cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in several tissues of genetically obese hyperglycemic mice.

Abstract The active form (PDHa) and total activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) were measured in homogenates from heart muscle, epididymal fat pads and liver of genetically obese hyperglycemic mice and compared with similar data derived from lean controls or Swiss albino mice. Both PDHa and total PDH activities were similar in heart muscle from all mice with a precipitous decrease in the PDHa upon fasting. Adipose tissue and liver of obese mice had a PDHa level that was almost two-fold higher than either lean control or Swiss albino mice. Fasting for 24 hours decreased the elevated activity of PDHa in adipose tissue and liver in obese mice to a value that was comparable to lean control or Swiss albino mice, fasted similarly. The elevation in both the active form and total activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase in livers from obese mice could explain the increased provision of acetyl-CoA units necessary for the accelerated hepatic lipogenesis observed with this mouse, a model for human obesity and insulin resistance.
Hubbard Model near the Atomic Limit

Certain statements concerning the Hubbard model in the atomic limit are clarified and corrected. Certain inconsistencies and difficulties associated with various approximate solutions to the Hubbard model near the atomic limit are pointed out.
Performance Tests of the 600-kW cw, 80-MHz, Radio-Frequency Systems for the FMIT Accelerator

The high-power rf system for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) accelerator consists of 14 sets of equipment,** each of which can deliver up to 600 kW (cw) at 80 MHz into a load having a VSWR of 1.4 or less (any phase). The equipment was designed and constructed to FMIT specifications by Continental Electronics Mfg. Co. (CEMC) of Dallas, Texas. Four sets have been shipped to Los Alamos for use with the accelerator [two with the radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) and two with the drift-tube linac (DTL)]. The first set was fully tested at CEMC; results are summarized in Table I. Further tests conducted at Los Alamos, both into a resistive (electrolytic) load and into a resonant cavity (Q ~ 21 000), have confirmed that this system meets, and in most cases far exceeds, the specified performance limits. The first of the 13 production sets (No. 5) also was tested at CEMC before shipping any of the rf equipment to the Hanford Engineering and Development Laboratory at Richland, Washington. Because of the differences in behavior observed when No. 1 was operated at Los Alamos with a different tube installed in the final power amplifier (FPA) cavity, CEMC agreed to test No. 5 with two tubes having widely differing characteristics (notably primary screen emission). As expected, behavior differed markedly, and some design modification was necessary to meet all specifications with either tube. Results of final performance tests on No. 5 are summarized in Table I also.
Transitions in neon submonolayers adsorbed on argon-coated grafoil

Abstract Adsorption isotherms of neon on Grafoil and on argon-coated Grafoil have been measured between 17 K and 27 K. For the argon-coated substrate, evidence appeared for a transition of the neon into a mobile two-phase system with critical temperature 21.5 K.
Clinical trials with adult stem/progenitor cells for tissue repair: let's not overlook some essential precautions.

The medical community is currently experiencing a wave of enthusiasm for clinical trials in which adult stem/progenitor cells are used to repair tissues. The enthusiasm is based on promising results in animal models for a variety of diseases and the encouraging reports from some initial clinical
3D bone microarchitecture modeling and fracture risk prediction

As prevalence and awareness of osteoporosis increase and treatments of proven efficacy become available, the demand for management of patients with the disease will also rise. It calls for innovative research on understanding of osteoporosis and fracture mechanisms, allowing early and more accurate prediction of bone disease progression. The most widely validated technique for the diagnosis of osteoporosis is Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurement based on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). However, a major limitation of BMD is that it incompletely reflects the variation in bone strength. In this paper we develop and evaluate a novel three-dimensional (3D) computational bone framework capable of providing: (1) Spatio-temporal 3D microstructure bone model; (2) Derived quantitative measures of 3D bone microarchitecture; (3) Analysis of BMD and bone strength; and (4) A state-of-the-art probabilistic approach to analyze bone fracture risk factors including demographic attributes and life styles. Beyond efficient 3D bone microstructure representation, quantitative assessment is considered not only for identifying critical elements in bone microstructure, but also ensuring effective predictioin of bone diseases in advance. The simulation network model of 3D bone microarchitecture and extensive empirical study on fracture risk improve our understanding of bone disease risk arising from the complex interplay of the human BMD assessment result with presence of major risk factors.
Hormonal control of milk protein synthesis in cultured mouse mammary explants

Abstract SDS-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of mouse milk proteins revealed the presence of three major phosphoproteins (caseins) of m.w. 44,000, 26,000 and 22,000 daltons. By using an antiserum against crude casein fraction, an immunoprecipitation method was developed for the quantitative measurement of the rate of milk protein synthesis in the mouse mammary tissue. Cultivation of mammary explants with insulin, cortisol and proclatin resulted in the induction of milk protein synthesis as evidenced by the incorporation of [ 3 H] amino acids and [ 32 P] orthophosphate into immune precipitable materials. The present immunoprecipitation method coupled with a simplified explant culture technique provides a suitable procedure for the study of mouse mammary gland differentiation.
The western Pacific warm pool observed from space

Over the past decade, significant observational, theoretical, and modeling efforts have been made to understand the coupled ocean-atmosphere system, especially in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, most oceanographic research on the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has focused on the eastern and central Pacific because of the large interannual SST (sea-surface temperature) anomalies and ecosystem disruptions in these regions. Less attention has been paid to the western Pacific even though the early stages of ENSO events may originate there. As a new component of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) research program, the Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) focuses on the physical processes that play important roles in the coupling between the ocean and atmosphere in the western Pacific warm pool.
A note on K-theory and triangulated categories

We provide an example of two closed model categories having equivalent homotopy categories but different Waldhausen K-theories. We also show that there cannot exist a functor from small triangulated categories to spaces which recovers Quillen’s K-theory for exact categories and which satisfies localization.
Visual saliency approach to anomaly detection in an image ensemble

Visual saliency is a bottom-up process that identifies those regions in an image that stand out from their surroundings. We oversegment an image as a collection of “super pixels” (SPs). Each SP is salient if it is different in color from all other SPs and if its most similar SPs are nearby. We test our method on image sequences collected by a vehicle. We consider an SP in a frame as salient if it stands out from all frames in a collection that consists of an ensemble of images from different road segments and a sequence of immediate past frames.
Major plasma proteins of larvae of the Southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella

The major protein fraction of the larval hemolymph of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, was shown to be composed of approximately six native proteins, and accounted for up to 55% of the plasma proteins. The apparent molecular weights of these proteins ranged from 350,000 to 500,000, as determined by nondenaturing electrophoresis at a neutral pH. Lower apparent molecular weights were obtained when the major protein fraction was subjected to electrophoresis at a high pH under nondenaturing conditions, indicating that these proteins dissociated under alkaline conditions. The isoelectric points of the major hemolymph proteins fell between 5.6 and 5.9. Denaturing electrophoresis and two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that the native proteins were composed of subunits having apparent molecular weights of 78,000, 84,000, and 87,000. These subunits were the major labeled polypeptides found in the hemolymph of feeding last instar larvae 24 h after they had been injected with [3H]leucine. They were also the major polypeptides synthesized when the fat body of last instar prediapausing larvae was incubated in vitro for 4 h in Grace's medium containing [3H]leucine. Immunoelectrophoresis confirmed that the major hemolymph proteins were present in the larval fat body. In addition, these proteins were the major proteins present in the hemolymph of diapasuing larvae.
Improved outcome with busulfan, melphalan and thiotepa conditioning in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma

High-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplant (autoSCT) is standard therapy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma, although the optimal conditioning regimen remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent autoSCT between 1998 and 2009. There were 60 patients who received busulfan, melphalan and thiotepa (BuMelTt) conditioning and 40 who received other common regimens. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the two groups. With a median follow-up of 4.3 years, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was superior for patients who received BuMelTt versus other conditioning (73% vs. 44%, p = 0.05). BuMelTt was also associated with an improved 5-year progression-free survival (66% vs. 37%, p = 0.03). There were no differences in length of hospitalization, febrile neutropenia, hepatic veno-occlusive disease or 100-day non-relapse mortality (NRM). There were more cases of severe mucositis but fewer episodes of bacteremia with BuMelTt. Our results suggest that BuMelTt may be a superior conditioning regimen for autoSCT in Hodgkin lymphoma.
Nonparametric estimation of a regression function

Consider the regression model Yi*=g(xi*)+ei*, i=1,2,...,n, where xi*'s denote unordered design variables, and g is an unknown function defined on the interval [0,1]. Assume {ei*} are iid random variables with zero mean and finite variance. Priestley and Chao (1972) and Clark (1977) proposed estimators g2nand g3n, respectively for g. In this paper, the asymptotic behavior of g2nand g3nis studied utilizing the properties of the new estimator g1n. It is shown that g1n, g2n, g3nare asymptotically equivalent in various senses. Moreover, consistency results are established and rates of uniform convergence obtained. For example, if E¦e*¦3<∞, if g is Lipschitz of order 1, and if {Βn} is any sequence of constants tending to ∞ as n→∞, then for all \(0 < a \leqq b < 1,({{n^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 3}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{n^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 3}} } {\beta _n \log n)\mathop {\sup }\limits_{a \leqq x \leqq b} |g_{1n} (x) - g(x)|\xrightarrow{{w.p.1}}0,}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\beta _n \log n)\mathop {\sup }\limits_{a \leqq x \leqq b} |g_{1n} (x) - g(x)|\xrightarrow{{w.p.1}}0,}}\), as n→∞. Finally, when g is monotone, a strong consistent isotonic estimator gn*is considered.
Defining structures through forbidding and enforcing constraints

Abstract This paper introduces a new way of modeling classes of physical and biochemical processes and structures based on boundary conditions that are called “forbidden” and “enforced”. The model of forbidding–enforcing systems (fe-systems) is presented in a general categorical sense and we use three specific examples of categories to illustrate three different phenomena. The hydrogen and covalent bonds of DNA, as well as splicing DNA by enzymes and recombination is illustrated with fe-systems on the category of languages (1-D structures). Fe-systems over the simple category of sets can define the solutions to a computational problem, the k-colorability problem (information processing). By using the category of graphs fe-systems model graphs as an abstraction of 3-D structures such that characterizations of familiar classes of graphs, such as trees, bi-partite graphs, and complete graphs are obtained.
Excited state prototropism and solvent dependence of the fluorescence of 3-aminoquinoline

Abstract The effects of solvent polarity and hydrogen-bonding capability on the fluorescence of 3-aminoquinoline have been studied. The failure of the solvent dependence of the absorption spectrum to parallel that of the fluorescence spectrum is attributed to differences in hydrogen bonding in ground and lowest excited singlet states. The large Stokes shifts produced by addition of small amounts of hydrogen-bonding solvents to solutions of 3-aminoquinoline in non-activating solvents suggest the formation of a well defined solute-solvent complex in the excited state. 3-Amino-quinoline is a stronger acid in the excited state than in the ground state with respect to dissociation from the amino group. The same is true for the dication. Fo¨rster cycle calculations, however, indicate that dissociation from the heterocyclic nitrogen is more difficult in the excited state. It is shown that when hydrogen-bonding interactions are present, solvent relaxation effects after excitation are best studied in non-activating solvents rather than in rigid hydrogen-bonding solvents.
Affective expression in appearance constrained robots

The use of affective expression and social interaction is an emerging area of importance in robotics, with the focus historically on facial expressions and/or animal mimicry [5], [10]. However, a large number of mobile robots currently in use for applications such as law enforcement, military, and search and rescue are not anthropomorphic, do not have any method of projecting facial expressions, and cannot be reengineered explicitly to support affective expression. This poses significant challenges in how these appearance-constrained robots will support naturalistic human-robot interaction. Fincannon et al. provides an example of how rescue workers conducting breaching expected a small tank-like robot to follow social conventions despite the robots non-anthropomorphic appearance [9]. Work by Murphy et al. [13] in using man-packable robots to act as a surrogate presence for doctors tending to trapped victims, identifies how the robot will interact with the victim as one of the four major open research issues. They noted that the robots operating within 3 meters of the simulated victims were perceived as “creepy” and not reassuring. In each of these cases, the robots were operating in highly confined spaces and the additions of faces or other devices might interfere with the critical attribute of mobility. Our work focuses on affective expression in non-anthropomorphic and appearanceconstrained robots for humanrobot interactions occurring within three meters of each other. Appearance-constrained robots are not engineered to be anthropomorphic and do not have the ability to exhibit facial expressions. Application limitations include mobility,
Auxiliary marker-assisted classification in the absence of class identifiers.

Constructing classification rules for accurate diagnosis of a disorder is an important goal in medical practice. In many clinical applications, there is no clinically significant anatomical or physiological deviation that exists to identify the gold standard disease status to inform development of classification algorithms. Despite the absence of perfect disease class identifiers, there are usually one or more disease-informative auxiliary markers along with feature variables that comprise known symptoms. Existing statistical learning approaches do not effectively draw information from auxiliary prognostic markers. We propose a large margin classification method, with particular emphasis on the support vector machine, assisted by available informative markers to classify disease without knowing a subject's true disease status. We view this task as statistical learning in the presence of missing data, and introduce a pseudo-Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to the classification. A major difference b...
Disease fatality and bias in survival cohorts.

Abstract Objectives Simulate how the effect of exposure on disease occurrence and fatality influences the presence and magnitude of bias in survivor cohorts, motivated by an actual survivor cohort under study. Methods We simulated a cohort of 50,000 subjects exposed to a disease-causing exposure over time and followed forty years, where disease incidence was the outcome of interest. We simulated this ‘inception’ cohort under different assumptions about the effect of exposure on disease occurrence and fatality after disease occurrence. We then created a corresponding ‘survivor’ (or ‘cross-sectional’) cohort, where cohort enrollment took place at a specific date after exposure began in the inception cohort; subjects dying prior to that enrollment date were excluded. The disease of interest caused all deaths in our simulations, but was not always fatal. In the survivor cohort, person-time at risk began before enrollment for all subjects who did not die prior to enrollment. We compared exposure–disease associations in each inception cohort to those in corresponding survivor cohorts to determine how different assumptions impacted bias in the survivor cohorts. All subjects in both inception and survivor cohorts were considered equally susceptible to the effect of exposure in causing disease. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate effect measures. Results There was no bias in survivor cohort estimates when case fatality among diseased subjects was independent of exposure. This was true even when the disease was highly fatal and more highly exposed subjects were more likely to develop disease and die. Assuming a positive exposure–response in the inception cohort, survivor cohort rate ratios were biased downwards when case fatality was greater with higher exposure. Conclusions Survivor cohort effect estimates for fatal outcomes are not always biased, although precision can decrease.
A countercurrent mechanism with transverse diffusion

A simple treatment is given for the stationary state distribution of a substance dissolved in two liquids flowing in opposite directions in two tubes with a common wall that is permeable to the substance. The transverse diffusion is taken into account. It is shown how in the case of sufficiently fast diffusion the permeability constant of the wall can be obtained from the concentrations of the substance at the ends of the tubes, the velocities in the tubes, and the length of the tubes.
THE INDIVIDUAL AND TRANSFORMATION OF BRIDEWEALTH IN RURAL NORTH CHINA

A partir de donnees obtenues par un travail de terrain longitudinal dans un village du nord de la Chine, l'auteur etudie la transformation de la pratique du bridewealth en une nouvelle forme de division des biens ausein de la famille de l'epoux, et analyse la maniere dont l'epouse est desormais beneficiaire de ce « prix de la fiancee » en lieu et place de ses parents. Au niveau individuel, cette transformation est le fruit d'une longue evolution qui a vu les epoux negocier chacun avec ses parents le controle du bridewealth. Les jeunes villageois trouvent dans une interpretation erronee de l'individualisme occidental un nouvel argument ideologique pour justifier leurs incessantes ponctions financieres sur leurs parents. Au niveau de la vie familiale, ce changement de comportement a contribue a reorienter le choix du conjoint, la division des familles et le soutien aux anciens. Ces evolutions de la famille se sont deroulees dans un contexte de changements macro-sociaux et sont etroitement liees a l'emprise de l'Etat. Tout en soulignant le role actif des individus dans la transformation de la pratique du brideuvaith, largement sous-estime par les etudes sur les transactions matrimoniales, l'auteur se penche aussi sur les strategies specifiques par lesquelles ils exercent leur pouvoir d'agent en profitant de la coutume au lieu de l'abandonner, puisqu'elle leur apporte une plus grande autonomie dans le choix de leur conjoint et les negociations matrimoniales.
ACTIVITY OF β-C2S UNDER DIFFERENT SINTERING CONDITIONS

Abstract This paper describes a study undertaken to examine the crystal size, crystal internal micro-stress, specific surface of pores, and hydration rate of β-C 2 S under rapid sintering (800°C/min) and normal sintering (25°C/min) conditions. The test results show that, under rapid sintering, the formed β-C 2 S has finer crystal size, higher internal micro-stress, larger specific surface of pores, and thus higher rate of hydration. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
A New Polymerization System for Bicyclic Acetals: Toward the Controlled/“Living” Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization of 6,8-Dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane

The bicyclic acetal 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane, 6,8-DBO, was polymerized in toluene solvent using 1-chloroethyl isobutyl ether as the initiator and zinc iodide as the activator. Initiation of the polymerization proceeded by Lewis acid promoted ionization of 1-chloroethyl isobutyl ether to oxacarbenium ions that subsequently added to 6,8-DBO. The molecular weight control of the polymerization increased with decreasing temperature. For polymerizations conducted at −16 °C the number-averaged molecular weights (Mn) of the polymer as a function of conversion correlated most closely with the expected values (DPn = ([6,8-DBO]0−[6,8-DBO]t/[1-chloroethyl isobutyl ether]0), and the molecular weight distributions averaged Mw/Mn ∼ 1.3. The cationic ring-opening polymerization of 6,8-DBO using 1-chloroethyl isobutyl ether/zinc iodide at −16 °C, therefore, can be considered a controlled polymerization.
Evaluation of asymmetric liposomal nanoparticles for encapsulation of polynucleotides

Conventional lipid bilayer liposomes have similar inner and outer leaflet compositions; asymmetric liposomes have different lipid leaflet compositions. The goal of this work is to place cationic lipids in the inner leaflet to encapsulate negatively charged polynucleotides and to place neutral/anionic lipids on the outer leaflet to decrease nonspecific cellular uptake/toxicity. Inverse emulsion particles have been developed with a single lipid leaflet of cationic and neutral lipids surrounding an aqueous core containing a negatively charged 21-mer DNA oligo. The particles are accelerated through an oil−water interface, entrapping a second neutral lipid to form oligo encapsulated unilamellar liposome nanoparticles. Inverse emulsion particles can be consistently produced to encapsulate an aqueous environment containing negatively charged oligo. The efficiency of encapsulated liposome formation is low and depends on the hydrocarbon used as the oil phase. Dodecane, mineral oil, and squalene were tested, and sq...
Social compentency with peers: Contributions from child care

Research that describes how forms and features of child care systems can influence the development of social compentency with peers during the infancy to preschool periods of development is reviewed. Interactions between child care and familial systems in influencing social compentency with peers are also examined. Many of the potential associations between child care and social compentency with peers, which have not been researched, are suggested for future research.
A technique for extending by ∼103 the dynamic range of compact proton spectrometers for diagnosing ICF implosions on the National Ignition Facility and OMEGAa)

Wedge Range Filter (WRF) proton spectrometers are routinely used on OMEGA and the NIF for diagnosing ρR and ρR asymmetries in direct- and indirect-drive implosions of D3He-, D2-, and DT-gas-filled capsules. By measuring the optical opacity distribution in CR-39 due to proton tracks in high-yield applications, as opposed to counting individual tracks, WRF dynamic range can be extended by 102 for obtaining the spectral shape, and by 103 for mean energy (ρR) measurement, corresponding to proton fluences of 108 and 109 cm−2, respectively. Using this new technique, ρR asymmetries can be measured during both shock and compression burn (proton yield ∼108 and ∼1012, respectively) in 2-shock National Ignition Facility implosions with the standard WRF accuracy of ±∼10 mg/cm2.
Accurate Depth of Field Simulation in Real Time

We present a new post processing method of simulating depth of field based on accurate calculations of circles of confusion. Compared to previous work, our method derives actual scene depth information directly from the existing depth buffer, requires no specialized rendering passes, and allows easy integration into existing rendering applications. Our implementation uses an adaptive, two-pass filter, producing a high quality depth of field effect that can be executed entirely on the GPU, taking advantage of the parallelism of modern graphics cards and permitting real time performance when applied to large numbers of pixels.
Community income distributions in a metropolitan area

Abstract We extend de Bartolome and Ross [C.A.M. de Bartolome, S.L. Ross, Equilibrium with local governments and commuting: Income sorting vs. income mixing, Journal of Urban Economics 54 (2003) 1–20] to the case when the income distribution in the metropolitan area is a continuous distribution. In particular, we consider a circular central city surrounded by a suburban community. All households must commute to the metropolitan center and public service levels differ in the two jurisdictions. There is intra-jurisdictional and inter-jurisdictional capitalization. Our model has an equilibrium in which the income distributions of the central city and of the suburban community do overlap. Our finding contrasts with the traditional finding of Alonso–Mills–Muth-type models of spatial sorting and of Tiebout-type models of fiscal sorting, both of which have been shown to predict that the income distributions of the two communities do not overlap. In addition, the model explains the fixedness in jurisdictional boundaries.
Ultrastructure of fetal spinal cord and cortex implants into adult rat spinal cord.

The ultrastructure of cortex and spinal cord from 11-, 12-, and 15-day-old fetuses implanted into the spinal cord of adult rats was studied over 3 months. Under deep Chloropent anesthesia, a 0.5 × 1.0-mm square of fetal cortex or a 1.0-mm segment of fetal spinal cord was implanted subpially between the left dorsal column and the dorsal horn of 70 adult rats. Implants grew toward gray matter, usually interfacing with the host at the isthmus between the horns of the spinal cord. However, implants were observed that occupied the entire left dorsal and ventral horns of the left half of the host spinal cord. Implants had concentric zones: A central zone with basal lamina lined joined channels and subjacent neuroglia; a zone of differentiating implant nervous system; a zone with basal lamina lined implant with overlying pial cells on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the implant; a zone that interfaced with the host with overlapping neuropil on the lateral and ventral surfaces of the implant. Neuron types were typical for cortical or spinal implants. Implants survived for 3 months and reached stages of neuronal and neuroglial maturation similar to controls. Both fetal spinal cord and brain were successful as implants, had delayed differentiation, and formed complex neuropils. The zone of overlapping interface of the donor and host is an anatomical indication of physiological and functional integration.
Norm of alias atrices for (l + 1)-factor interactions in balanced fractional 2M factorial designs of resolution 2 l+1

Consider a balanced fractional 2m factorial design of resolution 2 l+l derived from a balanced array of strength 2 l+l. Consider the norm || A || = {tr(A'A)}1/2 of alias matrix A for (i+1)-factor interactions in this design. This norm can be used as a measure for selecting a design. In this paper, an explicit expression for || A jj is given by using algebraic properties of a balanced design. By this expression, designs of resolution V (£=2) which minimize )| A )) are presented for any fixed assemblies satisfying (i) m = 5, 16 < N < 32 (ii) m = 6, 22 < N < 32 and (iii) m = 7, 29 < N < 64.
On the figures of merit for electroabsorption waveguide modulators

Gamma Delta alpha /F and Delta alpha / alpha /sub 0/ (where Delta alpha is the absorption change, alpha /sub 0/ is the residual absorption, F is the applied electric field, and Gamma is the optical confinement factor in the waveguide) have been separately proposed as the relevant figure of merit for electroabsorption waveguide modulators. Using a quantitative and systematic argument, the authors show that they are both necessary and important to the total performance of the modulator. >
The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States

Anthropogenic threats, such as collisions with man-made structures, vehicles, poisoning and predation by domestic pets, combine to kill billions of wildlife annually. Free-ranging domestic cats have been introduced globally and have contributed to multiple wildlife extinctions on islands. The magnitude of mortality they cause in mainland areas remains speculative, with large-scale estimates based on non-systematic analyses and little consideration of scientific data. Here we conduct a systematic review and quantitatively estimate mortality caused by cats in the United States. We estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4–3.7 billion birds and 6.9–20.7 billion mammals annually. Un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality. Our findings suggest that free-ranging cats cause substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought and are likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for US birds and mammals. Scientifically sound conservation and policy intervention is needed to reduce this impact.
Mass diffusion of camphorquinone in poly(methyl methacrylate) hosts with different molecular weights

Diffusion coefficients of camphorquinone (CQ) and its photoproduct (CQP) in two poly(methyl metbacrylate) (PMMA) samples with different molecular weights are measured as a function of temperature. Above the glass transition, the temperature dependence is not Arrhenius and can be described by the Williams-Landel-Ferry equation. It is also shown that the difference in the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients of CQ in the two PMMA samples is attributable to the difference in glass transition temperatures.
Hiding information and signatures in trapdoor knapsacks

The knapsack problem is an NP-complete combinatorial problem that is strongly believed to be computationally difficult to solve in general. Specific instances of this problem that appear very difficult to solve unless one possesses "trapdoor information" used in the design of the problem are demonstrated. Because only the designer can easily solve problems, others can send him information hidden in the solution to the problems without fear that an eavesdropper will be able to extract the information. This approach differs from usual cryptographic systems in that a secret key is not needed. Conversely, only the designer can generate signatures for messages, but anyone can easily check their authenticity.
Bias correction to secondary trait analysis with case-control design.

In genetic association studies with densely typed genetic markers, it is often of substantial interest to examine not only the primary phenotype but also the secondary traits for their association with the genetic markers. For more efficient sample ascertainment of the primary phenotype, a case–control design or its variants, such as the extreme-value sampling design for a quantitative trait, are often adopted. The secondary trait analysis without correcting for the sample ascertainment may yield a biased association estimator. We propose a new method aiming at correcting the potential bias due to the inadequate adjustment of the sample ascertainment. The method yields explicit correction formulas that can be used to both screen the genetic markers and rapidly evaluate the sensitivity of the results to the assumed baseline case-prevalence rate in the population. Simulation studies demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach in comparison with the more computationally intensive approaches, such as the compensator approaches and the maximum prospective likelihood approach. We illustrate the application of the approach by analysis of the genetic association of prostate specific antigen in a case–control study of prostate cancer in the African American population. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Stakeholder Matrix: Supporting the Modeling of Responsibility in Situation-Oriented Directories

Situation-oriented directories help to determine the stakeholder responsible for a given situation. Defining all responsibility assignments for a directory can be challenging if situations need to be distinguished by many attributes and some of the attributes have many potential values. In this paper we present the stakeholder matrix, a compact representation of a situation-oriented directory that makes it easier for users to ensure the completeness and consistency of the assignments in the directory. Our evaluation showed that in a real world case the number of responsibility assignments could be compacted from 33700 to 128. We also review related research and show that compact representations similar to the stakeholder matrix will be useful to support validation of definitions in expert finding systems, content-based access systems and content-based routing systems.
Spatial variations in the incidence of breast cancer and potential risks associated with soil dioxin contamination in Midland, Saginaw, and Bay Counties, Michigan, USA.

Background High levels of dioxins in soil and higher-than-average body burdens of dioxins in local residents have been found in the city of Midland and the Tittabawassee River floodplain in Michigan. The objective of this study is threefold: (1) to evaluate dioxin levels in soils; (2) to evaluate the spatial variations in breast cancer incidence in Midland, Saginaw, and Bay Counties in Michigan; (3) to evaluate whether breast cancer rates are spatially associated with the dioxin contamination areas.
Electron diffraction of trapped cluster ions

Direct measurement of the structure of mass-selected atomic clusters has presented such an exceedingly difficult challenge that studies of the physics and chemistry of gasphase clusters @1# have proceeded for more than three decades without such a direct measurement. Cluster sources contribute to this difficulty since they produce beams with broad cluster size distributions of atomic number with uncertain internal energy distributions. Since an adequate cluster flux for diffraction measurements requires the full source output beam, the uncertainties in cluster size and internal energy prevent an unambiguous interpretation of electrondiffraction patterns @2‐5#. This paper reports a technique that relies upon an rf Paul trap @6# to take advantage of the current cluster source technologies yet avoid the shortcomings of beam measurements. The rf Paul trap enables one to accumulate size selected clusters, collisionally relax the vibrational energy distribution, and store the clusters for an adequate time to perform electron-diffraction measurements. This can lead to a better experimentally controlled investigation of quantum-size effects and can provide the opportunity to probe the phase transformations for the transition region from molecular to bulk behavior. The individual components of the experimental apparatus are schematically shown in Fig. 1. The rf trap, Faraday cup, and microchannel plate/phosphor screen detector ~MCP! are mounted to maintain cylindrical symmetry around the electron beam axis. A charge-coupled-device ~CCD! camera external to the UHV chamber images the diffraction pattern, which is in the form of Debye-Scherrer rings similar to powder diffraction as a result of the orientational and spatial disorder of the trapped cluster ions. The UHV chamber achieves a base pressure of ;10 29 Torr and the pressure during diffraction measurements is <10 28 Torr.
Architectural implications of brick and mortar silicon manufacturing

We introduce a novel chip fabrication technique called "brick and mortar", in which chips are made from small, pre-fabricated ASIC bricks and bonded in a designer-specified arrangement to an inter-brick communication backbone chip. The goal of brick and mortar assembly is to provide a low-overhead method to produce custom chips, yet with performance that tracks an ASIC more closely than an FPGA. This paper examines the architectural design choices in this chip-design system. These choices include the definition of reasonable bricks, both in functionality and size, as well as the communication interconnect that the I/O cap provides. To do this we synthesize candidate bricks, analyze their area and bandwidth demands, and present an architectural design for the inter-brick communication network. We discuss a sample chip design, a 16-way CMP, and analyze the costs and benefits of designing chips with brick and mortar. We find that this method of producing chips incurs only a small performance loss (8%) compared to a fully custom ASIC, which is significantly less than the degradation seen from other low-overhead chip options, such as FPGAs. Finally, we measure the effect that architectural design decisions have on the behavior of the proposed physical brick assembly technique, fluidic self-assembly.
A Chemical Route to Monolithic Integration of Crystalline Oxides on Semiconductors

This work demonstrates the growth of crystalline SrTiO 3 (STO) directly on germanium via a chemical method. After thermal deoxidation, the Ge substrate is transferred in vacuo to the deposition chamber where a thin fi lm of STO (2 nm) is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 225 °C. Following post-deposition annealing at 650 °C for 5 min, the STO fi lm becomes crystalline with epitaxial registry to the underlying Ge (001) substrate. Thicker STO fi lms (up to 15 nm) are then grown on the crystalline STO seed layer. The crystalline structure and orientation are confi rmed via refl ection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Electrical measurements of a 15-nm thick epitaxial STO fi lm on Ge show a large dielectric constant ( k ≈ 90), but relatively high leakage current of ≈10 A/cm 2 for an applied fi eld of 0.7 MV/cm. To suppress the leakage current, an aluminum precursor is cycled during ALD growth to grow crystalline Al-doped STO (SrTi 1−x Al x O 3−δ ) fi lms. With suffi cient Al doping (≈13%), the leakage current decreases by two orders of magnitude for an 8-nm thick fi lm. The current work demonstrates the potential of ALD-grown crystalline oxides to be explored for advanced electronic applications, including highmobility Ge-based transistors.
A Linear Programming Model Integrating Resource Allocation and Product Acceptability for Processed Cheese Products

Abstract A linear programming model integrates cheese manufacturing, blending, and aging and flavor components for a processed cheese manufacturing operation. The input resources for the process cheese product are idenified and defined. The constraints define the desired product using legal, quality, and management guidelines. The objective function maximizes the net returns of a pasteurized process cheese batch. Several scenarios are analyzed and compared. The critical factors that have high impact on costs and profits are identified and their economic influence quantified.
Millibot trains for enhanced mobility

The objective of this work is to enhance the mobility of small mobile robots by enabling them to link into a train configuration capable of crossing relatively large obstacles. In particular, we are building on Millibots, semiautonomous, tracked mobile sensing/communication platforms at the 5-cm scale previously developed at Carnegie Mellon University. The Millibot Train concept provides couplers that allow the Millibot modules to engage/disengage under computer control and joint actuators that allow lifting of one module by another and control of the whole train shape in two dimensions. A manually configurable train prototype demonstrated the ability to climb standard stairs and vertical steps nearly half the train length. A fully functional module with powered joints has been developed and several have been built and tested. Construction of a set of six modules is well underway and will allow testing of the complete train in the near future. This paper focuses on the development, design, and construction of the electromechanical hardware for the Millibot Train.
A mold and transfer technique for lead-free fluxless soldering and application to MEMS packaging

This paper demonstrates a technique to premold and transfer lead-free solder balls for microelectrocmechanical systems (MEMS)/electronics packaging applications. A reusable bulk micromachined silicon wafer is used to mold a solder paste and remove excess flux prior to transfer to a host wafer that may contain released MEMS. This technique has been used to fabricate low temperature thin film MEMS vacuum packages. Long term (>5 months) reliability of these packages at room temperature and pressure is demonstrated through integrated Pirani gauges. These packages have survived over 600 hours in an autoclave (130degC, 85% RH, 2 atm) and more than 1300 temperature cycles (55degC to 125degC)
Designing Infrastructure-Based Overlay Networks for Delay-Sensitive Group Communications

Infrastructure-based overlay networks have been proposed to support the quality of service requirements of a wide range of applications. In this paper, we study using infrastructure-based overlay for delay-sensitive low-bandwidth group communications, such as teleconferencing and chat room. In particular, we study where to place overlay nodes (called proxies) to minimize end-to-end delays. We formulate the problem of optimal proxy placement using integer-linear programming and quantify the benefits from using proxies in six real-world networks. We And that, perhaps surprisingly, only two out of the six networks benefit from using proxies. We furthermore use network characteristics to explain these benefits or lack of benefits. Last, for the two networks which benefit from using proxies, we find that a small number proxies (2 to 3) are sufficient to realize most of the performance gains.
Golgi membrane dynamics imaged by freeze-etch electron microscopy: Views of different membrane coatings involved in tubulation versus vesiculation

Summary We used high resolution three-dimensional electron microscopy to visualize Golgi cisternal structure and analyze morphological transitions induced by various in vitro incubations. Our images show that Golgi cisternae have two distinct surface coatings with different distributions and apparent functions. The first type, probably a coatomer coat, consists of tightly packed ∼10 nm surface particles. These are localized exclusively to sites of membrane budding and are as intimately involved in bud formation as clathrin or caveolin coats. When this coating is exaggerated by GTPγS, the periphery of all cisternae is partitioned into coated vesicles that remain attached at their sites of formation. A second, much finer coating is evenly distributed over the periphery of cisternae, including tubules enclosing the fenestrae. It appears to stabilize the membrane curvature associated with tubules and edges. These different coatings must be considered in further attempts to unravel Golgi membrane trafficking mechanisms.
Inhaled nitric oxide therapy for adult respiratory distress syndrome

The selective pulmonary vasodilatory effects of inhaled nitric oxide decrease pulmonary artery hypertension and improve arterial oxygenation in patients with ARDS without causing concomitant systemic vasodilation. Inhaled nitrix oxide therapy may decrease the prevalence of pulmonary edema, pulmonary barotrauma, and oxygen toxicity that occur with current ARDS treatment. The effect of nitric oxide on oxygenation and pulmonary artery pressure may allow more time for the lungs to recover. Initial results of clinical trials are encouraging; however, the impact of inhaled nitric oxide therapy on patients with ARDS remains unclear. Further research is needed to develop safe delivery systems and monitoring techniques for routine clinical use, to determine potential adverse and toxic effects of nitric oxide therapy on patients, and to determine the effects of long-term exposure to nitric oxide among healthcare workers. Concomitant administration of other medications with inhaled nitric oxide should also be investigated.
Pilot Study Using Mobile Health to Coordinate the Diabetic Patient, Diabetologist, and Ophthalmologist

In the United States, more than 25 million adults have diabetes, 40% of diabetics have diabetic retinopathy, and diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people 20 to 74 years of age. Clinical trials have shown that strict control of blood glucose level and other risk factors delays diabetic retinopathy onset, progression, and vision loss. Patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus, access to an Apple iPhone or iPad, and no psychological or medical condition that would interfere with the study participated in a nonrandomized clinical trial using SightBook™, a free mobile app that enables self-measurement of visual function and creates a password-protected web account for each patient. Sixty patients enrolled in the clinical trial over a 6 month period. Twenty-six participants were men and 34 were women, with ages from 23 to 72 years (mean 45 ± 15) and diabetes duration of 1.5 to 50 years (mean 15.5 ± 11.5). Thirty-nine (65%) patients reported Type 1 diabetes and 21 (35%) patients reported Type 2 diabetes. Every patient established a personal web account on SightBook and invited participation of treating physicians; 51 (85%) patients completed the validated self-reported outcome assessments. Diabetologist examinations of 49 (82%) patients demonstrated systolic hypertension (≥140 mgHg) in 20% and hemoglobin A1c ≥ 7.0% in 56%. Ophthalmology examinations of 45 patients showed visual acuity in the worse-seeing eye of < 20/40 in 18% and diabetic retinopathy in 42% of patients. This clinical trial used a mobile health app to incorporate diabetic patient self-measurement of vision and coordinate the diabetic patient, diabetologist, and ophthalmologist for control of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy risk factors.
Realizing: How Facts are Created in Human Interaction

This paper presents a model of the construction of social reality through human interaction. Human interactants are characterized as creating (realizing) the facts they come to believe about themselves. This creative process occurs during interpersonal interactions in which both desirable and/or undesirable facts emerge. A case study of a couple in therapy demonstrates the process through which a husband and wife have created many undesirable facts between them while denying that several desirable facts happen between them. A discussion of the power and responsibility involved in realizing interpersonal experiences follows the case study analysis.