cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On inverse-power Poisson functionals

This paper is devoted to investigating a time-indexed family of inverse-power integral functionals of Poisson processes. A complete characterization is provided for the probability distributions of...
Sex-Related Differences in Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in New York City

We evaluated sex-related differences in symptoms and risk factors for mortality in 4798 patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 in New York City. When adjusted for age and comorbidities, being male was an independent predictor of death with mortality significantly higher than females, even with low severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral load at admission.
On the Data Analysis of Participatory Air Pollution Monitoring Using Low-cost Sensors

Participatory sensing leverages population density and involves citizens in the collection of extensive data in multiple fields such as air pollution monitoring, enabling large-scale deployments and improving the knowledge of air quality. This study highlights the potential of low-cost sensors through a data analysis of pollutant concentrations collected during multiple sensing campaigns we co-organized using a participatory sensing platform we designed. We first compare the estimation quality of four statistical models and investigate the impact of sampling frequency on the quality of estimation and energy consumption of the nodes using an energy model based on the sensing duty cycle. In addition, we evaluate the capacity of regression models to recover missing data of one sensor based on the other sensors. Results are satisfactory and reveal that a small decrease in the sampling frequency slightly reduces the estimation quality, but in contrast, allows the nodes to operate on a longer period.
Proteasome-mediated Proteolysis of the Polyglutamine-expanded Androgen Receptor Is a Late Event in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA) Pathogenesis

Proteolysis of polyglutamine-expanded proteins is thought to be a required step in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. The accepted view for many polyglutamine proteins is that proteolysis of the mutant protein produces a "toxic fragment" that induces neuronal dysfunction and death in a soluble form; toxicity of the fragment is buffered by its incorporation into amyloid-like inclusions. In contrast to this view, we show that, in the polyglutamine disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, proteolysis of the mutant androgen receptor (AR) is a late event. Immunocytochemical and biochemical analyses revealed that the mutant AR aggregates as a full-length protein, becoming proteolyzed to a smaller fragment through a process requiring the proteasome after it is incorporated into intranuclear inclusions. Moreover, the toxicity-predicting conformational antibody 3B5H10 bound to soluble full-length AR species but not to fragment-containing nuclear inclusions. These data suggest that the AR is toxic as a full-length protein, challenging the notion of polyglutamine protein fragment-associated toxicity by redefining the role of AR proteolysis in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy pathogenesis.
Measurement of the Internal Pressure in Green Multilayer Ceramic Bodies During Binder Removal

During binder removal, an increase in the internal pressure within green bodies can lead to failure of the components. We have recently developed an in situ method to measure the internal pressure within green bodies during binder removal. Miniature strain gage-based pressure sensors are embedded within the green body to monitor the real time internal pressure as a function of temperature during the heating cycle. Depending on the heating rate, the internal pressure can exceed four atmospheres (0.4 MPa).
Old and New Guard of Social-Democrats and Employment Policy in Parliamentary Democracies

There is a growing literature that accepts the insider-outsider argument, according to which Social-democratic parties cater primarily to insiders- ie those who have secure jobs- than to outsiders. On the other hand, there is another literature that points to the shifting policy priorities of Social-democratic parties over time, and specifically to their transformation from demand to supply-side policies. In this article I resolve this debate by looking at Labour Market Policies in eighteen parliamentary democracies over a period of thirty years. Using ministerial individual level data I show that political parties' policy priorities are a function of the minister's own background, which in turn reflects changes in Social-democratic parties' ministerial profiles and policy preferences. Specifically, I find that old style unionists indeed favour insider policies as already argued, whereas younger, more technocrat ministers prefer supply-side policies that favour outsiders..
Active sonar systems in the presence of strong direct blast

Active sonar system performance in the presence of strong direct blast, or reverberations from the projected waveform, is considered. The presence of these reverberations may severely limit target detection performance and the applicability of the continuous active sonar (CAS) paradigm. Signal processing approaches to detect objects of interest and estimate relevant target parameters are described for signals subjected to these powerful reverberations. Results obtained by processing data from the TREX'13 experiment are presented and discussed.
Membrane changes during hibernation.

Organelle lipids undergo rapidly reversible rearrangement as body temperature drops. Cellular membranes are susceptible to injury by cold, which causes their lipid components to separate1,2,3,4. Here we investigate the structural changes that occur in organelle membranes inside cells of the central nervous system of hypothermic ground squirrels during hibernation. We find that lipids in these membranes sequester into protein-free domains that laterally displace membrane proteins and the underlying cytoplasmic matrix. But when the animal is aroused from hibernation, all these components return to their normal arrangements as the body temperature rises. Understanding this reversible temperature-induced redistribution of membrane lipids should help in the study of the effects of severe cold on non-hibernating species (including humans) and in the cryopreservation of cells and tissues.
Early Pleistocene incision of the San Juan River, Utah, dated with 26Al and 10Be: Comment and Reply: REPLY

Hanks and Finkel attempt to discredit our cosmogenic nuclide profile dating of a gravel-capped terrace at Bluff, Utah, by suggesting that the gravels could have been deposited in two stages separated by a hiatus of nearly a million years. The cosmogenic nuclide data alone cannot eliminate this
Influence of working memory on adult age differences in matrix reasoning

The four studies reported in this article, involving a total of 401 adults ranging between 18 and 80 years of age, were designed to investigate how working memory might mediate adult age differences in matrix reasoning tasks such as the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. Evidence of this medication is available in the finding that statistical control of an index of working memory reduces the age-related variance in matrix reasoning performance by approximately 70 per cent. Because the age differences were nearly constant across items of varying difficulty, it was concluded that the factors responsible for variation in item difficulty were distinct from those responsible for the age differences. However, young adults were found to be more accurate than older adults at recognizing information presented earlier in the matrix reasoning trial, thereby supporting the interpretation that working memory exerts its influence by contributing to the preservation of information during subsequent processing.
Ekman transport and pumping in the California Current based on the U.S. Navy's high‐resolution atmospheric model (COAMPS)

[1] Upwelling in the California Current system due to Ekman transport and pumping was estimated using a high-resolution (9-km grid) atmospheric model reanalysis. Model winds, verified with satellite-measured winds at 13 locations, had weekly averaged wind components within 1.7 m s−1 RMS, and wind gradients within 1.6 m s−1 per 100 km RMS. Model wind hind-casts from May 1999 to September 2000 revealed narrow bands (about 10 by 50 km) of strong wind stress and wind stress curl parallel to the coast and adjacent to major coastal promontories. These bands, which are sub-grid scale in operational models, were capable of generating local upwelling greater than 10 m d−1 and downwelling greater than 5 m d−1. Peak summer estimates for the California Current system indicate vertical transport due to Ekman pumping was roughly 1.0 × 10−6 m3 s−1, and Ekman transport from alongshore wind stress was about 0.5 × 10−6 m3 s−1. These estimates suggest that Ekman pumping from wind stress curl is as important as Ekman transport from alongshore winds in the California Current system.
On the constraints for Castigliano's theorem

Abstract The expression of Castigliano's theorem is proposed in a generalized form, taking into consideration all global static constraints. The condition that certain constraints may be ignored is then developed. The paper also gives the restriction for reducing the set of generalized force variables through the integration of constraints.
Fibre type‐specific gene expression activated by chronic electrical stimulation of adult mouse skeletal muscle fibres in culture

Mammalian skeletal muscle is primarily composed of twitch fibres, which are grouped into two major physiological classes based on their speeds of contraction and relaxation: slow-twitch (type I) fibres and fast-twitch (type II) fibres. Fast-twitch fibres are further subdivided into two general classes: fast-twitch oxidative (type II A) and fast-twitch glycolytic (type II B) fibres (Schiaffino & Reggiani, 1996). Although these general categories can be broadly applied, there is a spectrum of fibre types, with a wide variety of fibre types including specialized extremes as well as intermediate types present in various muscles (Wada et al. 1995; Schiaffino & Reggiani, 1996). Nonetheless, the broad categories of fast-twitch and slow-twitch are useful in establishing general categories of muscle fibres and will be used here with the understanding that a range of intermediate fibre types is also found. The fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibres express different isoforms, and frequently different concentrations, of most of the myofibrillar proteins, of the proteins underlying activation and relaxation and of many metabolic enzymes (Pette & Staron, 1997). Fibre typing by isoform content (e.g. myosin heavy chain isoforms) has revealed additional fibre subtypes (Wada et al. 1995). An interesting aspect of muscle fibre types and fibre type plasticity is that individual single fibres simultaneously expressing two different isoforms of a particular protein may be present in a muscle (Billeter et al. 1981). These ‘transitional’ fibres may reflect the dynamic remodelling of a muscle based on its in vivo physiological use and the plasticity of fibre type (Pette & Staron, 1997). It is well established that changes in muscle stimulation patterns in animals result in changes in levels of fibre type-specific isoforms of most muscle proteins, but such changes in protein composition take weeks to occur due to the relatively slow turnover of most muscle proteins (Pette & Vrbova, 1992). The time course of changes in muscle gene expression, monitored as transcript levels (Williams et al. 1986, 1987), is more rapid than that of changes in protein levels during chronic in vivo muscle stimulation in animals (Huber & Pette, 1996). An increase in the slow-twitch fibre isoform of myosin heavy chain (β-myosin heavy chain; β-MHC) mRNA has been demonstrated in whole muscle stimulated in living animals (Brownson et al. 1988, 1992) or in culture (Barton-Davis et al. 1996). We have recently developed an in vitro single adult muscle fibre culture system (Liu et al. 1997) and now show that activity-dependent expression of β-MHC mRNA can be specifically induced in individual mature fast-twitch muscle fibres electrically stimulated in culture.
Atomic-scale simulations of chemical vapor deposition on flat and vicinal diamond substrates

Abstract The growth of diamond by chemical vapor deposition was simulated on nine substrates corresponding to flat and slightly miscut (1 0 0), (1 1 0), and (1 1 1) surfaces. The kinetics of the important surface reactions were input to a three-dimensional atomic-scale kinetic Monte Carlo model of film growth in various environments. The effects of the atmosphere near the growth surface and the atomic structure of the surface on growth behavior are ascertained. The differences in bonding configuration at the various atomic surface features have a strong effect on growth behavior, even when steric effects are not considered. Surface features that can grow by the addition of only one C atom from the gas grow faster than features that need more C atoms to propagate. This impacts not only the growth behavior of the flat (1 0 0), (1 1 0), and (1 1 1) faces which require one, two, and three C atoms to nucleate growth layers, respectively but also the growth of miscut substrates which contain steps that can grow much more quickly than the flat terraces. Acetylene is particularly important to growth on several of the surface orientations (e.g., (1 1 1)) because it aids in the formation of C clusters on the surface. The bonding geometries of the surface features on each of the nine substrate orientations are described, and their impact on growth behavior is demonstrated by altering the acetylene content of the gas near the growth surface.
Chemistry of 2,4,6-Trimercapto-1,3,5-triazine (TMT): Acid Dissociation Constants and Group 2 Complexes

The acid dissociation constants of 2,4,6-trimercaptotriazine (H(3)TMT, 1) were determined and now can be employed in the preparation of complexes having specific M-TMT (M = divalent metal; TMT = 2,4,6-trimercapto-1,3,5-triazinide, C(3)N(3)S(3)(3-)) ratios. For example, the combination of H(3)TMT (1) with Mg(OH)(2) at pH 7.1 leads to the crystallization of Mg(H(2)TMT)(2).6H(2)O (4). With the appropriate pH adjustment, the contiguous series of compounds Ba(3)(TMT)(2).8H(2)O (3), Ba(H(2)TMT)(2).7H(2)O (5), and BaHTMT.3H(2)O (6) can be isolated. The compounds were characterized by mp, IR, TGA, elemental analysis, and, in the cases of 4, 5, and 6, crystallography. The comparison of 4 with 5 and 6 offers an interesting view of the difference in hard and soft bonding with TMT. In the saltlike Mg structure of 4, there is extensive hydrogen bonding, but in the Ba structures, 5 and 6, covalent Ba-S bonding dominates.
Combustion of Liquefying Hybrid Propellants: Part 1, General Theory

In this paper classical hybrid combustion theory is generalized to solid fuels that form a liquid layer on their burning surface. For several classes of liquefying fuels, the layer is hydrodynamically unstable in a gas e ow environment leading to substantial droplet entrainment into the gas stream. The susceptibility of a given fuel to this shear driven instability increases with decreasing viscosity and surface tension of the melt layer. The entrainment mass transfer, which acts in addition to the conventional gasie cation mechanism, is not affected by the blocking phenomenon induced by blowing from the surface. For practical oxidizer e ux levels encountered in hybrid rocket applications, droplet entrainment can dominate direct gasie cation. Such liquefying fuels can exhibit greatly increased surface regression rates compared to classical materials such as Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene. One application of the theory is to solid cryogenic hybrids, which utilize frozen materials for the solid propellant. The theory successfully predicts why high regression rates are observed in tests of cryogenic solid pentane, solid methane, and solid oxygen. In addition, the theory explains the dependence of the burning rates of other tested cryogenic materials on the physical properties of the liquid layer. The theory also leads to the conclusion that certain noncryogenic materials such as parafe n and Polyethylene waxes will also exhibit high regression rates. This important result is cone rmed by lab scale tests performed at Stanford University on a high melting point parafe n wax.
Emerging roles for platelets as immune and inflammatory cells

Despite their small size and anucleate status, platelets have diverse roles in vascular biology. Not only are platelets the cellular mediator of thrombosis, but platelets are also immune cells that initiate and accelerate many vascular inflammatory conditions. Platelets are linked to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, malaria infection, transplant rejection, and rheumatoid arthritis. In some contexts, platelet immune functions are protective, whereas in others platelets contribute to adverse inflammatory outcomes. In this review, we will discuss platelet and platelet-derived mediator interactions with the innate and acquired arms of the immune system and platelet-vessel wall interactions that drive inflammatory disease. There have been many recent publications indicating both important protective and adverse roles for platelets in infectious disease. Because of this new accumulating data, and the fact that infectious disease continues to be a leading cause of death globally, we will also focus on new and emerging concepts related to platelet immune and inflammatory functions in the context of infectious disease.
Touch mode capacitive pressure sensors

Touch mode capacitive pressure sensors offer better performance in industrial applications than other devices. In touch mode operation, the diaphragm of the capacitive pressure sensor touches the substrate structure in operation range. The advantages of this mode of operation are near-linear output characteristics, large over-range pressure and robust structure that make it capable to withstand harsh industrial field environment. The principle, design, and characteristics of touch mode capacitive pressure sensors using various materials and technologies are discussed in this paper.
Singapore's Dilemma: Control versus Autonomy in IT-Led Development

(2001). Singapore's Dilemma: Control versus Autonomy in IT-Led Development. The Information Society: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 305-311.
A comparison of the fine structure of late mouse blastocysts developed in vivo and in vitro

The utrastructure of the in vivo developed late preimplantation mouse blastocyst has been compared with the fine structure of mouse blastocysts developed in vitro for 72 and 92 hours from the late two-cell stage, as well as those grown in vitro for 26 hours from the late morula or early blastocyst stage. Very little difference was observed between the in vivo developed blastocysts and those cultured 26 hours in vitro. The differences between 72 and 92 hour-embryos and the in vivo grown ones were significant. The in vivo specimen and those grown 26 hours in vitro had differentiated a layer of endoderm cells while the ones cultured in vitro from the two-cell stage did not. Nuclear and cytoplasmic structures in the in vivo developed blastocysts are well-differentiated while those of the embryos grown in vitro from the two-cell stage were less advanced. Possible reasons for the apparently less differentiated stage of blastocysts developed in vitro from the two-cell stage are discussed.
Reconstructing the n-connected components of a graph

In this note we show that the maximal point-proper subgraphs of a graphG determine, up to isomorphism, then-connected components ofG.
Chlorination studies II. The reaction of aqueous hypochlorous acid with α-amino acids and dipeptides☆

Abstract HOCl by oxidative decarboxylation converts several α-amino acids into a mixture of the corresponding nitriles (major) and aldehydes (minor product). In addition, chlorination of the ring of tyrosine was observed. Cysteine when reacted with HOCl yielded cystine and cysteic acid, while with cystine, cysteic acid was the only product identified. The nitrogen bond of several dipeptides was found to be resistant to aqueous HOCl at room temperature. Chlorination of these compounds gave the corresponding N , N -dichlorodipeptide.
Evidence-based nursing offers certainty in the uncertain world of healthcare

This article defines evidence-based nursing, explores its history, provides a broad overview of where it is today, and predicts its future.
Second-messenger regulation of sodium transport in mammalian airway epithelia

1. Sodium absorption is the dominant ion transport process in conducting airways and is a major factor regulating the composition of airway surface liquid. However, little is known about the control of airway sodium transport by intracellular regulatory pathways. 2. In sheep tracheae and human bronchi mounted in Ussing chambers under short circuit conditions, the sodium current can be isolated by pretreating tissues with acetazolamide (100 microM) to inhibit bicarbonate secretion, bumetanide (100 microM) to inhibit chloride secretion and phloridzin (200 microM) to inhibit sodium-glucose cotransport. This sodium current consists of amiloride-sensitive (57%) and amiloride-insensitive (43%) components. 3. The regulation of the isolated sodium current by three second messenger pathways was studied using the calcium ionophore A23187 to elevate intracellular calcium, a combination of forskolin and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor zardaverine to elevate intracellular cyclic AMP, and the phorbol ester 12,13-phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) to stimulate protein kinase C. 4. In sheep trachea, A23187 produces a dose-related inhibition of the sodium current with maximal effect (38% of ISC) at 10 microM and IC50 1 microM. This response affects both the amiloride-sensitive and insensitive components of the sodium current and is not altered by prior stimulation of protein kinase C or elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP. In human bronchi, A23187 (10 microM) produced a significantly greater inhibition of ISC (68%), a response which was unaffected by prior treatment with PDB or forskolin-zardaverine. 5. In sheep trachea, stimulation of protein kinase C with PDB produced a dose-related inhibition of ISC maximal (56% of ISC) at 50 nM (IC50 7 nM). This response was abolished by amiloride (100 microM) pretreatment suggesting a selective effect on the amiloride-sensitive component of the sodium current. The response was not altered by prior elevation of intracellular calcium or cyclic AMP. PDB (10 nM) caused a similar inhibition of ISC in human bronchi (43%). The effect of PKC stimulation following pretreatment with A23187 was diminished in human bronchi. Elevating intracellular cyclic AMP did not alter this response. 6. Addition of forskolin (1 microM) together with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor zardaverine (100 microM) produced a mean 35-fold increase in intracellular cyclic AMP in sheep trachea. This was associated with a small, but significant, 6% transient increase in ISC followed by a significant 4% fall. Neither effect could be abolished by amiloride pretreatment. In human bronchi, a small decrease in ISC which could not be distinguished from that occurring in controls was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Cross-species fostering: effects on the olfactory preference of Onychomys torridus and Peromyscus leucopus.

Litters of southern grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were reared by the natural parents or were reciprocally cross-fostered to parents of the opposite species. After weaning, mice were allowed a choice between the soiled beddings of Onychomys and Peromyscus adults of the opposite sex. Compared to controls, cross-fostered mice of both species displayed decreased preferences for homospecific odors. Cross-fostered Peromyscus males actually switched species preferences to Onychomys odors.
Soil microbial biomass, activity and potential nitrogen mineralization in a pasture: Impact of stock camping activity

Grazing animals recycle a large fraction of ingested C and N within a pasture ecosystem, but the redistribution of C and N via animal excreta is often heterogeneous, being highest in stock camping areas, i.e., near shade and watering sources. This non-uniform distribution of animal excreta may modify soil physical and chemical attributes, and likely affect microbial community eco-physiology and soil N cycling. We determined microbial population size, activity, N mineralization, and nitrification in areas of a pasture with different intensity of animal excretal deposits (i.e., stock camping, open grazing and non-grazing areas). The pasture was cropped with coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) and subjected to grazing by cattle for 4 y. Soil microbial biomass, activity and N transformations were significantly higher at 0–5 cm than at 5–15 cm soil depth, and the impacts of heterogeneous distribution of animal excreta were more pronounced in the uppermost soil layer. Microbial biomass, activity and potential net N mineralization were greater in stock camping areas and were significantly correlated (r2≈0.50, P<0.05) with the associated changes in total soil C and N. However, gross N mineralization and nitrification potential tended to be lower in stock camping areas than in the open grazing areas. The lower gross N mineralization, combined with greater net N mineralization in stock camping areas, implied that microbial N immobilization was lower in those areas than in the other areas. This negative association between microbial N immobilization and soil C is inconsistent with a bulk of publications showing that microbial N immobilization was positively related to the amount of soil C. We hypothesized that the negative correlation was due to microbial direct utilization of soluble organic N and/or changes in microbial community composition towards active fungi dominance in stock camping areas.
Learning For and From the Field: The Experience of Being a Research Interviewer.

This article provides a narrative on the experience of being a research interviewer on a federally-funded state-wide study of group homes for youth. Despite the centrality of interviewers for much of the research on a wide range of children's services, very little attention has been given to how interviewers experience this role and what supports they need to enact it effectively. The article discusses various aspects of the interviewer job, discusses management and supervisory approaches that support interviewers, and provides lessons learned and anecdotes to illustrate key points. An introduction and concluding thoughts by the study's Principal Investigator provide an overview and potentially relevant lessons for the broader research field.
Dry sliding wear of magnetron sputtered TiN/CrN superlattice coatings

Abstract TiN/CrN superlattices, consisting of alternating nanometer-scale TiN and CrN layers, were deposited by the reactive magnetron sputtering technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, pin-on-disc testing and SEM/EDS analysis. The hardness of the superlattices first increases rapidly with decreasing bilayer period Λ, followed by a continuous decrease, giving rise to a maximum at Λ≈10 nm. Higher hardness corresponds to larger H 3 / E * 2 ratio, which is an indication of higher plastic deformation resistance. The coefficients of friction of the superlattices against WC–Co counterpart are in the range of 0.75–0.95, lower than those for a commercial TiN hard coating (1.0–1.20). The TiN/CrN coatings slid against WC–Co pins exhibit much higher wear resistance than TiN and the wear rate decreases with an increase in hardness, with the highest hardness ( H =35.4 GPa) corresponding to a wear rate less than 9% of the wear rate of a TiN coating. When superlattices act as a disc counter-face, the loose wear debris generated during dry sliding comprises a mixture of heavily oxidized pin and coating materials. A W-rich patchy-like tribo-layer is present on the wear track, indicating the occurrence of materials transfer during the sliding process.
The Toxicology of an Aniline-Furfuryl Alcohol-Hydrazine Vapor Mixture

(1958). The Toxicology of an Aniline-Furfuryl Alcohol-Hydrazine Vapor Mixture. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 91-100.
The critical role of adrenomedullin and its binding protein, AMBP-1, in neuroprotection

Chronic neurodegenerative disorders and acute injuries of the central nervous system exert a prohibitive economic burden, which is aggravated by an unmet medical need for the development of effective neurotherapeutics. The evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide, adrenomedullin (AM), and its binding protein, AMBP-1, also known as complement factor H, play important roles in brain physiology, and their expression is altered in brain pathology. In this review, we discuss the molecular regulation of AM and AMBP-1 and the pivotal roles they play in neuroprotection following brain injury. We assess the reciprocal synergistic effects of AM and AMBP-1 and make suggestions for the design of a novel combination neurotherapy devoid of the potential hypotensive effects of AM while optimizing its neuroprotective property.
EXACT DISTRIBUTIONS OF INTRACLASS CORRELATION AND CRONBACH'S ALPHA WITH GAUSSIAN DATA AND GENERAL COVARIANCE.

Intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha are widely used to describe reliability of tests and measurements. Even with Gaussian data, exact distributions are known only for compound symmetric covariance (equal variances and equal correlations). Recently, large sample Gaussian approximations were derived for the distribution functions. New exact results allow calculating the exact distribution function and other properties of intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha, for Gaussian data with any covariance pattern, not just compound symmetry. Probabilities are computed in terms of the distribution function of a weighted sum of independent chi-square random variables. NewF approximations for the distribution functions of intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha are much simpler and faster to compute than the exact forms. Assuming the covariance matrix is known, the approximations typically provide sufficient accuracy, even with as few as ten observations. Either the exact or approximate distributions may be used to create confidence intervals around an estimate of reliability. Monte Carlo simulations led to a number of conclusions. Correctly assuming that the covariance matrix is compound symmetric leads to accurate confidence intervals, as was expected from previously known results. However, assuming and estimating a general covariance matrix produces somewhat optimistically narrow confidence intervals with 10 observations. Increasing sample size to 100 gives essentially unbiased coverage. Incorrectly assuming compound symmetry leads to pessimistically large confidence intervals, with pessimism increasing with sample size. In contrast, incorrectly assuming general covariance introduces only a modest optimistic bias in small samples. Hence the new methods seem preferable for creating confidence intervals, except when compound symmetry definitely holds.
Musical ambition, cultural accreditation and the nasty side of progressive rock

Progressive rock of the early 1970s has been demonised as a nadir in the history of rock primarily because of the ambitions of progressive rock musicians. Critics have interpreted these ambitions as attempts to elevate rock music to the level of high art in order to gain cultural accreditation from an unspecified cultural elite. This interpretation is further compounded by the common notion that progressive rock’s subject matter is dominated more by individualistic quests for spirituality than by socio-political critique, resulting in a stereotype of progressive rock as apolitical, pretentious and conventionally upwardly mobile. Critics who have propagated this stereotype – including some musicologists – have misunderstood the countercultural politics of young musicians during this era and have overlooked the highly developed musical poetics of progressive rock that were in fact highly politicised. This paper examines four of the leading progressive rock bands of the early 1970s – Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Genesis and Yes – and reveals the nasty side of progressive rock: a scathing criticism of rampant militarism and social conformity that runs counter to the prevailing narrative in which the genre is dismissed as an escapist fantasy with an elitist agenda.
A Review of: “THE THEORY OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT” By Ezra Solomon Columbia University Press 1963 170 p. $3.75

(1964). A Review of: “THE THEORY OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT” By Ezra Solomon Columbia University Press 1963 170 p. $3.75. The Engineering Economist: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 25-45.
Experimental observations of thermal spikes in microwave processing of ceramic oxide fibers

Microwave heating of alumina/silica fiber tows in a single-mode microwave cavity at 2.45 GHz has produced a surprising thermal spike behavior on the fiber bundles. During a thermal spike, a “hot spot” on the tow brightens rapidly, persists for a few seconds, and then rapidly extinguishes. A hot spot can encompass the entire tow in the cavity or just a localized portion of the tow. Some local hot spots propagate along the fiber. Thermal spikes are triggered by relatively small (<15%) increases in power, thus having obvious implications for the development of practical microwave fiber processing systems. A tow can be heated through several successive thermal spikes, after which the tow is left substantially cooler than it was originally, although the applied microwave electric field is much larger. X-ray diffraction studies show that after each temperature spike there is a partial phase transformation of the tow material into mullite. After several excursions the tow has been largely transformed to the new, less lossy phase and is more difficult to heat. Heating experiments with Nextel 550 tows are examined for a plausible explanation of this microwave heating behavior.
Evaluating the GMR-Limiting Dome Height Test as a new measure of press formability near plane strain

A number of tests have been proposed as predictors of press shop formability. The most common of these are the Olsen cup, tensile, and hardness tests. However, none of these tests are very successful. Recently, A.K. Ghosh proposed the Limiting Dome Height test (LDH) to predict formability since this test modifies specimens to produce the same strain state at failure as found in a particular stamping. This report describes a correlation study in which specimens were collected from lots of steel and aluminum which exhibited either good or bad press performance in automotive stampings. The failure mode, in all cases, was splitting which initiated within ± 2 pct of plane strain. These specimens were evaluated by the LDH, Olsen, and tensile tests and compared to the actual press performance. Only the LDH test adequately separated the acceptable sheets from the bad.
Healing the Attachment Injury of Marital Infidelity Using Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: A Case Illustration

This case illustration is a demonstration of a therapist handling the betrayal of infidelity through the application of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), specifically utilizing the attachment injury resolution model. An actual dialogue from a key couples session is included as it applies to the model, providing clinicians with an example for how EFT can be applied to the common clinical occurrence of infidelity.
An experimental study of the equation of state of liquid mixtures of neon + normal hydrogen

Molar volumes of liquid mixtures of neon and normal hydrogen have been measured over the temperature range 25 to 31 K, and at pressures up to 34 atm. The experimental results have been used to derive the following properties: isothermal compressibility; heat capacity ratio ( C p / C v ); excess volume; and liquid density in the two-liquid region. Significant departures from ideal-mixing behavior are observed.
Stochastically induced climate shift of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation

Observational studies indicate that the characteristics of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the 1980s are noticeably different from those during the 1960s and 1970s. Here, we provide modeling evidence that stochastic processes can not only produce a shift in the persistence of sea-surface temperature (SST) but also causes changes in the predictability of ENSO. Based on this result, we suggest that climate shifts of ENSO, such as that occurred around 1976, could be induced by stochastic processes. Therefore, the stochastic mechanism should be taken as a null hypothesis for climate shifts against which competing mechanisms must be compared.
Human resources as a strategic partner: Sitting at the table with Six Sigma

For nearly three decades, the quality management philosophy known as Six Sigma has brought competitive advantage to organizations implementing it. The typical approach, however, has been to have leaders from operations, engineering, quality, and marketing manage this strategic initiative. Human resource's role has been to default to the administrative tasks of organizing the required training, keeping records, and assisting in the selection of candidates for the program. Yet for the past two decades human resources has also been struggling to gain a seat at the executive table. This paper gives an overview of Six Sigma and shares insights on how human resources is a natural fit to lead a breakthrough change initiative as strategically focused as Six Sigma in small and midsize organizations. By so doing, HR can be assured value-added status.
The IPO phenomenon in the 1990s

Abstract Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) were the most prevalent form of securities issued to raise capital by firms wanting to go public during the last decade (1990–2000) in the United States. The IPO phenomenon got a tremendous boost during the late 1990s by the popularity of the Internet stocks. In the so-called ‘bubble period’ of 1998–1999, hardly a week went by when one or two IPOs, particularly of the Internet variety, did not appear in the capital market. In this paper we have analyzed the IPO phenomenon during 1990–1995 and during 1996–1999. We have also focused on Internet bubble during 1998–1999, and the IPO meltdown after March 2002. We have found that not all IPOs performed well in 1999, the majority of the 25 IPOs that had the highest first-day gains over 200% in 1999 had also a poor performance record during 2001–2002. As the IPOs issued now are few in number, we may not see the kind of ‘irrational exuberance’ as we witnessed in the late 1990s, for the foreseeable future in the United States.
Between hype and hope: whole-genome sequencing in clinical medicine

The promise of genomic & personalized medicine Ultra-high-throughput sequencing (UHTS) has profoundly impacted medical research because of its ability to accelerate the pace of targeted resequencing of genomic subsets [1,2]. Many genes can now be investigated simultaneously, and entire genomes (including tumor genomes) [3,4] can be sequenced rapidly and efficiently. UHTS has detected mutations associated with inherited and acquired genetic diseases, explored microbial diversity, sequenced the transcriptome, characterized DNA-binding proteins and analyzed chromatin [5]. The cost of UHTS is dropping so fast that we can now envision affordable comprehensive genotyping-guiding medical care, as well as lifestyle and reproductive decisions. Medical applications of UHTS promise to reduce morbidity and mortality, and to optimize quality of life, by enabling more proactive healthcare – basically, adding genomeguided ‘predict and prevent’ approaches to the existing ‘diagnose and treat’ model of clinical medicine [6]. In clinical diagnostic applications, UHTS will probably become a ‘disruptive’ technology; not simply adding to the spectrum of molecular healthcare tools but rather replacing traditional approaches [7]. Indeed, forms of ‘whole-genome ana lysis’ already are available as commercial direct-to-consumer testing; with DNA samples being submitted for purposes ranging from recreational (e.g., “Am I related to Genghis Khan?”) to medical, including the exploration of traits, disease associations, paternity and ancestry [7,8]. Genome analyses, however, will soon enter the sphere of physiciandirected diagnostic medicine as well, and this will affect patients and healthcare providers, diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies, payers, regulators and policy-makers. Clinical diagnostic laboratories will soon adopt UHTS technology for applications that are short of full genome sequencing, yet transform their current capabilities. For example, targeted UHTS sequencing enables pharmacogenetic correlations (to support individually tailored treatment) and inherited conditions will be investigated by full sequencing of exons, introns and promoter regions of one or hundreds of genes simultaneously. UHTS of will also permit comprehensive evaluation for aneuploidy and other structural variations, as well as detection of epigenetic events correlated with diseases and complex traits. Cancers could potentially be prevented, detected early, fully characterized, monitored and more optimally treated. Infectious disease testing could be revolutionized by the introduction of metagenomics to patient diagnosis [9]. When this becomes reality, medicine will experience a paradigm shift.
Board level solder joint assembly and reliability for ultra thin BGA packages

Miniaturization of electronic components driven by “thin and light” products in portable and consumer electronics has lead to thinner and smaller Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages. Surface Mount (SMT) processes for these smaller and thinner packages present significant challenges, and the reduced Z-height requirements were met with improved process solutions. This study is focused on two technology options: (a) Solder Grid Array (SGA) and (b) Coreless packaging. Dynamic warpage and thermo mechanical analysis have significant impact on board level reliability from these technology options. Board level reliability tests indicates the SGA cored packages show lower temperature cycle performance compared to BGA cored packages due to the reduced solder joint height under fatigue loading. Shock tests are comparable for both BGA and SGA cored packages. Coreless BGA packages show significantly better reliability performance compared to the equivalent conventional cored BGA packages.
Compliant Tower Response Prediction Procedures

Analytical procedures for computing the response of compliant towers are compared to field and laboratory data. These procedures differ in the calculation of both wave kinematics and forces, leading to significant differences in predicted response for a drag dominated compliant tower. The data used for these comparisons include kinematics measurements on the Fulmar and Odin platforms, laboratory forces on a cylindrical pipe, and the measured response of the Lena guyed towed. Results indicate that wave-induced kinematics and compliant tower response are predicted with reasonable accuracy using a 2-D, fully stretched linear wave theory. The predictions are, in fact, conservative due to several factors, including the potential overprediction of the low frequency response and the exclusion of wave spreading and member shielding.
Supplemental insurance and mortality in elderly Americans. Findings from a national cohort.

CONTEXT As the burden of out-of-pocket health care expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries has grown, the need to assess the relationship between uncovered costs and health outcomes has become more pressing. OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between risk for out-of-pocket expenditures and mortality in elderly persons with private supplemental insurance. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using proportional hazards survival analyses to assess mortality as a function of health insurance, adjusting for sociodemographic, access, and case mix-health status measures. SETTING The 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, a representative cohort of the US civilian population, linked to the National Death Index. PARTICIPANTS A total of 3751 persons aged 65 years and older. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Five-year mortality rate. RESULTS After 5 years, 18.5% of persons at low risk for out-of-pocket expenditures, 22.5% of those at intermediate risk, and 22.6% of those at high risk had died. After multivariate adjustment, a significant linear trend (P = .02) toward increasing mortality with increasing risk category was observed. Compared with the low-risk group, persons in the intermediate-risk group had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.6), whereas those in the high-risk group had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.9). CONCLUSIONS Increasing risk for out-of-pocket costs is associated with higher subsequent mortality among elderly Americans with supplemental private coverage. Although research is needed to identify which specific components of out-of-pocket expenditures are adversely associated with health outcomes, findings support policies to decrease out-of-pocket health care expenditures to reduce the risk for premature mortality in elderly Americans.
The influence of surface chemistry on GSR particles: using XPS to complement SEM/EDS analytical techniques

Gunshot residue particles (GSR) were examined using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to illustrate the size, shape, morphology, and elemental composition normally observed in particulate resulting from a discharged firearm. Determining the presence of lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), and barium (Ba), barring other elemental tags, fused together in a single particle with the correct morphology, is all that is required for the positive identification of GSR. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), however, can reveal more detailed information on surface chemistry than SEM/EDS. XPS is a highly surface-sensitive (≤ ~10 nm), non-destructive, analytical technique that provides qualitative information for all elements except hydrogen and helium. Nanometer-scale sampling depth and its ability to provide unique chemical state information make XPS a potential technique for providing important knowledge on the surface chemistry of GSR that complements results obtained from SEM/EDS analysis.
Dysphagi in Huntington's disease: A 16-year retrospective

Degenerative diseases of the basal ganglia are commonly complicated by dysphagia. In 35 patients with Huntington's disease (HD), a hereditary neurodegenerative basal ganglia disease characterized by chorea, dementia, and emotional changes, an extensive battery of clinical and radiologic procedures helped to identify numerous abnormalities of deglutition. The results permitted the classification of our patients with HD into hyperkinetic (HD-h) or rigid-bradykinetic (HD-rb) groups. Although the two groups share multiple abnormalities, statistically significant intergroup differences were observed. Clincial assessmen of the HD-h cohort (30 patients) demonstrated rapid lingual chorea, swallow incoordination repetitive swallows, prolonged laryngeal elevation, inability to stop respiration and frequent eructations. In the HD-rb group (five patients), frequently observed abnormalities included mandibular rigidity, slow lingual chorea, coughing on foods, and choking on liquids. Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) using a variety of barium-impregnated, foods and liquids confirmed the abnormalities noted on the clinical assessment. Respiratory and laryngeal chorea, pharyngeal space retention, and aspiration were also identified. Numerous compensatory techniques introduced during videofluoroscopy benefited all patients.