts research to establish the scientific bases for the realistic assessment of risks of exposure to such wastes. As part of the U.S. DOE efforts to understand the risks of low-level exposures to hazardous waste, the Office of Health and Environmental Research and the Office of Environmental Management recently launched a broad cooperative program. It is comprised of research projects in nine general scientific areas and includes research on the health impacts and risk estimation of exposure to low levels of hazardous wastes. Projects for this new cooperative research program were selected from 610 applications and totaled approximately $47 million in fiscal year 1996. This program marks a new approach by using basic research to reduce cleanup costs and to develop scientific foundations for advances in environmental technologies. The research will also examine the effects of exposure to low levels of chemical and radiological wastes.
Slip-Flow and Conjugate Heat Transfer in Rectangular Microchannels

Slip-flow and conjugate heat transfer in rectangular microchannels are studied numerically for thermally developing laminar flow subjected to constant wall temperature (T) and constant wall heat flux (H2) boundary conditions. A three-dimensional numerical code based on finite volume method is developed to solve the coupled energy equations in the wall and fluid regions together with temperature jump at the wall-fluid boundary. A modified convection-diffusion coefficient at the wall-fluid interface is defined to incorporate the temperature-jump boundary condition. The numerical code is validated by comparing the present results with the published data. The effect of rarefaction and wall conduction on the heat transfer in the entrance region is analyzed in detail. Results show that the wall conduction has a considerable influence on the developing Nusselt number along the channel for the H2 boundary condition, particularly at low Knudsen numbers. In the case of the T thermal boundary condition, negligible influence of wall conduction on the Nusselt number is observed for all Knudsen numbers considered.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Infrastructure regulatory institutions and their impact: Papers from CCRP, City University Workshop 2006

Abstract This paper provides a short introduction to subsequent papers by (i) Gaggero, (ii) Maiorano and Stern and (iii) Montoya and Trillas on various aspects of economic regulation of telecommunications and other infrastructure industries. The papers present the results of new empirical research and cover important issues such as the use of regulatory indices and econometric issues in this area including the treatment of endogeneity in general and endogenous institutions in particular as well as the choice of appropriate estimation techniques for panel data models.
Quantitative excretion of 3-methylhistidine in urine of cats as a measure of in vivo skeletal muscle protein catabolism

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion as an index of in vivo skeletal muscle protein degradation in cats. The criterion for validation was the rapid and quantitative excretion of an intravenously administered dose of radiolabeled 3-methylhistidine (3-methyl-14C). Four adult cats were maintained in individual metabolism cages and allowed free access to a purified diet (43.5% protein) and water for 4 weeks. The cats were then injected intravenously with 740 kBq 3-[14C]methylhistidine dihydrochloride diluted in 1 mL of saline. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected for 7 days. Total radioactivity in each urine sample was determined by direct counting. Quench correction was determined by using an external standard. The mean (±SEM) cumulative urinary recovery of 3-[14C]methylhistidine from the four cats was 94.9 ±3.5% at 48 hr following radioisotope injection. The mean (±SEM) cumulative urinary recovery of radioactivity from the four cats was 103.9 ± 2.2% at 7 days following radioisotope administration. There was no detectable radioactivity found in expired CO2 and negligible amounts (mean ± SEM: 0.6 ± 0.5%) in the feces. Chromatography of urinary amino acids and radioactive urine metabolites revealed no significant radioactivity in any other peak besides 3-methylhistidine. Acid hydrolysis of urine resulted in no increase in 3-methylhistidine content or urine, indicating that there is no significant acetylation of 3-methylhistidine in this species. On the basis of these results, 3-methylhistidine does not appear to be metabolized and should therefore be a valid index of in vivo skeletal muscle protein degradation in the cat. Urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion should be useful for studying how nutritional, hormonal, and other physiological or pathological factors cause losses or gains in skeletal muscle protein in this species.
Noncanonical transforming growth factor β signaling in scleroderma fibrosis

Purpose of reviewPersistent transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling is the major factor contributing to scleroderma (SSc) fibrosis. This review will summarize recent progress on the noncanonical TGF-β signaling pathways and their role in SSc fibrosis.Recent findingsCanonical TGF-β signaling i
Germ cell maturation and cellular associations in the seminiferous epithelial cycle of the chimpanzee

Seminiferous tubule architecture, germ cell maturation steps and cellular associations (stages) of the spermatogenic cycle of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) are resolved. Cross sections of seminiferous tubules usually exhibit 2 to 4 stages, occasionally 1, and rarely 5; stages are not functionally sequential in structurally contiguous regions. The cellular maturation steps are: dark type A stem cell (Ad), pale type A (Ap), type B(B) spermatogonia; resting or preleptotene (P1), leptotene (L), zygotene (Z), pachytene (P), diplotene (Di) primary spermatocytes; meiotic divisions (M1, M2); secondary spermatocytes (2 degrees S); six developmental stages of the spermatid (Sa, Sb1, Sb2, Sc, Sd1, Sd2) composing spermiogenesis. The germ cell maturation steps characteristic of the six cellular associations (stages I-VI) are: Ad, Ap, B, P, Sa, Sd1 (I); Ad, Ap, B, PI, P, Sa, Sd2 (II); Ad, Ap, B, PI, L, P, Sb1 (III); Ad, Ap, PI, L, P, Sb2 (IV); Ad, Ap, L, Z, P, Di, Sc (V); Ad, Ap, B, Z, P, Di, 2 degrees S, Sc (VI). Surgical pressure trauma causes sloughing of some 2 degrees S spermatocytes and some Sa, Sb1, Sb2, Sd1, and Sd2 spermatids, resulting in missing generations, and disrupts Sertoli cell attachments, affecting germ cell development and associations. In structure and function, chimpanzee spermatogenesis appears most similar to the human.
Nutraceutical Antioxidants as Novel Neuroprotective Agents

A variety of antioxidant compounds derived from natural products (nutraceuticals) have demonstrated neuroprotective activity in either in vitro or in vivo models of neuronal cell death or neurodegeneration, respectively. These natural antioxidants fall into several distinct groups based on their chemical structures: (1) flavonoid polyphenols like epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea and quercetin from apples; (2) non-flavonoid polyphenols such as curcumin from tumeric and resveratrol from grapes; (3) phenolic acids or phenolic diterpenes such as rosmarinic acid or carnosic acid, respectively, both from rosemary; and (4) organosulfur compounds including the isothiocyanate, L-sulforaphane, from broccoli and the thiosulfonate allicin, from garlic. All of these compounds are generally considered to be antioxidants. They may be classified this way either because they directly scavenge free radicals or they indirectly increase endogenous cellular antioxidant defenses, for example, via activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) transcription factor pathway. Alternative mechanisms of action have also been suggested for the neuroprotective effects of these compounds such as modulation of signal transduction cascades or effects on gene expression. Here, we review the literature pertaining to these various classes of nutraceutical antioxidants and discuss their potential therapeutic value in neurodegenerative diseases.
Spatiotemporal conversion, storage, and processing using femtosecond optical pulses

Optical signal processing, traditionally employed in the spatial domain, has been experiencing a renaissance with femtosecond laser pulse technology. Temporal optical information can now be manipulated via linear and nonlinear processes, and stored and retrieved, by converting optical signals between the spatial and temporal domains. In this manuscript, we review the state-of-the-art in the spatio- temporal optical signal processing techniques for information data coding, data conversion, signal recording, as well as signal characterization. Applications of these techniques for future computing, communication, storage, and signal processing systems are discussed.
Analysis of Nuclear Material by Alpha Spectroscopy with a Transition-Edge Microcalorimeter

We present measurements from a cryogenic microcalorimeter designed to detect alpha particles. The enhanced resolution of microcalorimeter alpha detectors will provide new capabilities for actinide analysis. We demonstrate a spectral resolution of 2.4 keV full width at half maximum (FWHM) for 5.3 MeV alpha particles from a 210Po source. In addition, we present an alpha spectrum from 209Po showing the first direct measurement of decay into the 205Pb ground state. Finally, measurements of 100 keV gamma-rays from a Gd source show an ultimate alpha particle resolution of 159 eV to be achievable which may provide an avenue for investigating ion energy loss mechanisms in bulk materials.
Relations Between Pain Characteristics, Child and Parent Variables, and School Functioning in Adolescents With Chronic Headache: A Comparison of Tension-Type Headache and Migraine

Objective To assess for differences in headache characteristics and psychosocial factors based on headache diagnosis, and to evaluate whether headache diagnosis moderates relations between psychosocial factors and school difficulties. Methods Retrospective chart review was conducted with 262 adolescents with chronic tension-type headache (TTH; N ¼ 153) and migraine evaluated at a pediatric headache clinic. Adolescents completed measures of anxiety, depression, and pain coping. Parents completed a measure of parental protective behavior and school functioning. Results Adolescents with TTH reported greater depression symptoms, and their parents endorsed greater school difficulties, whereas parents of adolescents with migraine reported more protective parenting. Protective parenting was positively associated with school difficulties in both groups, but the relation was significantly stronger in adolescents with TTH. Headache duration and depression symptoms were significant predictors of school functioning in both groups. Conclusions Headache duration and depression may impact school functioning independent of headache diagnosis. Protective parenting, in particular, seems to be linked to school-related disability in adolescents with TTH, and this link may be important to consider in assessment and treatment.
Food patterns measured by factor analysis and anthropometric changes in adults

Background: Sixty-five percent of US adults are overweight, and 31% of these adults are obese. Obesity results from weight gains over time; however, dietary determinants of weight gain remain controversial. Objective: Our objective was to examine whether food patterns derived from exploratory factor analysis are related to anthropometric changes. We hypothesized that we would derive a healthy food pattern and that it would predict smaller changes in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m 2 ) and waist circumference (in cm) than would other food patterns in models adjusted for baseline anthropometric measures. Design: The subjects were 459 healthy men and women participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Diet was assessed by using 7-d dietary records, from which 40 food groups were formed and entered into a factor analysis. Results: Six food patterns were derived. Factor 1 (reduced-fat dairy products, fruit, and fiber) was most strongly associated with fiber (r 0.39) and loaded heavily on reduced-fat dairy products, cereal, and fruit and loaded moderately on fruit juice, nonwhite bread, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and beans and legumes. In a multivariateadjusted model in which the highest and lowest quintiles were compared, factor 1 was inversely associated with annual change in BMI ( 0.51; 95% CI:0.82, 0.20; P 0.05; P for trend 0.01) in women and inversely associated with annual change in waist circumference ( 1.06 cm; 95% CI: 1.88, 0.24 cm; P 0.05; P for trend 0.04) in both sexes. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a pattern rich in reduced-fat dairy products and high-fiber foods may lead to smaller gains in BMI in women and smaller gains in waist circumference in both women and men. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:504 –13.
Policy issues in early childhood caries

Policy on early childhood caries (ECC) is assessed by examining the performance of governments, educational and research institutions, professional associations, and insurers. Generally, this review suggests that major players are aware of ECC as a significant pediatric health issue but that they lack sufficient political will or coordinated activity to address this problem effectively. The eradication of ECC will depend upon the development of new policies that are science based and reflect individual and population variability, the role of parenting behaviors, the impact of changing organization and financing of dental care, the contribution of public and dental education, and the need for integration with pediatric and public health efforts.
A novel ontogenetic pathway in hybrid embryos between species with different modes of development

To investigate the bases for evolutionary changes in developmental mode, we fertilized eggs of a direct-developing sea urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma, with sperm from a closely related species, H. tuberculata, that undergoes indirect development via a feeding larva. The resulting hybrids completed development to form juvenile adult sea urchins. Hybrids exhibited restoration of feeding larval structures and paternal gene expression that have been lost in the evolution of the direct-developing maternal species. However, the developmental outcome of the hybrids was not a simple reversion to the paternal pluteus larval form. An unexpected result was that the ontogeny of the hybrids was distinct from either parental species. Early hybrid larvae exhibited a novel morphology similar to that of the dipleurula-type larva typical of other classes of echinoderms and considered to represent the ancestral echinoderm larval form. In the hybrid developmental program, therefore, both recent and ancient ancestral features were restored. That is, the hybrids exhibited features of the pluteus larval form that is present in both the paternal species and in the immediate common ancestor of the two species, but they also exhibited general developmental features of very distantly related echinoderms. Thus in the hybrids, the interaction of two genomes that normally encode two disparate developmental modes produces a novel but harmonious ontongeny.
Arginine 16 Glycine β2-Adrenoceptor Polymorphism and Cardiovascular Structure and Function in Patients with Heart Failure

The β 2 /β 1 adrenoceptor ratio increases in congestive heart failure (CHF), making the heart relatively more dependent on inotropic, lusitropic, and chronotropic stimulation by the β 2 -adrenergic receptor (ADRB2). In healthy human beings, those who are homozygous for arginine (Arg) at amino acid 16 of the ADRB2 have reduced receptor function when compared with individuals homozygous for glycine (Gly) at this position. The cardiovascular effects of the Arg16Gly polymorphism of the ADRB2 in CHF are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of common polymorphisms of the ADRB2 on cardiovascular structure and function in patients with CHF. Echocardiography, neurohormonal assays, and exercise tests were performed in 68 healthy individuals and 95 patients with CHF. All of the patients with CHF were stable, New York Heart Association class II to III, of ischemic or nonischemic cause, with an ejection fraction of 40% or less. Of the patients with CHF, 16 were Arg/Arg, 36 were Arg/Gly, and 43 were Gly/Gly at amino acid 16. In those without CHF, the Arg16Gly polymorphism of the ADRB2 had no effect on cardiovascular function. In contrast, in CHF, Arg/Arg homozygotes had higher plasma norepinephrine and atrial natriuretic peptide levels, greater left atrial diastolic dimension, higher peak velocity of early/late diastolic filling ratio, and shorter deceleration time compared with Gly16 homozygotes. Furthermore, Arg16 homozygotes had reduced exercise tolerance compared with Gly16 homozygotes (evidenced by shorter exercise duration and lower peak oxygen consumption per unit time), and a lesser chronotropic response to exercise. In patients with CHF, but not in demographically matched healthy persons, the Arg16Gly polymorphism of the ADRB2 exerts important effects on cardiovascular structure and function, neurohormonal activation, and exercise tolerance.
Preaching and Worship

It is not with the details of homiletics that this paper will occupy itself—how to write a sermon or how to behave in church. These profitable lessons it will dismiss to the class-room or the Sunday School, and will then hold itself free to expand in joyous exaltation of the magnitude and dignity of the training requisite for the fit discharge of the highest duties of the ministry. Every ability which one brings to it may help—those of the carpenter and the goldsmith, of him that smootheth with the hammer and him that smiteth the anvil. But all powers and all training will adjust themselves to its main purpose, the curve of which is determined by its two foci—for every great process is not circular but elliptical—the foci of preaching and worship. Around these the details of a theological curriculum will revolve. The Pentateuch and the Synoptic Problem, the Nicene Council and the Social Settlement House, the Anselmic theory of the Atonement and the Malthusian theory of population, all will have in view their ultimate end of preaching and worship, and all will come bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Biogeochemical process approach to the design and construction of a pilot-scale wetland treatment system for an oil field-produced water

Using a process-based approach, a pilot-scale constructed wetland system was designed and built for treating water produced from an oil field in sub-Saharan Africa. The characteristics of the oil field-produced water were compared with water quality guidelines for irrigating crops and watering livestock to identify constituents of concern (COC) requiring treatment. The COC identified in the produced water include oil, grease, and metals (Zn, Ni, Fe, Mn). A pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system was then designed and built based on biogeochemical pathways (i.e., sorption, oxidation, and reduction) for transferring and transforming the identified COC to achieve target concentrations meeting water quality guidelines. The pilot-scale treatment system consisted of three series of wetland cells, with four cells in each series. Two series of subsurface flow wetland cells were constructed with each cell having a two-layer hydrosoil of pea gravel and medium-size gravel planted with Phragmites australis. In addition, a series of free water surface wetland cells was constructed, with each cell containing sandy hydrosoil and planted with Typha latifolia. The design allows adjustment of parameters (i.e., hydraulic retention time and organic content of the hydrosoil) to promote the conditions needed to achieve treatment of COC through the identified biogeochemical pathways. This study provides an example of the design and construction of a pilot-scale wetland treatment system using a process-based approach.
Application of a Gaussian, Missing-Data Model to Product Recommendation

A Gaussian, missing-data model is applied to predict product ratings. Vectors of product ratings from users are assumed to be independent and identically distributed. Two approaches for parameter estimation in this model are studied: Little and Rubin's expectation-maximization algorithm and McMichael's modified stochastic gradient descent approach. The resulting estimates are used in minimum mean squared error prediction of product ratings using the conditional mean. On a large dataset, performance using McMichael's approach is better than reported performance of the popular matrix factorization approach.
Characterization of two immunoglobulin VH genes that are homologous to human rheumatoid factors.

We isolated a VH1 germline gene (Humhv 1263) that is closely related to the heavy chains of 2 human rheumatoid factors (RF), Bor and Kas. We also found that the 783 rearranged VH1 gene is actually 91–93% homologous to Bor and Kas, and it differs from a VH1 complementary DNA (51P1) by only a single base. Thus, 783 is likely to be the unmutated form of a germline VH gene that may encode the heavy chains of RF Bor and Kas and several other human monoclonal RF.
Analysis of arbitrary frequency selective surfaces: analytic constraints

Constraining equations for the reflection coefficient of any arbitrary periodic surface of infinitesimal thickness is presented. These constraints can help verify the accuracy of the numerical results and give further insight into the FSS. The constraints allow shoe that there is a theoretical limit on the amount of energy that can be lost. The analysis presented can be extended to any number of substrates and superstrates but it cannot be extended to multiple periodic surfaces. The field scattered from the FSS is a summation of plane waves (called Floquet modes) that satisfy the periodic boundary condition. The Floquet modes are also orthogonal to each other. As a result, the total power is the sum of the power in each Floquet mode. In addition, each Floquet mode must independently satisfy the electric and magnetic field boundary conditions. We therefore enforce the boundary conditions only on the lowest order Floquet mode (that is the mode that propagates along the specular direction).
Do communication disorders extend to musical messages? An answer from children with hearing loss or autism spectrum disorders.

Background Effective musical communication requires conveyance of the intended message in a manner perceptible to the receiver. Communication disorders that impair transmitting or decoding of structural features of music (e.g., pitch, timbre) and/or symbolic representation may result in atypical musical communication, which can have a negative impact on music therapy interventions. Objective This study compared recognition of symbolic representation of emotions or movements in music by two groups of children with different communicative characteristics: severe to profound hearing loss (using cochlear implants [CI]) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their responses were compared to those of children with typical-development and normal hearing (TD-NH). Accuracy was examined as a function of communicative status, emotional or movement category, and individual characteristics. Methods Participants listened to recorded musical excerpts conveying emotions or movements and matched them with labels. Measures relevant to auditory and/or language function were also gathered. Results There was no significant difference between the ASD and TD-NH groups in identification of musical emotions or movements. However, the CI group was significantly less accurate than the other two groups in identification of both emotions and movements. Mixed effects logistic regression revealed different patterns of accuracy for specific emotions as a function of group. Conclusion Conveyance of emotions or movements through music may be decoded differently by persons with different types of communication disorders. Because music is the primary therapeutic tool in music therapy sessions, clinicians should consider these differential abilities when selecting music for clinical interventions focusing on emotions or movement.
Autism symptoms in toddlers with Down syndrome: a descriptive study

Research suggests that children with Down syndrome may be at increased risk of having an autism spectrum disorder; however, previous studies have not utilized comprehensive, state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to address the question of comorbid autism and Down syndrome.Comprehensive evaluations for autism were conducted in 20 2-year-old children with Down syndrome. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) were administered by experienced clinicians, who then determined if the child presented with significant symptoms of autism. Eighteen children participated in a follow-up evaluation at age 4 years.Three children (15%) met criteria for an autism spectrum disorder at both time points, and two (10%) for autistic disorder. Case descriptions are provided. Several children presented with difficulties in communication and play, but did not show problems in core social relatedness. The ADOS-G, if used alone, over-identifies autism in toddlers with Down syndrome.Clinical judgement is critical in diagnosing autism in Down syndrome. Young children may show some signs of autism (particularly in the area of communication) and not have the disorder. Children who have comorbid Down syndrome and autism are particularly challenged, relative to their peers without autism.
Prefabricated silicone subdermal mandibular implants: observations and problems related to their application.

Success in the use of custom-fabricated Silastic implants in patients with facial contour defects led us to utilize this method in reconstructing mandibular defects. However, mandibular reconstruction with alloplastic material is quite difficult because of the presence of continuous stress and motion in that region. The evolution in the use of the mandibular implant from the commercially available one to the K-wire reinforced, prefabricated, silicone implant was largely dependent on the availability of silicone and the ultimate result obtained. In the past few years, about 30 subdermal implants were inserted. Some of those implants were placed immediately into patients undergoing resection for tumor. The implant was prefabricated prior to surgery from x-ray measurements of the anticipated segment to be resected; it was then used to reconstruct the defect prior to the final closure of the operative wound. Other implants were manufactured 6–18 months after resection for tumor or for deformity as a result of trauma. The implants were used to reconstruct the facial defects and to correct the functional abnormality, such as drooling or deviation of the affected side by the unstable mandibular segment. Patients with severe congenital malformation have soft tissue deficiency in association with their bony malformation. Therefore, implants in such conditions were doomed to failure. Patient selection is the key to successful implantation.
The hurricane imaging radiometer - an octave bandwidth synthetic thinned array radiometer

The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRad) is a new airborne sensor that is currently under development. It is intended to produce wide-swath images of ocean surface wind speed and near surface rain rate in hurricanes conditions. HIRad will extend the scientific capabilities and technologies associated with two previous successful airborne microwave radiometers: the real aperture Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) and the synthetic aperture Lightweight Rainfall Radiometer (LRR). Both SFMR and HIRad are required to operate over the full C-Band octave in order to estimate precipitation levels experienced in hurricanes without saturation and to penetrate through the precipitation and estimate surface winds. Operation over an octave bandwidth was easily accomplished by the nadir-pointing horn antenna used by SFMR. However, it represents a major technological challenge for the HIRad design because it is a Fourier synthesis imager. Details of how HIRad meets that challenge are described here.
Microwave image reconstruction of tissue property dispersion characteristics utilizing multiple-frequency information

A multiple-frequency-dispersion reconstruction algorithm utilizing a Gauss-Newton iterative strategy is presented for microwave imaging. This algorithm facilitates the simultaneous use of multiple-frequency measurement data in a single image reconstruction. Using the stabilizing effects of the low-frequency measurement data, higher frequency data can be included to reconstruct images with improved resolution. The parameters reconstructed in this implementation are now frequency-independent dispersion coefficients instead of the actual properties and may provide new diagnostic information. In this paper, large high-contrast objects are successfully constructed utilizing assumed simple dispersion models for both simulation and phantom cases for which the traditional single-frequency algorithm previously failed. Consistent improvement in image quality can be observed by involving more frequencies in the reconstruction; however, there appears to be a limit to how closely spaced the frequencies can be chosen while still providing independent new information. Possibilities for fine-tuning the image reconstruction performance in this context include: 1) variations of the assumed dispersion model and 2) Jacobian matrix column and row weighting schemes. Techniques for further reducing the forward solution computation time using time-domain solvers are also briefly discussed. The proposed dispersion reconstruction technique is quite general and can also be utilized in conjunction with other Gauss-Newton-based algorithms including the log-magnitude phase-form algorithm.
A Modular Assembly Platform for Rapid Generation of DNA Constructs

Traditional cloning methods have limitations on the number of DNA fragments that can be simultaneously manipulated, which dramatically slows the pace of molecular assembly. Here we describe GMAP, a Gibson assembly-based modular assembly platform consisting of a collection of promoters and genes, which allows for one-step production of DNA constructs. GMAP facilitates rapid assembly of expression and viral constructs using modular genetic components, as well as increasingly complicated genetic tools using contextually relevant genomic elements. Our data demonstrate the applicability of GMAP toward the validation of synthetic promoters, identification of potent RNAi constructs, establishment of inducible lentiviral systems, tumor initiation in genetically engineered mouse models, and gene-targeting for the generation of knock-in mice. GMAP represents a recombinant DNA technology designed for widespread circulation and easy adaptation for other uses, such as synthetic biology, genetic screens, and CRISPR-Cas9.
Origins of hydration differences in homochiral and racemic crystals of aspartic acid.

The propensity for crystalline hydrates of organic molecules to form is related to the strength of the interactions between molecules, including the chiral composition of the molecular solids. Specifically, homochiral versus racemic crystalline samples can exhibit distinct differences in their ability to form energetically stable hydrates. The focus of the current study is a comparison of the crystal structures and intermolecular forces found in solid-state l-aspartic acid, dl-aspartic acid, and l-aspartic acid monohydrate. The absence of experimental evidence for the dl-aspartic acid monohydrate is considered here in terms of the enhanced thermodynamic stability of the dl-aspartic acid anhydrate crystal as compared to the l-aspartic acid anhydrate as revealed through solid-state density functional theory calculations and terahertz spectroscopic measurements. The results indicate that anhydrous dl-aspartic acid is the more stable solid, not due to intermolecular forces alone but also due to the improved c...
Characterizing the Uncertainty Propagation from the Wind Conditions to the Optimal Farm Performance

The planning of a wind farm, which minimizes the lifecycle project costs and maximizes the reliability of the expected power generation, presents significant challenges to today’s wind energy industry. An optimal wind farm planning strategy that simultaneously (i) accounts for the key engineering design factors, and (ii) addresses the major sources of uncertainty in a wind farm, can offer a powerful solution to these daunting challenges. In this paper, we develop a new methodology to characterize the long term uncertainties, particularly those introduced by the ill-predictability of the annual variation in wind conditions (wind speed and direction, and air density). The annual variation in wind conditions is represented using a non-parametric wind distribution model. The uncertainty in the predicted annual wind distribution is then characterized using a set of lognormal distributions. The uncertainties in the estimated (i) farm power generation and (ii) Cost of energy (COE) are represented as functions of the variances of these lognormal distributions. Subsequently, we minimize the uncertainty in the COE through wind farm optimization. To this end, we apply the Unrestricted Wind Farm Layout Optimization (UWFLO) framework, which provides a comprehensive platform for wind farm design. This methodology for robust wind farm optimization is applied to design a 25MW wind farm in N. Dakota. We found that layout optimization is appreciably sensitive to the uncertainties in wind conditions.
The Limits of the First Amendment: Protecting American Citizens’ Free Speech in the Era of the Internet & the Global Marketplace of Ideas

The number of countries that limit speech that would likely be protected under the US First Amendment has recently increased. On the other hand new information technology is making speech made in the United States by an American citizen accessible outside the United States, exposing the speaker to consequences for violating the free speech limitations set in international law or the domestic laws of other countries. These Americans are therefore often forced to make a difficult choice: exercise in the US their free speech as guaranteed by the US First Amendment and potentially expose themselves to prosecution and other legal consequences overseas, or accept those free speech limitations to avoid the consequences of violating them. This Article argues that the US recourse to reservation and refusal to ratify treaties that limit free speech may not be enough in today’s era of globalization, information technology, and free movement of people. This approach may shelter the United States from its international human rights obligations, but it does not provide US citizens protection in countries that have incorporated these treaties into their domestic law. Also the use of diplomacy to free American victims of such limitations is not sustainable. The Article advocates rather for the United States to adopt an international relations free speech strategy that starts from the recognition that free speech is not absolute, rather than focusing on the slippery slope argument of free speech limitation. From this recognition, the United States could lead other countries in developing better standards in defining protected and unprotected speech, and thus ensure her citizens better free speech protection overseas.
The Psoriasis Symptom Inventory: An Effective Patient-reported Outcome Measure of Psoriasis Severity

There is a need for simple, practical, and reliable measurement instruments for use in clinical trials, registries, and clinical practice to assess psoriasis severity and the change in symptoms with treatment. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is the standard measure of psoriasis used in clinical trials, but it is rarely used in clinical practice and it is not readily used in clinical registries because of its complexity. The Physician Static Global Assessment score is a simpler measure also used in clinical trials and less frequently in registries and practice, but like the PASI, it requires some degree of experience to score. The Psoriasis Symptom Inventory (PSI) was developed as a simple measure to enable patients to self-score psoriasis severity. It has been demonstrated to be reliable and discriminative, and it correlated with the PASI score in a psoriasis clinical trial. It also was recently validated to assess psoriasis in a psoriatic arthritis (PsA) clinical trial. The PSI may be a useful and practical measure of psoriasis severity in psoriasis and PsA clinical trials, registries, and in clinical practice.
Let the Water do the Work: Induced Meandering, an Evolving Method for Restoring IncisedChannels, Bill Zeedyk, Van Clothier (Eds.). The Quivira Coalition, Santa Fe, NM, USA (2009), 239

Let the Water do the Work: Induced Meandering, an Evolving Method for Restoring IncisedChannels, Bill Zeedyk, Van Clothier (Eds.). The Quivira Coalition, Santa Fe, NM, USA (2009), 239 DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v32i3_trilca
Cambridge genome meeting, June 22-24, 1981

Almost at the end of his chapter on Mutation, G. G. Simpson in 1953 in The Major Features of Evolution noted that “There is also increasing evidence that mutation rate is itself, to some degree, a genetically controlled character.” If for mutation one uses the broad definition of the origin of new hereditary types, then the glimmerings to which Simpson referred now have become a documented fact at the molecular level.
A RESPONSE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE1

Rapid industrialization, growing populations, and an ever expanding technology have generated a new and well founded concern with the quality of our environment. Currently some 360 million tons of solid waste must be collected and disposed of each year. Methods of accomplishing this huge task are still in their infancy. Some 70% of municipal disposal facilities are open dumps. Only 6% of so-call sanitary landfills meet official standards. Collection techniques are still labor oriented. Nevertheless, some remarkable technological developments are taking place which suggests that methodology and technology in this area will cease to be a problem in the near future. The big factors, yet to be resolved, are the economic and the people problems. Lessons learned and progress achieved by milk and food sanitarians, pioneers in environmental control, lead one to believe that they have much to contribute in achieving solutions to these aspects of the broad ecological problem. The lesson appears to be this: despite ...