cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A randomized trial of intravenous and oral iron in chronic kidney disease

Although iron is commonly used to correct iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in chronic kidney disease (CKD), its effect on kidney function is unclear. To assess this, we randomly assigned patients with stage 3 and 4 CKD and IDA to either open-label oral ferrous sulfate (69 patients to 325 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) or intravenous iron sucrose (67 patients to 200 mg every 2 weeks, total 1 g). The primary outcome was the between-group difference in slope of measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) change over two years. The trial was terminated early on the recommendation of an independent data and safety monitoring board based on little chance of finding differences in mGFR slopes, but a higher risk of serious adverse events in the intravenous iron treatment group. mGFR declined similarly over two years in both treatment groups (oral -3.6 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , intravenous -4.0 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , between-group difference -0.35 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ; 95% confidence interval -2.9 to 2.3). There were 36 serious cardiovascular events among 19 participants assigned to the oral iron treatment group and 55 events among 17 participants of the intravenous iron group (adjusted incidence rate ratio 2.51 (1.56–4.04)). Infections resulting in hospitalizations had a significant adjusted incidence rate ratio of 2.12 (1.24–3.64). Thus, among non-dialyzed patients with CKD and IDA, intravenous iron therapy is associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events, including those from cardiovascular causes and infectious diseases.
Quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes with full diversity

Space-time block codes from orthogonal designs proposed by Alamouti (1998), and Tarokh-Jafarkhani-Calderbank (199) have attracted much attention lately due to their fast maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding and full diversity. However, the maximum symbol transmission rate of a space-time block code from complex orthogonal designs for complex constellations is only 3/4 for three and four transmit antennas. Jafarkhani (see IEEE Trans. Commun., vol.49, no.1, p.1-4, 2001), and Tirkkonen-Boariu-Hottinen (see ISSSTA 2000, pp.429-432, September 2000) proposed space-time block codes from quasi-orthogonal designs, where the orthogonality is relaxed to provide higher symbol transmission rates. With the quasi-orthogonal structure, these codes still have a fast ML decoding, but do not have the full diversity. In this paper, we design quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes with full diversity by properly choosing the signal constellations. In particular, we propose that half symbols in a quasi-orthogonal design are from a signal constellation A and another half of them are optimal selections from the rotated constellation e/sup j/spl phi// A. The optimal rotation angles /spl phi/ are obtained for some commonly used signal constellations. The resulting codes have both full diversity and fast ML decoding.
The Solar Stereo Mission

The principal scientific objective of the Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) is to understand the origin and consequences of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). CMEs are the most energetic eruptions on the Sun. They are responsible for essentially all of the largest solar energetic particle events and are the primary cause of major geomagnetic storms. They may be a critical element in the solar dynamo because they remove the dynamo-generated magnetic flux from the Sun. Two spacecraft at 1 AU from the Sun, one drifting ahead of Earth and one behind, will image CMEs. They will also map the distribution of magnetic fields and plasmas in the heliosphere and accomplish a variety of science goals described in the 1997 report of the NASA Science Definition Team for the STEREO Mission. Current plans call for the two STEREO launches in early 2003. Simultaneous image pairs will be obtained by the STEREO telescopes at gradually increasing spacecraft separations in the course of the mission. Additionally, in-situ measurements will provide accurate information about the state of the ambient solar wind and energetic particle populations ahead of and behind CMEs. These measurements will allow definitive tests of CME and interplanetary shock models. The mission will include a beacon mode to warn of either coronal or interplanetary conditions indicative of impending disturbances at Earth.
Corruption, debt financing and corporate ownership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived corruption on debt financing and ownership structure decisions of firms within the context of ten African countries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses 15-year (1996-2010) data pertaining to 556 non-financial firms drawn from ten African countries using models that link firm financing, ownership structure, and perceived corruption. It uses robust procedures including system-generalized method of moments, general least square, and Logistic (LOGIT) regression. Findings – The study finds evidence that perceived corruption is important in shaping debt financing and ownership structure decisions of firms in Africa. Particularly, it finds that: first, higher levels of perceived corruption lead to firms using higher levels of short-term leverage, lower levels of long-term leverage and debts with shorter maturities and second, firms in countries with higher levels of perceived corruption respond to weaknesses in the law enf...
A culture of understanding: an examination of face-to-face and computer mediated environments

Schools should foster cultures of understanding, that is, student communities that actively inquire and intentionally build common knowledge structures. This paper analyzed the affordances of the Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE) (Scardamalia, Bereiter, McLean, Swallow, & Woodruff, 1989), as compared to face-to-face collaboration for supporting cultures of understanding. The investigation was an analysis of twelve weeks of work involving thirty students in ten triads. The students were working on a unit, "Gravity and the Solar System". Part of this unit was devoted to students designing experiments and testing their hypotheses on two problems: "What affects how things fall" and "What affects the path of satellites/comets." Students' oral discourse from the CSILE and the face-to-face conditions were analyzed from video tape-recordings and transcripts. The results indicated that with respect to active monitoring and regulation of their own or others actions and ideas, hereafter called meta-processes, there was significantly more meta-processes in the CSILE condition compared to the face-to-face condition. The discussion focused on how CSILE supports meta-processes through interactions between students' work on CSILE, and oral inquiry about that work. The affordances of CSILE were discussed in light of other uses of technology in the classroom.
Do state holding companies facilitate private participation in the water sector? evidence from Cote d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal

When the Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal decided to involve the private sector in the provision of water services, they also established state holding companies - state-owned entities with exclusive or partial responsibilities for: a) owning infrastructure assets; b) planning and financing investments (replacing assets and expanding networks); c) regulating the activities of the private sector; and d) promoting public acceptance of private participation in the sector. In Cote d'Ivoire, by contrast, when private participation was introduced (in 1960), no state holding company was established. To determine whether state holding companies help private participation in the water sector succeed, the author reviews the four functions these entities are expected to perform in the Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal. In light of experience in all four countries, he examines whether, and under what circumstances, state holding companies might be the entities best suited for carrying out such functions. He concludes that creating a state holding company is often not the best solution. A state holding company might be better suited than other entities for planning and financing investments when (and only when): a) investment responsibilities cannot be transferred to the private operator; b) tariffs are insufficient, at least for a time, to cover investment needs, so it is crucial that a public entity has access to other sources of finance; and c) the holding company's financial strength and accountability, or its incentives and ability to promote the gradual adoption of cost-covering tariffs, are superior to those of a ministerial department. When one or more of these conditions are not met, the main investment responsibilities should be transferred to the private operator or, if that is not possible, left to the government itself. The other three functions should not, as a general rule, be performed by a state holding company.
Corrosion Enhanced Enrichment of Sulfur and Implications for Alloy 22

The uniform corrosion rate of Alloy 22 will define the lifetime of the Yucca Mountain container if all other degradation modes are not operative. This represents the best case scenario since the experimentally determined uniform corrosion rates from 5 year tests is on the order of 0.01 um/yr or 0.1 mm in 10,000 years. This lifetime depends on the stability of the passive film over the lifetime of the container which is possible but not known. One potential breakdown mechanism is corrosion enhanced enrichment of sulfur to the surface and sulfur induced breakdown of the passive film. There are numerous studies that confirm that sulfur causes passive film breakdown in nickel based alloys and evidence for corrosion enhanced enrichment of sulfur in nickel and nickel alloys. However, neither sulfur enrichment nor sulfur induced breakdown of the passive film on Alloy 22 has been demonstrated. The results of preliminary studies conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory do suggest sulfur enrichment does occur at the alloy surface and that sulfur shifts the corrosion potential to more active potentials. No clear affect of sulfur was noted on the corrosion rate but the sulfur concentrations were about only 2-3 % of a monolayer,more » well below the concentrations that are possible.« less
Direct simulation of a turbulent oscillating boundary layer

The turbulent boundary layer under a freestream velocity that varies sinusoidally in time around a zero mean is considered. The flow has a rich variety of behaviors including strong pressure gradients, inflection points in the velocity profile, and reversal of the shear stress. A theory for the velocity- and stress profiles at high Reynolds number is formulated. Well-resolved direct Navier-Stokes simulations are conducted over a narrow range of Reynolds numbers. The flow is also computed over a wider range of Reynolds numbers using a new algebraic turbulence model. The results produced by the three approaches and by experiments are compared. Detailed phase-averaged statistical results from the direct simulations are provided to assist turbulence-model development.
Variations in gastric cancer care: a trend beyond racial disparities.

BACKGROUND: Race is associated with patterns of presentation and survival outcomes of gastric cancer in the United States. However, the impact of race on the receipt of guideline-recommended care is not well characterized. By using current recommendations, the authors examined the association between race and guideline-recommended treatments and identified factors that are predictive of variations in gastric cancer care. METHODS: By using the National Cancer Database for 1998 through 2005, 106,002 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were identified. Multivariate analysis techniques were used to examine the association between race, the receipt of guideline-recommended care, and survival after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Although African-American and Hispanic patients were more likely to undergo adequate lymphadenectomy (≥15 lymph nodes) and to receive care at comprehensive cancer centers and high-volume facilities (for all, P ≤ .001), they were less likely to receive adjuvant multimodality therapy for American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IB through IV, lymph node-negative (M0) disease. Up to 60% of all patients who underwent gastrectomy failed to receive adequate lymphadenectomy and adjuvant multimodality therapy. The delivery of multimodality therapy varied significantly by stage and lymph node evaluation (P ≤ .001). These findings persisted on our multivariate analyses, indicating that African-American and Hispanic patients received adequate lymph node evaluation (P ≤ .001), whereas they were associated with receiving no adjuvant multimodality therapy (P ≤ .025). CONCLUSIONS: There were significant variations in treatment for gastric cancer among ethnic groups in the United States. It was noteworthy that, although nonwhite race was associated with improved surgical care, gastric cancer care remained suboptimal overall. Cancer programs need to identify procedures to maximize the delivery of adequate gastric cancer care to all patients. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Irreducible Complexity in Pure Mathematics

I'll review the history of metamathematics, including the ideas of David Hilbert, Kurt Goedel, Alan Turing, and Emile Borel, leading to my own work on incompleteness, randomness, algorithmic information and complexity, that can be traced back to Leibniz's 1686 Discours de metaphysique.
Stochastic Budget Optimization in Internet Advertising

Internet advertising is a sophisticated game in which the many advertisers “play” to optimize their return on investment. There are many “targets” for the advertisements, and each “target” has a collection of games with a potentially different set of players involved. In this paper, we study the problem of how advertisers allocate their budget across these “targets”. In particular, we focus on formulating their best response strategy as an optimization problem. Advertisers have a set of keywords (“targets”) and some stochastic information about the future, namely a probability distribution over scenarios of cost vs click combinations. This summarizes the potential states of the world assuming that the strategies of other players are fixed. Then, the best response can be abstracted as stochastic budget optimization problems to figure out how to spread a given budget across these keywords to maximize the expected number of clicks. We present the first known non-trivial poly-logarithmic approximation for these problems as well as the first known hardness results of getting better than logarithmic approximation ratios in the various parameters involved. We also identify several special cases of these problems of practical interest, such as with fixed number of scenarios or with polynomial-sized parameters related to cost, which are solvable either in polynomial time or with improved approximation ratios. Stochastic budget optimization with scenarios has sophisticated technical structure. Our approximation and hardness results come from relating these problems to a special type of (0/1, bipartite) quadratic programs inherent in them. Our research answers some open problems raised by the authors (in Algorithmica, 58(4):1022–1044, 2010).
Sequential auctions and externalities

In many settings agents participate in multiple different auctions that are not necessarily implemented simultaneously. Future opportunities affect strategic considerations of the players in each auction, introducing externalities. Motivated by this consideration, we study a setting of a market of buyers and sellers, where each seller holds one item, bidders have combinatorial valuations and sellers hold item auctions sequentially.Our results are qualitatively different from those of simultaneous auctions, proving that simultaneity is a crucial aspect of previous work. We prove that if sellers hold sequential first price auctions then for unit-demand bidders (matching market) every subgame perfect equilibrium achieves at least half of the optimal social welfare, while for submodular bidders or when second price auctions are used, the social welfare can be arbitrarily worse than the optimal. We also show that a first price sequential auction for buying or selling a base of a matroid is always efficient, and implements the VCG outcome.An important tool in our analysis is studying first and second price auctions with externalities (bidders have valuations for each possible winner outcome), which can be of independent interest. We show that a Pure Nash Equilibrium always exists in a first price auction with externalities.
Synthesis and Solid State Structures of the Hydrogen-Bonded Hexamolybdoplatinate(IV) Tetramer [(PtMo6O24)4H23]9– and the Hexamolybdoplatinate(IV) Trimers [(PtMo6O24)3H16]8– and [(PtMo6O24)3H14]10–

The [(PtMo6O24)3H16]8–, [(PtMo6O24)3H14]10–, and [(PtMo6O24)4H23]9– anions have been crystallized as tetra-n-butylammonium and tetra-n-butylammonium/triethylammonium salts and structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Together with the [(PtMo6O24)2H7]9– and [(PtMo6O24)2H9]7– anions described by Lee and Sasaki in 1994, these anions form a homologous series of hydrogen-bonded aggregates where stacks of protonated [α-PtMo6O24]8– anions are stabilized by hydrogen-bonding interactions. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Introduction to Fruit Crops

Introduction to Fruit Crops combina un formato muy amigable con una exhaustiva revision de los hechos esenciales respecto del cultivo de especies frutales mundialmente importantes. Por lo tanto, es un libro muy util como texto de referencia en cursos de introduccion a la fruticultura y al mismo tiempo es una buena referencia para profesionales y agricultores. Este libro describe importantes cultivos frutales como banano, cafe, cocotero, frutilla, manzano, naranjo, nueces, olivo, palma aceitera africana y vid. Ademas, incluye informacion sobre nombres cientifi cos, morfologia vegetal, propagacion, descripcion botanica, polinizacion, clima, patrones, diseno de huertos, conduccion y poda, y aspectos de sanidad vegetal.
Do balanced-budget rules increase growth?

This study tests the hypothesis that balanced-budget rules (BBRs) that restrict public borrowing to investments in public infrastructure increase growth by increasing the productivity of debt, either because investments in public infrastructure are more productive than other uses for which states borrow funds or because BBRs lower borrowing costs. Results are based on data at 5-year intervals for 49 US states over the period 1957-2007. The tests strongly support the hypothesis that BBRs increase growth by increasing the productivity of debt and withstand a variety of robustness checks, including alternative lags, exogeneity tests, GMM estimation, a placebo test, and the influence of outliers.
An empirical investigation of the nexus among money balances, commodity prices and consumer goods' prices

This paper aims to identify the nexus between the excess of liquidity in the United States and commodity prices over the 1983-2006 period. In particular, it assesses whether commodity prices react more powerfully than consumer goods' prices to changes in real money balances. Within a cointegrated vector autoregressive framework, the author investigates whether consumer prices and commodity prices react to excess liquidity, and if the different price elasticities of supply for goods and commodities allow for differences in the dynamic paths of price adjustment to a liquidity shock. The results show a positive relationship between real money and real commodity prices and provide empirical evidence for a stronger response of commodity prices with respect to consumer goods' prices. This could imply that, if the magnitude of the reaction is due the fact that consumer goods' prices are slower to react, then their long-run value can be predicted with the help of commodity prices. The findings support the view that the latter should be considered as a valid monetary indicator.
Implementing the maximum of monotone algorithms

Running several sub-optimal algorithms and choosing the optimal one is a common procedure in computer science, most notably in the design of approximation algorithms. This paper deals with one significant flaw of this technique in environments where the inputs are provided by selfish agents: such protocols are not necessarily incentive compatible even when the underlying algorithms are. We characterize sufficient and necessary conditions for such best-outcome protocols to be incentive compatible in a general model for agents with one-dimensional private data. We show how our techniques apply in several settings.
MAP complexity results and approximation methods

MAP is the problem of nding a most probable instantiation of a set of variables in a Bayesian network, given some evidence. MAP appears to be a signi cantly harder problem than the related problems of computing the probability of evidence (Pr), or MPE (a special case of MAP). Because of the complexity of MAP, and the lack of viable algorithms to approximate it, MAP computations are generally avoided by practitioners. This paper investigates the complexity of MAP. We show that MAP is complete for NPPP. We also provide negative complexity results for elimination based algorithms. It turns out that MAP remains hard even when MPE, and Pr are easy. We show that MAP is NP-complete when the networks are restricted to polytrees, and even then can not be e ectively approximated. Because there is no approximation algorithm with guaranteed results, we investigate best effort approximations. We introduce a generic MAP approximation framework. As one instantiation of it, we implement local search coupled with belief propagation (BP) to approximate MAP. We show how to extract approximate evidence retraction information from belief propagation which allows us to perform e cient local search. This allows MAP approximation even on networks that are too complex to even exactly solve the easier problems of computing Pr or MPE. Experimental results indicate that using BP and local search provides accurate MAP estimates in many cases.
Developments in repeat pass interferometric radar for Earth and planetary sciences

Repeat pass radar interferometry has developed into a wide ranging geodetic and change mapping tool from space. For large areas of the Earth, and for numerous applications that demand more persistent monitoring, the true potential of the repeat pass technique remains largely untapped. While the research community has made enormous strides in extracting as much information as possible from existing data sets, fundamentally new observing systems are needed for breakthroughs in a number of areas. Repeat pass interferometry techniques applied on missions to the terrestrial planets, Earth's Moon and the icy moons of Jupiter can reveal new insights in to the history of the surface and near subsurface.
Statistical modeling of shape and appearance using the continuous medial representation

We describe a novel approach to combining shape and appearance features in the statistical analysis of structures in medical images. The continuous medial representation is used to relate these two types of features meaningfully. The representation imposes a shape-based coordinate system on structure interiors, in a way that uses the boundary normal as one of the coordinate axes, while providing an onto and nearly one-to-one parametrization. This coordinate system is used to sample image intensities in the context of shape. The approach is illustrated by the principal components analysis of the shape and appearance of the hippocampus in T1-weighted MRI from a schizophrenia study.
Sequential preoperative fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography assessment of response to preoperative chemoradiation: a means for determining longterm outcomes of rectal cancer.

Abstract Background We have previously demonstrated that fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can assess extent of pathologic response of primary rectal cancer to preoperative chemoradiation. Our goal was to determine the prognostic significance of FDG-PET assessment of rectal cancer response to preoperative chemoradiation. Study design Fifteen patients with locally advanced primary rectal cancer (clinically bulky or tethered, or ultrasound evidence of T3–4 disease, N1 disease, or both) deemed eligible for preoperative radiation and 5-FU-based chemotherapy (5,040 cGy to the pelvis and 2 cycles of bolus 5-FU/leucovorin) were prospectively enrolled from May 1997 to September 1998. FDG-PET was performed before and 4 to 5 weeks after completion of preoperative chemoradiation. FDG-PET parameters included maximum standard uptake value (SUV max ), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and visual response score. Patients were prospectively followed after operation, and disease status was determined. Results All patients demonstrated some degree of response to preoperative therapy based on pathologic examination. At a median followup of 42 months (range 23 to 54 months), 11 patients had no evidence of disease and 4 had died of disease. The mean percentage decrease in SUV max (ΔSUV max ) was 69% for patients free from recurrence and 37% for patients with recurrence (p = 0.004). ΔSUV max ≥ 62.5 and δTLG ≥ 69.5 were the best predictors of no-evidence-of-disease status and freedom from recurrence. Patients with ΔSUV max ≥ 62.5 and δTLG ≥ 69.5 had significantly improved disease-specific and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.08, 0.02 and p=0.03, 0.01, respectively). Conclusions Our results indicate that FDG-PET assessment of locally-advanced rectal cancer response to preoperative chemoradiation may predict longterm outcomes.
“E+A” Galaxies: Environment and Evolution

One important approach to the study of galaxy evolution is to identify those galaxies whose spectral and/or morphological characteristics suggest that they are in transition. For example, “E+A” galaxies,1 which have strong Balmer absorption lines and no significant [OII] emission, are generally interpreted as post-starburst galaxies in which the star formation ceased within the last ∼ Gyr (Fig. 1). This transition between a star forming and non-star forming state is a critical link in any galaxy evolution model in which a blue, star forming disk galaxy evolves into a SO or elliptical. Another possible evolutionary track is that the star formation in an “E+A” resumes at some later time, if enough gas remains in the galaxy after its starburst ends. Given this ambiguity, it is important to investigate (1) the environment’s role in “E+A” evolution, (2) the stellar and gas morphologies of “E+A”s, (3) the likely progenitors of “E+A”s, and (4) how common the “E+A” phase is in the evolution of galaxies.
Remarks on small sets of reals

We show that the Dual Borel Conjecture implies that o > N 1 and find some topological characterizations of perfectly meager and universally meager sets.
The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope for Astro 1.

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) is a 38-cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope with 2 arc-sec resolution and a 40 arc-min field of view. There are two magnetically-focused image intensifies which record on film. One has a Cs-I photocathode and 6 filters, the other has a Cs-Te cathode with 5 filters and an objective grating. The film transports contain 1000 frames each of IIa-O film. The point source threshold is m (2200 A) = 22.0 in a 30 min integration through the widest filter. For extended sources the corresponding mag is 26.0/sq. arc-sec. The UIT complements the instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope in that its field of view is ~ 200 times that of the Wide Field Camera, it has extremely good visible light rejection and is more sensitive to diffuse structures in the UV. The UIT is well-suited to locating interesting UV targets for HST follow-up and the study of large regions such as nearby galaxies and clusters.
Bounded wait-free f -resilient atomic Byzantine data storage systems for an unbounded number of clients

We present the first direct bounded wait-free implementation of a replicated register with atomic semantics in a system with an unbounded number of clients and in which up to f servers are subject to Byzantine failures. In a system with n ≥4f+i+1 servers, and in the presence of a single writer, our implementation requires 5 messages from the reader and at most 6+2(f–i) messages per correct server per read operation and 2 request and 2 reply messages per server for each write operation. Unlike previous solutions, the number of messages is independent of the number of write operations that are concurrent with a read operation. For the case of multiple writers, a read operation requires 5 messages for the reader and no more than 6+2c(f–i) reply messages per correct server, where c is the number of writers that execute concurrently with the read operations, and a write operation requires 4 request and 4 reply messages per server. The message requirements of our wait-free implementations are considerably better in the worst case than those of the best known non wait-free implementations. If there is a bound on the number of writers, the total number of messages sent by a server is linear in the number of read operations, so faulty servers that send too many messages will be detected as faulty. This implementation does not rule out the possibility that a reader receives and discards many delayed messages in a read operation, so it is bounded only in an amortized sense. We describe a bounded solution in which a read operation will not receive more than a constant number of messages from a server without detecting the failure of the server. No other solution is bounded – in an amortized sense or otherwise.
Reconstructing A/B compartments as revealed by Hi-C using long-range correlations in epigenetic data

Analysis of Hi-C data has shown that the genome can be divided into two compartments called A/B compartments. These compartments are cell-type specific and are associated with open and closed chromatin. We show that A/B compartments can reliably be estimated using epigenetic data from several different platforms: the Illumina 450 k DNA methylation microarray, DNase hypersensitivity sequencing, single-cell ATAC sequencing and single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. We do this by exploiting that the structure of long-range correlations differs between open and closed compartments. This work makes A/B compartment assignment readily available in a wide variety of cell types, including many human cancers.
Simulation-based estimation of mean and standard deviation for meta-analysis via Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)

When conducting a meta-analysis of a continuous outcome, estimated means and standard deviations from the selected studies are required in order to obtain an overall estimate of the mean effect and its confidence interval. If these quantities are not directly reported in the publications, they must be estimated from other reported summary statistics, such as the median, the minimum, the maximum, and quartiles. We propose a simulation-based estimation approach using the Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) technique for estimating mean and standard deviation based on various sets of summary statistics found in published studies. We conduct a simulation study to compare the proposed ABC method with the existing methods of Hozo et al. (2005), Bland (2015), and Wan et al. (2014). In the estimation of the standard deviation, our ABC method performs better than the other methods when data are generated from skewed or heavy-tailed distributions. The corresponding average relative error (ARE) approaches zero as sample size increases. In data generated from the normal distribution, our ABC performs well. However, the Wan et al. method is best for estimating standard deviation under normal distribution. In the estimation of the mean, our ABC method is best regardless of assumed distribution. ABC is a flexible method for estimating the study-specific mean and standard deviation for meta-analysis, especially with underlying skewed or heavy-tailed distributions. The ABC method can be applied using other reported summary statistics such as the posterior mean and 95 % credible interval when Bayesian analysis has been employed.
Stochastic sensor scheduling via distributed convex optimization

In this paper, we propose a stochastic scheduling strategy for estimating the states of N discrete-time linear time invariant (DTLTI) dynamic systems, where only one system can be observed by the sensor at each time instant due to practical resource constraints. The idea of our stochastic strategy is that a system is randomly selected for observation at each time instant according to a pre-assigned probability distribution. We aim to find the optimal pre-assigned probability in order to minimize the maximal estimate error covariance among dynamic systems. We first show that under mild conditions, the stochastic scheduling problem gives an upper bound on the performance of the optimal sensor selection problem, notoriously difficult to solve. We next relax the stochastic scheduling problem into a tractable suboptimal quasi-convex form. We then show that the new problem can be decomposed into coupled small convex optimization problems, and it can be solved in a distributed fashion. Finally, for scheduling implementation, we propose centralized and distributed deterministic scheduling strategies based on the optimal stochastic solution and provide simulation examples.
Self-Consistent Analysis of OH Zeeman Observations

Crutcher et al. used OH Zeeman observations of four nearby molecular dark clouds to show that the ratio of mass to magnetic flux was smaller in the ∼0.1 pc cores than in the ∼1 pc envelopes, in contradiction to the prediction of ambipolar diffusion driven core formation. A crucial assumption was that the magnetic field direction is nearly the same in the envelope and core regions of each cloud. Mouschovias & Tassis have argued that the data are not consistent with this assumption, and presented a new analysis that changes the conclusions of the study. Here, we show that the data are in fact consistent with the nearly uniform field direction assumption; hence, the original study is internally self-consistent and the conclusions are valid under the assumptions that were made. We also show that the Mouschovias & Tassis model of magnetic fields in cloud envelopes is inconsistent with their own analysis of the data. However, the data do not rule out a more complex field configuration that future observations may discern.
Picosecond pulse characterization using nonlinear fiber propagation

Summary form only given. By taking advantage of the well-developed models for nonlinear pulse propagation in optical fibers, we indirectly measure picosecond laser pulse characteristics such as chirp and pedestal energy. Measurements of output pulse-width versus launched power through a short test fiber, along with the time band-width product of the launched pulse, are fed into a routine to find the best-fit pulse parameters. We apply this technique to characterize 3.5-ps pulses at 1.54 /spl mu/m from a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser. We first propagate the pulses through 200 m of test fiber to extract the parameters, and then confirm the fit's accuracy by comparing predicted and measured propagation through 25 km of fiber.
[1.1.1]Propellanes

1 Structure 2 Spectroscopy 3 Synthesis 4 Reactions 5 Conclusions 6 Acknowledgements Keywords: spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance; intramolecular carbene insertion; nucleophilic attack reaction; radical attack; electrophilic attack; photoelectron and electron transmission spectra
Detection of visible light from the darkest world

We present the detection of visible light from the planet TrES-2b, the darkest exoplanet currently known. By analysis of the orbital photometry from publicly available Kepler data (0.4–0.9 μm), we determine a day–night contrast amplitude of 6.5 ± 1.9 ppm (parts per million), constituting the lowest amplitude orbital phase variation discovered. The signal is detected to 3.7σ confidence and persists in six different methods of modelling the data and thus appears robust. In contrast, we are unable to detect ellipsoidal variations or beaming effects, but we do provide confidence intervals for these terms. If the day–night contrast is interpreted as being due to scattering, it corresponds to a geometric albedo of Ag= 0.0253 ± 0.0072. However, our models indicate that there is a significant emission component to dayside brightness, and the true albedo is even lower (<1 per cent). By combining our measurement with Spitzer and ground-based data, we show that a model with moderate redistribution (Pn≃ 0.3) and moderate extra optical opacity (κ′≃ 0.3–0.4) provide a compatible explanation to the data.
Covariance estimation using conjugate gradient for 3D classification in CRYO-EM

Classifying structural variability in noisy projections of biological macromolecules is a central problem in Cryo-EM. In this work, we build on a previous method for estimating the covariance matrix of the three-dimensional structure present in the molecules being imaged. Our proposed method allows for incorporation of contrast transfer function and non-uniform distribution of viewing angles, making it more suitable for real-world data. We evaluate its performance on a synthetic dataset and an experimental dataset obtained by imaging a 70S ribosome complex.
Sex differences in proximal and distal nephron function contribute to the mechanism of idiopathic hypercalcuria in calcium stone formers

Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) is a common familial trait among patients with calcium nephrolithiasis. Previously, we have demonstrated that hypercalciuria is primarily due to reduced renal proximal and distal tubule calcium reabsorption. Here, using measurements of the clearances of sodium, calcium, and endogenous lithium taken from the General Clinical Research Center, we test the hypothesis that patterns of segmental nephron tubule calcium reabsorption differ between the sexes in IH and normal subjects. When the sexes are compared, we reconfirm the reduced proximal and distal calcium reabsorption. In IH women, distal nephron calcium reabsorption is decreased compared to normal women. In IH men, proximal tubule calcium reabsorption falls significantly, with a more modest reduction in distal calcium reabsorption compared to normal men. Additionally, we demonstrate that male IH patients have lower systolic blood pressures than normal males. We conclude that women and men differ in the way they produce the hypercalciuria of IH, with females reducing distal reabsorption and males primarily reducing proximal tubule function.
Universal high-frequency behavior of periodically driven systems: from dynamical stabilization to Floquet engineering

We give a general overview of the high-frequency regime in periodically driven systems and identify three distinct classes of driving protocols in which the infinite-frequency Floquet Hamiltonian is not equal to the time-averaged Hamiltonian. These classes cover systems, such as the Kapitza pendulum, the Harper–Hofstadter model of neutral atoms in a magnetic field, the Haldane Floquet Chern insulator and others. In all setups considered, we discuss both the infinite-frequency limit and the leading finite-frequency corrections to the Floquet Hamiltonian. We provide a short overview of Floquet theory focusing on the gauge structure associated with the choice of stroboscopic frame and the differences between stroboscopic and non-stroboscopic dynamics. In the latter case, one has to work with dressed operators representing observables and a dressed density matrix. We also comment on the application of Floquet Theory to systems described by static Hamiltonians with well-separated energy scales and, in particul...
Survivability of Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5 Under Simulated Martian Surface Conditions

Abstract Spacecraft launched to Mars can retain viable terrestrial microorganisms on board that may survive the interplanetary transit. Such biota might compromise the search for life beyond Earth if capable of propagating on Mars. The current study explored the survivability of Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5, a psychrotolerant microorganism obtained from a Siberian permafrost cryopeg, under simulated martian surface conditions of high ultraviolet irradiation, high desiccation, low temperature, and low atmospheric pressure. First, a desiccation experiment compared the survival of P. cryohalolentis cells embedded, or not embedded, within a medium/salt matrix (MSM) maintained at 25°C for 24 h within a laminar flow hood. Results indicate that the presence of the MSM enhanced survival of the bacterial cells by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude. Second, tests were conducted in a Mars Simulation Chamber to determine the UV tolerance of the microorganism. No viable vegetative cells of P. cryohalolentis were detected a...
GROWTH AND REGRESSION OF THE GERMFREE (AXENIC) THYMUS.

SummaryQualitatively, the growth patterns of the thymus of germfree and conventional mice are very similar, and the gross appearance is the same. In both groups of animals the period of thymus growth extends from birth to about 50 days, with accelerated growth during the first 2 weeks after birth, and peaks at about 15 days. Growth continues at a decelerated rate and regression of the thymus begins at about 50 days of age. A plateau is reached at about 200 days of age, but the thymus does not disappear completely. However, the thymus of conventional mice grows more rapidly and attains greater size than that of the germ-free mice.
Statistical mechanics of neocortical interactions: Stability and duration of the 7±2 rule of short-term-memory capacity

This paper is an essential addendum to L. Ingber, ``Statistical mechanics of neocortical interactions. Derivation of short-term-memory capacity,'' Phys. Rev. A 29, 3346-3358 (1984). Calculations are presented here to support the claim there, that there exists an approximate one-dimensional solution to the two-dimensional neocortical Fokker-Planck equation. This solution is extremely useful, not only to obtain a closed algebraic expression for the time of first passage, but also to establish that minima of the associated path-integral stationary Lagrangian are indeed stable points of the transient dynamic system. Also, a relatively nontechnical summary is given of the basic theory.
Breakdown Processes in Large-Area Cold-Cathode Vacuum Triodes

Preionization of large-aperture high-pressure dischargepumped gas lasers requires uniform 250 to 500 keV 10 to 100 mA cm-2 electron beams of typically 1 to l0x103 cm2 in area. Impedance collapse due to cathode plasma expansion renders diode electron guns inefficient in this application. Introduction of a control grid limits gun current to low, controllable values until plasma closure of the cathode-grid gap occurs. However, field enhancement at the grid can cause cathode-grid or grid-anode arcs resulting in current runaway. An experimental study of impedance collapse was conducted by measuring element I-V characteristics in a 20x200 cm cold-cathode triode electron gun. Impedance collapse of the gun was dominated by two processes: (1) plasma closure of the cathodegrid gap and (2) grid-anode arcs. Plasma closure rate was ~2x106 cm s-1 independent of configuration or interelectorde potential. Arc thresholds were found to depend (after conditioning) exclusively on local electric field strength at the grid which is, in turn, a function of grid bias and, more importantly, grid geometry. Streamers and arcs were occasionally observed in the cathode-grid region, phenomena deserving of further investigation.
The Most Massive Objects in the Universe

We calculate the expected mass of the most massive object in the universe, finding it to be a cluster of galaxies with total mass M 200 = 3.8 × 1015 M ☉ at z = 0.22, with the 1σ marginalized regions being 3.3 × 1015 M ☉ 1, where a number of anomalously massive clusters have been discovered. Future surveys will explore larger volumes, and both the most massive object and the most unlikely object in the universe may be identified within the next decade.
Discovery of a fossil bird in the Jurassic of Wyoming

(1881). Discovery of a fossil bird in the Jurassic of Wyoming. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 7, No. 42, pp. 488-489.
Monolithic solid oxide fuel cell development

Abstract The monolithic solid oxide fuel cell performance and fabrication are summarized and specific applications are highlighted for this promising power source.
Spacetime Embedding Diagrams for Spherically Symmetric Black Holes

We show that it is possible to embed the 1 + 1 dimensional reduction of certain spherically symmetric black hole spacetimes into 2 + 1 Minkowski space. The spacetimes of interest (Schwarzschild de-Sitter, Schwarzschild anti de-Sitter, and Reissner-Nordstrom near the outer horizon) represent a class of metrics whose geometries allow for such embeddings. The embedding diagrams have a dynamic character which allows one to represent the motion of test particles. We also analyze various features of the embedding construction, deriving the general conditions under which our procedure provides a smooth embedding. These conditions also yield an embedding constant related to the surface gravity of the relevant horizon.
A two-tunneling path internal-axis-method-like treatment of the microwave spectrum of divinyl ether

Abstract The microwave spectrum of the cis-trans conformer of divinyl ether, previously measured by Hirose and co-workers, has been fitted using a two-dimensional internal-axis-method (IAM) like treatment which accounts for the 27-MHz tunneling splitting displayed by this molecule. This two-dimensional IAM-like treatment begins by first determining the various feasible tunneling path(s) connecting the two frameworks of the molecule. For the tunneling process corresponding to an antigeared rotation of each vinyl unit about axes coinciding with the respective CO bonds, two limiting cases are considered: if the molecule goes through a planar configuration during the tunneling, only one tunneling path arises; if the intermediate configuration is not planar, two equivalent tunneling paths occur. The consequences for the J and K dependence of the splitting are examined, and using this formalism the microwave data are fitted with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.156 MHz. The parameters related to the J and K dependence of the splitting are also determined and their values are interpreted in favor of a two-tunneling path system. A comparison with the values obtained theoretically for those parameters is also carried out.
Highly isotactic optically active methacrylate polymers by free radical cyclopolymerization

Abstract Isospecific free radical cyclopolymerization of tartrate-based monomers gives polymers with very high optical rotations. Circular dichroism and polarimetric measurements suggest the polymers are rigid and ordered. Their high resistance to solvolysis suggests potential applications in chiral chromatography.
The structure of a stable new organotellurium azide: bis-azidodiphenyltellurium(IV) oxide

Diphenyltelluroxide reacts with azidotrimethylsilane to give a remarkable stable adduct (Ph2TeN3)2O which was characterised by X-ray crystallography.
Electromagnetically conducting elastic plates in a magnetic field: modeling and dynamic implications

Abstract The basic field equations and boundary conditions necessary for the dynamic approach of electromagnetically conducting flat plates subjected to an external magnetic field are derived. Whereas the structural equations include the geometrical non-linearities of elastic isotropic plates, the electromagnetic equations are used in a linearized form that is obtained from their non-linear counterpart by applying the small disturbance concept. In this context, it was shown that the governing equations involve the bending–stretching coupling arising from both the geometrical non-linear approach of the problem and the inclusion of the Lorentz ponderomotive forces that are reduced to a 2-D plate counterpart. A number of special cases are considered, implications of the external magnetic field on non-linear/linear eigenfrequencies are highlighted, and pertinent conclusions are outlined.