cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of a Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate and Virginiamycin on Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chicks

Male broiler chicks were fed diets containing 0 or 3.5 mg aflatoxin (AF)/kg from 1 to 28 d of age. The diets were amended with either .5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), 16.5 mg virginiamycin (VM)/kg of diet, or .5% HSCAS + 16.5 mg VM/kg of diet to determine the effects of these compounds during aflatoxicosis. When compared with controls (814 g), BW gains were significantly lower for broilers fed the AF (731 g) or AF+VM (716 g) diets. No differences were found between the BW gains of chicks fed diets without aflatoxin (814 g) and those of chicks fed AF+HSCAS (793 g) or AF+HSCAS+VM (803 g), indicating approximately 75% protection against decreased BW gain by HSCAS and 87% protection by the HSCAS+VM combination. Relative weights of the liver and kidney and creatine kinase activity were significantly increased and albumin, total protein, cholesterol, uric acid, and inorganic phosphorus concentrations were decreased in chicks fed the diet containing AF alone. With the exception of albumin, HSCAS was effective in restoring these values to control values. The findings of this research suggest that HSCAS and HSCAS+VM can counteract some of the toxic effects of AF in growing broiler chicks.
Effect of sp2-Bonded Nondiamond Carbon Impurity on the Response of Boron-Doped Polycrystalline Diamond Thin-Film Electrodes

The physical and electrochemical properties of boron-doped polycrystalline diamond thin-film electrodes, prepared with varying levels of sp 2 -bonded nondiamond carbon impurity, were systematically investigated. This impurity was introduced through adjustment of the methane-to-hydrogen (C/H) source gas ratio used for the deposition. Volumetric gas ratios of 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5% were employed. Proportional increases in the fraction of grain boundary, the extent of secondary nucleation, and the sp 2 -bonded carbon impurity content resulted in increasing C/H ratio. Variations in the morphology and microstructure were monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The electrode response was assessed using Fe(CN) 3-/4- 6 , Ru(NH 3 ) 3+/2+ 6 , Fe 3+/2+ . and 4-tert-butylcatechol (4-tBC). All were 1 mM in concentration and dissolved in either 1 M KCl or 0.1 M HClO 4 . While increased sp 2 -bonded carbon content had little effect on the cyclic voltammetric peak separation (ΔE p ) and peak current for the first two redox systems, the impurity had a significant impact on the latter two, as ΔE p decreased proportionally with increased sp 2 -bonded carbon content. The effect of the impurity on the reduction of oxygen in 0.1 M HClO 4 and 0.1 M NaOH was also investigated. A direct correlation was found between the relative amount of the impurity, as estimated from Raman spectroscopy, and the overpotential for oxygen reduction. The greater the nondiamond content, the lower the kinetic overpotential for the reduction reaction. Tafel plots yielded an apparent exchange current density that increased and a transfer coefficient that decreased with the increased nondiamond carbon content. The results demonstrate that the grain boundaries, and the sp 2 carbon impurity presumably residing there, can have a significant impact on the electrode reaction kinetics for certain redox systems and little influence for others.
Extraterrestrial demise of banded iron formations 1.85 billion years ago

In the Lake Superior region of North America, deposition of most banded iron formations (BIFs) ended abruptly 1.85 Ga ago, coincident with the oceanic impact of the giant Sudbury extraterrestrial bolide. We propose a new model in which this impact produced global mixing of shallow oxic and deep anoxic waters of the Paleoproterozoic ocean, creating a suboxic redox state for deep seawater. This suboxic state, characterized by only small concentrations of dissolved O 2 (~1 μ M ), prevented transport of hydrothermally derived Fe(II) from the deep ocean to continental-margin settings, ending an ~1.1 billion-year-long period of episodic BIF mineralization. The model is supported by the nature of Precambrian deep-water exhalative chemical sediments, which changed from predominantly sulfide facies prior to ca. 1.85 Ga to mainly oxide facies thereafter.
Effect of polymer microstructure on dye diffusion in polyamide 66 fibers

Our previous work showed that drawing polyamide 66 (PA 66) fibers at room temperature does not change the degree of crystallinity, but only increases the molecular orientation. We therefore have used a series PA 66 fibers with different draw ratios to establish a direct correlation between (noncrystalline) molecular orientation fa and the dye diffusion coefficient D. For both acid and disperse dyes, the relationship log D ∝ f provides reasonable fits to the data for PA 66 fibers, and a similar relationship appears to be applicable to PA 6 fibers. Heat-setting the fibers results in a continuous decrease in diffusion coefficient; unlike PA6 and PET fibers, no minimum in D was found in the region of 160°C. If this decrease in D is attributed to the increase in volume fraction crystallinity X taking place during heat-setting, it must be deduced that log D ∝ X6. This dependence is surprisingly strong, but is consistent with observations we have made on PET and PA6 fibers. It is possible that some other structural rearrangement is partially or largely responsible for the decrease in diffusion coefficient, but Fourier transform infrared, density, and X-ray diffraction measurements do not indicate any other structural changes taking place. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3803–3807, 2003
Adaptive acquisition of virtualized deformable objects with a neural gas network

The paper presents a novel approach to guide the acquisition of deformable objects by selecting only a few measurements on the surface of the object. The main idea relies on embedding elastic behavior as a fourth dimension in a neural gas architecture and obtain the sample points as a result of its training. The technique has been successfully applied for objects exhibiting both homogeneous and non-homogeneous elasticity. Early results prove the feasibility and validity of the proposed method.
Clinical Manifestations and Treatment of the Pediatric Rheumatoid Patient

The management goal of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is to achieve early diagnosis and treatment so that arthritis can be resolved at an early stage, which avoids long-term damage and provides a good outcome of the affected inflammatory joints. This article describes presentation, classification, evaluation, and treatment of JRA as it relates to the foot and ankle. Because the course of JRA is complex and the optimal management is highly variable in each patient, this article can only offer recommendations. Actual treatment should be individualized to meet the conditions of each patient.
A Reanalysis of the Surface Winds for Hurricane Donna of 1960

Abstract Hurricane Donna, the only major hurricane to strike the United States during the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season, passed over the middle Florida Keys near Sombrero Key before making landfall southeast of Naples, near Goodland, Florida, on 10 September at approximately 1600 UTC. This study makes detailed retrospective surface wind analyses of Hurricane Donna utilizing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division's (HRD) H*Wind surface wind analysis system. Analyses were produced at intervals of 6 h between 1800 UTC 9 September and 1200 UTC 11 September 1960 while the hurricane was close to and over Florida. These analyses depict the storm track as well as the distribution and extent of tropical storm force, 50 kt (25.7 m s−1), and the hurricane-force wind radii throughout this time period and include new methodologies for adjusting aircraft flight-level data to the surface in the tropical cyclone core environment. Algorithms were developed to account for th...
Using community health workers in community-based growth promotion: what stakeholders think

The Nutrition and Malaria Control for Child Survival Project is a community-based growth promotion project that utilizes Community Health Workers (CHWs), referred to as Community Child Growth Promoters (CCGPs), as the principal change agents. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of key stakeholders about the project and the role of the CCGPs. The study employed qualitative methods: focus group discussions with CCGPs and care givers, exit interviews with care givers, and key informant interviews with health workers and CCGPs. All stakeholders interviewed expressed appreciation for the project and the role of the CCGPs. Respondents indicated that the project, through the CCGPs, had improved access to growth promotion services for children in their communities and made community mobilization for health programs easier. Caregivers appreciated the role of the CCGPS because they were their own people, who spoke their language, understood their situations better, treated them better and were readily accessible. CCGPs on their part believed they were playing a very important role in their communities and were happy with their prestigious position; though they hoped for incentives. This appraisal adds to the evidence on the important role played by CHWs in the developing world.
Intrafirm Eects on Water Conservation in Agriculture

Conservation technology adoption behavior is frequently analyzed at the smallest unit of production to capture important heterogeneity among adopters. Conclusions about firm-level decisions are drawn from these microunit outcomes. However, there may be significant intrafirm interactions that create a dependence among the microunits. This paper tests and quantifies these effects. Using a unique dataset of agricultural water use in California, this paper finds significant differences in water price elasticities of conservation technology adoption between the standard model and models that accounts for the intrafirm interactions.
Values and Voices in Teaching Gerontology and Geriatrics Case Studies as Stories

Case studies are used extensively in gerontological and geriatric education and practice, especially to present clinically relevant examples and to illustrate abstract concepts, principles, and theories in the study of aging. This article reviews the important pedagogical, clinical, and ethical issues involved in their design and use, and presents an argument that both case study developers and discussants need to become more reflective when they think about the nature of writing and listening to case studies as stories. The major themes from the literature in narrative and clinical ethics on case studies as stories are surveyed, including consideration of both facts and values, the debate on generalization versus specificity, and the need for interpreters and commentators. The implications of these insights for teaching and clinical education are considered, including the importance of addressing the need for rich description, multiple voices, open-endedness, and critical analysis.
Comparison Among Several Numerical Integration Methods for Kramers-Kronig Transformation

Several numerical integration methods are compared in order to search out the most effective method for the Kramers-Kronig transformation, using the analytical formula of the Kramers-Kronig transformation of a Lorentzian function as a reference. The methods to be compared involve the use of (1) Maclaurin's formula, (2) trapezium formula, (3) Simpson's formula, and (4) successive double Fourier transform methods. It is found that Maclaurin's formula, in which no special approximation is necessary for the pole part of the integration, gives the most accurate results, and also that its computation time is short. Successive Fourier transform is less accurate than the other methods, but it takes the least time when used without zero-filling. These results have important relevance for programs used to obtain optical constant spectra and to analyze spectral data.
Angelic semantics for high-level actions

High-level actions (HLAs) lie at the heart of hierarchical planning. Typically, an HLA admits multiple refinements into primitive action sequences. Correct descriptions of the effects of HLAs may be essential to their effective use, yet the literature is mostly silent. We propose an angelic semantics for HLAs, the key concept of which is the set of states reachable by some refinement of a high-level plan, representing uncertainty that will ultimately be resolved in the planning agent's own best interest. We describe upper and lower approximations to these reachable sets, and show that the resulting definition of a high-level solution automatically satisfies the upward and downward refinement properties. We define a STRIPS-like notation for such descriptions. A sound and complete hierarchical planning algorithm is given and its computational benefits are demonstrated.
The Thrombospondin Receptor CD47 (IAP) Modulates and Associates with α2β1 Integrin in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

The carboxyl-terminal domain of thrombospondin-1 enhances the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Integrin-associated protein (IAP or CD47) is a receptor for the thrombospondin-1 carboxyl-terminal cell-binding domain and binds the agonist peptide 4N1K (kRFYVVMWKk) from this domain. 4N1K peptide stimulates chemotaxis of both human and rat aortic smooth muscle cells on gelatin-coated filters. The migration on gelatin is specifically blocked by monoclonal antibodies against IAP and a β1 integrin, rather than αvβ3 as found previously for 4N1K-stimulated chemotaxis of endothelial cells on gelatin. Both human and rat smooth muscle cells displayed a weak migratory response to soluble type I collagen; however, the presence of 4N1K peptide or intact thrombospondin-1 provoked a synergistic chemotactic response that was partially blocked by antibodies to α2 and β1 integrin subunits and to IAP. A combination of antiα2 and IAP monoclonal antibodies completely blocked chemotaxis. RGD peptide and antiαvβ3 mAb were without effect. 4N1K and thrombospondin-1 did not augment the chemotactic response of smooth muscle cells to fibronectin, vitronectin, or collagenase-digested type I collagen. Complex formation between α2β1 and IAP was detected by the coimmunoprecipitation of both α2 and β1 integrin subunits with IAP. These data suggest that IAP can associate with α2β1 integrin and modulate its function.
Whisker plucking alters responses of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons.

Whisker plucking in developing and adult rats provides a convenient method of temporarily altering tactile input for the purposes of studying experience-dependent plasticity in the somatosensory cortex. Yet, a comprehensive examination of the effect of whisker plucking on the response properties of whisker follicle-innervating trigeminal ganglion (NVg) neurons is lacking. We used extracellular single unit recordings to examine responses of NVg neurons to controlled whisker stimuli in three groups of animals: (1) rats whose whiskers were plucked from birth for 21 days; (2) rats whose whiskers were plucked once at 21 days of age; and (3) control animals. After at least 3 weeks of whisker regrowth, NVg neurons in plucked rats displayed normal, single whisker receptive fields and could be characterized as slowly (SA) or rapidly adapting (RA). The proportion of SA and RA neurons was unaffected by whisker plucking. Both SA and RA NVg neurons in plucked rats displayed normal response latencies and angular tuning but abnormally large responses to whisker movement onsets and offsets. SA neurons were affected to a greater extent than RA neurons. The effect of whisker plucking was more pronounced in animals whose whiskers were plucked repeatedly during development than in rats whose whiskers were plucked once. Individual neurons in plucked animals displayed abnormal periods of prolonged rhythmic firing following deflection onsets and aberrant bursts of activity during the plateau phase of the stimulus. These results indicate that whisker plucking exerts a long-term effect on responses of trigeminal ganglion neurons to peripheral stimulation.
Computed tomography coronary plaque imaging as a secondary end point for randomized pharmaceutical trials: more bang for the buck?

In a perfect world for the cardiovascular computed tomography (CT) researcher, quantitative assessment of coronary atherosclerotic plaque using CT angiography (CTA) has been validated as a surrogate end point for major cardiovascular events and is used to prove the efficacy and efficiency of new drugs in a very cost-effective manner within a viable framework provided by the US Food and Drug Administration.1,2 Moreover, this validated imaging biomarker would be on its way to being implemented into decision-making by practicing clinicians, and clinical cardiac CTA examinations would be performed and interpreted with adherence to a strict protocol standard. Article see p 298 Now back to reality, despite more than 30 years of use, imaging and cardiovascular imaging have no such wonder to offer. Only tumor size is accepted as the end point in clinical trials, with varying degrees of success.1,3,4 The situation is nearly as frustrating with blood biomarkers, where only cholesterol has the blessing of the Food and Drug Administration.2 Given the improved baseline medication of patients, proving the efficacy of new antiatherosclerotic therapies has become more challenging, often requiring megatrials the caliber and sample size of tens of thousands of patients.5 From the viewpoint of a pharmaceutical company, a validated surrogate biomarker, whether it be serological or imaging, would provide the possibility to conduct smaller phase II trials before making the decision to fund a larger phase III study. The opportunity to include imaging in such trials would provide a more direct measure of therapeutic efficacy and could serve as a validation step for its ultimate clinical use in monitoring response to therapy. However, validation and effective use of biomarkers is challenging. In the APPROACH (Assessment on the Prevention of Progression by Rosiglitazone on Atherosclerosis in Diabetes Patients with Cardiovascular History) trial,6 rosiglitiazone increased …
Transmission through axisymmetric, cascaded cylindrical cavities coupled by Apertures - part II: structures with varying cross-sections

A technique is described for determining the field in a series of cascaded, axisymmetric cylindrical cavities excited by a /spl phi/-independent source. The constituent cavities are axisymmetric but may have a cross-section that varies with axial displacement. A set of coupled integral equations are solved for the unknown electric fields in the apertures that separate the constituent cavities. Separate integral equations are formulated to determine the field in each cavity with a variable cross-section.
An overview of electromagnetic and spin angular momentum mechanical waves in ferrite media

The principal characteristics of gyromagnetic materials that are useful for microwave applications are reviewed, and both the large-signal and small-signal models that govern wave propagation at microwave frequencies are given. Uniform and nonuniform plane waves in an unbounded ferrite medium are considered from the complementary viewpoints of electromagnetics and mechanics. Both electromagnetic and quantum-mechanical exchange channels of power exist in such materials, which can be ascribed to either waves or quasiparticles. Regimes of wave propagation that are magnetostatic in character are shown to exist, as well as the relationships between the Walker modes of a small spheroid and the magnetostatic wave propagation in thin films. When the power densities within these waves or modes exceed certain thresholds, the linear model breaks down and parametric instabilities can create a form of magnetic turbulence. The thresholds for both first-order and second-order processes that involve the uniform precession mode and parallel-pumping process that do not are reviewed. >
Georges Woke Up Laughing: Long‐Oistance Nationalism and the Search for Home

Georges Woke Up Laughing: Long-Oistance Nationalism and the Search for Home. Nina Glick Schiller and Georges Eugene Fouron. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2001. ix. 324 pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index.
Component-resolved near-infrared spectra of the (22) Kalliope system

Abstract We observed (22) Kalliope and its companion Linus with the integral-field spectrograph OSIRIS, which is coupled to the adaptive optics system at the W.M. Keck 2 telescope on March 25, 2008. We present, for the first time, component-resolved spectra acquired simultaneously in each of the Zbb (1–1.18 μm), Jbb (1.18–1.42 μm), Hbb (1.47–1.80 μm), and Kbb (1.97–2.38 μm) bands. The spectra of the two bodies are remarkably similar and imply that both bodies were formed at the same time from the same material; such as via incomplete re-accretion after a major impact on the precursor body.
Don't change that (calcium) channel: mutations in the same calcium channel gene can cause multiple distinct phenotypes.

Scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophy and CMT2C are allelic disorders caused by alterations in TRPV4 Deng et al. (2010) Nature Genetics 42(2):165–169 Mutations in TRPV4 cause Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2C Landoure et al. (2010) Nature Genetics 42(2):170–174 Alterations in the ankyrin domain of TRPV4 cause congenital distal SMA, scapuloperoneal SMA and HMSN2C Auer-Grumbach et al. (2010) Nature Genetics 42(2):160–164
Synthesis, structure, and properties of a new T structure copper-oxychloride of MLnCuO3Cl (M = Ca, Sr and Ln = Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd)

Abstract The syntheses of a new copper oxychloride with the general formula of MLn CuO 3 Cl ( M = Ca, Sr and Ln =Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd) are reported. These compounds are shown to have the T* structure where the copper atoms are coordinated by a square pyramidal geometry with a chloride ion in the apical position. This structure is supported by the X-ray powder patterns and lattice parameters of the new oxychlorides. The substitution of Sr for Ca in Ca 1− x Sr x LnCuO 3 Cl with Ln =Nd, Sm was performed, and the substitution is discussed in terms of the size requirements of the T* structure. Alternating current impedance measurements for CaSmCuO 3 Cl and Ca 0.72 Sr 0.28 NdCuO 3 Cl from 100 to 600°C are presented; when annealed in oxygen, CaSmCuO 3 Cl showed semiconducting behavior with an activation energy of 0.12 eV. When these two samples were annealed in argon, ionic conductivity from oxygen vacancies was observed. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for CaSmCuO 3 Cl and Ca 0.72 Sr 0.28 NdCuO 3 Cl from 2 to 400 K show similarity to the magnetic results for Sm 2 CuO 4 and Nd 2 CuO 4 , respectively. The resistivity and magnetic measurements indicate that the properties of these compounds are similar to those of their parent copper oxides, Ln 2 CuO 4 , and not to their parent oxychlorides, M 2 CuO 2 Cl 2 ( M =Ca, Sr).
What every computer scientist should know about floating-point arithmetic

Floating-point arithmetic is considered as esoteric subject by many people. This is rather surprising, because floating-point is ubiquitous in computer systems: Almost every language has a floating-point datatype; computers from PCs to supercomputers have floating-point accelerators; most compilers will be called upon to compile floating-point algorithms from time to time; and virtually every operating system must respond to floating-point exceptions such as overflow. This paper presents a tutorial on the aspects of floating-point that have a direct impact on designers of computer systems. It begins with background on floating-point representation and rounding error, continues with a discussion of the IEEE floating point standard, and concludes with examples of how computer system builders can better support floating point.
The anterior approach to hip arthroplasty: the short, single minimally invasive incision

Abstract A modified anterior approach to the hip developed by the senior author has been utilized in performing over 7,000 hip replacement operations in the past three decades. It can be readily applied to both primary and revision surgery, and involves muscle splitting and sparing of the major hip muscles, their innervation, and their function. Since the late 1970s, Yale orthopaedic residents have been taught this minimally invasive anterior approach using 1, 2, or 3 mini-incisions without fluoroscopy, special operating room tables, or special retractors. Our overall experience has documented a very low incidence of dislocation and minimal perioperative complications. While a smaller skin incision is desirable for cosmetic reasons and decreased healing time, what goes on beneath the skin is far more important. A well-placed total hip replacement should never be compromised. While many of our patients can ambulate the same or first postoperative day quite well, we do not advocate outpatient total hip arthroplasty. Bone is still cut, tissues bleed, clots can form, and the traditional complications of arthroplasty, while reduced, can still occur.
Fat-soluble-vitamin status during the first year of life in infants with cystic fibrosis identified by screening of newborns

We investigated the fat-soluble-vitamin status during the first year of life in 36 infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) consecutively identified by screening of newborns. At initial evaluation (at age 51.0 +/- 26.7 d) 36% of patients were hypoalbuminemic, 21% had low serum retinol, 35% had low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. 38% had low serum alpha-tocopherol and low ratios of serum vitamin E to total lipids, and none had elevated protein in vitamin K absence (PIVKA). Hypoalbuminemia was more common in breast-fed than in formula-fed infants. Seventy-two-hour fecal fat excretion correlated inversely with serum alpha-tocopherol. Treatment with oral pancreatic enzyme supplements, a multiple vitamin, and additional vitamin E was associated with normalization of serum albumin, retinol, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D and negative PIVKA at age 6 and 12 mo. Approximately 10% of patients remained vitamin E deficient. Biochemical evidence of fat-soluble-vitamin deficiencies is common before age 3 mo in patients with CF and, except for vitamin E, these deficiencies corrected with standard therapy.
Release of Cholecystokinin by Acid

SummaryIn dogs with pancreatic fistulas, the amount of CCK released by acid in the intestine was estimated by determining how much exogenous CCK had to be given to mimic the pancreatic protein response. Duodenal infusion of 16 mmole/hr of HC1 with a high background dose of intravenous secretin stimulated pancreatic protein secretion to about the same degree as 0.5 unit/ kg-hr of exogenous CCK; the same acid load without secretin background gave a response equivalent to about 0.7 unit/kg-hr of CCK. Expressed as fractions of their respective doses for half maximal response, acid releases almost five times more secretin than CCK.We thank John Washington for expert technical assistance. This study was supported in part by a Veterans Administration Senior Medical Investigatorship (MIG) and by National Science Foundation Grant No. GB 40370. Dr. Barbezat held an International Postdoctoral Fellowship from USPHS (FOS-TW-1616-01).
Morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors in Kecheng district of Quzhou city in 2008

Objective To analyze the characters of newly developing malignant tumors in Kecheng district of Quzhou city so as to provide reference for cancer prevention and control.Method Epidemiological analysis was conducted on the morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors of the residents.The data was analyzed on epidemiological features including morbidity,mortality,age of onset and age at death.Results The crude incidence of malignant tumors was 232.77 per 100 000 and the mortality was 160.79 per 100 000,both higher in males than females.The common cancers in males were mainly lung cancer and digestive system tumors,and those in females were breast cancer,lung cancer and digestive system tumors.The cancer incidence and mortality increased with age.The cancer incidence increased significantly in patients over 30 years old and mortality increased significantly in patients over 40 years old.Conclusion The incidence and mortality of malignant tumors are at the average level in Zhejiang province,of which lung cancer,breast cancer and digestive system tumor are common ones.
Parallel Repetition of Fortified Games.

The Parallel Repetition Theorem upper-bounds the value of a repeated (tensored) two prover game G⊗k in terms of the value of the game G and the number of repetitions k. Contrary to what one might have guessed, the value of G⊗k is not val(G), but rather a more complicated expression depending on properties of G. Indeed, there are numerous works aiming to understand the value of repeated games, both for general games G and for special cases. A case of particular interest is that of projection games, where the answer of the first prover determines at most one acceptable answer for the second prover. In this work we give a simple transformation, which we call “fortification”, that can be applied to any projection game. We show that for fortified games G, the value of the k-repeated game is approximately val(G). This results in nearly a quadratic improvement in the size of projection PCP with the lowest error known today. Unlike previous proofs of the parallel repetition theorem that relied on information theory or linear algebra, our proof is purely combinatorial and quite short. We then discuss the problem of derandomizing parallel repetition, and the limitations of the fortification idea in this setting. We point out a connection between the problem of derandomizing parallel repetition and the problem of composition. This connection could shed light on the so-called Projection Games Conjecture, which asks for projection PCP with minimal error. ∗dmoshkov@csail.mit.edu. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1218547.
Knowledge Management: A Key Driver for Entrepreneurship-an Empirical Study with Special Reference to Software Firms in Pune

Background/Objectives: Knowledge-Based Economies generate high economic value through knowledge management and innovation along with a strong focus on Research & Development and showcase a vivid entrepreneurial culture. Knowledge management can be defined as the achievement of the organization's goals by making the knowledge factor productive. This is done primarily by facilitating and motivating people to tap into and develop their capacities and core competencies and to stimulate their attitude towards entrepreneurship. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This research highlight on the knowledge management activities and the role it plays in promoting and driving entrepreneurship in an organization. A primary survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire among 400 employees working in various software firms in Pune city. The exploratory factor analysis technique was deployed to identify the factors contributing to the knowledge management activities and regression analysis was performed to explain its role in promoting entrepreneurship in these software firms. Findings: Entrepreneurs are dependent on knowledge management systems as they aim to increase organizational knowledge and expertise in order to ensure their firms' competitive capacity and profitability. The findings show that three important factors emerge which contribute to the knowledge management activities in the software firms. These antecedents are 'Knowledge Gap Determination&Evaluation', 'Knowledge Acquisition&Development' and 'Knowledge Sharing' which are the major drivers in promoting entrepreneurship and the success of the firms. Applications/Improvements: This paper provides important empirical evidence to support the role of how knowledge management within software firms can act as a key driver in promoting entrepreneurship. This study attempts to interweave the disciplines of knowledge management and entrepreneurship.
Bounding the integer bootstrapped GNSS baseline’s tail probability in the presence of stochastic uncertainty

Differential carrier phase applications that utilize cycle resolution need the probability density function of the baseline estimate to quantify its region of concentration. For the integer bootstrap estimator, the density function has an analytical definition that enables probability calculations given perfect statistical knowledge of measurement and process noise. This paper derives a method to upper bound the tail probability of the integer bootstrapped GNSS baseline when the measurement and process noise correlation functions are unknown, but can be upper and lower bounded. The tail probability is shown to be a non-convex function of a vector of conditional variances, whose feasible region is a convex polytope. We show how to solve the non-convex optimization problem globally by discretizing the polytope into small hyper-rectangular elements, and demonstrate the method for a static baseline estimation problem.
STATISTICS AND THE COMPUTER IN FORMULA ANALYSIS OF SERBO-CROATIAN HEROIC VERSE

The “oral-formulaic theory” of Milman Parry and Albert Bates Lord has influenced hundreds of stylistic studies of Homeric and medieval epic verse. Lord's original quantitative analysis of a short sample of oral folk poetry recorded in the field in Yugoslavia has assumed undue importance, obscuring Parry's and Lord's sensitive account of the complex phenomenon of repetitive poetic diction. No statistical basis has been established for a distinct quantitative threshold of formula density, above which only the work of an oral poet can reach. Rigorous analysis of significant amounts of data requires the development of automatic lemmatization for Serbo-Croatian, and perhaps of a new mathematical model as well.
A Configurable and Lightweight Timing Monitor for Fault Attack Detection

In this paper, we propose a cycle-accurate monitor that can efficiently detect timing violation based fault attacks. The proposed monitor detects clock or voltage manipulations by monitoring the external clock using an internal Ring Oscillator. The monitor is low cost in terms of area and power consumption and can be easily implemented using the standard cell based VLSI design flow. In addition to the architecture of the timing monitor, we present a detailed analysis on the design considerations that affect the cost and accuracy of the monitor. To validate the functionality of the monitor, we implemented it on Spartan-6 FPGA. We also synthesized our monitor onto IBM 90nm ASIC technology to examine the effects of process variation and aging. We show that the proposed method brings 0.23% area and 1.4% power overhead on a reference AES-128 hardware implementation.
Cerebral Blood Flow in Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Regional cerebral blood flow during seizure activity, measured by transcranial Doppler sonography, and SPECT were studied in three infants with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), during work-up for possible epilepsy surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
SNOW: Sensor Network over White Spaces

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) face significant scalability challenges due to the proliferation of wide-area wireless monitoring and control systems that require thousands of sensors to be connected over long distances. Due to their short communication range, existing WSN technologies such as those based on IEEE 802.15.4 form many-hop mesh networks complicating the protocol design and network deployment. To address this limitation, we propose a scalable sensor network architecture - called Sensor Network Over White Spaces (SNOW) - by exploiting the TV white spaces. Many WSN applications need low data rate, low power operation, and scalability in terms of geographic areas and the number of nodes. The long communication range of white space radios significantly increases the chances of packet collision at the base station. We achieve scalability and energy efficiency by splitting channels into narrowband orthogonal subcarriers and enabling packet receptions on the subcarriers in parallel with a single radio. The physical layer of SNOW is designed through a distributed implementation of OFDM that enables distinct orthogonal signals from distributed nodes. Its MAC protocol handles subcarrier allocation among the nodes and transmission scheduling. We implement SNOW in GNU radio using USRP devices. Experiments demonstrate that it can correctly decode in less than 0.1ms multiple packets received in parallel at different subcarriers, thus drastically enhancing the scalability of WSN.
Partial Reversal of Dabigatran Effect by a Prothrombin Complex Concentrate in a Model of Thrombin Generation

Abstract Abstract 3420 Dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) is a prodrug that is metabolised to a small molecule direct thrombin inhibitor. It has some more desirable charactersitics than warfarin for long-term anticoagulation of patients with atrial fibrillation, particularly the fact that it does not routinely need laboratory monitoring. However, it has the drawback that it is not readily reversable. While the package insert suggests administration of fresh frozen plasma or recombinant FVIIa as “antidotes”, there is no good theoretical or experimental basis to support this recommendation. Several sutdies have suggested that prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) can partially reverse the effects of dabigatran on laboratory assays. However, there is still much controversy over the potential of PPCs to reverse dabigatran anti-coagulation. The goal of our studies was to assess the effects of a 4-component PCC (Beriplex, CSL-Behring) on parameters of thrombin generation in PRP and a cell-based model. This allow us to use varying levels of dabigatran and varying levels of PCC, a cell-associated source of tissue factor (TF), fresh platelets, and either plasma or plasma levels of coagulation factors. Thrombin generation was assessed continuously using a fluorogenic thrombin substrate in a fluorescent plate reader. Dabigatran (Selleck Chemicals) was dissolved in DMSO and added to the test plasma at concentrations from 189–944 ng/mL. Beriplex was added to test plasma at concentrations from 0.25 FIX units/mL to 2.0 FIX units/mL. As others have reported for conventional calibrated automated thrombogram (CAT) assays, we found that dabigatran prolonged the lag before onset of thrombin generation. It also progressively depressed the rate and peak level of thrombin production. We found that the addition of Beriplex increased the rate and peak level of thrombin generation in a dose-dependent manner, but had little effect on the lag. This effect was seen at all levels of dabigatran tested, with a level of 1 U/mL restoring the rate and peak levels of thrombin generation, as well as the area-under-the-curve, to normal levels. The addition of FIX alone at 1 U/mL had no significant effect on thrombin generation in the presence of dabigatran. The effects of Beriplex were similar, though not identical, to the pattern seen when prothrombin alone was added to this model. Thus, we hypothesize that Beriplex has its dominant effect on reversal of dabigatran effects by a prothrombin-mediated mechanism. This increases the burst of platelet surface thrombin generation. However, this unactivated PCC does not reverse the inhibitory effect of dabigatran on the amplification phase of hemostasis as reflected in the lag time before the onset of thrombin generation. Thus, Beriplex corrects some, but not all, parameters all of thrombin generation affected by dabigatran in this model. Disclosures: Hoffman: CSL Behring: Research Funding.
Phylogenetic relationships among members of the Pachydactylus capensis group of southern African geckos

The Pachydactylus capensis group is a phenetically-defined assemblage of five small-bodied geckos broadly distributed in eastern southern Africa. Several additional small-bodied Pachydactylus have been historically considered subspecies of P. capensis or members of this group. To assess evolutionary relationships among these taxa, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the members of the P. capensis group using sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S ribosomal RNA genes (1081 nt). Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses recovered a well-supported clade comprising all five species of the currently-recognized P. capensis group. This clade is clearly separate from the P. rugosus group and P. labialis, both of which were formerly included in P. capensis. Sequence data thus corroborate patterns of affinity based on phenetic analysis of scale features (Broadley 1977). Within the P. capensis clade, Pachydactylus tigrinus and P. oshaughnessyi form a tropical lineage, whereas P. capensis (P. affinis + P. vansoni) represent a more temperate, southern assemblage. Cladogenesis within the group appears coincident with Tertiary events affecting the Zambezi River, Kalahari and Great Escarpment.
EKG Electrode as a Tactile Locator of Stoma after Decannulation: A Pilot Study.

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the use of an electrocardiogram (EKG) electrode over decannulation dressings covering the stoma to improve speech intelligibility and volume and reduce air escape by f...
"Managerial sensemaking, firm-specific resources, and multinationality: An integrated view"

This study examines how the interplay between firm-specific resources and managerial sensemaking affects multinationality. Combining resource-based and cognitive views of multinationality with the ...
A preliminary study of cushion properties of a 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane Kelvin foam

The cells in conventional packaging foams have random size and orientation, and the energy-absorbing behaviour of these foams is determined by the collective contribution of different sizes of cells. In contrast to the random nature of stochastic foams, 3D printing technologies allow engineers to design and produce foams having engineered cellular structures. In this study, engineered cellular structures based on the classic Kelvin 1887 model were 3D printed in 30 × 30 × 30 mm thermoplastic polyurethane cubes with a repeating size of 216 unit cells. One hundred consecutive cyclic compression tests were performed to assess the 3D printed foam's resilience and energy absorption characteristics. The stress-strain curve of the 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane foam indicated viscoelastic behaviour and a Mullins effect indicative of resilient rubber. A long wave buckling mode was observed during cyclic compression cycles due to the Kelvin structure. The cushion factor computed from the stress-strain curve was close to that of a metal spring with linear elasticity. The combination of the 3D printed foam's resilience, its much lower density than rubber, and the complete geometric freedom of the engineered cellular structures offer designers the potential to create high-performance cushion materials tailored for packaging applications.
Low rank approximation methods for MR fingerprinting with large scale dictionaries.

Purpose This work proposes new low rank approximation approaches with significant memory savings for large scale MR fingerprinting (MRF) problems. Theory and Methods We introduce a compressed MRF with randomized singular value decomposition method to significantly reduce the memory requirement for calculating a low rank approximation of large sized MRF dictionaries. We further relax this requirement by exploiting the structures of MRF dictionaries in the randomized singular value decomposition space and fitting them to low-degree polynomials to generate high resolution MRF parameter maps. In vivo 1.5T and 3T brain scan data are used to validate the approaches. Results T1, T2, and off-resonance maps are in good agreement with that of the standard MRF approach. Moreover, the memory savings is up to 1000 times for the MRF-fast imaging with steady-state precession sequence and more than 15 times for the MRF-balanced, steady-state free precession sequence. Conclusion The proposed compressed MRF with randomized singular value decomposition and dictionary fitting methods are memory efficient low rank approximation methods, which can benefit the usage of MRF in clinical settings. They also have great potentials in large scale MRF problems, such as problems considering multi-component MRF parameters or high resolution in the parameter space. Magn Reson Med 000:000–000, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
The Dialysis Encapsulation Process: The Role of Endocytosis

Encapsulation by hypotonic dialysis is thought to be a diffusion process in which pores or small holes appear in the membrane when erythrocytes are under reduced osmotic pressure.’ These pores can remain open for days under appropriate conditions.2–4 Yet, under other conditions, encapsulation may occur through a process called endocytosis. Endocytosis can be induced by exposure to certain membrane-active drugs like primaquine, hydrocortisone, and chlorpromazine.5–7 It is also a phenomenon that occurs naturally;5,8,9 vacuoles frequently and spontaneously appear in neonatal erythrocytes.7–8 Endocytosis is also seen in erythrocytes of splenectomized people or when patients are functionally asplenic as in sickle cell anemia.5 Endocytic vacuoles can also form after hypoosmotic dilution by loading the mature erythrocytes with Mg2+, Ca2+, and ATP through the membrane holes.10
Competition or cooperation? Using team and tournament incentives for learning among female farmers in rural Uganda

Abstract This study explores the behavioral learning characteristics of smallholder female farmers in Uganda by quantifying the amount of information learned under different incentive schemes. The paper shows how competitive versus team incentives compare in motivating Ugandan farmers to learn and share information relevant to adopting a new agricultural technology. We find that tournament-based incentives provide greater outcomes in terms of total information learned than threshold-based team incentives. Furthermore the order of the incentive – whether the tournament precedes or follows the team incentive scheme – does not affect the volume of information learned. New information introduced between rounds was learned by more individuals under team incentives than under tournament incentives. The study provides direct practical policy recommendations for improving learning in the context of agriculture in Uganda.
Capital structure adjustment behaviors of Chinese listed companies: Evidence from the Split Share Structure Reform in China

Abstract The Split Share Structure Reform (SSSR) in China aims at reducing the agency problems between state owners and non-state shareholders via conversion of state-owned non-tradable shares into tradable shares, making state-owned shares sensitive to the stock market. The premise of the paper is that these changes would promote capital structure adjustments towards target leverage to maximize firm value. The evidence supports that the Split Share Structure Reform positively affects the leverage adjustment speeds of all firms after the share conversion. The firm level evidence indicates that the firms with better corporate governance mechanism featuring lower non-tradable state ownership and independent board adjust faster, and the firms with higher growth potential and bankruptcy risk also rebalance faster than the counterparts towards the optimal leverage. Nevertheless, entrenchment effect of concentrated ownership still dominates corporate structure decisions despite the reform.