cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D integrated LTCC module using /spl mu/BGA technology for compact C-band RF front-end module

This paper presents a novel 3D integration approach for system-on-package (SOP) based solutions for wireless communication applications. This concept has been applied for the 3D integration of a C band Wireless LAN (WLAN) RF front-end module by means of stacking LTCC substrates using /spl mu/BGA technology. Characterization and modeling of RF vertical board-to-board transition, using /spl mu/BGA process are presented for the first time. Specific investigations for 5.8 GHz WLAN applications such as high performance embedded band-pass filter design, and a via-fed stacked cavity-backed patch antenna development are reported. GaAs MESFET-based Rx and Tx chipset is implemented in GaAs MESFET process and combined with the suggested package structure, demonstrating 3D integration concept suitable for C-band wireless communication applications.
Rescheduling of flights during ground delay programs with consideration of passenger and crew connections

We address the rescheduling problem by an airline when a ground delay program (GDP) is issued with mathematical programming techniques. The objective is to minimize delay measures, cost for crew and passenger misconnections, and cost of flight cancelations subject to several restrictions. We present a new linear integer model that incorporates all objectives. Using real-world and random data we present extensive computations to evaluate the model that is solved with standard software. High quality solutions are found quickly, i.e. within seconds. We show the significant effect of setting cost values for misconnections and cancelations on the new slot assignments.
Adrenogenital syndrome due to congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia.

Summary A survey is made of fourteen cases of virilizing adrenal hyperplasia observed in the last ten years. The clinical and metabolic variability of the disease is emphasized. The diagnosis and management are discussed. Recent advances in the physiopathology of the disease are briefly reviewed.
Behavior of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in the presence of phenolic copigments

Abstract Anthocyanin stability and color intensity are generally improved in the presence of copigments in moderately acidic environments. The 3-deoxyanthocyanins on the other hand are fairly stable to color loss due to change in pH. It is unknown, therefore, how they behave in the presence of copigments. We studied the effects of common phenolic copigments, tannic, ferulic, and O -coumaric acids, and rutin on behavior and stability of six 3-deoxyanthocyandins over 4.5 months. Tannic and ferulic acid produced the most significant bathochromic shift, whereas rutin had no bathochromic effect. None of the copigments produced a significant hyperchromic shift with the pigments, implying colored species of the pigments were predominant under conditions used. Ferulic and tannic acids were the most effective at improving color stability of 5-hydroxylated pigments, whereas tannic acid and rutin improved the stability of 5-methoxylated pigments the most. Substitution at C-5 was key to overall behavior of the 3-deoxyanthocyanidins.
Catalytically powered dynamic assembly of rod-shaped nanomotors and passive tracer particles

Nano- and microscale motors powered by catalytic reactions exhibit collective behavior such as swarming, predator–prey interactions, and chemotaxis that resemble those of biological microorganisms. A quantitative understanding of the catalytically generated forces between particles that lead to these behaviors has so far been lacking. Observations and numerical simulations of pairwise interactions between gold-platinum nanorods in hydrogen peroxide solutions show that attractive and repulsive interactions arise from the catalytically generated electric field. Electrokinetic effects drive the assembly of staggered doublets and triplets of nanorods that are moving in the same direction. None of these behaviors are observed with nanorods composed of a single metal. The motors also collect tracer microparticles at their head or tail, depending on the charge of the particles, actively assembling them into close-packed rafts and aggregates of rafts. These motor–tracer particle interactions can also be understood in terms of the catalytically generated electric field around the ends of the nanorod motors.
Interactive Goal Programming on the Microcomputer to Establish Priorities for Small Business

This paper presents an application of interactive goal programming on the microcomputer for small business. The illustrative application in this paper is based on real data obtained from a small business in Wisconsin, U.S.A. The microcomputer-based interactive system indicates that the goal programming approach enables the small-business manager/owner to test a variety of alternative strategies reflected by goal levels and priority structures.
IL-6 enhances the cytotoxic activity of thymocyte-derived CD56+ cells☆

Thymocyte-derived lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were used as a model for the study of the cytokine driven development of cytotoxicity. These cells are devoid of initial cytotoxic activity but upon culture in IL-2 they develop into cytotoxic effectors. The parameters of the response of thymocytes to IL-6 are similar to that of PBL in that IL-6, at concentrations as low as 1 mu/ml, increases cytotoxicity of thymocyte-LAK cells when generated in low doses (25-50 mu/ml) of IL-2. IL-6-enhanced thymocyte-LAK cytotoxicity is observed when tested against both NK-resistant and NK-sensitive tumor cell lines. IL-6 alone does not induce any cytotoxicity from thymocytes nor does IL-6 change the time course of thymocyte-LAK cell generation in IL-2 culture. IL-6 does not affect DNA synthesis, total cell number, proportion of CD56+ cells, or the expression of IL-2R (both P55 and P75 glycoproteins) in IL-2-cultured thymocytes. Instead, IL-6 used to treat mature thymocyte-LAK effector cells for as little as 1 hr prior to 51Cr-release assay increases LAK cytotoxicity. This enhancement is abrogated by pretreatment of effector cells with cycloheximide, suggesting that protein synthesis is required for IL-6 to enhance LAK cell activity. The precursor phenotypes of IL-6-responsive thymocyte-LAK cells are CD3-/CD5-. The effector phenotypes of IL-6-enhanced thymocyte-LAK cells are CD5-/CD56+. Thus, IL-6 depends on synthesis of rapid-turnover proteins to act on mature CD56+/CD5- LAK cells to increase their cytotoxic function.
Ibn Khaldūn on Attributes and Predestination

IBN KHALDfUN opens his sketch of the "science of the Kalam" with a discussion of two topics, the unity of God and the power of God. His purpose is to show that the belief in the unity of God is not incompatible with the belief that attributes are real incorporeal beings, eternally subsisting in God, and that the belief in the power of God, that is, in predestination, is not incompatible with divine justice in its holding man responsible for his actions. These were two distinct problems in Muslim religious philosophy. He combines these two problems and tries to solve them by one common argument. The one common argument by which he tries to solve these two problems may be briefly stated. Throughout the history of philosophy, the unity and power of God were treated as corollaries deducible from the proofs of the existence of God. So Ibn Khalduin says to himself: Let us examine the proofs for the existence of God and see what kind of unity of God and what kind of power of God are established thereby, and then let us see whether that kind of unity is compatible with divine attributes and whether that kind of power is compatible with divine justice. Accordiingly, at the very beginning of his discussion of the Kalam, after stating that the "unity" of God is the core of the articles of faith and after declaring that he was going to prove the unity of God in a method and manner which is "most direct,"' he proceeds to prove not the unity of God but the existence of God. Let us study Ibn Khaldtin's proof of the existence of God. In Arabic philosophy, by the time of Ibn Khalduin (1332-1406), the proofs used for the existence of God were mainly of two types. Both of these types were of the cosmological kind. We may characterize them, with reference to their ultimate philosophical origin, as the Platonic type of argument and the Aristotelian type of argument. The Platonic type of argument starts with the assumption that the world came to be (-yvyvo,yevov) after it had not been,2 or as the Muslim theologians have come to express this view, the world was created (makhliiq). Then, adding the principle that everything created must have a creator, it directly infers that there must be a Creator. The Aristotelian type of argument starts with the assumption that the world is eternal. Then, by an empirical study of the world, it arrives at the conclusion, first, that every form of coming into being within the world is effected by a cause and, second, that since the world is eternal, the series of causes and effects would have to be infinite. Then, adding
Poncelet correspondences: Finite correspondences; Ritt's theorem; and the Griffiths-Harris configuration for quadrics

California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92717 Communicated by Walter Feit Received August 24, 1971 A geometrically interpretable condition on a correspondence between two algebraic varieties of the same dimension is considered and gives rise to the name finite correspondence. After an algebraic characterization of finite correspondences the paper considers many contexts in which the concept appears to be very attractive and historically motivated. 0. INTRODUCTION AND EXAMPLES OF CLASSICAL CORRESPONDENCES
Sea Level as Affected by River Runoff, Eastern United States

Variations in annual river inflow account for 7 to 21 percent of the total variation in average annual sea level along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. This compares with 29 to 68 percent of the total variation that can be attributed to the secular rise of sea level, and with 10 to 50 percent of the variation that cannot be attributed to either the river inflow or the secular rise.
The prophylactic effect of religion on blood pressure levels among a sample of immigrants

Abstract The twin processes of immigration and assimilation are life changes perhaps more total in scope than any other. Viewing these processes within the general context of stress theory, it is hypothesized that those experiencing the most difficulty resolving the anomic experience of assimilation will evidence higher blood pressure levels than those who are able to make a smoother transition. It was also hypothesized that a smoother adjustment is made possible for the immigrant who has a religious outloook on life. Our data do seem to support the contention that such an outlook is an important stress-reducing device.
Conflict and engagement: an empirical study of a farmer-extension partnership in a sustainable agriculture program.

Stakeholder engagement is a crucial concept of extension education. Engagement expresses democratic values of the land-grant mission by providing opportunities for stakeholders to influence program planning, including setting the agenda and negotiating resource allocations. In practice, the concept of engagement guides the formation of partnerships among extension, communities, industry, and government. In the area of sustainable agriculture, however, stakeholders may conflict, presenting challenges to the engagement process. Results from a study of a Canadian sustainable agriculture program, produced using cultural anthropology and participatory action research, detail challenges of the engagement process that led to reconstruction of a farmer-extension partnership. Notable in the early phase of the reconstruction process were critical reflection, stakeholder forums, exclusion through caucusing, and coalition building. An argument for a neopragmatist view provides a theoretical basis for understanding counterintuitive dimensions of engagement revealed by the study.
Growth kinetics of CD133-positive prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND—In the adult human prostate CD133 expression is thought to mark rare prostate epithelial stem cells and malignant tumor stem/initiating cells. Such putative stem cell populations are thought to proliferate slowly, but possess unlimited proliferative potential. Based on this, we hypothesized that CD133 pos prostate cancer cells proliferate slower than CD133 neg
Cultural Orientations, Parental Beliefs and Practices, and Latino Adolescents’ Autonomy and Independence

Despite the salience of behavioral autonomy and independence to parent-child interactions during middle adolescence, little is known about parenting pro- cesses pertinent to youth autonomy development for Latino families. Among a diverse sample of 684 Latino-origin parent-adolescent dyads in Houston, Texas, this study examines how parents' cultural orientations are associated directly and indirectly, through parental beliefs, with par- enting practices giving youth behavioral autonomy and independence. Informed by social domain theory, the study's parenting constructs pertain to youth behaviors in an ''ambiguously personal'' domain—activities that ado- lescents believe are up to youth to decide, but which par- ents might argue require parents' supervision, knowledge, and/or decision-making. Results for latent profile analyses of parents' cultural identity across various facets of acculturation indicate considerable cultural heterogeneity among Latino parents. Although 43 % of parents have a Latino cultural orientation, others represent Spanish- speaking/bicultural (21 %), bilingual/bicultural (15 %), English-speaking/bicultural (15 %), or US (6 %) cultural orientations. Structural equation modeling results indicate that bilingual/bicultural, English-speaking/bicultural, and US-oriented parents report less emphasis on the legitimacy of parental authority and younger age expectations for youth to engage in independent behaviors than do Latino- oriented parents. Parental beliefs endorsing youth's behavioral independence and autonomy, in turn, are asso- ciated with less stringent parental rules (parental report), less parental supervision (parental and youth report), and more youth autonomy in decision-making (parental and youth report). Evidence thus supports the idea that the diverse cultural orientations of Latino parents in the US may result in considerable variations in parenting processes pertinent to Latino adolescents' development.
Investigation of resistive wall mode stabilization physics in high-beta plasmas using applied non-axisymmetric fields in NSTX

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) offers an operational space characterized by high-beta (βt = 39%, βN > 7, βN/βno-wall N > 1.5) and low aspect ratio (A > 1.27) to leverage the plasma parameter dependences of RWM stabilization and plasma rotation damping physics giving greater confidence for extrapolation to ITER. Significant new capability for RWM research has been added to the device with the commissioning of a set of six nonaxisymmetric magnetic field coils, allowing generation of fields with dominant toroidal mode number, n, of 1–3. These coils have been used to study the dependence of resonant field amplification on applied field frequency and RWMstabilization physics by reducing the toroidal rotation profile belowits steady-state value through non-resonant magnetic braking. Modification of plasma rotation profiles shows that rotation outside q = 2.5 is not required for passive RWM stability and there is large variation in the RWM critical rotation at the q = 2 surface, both of which are consistent with distributed dissipation models.
Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the C15 Intermetallic Compounds MV2 (M=Zr, Hf AND Ta): Elasticity and Phase Stability

The phase stability of C15 HfV{sub 2} was studied by specific heat measurements. The elastic constants of C15 HfV{sub 2} were measured by the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Total energy and electronic structure of C15 intermetallic compounds MV{sub 2} (M = Zr, Hf and Ta) were calculated using the linear muffin tin orbital (LMTO) method. The band structures at X-point near the Fermi level were used to understand the anomalous shear moduli of the C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2}. It was found that the double degeneracy with a linear dispersion relation of electronic levels at the x-point near the Fermi surface is mainly responsible for the C15 anomalous elasticity at high temperatures. The densities of states at Fermi level and the geometry of the Fermi surface were used to explain the low temperature phase instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} and the stability of C15 TaV{sub 2}. The relationship between the anomalous elasticity and structural instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} were also studied.
The effect of periosteal injury and masticatory micromovement on the healing of a mandibular distraction osteogenesis site

Objectives Surgical periosteal injury and masticatory loading are likely factors affecting the healing of a mandibular DO site. This study is aimed to characterize the healing features of an early-phase mandibular DO site and assess the effects of these factors.
Phospholipid bilayers on a polyion-alkylthiol layer pair: microprobe imaging, electrochemical properties and peptide association

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of successive layers and peptide insertion in supported mobile phospholipid bilayers on polyion/alkylthiol layer pairs are reported. The morphology of each layer observed in a step-by-step adsorption process is correlated with electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry (CV)) and surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPR) results. The insulating properties of long-chain and short-chain alkylthiol layers are associated with a continuous layer and domain formation, respectively. The multilayer surface morphology is quantitatively characterized using roughness measurements for a large set of data involving root-mean-square roughness (RMS). Since the AFM observation with atomic and molecular resolution requires very flat and wide terraces to monitor the adsorption process, it is very important that initial surface morphology and roughness is known. Peptide association with the lipid membrane was studied by high resolution AFM in liquid, where pore formation was demonstrated for protegrin transmembrane insertion. The association of peptides with supported lipid bilayer of various compositions is discussed in terms of mobility and membrane permeability to charge transfer through the formation of pores.
Sharpening the triple diagonal form

Abstract Let R be a Euclidean domain with quotient field F of characteristic not equaling 2. Jacobi showed that every symmetric R -matrix is congruent over R to a matrix in triple diagonal form. Since it is generally not possible to fully diagonalize these matrices, it is of importance to gain as much control as possible of this triple diagonal form. This paper focuses on controlling the off-diagonal elements.
Calcium-activated neutral protease purified from beef lung: properties and use in defining structure of epidermal growth factor receptors.

Abstract Ca 2+ -Requiring proteases degrade cytosolic and integral membrane proteins as well as alter, by limited proteolysis, the activity of certain protein kinases. When cells are lysed, a Ca 2+ -requiring protease degrades the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, an integral membrane protein with an intrinsic kinase activity, from its 170-kDa form to a 150-kDa form. This Ca 2+ -requiring protease has all of the characteristics of calciumactivated neutral protease (CANP). To show that CANP is the protease uniquely responsible for the degradation of the native EGF receptor in vitro , CANP was highly purified from beef lung. This affinity purified CANP had properties previously described for other CANPs: heterodimer of 80 and 30 kDa; neutral pH optimum; activation by millimolar Ca 2+ ; and inhibition by an endogenous, heat-stable proteinaceous inhibitor, by leupeptin, and by sulfhydryl alkylating agents. Using the EGF receptor labeled by covalent attachment to 125 I-EGF, this purified CANP quantitatively generated the 150-kDa form from the native receptor in A-431 cell membranes. As with the native receptor, the 150-kDa receptor forms produced by the endogenous Ca 2+ -requiring protease, by CANP, by chymotrypsin, and by elastase were all capable of EGF-stimulated autophosphorylation. When the 150-kDa receptor forms were generated by the three exogenously added proteases, autophosphorylation with [γ- 32 P]ATP followed by trypsinization produced 32 P-labeled peptides that were not the same. However, the tryptic 32 P-labeled peptides from the autophosphorylated 150-kDa receptor form produced by CANP or by the endogenous Ca 2+ -requiring protease were identical. These data indicate that CANP is identical to the endogenous Ca 2+ -requiring protease responsible for producing the autophosphorylating 150-kDa receptor form from the native EGF receptor when cells are lysed.
A single-base substitution in the seed region of miR-184 causes EDICT syndrome.

An autosomal dominant syndrome of anterior polar cataract and endothelial dystrophy was first described in a large Swedish family in 1951.1 The affected individuals developed anterior polar cataracts in early childhood and corneal guttae as early as age 10, with corneal disease progressing with age. The severity of the disease varied between family members: while the majority of affected individuals developed both corneal guttae and cataracts, one individual had guttae and no cataract. A similar disease phenotype was later reported in an American family of Scandinavian descent. Through at least five generations, this family inherited autosomal dominant anterior polar cataract with corneal guttae.2 Histologic examination of the cornea of the affected proband revealed epithelial edema, normal stroma, and thickening of the Descemet membrane with focal excrescences. A third instance of a dominant syndrome of cataract and corneal dystrophy was reported in a large Northern Irish family in 2003.3 Similar to the previous reports, affected members of this family developed anterior polar cataract in childhood; however, in contrast to previously described cases, the corneal dystrophy in this family was described as keratoconus rather than as cornea guttata. We have described EDICT syndrome, an autosomal dominant syndromal anterior segment dysgenesis characterized by endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataract, and stromal thinning.4,5 The locus for keratoconus with cataract was mapped to a 5.5-Mb region within the previous linkage interval for EDICT syndrome, suggesting a possible common causative mutation.3,4,6 The common linkage interval harbors 75 annotated genes and 4 microRNAs.7,8 MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules that bind to messenger RNA, downregulating gene expression by inhibiting translation and triggering degradation of mRNA by the Argonaute protein.9–12 MicroRNA is first produced as primary microRNA, which is cleaved in successive steps by the RNase III enzymes Drosha and Dicer to produce the mature microRNA that is incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).13,14 The region from bases 2 to 7 of the mature microRNA, known as the seed region, is especially important for recognition of target mRNA and proper microRNA regulation of protein expression.15 Indeed, a mutation in the seed region of miR-96 has been implicated in hereditary hearing loss.16 We report a causal mutation for EDICT syndrome found in the seed region of miR-184.
A fault-tolerant mapping scheme for a configurable multiprocessor system

A fault-tolerant mapping scheme for a configurable multiprocessor system using multistage interconnection networks is presented. By adapting its interprocessor connections, the multiprocessor system can provide many regular topological configurations suitable for a variety of parallel computation applications. The configurability of the system is achieved by applying a set of configuration procedures to a linear address space of the system. The central idea behind the scheme is the use of two transformations to restore the linear address space in the presence of processor failures. The fault-tolerant mapping scheme is composed of three algorithms. The algorithms adaptively use the two transformations to handle three different types of faults: single faults, double faults, and triple or greater faults. It is shown that when there are a few processor failures, the algorithms can effectively achieve fault-free linear subspaces with graceful degradation. >
Vibrational spectrum, ab initio calculations, conformational stabilities and assignment of fundamentals of the Ci conformer of 1,4-dichlorobutane

The infrared and Raman spectrum of 1,4-dichlorobutane is reported in solid, liquid and gas. Ab initio calculations for the nine stable or metastable conformers of 1,4-dichlorobutane are reported for Moller-Ploessett second order electron correlation and B3LYP density functionals with a variety of basis sets, using approximations as high as 6-311+g(2d, 2p). Normal coordinate calculations were conducted for the nine conformers and the results used to provide assignments for some of the observed infrared and Raman bands. An attempt to use the assignments together with the ab initio intensities or Raman activities to investigate the composition of the liquid at room temperature proved modestly successful, and suggested that the populations are altered from those expected in the gas phase by interactions of the permanent electric dipole moments with the dipolar plasma in which the conformers are immersed in the liquid. A substantial disagreement between the Moeller-Ploessett and density functional results is reported, and the calculation of intensities and activities is insufficiently accurate to allow detailed interpretation of the spectrum of the room temperature liquid. A complete assignment of fundamentals is given for the conformer of Ci symmetry, and one Raman and one infrared band is identified with the C2h conformer. All the other infrared and Raman bands in the liquid or the gas are composites of several contributors.
Determinants of tourists' expenditure at mass participant sport events: a five-year analysis

Using the five-year data of a US running event (N = 9380), this study examined key determinants of tourists' expenditure in a mass participant sport event. Economic constraint, travel-related, socio-demographic, and sport-related facets were integrated into the expenditure model while considering changes in tourism prices. The proposed four-facet model provides a broader framework for event organisers and destination marketers in evaluating what factors determine participants' spending behaviours while at the destination, thereby maximising the potential economic benefits of hosting a participant sport event.
Seasonal forage utilization by elephants in central Africa

Summary Foraging by adult African elephants was studied in the Terminalia/Combretum woodlands of Manovo-Gounda-St Floris National Park, Central African Republic. Subjects spent nearly 17 h day-1 feeding while selecting a wide range of food plants. Elephants had a mean daily intake of nearly 7% of body weight and tended to feed more at night than during the day. Seasonal variation in feeding time, browsing and grazing rates, weight per trunkful, and defaecation were used to estimate forage intake and gross assimilation efficiency. Daily forage consumption was consistent with the range reported in previous literature, but gross assimilation efficiency was lower indicating relatively poor forage quality during the dry season. The grass:browse ratio in the diet was 3.5:1 dry weight calculated on an annual basis. Combined with increased human disturbance and decreased forage availability during the dry season, elephants experienced nutritional stress resulting in loss of condition. Defaecation rates, which may be useful for estimating elephant numbers or occupance, are discussed and show that extrapolating numbers of forest elephants from data gathered from savanna populations must be treated with caution due to the differential proportions of grass and browse in their diets. Resume L'alimentation des elephants adultes fut etudiee dans les savanes boisees aTerminalia et Combretum du Parc National de Manovo-Gounda-St Floris en Republique Centrafricaine. Les animaux passent presque 17 h par jour a se nourrir en selectionnant un large eventail de plantes. Les elephants ingerent chaque jour a peu pres l'equivalent de 7% de leur poids corporel et ont tendance a se nourrir d'avantage de nuit que de jour. La quantite de fourrage consomme et l'efficience de l'assimilation brute sont estimees sur base des variations saisonnieres du temps de nourrissage, des proportions de temps passea manger de l'herbe ou d'autres vegetaux, des quantites par brassee et des defecations. La consommation journaliere de fourrage correspond a ce qui a ete rapporte anterieurement dans la litterature, mais l'efficience de l'assimilation brute est inferieure, ce qui indique un fourrage de qualite relativement pauvre durant la saison seche. La proportion fourrage/autres vegetaux dans le regime est de 3, 5/1 en poids sec sur un an. Outre l'augmentation des perturbations dues aux hommes et la diminution de fourrage disponible en saison seche, les elephants souffrent d'un stress nutritionnel menant a un apauvrissement de leur condition physique. Les taux de defecation, qui peuvent etre utile pour l'estimation de l'occupation et du nombre des elephants, sont discutes et l'on montre que l'extrapolation de nombres d'elephants de foret sur base de donnees recoltees sur des populations de savane doit etre faite avec precaution en raison des proportions differentes de graminees et d'autres composes vegetaux dans leurs regimes alimentaires.
How reliable are hospital efficiency estimates? Exploiting the dual to homothetic production

For scientific use, stochastic frontier estimates of hospital efficiency must be robust to plausible departures from the assumptions made by the investigator. Comparisons of alternative study designs, each well within the 'accepted' range according to current practice, generate similar mean inefficiencies but substantially different hospital rankings. The three alternative study contrasts feature (1) pooling vs partitioned estimates, (2) a cost function dual to a homothetic production process vs the translog, and (3) two conceptually valid but empirically different cost-of-capital measures. The results suggest caution regarding the use of frontier methods to rank individual hospitals, a use that seems to be required for reimbursement incentives, but they are robust when generating comparisons of hospital group mean inefficiencies, such as testing models that compare non-profits and for-profits by economic inefficiency. Demonstrations find little or no efficiency differences between these paired groups: non-profit vs for-profit; teaching vs non-teaching; urban vs rural; high percent of Medicare reliant vs low percent; and chain vs independent hospitals.
Self-selected “favourite” stimulative and sedative music listening – how does familiar and preferred music listening affect the body?

There is a need for studies looking at the psychophysiological effects of everyday listening to favourite music since such listening is very common in modern societies and the extent to which arousing music can activate biological systems is being discussed. Effects of listening to two self-selected pieces of favourite music (stimulative and sedative respectively) on both aroused (sad/joyful, listless/energetic, worried/elated) and relaxed (tense/relaxed, anxious/calm) emotions were assessed by means of visual analogue scales. In addition, physiological outcome measures (heart rate, respiration rate and expiratory carbon dioxide) were used. Experimental subjects were 38 volunteering men and women. Each subject was asked to select his/her favourite “stimulative” music and then the same procedure was done for his/her favourite sedative music. Subjects listened to these two kinds of contrasting self-selected music in random order. Stimulative music resulted in aroused physiological responses – increased hear...
Assessing Students' Library Skills and Knowledge: The Library Research Strategies Questionnaire:

3 studies were conducted to develop a questionnaire on strategies of library research which showed demonstrable psychometric qualities such as validity and reliability, to aid in assessing the effectiveness of bibliographic instruction of psychology students. In Study 1, 31 undergraduate students were interviewed about their use of the library and the strategies they use when confronted with a paper-writing assignment. In Study 2, the qualitative responses from Study 1 were used to develop a pool of multiple-choice items for testing, to examine whether a psychometrically valid and reliable instrument could be created. 64 students were tested. Using the results from Study 2, Study 3 refined the original questionnaire; reliability measures and factor analysis based on responses of 246 students were used to confirm 4 factors composing the Library Research Strategies Questionnaire, namely, person-specific skills, library-specific skills, paper-specific skills, and reference-specific skills.
Flip chip based on compliant double helix interconnect for high frequency applications

Compliant interconnects are a viable solution for coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch failures and it is therefore important to understand their performance at high frequency. In this work, we present double helix shaped compliant interconnects that are designed and fabricated on top of a coplanar waveguide (CPW) test structure followed by flip chip bonding. The high frequency performance of compliant double helix interconnect is simulated and measured. The measured insertion and reflection loss were less than -0.6 dB and -15 dB up to 50 GHz, respectively.
A hot‐deck multiple imputation procedure for gaps in longitudinal data on recurrent events

We consider the analysis of longitudinal data sets that include times of recurrent events, where interest lies in variables that are functions of the number of events and the time intervals between events for each individual, and where some cases have gaps when the information was not recorded. Discarding cases with gaps results in a loss of the recorded information in those cases. Other strategies such as simply splicing together the intervals before and after the gap potentially lead to bias. A relatively simple imputation approach is developed that bases the number and times of events within the gap on matches to completely recorded histories. Multiple imputation is used to propagate imputation uncertainty. The procedure is developed here for menstrual calendar data, where the recurrent events are menstrual bleeds recorded longitudinally over time. The recording is somewhat onerous, leading to gaps in the calendar data. The procedure is applied to two important data sets for assessing the menopausal transition, the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project and the TREMIN data. A simulation study is presented to assess the statistical properties of the proposed procedure. Some possible extensions of the approach are also considered.
Stochastic shortest path problems with recourse

We consider shortest path problems defined on graphs with random arc costs. We assume that information on arc cost values is accumulated as the graph is being traversed. The objective is to devise a policy that leads from an origin to a destination node with minimal expected cost. We provide dynamic programming algorithms, estimates for their complexity, negative complexity results, and analysis of some possible heuristic algorithms.
Residual stresses in silicon carbide-zircon composites from thermal expansion measurements and fiber pushout tests

Coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) in the axial direction of two types of SiC fibers, monolithic zircon, monolithic SiC, and several SiCf-zircon composites were measured in the temperature range of 50 to 1380C. The measured CTE values of composites were compared with values predicted by the rule-of-mixtures approach, and a small difference in measured and calculated values was ascribed to the nature of interfacial bonding and assumptions implicit in the rule-of-mixtures approach. Fiber pushout tests were performed on these composites and the residual stresses were extracted from the analysis of the load–displacement plots in terms of the shear-lag and progressive debonding models. The radial and axial residual stresses arising from the mismatch in CTE were calculated and compared with values obtained from the fiber pushout tests. The fiber pushout tests in general produced lower values of the residual stresses, but the residual stresses obtained using shear-lag analysis were in good agreement with the calculated values based on the CTE mismatch in composites with lower values of the interfacial shear stress. The influence of anisotropic fiber expansion in the radial and axial directions on the radial and axial residual stresses in composites were also examined.
Accommodation Defect in Wilson's Disease

A 22-year-old man with Wilson's disease had blurred vision caused by a defect of accommodation that we believed to be supranuclear in origin.
Responsiveness of muscle protein synthesis to growth hormone administration in HIV-infected individuals declines with severity of disease

This study was undertaken to determine if human recombinant growth hormone (hrGH, 6 mg/d for 2 wk) would stimulate muscle protein synthesis in AIDS wasting. Healthy controls were compared with patients who were HIV+, had AIDS without weight loss, and had AIDS with > 10% weight loss. Before hrGH, rates of skeletal muscle protein synthesis, measured with l-[2H5]phenylalanine, were the same in controls and in all stages of disease. Rates of myofibrillar protein degradation, however, assessed from urinary excretion of 3-methyl histidine, were higher in AIDS and AIDS wasting than in HIV+ or healthy individuals. The group with weight loss had significantly higher TNFalpha levels but not higher HIV viral loads. Muscle function, as determined by isokinetic knee extension and shoulder flexion, was significantly higher in controls than all infected individuals. After GH, rates of protein synthesis were stimulated 27% in controls, with a smaller increase (11%) in HIV+, and a significant depression (42%) in AIDS with weight loss, despite fourfold elevation in insulin-like growth factor-I in all groups. There was a significant correlation of hrGH-induced changes in muscle protein synthesis with severity of disease (P = 0.002). The results indicate increased basal muscle protein degradation and decreased responsiveness of muscle protein synthesis to GH in the later stages of disease.
Multiperiod Competition in an Electric Power Network and Impacts of Infrastructure Disruptions

This paper puts forth a dynamic, game theoretic model of oligopolistic competition in electric power markets. The purpose of this model is to allow one to quickly and efficiently test the effects of changes to the capacity of the underlying electric power network. Therefore, the game is formulated as a nonlinear complementarity problem, which may be solved very efficiently. Transmission of power on the underlying electric power network is represented by the widely accepted linearized DC flow approximation, allowing the substitution of power transmission distribution factors for Kirchoff’s energy balance and voltage laws. The model is tested on a 15 node representation of the northwest European electricity market formed by Belgium, France, Germany, and The Netherlands. Numerical examples involving disruptions to both transmission and generation capacity are considered and the Braess paradox is observed.
Oxidation of spermidine by a Pseudomonas

Abstract A Pseudomonas sp. which has been adapted to grow on spermidine as the sole carbon and nitrogen source oxidizes spermidine to 1, 4-diaminobutane (putrescine) and 3-aminopropion-aldehyde. These products were identified by chromatography and by the formation of derivatives.
Commentary on the Functional Creativity Model: Its Application to Understanding Innovative Deception

Cropley, Kaufman, and Cropley (this issue) provide an account of creativity and antisocial behavior, the Functional Creativity Model (FMC), which has utility in the ongoing fight against creative acts of terrorism. Herein, their model is evaluated through its application to understanding the malevolent creativity behind the antisocial use of deception. In particular, malevolent lies that hoodwink victims or unwitting collaborators are considered as part of the planning of terrorists of dastardly deeds. The FMC is also applied to evaluating the counterterrorist prospects of Time Restricted Integrity Confirmation, an innovate method of lie detection that incorporates many of the antiterrorist recommendations of Cropley et al., especially the element of surprise. Recommendations for expanding the FMC are offered.
Microstructure and microcracking behaviour of barium zirconium phosphate (BaZr4P6O24) ceramics

Barium zirconium phosphate (BaZr4P6O24), a member of a new family of low-thermal-expansion materials known as NZP, was synthesized by the solution sol-gel method, and sintered ceramics were prepared at 1100–1600 °C. The effect of sintering parameters such as time and temperature on the microstructure and phase composition was studied. BaZr4P6O24 is known to possess anisotropy in its axial thermal expansions, which usually causes microcracking in the sintered bodies when cooled. The microcracking activity of the sintered samples was examined by acoustic emission measurements.
Nucleotide sequence of the triose phosphate isomerase gene of Escherichia coli

We report here the complete nucleotide sequence of the E. coli triose phosphate isomerase gene. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 255 amino acids which is approximately 46% homologous to eukaryotic triose phosphate isomerases, and approximately 38% homologous to the enzyme from a thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus stearothermophilus. The nucleotide sequence is 55% homologous to that of the corresponding gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the sequence of a gene coding a glycolytic enzyme from a prokaryotic organism.
Optic fiber clock distribution in high-speed video memory

An electronic system based on a novel high-speed massive video memory array using an optical fiber clock distribution network has been investigated for the generation of random patterns for testing high-resolution color video monitors with screen sizes in the realm of 4096 by 4096 pixels. For frame rates in the range of 30 to 100 per second with 256 (2 8 ) to 4096 (2 12 ) intensity levels for each primary color the speed requirement amounts to 1.21x10 10 to 6.04x10 10 bits per second. The massive memory makes use of high-speed MSM photodetectors, optical receiver amplifiers and gallium arsenide charged coupled devices which are integrated on GaAs chips. These chips are assembled into 16 planes of multi-chip modules with 32 GaAs chips per plane. Only GaAs CCDs have been found to provide the short access times required to achieve the above data rates that exceed the capabilities of current silicon-based DRAMs. For proper operation clock skew must be eliminated, therefore, a 2-phase laser driven optical fiber distribution network has been considered. In addition, the photodetectors and amplifiers driving the CCDs must have speeds that do not compromise the access times of the CCD registers. To meet all requirements the design was implemented with optical fiber v-groove coupling to the MSM monolithic detectors and high-speed preamplifiers that are fabricated with the same technology as used for the fabrication of the CCDs.
Local and regional factors influencing assemblages of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) in California and Nevada

Studies of landscape effects on assemblages and distribution of insects are relatively uncommon, largely because of the lack of occurrence data that span broad spatial or temporal scales. Here, we provide a multi-species analysis using generalized linear mixed models to examine the effects of local and regional variables on richness and occurrence rates of Odonata (dragonfly and damselfly) species at 81 sites throughout central California and north-western Nevada, USA. These study sites were located across a range of ecoregions, including the Sierra Nevada Forests, California Mediterranean, Great Basin Shrub Steppe, and Northern Coastal California Forests. Dynamic regional variables in this study, degree-days and precipitation, influenced the richness of dragonflies, but not the less-mobile damselflies. In contrast, local habitat type influenced the richness of damselflies, but not dragonflies. Overall species occurrence was higher during site visits with higher degree-days, especially for highly mobile groups including dragonflies and migratory species. Dragonflies were also positively associated with total precipitation, but migratory species were not. Probability of presence across species was lower in highly urban sites, particularly for habitat specialists. Further, habitat specialists had lower rates of occurrence overall, suggesting that widespread generalist species may increasingly dominate Odonata assemblages. Our study indicates that Odonata in this semi-arid region are responsive to a combination of local and regional environmental variables.
Relative Academic Achievement and Stabilometer Performance

Abstract To examine the relationship between performance on a selected motor skill and academic achievement and academic capacity, 80 male college students were tested on the stabilometer. When the group was dichotomized on the basis of college grade point average and college entrance examination scores, there was no difference in motor performance between the sub-groups. Grade point averages and college entrance examination scores were converted to Z scores. Each subject was designated as an overachiever if his grade point Z score was higher than his college entrance examination Z score and an underachiever if his grade point Z score was lower than his college entrance Z score. Motor performance of the overachievers was significantly better than that of the underachievers. It was suggested that the motive to succeed in testing situations might be a more general characteristic than either intelligence or motor ability.
Effects of the menstrual cycle phase on the blood lactate responses to exercise

The effects of menstrual cycle phase on the blood lactate response to exercise were examined in eumenorrheic women (n=9). Exercise tests were performed at the mid-follicular and mid-luteal points in the menstrual cycle (confirmed by basal body temperature records and hormone levels). Blood lactates were measured at rest and during the recovery from exercise. Resting lactates were not different between the exercise tests; however, recovery lactates were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the luteal compared to the follicular phase. The mechanism for these differences is unclear, but may be related to an estrogen mediated increased lipid metabolism inducing a concurrent reduction in carbohydrate metabolism. The present findings question the use of blood lactate monitoring as a suitable technique to measure exercise intensity in eumenorrheic women.