cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aircraft Recognition Using A Parts Analysis Technique

A knowledge based system for aircraft recognition is described. This system uses a parts matching technique to identify aircraft. The target aspect is used and is determined using motion and skeletal feature analysis. Silhouette models for the particular aspect of the aircraft are generated using the aspect information. A parts analysis that compares the models' parts to the segmented aircraft is used to identify the aircraft. The techniques used for parts analysis, model generation, and aspect determination are described. Also a study is presented which compares the performance of two statistical classifiers to the knowledge based classifier.
Incubation of Dried and Sieved Soils Can Induce Calcium Phosphate Precipitation/Adsorption

Soil incubations are a common practice typically employed in assessing the effect of some treatment on the availability and solubility of phosphorus (P). However, standard sample preparation (drying and sieving) can alter soil chemical and physical properties, resulting in possible changes in P behavior upon soil incubation. Sixty surface soil samples were collected, air dried, and sieved before being incubated at field capacity for 7 days. After incubation, soils were allowed to air dry and were analyzed along with nonincubated samples for pH and water- and Mehlich-3-extractable elements. Incubation increased pH and decreased water-soluble P, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) relative to nonincubated soils. Increases in pH may have been due to increased solubility of residual calcium carbonates by drying and sieving. This increase in pH among soils with sufficient levels of P, Ca, and Mg resulted in the formation of Ca and Mg phosphates as confirmed by chemical speciation modeling.
Visual search guidance is best after a short delay.

Abstract Search displays are typically presented immediately after a target cue, but in the real-world, delays often exist between target designation and search. Experiments 1 and 2 asked how search guidance changes with delay. Targets were cued using a picture or text label, each for 3000 ms, followed by a delay up to 9000 ms before the search display. Search stimuli were realistic objects, and guidance was quantified using multiple eye movement measures. Text-based cues showed a non-significant trend towards greater guidance following any delay relative to a no-delay condition. However, guidance from a pictorial cue increased sharply 300–600 ms after preview offset. Experiment 3 replicated this guidance enhancement using shorter preview durations while equating the time from cue onset to search onset, demonstrating that the guidance benefit is linked to preview offset rather than a more complete encoding of the target. Experiment 4 showed that enhanced guidance persists even with a mask flashed at preview offset, suggesting an explanation other than visual priming. We interpret our findings as evidence for the rapid consolidation of target information into a guiding representation, which attains its maximum effectiveness shortly after preview offset.
Of contigs and quagmires: next-generation sequencing pitfalls associated with transcriptomic studies

Molecular ecologists have good reasons to be excited about the newest DNA/RNA sequencing technologies. However, this exuberance should be tempered with a hefty dose of reality: new sequencing technologies come with significant new challenges. Herein, we offer a brief overview of some practical problems encountered during transcriptomics studies conducted in our laboratory, and of nontrivial issues that prospective practitioners should consider. These include template contamination (e.g. from xenobiotics) and the cutting-room floor problem, whereby most of the data are often unassembled, unannotated and unused. We also highlight computational requirements, including hardware, personnel time and associated skill sets. We are very optimistic about the future of molecular ecology, but we hope this cautionary overview will help neophytes better recognize some key challenges associated with new technologies.
Analysis of acoustically evoked call suppression behaviour in a neotropical treefrog

Abstract We broadcast synthetic call notes to male Eleutherodactylus coqui treefrogs in their natural habitat. The frogs avoided acoustic overlap with relatively long duration tone stimuli by calling only within the short silent interval between tones. We also observed a temporal change in call pattern in response to tone stimuli of various frequencies and intensities. This response is the basis for construction of a behavioural auditory threshold function for this species. This function does not show a sensitivity maximum at frequencies corresponding to those in the advertisement call, and demonstrates that the frogs are capable of behaviourally responding to sounds over a frequency range which is greater than that required for detection of the species-specific vocalizations and sufficient for detection of at least one sympatric anuran species.
Improved acoustic coupling for shock wave lithotripsy

Previous in vitro studies of acoustic coupling in shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) have shown that air pockets trapped at the surface of the treatment head significantly reduce transmission of shock wave (SW) energy to the focal zone of the lithotripter, reducing the effectiveness of stone breakage. Since there are no reliable means to monitor the quality of coupling during SWL, we looked for a practical protocol to improve how coupling is achieved. In vitro studies were performed using a Dornier DoLi-50 lithotripter. LithoClearTM gel was used to couple the treatment head to the acoustic window of a clear acrylic test tank. Numerous methods of applying gel were tested including common sense variations of routine protocols typically used with patients. For each method the coverage of air pockets (% defects) was determined using digital imaging. Different coupling regimes were tested for effect on the breakage of gypsum model stones. The quality of acoustic coupling was affected by how the gel was handled—how it was dispensed and applied, and whether the gel was applied only to the treatment head or to both the lithotripter water cushion and the test tank (surrogate patient). Dispensing gel from a squeeze bottle for application by hand created significantly more defects than when a large volume (∼250 ml) of gel from the stock jug was applied as a mound to just the treatment head (26.5 ± 2.7 vs. 1.2 ± 0.5% defects, P < 0.001). The efficiency of stone breakage was better when gel was applied from the stock jug compared to application by hand (P < 0.006). Poor coupling was substantially improved by using the inflation feature of the water cushion to collapse air pockets, but this strategy was not a substitute for establishing good coupling at the outset. The quality of coupling in shock wave lithotripsy can be improved by minimizing the handling of the coupling medium. Hand application of coupling gel is clearly not the best way to prepare for lithotripsy. Better results can be obtained by delivering lithotripsy gel as a bolus to the treatment head alone, and allowing it to spread upon contact between the treatment head and the skin. These in vitro tests also suggest that the inflation feature of the lithotripter may be useful in reducing defects in coupling.
Influence of dietary improvement on oviposition and egg viability of the mite, Tetranychus urticae

Abstract New formulations of a chemically defined diet on which Tetranychus urticae has been reared resulted in a pre-oviposition period being shortened from 3·5 to 1·5 days, an oviposition rate increased from 0·343 to 0·649 egg/female mite per day and an oviposition period extended from 25 to 36 days, and egg viability increased from 3·6 to 19·2 per cent hatchability. These formulations included deletion of cholesterol from the diet and inclusion of plant sterols only, a higher level of total sterols combined with a lower level of total fatty acids, and the addition of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol).
Data Citation and Peer Review

A scientific publication is fundamentally an argument consisting of a set of ideas and expectations supported by observations and calculations that serve as evidence of its veracity. An argument without evidence is only a set of assertions. Consider the difference between the statement “The hairy woodpecker population is declining in the northwest region of the United States” and the statement “Hairy woodpecker populations in the northwest region of the United States have declined by 11% between 1992 and 2003, according to data from the Institute for Bird Populations (http://www.birdpop.org/).” Both or neither of these statements could be true, but only the second one can be verified. Scientific papers do, of course, present specific data points as evidence for their arguments, but how well do papers guide readers to the body of those data, where the the data's integrity can be further examined? In practice, a chasm may lie across the path of a reviewer seeking the source data of a scientific argument.
A Precision Laser Extensometer

AbstractAn improved gauging precision was achieved with a laser extensometer by adding a spa-tial modulation to the scanning beam with phase detection signal processing. This laserextensometer demonstrated an electronics limited gauging precision of ±45 x 10 -6 inch fordiametral measurements on 0.430 -inch reactor fuel cladding samples. ** An analysis of theprojected accuracy, limited by the optical detector noise and phase detection error, indi-cated a theoretical resolution limit of 1 x 10 -6 inch. The modulation of the scanned beamproduces an extensometer response with a reduced sensitivity to the sample optical sharpnessand beam spot size, and allows sample motion in the 0.1 inch range with no loss of gaugingprecision. Since the modulation is essentially an electro- optical vernier on the interrogat-ing /scanning beam, it can be applied to any gauging or sensing problem where edge sensingis the basic concept. This paper presents a description and analysis of this modulationconcept.IntroductionIn the past, materials testing data have been characterized by large gaps in regionsof extremely high (steady -state and transient) temperatures, due primarily to the failureand limitations of the gauging transducers. A laser extensometer has been developed tosupport the materials testing of reactor fuel cladding under severe environmental conditions(pressure and temperature). This paper describes the basic elements of a noncontact laserextensometer with a novel beam spatial modulation and phase detection signal processing,along with test data that indicate the range and high precision of this gauging concept.Laser Extensometer PrincipleThe basic principles and optical components of a laser extensometer are illustrated inFigure 1. Light from a laser source is directed to a rotating (or oscillating) mirror whichsweeps the light past the input lens assembly. This produces a beam of light moving throughthe sample plane where it intercepts the sample edges. With a known sweep velocity, v, inthe sample plane, an unknown distance, d, can be determined by measuring the time, t, thatit takes the light to sweep between two edges or points on an object. Thus,d = v
Stimulation of synthesis of ribonucleic acid in sub-apical sections of Avena coleoptile by indolyl-3-acetic acid.

Stimulation of Synthesis of Ribonucleic Acid in Sub-apical Sections of Avena Coleoptile by Indolyl-3-acetic Acid
Hyperacute, Neutrophilic, and Localized Forms of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis: A Review

The histopathology of the ordinary form of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is subject to considerable variation, depending on the duration and severity of the disease as well as on the age and species of the animal subject. In addition there are four distinct varieties that are characterized according to manner of production, location in the central nervous system (CNS) and histopathology. Localized EAE differs from ordinary EAE primarily in its topographic restriction to the environs of a CNS injury. Hyperacute EAE is produced with the aid of pertussis vaccine as sole or ancillary adjuvant; the histopathology features exudation of fibrin, edema fluid and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. The same process occurs in localized hyperacute EAE, but lesions are restricted to the perimeter of a CNS injury. All these forms of EAE can be produced by active immunization with CNS antigen and adjuvants, or by passive immunization with living lymphoid cells taken from actively immunized donors. Neutrophilic EAE has been described only after passive immunization inasmuch as it requires the transfer of encephalitogenic cells from a donor to a recipient with a drug-induced relative neutrophilia. The lesions of neutrophilic EAE contain a remarkable number of neutrophils, but fibrin and edema are not conspicuous. The technique of passive immunization has made it possible to produce this unique variant of EAE, and it has also facilitated studies of the evolution of lesions, the role of nonspecific cells, the effects of multiple attacks, and the effects of therapeutic modalities in all the forms of EAE.
Balance and strength training in older adults : intervention gains and Tai Chi maintenance

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect on balance and strength of 3 months of intensive balance and/or weight training followed by 6 months of low intensity Tai Chi training for maintenance of gains. DESIGN: Randomized control intervention. Four groups in 2 × 2 design: Control, Balance, Strength, Balance + Strength, using blinded testers. SETTING: Exercise and balance laboratory at University of Connecticut Health Center. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were 110 healthy community dwellers (mean age 80) who were free of dementia, neurological disease, and serious cardiovascular or musculoskeletal conditions. INTERVENTIONS: Short-term training (3 months) occurred 3 times/week (45 minutes Balance and Strength, 90 minutes Balance + Strength). Balance training included equilibrium control exercises on firm and foam surfaces and center-of-pressure biofeedback. Strengthening consisted of lower extremity weight-lifting. All subjects then received long-term group Tai Chi instruction (6 months, 1 hour, 1 time/week). MEASUREMENTS: Losses of balance during Sensory Organization Testing (LOB), single stance time (SST), voluntary limits of stability (FBOS), summed isokinetic torque of eight lower extremity movements (ISOK), and usual gait velocity (GVU). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Balance training meaningfully improved all balance measures by restoring performance to a level analogous to an individual 3 to 10 years younger: LOB = −;2.0 ± 0.3 (adjusted paired differences, P < .005 ANOVA); SST = 7.0 ± 1.2 sec; and FBOS = 9.0 ± 2.0% of foot length (P < .05). Strengthening increased ISOK by 1.1 ± 0.1 Nm kg−1 (P < .005) There was no interaction between balance and strength training. Significant gains persisted after 6 months of Tai Chi, although there was some decrement.
Vocal Fold Paralysis Secondary to Phonotrauma

A unique case of acute onset vocal fold paralysis secondary to phonotrauma is presented. The cause was forceful vocalization by a drill instructor on a firearm range. Imaging studies revealed extensive intralaryngeal and retropharyngeal hemorrhage. Laryngoscopy showed a complete left vocal fold paralysis. Relative voice rest was recommended, and the patient regained normal vocal fold mobility and function after approximately 12 weeks.
Cloning and cDNA sequence of the β-subunit component of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Abstract Two cDNA clones (λE 1 β1, 1469 bp; λE 1 β2, 1437 bp) encoding the β-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E 1 component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex were isolated from a human liver λgt11 cDNA library. The composite human liver E 1 βcDNA encoded the entire mature E 1 β[329 amino acids (aa) as well as a portion (26 aa) of the E 1 β leader peptide. Significant discrepancies were identified between the nucleotide and deduced aa sequences of human liver E 1 β cDNAs and the corresponding sequences of a previously reported cultured human foreskin fibroblast E 1 β cDNA [Koike et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85 (1988) 41–45]. The composite human liver E 1 β cDNA genrated in this study provides a reference sequence for investigating the structure-function relationship of human E 1 β and for characterizing genetic mutations in patients with E 1 deficiency.
The effects of crack surface friction and roughness on crack tip stress fields

A model is presented which can be used to incorporate the effects of friction and tortuosity along crack surfaces through a constitutive law applied to the interface between opposing crack surfaces. The problem of a crack with a saw-tooth surface in an infinite medium subjected to a far-field shear stress is solved and the ratios of mode I stress intensity to mode II stress intensity are calculated for various coefficients of friction and material properties. The results show that tortuosity and friction lead to an increase in fracture loads and alter the direction of crack propagation.
A pilot study regarding knowledge of stroke risk factors in an urban community

Background The premise of the “brain attack” concept is that early intervention may salvage ischemic neurons. Early intervention depends on adequate knowledge of stroke so that patients seek urgent medical attention. Objective: To assess knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs in an urban, predominantly black community. Methods: A 20-item questionnaire was administered to two patient groups. Group 1 had a diagnosis of first-ever stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Group 2 (controls) was without a history of cerebral ischemia. Results: Thirty patients in group 1 answered 57.5% of the questions correctly. Thirty patients in group 2 answered 63.1% of the questions correctly (P=.15). Patients showed misperceptions regarding the warning signs of a stroke and were unfamiliar, with the concept of a TIA. Conclusions: Although preliminary because of a limited sample size, the results from our urban medical center suggest that knowledge of stroke is deficient among high-risk individuals who developed cerebral or retinal ischemia. This would mean that opportunities for effective prevention and treatment of stroke are being missed in minority patients. Recruitment of patients for acute stroke trials will also face impediments in urban communities unless a massive educational effort is undertaken.
Optical absorption of the soliton lattice in polyacetylene reexamined

It is shown that the analytic calculation of the optical absorption of the soliton lattice in polyacetylene reduces to the single-soliton result in the low-density limit, in contrast to a prior calculation. It is important to show that the model does not show unphysical solutions if it is to be applied to real systems.
Distinct Modes of Antigen Presentation Promote the Formation, Differentiation, and Activity of Foxp3 + Regulatory T Cells In Vivo

How the formation and activity of CD4 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) are shaped by TCR recognition of the diverse array of peptide:MHC complexes that can be generated from self-antigens and/or foreign Ags in vivo remains poorly understood. We show that a self-peptide with low (but not high) stimulatory potency promotes thymic Treg formation and can induce conventional CD4 + T cells in the periphery to become Tregs that express different levels of the transcription factor Helios according to anatomical location. When Tregs generated in response to this self-peptide subsequently encountered the same peptide derived instead from influenza virus in the lung-draining lymph nodes of infected mice, they proliferated, acquired a T-bet + CXCR3 + phenotype, and suppressed the antiviral effector T cell response in the lungs. However, these self-antigen–selected Tregs were unable to suppress the antiviral immune response based on recognition of the peptide as a self-antigen rather than a viral Ag. Notably, when expressed in a more immunostimulatory form, the self-peptide inhibited the formation of T-bet + CXCR3 + Tregs in response to viral Ag, and Ag-expressing B cells from these mice induced Treg division without upregulation of CXCR3. These studies show that a weakly immunostimulatory self-peptide can induce thymic and peripheral Foxp3 + Treg formation but is unable to activate self-antigen–selected Tregs to modulate an antiviral immune response. Moreover, a strongly immunostimulatory self-peptide expressed by B cells induced Tregs to proliferate without acquiring an effector phenotype that allows trafficking from the draining lymph node to the lungs and, thereby, prevented the Tregs from suppressing the antiviral immune response.
A solution methodology for exact design space exploration in a three-dimensional design space

This paper describes an exact solution methodology, implemented in Rensselaer's Voyager design space exploration system, for solving the scheduling problem in a three-dimensional (3-D) design space: the usual two-dimensional (2-D) design space (which trades off area and schedule length), plus a third dimension representing clock length. Unlike design space exploration methodologies which rely on bounds or estimates, this methodology is guaranteed to find the globally optimal solution to a 3-D scheduling problem. Furthermore, this methodology efficiently prunes the search space, eliminating provably inferior design points through the following: 1) a careful selection of candidate clock lengths and 2) tight bounds on the number of functional units or on the schedule length. Both chaining and multicycle operations are supported.
A balanced view of MUMPS

The MUMPS programming system was designed and developed to facilitate shared conversational access to a hierarchically-organized data base on a small computer. The MUMPS language, which has recently been standardized, contains features for numeric and string operations, along with a built-in file system called globals, embedded in a multiprogrammed execution environment. This paper gives an overview of the MUMPS language and a typical MUMPS system, then evaluates MUMPS in terms of modern notions of programming languages and software development. Despite the many attractive features for the development of interactive programs, MUMPS is seen to have a number of shortcomings when evaluated in this way. Among the problem areas are weakness of control structures, the ability to write self-modifying code, the incomprehensibility of most MUMPS programs, and the lack of support given by the language to notions of abstraction and modularity.
Radio emission region exposed: courtesy of the double pulsar

The double pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B offers exceptional possibilities for detailed probes of the structure of the pulsar magnetosphere, pulsar winds and relativistic reconnection. We numerically model the distortions of the magnetosphere of pulsar B by the magnetized wind from pulsar A, including effects of magnetic reconnection and of the geodetic precession. Geodetic precession leads to secular evolution of the geometric parameters and effectively allows a 3D view of the magnetosphere. Using the two complimentary models of pulsar B’s magnetosphere, adapted from the Earth’s magnetosphere models by Tsyganenko (ideal pressure confinement) and Dungey (highly resistive limit), we determine the precise location and shape of the coherent radio emission generation region within pulsar B’s magnetosphere. We successfully reproduce orbital variations and secular evolution of the profile of B, as well as subpulse drift (due to reconnection between the magnetospheric and wind magnetic fields), and determine the location and the shape of the emission region. The emission region is located at about 3750 stellar radii and has a horseshoe-like shape, which is centered on the polar magnetic field lines. The best fit angular parameters of the emission region indicate that radio emission is generated on the field lines which, according to the theoretical models, originate close to the poles and carry the maximum current. We resolved all but one degeneracy in pulsar B’s geometry. When considered together, the results of the two models converge and can explain why the modulation of B’s radio emission at A’s period is observed only within a certain orbital phase region. Our results imply that the wind of pulsar A has a striped structure only 1000 light cylinder radii away. We discuss the implications of these results for pulsar magnetospheric models, mechanisms of coherent radio emission generation, and reconnection rates in relativistic plasma.
TENSIONS IN RECENT SINO-JAPANESE RELATIONS

Abstract This paper examines the unusual case of the May 2002 Shenyang Incident. Acting out of character, Tokyo confronted China, motivated by cumulative resentment of recent Chinese actions. Beijing, for its part, reacted with restraint, owing to growing confidence in its place in the world and the continuous moderation of Japanese policy since 1998.
Optimal portfolio and consumption policies subject to Rishel's important jump events model: computational methods

At important events or announcements, there can be large changes in the value of financial portfolios. Events and their corresponding jumps can occur at random or scheduled times. However, the amplitude of the response in either case can be unpredictable or random. While the volatility of portfolios is often modeled by continuous Brownian motion processes, discontinuous jump processes are more appropriate for modeling the response to important external events that significantly affect the prices of financial assets. Discontinuous jump processes are modeled by compound Poisson processes for random events or by quasi-deterministic jump processes for scheduled events. In both cases, the responses are randomly distributed and are modeled in a stochastic differential equation formulation. The objective is the maximal, expected total discounted utility of terminal wealth and instantaneous consumption. This paper was motivated by a paper by Rishel (1999) concerning portfolio optimization when prices are dependent on external events. However, the model has been significantly generalized for more realistic computational considerations with constraints and parameter values. The problem is illustrated for a canonical risk-adverse power utility model. However, the usual explicit canonical solution is not strictly valid. Fortunately, iterations about the canonical solution result in computationally feasible approximations.
PathGen: a transitive gene pathway generator

Summary: Many online sources of gene interaction networks supply rich visual data regarding gene pathways that can aid in the study of biological processes, disease research and drug discovery. PathGen incorporates data from several sources to create transitive connections that span multiple gene interaction databases. Results are displayed in a comprehensible graphical format, showing gene interaction type and strength, database source and microarray expression data. These features make PathGen a valuable tool for in silico discovery of novel gene interaction pathways, which can be experimentally tested and verified. The usefulness of PathGen interaction analyses was validated using genes connected to the altered facial development related to Down syndrome.
Urine IL-18 Is an Early Diagnostic Marker for Acute Kidney Injury and Predicts Mortality in the Intensive Care Unit

Serum creatinine is not an ideal marker of renal function in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Previous studies demonstrated that urinary IL-18 is increased in human AKI. Thus, whether urine IL-18 is an early diagnostic marker of AKI was investigated. A nested case-control study was performed within the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Network trial. AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine by at least 50% within the first 6 d of ARDS study enrollment. A total of 400 urine specimens that were collected on study days 0, 1, and 3 of the ARDS trial were available from 52 case patients and 86 control patients. The data were analyzed in a cross-sectional manner and according to the time before development of AKI. The median urine IL-18 levels were significantly different at 24 and 48 h before AKI in case patients as compared with control patients. On multivariable analysis, urine IL-18 values predicted development of AKI 24 and 48 h later after adjustment for demographics, sepsis, Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score, serum creatinine, and urine output. Urine IL-18 levels of >100 pg/ml are associated with increased odds of AKI of 6.5 (95% confidence interval 2.1 to 20.4) in the next 24 h. On diagnostic performance testing, urine IL-18 demonstrates an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 73% to predict AKI in the next 24 h. The urine IL-18 values were also significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors (P < 0.05), and on multivariable analysis, the urine IL-18 value on day 0 is an independent predictor of mortality. Urinary IL-18 levels can be used for the early diagnosis of AKI. Urine IL-18 levels also predict the mortality of patients who have ARDS and are in the intensive care unit.
A New Species of Caryospora (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus (Aves: Accipitriformes)

Abstract: An injured juvenile sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus Vieillot, 1807 (Aves: Accipitriformes), housed and treated at the College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA, was found to be passing oocysts of an undescribed species of Caryospora in its feces. Sporulated oocysts of Caryospora petersoni n. sp. were subspherical, with a bilayered wall, and they measured 43.1 × 39.8 μm; micropyle, oocyst residuum, and polar granule were absent. Sporocysts were subspherical to spherical, 23.4 × 23.3 μm; Stieda, substieda, and parastieda bodies were absent, but a spherical sporocyst residuum was present as a compact mass, ∼15.1 μm wide, composed of many homogeneous globules. The new species represents the first caryosporan documented from this species of hawk.
Getting Girls into School: Evidence from a Scholarship Program in Cambodia

Increasing the schooling attainment of girls is a challenge in much of the developing world. The authors evaluate the impact of a program that gives scholarships to girls making the transition between the last year of primary school and the first year of secondary school in Cambodia. They show that the scholarship program had a large, positive effect on the school enrollment and attendance of girls. Their preferred set of estimates suggests program effects on enrollment and attendance at program schools of 30 to 43 percentage points. Scholarship recipients were also more likely to be enrolled at any scchool (not just program schools) by a margin of 22 to 33 percentage points. The impact of the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) program appears to have been largest among girls with the lowest socioeconomic status at baseline. The results are robust to a variety of controls for observable differences between scholarship recipients and nonrecipients, to unobserved heterogeneity across girls, and to selective attrition out of the sample.
Comparing the costs of government and private primary education in Thailand

Most of the discussion on the relative efficiency of government schools and private schools focus on educational outcomes, with little attention paid to educational costs. Using primary education in Thailand as a case, this paper highlights the methodological issues involved in properly accounting for and comparing the resources devoted to government schools and private schools. Based on a national survey of 301 primary schools and 2075 parents, the paper shows that the cost of private schools relative to government schools will be significantly underestimated if one confines cost accounting to institutional expenditures, without considering private resources to education. Also, given that there are different types of government schools and private schools which operate in different social contexts, cost comparison that treats government schools and private as two homogeneous systems will not lead to meaningful evaluation of the relative efficiency of the two types of schools; rather comparison should be made of schools which operate in similar social contexts.
Development of novel, flexible, electrically conductive adhesives for next-generation microelectronics interconnect applications

In this paper, a novel flexible electrically conductive adhesive (FECA) has been designed for electronic interconnect applications that require high flexibility at the interconnects, such as assembly and repair of flexible circuits on flexible substrates and connectors. The physical properties of the resulting FECAs such as the elastic moduli, glass transition temperatures, adhesion strength and electrical properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), thermomechanical analyzer (TMA), die shear tester and multimeter electrical measurement. A high performance FECA with tunable modulus, flowability, glass transition temperature, electrical conductivity and adhesion strength was developed for the next-generation large scale flexible flat panel displays applications.
Crowding out: A Response to Black and Gilmore

The aim of our 1987 article in this JOURNAL, "Interest Rates and Crowding-Out During Britain's Industrial Revolution," was twofold: to suggest an alternative framework for conceptualizing the economy and to test specific implications of the neoclassical crowding-out model employed by Jeffrey Williamson. Robert A. Black and Claire G. Gilmore's response illustrates the difficulties of attempting to communicate across discourses. We do not ourselves believe that perfect foresight and the absence of lags characterized the eighteenth-century British economy. In testing whether Napoleonic War debt raised real interest rates, we employed those assumptions as part of an effort to provoke debate within the terms of neoclassical theory-to construct a consistent neoclassical model that could be confronted with new historical data.' Williamson's 1984 article did not discuss the actual mechanism of crowding out or tell us what his assumptions were concerning expectations or lags. No expectations or lags appear in his computable general equilibrium model. We thus were forced to construct what his model might have been if he had spelled it out. Black and Gilmore claim to have specified and tested a better neoclassical model. Their work, however, contains serious econometric flaws and theoretical inconsistencies, which we will detail here. It cannot be used to support Williamson's claim that government spending crowded out Britain's industrial revolution. Our effort to debate on neoclassical turf may inadvertently have led readers to think that we share that theory's fundamental assumptions. To the contrary, by showing that the hypothesis that government spending had no impact on real interest rates was not rejected, we hoped to generate sufficient doubt about a neoclassical crowding-out story to make room for an alternative discourse. We start from theories of accumulation, in which firms seek to amass value and create, through their pricing and investment policies, their own conditions of survival and level of growth. Price becomes not a measure of naturally determined scarcity but rather the means by which firms generate retained earnings for expansion. Such theories, exploring the ongoing social reproduction of systems of production and exchange, contrast sharply with theories of static factor allocation, in which individual consumption is the ultimate aim of the system and household saving a constraint.2 In theories of accumulation a system of firms, rather than a pool of resources, is the
Acoustic fiber sensor arrays

The acoustic fiber sensor arrays that have been developed over the past two decades for oil exploration and other applications can support hundreds of fiber hydrophones per fiber pair and exhibit exceptional properties, including shot-noise-limited sensitivities better than 1 μrad/√Hz, high stability, and dynamic ranges well in excess of 130 dB. This article reviews the main configurations reported to date, which are based on ladder architectures utilizing either Mach-Zehnder or Sagnac interferometric sensors and time-domain multiplexing. The emphasis is placed on their principles, performance characteristics, and relative advantages regarding such key issues as signal fading, polarization-induced fading, frequency response, sensitivity, and the number of sensors that can be multiplexed on a given pair of fibers.
Chinese and Indian Trade and Investment Links with Sub-Saharan Africa: Institutions, Capabilities and Competitive Advantage

Because of cultural, historical and geopolitical differences, Chinese and Indian businesses have exhibited noteworthy differences in their operations in the economies in the Sub-Saharan Africa SSA. Drawing on theories related to institutions and dynamic capabilities, we analyze the China-India differences in trades and investments in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Institutional theory helps us understand legitimacy-seeking activities of various actors. The dynamic capabilities perspectives would help understand Chinese and Indian firms’ creation and exploitation of competitive advantages. Our findings suggest that behaviors of Chinese and Indian firms in Africa are driven by different contexts, processes and mechanisms. These differences are reflected in the two countries’ trades and investments in terms of, inter alia, the choice of strategic direction and goal, motivations, size of investments, and focus on countries based on cultural, political and economic factors. The implications for management and public policy are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.
Direct field-oriented control of an induction machine using an adaptive rotor resistance estimator

This paper presents a new adaptive rotor resistance estimator for induction machines. Stability and convergence of the proposed technique are rigorously analyzed, and regions of convergence are clearly shown. Furthermore, rotor flux linkage estimators are implemented using the trapezoidal rule for improved accuracy and stability. These estimators are then incorporated into a direct field-oriented controller and thoroughly tested on experimental hardware. The resulting controller achieves a satisfactory level of performance over a wide range of operating conditions while eliminating the detuning caused by rotor resistance variations.
Vegetative morphology and trait correlations in 54 species of Commelinaceae

The morphospace of 54 species of Commelinaceae from nine genera was examined with simultaneous attention to constraints, adaptive hypotheses and relatedness. Eleven morphological traits, including leaf length and width, angle between the leaves and internode distances, were measured for each species and analysed by principal components analysis and nested analysis of variance. The results revealed a significant signal of relatedness in vegetative morphology; genus explained 20–50% of the variance in a single trait. The relationships between some traits are consistent with adaptive explanations. The findings are consistent with the prediction that evolution for optimal phyllotaxis should be relaxed as self-shading decreases, and that light availability governs leaf size and branching patterns. Constraints potentially explain some trait correlations, and support was found for the hypothesis that structural constraints govern leaf size and internode size correlations. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 257–268.
Parameter inference for discretely observed stochastic kinetic models using stochastic gradient descent

Background: Stochastic effects can be important for the behavior of processes involving small population numbers, so the study of stochastic models has become an important topic in the burgeoning field of computational systems biology. However analysis techniques for stochastic models have tended to lag behind their deterministic cousins due to the heavier computational demands of the statistical approaches for fitting the models to experimental data. There is a continuing need for more effective and efficient algorithms. In this article we focus on the parameter inference problem for stochastic kinetic models of biochemical reactions given discrete time-course observations of either some or all of the molecular species. Results: We propose an algorithm for inference of kinetic rate parameters based upon maximum likelihood using stochastic gradient descent (SGD). We derive a general formula for the gradient of the likelihood function given discrete time-course observations. The formula applies to any explicit functional form of the kinetic rate laws such as mass-action, Michaelis-Menten, etc. Our algorithm estimates the gradient of the likelihood function by reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling (RJMCMC), and then gradient descent method is employed to obtain the maximum likelihood estimation of parameter values. Furthermore, we utilize flux balance analysis and show how to automatically construct reversible jump samplers for arbitrary biochemical reaction models. We provide RJMCMC sampling algorithms for both fully observed and partially observed time-course observation data. Our methods are illustrated with two examples: a birth-death model and an auto-regulatory gene network. We find good agreement of the inferred parameters with the actual parameters in both models. Conclusions: The SGD method proposed in the paper presents a general framework of inferring parameters for stochastic kinetic models. The method is computationally efficient and is effective for both partially and fully observed systems. Automatic construction of reversible jump samplers and general formulation of the likelihood gradient function makes our method applicable to a wide range of stochastic models. Furthermore our derivations can be useful for other purposes such as using the gradient information for parametric sensitivity analysis or using the reversible jump samplers for full Bayesian inference. The software implementing the algorithms is publicly available at http://cbcl.ics.uci.edu/sgd
Regulatory Networks in Seeds Integrating Developmental, Abscisic Acid, Sugar, and Light Signaling

Progression through embryogenesis and the transition to germination is subject to regulation by many transcription factors, including those encoded by the Arabidopsis LEC1 (LEAFY COTYLEDON1), FUS3 (FUSCA3), and abscisic acid-insensitive (ABI) ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5 loci. To determine whether the ABI4, ABI5, LEC1, and FUS3 loci interact or act independently, we analyzed abi fus3 and abi lec1 double mutants. Our results show that both ABI4 and ABI5 interact genetically with both LEC1 and FUS3 in controlling pigment accumulation, suppression of vivipary, germination sensitivity to abscisic acid, gene expression during mid- and late embryogenesis, sugar metabolism, sensitivity to sugar, and etiolated growth. However, the relative strengths of the observed interactions vary among responses and may even be antagonistic. Furthermore, the interactions reveal cryptic effects of individual loci that are not detectable by analyses of single mutants. Despite these strong genetic interactions, but consistent with the disparities in peak expression of these loci, none of the ABI transcription factors appear to interact directly with either FUS3 or LEC1 in a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid assay system.
LDPC Codes of Arbitrary Girth

For regular, degree two LDPC (low density parity-check) codes, there is a strong relationship between high girth and performance. This article presents a greedy algorithm, called successive level growth (SLG), for the construction of LDPC codes with arbitrarily specified girth. The simulation results show that our codes exhibit significant coding gains over randomly constructed LDPC codes and in some cases outperform PEG codes in the additive white Gaussian noise channel.
The role of stereotactic body radiation therapy in the management of oligometastatic lung cancer

A growing body of evidence has surfaced over the past 20 years that supports the use of surgery for metastasis limited in number termed ‘oligometastases’. Local therapy for oligometastases results in long progression free survival in the absence of systemic therapy, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows for the delivery of anatomically precise, ablative doses of radiation therapy able to achieve local control rates of approximately 80% with minimal toxicity. In NSCLC, SBRT is emerging as an effective therapy in the management of sites resistant to targeted therapy. This review summarizes the published evidence for the use of local therapy in the management of oligometsatic cancer, with a focus on SBRT and NSCLC.
Changes in Extraocular Muscle Volume During Ocular Duction.

PURPOSE It has been tacitly assumed that overall extraocular muscle (EOM) volume is conserved during contraction and relaxation, yet this assumption has been untested up to now. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine if total EOM volume changes during relaxation and contraction. METHODS Surface coil MRI in quasi-coronal planes was obtained in target-controlled, maximal secondary gaze positions in 30 orbits of 15 normal subjects at 312-μm resolution. Ductions were quantified by changes in globe-optic nerve positions. Cross-sections of EOM were manually outlined in contiguous image planes so that volumes could be calculated by multiplying summed cross sections by the 2-mm slice thickness. Three-dimensional reconstruction allowed measurement of the lengths of terminal, unresolvable EOM segments, providing estimates of terminal EOM volumes to be summed with measured midorbital volumes to obtain total EOM volumes. RESULTS Duction range averaged 44.3 ± 4.8° from relaxation to contraction. There was a significant increase in total volume in each rectus EOM from relaxation to contraction: superior rectus (SR) 92 ± 36 mm3 (+18%, P < 10-11); inferior rectus (IR) 51 ± 18 mm3 (+9%, P < 10-11); medial rectus (MR) 78 ± 36 mm3 (+11%, P < 10-5); and lateral rectus (LR) 47 ± 45 mm3 (+7%, P = 0.005). Because volume changes for SR and MR exceed IR and LR, total rectus EOM volume increases in supraduction 41 ± 42 mm3 (+3.7%) and adduction 32 ± 63 mm3 (+2.3%). CONCLUSIONS Total EOM volume is not conserved but instead increases with contraction and decreased with relaxation. Contractile volume increases may be secondary to increased actin-myosin lattice spacing, so that density decreases. This effect is opposite that of possible hemodynamic changes.
Stimuli-Responsive Polymer-Antibody Conjugates via RAFT and Tetrafluorophenyl Active Ester Chemistry

Highly efficient polymer-antibody conjugations were demonstrated via a tetrafluorophenyl active ester. A well-defined diblock copolymer was synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with a temperature-responsive block, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), and a block of N,N-dimethylacrylamide and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl acrylate active ester. The polymer was conjugated to anti-p24 IgG antibody with about 100% efficiency in as little as 2 h at room temperature in a pH 10.8 buffer. The temperature-responsiveness of the polymer was conferred to the polymer–antibody conjugates after conjugation. The conjugates bound p24 antigen specifically and with binding efficiency comparable to native antibodies. Thus, the active ester diblock copolymer can facilitate the synthesis of temperature-responsive bioconjugates, which may be promising reagents for immunoassays, bioseparations, and specimen-enrichment applications.
Association between fine particulate matter exposure and subclinical atherosclerosis: A meta-analysis.

BackgroundEpidemiological studies in humans that have evaluated the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and atherosclerosis have yielded mixed results.DesignIn order to further inve...