cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deformation of solder joint under current stressing and numerical simulation--II

In this paper, the Moir e interferometry technique is used to measure the in situ displacement evolution of lead-free solder joint under electric current stressing. Large amounts of deformation were observed in the solder joint under high density (above 5000 A/cm 2 ) current stressing. The deformation was found to be due to electromigration in the solder joint and an electromigration constitutive model was applied to simulate the deformation. Both the experimental observations and finite element method (FEM) simulation results indicate that, in addition to the current density level, the current density distribution within the solder joint has a great effect on the displacement development in the solder joint under current stressing. Specifically, greater non-uniformity in current density leads to greater normal deformations within the solder joint in this test module. This is the second part of a series of papers reporting on the deformation of solder joints under current stressing. � 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Response of macrobenthic communities to restoration efforts in a New England estuary

Changes in macrobenthic communities were studied over a 3.5 yr period following restoration activities in Alewife Cove, a small estuary located in southeastern Connecticut, U.S. Development around this estuary had resulted in reduced freshwater and tidal inflows, loss of critical habitats such as salt marshes, and eutrophication. Early in 1988 the lower reach of the estuary was dredged to increase tidal flushing and enhance environmental quality. Following dredging, tidal range within the Cove increased from 52 to 83 cm. Due to erosion within the Cove's lower channel and sediment migration into the Cove, tidal flows and ranges approached pre-dredge levels by 1991. Despite these changes, the percentage of silt/clay in the surface sediments in the middle and upper basins of the Cove declined by 30–45% over the study period. Changes in infaunal community structure in the lower reach following dredging were not great, primarily comprising shifts in the relative abundances of species typical of sandier versus muddier sediments. Directional changes in community structure were most evident in the middle and upper basins, away from the dredged area. Infaunal species richness increased significantly, with many species previously found only in the sand habitats of the lower reach establishing populations in the middle and upper basins. There was a significant decrease in the summer abundances of the pollution indicator polychaeteCapitella capitata throughout much of the middle and upper basins. Restoration efforts in Alewife Cove centering on altered bydrology resulted in selected positive changes. Increases in tidal flow altered environmental conditons in the middle and upper basins where shifts in infaunal community structure indicated decreases in organic loading of sediments over 2–3 yr. Continued changes in the physical dynamics of the lower reach reduced tidal flow, arresting the positive ecological changes that were beginning to occur. This type of restoration approach of small estuaries can have positive results, but there may be a lag in the ecological response of the system. Macrobenthic communities, in particular summer abundance patterns of selected species, provided an integrated assessment of ecological changes in the Cove.
Generalizations of Boolean products for lattice-ordered algebras

It is shown that the Boolean center of complemented elements in a bounded integral residuated lattice characterizes direct decompositions. Generalizing both Boolean products and poset sums of residuated lattices, the concepts of poset product, Priestley product and Esakia product of algebras are defined and used to prove decomposition theorems for various ordered algebras. In particular, we show that FLw-algebras decompose as a poset product over any finite set of join irreducible strongly central elements, and that bounded n-potent GBL-algebras are represented as Esakia products of simple n-potent MV-algebras.
How Things Might Have Been: Individuals, Kinds, and Essential Properties

1. Preliminaries 2. Individual Essences and Bare Identities 3. Origin Properties and Individual Essences 4. Extrinsically Determined Identity and 'Best-candidate' Theories 5. Counterpart Theory and the Puzzles of Transworld Identity 6. The Necessity of Origin 7. Sortal Concepts and Essential Properties I: Substance Sortals and Essential Sortals 8. Sortal Concepts and Essential Propeties II: Sortal Concepts and Principles of Individuation 9. Essential Properties and Remote Contingencies 10. Essentialism, Semantic Theory, and Natural Kinds
A Study of Shock-Wave Propagation in Single Crystalline fcc -Al and α-Fe 2 O 3 and an Interface between Two Such Phases Using MD Simulations

This research focuses on shock wave propagation in , , and oriented single crystalline Al, oriented single crystalline Fe2O3, and an interface between the {100} surface of Al and the {0001} surface of Fe2O3. An interatomic potential is developed to describe interatomic interactions in the Fe+Al+Fe2O3+Al2O3 material system. The potential is capable of describing the behaviors of Fe, Al, Fe2O3, and Al2O3 as well as of composites consisting of any combination of these components. The analyses in single crystals focus on the relationships between the shock wave velocity (US) and the particle velocity (UP) as a function of single crystalline orientation. Calculations also focus on the formation and propagation of defects. The analyses reveal that the US-UP relationship as well as the type and the extent of deformation strongly depend on the crystallographic orientation. The interfacial shock wave propagation analyses focus on the change in atomic structure near the interface as a function of UP. Calculations show that there is a threshold UP value above which the atomic structure on both sides of the interface undergoes significant changes which are accompanies by enhanced increase in temperature and pressure relative to what is seen in both phases when they are deformed alone. This observation suggests a possibility that this threshold may represent the onset of a shock-induced reactive structural change.
Contractive properties for the heat equation in Sobolev spaces

Abstract Consider the heat equation ∂ r u − Δ x u = 0 in a cylinder Ω × [0, T ] ⊂ R n +1 smooth lateral boundary under zero Neumann or Dirichlet conditions. Geometric conditions for Ω are given that guarantee that for a given P , ‖▽ x u (·, t )‖ L p will be non-increasing for any solution. Decay rates are also given. For arbitrary Ω and p , it is shown how to construct an equivalent L p -norm, such that ▽ x (·, t ) is non-increasing in this norm.
Approaching high temperature photon counting with electron-injection detectors

Our group has designed and developed a novel telecom band photon detector called the electron-injection detector. The detector provides a high avalanche-free internal-amplification and a stable excess noise factor of near unity while operating at linear-mode with low bias voltages. In our previous reports on un-isolated detectors, the large dark current of the detectors prevented long integration times in the camera. Furthermore, the bandwidth of the un-isolated detectors was in the KHz range. Recently, by changing the 3D geometry and isolating the detectors from each other, we have achieved 3 orders of magnitude reduction in dark current at same bias voltage and temperature compared to our previous results. Isolated detectors have internal dark current densities of 0.1nA/cm2 at 160 K. Furthermore, they have a bandwidth that is 4 orders of magnitude higher than the un-isolated devices. In this paper we report room temperature and low temperature characteristics of the isolated electron-injection detectors. We show that the measured optical gain displays a small dependence on temperature over our measured range down to 220 K.
Structural Differences in the NOE-derived Structure of G-T Mismatched DNA relative to Normal DNA are Correlated with Differences in (13)C Relaxation-based Internal Dynamics

Detailed description of the characteristics of mismatched DNA that are distinct from normal DNA is vital to the understanding of how mismatch repair proteins are able to recognize and repair these DNA lesions. To this end, we have used nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY)-based distance restraints and (13)C relaxation measurements to solve the solution structures and measure some of the internal dynamics of the G-T mismatched DNA oligomer d(CCATGCGTGG)(2) (GT) and its parent DNA sequence d(CCACGCGTGG)(2) (GC). In GT, the mismatched G7 is structurally perturbed much more than the mismatched T4 relative to their corresponding bases in GC. The degree of G7 displacement differs from previous high-resolution structures of G-T mismatch-containing B-DNA, suggesting a dependence of G-T mismatch-induced structural perturbation on sequence context. The internal dynamics of GC and GT differ on multiple timescales. The mismatched G7 of GT contains spins that decrease significantly in order in GT compared to GC, while spins in C6, T8, and A3 have significantly higher order in GT compared to GC. Linear correlations between helical parameters of GC and GT and the order of C-1' and aromatic methine carbon atoms relate differences in internal dynamics to the structures quantitatively. The dynamic differences between the normal and mismatched DNA signify changes in local flexibility that may be exploited by the mismatch repair system to bind mismatched DNA preferentially while ignoring normal DNA.
Computing bounds for the mixed μ problem

Robustness problems involving real parametric uncertainty can be reformulated as mixed μ problems, where the block-structured uncertainty description is allowed to contain both real and complex blocks. Upper and lower bounds for the mixed μ problem have recently been developed, and this paper examines the computational aspects of these bounds. In particular a practical algorithm is developed to compute the bounds. This has been implemented as a Matlab function (m-file), which is currently available in conjunction with the μ-Tools toolbox. Some results from our extensive numerical experience with the algorithm are presented. The algorithm performance is very encouraging, in terms both of accuracy of the resulting bounds, and of growth rate in required computation with problem size. In particular it appears that one can handle medium-size problems (fewer than 100 perturbations) with reasonable computational requirements.
Digital filtering using polynomial transforms

We define discrete transforms in a ring of polynomials. These polynomial transforms have the circular convolution property and can be used for the fast computation of 2-dimensional cyclic convolutions. This yields efficient algorithms for the implementation of 1- and 2-dimensional digital filters.
Conflict-directed A* and its role in model-based embedded systems

Artificial Intelligence has traditionally used constraint satisfaction and logic to frame a wide range of problems, including planning, diagnosis, cognitive robotics and embedded systems control. However, many decision making problems are now being re-framed as optimization problems, involving a search over a discrete space for the best solution that satisfies a set of constraints. The best methods for finding optimal solutions, such as A^*, explore the space of solutions one state at a time. This paper introduces conflict-directed A^*, a method for solving optimal constraint satisfaction problems. Conflict-directed A^* searches the state space in best first order, but accelerates the search process by eliminating subspaces around each state that are inconsistent. This elimination process builds upon the concepts of conflict and kernel diagnosis used in model-based diagnosis [J. de Kleer, B.C. Williams, Diagnosing multiple faults, Artif. Intell. 32(1) (1987) 97-130; J. de Kleer, A. Mackworth, R. Reiter, Characterizing diagnoses and systems, Artif. Intell. 56 (1992) 197-222] and in dependency-directed search [R. Stallman, G.J. Sussman, Forward reasoning and dependency-directed backtracking in a system for computer-aided circuit analysis, Artif. Intell. 9 (1977) 135-196; J. Gaschnig, Performance measurement and analysis of certain search algorithms, Technical Report CMU-CS-79-124, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1979; J. de Kleer, B.C. Williams, Back to backtracking: controlling the ATMS, in: Proceedings of AAAI-86, 1986, pp. 910-917; M. Ginsberg, Dynamic backtracking, J. Artif. Intell. Res. 1 (1993) 25-46]. Conflict-directed A^* is a fundamental tool for building model-based embedded systems, and has been used to solve a range of problems, including fault isolation [J. de Kleer, B.C. Williams, Diagnosing multiple faults, Artif. Intell. 32(1) (1987) 97-130], diagnosis [J. de Kleer, B.C. Williams, Diagnosis with behavioral modes, in: Proceedings of IJCAI-89, 1989, pp. 1324-1330], mode estimation and repair [B.C. Williams, P. Nayak, A model-based approach to reactive self-configuring systems, in: Proceedings of AAAI-96, 1996, pp. 971-978], model-compilation [B.C. Williams, P. Nayak, A reactive planner for a model-based executive, in: Proceedings of IJCAI-97, 1997] and model-based programming [M. Ingham, R. Ragno, B.C. Williams, A reactive model-based programming language for robotic space explorers, in: Proceedings of ISAIRAS-01, 2001].
Optimal Design of the Real-Time Production Control System for a General Single-Product Assembly Line Based on Fuzzy Logic Control, Genetic Algorithm and Simulation

In this paper an optimal design approach is proposed for the real-time production control of a general assembly line using fuzzy logic control (FLC) mechanism and genetic algorithm (GA) based on simulation. The optimal control system combines push and FLC policies together. We consider single part type production line with infinite buffers and reliable machines whose process time are determinate. The objective is to minimize the average inventory cost while satisfying uncertain demand. In order to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of the design approach proposed, an illustrative example is discussed and the optimal system is compared to the original one. The results show that the optimal design methodology is completely feasible and the optimal system holds superior performance.
Kinetics of the formation of monoallyl phthalate

Monoallyl phthalate is an intermediate and by-product formed in the industrial production of diallyl phthalate. The kinetics of formation of the mono-ester have been studied. The overall reaction was found to be second-order with an Arrhenius frequency factor of 3.96 × 1017 and an activation energy of 28.8 kcal./g.-mole.
Combination of laboratory research and remote sensing applications toward mitigation of trypanosomiasis in Africa

The need for a comprehensive bi-modal approach toward mitigation of trypanosomiasis in Africa, in both human and animal populations, is examined. Fundamental to such mitigation is the continuance of basic research at the molecular level, which may hold promise of a better understanding of the organism, Trypanosoma brucei, and consequently thereby identify potential controlling mechanisms. Equally important to ultimate mitigation will be the intensification of monitoring both disease incidence and its vector, the Bantu-named tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans) habitat, with the assistance of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Trypanosomiasis, "African sleeping sickness" in human populations or "nagana" in animal populations, is sufficiently geographically dispersed throughout Africa as to require satellite monitoring in order to identify areas with vulnerable human and/or animal populations. Such monitoring should also consider the economical and ecological impacts of trypanocides application. The current study describes basic research underway at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute on Trypanosoma brucei, reviews existing monitoring programs utilizing remote sensing to assist in controlling the arthropod vector and makes the case for a coordinated in vitro and remote-sensing-assisted in situ bi-modal mitigation strategy. The contributions to the remote sensing literature of the Trypanosomiasis and Land-Use in Africa (TALA) Research Group, of the Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis Information System (PAATIS) and of the Africa Real Time Emergency Management Information System (ARTEMIS) are reviewed. Further, the implications of combining course-resolution multitemporal data with newly-available high-resolution remotely-sensed data are examined. The rationale for coordinating laboratory research and field-based interventions, informed by remote sensing, is articulated.
Poor teaching by the coach: a phenomenological description from athletes' experience of poor coaching

Background: Winning and losing have consistently been used as one criterion upon which to evaluate coaches. Since winning coaches have long been thought of as knowledgeable and effective at providing instruction, researchers have often studied coaches who have obtained a high winning percentage. While researchers know some about the behaviors and thought processes of winning and losing coaches, this research has often failed to account for how the coach's behavior affects athletes. That is, how do athletes perceive their coach and their coach's instruction? The sole criterion of winning may not sufficiently differentiate which behaviors are instructionally effective versus those that are ineffective, especially from the athlete's perspective. Furthermore, existing research tends to focus solely on winning coaches and coaches in general. In order to better understand coaching effectiveness from the perspective of athletes, research has examined the coaching behaviors athletes prefer and their satisfaction ...
Preparing to teach STEM in middle school using understanding by design framework: Focus on using CAD in creative arts

This paper will discuss the development of a university course designed to provide the objectives, materials, and methods appropriate for teaching STEM in a middle school in Mississippi. The STEM course consists of ten thematic units. One of the units, Exploring CAD, discusses how to integrate creative arts in the STEM course using CAD and 3-D modeling. Lessons for each unit are designed using the Understanding by Design framework. This is the first time this course is being taught by the author. The next step is to gather student feedback formatively and summatively. Such feedback will be used to inform on future course enhancements for integrating arts in STEM courses. The ultimate goal is to build a repertoire of CAD_ART projects that will shared with the greater STEM community.
Simulation of a 41 cavity MILO

The MILO high-power microwave device consists of a cylindrical cathode surrounded by a vaned anode. Between them flows a magnetically self-insulated electron beam, which interacts with the anode structure to produce microwave oscillations. The current consists of two parts, that which flows within the AK gap and that which flows in the cathode, ultimately crossing in a load region away from the anode structure. Most of the current flowing in the gap reaches the anode in electron spokes similar to those seen in magnetrons. Earlier MILO designs contained ten cavities. In this configuration, 20% of the current flowed in the gap while 80% remained in the cathode, expending its energy uselessly (except for providing the required magnetic field) in the load region. Simulations predict that about 40% of the energy of the beam flowing in the gap could be converted to microwaves, giving an overall efficiency of 8%. Simulations of MILO with 41 cavities show that three-quarters of the current crosses in the spokes, leaving only one-quarter to be dumped in the load. Furthermore, the 40% conversion efficiency appears to be maintained, giving an overall efficiency of 30%. >
Spending too much: relationships with borderline personality symptomatology.

AbstractObjective. Few studies have examined spending behaviors in individuals with borderline personality symptomatology (BPS) – the focus of the present study. Method. Summing four cross-sectional samples totaling 1122 consecutive patients being seen in an internal medicine clinic, and using a self-report survey methodology, we examined relationships between excessive spending and BPS, using two measures for this Axis II disorder. Results. The endorsement of excessive spending demonstrated statistically significant correlations with both measures of BPS (0.40 and 0.49), and individuals who exceeded the established cut-off scores on both measures were statistically significantly more likely to endorse excessive spending. Conclusions. Excessive spending demonstrates empirical relationships with BPS and appears to be a clinical area of inquiry in BPS regarding self-regulation difficulties.
Compensation for step-load variations when applying synergetic control

The theory of synergetic control was introduced in a power electronics context in the previous paper (Santi et al. (2002)). In this paper we review the theory, then focus on some practical aspects with reference to both simulations and actual hardware. In particular, we address the step load response and experiment with several different approaches. Adaptive and other control laws are introduced to improve the control performance. A small-signal analysis is presented, which allows prediction of the closed-loop response time.
Proteomic Investigation of Epigenetics in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Missing Link between Genetics and Behavior?

Neuropsychiatric disorders affect a large segment of the human population and result in large costs to society. The majority of such disorders have unknown underlying causes. Recent evidence suggests an important role for epigenetic regulation in the emergence of neuropsychiatric disease. Epigenetics may provide a link between genetic and environmental factors and behavior. Epigenetic signaling involves changes on the structure of chromatin; such changes are often triggered and maintained by the post-translational modification of chromatin proteins and/or DNA. Recent proteomic technologies have enabled the study of epigenetic mechanisms in a high-throughput manner. This review will provide an overview of the major epigenetic pathways and modern techniques for their study, before focusing on experimental evidence supporting a strong role for epigenetics in selected psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. These results highlight a great need for the inclusion of the prot...
Estimating lung resection risk: a pilot study of trainee and practicing surgeons.

Background Most surgeons believe that experience-based risk estimates for major lung resection are reliable. Elements that influence such estimates are poorly understood. Methods Clinical vignettes were created for patients who underwent lung resection; 48 patients who had major complications were matched to 48 patients without complications. Ten senior surgical trainees and 9 practicing thoracic surgeons blinded to outcomes estimated the risk of complications using a seven-point scale (uninformed estimates). After review of a calculated risk score, risk was again estimated (informed estimates). Results Risk estimates did not differentiate between patient groups with and without complications (4.8 versus 4.9; p = 0.94 for trainees; 4.5 versus 4.2; p = 0.21 for practicing surgeons). The accuracy of predicting complications was only fair, but was better for practicing surgeons than for trainees (58% versus 51%; p = 0.041). Risk estimates correlated moderately well with baseline pulmonary function and possibly with age, but not with performance status or extent of resection. Knowledge of a calculated risk score resulted in more frequent alterations of trainee risk scores, improved interobserver agreement in both groups, and aligned trainee and practicing surgeon estimates more closely. Conclusions Surgeon estimates are not accurate in predicting lung resection complications using vignette-based, matched-pair methodology. Practicing surgeons and trainees base risk estimates on limited objective clinical data. Trainee estimates are more susceptible to modification by a standard risk score than are estimates of practicing surgeons. Prospective studies are necessary to further explore the etiology, accuracy, and utility of surgeon risk estimates.
Experimental and Theoretical Study of Nitric Oxide Formation in Internal Combustion Engines

Abstract The nonequilibrium formation of nitric oxide within the internal combustion engine cylinder is examined. A thermodynamic model which predicts the properties of the burnt and unburnt gases during the combustion process is developed. A set of reactions which govern the formation of nitric oxide is proposed, and rate equations for nitric oxide concentrations as a function of time in the post-flame gases are derived. The results of time-resolved measurements carried out on a CFR engine are described, where emitted light intensities at wavelengths selected to record radiation from the CO + O and NO + O continua were used to determine the nitric oxide concentration. The comparison between theoretical and experimental results for fuel-lean mixtures confirms that the important features of the model presented are correct.
Antineoplastic agents 365. Dolastatin 10 SAR probes

The remarkable anticancer drug dolastatin 10 (1a) from the Indian Ocean sea hare Dolabella auricularia is currently undergoing phase I clinical trials. Thirty-eight new structural modifications of this unusual peptide have been synthesized and evaluated against a variety of human and murine cancer cell lines, and for their ability to inhibit tubulin polymerization and vinblastine and GTP binding to tubulin. Dolastatin 10 and one structural modification was found to have antifungal activity, while one other structural modification of the parent compound exhibited antibacterial activity. Some of the new peptides approximated the antineoplastic potency of dolastatin 10, especially those based on replacement of the Doe unit with Met, Phe or an appropriately substituted phenylethylamide.
Stinging spines protect slug caterpillars (Limacodidae) from multiple generalist predators

Predators have played a significant role in the evolution of herbivorous insects, and we can observe a wide variety of larval defense mechanisms in nature, especially among members of the Lepidoptera. Slug caterpillars (Limacodidae) are known for their unusual morphologies, including various types of protuberances and stinging spines on their dorsal surfaces, which suggest that their evolution has been strongly shaped by their interactions with predators. We tested the hypothesis that limacodid larvae with stinging spines would suffer less predation from generalist predators than larvae that either did not possess stinging spines or were more lightly spined. In a series of behavioral bioassays, we tested the preferences of 2 different invertebrate predators (assassin bugs and paper wasps) for ‘‘spined’’ or ‘‘unspined’’ larvae. We found that all of the predators preferred the unspined or lightly spined prey species over the heavily spined limacodid species Acharia (¼Sibine) stimulea. Our results also indicate that at least one of the predators that we tested, the paper wasps, showed a form of aversion learning as indicated by a decreased number of inspections of A. stimulea after previous experience. We conclude that limacodid larvae that are heavily armored with stinging spines are well defended against attacks from invertebrate predators and are significantly more likely to survive predator encounters than are unspined or lightly spined larvae. Key words: antipredator, behavior, larval defense, Lepidoptera, Limacodidae, Polistes, predation, prey choice, Reduviidae. [Behav Ecol]
Acyclovir for recurrent erythema multiforme caused by herpes simplex

Herpes-associated erythema multiforme can be controlled by continuous suppressive treatment with oral acyclovir. Erythema multiforme is not prevented if oral acyclovir is administered after a herpes simplex recurrence is evident and it is of no value after erythema multiforme has occurred. There is some question whether continuous topical treatment with acyclovir to sites of recurrent herpes will sometimes prevent erythema multiforme. Erythema multiforme may be precipitated by orolabial and genital recurrences and by recurrences on skin of the buttocks and other sites. Some herpetic recurrences are associated with erythema multiforme and some are not and episodes of erythema multiforme are not always associated with clinical herpetic recurrences.
Interfacial Segregation in Perovskites: III, Microstructure and Electrical Properties

A model is proposed to relate segregation of dopants with the development of fine ceramic microstructures and electrical properties in polycrystalline donor-doped BaTiO3. As the average dopant concentration is increased, the dopant concentration at the grain boundary increases compared with the bulk. This has two important effects: (1) dopant incorporation at the grain boundary shifts from electronic to vacancy compensation and the formation of high-resistive layers, and (2) grain-boundary mobility is impeded and grain growth retarded with increased dopant additions. Thus, for high dopant concentrations, donor-doped BaTiO3 becomes insulating. The model discusses in detail the nonequilibrium heterogeneous defect chemistry as a function of thermal-processing and accounts for barrier layer phenomena.
Dietary calcium, protein, and phosphorus are related to bone mineral density and content in young women.

Background: Dietary factors have been implicated in modifying bone health, although the results remain controversial, particularly in young women. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine relations of selected dietary factors and anthropometric measurements to bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine, femoral neck, trochanter, Ward's triangle, radius, and total body and the bone mineral content (BMC) of the spine. radius, and total body. Design: The study was a cross-sectional analysis of 215 women aged 18-31 y. Results: Weight. height, and lean mass were correlated with bone mineral measures at every site (r = 0.17-0.78). Postmenarcheal age (years since onset of menses) was positively correlated with total-body BMD and BMC, radius BMD and BMC, and spine BMC, and negatively correlated with Ward's triangle BMD. Radius BMD was correlated with protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes, and spine BMD and BMC were correlated with energy, protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes. These correlations remained significant when postmenarcheal age, lean mass, and fat mass were controlled. A pattern emerged in multiple regression analyses that showed a complex relation among calcium, protein or phosphorus, and the calcium-protein or calcium-phosphorus ratio and spine or total-body BMC and BMD. All 3 variables (calcium, protein or phosphorus, and calcium-protein or calcium-phosphorus ratio) were required in the model for significance. Conclusions: Anthropometric measures were predictors of bone mass. A single ratio of calcium to phosphorus or protein did not optimize bone mass across the range of calcium intakes.
Space Division Multiple Access for Wireless Sensor Networks

A uniform latin square of order k = m2 is an k times k square matrix that consists of k symbols from 0 to k-1 such that no symbol appears more than once in any row or in any column. This property is also maintained in any m times m area of main subsquares in a k times k Latin square. The uniqueness of each symbol in the main subsquares presents very attractive characteristic in applying uniform latin squares to time slot allocation problem in sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a space division multiple access (SDMA) scheme for wireless sensor networks based on Uniform Latin squares. The SDMA divides the geographical area into space divisions, where there is one-to-one map between space divisions and time slots. Because of the uniqueness of the symbol value in any main subsquares, the mapping of time slots into space divisions guaranties a collision-free medium access to sensor nodes. We also study the effect of the use of multiple transmission power levels and corresponding packet lengths on the system throughput. To do so, a self-controlled multiple power level algorithm has been proposed to improve the throughput of a multiple power level system.
Nonparametric Bayes Modeling of Multivariate Categorical Data

Modeling of multivariate unordered categorical (nominal) data is a challenging problem, particularly in high dimensions and cases in which one wishes to avoid strong assumptions about the dependence structure. Commonly used approaches rely on the incorporation of latent Gaussian random variables or parametric latent class models. The goal of this article is to develop a nonparametric Bayes approach, which defines a prior with full support on the space of distributions for multiple unordered categorical variables. This support condition ensures that we are not restricting the dependence structure a priori. We show this can be accomplished through a Dirichlet process mixture of product multinomial distributions, which is also a convenient form for posterior computation. Methods for nonparametric testing of violations of independence are proposed, and the methods are applied to model positional dependence within transcription factor binding motifs.
KINETIC ASPECTS IN THE VAPOUR PHASE EPITAXY OF III–V COMPOUNDS

Successful exploitation of the unique properties of III–V compound semiconductors has resulted in development of several new devices for optoelectronic and solid state microwave applications. These achievements, however, would not have been possible without major advances in the technology for epitaxial growth of such materials. Further improvements in device performances together with new applications of III–V compounds must be closely coupled with even more progress toward achievement of material with properties approaching the theoretical values. Chemical vapour deposition has emerged as the most common technique for epitaxial growth. Although significant improvements can be obtained through empirical methods of investigation of such processes, it is recognized that in the long run a firm fundamental understanding is essential. This realization provides the motivation for detailed, basic studies of the kinetics and thermodynamics of epitaxial growth by chemical vapour deposition. This review will examine the progress, both past and projected, in measurement and interpretation of the kinetics of vapour phase deposition of III–V epitaxial layers. The scope will be limited to near-atmospheric pressure, open flow epitaxial systems utilizing chemical transport. To date, most of the studies have concerned GaAs, GaP, InAs, InP, and their alloys. It has been demonstrated for GaAs, and for some of the other compounds as well, that, depending on the growth conditions, epitaxial deposition may proceed in two fundamentally different rate-limiting regimes. At low temperatures the rate is limited by a surface process; while at higher temperatures mass transport limitations appear to prevail. For mass-transport-limited deposition the sensitivity of the growth rate to various operating parameters can, in many cases, be predicted from theoretical considerations. Investigation of kinetically limited growth offers a path toward a fundamental understanding of the atomistic surface events that result in epitaxial growth. The progress in these areas will be discussed; in addition, experimental and theoretical tasks for future studies will be recommended.
Campylobacter coli in Swine Production: Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms and Molecular Epidemiology

The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial resistance, to evaluate and compare the use of two genotyping methods for molecular epidemiology purposes, and to determine the genotypic diversity of Campylobacter coli of porcine origin. A total of 100 C. coli isolates from swine were tested for susceptibility to six antimicrobials using the agar dilution method and genotyped using two high-resolution fingerprinting approaches: multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Evaluation of the methods was based on their resistance patterns, discriminatory indexes (DI), high test throughputs, costs, and turnaround times. Resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline was the most common. Both genotypic methods were found to have high discriminatory power, although MLST had a higher DI (0.936) than PFGE (DI = 0.889). It also had a higher throughput than PFGE. Isolates were clustered into 27 groups by MLST compared to 11 by PFGE. MLST was able to further discriminate the isolates grouped under the same cluster by PFGE. Out of the 65 MLST sequence types (STs) identified among the total isolates, 50 were reported for the first time. Most STs were found to be specific to the farm (n = 38) and to slaughter (n = 22). Resistance against tetracycline and erythromycin was encoded by the tet(O) gene and a A2075G point mutation in the 23S rRNA gene, respectively. A high ciprofloxacin MIC (>64 microg/liter) was conferred by a point mutation in the gyrA gene. The weak clonal structure of the C. coli population among swine was further highlighted by the index of association value of 0.293. The findings of this study indicate that multidrug-resistant diverse C. coli strains exhibiting resistance to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin are concerning, since these are the drugs of choice for treating invasive campylobacteriosis cases in humans.
Are physicians' perceptions of healthcare quality and practice satisfaction affected by errors associated with electronic health record use?

Background Electronic health record (EHR) adoption is a national priority in the USA, and well-designed EHRs have the potential to improve quality and safety. However, physicians are reluctant to implement EHRs due to financial constraints, usability concerns, and apprehension about unintended consequences, including the introduction of medical errors related to EHR use. The goal of this study was to characterize and describe physicians' attitudes towards three consequences of EHR implementation: (1) the potential for EHRs to introduce new errors; (2) improvements in healthcare quality; and (3) changes in overall physician satisfaction. Methods Using data from a 2007 statewide survey of Massachusetts physicians, we conducted multivariate regression analysis to examine relationships between practice characteristics, perceptions of EHR-related errors, perceptions of healthcare quality, and overall physician satisfaction. Results 30% of physicians agreed that EHRs create new opportunities for error, but only 2% believed their EHR has created more errors than it prevented. With respect to perceptions of quality, there was no significant association between perceptions of EHR-associated errors and perceptions of EHR-associated changes in healthcare quality. Finally, physicians who believed that EHRs created new opportunities for error were less likely be satisfied with their practice situation (adjusted OR 0.49, p=0.001). Conclusions Almost one third of physicians perceived that EHRs create new opportunities for error. This perception was associated with lower levels of physician satisfaction.
Stretchable Microfluidic Radiofrequency Antennas

www.MaterialsViews.com C O M Stretchable Microfl uidic Radiofrequency Antennas M U N I By Masahiro Kubo , Xiaofeng Li , Choongik Kim , Michinao Hashimoto , Benjamin J. Wiley , Donhee Ham , and George M. Whitesides * C A IO N This paper describes a new method for fabricating stretchable radiofrequency antennas. The antennas consist of liquid metal (eutectic gallium indium alloy, EGaIn [ 1 , 2 ] ) enclosed in elastomeric microfl uidic channels. In particular, a microfl uidic structure made of two types of elastomers (polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Ecofl ex (type 0030, Reynolds Advanced Materials)) with different stiffness has been developed to improve the stretchability and mechanical stability of the antennas. These antennas can be stretched up to a strain [defi ned as the percentage change in length or ( l – l 0 )/ l 0 ] of 120 %. This high stretchability allows the resonance frequencies of the antennas to be mechanically tuned over a wide range of frequencies. The antennas can also be repeatedly stretched, while retaining a high effi ciency (> 95 %) in radiation. “Stretchability” in electronics has the potential to open new opportunities, particularly for large-area devices and systems, and in systems that require the device to conform to a nonplanar surface, or to bend and stretch while in use. [ 3–5 ] Compared to “fl exible” electronics built on nonstretchable polymer or paper substrates, [ 6 , 7 ] stretchable electronics can cover almost arbitrarily curved surfaces and movable parts. Mechanical compliance may increase the comfort of the user for wearable electronics or implantable medical devices, and simplify the integration for a range of applications. [ 3–5 , 8 ] New approaches to stretchable electronics are now being developed. In a recent advance, Rogers et al. [ 4 , 5 ] described stretchable integrated circuits with elongation of up to 100 % using wavy, thin silicon ribbons on pre-stretched elastic substrates. Antennas offer new, attractive applications for stretchable electronics; these applications might include reconfi gurable antennas, [ 9 ] antennas for limited and nonplanar spaces, [ 10 ] and wearable sensors. Two methods are commonly used to build antennas for commercial applications. The most common method uses sheet-metal processing; in this method, a metal sheet is punched, bent, and welded into the desired structure. A second method uses chemical etching and plating to make small patterns of metal. This method can make fl exible antennas by patterning metal on a fl exible substrate. Neither
SSD-C: Smooth Signed Distance Colored Surface Reconstruction

In this chapter we address the problem of reconstructing the surface geometry, topology, and color map of a 3D scene from a finite set of colored oriented points. These data sets are nowadays obtained using a variety of techniques, including multi-view stereo reconstruction methods from multiple 2D images. We describe a novel variational method which reduces the problem to the solutions of sparse systems of linear equations. We first use the point positions and orientation vectors to reconstruct the geometry and topology of a watertight surface represented as an adaptively tessellated polygon mesh. The method then smoothly extrapolates the color information from the points to the surface. Experimental evidence is presented to show that the resulting method produces high quality polygon meshes with smooth color maps which accurately approximate the source colored oriented points.
Local search scheduling algorithms for maximal throughput in packet switches

We consider the (generalized) packet switch scheduling problem, where the switch service configuration has to be dynamically chosen based on observed queue backlogs, so as to maximize the throughput. A class of recently developed 'projective' scheduling algorithms, which substantially generalize the well-known maximum weight matching (MWM) algorithms for crossbar switches, are explored from the perspective of complexity. The typically huge number of possible switch configurations that the scheduler has to consider in each timeslot has been previously observed to lead to an impractical computational requirement. We introduce a new class of projective schedules based on 'local search' concepts. In particular, rather than searching the entire (typically huge) set of available service configurations to find the best one, the new scalable scheduling algorithms search 'locally' over a small neighborhood of service configurations to find a 'better' one in each time slot. We show that local projective scheduling algorithms can provide dramatic reduction in complexity without causing any loss of throughput (although they may observe higher delay). We explore the nature and structure of such schedules, which show a much higher promise for practical implementation than their global versions.
Intergenic Transcriptional Interference Is Blocked by RNA Polymerase III Transcription Factor TFIIIB in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The major function of eukaryotic RNA polymerase III is to transcribe transfer RNA, 5S ribosomal RNA, and other small non-protein-coding RNA molecules. Assembly of the RNA polymerase III complex on chromosomal DNA requires the sequential binding of transcription factor complexes TFIIIC and TFIIIB. Recent evidence has suggested that in addition to producing RNA transcripts, chromatin-assembled RNA polymerase III complexes may mediate additional nuclear functions that include chromatin boundary, nucleosome phasing, and general genome organization activities. This study provides evidence of another such “extratranscriptional” activity of assembled RNA polymerase III complexes, which is the ability to block progression of intergenic RNA polymerase II transcription. We demonstrate that the RNA polymerase III complex bound to the tRNA gene upstream of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATG31 gene protects the ATG31 promoter against readthrough transcriptional interference from the upstream noncoding intergenic SUT467 transcription unit. This protection is predominately mediated by binding of the TFIIIB complex. When TFIIIB binding to this tRNA gene is weakened, an extended SUT467–ATG31 readthrough transcript is produced, resulting in compromised ATG31 translation. Since the ATG31 gene product is required for autophagy, strains expressing the readthrough transcript exhibit defective autophagy induction and reduced fitness under autophagy-inducing nitrogen starvation conditions. Given the recent discovery of widespread pervasive transcription in all forms of life, protection of neighboring genes from intergenic transcriptional interference may be a key extratranscriptional function of assembled RNA polymerase III complexes and possibly other DNA binding proteins.
A Reexamination of Domestic Firm Value & Foreign Currency Borrowing in the Presence of Taxes

The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical arguments presented in the literature related to the issue concerning whether domestic firm value may be enhanced via the use of foreign currency debt. Additionally, it adds to the existing literature in three ways. First, it provides an extension of the existing literature into a more general (and perhaps more realistic) setting. Second, a new international debt market equilibrium condition (termed the International Darby Effect) is derived, where all markets equilibrate on an after-tax real basis. And finally, the authors argue that in this new international setting firm value is independent of the currency denomination choice.