cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power Transformations When Fitting Theoretical Models to Data

Abstract We investigate power transformations in nonlinear regression problems when there is a physical model for the response but little understanding of the underlying error structure. In such circumstances, and unlike the ordinary power transformation model, both the response and the model must be transformed simultaneously and in the same way. We show by an asymptotic theory and a small Monte Carlo study that for estimating the model parameters there is little cost for not knowing the correct transform a priori; this is in dramatic contrast to the results for the usual case where only the response is transformed. Possible applications of the theory are illustrated by examples.
Do Autonomous Individuals Strive for Self-Positivity? Examining the Role of Autonomy in the Expression of Self-Enhancement

In an effort to further understand factors that influence the expression of self-enhancement, two studies explored the association between autonomy motivation and self-enhancement motivation. We hypothesized that autonomy is positively associated with approach-oriented self-enhancement strategies and negatively associated with avoidance-oriented self-enhancement strategies, and that self-enhancement would mediate the association between autonomy and psychological well-being. In Study 1, participants completed a measure of self-enhancement strategies and a measure of autonomy. Autonomy was positively associated with approach-oriented—but negatively associated with avoidance-oriented—self-enhancement strategies. In Study 2, participants completed the same measures of autonomy and self-enhancement, plus measures of psychological well-being. In addition to replicating the findings of Study 1, the mediation analyses suggested that autonomy was positively associated with psychological well-being through approac...
Molecular crowding stabilizes folded RNA structure by the excluded volume effect.

Crowder molecules in solution alter the equilibrium between folded and unfolded states of biological macromolecules. It is therefore critical to account for the influence of these other molecules when describing the folding of RNA inside the cell. Small angle X-ray scattering experiments are reported on a 64 kDa bacterial group I ribozyme in the presence of polyethylene-glycol 1000 (PEG-1000), a molecular crowder with an average molecular weight of 1000 Da. In agreement with expected excluded volume effects, PEG favors more compact RNA structures. First, the transition from the unfolded to the folded (more compact) state occurs at lower MgCl2 concentrations in PEG. Second, the radius of gyration of the unfolded RNA decreases from 76 to 64 A as the PEG concentration increases from 0 to 20% wt/vol. Changes to water and ion activities were measured experimentally, and theoretical models were used to evaluate the excluded volume. We conclude that the dominant influence of the PEG crowder on the folding proces...
Lesion detection in demoscopy images with novel density-based and active contour approaches

Dermoscopy is one of the major imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Automated assessment tools for dermoscopy images have become an important field of research mainly because of inter- and intra-observer variations in human interpretation. One of the most important steps in dermoscopy image analysis is the detection of lesion borders, since many other features, such as asymmetry, border irregularity, and abrupt border cutoff, rely on the boundary of the lesion. To automate the process of delineating the lesions, we employed Active Contour Model (ACM) and boundary-driven density-based clustering (BD-DBSCAN) algorithms on 50 dermoscopy images, which also have ground truths to be used for quantitative comparison. We have observed that ACM and BD-DBSCAN have the same border error of 6.6% on all images. To address noisy images, BD-DBSCAN can perform better delineation than ACM. However, when used with optimum parameters, ACM outperforms BD-DBSCAN, since ACM has a higher recall ratio. We successfully proposed two new frameworks to delineate suspicious lesions with i) an ACM integrated approach with sharpening and ii) a fast boundary-driven density-based clustering technique. ACM shrinks a curve toward the boundary of the lesion. To guide the evolution, the model employs the exact solution [27] of a specific form of the Geometric Heat Partial Differential Equation [28]. To make ACM advance through noisy images, an improvement of the model’s boundary condition is under consideration. BD-DBSCAN improves regular density-based algorithm to select query points intelligently.
Accurate predictions of bending deflections for soft-core sandwich beams subject to concentrated loads

Although computationally simple and physically perceptible, the formula for bending deflections used by the classical sandwich theory is inaccurate when applied to sandwich beams with a transversely flexible (soft) core. Two correction factors to the classical deflection formula for sandwich beams are proposed based on the higher-order theory (HSAPT) approach. The influence of changes in the geometry and mechanical properties of soft-core sandwich beams on the proposed correction factors are studied numerically. The use of the correction factors reported in the present work offers a simple and accurate way of calculating the bending deflections in soft-core sandwich beams subject to quasi-static concentrated loads, and as such can provide a valuable tool for the designer.The proposed approach also can be used for accurate determination of the core shear modulus from the measurement of compliance in short beam shear tests of sandwich beams.
More Greek than Jonson thought? Euripides' Medea in The Merchant of Venice

While Shakespeare clearly borrows from Ovid in The Merchant of Venice, substantial correspondences between Shakespeare's play and Euripides' Medea suggest that this Greek text may have been an equally important source for Shakespeare's Jason/Medea plotlines and invite us to reconsider the foundational assumption that Shakespeare was wholly unfamiliar with Greek drama. Several Latin and French translations of the Attic play circulated during the late sixteenth century, and structural, thematic, and topical parallels between the two dramas provide compelling evidence for a Euripidean influence on Shakespeare's work. Recognizing a Euripidean strain within the play would help to resolve many of the most pressing questions about The Merchant of Venice by providing classical evidence in support of modern readings and performances that highlight Shakespeare's sympathy for the plight of religious, sexual, and racial others.
Antipredator strategies of house finches: are urban habitats safe spots from predators even when humans are around?

Urbanization decreases species diversity, but it increases the abundance of certain species with high tolerance to human activities. The safe-habitat hypothesis explains this pattern through a decrease in the abundance of native predators, which reduces predation risk in urban habitats. However, this hypothesis does not consider the potential negative effects of human-associated disturbance (e.g., pedestrians, dogs, cats). Our goal was to assess the degree of perceived predation risk in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) through field studies and semi-natural experiments in areas with different levels of urbanization using multiple indicators of risk (flock size, flight initiation distance, vigilance, and foraging behavior). Field studies showed that house finches in more urbanized habitats had a greater tendency to flock with an increase in population density and flushed at larger distances than in less urbanized habitats. In the semi-natural experiment, we found that individuals spent a greater proportion of time in the refuge patch and increased the instantaneous pecking rate in the more urbanized habitat with pedestrians probably to compensate for the lower amount of foraging time. Vigilance parameters were influenced in different ways depending on habitat type and distance to flock mates. Our results suggest that house finches may perceive highly urbanized habitats as more dangerous, despite the lower number of native predators. This could be due to the presence of human activities, which could increase risk or modify the ability to detect predators. House finches seem to adapt to the urban environment through different behavioral strategies that minimize risk.
Mind's eye

The concept of symmetry is one of the great universal principles used to comprehend the enormous amounts of data encountered in both the worlds of natural phenomenon and of abstract knowledge. With the advent of computers, methodology has evolved to process and generate huge amounts of information. This information is often inconsistent and ambiguous and is similar to that encountered by human perception. This article develops some commonalities between applications of symmetry and applications of computer methodology to visual perception (robotic vision), to explore the impact of developing technology on general understandings about human knowledge. These commonalities suggest that advances in robotic vision will enlarge the study of symmetry, reveal astonishing new types of symmetry, and produce unexpected applications of philosophical interrelationships between abstract and perceptual knowledge.
The paleoecological development of a late holocene, tidal freshwater marsh of the Upper Delaware River estuary

Changes in groundwater tables brought about by sea level increases in the Delaware River Basin (near Philadelphia) about 2,500 years B.P., initiated wetland development at the Princeton-Jefferson Branch of the Woodbury Creek marshes. Continual increases in sea level pushed groundwater tables further upward, and by approximately 800 years B.P., groundwater tables had risen to the upper limits for woody vegetation at the site. By the time European settlers arrived in the late 1600s nontidal sedge marshes dominated the site. Upon arriving colonists began manipulating the hydrology of the Delaware River Basin by constructing dams and dikes for flood control. Soon many areas were cut off from direct contact with the river. During the next one and one-half centuries sea level continued to rise, and because of channelization of the Delaware River the tidal range doubled. During the early 1900s flood control structures began to fail allowing tidal waters to periodically inundate these protected sites. At that time the site was dominated by a Quercus-Castanea swamp forest with hummocks of Cyperaceae interspersed throughout. In 1940 the dike surrounding the Princeton-Jefferson marsh collapsed and the site was immediately inundated with tidal waters on a regular basis. Within a short period of time tidal freshwater marsh developed and has continued to the present day. It is clear from this investigation that changes in hydrology brought about by cultural modifications have been directly responsible for the ontogeny of this tidal marsh. The influence cultural impacts have had on wetland development at the Princeton-Jefferson marsh suggest that it may be necessary to reevaluate the extent humans have modified the development and structure of the present day upper Delaware River estuary. Although the ability to discern historic vegetation zonation patterns is limited, these marshes can record individual events that have shaped these wetlands through time. Due to differences in the structure of the plant community, rates of decomposition, and processes of accretion, Redfield’s model (1972) of tidal salt marsh development does not apply to the Princeton-Jefferson marsh. Along a submerging coast, the development of tidal freshwater marsh in many estuaries may be necessary for the establishment of brackish and salt marshes by creating and maintaining a suitable habitat for the eventual colonization of more salt-tolerant plant species. The roles these wetlands have played in the development of the estuaries has been underestimated in the past.
A novel self-aligned oxygen (SALOX) implanted SOI MOSFET device structure

Abstract The morphology of the novel self-aligned oxygen implanted SOI (SALOX SOI) [1] MOSFET was studied. The channel silicon of SALOX SOI was confirmed to be undamaged single crystal silicon and was connected with the substrate. Buried oxide formed by oxygen implantation in this SALOX SOI structure was shown by a cross section transmission electron micrograph (X-TEM) to be amorphous. The source/drain silicon on top of the buried oxide was single crystal, as shown by the transmission electron diffraction (TED) pattern. The source/drain regions were elevated due to the buried oxide volume expansion. A sharp silicon—silicon dioxide interface between the source/drain silicon and buried oxide was observed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Well behaved n-MOS transistor current voltage characteristics were obtained and showed no I–V kink.
On fractional paradigm and intermediate zones in electromagnetism: II. Cylindrical and spherical observations

Extending our previous work for the planar case, in this letter, we present a fractionalization of the kernels of integral transforms that link the field quantities over two coaxial cylindrical surfaces of observation for two-dimensional (2-D) monochromatic wave propagation, and over two concentric spherical surfaces of observation for three-dimensional (3-D) wave propagation. With the proper radial normalizations, we show that the fractionalized kernels, with fractionalization parameter ν that here could attain complex values between zero and unity, can effectively be regarded as the kernels of the integral transforms that provide the radially normalized field quantities over the coaxial cylindrical surfaces (for 2-D case) and over the concentric spherical surfaces (for 3-D case) between the two original surfaces. As in the planar case, here, the fractionalized kernels can supply another way of interpreting the fields in the intermediate zones. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 23: 100–103, 1999.
Magnetic Resonance Assessment of Response to Therapy: Tumor Change Measurement, Truth Data and Error Sources

This article describes methods and issues that are specific to the assessment of change in tumor characteristics as measured using quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) techniques and how this relates to the establishment of quantitative MR imaging (MRI) biomarkers of patient response to therapy. The initial focus is on the various sources of bias and variance in the measurement of microvascular parameters and diffusion parameters as such parameters are being used relatively commonly as secondary or exploratory end points in current phase 1/2 clinical trails of conventional and targeted therapies. Several ongoing initiatives that seek to identify the magnitude of some of the sources of measurement variations are then discussed. Finally, resources being made available through the National Cancer Institute Reference Image Database to Evaluate Response (RIDER) project that might be of use in investigations of quantitative MRI biomarker change analysis are described. These resources include 1) data from phantom-based assessment of system response, including short-term (1 hour) and moderate-term (1 week) contrast response and relaxation time measurement, 2) data obtained from repeated dynamic contrast agent-enhanced MRI studies in intracranial tumors, and 3) data obtained from repeated diffusion MRI studies in both breast and brain. A concluding section briefly discusses issues that must be addressed to allow the transition of MR-based imaging biomarker measures from their current role as secondary/exploratory end points in clinical trials to primary/surrogate markers of response and, ultimately, in clinical application.
Shake-up Processes in a Low-Density Two-Dimensional Electron Gas: Spin-Dependent Transitions to Higher Hole Landau Levels

A theory of shake-up processes in photoabsorption of an interacting low-density two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in strong magnetic fields is presented. In these processes, an incident photon creates an electron-hole pair and, because of Coulomb interactions, simultaneously excites one particle to higher Landau levels (LL's). In this work, the spectra of correlated charged spin-singlet and spin-triplet electron-hole states in the first hole LL and optical transitions to these states (i.e., shake ups to the first hole LL) are studied. Our results indicate, in particular, the presence of optically active three-particle quasi discrete states in the exciton continuum that may give rise to surprisingly sharp Fano resonances in strong magnetic fields. The relation between shake ups in photoabsorption of the 2DEG and in the 2D hole gas, and shake-ups of isolated negative ${X}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and positive ${X}^{+}$ trions are discussed.
Theory of electrophoretic mobility of polyelectrolyte chains

An explicit formula is derived for the electrophoretic mobility of a linear polyelectrolyte chain in terms of the molecular weight, Debye length and solvent quality. The nature of the crossover between different regimes as the salt concentration and molecular weight are varied is presented. The effect of chain statistics intermediate between the Gaussian and rodlike limits on the electrophoretic mobility is analysed for the first time.
Incorporation of oxygen-18 into the oxirane ring ofcis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid.

The synthesis ofcis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid by tissue slices of wheat plants infected withPuccinia graminis tritici (Wheat stem rust) has been investigated further. Synthetic methylcis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoate and the same ester isolated from incubation in an atmosphere containing18O2, or a medium containing H2 18O, were analyzed by mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed that molecular oxygen was incorporated into the oxirane ring ofcis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid.
Failure is Not an Option: Risk-Taking is Moderated by Anxiety and Also by Cognitive Ability in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Understanding hetereogeneity in symptom expression across the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a major challenge for identifying causes and effective treatments. In 40 children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD and 37 IQ—and age-matched comparison participants (the TYP group), we found no differences in summary measures on an experimental risk-taking task. However, anxiety and IQ predicted risk-taking only in the ASD group. Risk-taking was correlated with behavioral inhibition in the ASD group and behavioral activation in the TYP group. We suggest that performance on the task was motivated by fear of failure in the ASD group and by sensitivity to reward in the TYP group. Behavioral markers of anxiety and cognitive ability may improve conceptualization of heterogeneity in ASD.
Marine sediment tolerances for remote sensing of atmopsheric aerosols over water.

In surveying the literature, it is pointed out that there is a need to quantify the turbidity below which reflectance from the water column is negligible in comparison with atmospheric effects to allow the monitoring of aerosol optical depth over water bodies. Data that partially satisfy this need are presented. Laboratory measurements of reflectance upwelled from the water column are given for mixtures with various types of sediment at wavelengths between 400 and 1600 nm. The results of the study described here are a quantitative endorsement of the recommendations of Morell and Gordon (1980).
Xylene isomerization using zeolites in a gradientless reactor system

A gradientless reactor was used to study the xylene isomerization reaction over a series of cation-exchanged (H+, Li+, Na+, and K+) ultrastable faujasite and on ZSM5 and silicalite to observe the effects of site modification on the reaction. Adsorption, diffusion, and kinetic parameters were determined in the presence of the reaction; the results generally agreed with the available literature data. The gradientless reactor and associated modeling techniques are shown to be effective tools in investigating catalyst behavior. Precise analytical techniques are required to directly measure the diffusion coefficient in the presence of reaction.
Biomarker responses in sunfish species and largemouth bass from the Saluda River, South Carolina.

The upstate and Piedmont region of South Carolina is a rapidly urbanizing area as a result of a steadily growing population. This increase in population and development has the potential to negatively impact local aquatic systems like the Saluda River due to increased pollution from runoff, and effluents from industrial and wastewater treatment facilities. During the summer months of 2010, 159 fish from the Centrarchidae family (sunfish species (Lepomis) and largemouth bass – Micropterus salmoides) were collected from 13 sites along the Saluda River. A suite of biomarker assays, including ethoxyresosufin-O-deethylase, bile fluorescence, glutathione S-transferase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, bile estrogens, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, metallothionein and tissue metal levels were applied to investigate the impacts of diminished water quality on fish health. Results indicate that fish from the Saluda River are responding to contamination in a site specific manner, with up to four significant biomarker responses in the most impacted sites. Sampling sites in the lower portion of the Saluda watershed are less impacted by pollution than the upper and central sections. The observed biomarker responses can be explained by the proximity of urban areas, point sources and general land use, and demonstrate the applicability of biomarkers in environmental biomonitoring programs.
Processing of two protein precursors yields four mature guinea pig seminal vesicle secretory proteins.

The translation of the two most abundant guinea pig seminal vesicle epit helium mRNAs (1800 nucleotides and 950 nucleo tides) and the subsequent processing of their protein products were studied in an effort to elucidate the mechanism by which the four mature guinea pig seminal vesicle epitbelium (GPSVE) secretory proteins are produced. The primary translation products of the 1800 nt and 950 nt mRNAs are two secretory protein precursors of 45 kDa and 20 kDa, respectively. Removal of signal peptides from these two precursors produces proteins of 43 kDa and 18.5 kDa, which are recognized by polyclonal antisera directed against the four mature secretory proteins. The existence of further processing intermediates in the production of the secretory proteins is suggested by the appearance of other immunoreactive polypeptides following incubation of GPSVE in nutrient medium containing [3H]leucine. Immunological and pulse-chase analysis strongly suggests that the 43-kDa protein gives rise to S VP-i, -3, and -4 and that S VP-2 is derived from the 18. 5-kDa protein.
The signal processing approach for the birefringent material based Mach-Zehnder interferometer design

Mach-Zehnder interferometer is widely used in optical applications. Numerous approaches have been applied to implement the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and, among these approaches, the one based on birefringent material such as birefringent crystals is very popular due to its easiness of manufacturing. In this article, it is demonstrated how signal processing techniques could be used to design the birefringent materials based Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
The Winnecott "Set Situation" A Useful Tool for the Pediatrician

D. W. Winnecott devised a short, simple test which he used to evaluate normal infants. In this study, we compared 9-month-old infants' behaviors elicited during the Winnecott Test (WSS), both with historical data and with their behavior during a structured separation from their mothers. We found significant correlations between the WSS, the structured separation, and historical data. This simple test can provide the practitioner with invaluable information regarding the infant, his temperamental style, and his relationship with others.
Accuracy of American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric for laparoscopic appendectomy at a single institution.

Abstract Background In October 2008, the American College of Surgeons revealed the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Pediatric in an effort to improve quality of surgical care in children. A 5% disagreement rate of data reported between institutions is accepted. The two goals of this study were to (1) determine if the random sampling performed with NSQIP data collection was representative of the population, and (2) verify that data captured in NSQIP was accurate. Methods For children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy from April 2010–April 2011, demographic data, length of stay (LOS), and rates of surgical site infection (SSI) and postoperative abscess recorded in NSQIP (group 1) were compared with data from chart review (group 2). Secondarily, all NSQIP data were examined for accuracy by comparing relevant data points to existing databases. All disagreements were further examined with review of the medical chart. Unpaired t -test and χ 2 with Fisher's exact test were used in the statistical analysis. Results NSQIP Pediatric captured data from 126 children (group 1); group 2 had 525 children. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, gender, race or LOS between the two groups. Rate of SSI was 1.6% in group 1 and 1.7% in group 2 ( P = 0.92). Abscess rate was 1.6% in group 1 and 3.4% in group 2 ( P = 0.28). There were six errors in the NSQIP database. One child was listed as having two SSI. One child with postoperative abscess was missed and another was not counted as they were not categorized correctly. Recorded LOS was incorrect for two children and the other had incorrect age. Conclusions NSQIP Pediatric captured a representative sample of patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy. Errors were found in the reporting of outcomes for SSI and postoperative abscess in children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy. Given the low incidence of these outcomes, there is little effect on percentages of complications reported.
Opioid growth factor enhances tumor growth inhibition and increases the survival of paclitaxel-treated mice with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Paclitaxel is used as a single agent, and in combination with other drugs, as a standard of care in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). However, the use of paclitaxel for therapy of SCCHN may be accompanied by serious side effects. Paclitaxel is a known cytotoxic inhibitor of cell proliferation that acts by stabilizing microtubules and inducing apoptosis. Opioid growth factor (OGF), [Met(5)]-enkephalin, is an endogenous peptide that has tonically active inhibitory effects on the growth of SCCHN in vitro and in vivo. OGF action is rapid, reversible, mediated by the nuclear-associated OGF receptor (OGFr), and is not cytotoxic (nor apoptotic related). The present study was designed to examine whether a combination of chemotherapy with paclitaxel and biotherapy with OGF is more effective than either agent alone in inhibiting tumor growth. Moreover, focus was placed on whether there are changes in the side effects known to occur with paclitaxel alone, following this combined therapy. Human SCC-1 cells, derived from a well differentiated SCCHN, were transplanted into athymic mice. The mice were randomized to receive intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of sterile saline (controls), OGF (10 mg/kg, daily), paclitaxel (8 mg/kg, every other day), or both paclitaxel (8 mg/kg, every other day) and OGF (10 mg/kg, daily) beginning on the day of tumor inoculation. OGF, but not paclitaxel, delayed measurable and visible tumor appearance of mice with SCCHN. Treatment with paclitaxel, but not with other agents, had a marked effect on the body weights. Survival only was reduced in the paclitaxel group, with an average life span of 34.3+/-3.1 days recorded, in comparison to the 50-day survival (date of termination) for all other groups. Beginning after week 4 of tumor inoculation and drug treatment, the tumor weight of the paclitaxel/OGF group was significantly reduced from the control, OGF, and paclitaxel-exposed mice. The OGFr number of the SCCHN tumors was 2.1-fold greater in the animals exposed to OGF or paclitaxel, and elevated 38% in the paclitaxel/OGF group; significant differences from the control group were found for the OGF and paclitaxel groups. These data suggest that combined chemotherapy (i.e., paclitaxel) and biotherapy (OGF) provides a valuable alternative to the standard of care for SCCHN patients.
On optimal placement of erasure nodes on a dual bus network

Erasure node placement on the distributed and queue dual bus (DQDB) network is a well investigated problem. For general traffic conditions, achieving maximum throughput by placing a minimum number of erasure nodes optimally is known as the optimal placement of erasure nodes. To date, all the solutions proposed are either of exponential time complexity of generate suboptimal placement or work under impractical assumptions. The authors present a polynomial time algorithm that obtains optimal placement of erasure nodes for general traffic conditions. They derive a closed form expression for maximum achievable throughput and show that several bounds proposed in the literature can be obtained as special cases from the method.
The Politics of Punishment across Time and Space: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis of Imprisonment Rates

Despite considerable theoretical interest, little is known about the political determinants ofpunishment. This study uses a pooled time-series design to fill this gap by examining political and other determinants of state imprisonment rates. The presence of Republican elected officials is used to assess the strength of the law-and-order political party. Ethnic threat theories suggest that imprisonments will be more likely in jurisdictions with the most blacks or Hispanics, while economic threat theories suggest that the imprisoned population will be greater where economic stratification is most pronounced. After controllingfor social disorganization, religious fundamentalism, political conservatism, and violent crimes, the results show that Republican strength and minority threat lead to higher imprisonment rates. Statistical interactions support predictions that these relationships became stronger after greater Republican stress on law and order. The latter findings confirm theoretical expectations that these relationships are historically contingent.
Luminescent Holmium Doped Amorphous AlN Thin Films for use as Waveguides and Laser Cavities.

Holmium doped AlN thin films have been deposited on flat silicon substrates and optical fibers of different diameters, in order to fabricate resonant cavities for lasers. In particular, the films on fiber substrates are expected to perform as cylindrical waveguides or “whispering gallery” mode cavities. The AlN films are deposited by reactive sputtering at liquid nitrogen temperature, using 100–200 Watts RF power, 5–8 mTorr nitrogen, using a metal target of Al and Ho. One micron thick films of AlN:Ho have been deposited on flat silicon substrates and 10 micron thick films on 80µm and smaller optical fibers. X-ray Diffraction and SEM studies show that films deposited on flat silicon are amorphous while those deposited on the fibers show columnar growth and some gain structure, most probably due to a temperature rise at the substrate during deposition. Cathodoluminescence (CL) emission is observed in thermally activated AlN:Ho in both crystalline and amorphous forms. An intense, narrow emission peak is observed at 549 nm. Less intense peaks are also observed at 362nm, 394 nm, 461 nm, and 659 nm. The most promising wavelength for our design is emission from the 5S2 → 5I8 transition at 549 nm.
THE USE OF HIGH-ENERGY ACCELERATORS IN THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

Nuclear power is at present derived from the burning of 235U which constitutes about 0.7% of the natural uranium resource. A long-term supply of nuclear fuel for electrical power generation would require breeders to convert 238U, or 232Th, into fissile material. Accelerator breeders offer an alternative to the fast breeder reactor for this conversion.
If You Build It, Prosperity Will Not Come: What the Studies Say

Okay, so we’ve heard the case histories. What about academic studies of the question? Is there a consensus?
Spin-density functional theories and their + U and + J extensions: A comparative study of transition metals and transition metal oxides

Previous work on the physical content of exchange correlation functionals that depend on both charge and spin densities is extended to elemental transition metals and a wider range of perovskite transition metal oxides. A comparison of spectra and magnetic moments calculated using exchange correlation functionals depending on charge density only or on both charge and spin densities, as well as the $+U$ and $+J$ extensions of these methods confirms previous conclusions that the spin-dependent part of the exchange correlation functional provides an effective Hund's interaction acting on the transition metal $d$ orbitals. For the local spin density approximation and spin-dependent Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation, the effective Hund's exchange is found to be larger than 1 eV. The results indicate that at least as far as applications to transition metals and their oxides are concerned, $+U$, $+J$ and +dynamical mean field theory extensions of density functional theory should be based on exchange-correlation functionals of charge density only.
Oxidative changes in hypoxic-reoxygenated rabbit heart : a consequence of hypoxia rather than reoxygenation

Tissue changes consistent with oxidative damage in hypoxic/reoxygenated heart tissue have not been well documented. We recently reported that oxidative perturbations were evident in isolated-perfused rat heart tissue subjected to as little as 10 min hypoxia and that these changes were not exacerbated by reoxygenation. The mechanism and species specificity of this finding is not known. Rabbit hearts, which lack measurable xanthine oxidase activity, were examined for evidence of hypoxia-induced injury. The release of lactate dehydrogenase into the coronary effluent gradually increased during the retrograde perfusion of isolated rabbit hearts with hypoxic medium (containing lOmM glucose and 2.5mM calcium), and was slightly enhanced upon reoxygenation after 60min hypoxia. Cardiac gluthathione content decreased significantly while glutathione disulfide, protein-glutathione mixed disulfides, thiobaribturic acid reactive substances (TBARS), and protein carbonyl contents increased significantly after 60min of hyp...
A comparative study of the relative performances of the sinter-silver die attach materials

Die attach materials play an important role in meeting the demanding thermal management requirements of high power devices. Conventionally, silver filled conductive epoxy materials provide low cost solutions and Au-Sn soldering solution meet the higher power application needs. While epoxy based die attach materials have seen widespread use and continued performance improvement over years, contact thermal resistance at the interface often presents a challenge to achieving the claimed thermal performance of the bulk materials; on the other hand, soldering die attach requires higher reflow temperature than many applications can endure and, in some cases, soldering die attach performance is still insufficient to meet the ever-demanding high power applications. In addition, the leading Pb-free soldering die attach, Au-Sn, is costly and should be replaced if possible. There have been significant development of sinter-silver (S-Ag) die attach solutions in recently years. Several materials vendors announced new product offerings with different claims of performances. It is with this in mind that we present a study of the relative performances of several S-Ag die attach materials using a standard QFN package to: 1. Quantify the relative thermal performances of different S-Ag die attach materials 2. Benchmark the results against Ag-filled epoxy die attach 3. Benchmark the results against pressure-assisted S-Ag die attach 4. Assess the relative reliability performance with accelerated stress tests 5. Perform F/A analysis to understand the failure mode of the S-Ag die attaches To remove ambiguity of the thermal measurement results, a CMOS thermal test die with uniform heaters and sensitive junction temperature detection diodes is assembled onto a QFN lead frame with S-Ag die attach materials from different vendors, along with some Ag-filled epoxy and a pressure sinter-Ag die attach materials. To ensure accuracy of the thermal measurements; a transient thermal measurement method based on Mentor Graphics' t3Tster test system was used, which allows capture of the die attach thermal resistance and the identification of the thermal conductivities of the S-Ag die attach. The obtained results are benchmarked against known materials properties and compared with vendor's datasheet. To help assess the relative reliability and thermal stabilities of these die attach materials, the assembled QFN's were subjected to MSL3 pre-conditioning and accelerated thermal cycling test (ACT) between −55 to 125C and then thermally measured again. Comparisons between the initial and post-stress thermal measurement results provide insight and help understand any potential thermal performance change as well as reliability implications. This is the first systematical study of its kind to give a side-by-side comparison of the performance of different S-Ag die attach materials.
How Many Roads Lead to Rome

In their study in this issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions , Mylotte et al. [(1)][1] describe 96 high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a transcarotid access approach at 3 French centers. This is the largest published series using this approach,
Digital Media Use and Social Engagement: How Social Media and Smartphone Use Influence Social Activities of College Students

Abstract Social media and mobile smartphones are ubiquitous platforms for college students' communication activities. This study examined how college students' psychological need to belong is associated with their use of digital media, including social media and smartphones. The effects of college students' digital media use on their social engagement are also investigated. Findings revealed that students' need to belong was positively related with their use of social media and smartphones, which in turn facilitated their engagement in social activities. This study offers empirical evidence of the positive effects of digital media use on social behaviors and contributes to further understanding about the mechanisms by which need to belong leads to social engagement through social media and smartphone use.
Allergen immunotherapy (desensitisation) for allergic diseases

Allergen immunotherapy (desensitisation) involves the repeated administration of allergen extracts to allergic individuals to induce a state of clinical and immunological tolerance. Traditionally, this has involved repeated subcutaneous injections of incremental doses of allergen over a period of 8‐16 weeks followed by monthly ‘maintenance’ injections for 3‐5 years. Modified approaches have included shorter and preseasonal regimens and alternative routes of administration, particularly the sublingual route. Immunotherapy is indicated in patients with immunoglobulin (Ig) E-dependent disease and is particularly effective in patients with insect venom anaphylaxis and in those with severe seasonal allergic rhinitis unresponsive to anti-allergic drugs. The risk/benefit should be assessed in every case. In view of the remote risk of systemic side effects, immunotherapy should be prescribed and given only by trained and experienced individuals with access to resuscitative measures. 1 Efficacy Immunotherapy is effective in seasonal allergic rhinitis due to grass, tree and weed pollens. Most hayfever sufferers respond to treatment with intranasal steroids and/or antihistamines (Fig 1). However, a primary care-based study in Southern England found that 40% of treated hayfever sufferers remain inadequately controlled, 2 a proportion of whom would benefit from immunotherapy. In a recent UK multicentre trial of immunotherapy in 410 participants with documented uncontrolled hayfever and IgE sensitivity to grass pollen there was a dose-dependent reduction in symptoms and rescue medication compared with placebo during the pollen season and a sustained improvement in quality of life. 3 Although direct comparative studies with pharmacological treatments are needed, the mean reduction in symptoms of about 30% over placebo compares favourably with documented effect sizes of nasal corticosteroids (18%), antihistamines (7%) and leukotriene modifiers (5%) compared with
Multi-targets detection method based on wavelet transform

A algorithm based on wavelet transform and frame difference method is proposed for multi moving small target in series im- ages. This method will wavelet transform on image in order to suppress background and enhance targets, then compute on horizon and vertical by frame difference method in order to compute the target. Compared with the traditional frame difference method, this method enhances the targets, the size of frame difference method is more smaller and the speed is faster. Experiment result show that this method can detect the low SNR multi small moving targets in image sequence, reduce false alarm and resist noise disturbance.
The Feed Analyzer: Implementation and Evaluation.

Modern society is producing more information at a faster pace than ever before; data which is increasingly used to solve a variety of real world problems. But given the vast size of the data involved and the resource intensive nature of rapid large-data processing, the need for more advanced methodologies in this regard is growing. This phenomenon has given rise to the term ‘Big Data’ which references the types of data intensive problems that are typically beyond the ability of traditional tools and methodologies to effectively manage. This paper outlines the use of agent-oriented software engineering methodologies and commercial cloud technology in the development of a system designed to address one of these many Big Data problems. The Feed Analyzer is a conceptual search based Web feed aggregation system deployed to Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud platform. We discuss the implementation and evaluation of this system with the primary goal of contributing to the body of knowledge a practical means by which a Big Data problem may be addressed using cloud technologies. Subject Categories and Descriptors H.2 [Database Management]; H.3.5 [Online Information Services]: Web-based services General Terms Bigdata, Cloud Computing, Web Aggregation System
Nutritional support in renal failure.

The challenge to provide nutrient requirements for the patient with renal failure is great. If kidney function is so impaired that delivery of nutrients is restricted, dialysis should be instituted as a secondary form of support so that nutritional intervention can be undertaken.
Image Perforation: Automatically Accelerating Image Pipelines by Intelligently Skipping Samples

Image pipelines arise frequently in modern computational photography systems and consist of multiple processing stages where each stage produces an intermediate image that serves as input to a future stage. Inspired by recent work on loop perforation lSidiroglou-Douskos et al. 2011r, this article introduces image perforation, a new optimization technique that allows us to automatically explore the space of performance-accuracy tradeoffs within an image pipeline. Image perforation works by transforming loops over the image at each pipeline stage into coarser loops that effectively “skip” certain samples. These missing samples are reconstructed for later stages using a number of different interpolation strategies that are relatively inexpensive to perform compared to the original cost of computing the sample. We describe a genetic algorithm for automatically exploring the resulting combinatoric search space of which loops to perforate, in what manner, by how much, and using which reconstruction method. We also present a prototype language that implements image perforation along with several other domain-specific optimizations and show results for a number of different image pipelines and inputs. For these cases, image perforation achieves speedups of 2 × --10 × with acceptable loss in visual quality and significantly outperforms loop perforation.
Immunization with Pneumocystis Cross-Reactive Antigen 1 (Pca1) Protects Mice against Pneumocystis Pneumonia and Generates Antibody to Pneumocystis jirovecii

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) is a life-threatening infection that affects immunocompromised individuals. Nearly half of all PcP cases occur in those prescribed effective chemoprophylaxis, suggesting that additional preventive methods are needed. To this end, we have identified a unique mouse Pneumocystis surface protein, designated Pneumocystis cross-reactive antigen 1 (Pca1), as a potential vaccine candidate. Mice were immunized with a recombinant fusion protein containing Pca1. Subsequently, CD4+ T cells were depleted, and the mice were exposed to Pneumocystis murina Pca1 immunization completely protected nearly all mice, similar to immunization with whole Pneumocystis organisms. In contrast, all immunized negative-control mice developed PcP. Unexpectedly, Pca1 immunization generated cross-reactive antibody that recognized Pneumocystis jirovecii and Pneumocystis carinii Potential orthologs of Pca1 have been identified in P. jirovecii Such cross-reactivity is rare, and our findings suggest that Pca1 is a conserved antigen and potential vaccine target. The evaluation of Pca1-elicited antibodies in the prevention of PcP in humans deserves further investigation.
Reduced expression of argininosuccinate synthetase 1 has a negative prognostic impact in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1), the rate-limiting enzyme for arginine biosynthesis, is expressed in many types of human malignancies. Recent studies showed that ASS1 may have tumor suppressor function and that ASS1 deficiency is associated with clinical aggressiveness in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, myxofibrosarcomas and bladder cancer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of ASS1 expression in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our study included two independent cohorts: untreated cohort, which was comprised of 135 patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) without pre-operative neoadjuvant therapy, and treated cohort, which was comprised of 122 patients with PDAC who have completed neoadjuvant therapy and PD. The expression level of ASS1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and the results were correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and survival using SPSS statistics. Our study showed that 12% of PDAC in untreated cohort and 15% of PDAC in treated cohort has low expression of ASS1 (ASS1-low). ASS1-low was associated with higher recurrence (p = 0.045), shorter disease-free survival (DFS, 4.8 ± 1.6 months vs 15.3 ± 2.2 months, p = 0.001) and shorter overall survival (OS, 14.6 ± 6.4 months vs 26.5 ± 3.5 months, p = 0.005) in untreated cohort and shorter OS in treated cohort compared to ASS1-high tumors. In multivariate analysis, ASS1-low (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26–0.79, p = 0.005) was an independent prognostic factor for DFS in untreated cohort and an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32–0.97, p = 0.04) in treated cohort. Our results provide supporting evidence for future clinical trial using arginine deprivation agents either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy in treating pancreatic cancer.