cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The die-to-die calibrated combined model of negative bias temperature instability and gate oxide breakdown from device to system

Abstract In the nanoscale regime, the aggressive scaling of devices is affected by several severe reliability issues, including negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and gate oxide breakdown (GOBD). Generally, the mathematical models of NBTI and GOBD are derived from device level test structures with accelerated tests. However, although both models are highly dependent on temperature and the gate voltage and both mechanisms are based on the probability of trap generation in the oxide layer, each model has a different impact on circuit performances. In this paper, we use a physical probability model of trap generation for both mechanisms. We first simulate the impact on circuits using process models involving threshold voltage shifts and gate oxide leakage currents for NBTI and GOBD, respectively. Then, we find a relationship between the model parameters and power/ground signal degradation. We find the stress conditions that make each of the two mechanisms dominant in the power/ground signal. We calibrate the NBTI and GOBD model parameters of each chip to experimental results. Hence, it becomes possible to identify chips that are more or less vulnerable to NBTI and GOBD.
Genetic Variation for Achene Traits in Cup Plant ( Silphium perfoliatum L.)

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) has demonstrated potential for biomass production in studies using transplants in poorly drained cropland not suitable for conventional crops, but little is known about its establishment from seeding. The success rate for stand establishment of perennial plants is usually positively correlated with seed weight. Therefore, objectives of this study were to determine contribution of genetic effects to variation in achene weight, seed weight, achene length, and achene width of cup plant in a population with high biomass potential. Seedlings of 33 half-sib (HS) families were transplanted at Brookings, SD in 1999 and 2010. Achene/seed traits were determined at seed maturity in 2000, 2011 and 2012. Narrow-sense heritability was higher for achene weight and seed weight than that for dimensional achene traits. Within-population genetic variation occurred for achene and seed weight, both of which varied in response to temporal variation in precipitation and temperature. Results of this study indicated the presence of sufficient additive genetic variation for progress from among-family selection for achene weight. Thus, since families with heavy achenes had higher percent seedling emergence and superior seedling vigor compared to families with light achenes, achene weight may be useful for indirect selection for enhanced seed quality in development of new cultivars of cup plant for biomass production on marginal crop land.
The Fatal Temptation of the Image: Specular Fascination in Tournier's Le Roi des aulnes

In the closing chapters of his latest novel La Goutte d'or, published in 1985, the contemporary French fiction writer and essayist Michel Tournier offers his most elaborate description of the image as seemingly natural representation and analyzes in detail the way it functions in relation to symbolic signs based on differences. The young Berber protagonist Idriss is besieged by a proliferation of images from the moment a blond tourist snaps his photo in his native North-African desert, triggering the Odyssey which eventually leads him to the crowded streets of Paris's Arab quarter. Overwhelmed by encounters with individuals who seek to appropriate and exploit his likeness, Idriss eventually meets the master calligraphier Abd Al Ghafari, who helps him understand why images can be at once so alluring and so potentially dangerous. As part of the initiation process, Ghafari recounts the enigmatic tale of "La Reine blonde," whose portrait hypnotized all those who gazed upon it, explaining that "One of the secrets of the force of the face comes from its specular form. Because it seems to be composed of two identical halves." He further stresses that an image, whether in the form of effigy, idol, or photograph, is always retrospective, "a mirror turned toward the past" (G 234), and concludes his commentary with the warning that "there is no purer image than the funeral profile, the death mask, the cover of a sarcophagus" (G 235). It immobilizes one's attention at the most infantile level of specular fascination and inspires one to seek refuge from the ongoing movement of life in nostalgia for an elemental union with a dead past (G 235).
Leaving Prostitution: Getting Out and Staying Out of Sex Work

The benefit of reading this highly engaging book became immediately apparent when a news report began to circulate about an army sergeant assigned to the sexual assault and harassment prevention pr...
Progesterone-binding Proteins of the Rat and Rabbit Uterus

Abstract Incubation of tritiated progesterone with rat or rabbit uterine cytosols resulted in the formation of macromolecular complexes having sedimentation coefficients between 6 and 8 S. The occurrence of this binding molecule, which appears to be a protein, was dependent upon the presence of in vivo estrogen.
NGC 3200: Is This What Our Galaxy is Like?

Systematic dynamical properties of Sa, Sb, and Sc field galaxies are presented. The rotational properties of the Sb(r)I galaxy NGC 3200 suggest that it resembles our Galaxy. It is concluded that the general dynamical properties of our Galaxy are not yet sufficiently well known to place it accurately in the sequence of external galaxies.
A Hierarchy of Languages with Infinitely Long Expressions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hierarchy of languages with infinitely long expressions. Many authors have defined notions of formulas with constructive infinitely long expressions and established some relations between such formulas and the predicates belonging to Kleene's analytic hierarchy. The chapter explores a hierarchy of subsystems of Lω 1 ω 1 by extending the restriction recursive in the formation rules of formulas with constructive infinitely long expressions to definable in the previous system and studies ordinals definable in the hierarchy. The chapter discusses the main theorem, which states that every formula with rank has a Godel number and that there are only Godel numbers, the hierarchy cannot go all the way up to Ω ; however, it does not seem to stop very easily. The chapter explains that any ordinal α , definable in terms of Kleene's function quantifiers, is definable at level 0.
On estimating Lyα forest correlations between multiple sightlines

The next frontier of Lyα forest studies is the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) correlations from a dense sample of background sources. The measurement of 3D correlations has the potential to improve constraints on fundamental cosmological parameters, ionizing background models and the re-ionization history. This study addresses the sensitivity of spectroscopic surveys to 3D correlations in the Lyα forest. We show that the sensitivity of a survey to this signal can be quantified by just a single number, a noise-weighted number density of sources on the sky. We investigate how the sensitivity of a spectroscopic quasar (or galaxy) survey scales as a function of its depth, area and redshift. We propose a simple method for weighting sightlines with varying signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) levels to estimate the correlation function, and we show that this estimator generally performs nearly as well as the minimum-variance quadratic estimator. In addition, we show that the sensitivity of a quasar survey to the flux correlation function is generally maximized if it observes each field just long enough to achieve S/N ≈ 2 in a 1-A pixel on an L* quasar while acquiring spectra for all quasars with L > L*: little is gained by integrating longer on the same targets or by including fainter quasars. We quantify how these considerations relate to constraints on the angular diameter distance, the curvature of space–time and the re-ionization history.
Rat-bite fever: An uncommon cause of fever and rash in a 9-year-old patient.

Rat-bite fever (RBF) is most commonly caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis and is usually transmitted by a bite or close contact from a colonized rat. Less often, RBF may be transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food or water.1, 2 The disease is characterized by relapsing fever, migratory polyarthritis, and a rash that often involves the extremities, including the palms and soles.3, 4 The diagnosis of RBF is challenging, as clinical and laboratory findings are nonspecific. We report a case of a 9-year-old girl presenting with intermittent fever and nonspecific symptoms who was ultimately diagnosed with RBF via a novel method.
Effect of ethnicity on reference intervals.

The clinical chemist desiring to set up appropriate reference intervals must consider race or ethnicity as a possible factor on which to subdivide an interval. The effect of ethnicity on various analyte values has not been systematically studied (1)(2). The advent of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (3) has made it possible to determine the effect of ethnicity on reference interval estimation and whether separate reference intervals should be derived for each ethnic group. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) contains data for 33 994 persons ages 2 months and older who participated in the survey. Clinical chemistry measurements were made on several analytes, and health status was determined by a physician. In this report, we will use only individuals with the “Excellent”rating of health status as recommended by the IFCC (4) and NCCLS (5). The issue of whether to use separate reference intervals has been addressed by Harris and Boyd (6). Their recommendation, which is used by the NCCLS (5), is that two groups should be combined into a single group unless their means and/or SDs exceed appropriate predetermined thresholds. By treating the known healthy individuals as a “gold standard”, the effect of the addition of ethnicity on these estimators will be examined. We used a previously described outlier detection scheme (7) to reduce the effect of atypical observations on these estimators. The NHANES population was obtained from NHANES 3x Ver. 1.21 (3). The data are the result of a complex survey design involving stratification and clustering that yielded individual weights for each observation. However, for our purposes in this report, we will treat the individuals as coming from a random sample, i.e., individual weights …
Female Drug Offenders: HIV-Related Risk Behavior, Self-Perceptions and Public Health Implications:

One-third of women entering U.S. prisons between 1986 and 1991 were drug offenders (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1993). In turn, between 1991 and 1995, the number of HIV-positive prisoners grew at about the same rate (38%) as the overall prison population (36%) (BJS 1997). This paper describes 188 drug-offending females upon admission to a state prison, with an emphasis on their self-reported HIV-related behavioral histories. We analyze the self-reported health histories, drug and sexual high-risk behaviors, and self-perceptions of risk of these women. We also examine their attitudes toward drugs and alcohol as a personal problem and toward treatment, as compared to property and violent offenders.We find that drug-offending females have histories of multiple HIV/AIDS-related risk behaviors, yet perceive their HIV infection risk as low. Unlike women incarcerated for property or violent offenses, a significant propor tion of drug offenders with personal drug and alcohol problems is interested in participati...
History, Status, and Conservation of Georgia Crayfishes

Abstract Georgia has historically had one of the best-known crayfish faunas in the United States, mainly due to the work of Dr. Horton H. Hobbs, Jr. In The Crayfishes of Georgia, published in 1981, Hobbs recognized 66 species and subspecies from the state, including 1 species that he hypothesized to be extinct, Procambarus (Ortmannicus) angustatus (Sandhills Crayfish). Herein I document 68 extant native species and subspecies, 1 extinct species, and 3 non-native species. Of the 68 extant native taxa, 17 (25%) are endemic to Georgia. A recent evaluation of the conservation status of United States crayfishes suggests that 6 Georgia species are endangered, 10 threatened, 7 vulnerable, and 1 extinct. The state of Georgia currently lists 7 species as endangered, 10 threatened, and 3 rare and has instituted new rules to protect crayfishes from export for the pet trade, while still permitting collection of some species for bait. Taxonomic studies continue on Georgia crayfishes, with at least 2 forms being examin...
Higher-order hierarchical basis functions with improved orthogonality properties for moment-method modeling of metallic and dielectric microwave structures

Three classes of higher-order hierarchical basis functions, constructed from standard orthogonal polynomials, are proposed and evaluated for the modeling of combined metallic and dielectric microwave structures. The reduction of the condition number of moment-method matrices is several orders of magnitude, as compared to the technique using regular polynomial basis functions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 37: 83–88, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10831
Iron-only hydrogenase mimics. Thermodynamic aspects of the use of electrochemistry to evaluate catalytic efficiency for hydrogen generation.

Voltammetry is widely used for the evaluation of iron-only hydrogenase mimics and other potential catalysts for hydrogen generation using various dipolar aprotic solvents. Effective catalysts show enhanced current in the presence of a proton donor at the potential where the catalyst is reduced. To facilitate the comparison of catalytic efficiencies, this paper provides a simple means of calculating the standard potential for reduction of the acid, HA, according to the half reaction 2HA + 2e- ⇌ H2 + 2A-. This standard potential depends on the pKa of HA in the solvent being used. It is thermodynamically impossible for reduction of HA to occur at less negative potentials than the standard potential, and the most effective catalysts will operate at potentials as close as possible to the standard potential. In addition, direct reduction of HA at the electrode will compete with the catalyzed reduction, thus complicating evaluation of the rate of the catalyzed reaction. Glassy carbon electrodes, commonly used in...
Statistical Gate Level Simulation via Voltage Controlled Current Source Models

Current source based gate models achieve orders of magnitude of improved accuracy than the previous voltage source and effective load capacitance based gate models. Increasingly significant variability in DSM and nanometer scale VLSI designs calls for statistical analysis and optimization. In this paper, we propose a more efficient statistical gate level simulation method than Monte Carlo simulation based on current source based gate models. We represent a variational voltage waveform of any shape by a time domain statistical variable, and compute variational gate output voltage waveform by time domain integration of statistical variables which takes into account input voltage waveform variation and process variations with their correlations. Our experiments show that our statistical gate level simulation achieves over 20times efficiency improvement with an average of 4.1%(22.3%) accuracy loss for the means (standard deviations) of gate delay compared with 1000times Monte Carlo simulation based on current source based gate models
Pentecostals and the Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism: The Anatomy of an Uneasy Relationship

My aim in this article is to describe how some, predominantly white Pentecostal groups have tried to wed a Pentecostal ecclesiology to a dispensational eschatology. I am concerned to describe the attempt by Pentecostals to find acceptance and legitimation from the dispensationalist-fundamentalist movement. I hope to show both that Pentecostals were not originally dispensationalist-fundamentalists and that the efforts secondarily to embrace such views have raised new problems for the identity of Pentecostals-hermeneutically, sociologically, and politically. My procedure will be, first, to show that the earliest Pentecostal views were not united in agreement with the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture; second, to illustrate that later Pentecostal dispensationalist defenses for a pre-tribulation rapture were inconsistent about applying the same principles to their ecclesiology; and, third, to demonstrate that dispensational eschatological views eventually raise problems even for the most basic Pentecostal understanding of Acts 2. Though much of what I present applies generally to other denominations, I have concentrated my critique on the Assemblies of God. My purpose is not to single out the Assemblies of God, but to choose a denomination whose literature is easily accessible to me and one which very early assumed a strict dispensational eschatology. Before attempting this analysis a few words must be said about the nature of dispensationalist-fundamentalism.
Responsiveness of the TAWC tool for assessing wheelchair discomfort

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to determine the clinical usefulness of the Tool for Assessing Wheelchair disComfort (TAWC) by examining floor and ceiling effects and responsiveness when used with two groups of wheelchair users – one known to have experienced real changes in discomfort levels and the other with unchanged levels.Method. In a retrospective analysis of data from two previous studies, change scores were compared across two groups of subjects – one stable group (NON-CHANGERS) and one experiencing a seating intervention (CHANGERS) intended to decreased seating discomfort.Results. No significant floor or ceiling effects were found. The average General Discomfort Score (GDS) change among the NON-CHANGERS was 2.0 (with a possible score range of 13 – 91) and average Discomfort Intensity Score (DIS) change was 1.8 (with a possible score range of 8 – 99) for the same group. Conversely, average GDS change among the CHANGERS was 8.7 and the average DIS change was 7.7. Additionally, both score...
Kinetic Significance of the Schiff Base Reversion in the Early-Stage Maillard Reaction of a Phenylalanine−Glucose Aqueous Model System

The kinetic constants (k) and activation energy (Ea) for the formation (k1, Ea1) and reversion (k-1, Ea-1) of the Schiff base complex and for the Amadori rearrangement (k2, Ea2) of the Maillard reaction were determined in a phenylalanine−glucose system to elucidate its early-stage mechanism. The k-1 and k2 were 103 times greater than the k1, indicating the Schiff base formation, but not the Amadori rearrangement, was the rate-limiting step of the reaction. The Ea2 (8.01 × 104 kcal/mol) was slightly greater than the Ea1 (6.52 × 104 kcal/mol) and the Ea-1 (7.49 × 104 kcal/mol), revealing that the Amadori rearrangement was more sensitive to temperature changes and was more favorable at higher temperatures. These suggested that the chemical nature of the reactants, determined by their structures and pH condition, is more important to control the reaction. These results were also supported by the pH and temperature profiles of the Amadori compound formation. Keywords: Maillard reaction; kinetics; Amadori compo...
Beta‐thromboglobulin and platelet‐factor 4 in patients with cancer: Correlation with the stage of disease and the effect of chemotherapy

Plasma level of beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4), two platelet-specific proteins, were measured in 20 patients with cancer. None of the patients had evidence of thromboembolism or impaired renal function, and none was taking drugs known to interfere with platelet function. In ten patients who were in complete remission or whose disease was thought to be inactive, the levels of both proteins were essentially within normal limits. The other ten patients had active or progressive symptomatic disease. BTG level was elevated in all but one patient, and PF4 was raised in two patients. These results suggest that in patients with clinically active cancer, a state of ongoing in vivo platelet activation may be present, a phenomenon which may contribute to the known increased occurrence of thromboembolism in patients with malignancy. The intravenous administration of various cytotoxic drugs used in cancer chemotherapy produced no immediate measurable changes in BTG and PF4 level.
Relationship of melanin degradation products to actual melanin content: application to human hair.

Abstract Methods not only for characterizing but also for quantitating melanin subtypes from the two types of melanin found in hair—eumelanin and pheomelanin—have been established. In relation to testing for drugs of abuse in hair, these methods will allow for correction of drug binding to specific melanin subtypes and will serve to improve drug measurement in hair. 5,6-Dihydroxyindole (DHI) and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) make up the majority of the eumelanin polymer while benzothiazene units derived from 2-cysteinyl- S -Dopa (2-CysDopa) and 5-cysteinyl- S -Dopa (5-CysDopa) compose the majority of the pheomelanin polymer. Our results show that: (1) pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) and pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA), markers for DHI and DHICA units, respectively, are produced in 0.37 and 4.8% yields, respectively, when melanins are subjected to alkaline hydrogen peroxide degradation, (2) 3-aminotyrosine (3AT) and 4-amino-3-hydroxyphenylalanine (AHP), markers for 2-CysDopa and 5-CysDopa, respectively, are produced in 16 and 23% yield, respectively, when subjected to hydriodic acid hydrolysis, and (3) that black human hair contains approximately 99% eumelanin and 1% pheomelanin, brown and blond hair contain 95% eumelanin and 5% pheomelanin; and red hair contains 67% eumelanin and 33% pheomelanin. These data will allow deeper investigation into the relationship between melanin composition and drug incorporation into hair.
Regression in Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Seizures and Epileptiform Electroencephalogram Correlates

Background. Approximately one third of the parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders or autistic spectrum disorders reports an early regression of unknown cause in their children9s language, sociability, and play. Seizures or an epileptiform electroencephalogram (EEG) are associated with language regression in acquired epileptic aphasia (Landau–Kleffner syndrome) and some other pediatric epileptic syndromes. The importance of epilepsy or epileptic EEGs as contributors to autistic regression is not known. Method. Subjects were 482 boys and 103 girls on the autistic spectrum seen consecutively in consultation by one child neurologist. Data on autistic regression, seizures, sleep EEGs, and cognitive function were entered prospectively into a data base. Results. Of the 585 children, 176 (30%) had a history of regression, and 66 children (11%) had a history of epilepsy, defined as two or more unprovoked seizures. Among 392 children with available sleep EEGs, the EEG was epileptiform in 59% of the 66 epileptic children and 8% of the 335 nonepileptic children. Regression had occurred equally among children without seizures and in those with epilepsy. Regression was associated with an epileptiform EEG in 14% of 155 nonepileptic children who had undergone a regression, as opposed to 6% of 364 children with neither regression nor epilepsy. Mean age at regression was 21 months. There was no difference in the proportion of children with epilepsy or epileptiform EEGs who had regressed before or after 2 years of age. Approximately half of the epileptiform discharges were centrotemporal, whether or not the child was epileptic or had regressed. Children with lower cognitive function were more likely to have undergone regression than those with better cognitive skills (34% vs 20%). Conclusion. Epilepsy or epileptiform EEGs occur in a significant minority of autistic children with a history of regression and in a smaller minority without regression. Prompt recognition of regression and recording of prolonged sleep EEGs is recommended, even though information on the potential efficacy of antiepileptic treatment to improve language and behavior in autistic children with epilepsy or an epileptiform EEG is still lacking.
Spatial properties of X and Y cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat and conduction velocities of their inputs

Visual neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the cat may be separated into distinct X and Y classes based on a test of the linearity of spatial summation. Y cells produce nonlinear responses especially when the visual stimulus is a fine spatial grating. X cells exhibit mainly linear summation properties. X cells respond mainly at the fundamental modulation frequency of a contrast reversal grating while Y cells respond at the fundamental and at the second harmonic of the modulation frequency. The spatial resolution of X cells' fundamental responses and Y cells' second harmonic responses is about the same, and both are two to eight times higher than the spatial resolution of the Y cells' fundamental response. The conduction velocity of the Y optic tract afferents is greater than that of the velocity of the X afferents. However, the LGN latencies of the responses of the two classes of cells to optic chiasm stimulation overlap considerably.
Human Immunity and the Design of Multi-Component, Single Target Vaccines

Background Inclusion of multiple immunogens to target a single organism is a strategy being pursued for many experimental vaccines, especially where it is difficult to generate a strongly protective response from a single immunogen. Although there are many human vaccines that contain multiple defined immunogens, in almost every case each component targets a different pathogen. As a consequence, there is little practical experience for deciding where the increased complexity of vaccines with multiple defined immunogens vaccines targeting single pathogens will be justifiable.
Gambling among adolescents.

Gambling onset during adolescence has been the subject of recent articles in the lay press. This study reports on the incidence of gambling in adolescents. There were 97 males (48.7%) and 102 females (51.3%) between the ages of 12 and 18 years. The mean age of the gamblers was 15.12 ± 1.83 (SEM), and of the nongamblers 14.36 ± 1.78. Eighty-three percent of the males and 61 % of the females reported gambling. Forty-four percent of those who gambled, but only 26% of the nongamblers, reported having at least one parent who gambled. Our study confirms the high incidence of gambling by teenagers. Of concern is the potential link between gambling and other risk-taking or addictive behaviors. Perhaps we should include gambling as part of our anticipatory guidance for adolescents.
A novel sample preparation technique for visualizing invisible defects embedded in poly gate

The use of nanoprobing techniques to accomplish transistor parametric data extraction has been widely reported as a method of failure analysis in nanometer scale science and technology. Certain failure mechanisms causing parametric transistor fails are, however, not always successfully identified, even using advanced imaging tools, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Therefore, additional techniques are needed that can reveal the physical root cause of the electrical defects. In this paper, an approach using dopant selective etching of samples for TEM is adopted to enable visualization of invisible defects embedded in the poly gate.
Clinical effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients with psychosis

The elderly represent a unique patient group in the sense that they have a high prevalence of psychotic symptoms that are a manifestation of a variety of psychiatric, neurological and organic disorders. Treatment is complicated by several factors including comorbid diagnoses (psychiatric and medical), polypharmacy, age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and high susceptibility to adverse events. Elderly patients require pharmacological interventions that are effective in reducing symptoms but also are well tolerated, improve everyday functioning, subjective well-being and treatment adherence and reduce family/carer burden. The ability of an antipsychotic to fulfil these requirements determines its clinical effectiveness. To date, few studies have investigated the clinical effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients. However, clear differences exist between the available agents, particularly with regard to tolerability profiles, which have a major impact on the clinical outcome of patients. Clinicians should select an agent that is not only effective in reducing psychotic symptoms but, more importantly, one that has a low incidence of adverse events, such as extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and neurocognitive problems, which are of concern in the elderly.
COMPARATIVE BUSINESS FAILURES OF FOREIGN-CONTROLLED FIRMS IN THE UNITED STATES

We explore the comparative business failures of foreign-owned or controlled firms and domestically owned firms. Original data are collected regarding foreign-controlled firms in the U.S. that filed for bankruptcy protection, were involuntarily liquidated or ceased operations mainly due to poor financial performance during the 1978-1988 period. Our results show that foreign-controlled firms fail less often than domestically owned firms. The patterns of foreign-controlled business failures and the impacts of entry modes, ownership types, and national culture on the failures of foreign-controlled firms are also examined.
Collective systematics in the mass 80 region.

The deformation of nuclei around A-italic--80 is found to vary systematically as a function of the product of the number of protons and neutrons (or holes) (N-italic/sub p/N/sub n/) in the shell extending from 28 to 50 particles. A similar result was reported previously for heavier even A-italic nuclei, but this is the first investigation of a region in which neutrons and protons fill the same major shell and the first application of the technique to odd A-italic nuclei. The systematic behavior is seen in both energy level spacings and electromagnetic quadrupole transition strengths and in both even-even and odd A-italic nuclei. These systematics hold for the measures of deformation not involving the positions of the 0/sup +/ states, which are strongly affected by the coexistence of weakly and strongly deformed shapes in some A-italic--80 nuclei. A rather surprising result is that the deformations of the odd-Z-italic--even-N-italic nuclei are substantially larger than those of the even-Z-italic--odd-N-italic nuclei.
The Application Of Order Statistic Filters In Detection Systems

In this paper the performance of a digital processor, referred to as the order statistic (OS) filter, is analyzed as a noncoherent processor in a detection system. The statistical description of the output of the OS filter is presented in terms of the filter parameters and the statistics of the input. The mathematical form of this description, for the case of independent and identically distributed inputs, is used to develop general input output relations of the filter. These relationships are used to indicate the critical factors that affect the performance of the OS filter, and a quantitative expression is presented to determine the rank of the OS filter necessary for optimal detection performance. It is shown that the OS filter with extreme ranks (minimum and maximum detectors) performs well in situations where a significant skewness difference exists between the different classes of input signals. As the skewness difference between the classes decreases, the performance of the OS filter with extreme ranks degrades, while the performance of the OS filter for intermediate ranks is robust over this change.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mechanics of Full Aperture Polishing Tools for Aspheres

We discuss issues related to mechanical optimization of full aperture polishing tools. We propose an approximate optimization of the tool/work contact pressure for given work surface profile (or error to be removed).
Uncertainty quantification in transcranial magnetic stimulation

In this study, a computational framework for statistically characterizing the region stimulated by TMS is presented. Specifically, given probability density functions (pdfs) of the above uncertain parameters, the framework computes the probability that a cortical region of interest is being stimulated and pdfs for the depth and volume of the stimulated region. To collect this information efficiently, the framework leverages a high dimensional model representation (HDMR) technique that generates parameterized surrogate models for the electric field near the stimulated region. Next, these surrogate models are used in lieu of a computationally expensive electromagnetic simulator while obtaining the statistics of the stimulated regions via traditional Monte-Carlo method. The HDMR technique generates the surrogate models using a series of iteratively constructed component functions. The component functions pertinent to the most strongly interacting uncertain parameters are approximated via a multi-element probabilistic collocation method (Yucel et al., Proc. IEEE Int. Symp. Antennas Propagat., 2012). The accuracy of proposed framework will be demonstrated through the statistical characterization of the stimulated region for commonly performed TMS procedures on concentric spheres and MRI-derived human head models.
Multiple circadian-regulated elements contribute to cycling period gene expression in Drosophila

A new regulatory element necessary for the correct temporal expression of the period (per) gene was identified by monitoring real-time per expression in living individual flies carrying two different period-luciferase transgenes. luciferase RNA driven from only the per promoter was not sufficient to replicate the normal pattern of per RNA cycling; however, a per-luc fusion RNA driven from a transgene containing additional per sequences cycled identically to endogenous per. The results indicate the existence of at least two circadian-regulated elements--one within the promoter and one within the transcribed portion of the per gene. Phase and amplitude analysis of both per-luc transgenes revealed that normal per expression requires the regulation of these elements at distinct phases and suggests a mechanism by which biological clocks sustain high-amplitude feedback oscillations.
Biochemical characterization of a beta cell membrane fraction antigenic for autoreactive T cell clones.

Abstract The two NOD-derived T cell clones, BDC-2.5 and BDC-6.9, are CD4+, Vβ4+, islet-specific, and diabetogenic. These two T cell clones show different response patterns to whole islet cell antigen, but were found to respond to the same fraction isolated from beta granule membranes. The clones were used to follow the antigenic activity in the biochemical purification of a beta cell membrane detergent lysate subjected to HPLC anion exchange (IEX) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Antigenic activity could be retained after lysis in only one detergent (octy1-β-glucoside) among several tested. In order to detect solubilized antigen, beta membrane proteins were covalently linked to microlatex beads prior to being added to T cell proliferation assays, a technique that eliminated detergent toxicity and resulted in increased assay sensitivity. To purify the antigen, membrane proteins were absorbed onto an anion exchange column and after elution using a salt gradient, activity for the clones was found in a fraction containing 0.15–0.2 M NaCl. Subsequent analysis of this material by size exclusion chromatography provided an apparent molecular weight of the antigen to be between 50 and 80 kDa. Further attempts to purify the protein by SDS-PAGE resulted in loss of antigenic activity. It is possible that the elusive nature of this protein is a clue to its importance as an autoantigen.
Dramatic acceleration of the Menschutkin reaction and distortion of halide leaving-group order.

Compared to structurally related linear trialkylamines, a simple macrocyclic amine with an anion-binding cavity exhibits very large rate enhancements (>105) for stoichiometric N-alkylation with primary alkyl, allyl, and benzyl halides in the weakly polar solvent CDCl3. There is also a major distortion of the halide leaving-group order. For example, with benzyl halides the relative leaving-group order with a control amine is Cl (1) 4-t-BuBnBr (2200 M) > 4-t-BuBnI (35 M); thus, the free ene...
Citrus tristeza virus transmission by the Toxoptera citricida vector: In vitro acquisition and transmission and infectivity immunoneutralization experiments

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is transmitted by several aphid species in a semi-persistent manner with Toxoptera citricida, the brown citrus aphid (BrCA), being the most efficient. As yet, the molecular interactions between the virus and its aphid vectors have not been determined. This is the first report of aphids acquiring CTV from preparations through an artificial membrane and then transmitting it to receptor plants. The BrCA fed across artificial membranes on crude tissue preparations made from CTV-infected bark tissue were able to transmit CTV to virus-free receptor plants at low rates. CTV p20, p27 and p25 proteins, detected by Western blots, were present in all crude tissue preparations from CTV-infected plants. Partially purified CTV preparations were not transmitted by the BrCA in this manner. Infectivity immunoneutralization experiments were conducted where aphids were forced to feed in vitro on three CTV-specific antibodies (p25, p27 and p20) before being placed on receptor plants following a 48h acquisition feed on CTV-infected source plants. There were no differences in transmission rates among the majority of treatments and the control treatments. However, in one infectivity immunoneutralization experiment, the CTV p20 antibodies significantly enhanced CTV transmission compared to buffer only, pre-immune antiserum or no antibody control treatments. This suggests the inactivity of CTV p20 aids BrCA transmission of virions.
Broadband multi-emitter signal analysis and direction finding using a dual-port interferometric photonic spectrum analyzer based on spatial-spectral materials

A broadband signal analyzer that can determine the power spectra and direction of all spectrally non-overlapping emitters for a two antenna system is proposed and demonstrated. A spectrum analyzer (SA) based on spatial-spectral (S2) materials has previously been demonstrated that can monitor broadband signals (over several tens of gigahertz (GHz)) with sub-megahertz (MHz) resolution in real-time (sub-millisecond updates). Here, a dual-channel S2 SA is used to monitor the two outputs of a dual-drive dual-port optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the RF inputs to the interferometer are driven by microwave signals with various time delayed components, emulating the outputs of a two-element antenna array receiving signals from emitters with various bandwidths, formats, and center frequencies. The sensitivity of the optical power spectra of the two output ports to the time delay of each resolvable frequency component of the signals enables the determination of energy and direction of each resolvable frequency component of multiple emitters. A simple post-processing technique is used to estimate the angle of arrival (AoA) and power spectrum of each emitter. The interferometric technique works on a variety of signals including short bursts of variable bandwidth frequency agile microwave signals. The system's direction finding (DF) and SA capabilities enable it to simultaneously monitor multiple types of emitters. With the current system architecture, tone bursts, spread-spectrum waveforms, and chirped waveforms over 5 GHz of bandwidth were demonstrated. Sub-picosecond resolution (sub-0.5 degree angular resolution on bore-site for signals with a 3.8 GHz carrier frequency) was demonstrated for signals with a 19 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at 1 MHz spectral resolution. The theoretical and measured resolutions are shown to be in good agreement.
Regulation of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene expression in brain of transgenic mice expressing an IGF-I-luciferase fusion gene.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays an important role in the development and function of the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known, however, about the factors and mechanisms involved in regulation of CNS IGF-I gene expression. To facilitate our goal to define mechanisms of IGF-I gene regulation in the CNS, we generated several lines of transgenic (Tg) mice that express firefly luciferase (LUC) under control of a 11.3-kb fragment from the 5′ region of the rat IGF-I gene. Consistent with expression of the native IGF-I gene in murine brain, expression of the transgene predominated in neurons and astrocytes and used promoter 1, the major IGF-I promoter in the CNS and in most tissues. Transgene messenger RNA and protein expression rapidly increased after birth and peaked at postnatal (P) day 4 in all brain regions studied. LUC activities in all regions then gradually decreased to 0.5–4% of their peak values at P31, except for the olfactory bulb, which maintained about one third of its maximal ac...
Overtime usage in a job shop environment

Abstract Problems are encountered in a job shop which has a fixed capacity if the total work content of the jobs passing through the shop increases sufficiently. Even the use of effective priority dispatching rules and/or expediting does not adequately shorten the queues which develop if the total work content continually exceeds shop capacity. To avoid losing job orders because the orders are unduly delayed, the job shop might resort to overtime usage. This study examines the efficient and economic use of overtime to relieve the backlog problem and uses overtime as the basic criterion for evaluation of overtime usage. The study employs GPSS V programming language to simulate a hypothetical job shop. The shop is loaded to various proportions of its normal capacity and various levels of overtime are tested. Findings show that overtime should not be assigned indiscriminately but rather should be based on a shop's unique conditions of overtime cost, the priority rule being employed, and the level of capacity utilization. Marginal benefit-cost ratio curves are developed to determine whether overtime usage is economically reasonable. These curves may also be used to determine the maximum or limiting amount of overtime to use under specific shop conditions.
The Effects of Donor Age and Strain Rate on the Biomechanical Properties of Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Allografts

Over 50% of all knee injuries involve partial or complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. Surgical reconstruction of this ligament using an isometrically placed bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft is the current technique of choice; however, harvest of patellar tendon as a free graft can lead to increased morbidity. To address this issue, allogenic patellar tendon grafts have been introduced as alternatives to autogenic graft material. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of age and strain rate on tensile strength, modulus, and failure mode of bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts from a typical population of tissue donors. Eighty-two, fresh-frozen, bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts were harvested from 25 different donors, aged 17 to 54. Paired grafts from individual patellar tendons were assigned randomly to tensile testing at either 10% or 100% elongation per second. Tensile strength, modulus, and failure mode were not significantly different for tests conducted at these 2 strain rates. Correlations between tensile strength and age were not significant for tests conducted at either strain rate. Specimens tested at a strain rate of 100% per second exhibited weak but significant negative correlation between modulus and age, with modulus decreasing 25% over the age range examined.
Effect of vestibular nerve section on torsion and on evoked rotatory movements

Abstract The effect of acute and chronic section of the vestibular nerves, unilateral and bilateral, was measured on spontaneous torsion and on rotation elicited by electrical stimulation of the region of the zona incerta. In cats prepared as encephales isoles, acute section of the vestibular nerve was followed by persistent spontaneous clockwise torsion of both eyes. This torsion was partially corrected for the right eye, and over-corrected for the left eye, following acute section of the right vestibular nerve. Rotational movements of both eyes could be elicited upon stimulation of left or right zona incerta or interstitial nucleus before and after unilateral and bilateral vestibular damage. Head rotation was elicited by stimulation of left and right zona incerta through electrodes implanted chronically in eight cats. Following unilateral section of the vestibular nerve, an enduring head tilt toward the side of the lesion was observed. In spite of this spontaneous tilt, stimulation of either incertal site still elicited head rotation comparable in extent to that seen upon control stimulation. Section of the other vestibular nerve in five of the cats resulted in correction or over-correction of the spontaneous head tilt. Stimulation of either incertal site was still capable of evoking head rotation, though this was less coordinated and more variable in threshold and extent than that seen before or after unilateral vestibular damage. Thus although vestibular nerves contribute to maintenance of posture and provide muscle tone, rotatory movements can be performed even after chronic bilateral vestibular nerve section.
The Growth of Inbred and Hybrid Chicken Embryos

Abstract INTRODUCTION STUDIES dealing with genetic differences in the rate of post-embryonic growth in the chicken have been numerous; while those dealing with differences in embryonic growth have been comparatively few. Moreover, studies that have dealt with genetic differences in avian embryonic growth have yielded conflicting results. Some workers have concluded that the genotype of the chicken embryo has no effect on its growth rate. Others have concluded that genetic differences in growth rate do exist. Byerly (1930), using Rhode Island Reds. White Leghorns, and the reciprocal crosses between the two, found slight but inconsistent differences in the size of embryos of the same age. He later reported (1932) that the growth rate of the chicken embryo was a function of its food supply. McNally and Byerly (1936) found they could explain such differences as they obtained in the rate of early embryonic growth in terms of differences in egg weight… .
The Pseudoscalar Meson Field with Strong Coupling

The present paper treats the symmetrical and charged pseudoscalar theories of the meson field, using the strong coupling approximation; it restricts itself to the case of a single source. The energy levels of the excited states of the heavy particle and the scattering cross section for free mesons are computed by wave mechanical methods. An expression is also obtained for the magnetic moment of the proton or neutron. While the scattering cross section can, with reasonable assumptions, be brought into agreement with experimental values, the results for the magnetic moment are qualitatively at variance with the known values in that equal and opposite moments are predicted for proton and neutron.