cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Term Rewriting for the Conjugacy Problem and the Braid Groups

We show how term rewriting can be applied to the conjugacy problem for finitely presented groups. The conjugacy problem is paricularly important for the braid groups. We illustrate the term rewriting approach by applying it to the braid group B3.
Lessons from notebook/mobile computing

Abstract Information technology in general, and the Internet in particular, present both opportunities and challenges to business schools. While a number of institutions stand out as having creatively integrated technology into their curricula, current data indicate that the majority of higher educational institutions in North America are still searching for direction. This article describes a real-world case study of a pilot program for introducing and leveraging instructional technology via notebook/mobile computing. A primary objective of this paper is to provide stimulus for thinking about how business schools can implement information technology to improve pedagogy and strengthen their position in the increasingly competitive world of business education.
The Newsboy Problem under Alternative Optimization Objectives

In the classical "newsboy problem", one determines the optimum order quantity to maximize the expected profit. This paper considers the newsboy problem under two new objectives. The relevance of the first objective-"maximizing expected utility"-is well established in decision theory. This paper develops a group of formulas for handling the partial moments arising from adopting this objective, and these formulas are potentially useful to many other management models involving partial moments. The second objective-"maximizing the probability of achieving a budgeted profit"-is commonly adopted by managers but largely ignored in the literature. The analysis reveals some interesting results for determining the optimum order quantity under this objective.
ENDOCRINE AND THERMOREGULATORY RESPONSES TO ACUTE THERMAL EXPOSURES IN 6-MONTH-OLD PIGS REARED IN DIFFERENT NEONATAL ENVIRONMENTS

1. 1. Endocrine and thermoregulatory responses to acute heat (34°C) and cold (10°C) exposures were determined in eight pigs at 6 months of age. Half of the pigs had been reared in a cycling upper thermal environment (27–32°C) for the first 28 days of life, while the others had been reared in a lower thermal environment (21°C). 2. 2. Concentrations of cortisol increased significantly during both acute heat and cold thermal exposures (P = 0.0001) although the response was greater in the heat than in the cold (P = 0.003). A prolactin response occurred during acute heat exposure (P = 0.004). Growth hormone secretion increased during acute cold exposure (P = 0.001). There was a strong tendency for increased epinephrine secretion during both acute heat and cold exposures (P = 0.06). No significant effects of either exposure were found on plasma norepinephrine (P = 0.9), or triiodothyronine (P = 0.11). 3. 3. Neonatal environment did not affect daily core body temperature (Tc) before acute heat or cold exposures, but did alter amplitude of the 24-h Tc cycle. The amplitude was significantly greater in animals reared in the lower thermal environment (P < 0.001). 4. 4. Acute heat exposure resulted in significant increases in Tc (P < 0.001) and heat production (P < 0.01). Neonatal thermal environment had no significant effect on Tc and heat production responses to acute heat and cold thermal exposures.
Divergent Kinetics of Proliferating T Cell Subsets in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Infection: SIV Eliminates the “First Responder” CD4+ T Cells in Primary Infection

Although increased lymphocyte turnover in chronic human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection has been reported in blood, there is little information on cell turnover in tissues, particularly in primary SIV infection. Here we examined the levels of proliferating T cell subsets in mucosal and peripheral lymphoid tissues of adult macaques throughout SIV infection. To specifically label cells in S-phase division, all animals were inoculated with bromodeoxyuridine 24 h prior to sampling. In healthy macaques, the highest levels of proliferating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were in blood and, to a lesser extent, in spleen. Substantial percentages of proliferating cells were also found in intestinal tissues, including the jejunum, ileum, and colon, but very few proliferating cells were detected in lymph nodes (axillary and mesenteric). Moreover, essentially all proliferating T cells in uninfected animals coexpressed CD95 and many coexpressed CCR5 in the tissues examined. Confocal microscopy also demonstrated that proliferating cells were substantial viral target cells for SIV infection and viral replication. After acute SIV infection, percentages of proliferating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were significantly higher in tissues of chronically infected macaques and macaques with AIDS than in those of the controls. Surprisingly, however, we found that proliferating CD4(+) T cells were selectively decreased in very early infection (8 to 10 days postinoculation [dpi]). In contrast, levels of proliferating CD8(+) T cells rapidly increased after SIV infection, peaked by 13 to 21 dpi, and thereafter remained significantly higher than those in the controls. Taken together, these findings suggest that SIV selectively infects and destroys dividing, nonspecific CD4(+) T cells in acute infection, resulting in homeostatic changes and perhaps continuing loss of replication capacity to respond to nonspecific and, later, SIV-specific antigens.
The REVELANCE OF RELEVANCE TO The TESTING AND EVALUATION OF DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS

There is some evidence of a slackening of interest in the testing and evaluation of retrieval systems. The estimated significance of this problem also appears to have decreased markedly. A literature search reveals the existence of less than fifty papers published to date in 1966, most of which do not report experimental activity. This dearth of significant effort may be due to a number of factors: investigators engaged in testing and evaluation have exhausted their repertoire; difficulty in undertaking further effort and at the same time satisfying more stringent experimental design requirements; realization that there never was any theoretical basis to testing and evaluation in the first place and that some basic‐type research is necessary before beginning any new testing activity. It is disappointing to consider how little the work on evaluation has contributed to the improved design and optimization of information retrieval systems. Little agreement exists either with respect to the nature of the phenomena which we wish to subject to quantification (what we are testing) or as to the requisite methodology (bow we are to test).
Impact of post-translational modifications of proteins on the inflammatory process.

PTM (post-translational modification) is the chemical modification of a protein after its translation. The well-studied PTM is phosphorylation, but, recently, PTMs have been re-focused by extensive studies on histone modifications and the discovery of the ubiquitin system. Histone acetylation is the well-established epigenetic regulator for gene expression. Recent studies show that different patterns of PTMs and cross-talk of individual modifications (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation) are keys of gene regulation (known as the ‘histone code’). As well as histone, non-histone proteins are also targets of acetylation. For instance, NF-κB (nuclear factor κB), a transcriptional factor, is regulated dynamically by acetylation/deacetylation. Acetylation of NF-κB [RelA (p65)] at Lys 310 enhances its transcriptional activity, which is inhibited by SIRT1 deacetylase, type III HDAC (histone deacetylase). We also found that acetylated NF-κB preferentially bound to the IL-8 (interleukin 8) gene promoter, but not to GM-CSF (granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor), suggesting NF-κB acetylation is involved in selective gene induction as well as an increased level of transcription. A receptor of glucocorticoid, a potent anti-inflammatory agent, is also a target of acetylation. The glucocorticoid receptor is highly acetylated after ligand binding but its deacetylation is necessary for gene repression through binding to NF-κB. As well as acetylation, other PTMs, such as nitration, carbonylation and ubiquitination on transcriptional/nuclear factors, are taking part in the inflammatory process. Cross-talk of individual modifications on proteins deserves further evaluation in the future (as ‘protein code’).
Structural characterization of tachykinins (neuropeptide γ, neurokinin A, and substance P) from a reptile, Alligator mississipiensis

Abstract An extract of the whole brain of the alligator ( Alligator mississipiensis ) contained very high concentrations of substance P-like immunoreactivity (405 pmol/g wet tissue) and neurokinin A-like immunoreactivity (514 pmol/g), as measured with antisera raised against the mammalian peptides. The primary structure of alligator substance P was established as: Arg-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gly-Leu-Met-NH... This sequence is the same as that of chicken substance P and shows one substitution (Arg for Lys 3 ) as compared with mammalian substance P. The neurokinin A-like immunoreactivity was separated into two components. Neuropeptide y was the most abundant peptide and its primary structure was established as Asp-Ala-Gly-Tyr-Gly-Gln-Ile-Ser-His-Lys-Arg-His-Lys-Thr-Asp-Ser-Phe-Val-Gly-Leu-Met-NH 2 . This sequences shows one substitution (Tyr for His 4 ) compared with mammalian neuropeptide y. The second component was identical to mammalian neurokinin A. A peptide with the chromatographic properties of mammalian neuropeptide K was not identified in the extract.
Characterizing Mammalian cells and cell phantoms by polarized backscattering fiber-optic measurements.

Fiber-optic, polarized elastic-scattering spectroscopy techniques are implemented and demonstrated as a method for determining both scatterer size and concentration in highly scattering media. Measurements of polystyrene spheres are presented to validate the technique. Measurements of biological cells provide an estimate of the average effective scatterer radius of 0.5–1.0 µm. This average effective scatterer size is significantly smaller than the nucleus. In addition, to facilitate use of polarization techniques on biological cells, polarized angular dependent scattering from cell suspensions was measured. The light scattering from cells has properties similar to those of small spheres.
Questcrowd: a location-based question answering system with participation incentives

We present QuestCrowd, a location-based system that uses crowd-sourcing to answer simple day-to-day questions. QuestCrowd supports realtime questions along with questions that can be answered using factual information by people not present at the location. Key design mechanisms that set it apart from similar location-based systems include (i) a reputation system that motivates quality contributors by rewarding high quality answers (ii) a forwarding mechanism that leverages existing social graph relations to increase participation.
Proliferative Index Determination in Prostatic Carcinoma Tissue: Is There Any Additional Prognostic Value Greater Than That of Gleason Score, Ploidy and Pathological Stage?

ABSTRACTPurpose: The proliferative index was evaluated as an additional prognostic variable in 244 radical prostatectomy specimens from patients with prostate cancer. This study was done on the grounds that this variable has shown some promise as a prognostic tool in some other carcinomas, for example breast cancer.Materials and Methods: The proliferative index was evaluated in 244 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease between January 1988 and August 1994. Proliferative index was determined using the Ki-67 antibody on fresh frozen tissue and MIB-1 on paraffin embedded tissues. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on a proliferative index of less than 1 (185) or 1 or greater (59). Of the patients 49 (20%) had biochemical failure (median 23 months to progressive prostate specific antigen elevation of 0.5 ng./ml. or more). Those whose treatment failed were also divided into 2 groups according to proliferative index: 32 of 185 (18%) with an index of less than 1 and 17...
Role of polymorphic Fc gamma receptor IIIa and EGFR expression level in cetuximab mediated, NK cell dependent in vitro cytotoxicity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

Immunotherapy with the EGFR-specific mAb cetuximab is clinically effective in 10–20% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Little information is available about the mechanism(s) underlying patients’ differential clinical response to cetuximab-based immunotherapy, although this information may contribute to optimizing the design of cetuximab-based immunotherapy. Our understanding of these mechanisms would benefit from the characterization of the variables which influence the extent of cell dependent-lysis of SCCHN cells incubated with cetuximab in vitro. Therefore, in this study we have investigated the role of FcγR IIIa-158 genotype expressed by effector NK cells, cetuximab concentration, and EGFR expression level by SCCHN cells in the extent of their in vitro lysis and in the degree of NK cell activation. PBMC or purified CD56+ NK cells genotyped at IIIa codon 158 and SCCHN cell lines expressing different levels of EGFR have been used as effectors and targets, respectively, in antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays. Furthermore, supernatants from ADCC assays were analyzed for cytokine and chemokine levels using multiplexed ELISA. We found that the extent of lysis of SCCHN cells was influenced by the EGFR expression level, cetuximab concentration, and FcγR polymorphism. Effector cells expressing the FcγR IIIa-158 VV allele were significantly (P < 0.0001) more effective than those expressing FcγR IIIa VF and VV alleles in mediating lysis of SCCHN cells expressed higher levels of the activation markers CD69 and CD107a, and secreted significantly (P < 0.05) larger amounts of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. IL-2 or IL-15 treatment increased cetuximab-mediated ADCC by poor binding FcγR IIIa 158 FF expressing NK cells. The importance of the FcγR IIIa-158 polymorphism in cytotoxicity of SCCHN cells by NK cells supports a potential role for immune activation and may explain patient variability of cetuximab mediated clinical responses. Cellular and secreted immune profiles and FcγR genotypes from patients’ lymphocytes may provide clinically useful biomarkers of immune activation in cetuximab treated patients.
Combined chirp coded tissue harmonic and fundamental ultrasound imaging for intravascular ultrasound: 20-60 MHz phantom and ex vivo results.

Abstract The application of chirp coded excitation to pulse inversion tissue harmonic imaging can increase signal to noise ratio. On the other hand, the elevation of range side lobe level, caused by leakages of the fundamental signal, has been problematic in mechanical scanners which are still the most prevalent in high frequency intravascular ultrasound imaging. Fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging can achieve range side lobe levels lower than −60 dB with Hanning window, but it yields higher side lobes level than pulse inversion chirp coded tissue harmonic imaging (PI-CTHI). Therefore, in this paper a combined pulse inversion chirp coded tissue harmonic and fundamental imaging mode (CPI-CTHI) is proposed to retain the advantages of both chirp coded harmonic and fundamental imaging modes by demonstrating 20–60 MHz phantom and ex vivo results. A simulation study shows that the range side lobe level of CPI-CTHI is 16 dB lower than PI-CTHI, assuming that the transducer translates incident positions by 50 μm when two beamlines of pulse inversion pair are acquired. CPI-CTHI is implemented for a proto-typed intravascular ultrasound scanner capable of combined data acquisition in real-time. A wire phantom study shows that CPI-CTHI has a 12 dB lower range side lobe level and a 7 dB higher echo signal to noise ratio than PI-CTHI, while the lateral resolution and side lobe level are 50 μm finer and −3 dB less than fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging respectively. Ex vivo scanning of a rabbit trachea demonstrates that CPI-CTHI is capable of visualizing blood vessels as small as 200 μm in diameter with 6 dB better tissue contrast than either PI-CTHI or fundamental chirp coded excitation imaging. These results clearly indicate that CPI-CTHI may enhance tissue contrast with less range side lobe level than PI-CTHI.
Glass Color Filters for Special Applications

The spectrophotometric data for one thickness of a glass is sufficient for calculating these data for any other thickness by a method here described, using either an ordinary slide rule or a special table. Calculation is made of the thickness required of two special glasses used in combination, one yellow, the other a new type of blue green, for correcting the spectral response of a photronic cell to the spectral luminosity response of the eye.
Determinants of farmer behavior: Adoption of and compliance with best management practices for nonpoint source pollution in the Skaneateles Lake Watershed

ABSTRACT Policy makers and public managers have recently implemented a wide range of watershed management programs designed to reduce nonpoint pollution from agriculture. This paper focuses on the progress of one such program. Skaneateles Lake, New York is the drinking water supply of Syracuse City. Granted “filtration avoidance” under the Surface Water Treatment Rules – allowance of unfiltered water supply conditional upon heightened source protection activities – the City, in cooperation with other agencies, established the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program (SLWAP) in 1994 as one element of a broader watershed protection plan. The SLWAP is a 5–10 member interagency pollution prevention program designed to work cooperatively and independently with watershed farmers to develop Whole Farm Plans that incorporate pollution minimizing best management practices. The program is voluntary and not all farmers have agreed to opt in. Using a modified behavioral model, this paper examines adoption and ...
SiSSi and SiOSi bonds in molecules and solids: A comparison

Ab initio STO-3G molecular orbital calculations completed for various silicon sulfide molecules have reproduced bridging bond length and angle variations of molecular and solid state thiosilicates. Calculated potential energy curves for SiSSi and SiOSi bonds conform with the narrow range of angles (106°–115°) observed for thiosilicates and the wide range (120°–180°) observed for silicates. In addition, the limited range of angles of the SiSSi bond agrees with the limited range of topologies and configurations exhibited by molecular and solid thiosilicates as compared to the wider range of angles, topologies and configurations exhibited by siloxanes and silicates. Quadratic stretching and bending force constants calculated for the silicon sulfide molecules agree with experimental values. The close correspondence of bond length and angle variations in molecular and solid thiosilicate systems indicates that the local bonding forces in both systems are practically the same notwithstanding the long range forces of the solid.
The Rhetorical Occasion of 'This Lime-Tree Bower my Prison'

Prison’ present it as a self-consolatory exercise in which Coleridge’s sympathetic imagination delivers him from an imprisoning solitude. Here I will argue alternately, first, that Charles Lamb rather than Coleridge himself is the principal subject of the text’s consolatory enterprise, and second that the consolations offered are in important respects less imaginative than theological – more specifically, that they are implicitly but crucially Unitarian. Reeve Parker has anticipated my argument by casting ‘Lime-Tree Bower’ as ‘a consolation based in essentially Christian tradition’ and offered to Lamb with an eye to Mary Lamb’s murder of their mother, the ‘strange calamity’ which Coleridge mentions Lamb struggling to overcome. Parker draws his interpretive model not from Coleridge’s Unitarianism, however, but from ‘the Christian meditative tradition that Coleridge encountered in extensive reading of seventeenth-century Puritan and Anglican writers’ (Parker, 27). Conceding Coleridge’s Unitarianism, Paul Magnuson brilliantly reads the blessing to Lamb in ‘LimeTree Bower’ as ‘not only a private gesture, but also a public stance, a Unitarian and dissenting stance against an established order that has corrupted Christianity’. But Magnuson is concerned with Unitarianism primarily for its contribution to the text’s carefully hedged political self-presentation. And he also writes that ‘the poem traces Coleridge’s emergence from a private bower and prison ... through the agency of the Wordsworths and Lamb’ (Magnuson, 62), a claim which again emphasizes Lamb redeeming Coleridge rather than the other way around. Although the Wordsworths participated in the walk recounted in ‘Lime-Tree Bower’, it remains Lamb, we should recall, to whom the poem is inscribed. We should notice similarly that Coleridge turns to his own situation after he finishes depicting Lamb’s joyous vision of ‘the Almighty Spirit’ (line 43), so that his own reconciliation merely unfolds a lesson established by his reflections on Lamb. ‘LimeTree Bower’ certainly dramatizes Coleridge himself achieving redemptive understanding. But the text’s consolatory project centers on Lamb, I believe, and takes its bearings from Lamb’s religious attitudes. That is why the Unitarianism that Coleridge shared with Lamb, but about which they also disagreed, helped set the terms of Coleridge’s address to his suffering friend.
Estimation of first- and second-order moments of a quantized stationary signal

It is routinely desired to estimate certain statistical properties from the quantized representation of a signal. This article considers the estimators for the local average and variance of the process, and establishes expressions for the mean, variance, and envelopes of the probability density functions of these two estimators. The relationships obtained closely match simulation results, even in abnormal circumstances such as estimation window of a few elements only, or quantization where the step comes close to the signal range. The results give a quantitative justification to the known fact that increasing quantizer resolution brings relatively little improvement in the quality of moment estimates.
Postoperative radiation therapy for primary vs. recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: results of a comparative analysis.

Background There is little literature comparatively evaluating the results of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck treated for primary versus recurrent disease. Methods Between 1981 and 1993, 174 patients with SCC of the head and neck, 143 with primary and 31 with recurrent disease, were treated with standard postoperative RT. Results Patients treated for primary disease had 5-year local-regional control (LRC) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates of 69% and 54%, respectively, as compared with 46% and 32%, respectively, for patients treated for recurrent disease (P = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only tumor type (primary vs recurrent) significantly influenced LRC (P = 0.003) and only primary tumor site (oral cavity vs nonoral cavity) significantly influenced DSS (P = 0.04). Among the patients treated for recurrent disease, site of recurrence (undissected vs dissected tissue) significantly influenced both LRC and DSS (P = 0.008 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusions Patients with recurrent SCC of the head and neck do poorly as compared with those with primary disease when treated with standard postoperative RT, particularly when the recurrence is within previously dissected tissue. This patient group should be targeted for alternative treatment strategies. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 554–559, 1999.
Goal aversiveness after escape training with short and long intertrial intervals

Different intertriai intervals (ITIs) may influence the aversiveness of the goal area in aversive training with one-way procedures. That possibility was explored. Albino rats were given 20 shock-escape runway trials with short or long ITIs followed by 5 extinction test trials with goalbox measures for latency to eat, climb out, and move onto a wood floor. Different measures produced different outcomes. “Time to eat” did not differentiate groups. Massed-trials animals were quicker to “move over” initially but slowed down over trials. Spaced and massed procedures did not produce initial differences on “climb out,” but spaced-trials animals speeded up over trials and massed-trials animals slowed down. Results suggested that differences in ITIs did not generate major differences in levels of aversion in the “safe” area. ITI effects on performance may be due to differential effects on the conditioning process.
Myofibrillar ATPase activity in the transplanted canine heart

Myofibrils were prepared from the left ventricles of normal dogs, of dogs after cardiac denervation, and of dogs in low output cardiac failure after cardiac homotransplantation. The ATPase activity of the myofibrils in the presence and absence of calcium was measured. It was found that cardiac denervation and cardiac homotransplantation leading to cardiac failure did not alter the intrinsic ATPase activity of myofibrils in either the presence or absence of calcium. Although this study does not eliminate a defect in excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac failure secondary to transplantation, it indicates that there is no primary defect in the intrinsic ATPase activity of cardiac myofibrils from transplanted hearts in failure.
Dry etching damage of silicon: A review

Abstract A review of our present understanding of silicon surface modifications resulting from reactive ion etching (RIE) is presented. The spectroscopic evidence for silicon substrate defects produced by reactive low pressure plasmas, the effect of hydrogen in the feed gas in promoting the formation of extended silicon defects and modifying the electrical properties of the silicon substrate, and the dependence of residual silicon near-surface modifications on important dry etch process parameters such as the silicon etch rate is surveyed. The experimental evidence for the importance of diffusion effects is summarized. Issues associated with annealing treatments of RIE defects are discussed. The paper concludes with a listing of oustanding issued and current trends in dry etching, enabling improved dry etch damage control.
Some evolving thoughts regarding radar meteor observations

Radar meteor research, once declared “dead” (Gilbert, G. N. (1977), Growth and decline of a scientific specialty: The case of meteor radar research, EOS Trans. AGU, 58#5, 273–277.), has in its modern manifestation proven resilient, informative, and stimulating as this research requires integration of many disciplinary and cross-disciplinary areas. These areas include our favorite subject, radio science, as it applies to the meteor head- and trail-echo scattering as well as non-equilibrium plasmas and planetary and solar system evolution among many others. Thorough understanding of the radio science aspects of radar meteors is required to correctly interpret observations—for example, it has been argued that meteoroid fragmentation is dominant in even classical trail-echo radars (Elford, W. G., M. A. Cervera, and D. I. Steel (1994), Single station identification of radar meteor shower activity: the June Librids in 1992, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 270, 401–408.). This understanding depends on mutually informed and evolving observational techniques and modeling studies. It must also depend on testing the radar meteor results against those of related areas such as optical meteor studies. In particular, very low-light TV (LLTV) camera systems have convincingly revealed meteors with beginning heights up to ∼200 km (Koten, P., P. Spurny, J. Borovicka, S. Evans, A. Elliot, H. Betlem, R. Stork, and K. Jobse (2006), The beginning heights and light curves of high altitude meteors, Meteor. Planet. Sci., 41, 1305–1320.) thus extending the “meteor zone” from below 80 km to at least 200 km. Further, the LLTV observations show the transition from sputtering above to ablation below with the transition occurring near 120 km altitude. Fragmentation is found to be a factor in high altitude optical meteors. This raises the question of why high altitude radar meteors (HARM) have not been widely observed. We report on some progress in this arena and on other likely meteor related phenomena that hint of important transient electrodynamic phenomena.
Atomic force microscopy: a powerful tool for surface defect and morphology inspection in semiconductor industry

The industrial use of instruments based on Atomic Force Microscopy that started in the mid 1990's has seen a wide spectrum of applications for product and process controls in semiconductor industry where the continuous effort of smaller and smaller size defect reduction is a driving force of the technological development. The paper will examine a subsection of this world, the electronic grade silicon wafer manufacturing and product development. In this area, the technique is applied to the measurement of surface defect geometry down to a size of a few angstroms and a surface micro-roughness at various areas of inspection from 1E-10 cm 2 to 1E-4 cm 2 . First, a brief description of the measurement principle is given in order to discuss aspects related to accuracy and stability of the technique when micro-roughness values are considered. Then, a few examples involving the inspection of crystal related defects detectable on the silicon wafer surface as well as different textures following various surface-finishing processes will be discussed. Finally, examples of the use of Atomic Force Microscopy on Silicon On Insulator and strained silicon materials will give an insight about the relevance of this technique in the field of New Materials development in the electronics industry.
Void Fraction Covariance in Two-Phase Flows

A void fraction covariance in the expression for area-averaged local relative velocity has been assumed to be one by current and past researchers. Similarly, in a multi-bubble group approach, void covariances for each bubble group appear in the group area-averaged relative velocity expressions. The covariance terms have been analyzed with a substantial database from literature including upward flow in pipe diameters of 1.27 cm to 15.2 cm, downward flow in pipe diameters of 2.54 cm and 5.08 cm, and upward flow in an annulus (Dh = 1.9cm) under adiabatic, boiling, and condensing conditions. Simple relations are proposed to specify the covariance in order to improve the prediction of area-averaged local relative velocity. The correlations were found to agree well with the experimental data for the flow configurations and conditions analyzed.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
An exercise in constructing secure mobile ad hoc network (SMANET)

A secure MANET system, called SMANET, was developed that accepts only those packets whose MAC addresses are in the Linux iptable firewall rules. Detailed iptable set up and the performance of the firewall are presented. SMANET is integrated with a simple intrusion alert system based on TCP DUMP utility.
Scattering matrices and scattering geodesics of locally symmetric spaces

Abstract Let Γ/X be a Q -rank one locally symmetric space. We describe the frequencies of oscillation of scattering matrices on Γ/X in the energy variable in terms of sojourn times of scattering geodesics. Scattering geodesics are the geodesics which move to infinity in both directions and are distance minimizing near both infinities. The sojourn time of a scattering geodesic is the time it spends in a fixed compact region. The frequencies of oscillation come from the singularities of the Fourier transforms of scattering matrices and we show that these occur at sojourn times of scattering geodesics on the locally symmetric space. This generalizes a result of Guillemin obtained in the case of finite volume noncompact Riemann surfaces.
Neonatal hypernatraemia in two siblings with Netherton's syndrome.

SUMMARY We report two siblings with Netherton's syndrome who developed hypernatraemia during the neonatal period. Although this is likely to have been due to trans-epidermal water loss in erythrodermic infants rather than to Netherton's syndrome specifically, this complication should be remembered in erythrodermic infants as a preventable cause of neonatal morbidity.
COSULFATION OF FATTY ACID ALKANOLAMIDES AND LOWER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS.

The process for the sulfation of tallow isopropanolamide or of a 50:50 mixture of tallow diglycolamide and isopropanolamide with chlorosulfonic acid was studied. The major obstacle to complete and uniform sulfation was the high viscosity of the sulfation mix. This could be overcome most advantageously by cosulfation with lower molecular weight alcohols, preferably isopropanol. The most fluid reaction mix and product were prepared from the mixed amides. No chlorinated solvent is required for such cosulfations.
Advances in studying bioinorganic reaction mechanisms: isotopic probes of activated oxygen intermediates in metalloenzymes

Metalloenzymes catalyze reactions of molecular oxygen and its reduced forms through the controlled formation of metal-bound, activated oxygen intermediates. These intermediates have been a challenge to characterize and new experimental approaches capable of relating structure to reactivity under physiologically relevant conditions are needed. The application of a competitive isotope fractionation technique has enabled changes in O–O bonding to be probed during enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The derived isotope effects provide insights into the reaction mechanisms of O2 and O2 −, which probably could not have been obtained using more conventional methods.
The role of amygdaloid central nucleus in the retention of differential pavlovian conditioning of bradycardia in rabbits.

Abstract The present study examined the role of the amygdaloid central nucleus (ACE) in the retention of differential pavlovian conditioning of bradycardia in rabbits. Electrodes were implanted bilaterally in ACE or in control sites just dorsal and rostral to ACE. Following recovery, animals were subjected to differential pavlovian conditioning in which one tone (CS +) was paired with periorbital shock and a second tone (CS −) was presented alone. Subsequent electrolytic lesions abolished the heart rate (HR) conditioned response (CR), yet had no effect on HR orienting response, unconditioned response, or baseline. In a follow-up experiment, corneoretinal potential (CRP) and HR were recorded. Bilateral ACE lesions profoundly attenuated or abolished the HR CR without abolishing CRP CRs. The major finding of this study is that bilateral lesions of ACE selectively attenuate the HR CR while not necessarily abolishing other CRs.
Interferometrically-coupled traveling-wave resonators for nonlinear optics applications

A traveling-wave resonator structure with interferometric-coupling scheme is shown to have the capability of supporting both over-coupled and critically-coupled modes, simultaneously. This device is demonstrated in SOI with an integrated microheater to tune its coupling. The application of this device for nonlinear optics is discussed.
Gas-phase infrared spectrum of methyl nitrate

Abstract The infrared spectrum of methyl nitrate has been reinvestigated. Analysis of the 0.125 cm −1 room temperature spectrum has been carried out with the assistance of high-level ab initio calculations using coupled-cluster theory. Use of second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2), with allowances—when necessary—for resonances has permitted the complete assignment of all fundamental vibrational modes in this molecule. A few errors in previous assignments are corrected (notably the CH stretching modes that are now assigned as ν 1 = 3034.1 cm −1 ; ν 2 = 2961.5 cm −1 , and ν 13 = 3014.5 cm −1 and the methyl deformation ν 15 , assigned to 1155.7 cm −1 ), and the work also presents a highly accurate empirically adjusted force field that reproduces all fundamental frequencies to within 0.1 cm −1 . This Hamiltonian should be accurate enough to predict two- and three-quantum transitions to within a few cm −1 . The remaining fundamental frequencies (in cm −1 ) are ν 4 = 1667.0; ν 5 = 1431.8; ν 6 = 1291.2; ν 7 = 1177.9; ν 8 = 1018.5; ν 9 = 855.4; ν 10 = 658.3; ν 11 = 571.0; ν 12 = 344.2; ν 14 = 1444.7; ν 16 = 760.6; ν 17 = 204.5; and ν 18 = 133.7.
Outcome analysis using hazard function methodology.

Background. The hazard function is the instantaneous rate of occurrence of a time-related event, such as death. Methods exist to determine the hazard function from clinical outcome (follow-up) data, to identify risk factors for higher hazard, and to generate patient-specific predictions. In this article, hazard function methodology is extended to the arena of healthcare costs. Methods. Using a compartmental analogue, a hazard function method is introduced to analyze patient-specific distributions of hospital costs, charges, or length of stay when these are truncated by the competing risk of in-hospital death. Another hazard function method is proposed to analyze time-related healthcare costs, exploiting weighted repeated events theory. Results. Successful application of the hospital costs methodology in the hazard function domain is demonstrated for length-of-stay data after coronary artery bypass grafting. A previously reported analysis of variable morbidity from repeated thromboembolic events illustrates the weighted events methods. Conclusions. Existing hazard function methodology can be extended to analyze healthcare costs, either of a single episode of care or of multiple time-related episodes.
Insights into the Structure and Dynamics of the Dinuclear Zinc β-Lactamase Site from Bacteroides fragilis†

Herein, we report quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the dinuclear form of the Bacteroides fragilis zinc β-lactamase. We studied four different configurations ...
Modified isocratic capillary electrophoresis detection of cell-free DNA in semen.

Purpose: The objectives were: i) to analyze semen for the presence of cell-free DNA and ii) to determine the association between sperm parameters and cell-free DNA. Methods: Cell-free DNA in semen (N=25 cases) were detected using the modified capillary gel electrophoresis (CE) procedure. SYBR-Gold was used to stain high (12 Kb) and low (1 Kb) molecular weight DNA fragments and the images analyzed. Results: The quantity of low-molecular weight cell-free DNA was positively correlated to rapid progression, curvilinear velocity (>40 μ/s), normal strict morphology and capacitation index. High-molecular weight cell-free DNA intensity index was negatively correlated to post-wash hyperactivation. Sperm concentration was not related to cell-free DNA quantity. The sperm freezing process did not increase cell-free DNA but reduced the more labile low-molecular weight cell-free DNA. Conclusions: Cell-free DNA present in semen was correlated to important sperm parameters linked to normal sperm function. The data suggested the possible use of cell-free DNA as a marker of semen quality. This study reports on the novel finding of cell-free DNA released along with sperm during each ejaculation.
Connections between minimum entropy control and mixed H 2 / H ∞ control for time-varying systems

Abstract In this paper two properties of minimum entropy control for linear time-varying systems are investigated. An entropy formulation for anti-causal systems is first considered. Minimizing the norm of an anticausal system is straightforward because of the fact that the norm of an operator is equal to the norm of its adjoint. This is not true for the entropy measure. For this reason a separate formula for the entropy of anti-causal systems is needed in order to consider dual problems that arise in optimal control theory. Secondly, we investigate the relationship between the entropy measure for time-varying systems and the H 2 and H ∞ norms. For time-invariant systems, minimum entropy control has been shown to be a good mixed H 2/ H ∞ controller. In this paper we show that this is also true in the time-varying case.
Narrative well-formedness in Alzheimer's discourse: An interactional examination across settings

Abstract This paper examines two narrative interactions with a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease (hereafter AD). Focussing largely on the resultant narrative, previous psycholinguistic research has, on the whole, explained the AD patient's deteriorating narrative skills in terms of the progressively debilitating nature of the disease. Little attention has been paid to the more ‘contextual’ aspects of Alzheimer discourse. This paper calls attention to the fact that extensive and meaningful talk on the part of AD patients is partially grounded in and constructed through social interactions, with some interactions and particular settings facilitating better formed narratives than others. By examining some ways in which AD narrative interactions vary across two settings - home and day-care center - this paper underscores the importance of understanding and assessing AD discourse like all discourse: in contextual/interactional terms.
Strategic Voting in Conditions of Political Instability: The 1994 Elections in El Salvador

This article presents a game theoretic model to explain the broad electoral support for the extreme right-wing party, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), in the 1994 elections in El Salvador. Making use of poll data, the author shows that the deciding factor in this electoral outcome was not the procedural defects, the apathy of the electorate, or the disorganization of the opposition parties but, instead, uncertainty about the peace process. The model helps to explain why during the political campaign, ARENA played the “fear card” and why the peasants voted in such great numbers for a party opposed to the land reform that would greatly benefit them. The author argues that the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) participated in the election not just to win but more to provide legitimacy for the new democratic process. The article concludes by discussing implications of the findings for the prospects for democratic consolidation in El Salvador.
Reevaluation of capitation contracting in New York and California.

We obtained detailed quantitative and interview data from Aetna U.S. Healthcare and six physician organizations to examine changes between 1998 and 2000 in the scope of capitation contracting and delegation of responsibility for claims payment and medical management in New York and California. The physician organizations in New York included Benchmark (Continuum), Montefiore IPA, and Lenox Hill Healthcare Network. In California they included Brown and Toland Medical Group, Monarch Healthcare, and Santa Clara County IPA. In both California, where global and shared risk capitation have been common, and New York, where they have not, we find movement to reduce the scope of prepayment and a rethinking of the delegated contractual relationship by physician organizations and health plans. This represents a departure from the 1990s, when many industry participants and analysts expected capitated and delegated relationships to spread across the nation.
Relationship between B-type natriuretic peptides and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in the intensive care unit

OBJECTIVES We examined whether B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) can serve as noninvasive markers of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) in the setting of critical illness. BACKGROUND The BNP and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are highly correlated with left ventricular (LV) filling pressures in patients with depressed LV systolic function. However, their relationship to PCWP in a heterogeneous intensive care unit (ICU) population has not been established. METHODS We prospectively studied 40 patients in the ICU requiring invasive hemodynamic monitoring. Hemodynamics were recorded simultaneously with blood sampling for BNP and NT-proBNP. RESULTS The BNP (median 420 pg/ml) and NT-proBNP (median 3,304 pg/ml) levels were markedly elevated, but weakly correlated with PCWP (BNP, r = 0.40, NT-proBNP, r = 0.32) and other cardiac parameters. Peptide levels were approximately four-fold greater in patients with impaired (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 60 ml/min) renal function, despite similar PCWP, cardiac index, and LV ejection fraction. In addition, both BNP and NT-proBNP showed stronger correlations with PCWP in patients with preserved (BNP, r = 0.58, NT-proBNP, r = 0.73) versus impaired renal function (BNP, r = 0.48, NT-proBNP, r = 0.34). Interaction terms between eGFR and BNP (p = 0.06) and NT-proBNP (p = 0.04) suggest that eGFR modulates the relationship of these peptides to filling pressures. CONCLUSIONS The BNPs are markedly elevated, yet show only weak correlations to PCWP in ICU patients requiring invasive hemodynamic monitoring. Thus, a single value for BNP or NT-proBNP may not be a clinically useful noninvasive marker of filling pressures in the critically ill patient. This appears to be especially true in patients with impaired renal function.
On-chip transistor characterization arrays with digital interfaces for variability characterization

An on-chip test-and-measurement system with digital interfaces that can perform device-level characterization of large-dense arrays of transistors is demonstrated in 90- and 65-nm technologies. The collected variability data from the 90-nm run is used to create a statistical device model based on BSIM4.3 to capture random variability. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract a reduced set of purely random variables from a set of correlated BSIM4.3 parameters. Different layout-dependent systematic effects, related to poly- and active-flares, STI-stress, and lithography limitations, are examined in both technologies. These layoutdependent effects are mapped to systematic shifts in BSIM4.3 and BSIM4.4 model parameters in 90- and 65-nm, respectively.
Treatment of Early Postoperative Infections after THA: A Decision Analysis

Background The treatment for an early postoperative periprosthetic infection after cementless THA that results in the highest quality of life after the control of infection is unknown. Although common treatments include irrigation and debridement with component retention, a one-stage exchange, or a two-stage exchange, it is unclear whether any of these provides a higher quality of life after the control of infection.
Secure Delta-Publishing of XML Content

Many content distribution applications are characterized by frequent, incremental updates. Efficiency is not the only requirement in that security is also crucial for a large spectrum of applications. The goal of this work is to develop an approach for efficient and scalable dissemination of XML documents while assuring confidentiality, integrity and completeness without requiring the third-party publishers to be trusted. The key element of our approach to reduce the bandwidth requirements is to use delta messaging. Our approach takes every possible measure to minimize indirect information leakage by making the rest of the structure of XML documents to which clients do not have access oblivious. The experimental results show that our scheme is superior to conventional techniques of securing XML documents when the percentage of updates with respect to original documents is low.