cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-bispectra constraints on modified gravity theories from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time

One major goal of upcoming large-scale-structure surveys is to constrain dark energy and modified gravity theories. In particular, galaxy clustering and gravitational lensing convergence are probes sensitive to modifications of general relativity. While the standard analysis for these surveys typically includes power spectra or 2-point correlation functions, it is known that the bispectrum contains additional information that could offer improved constraints on parameters when combined with the power spectra. However, the use of bispectra has been limited so far to one single probe, e.g., the lensing convergence bispectrum or the galaxy bispectrum. In this paper, we extend the formalism to explore the power of cross-bispectra between different probes, and exploit their ability to break parameter degeneracies and improve constraints. We study this on a test case of lensing convergence and galaxy density auto- and cross-bispectra, for a particular subclass of Horndeski theories parametrized by the running of the Planck mass ${c}_{M}$ and the braiding parameter ${c}_{B}$. Using the $2000\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{deg}}^{2}$ notional survey of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope with overlapping photometry from the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time, we find that a joint power spectra and bispectra analysis with three redshift bins at ${l}_{\mathrm{max}}=1000$ yields ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{M}}=1.0$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{B}}=0.3$, both a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}1.2$ better than the power spectra results; this would be further improved to ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{M}}=0.7$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{B}}=0.2$ if ${l}_{\mathrm{max}}=3000$ is taken. Furthermore, we find that using all possible cross-bispectra between the two probes in different tomographic bins improves upon auto-bispectra results by a factor of 1.3 in ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{M}}$, 1.1 in ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{c}_{B}}$, and 1.3 in ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{m}}$. We expect that similar benefits of using cross-bispectra between probes could apply to other science cases and surveys.
Exact traveling waves for the Fisher’s equation with nonlinear diffusion

In this paper, the Fisher’s equation is studied with three different forms of nonlinear diffusion. When studying population problems, various forms of nonlinear diffusion can capture the effects of crowding or aggregation processes. Exact solutions for such nonlinear problems can be extremely useful to practitioners in the field. The Riccati–Bernoulli sub-ODE method is employed to obtain the exact traveling wave solutions for our nonlinear diffusion equation. The solutions that we find are new and to our knowledge, have not been reported in the literature.
Frequent genetic defects in the p16/INK4A tumor suppressor in canine cell models of breast cancer and melanoma

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) belong to a group of key cell cycle proteins that regulate important cancer drug targets such as the cyclin/CDK complexes. Gene defects in the INK4A/B CKI tumor suppressor locus are frequently associated with human cancers and we have previously identified similar defects in canine models. Many of the cancer-associated genetic alterations, known to play roles in mammary tumor development and progression, appear similar in humans and dogs. The objectives of this study were to characterize expression defects in the INK4 genes, and the encoded p16 family proteins, in spontaneous canine primary mammary tumors (CMT) as well as in canine malignant melanoma (CML) cell lines to further develop these models of spontaneous cancers. Gene expression profiles and characterization of p16 protein were performed by rtPCR assay and immunoblotting followed by an analysis of relevant sequences with bioinformatics. The INK4 gene family were expressed differentially and the genes encoding the tumor suppressor p16, p14, and p15 proteins were often identified as defective in CMT and CML cell lines. The altered expression profiles for INK4 locus encoded tumor suppressor genes was also confirmed by the identification of similar gene defects in primary canine mammary tumor biopsy specimens which were also comparable to defects found in human breast cancer. These data strongly suggest that defects identified in the INK4 locus in canine cell lines are lesions originating in spontaneous canine cancers and are not the product of selection in culture. These findings further validate canine tumor models for use in developing a clear understanding of the gene defects present and may help identify new therapeutic cancer treatments that restore these tumor suppressor pathways based on precision medicine in canine cancers.
Commissioning of the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source II electron source

Author(s): Zhou, F; Adolphsen, C; Benwell, A; Brown, G; Dowell, DH; Dunning, M; Gilevich, S; Grouev, K; Huang, G; Jacobson, B; Liu, XH; Miahnahri, A; Sannibale, F; Schmerge, J; Vecchione, T | Abstract: For the Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) project at SLAC, a 1.3nGHz superconducting rf (SRF) linac is being constructed that will generate 4nGeV electron bunches at a high repetition rate to drive x-ray free electron lasers. The LCLS-II electron source, which comprises the first three meters of the electron injector, includes two normal-conducting, continuous-wave rf cavities: a one-cell, 185.7nMHz gun and a two-cell, 1.3nGHz buncher. It also includes a gun load-lock system that allows photocathodes to be changed under vacuum. The components in this beam-line section were designed and built by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory based on experience from their advanced photoinjector experiment program. In combination with the SLAC UV laser system, the electron source is designed to produce beam rates up to 1nMHz with average currents up to initially. The source was installed in mid-2018, well in advance of the SRF linac, which is now nearing completion. The source was commissioned over a two-year period, and this paper presents results including electron beam and dark current characterization.
Trajectories of Pain After Cardiac Surgery: Implications for Measurement, Reporting, and Individualized Treatment.

Background: Postoperative pain after cardiac surgery is a significant problem, but studies often report pain value as an average of the study cohort, obscuring clinically meaningful differences in ...
International business studies: Are we really so uniquely complex?

Articles in Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) and elsewhere have argued that international business (IB) is a uniquely complex field. We offer an alternative perspective and evidence that IB is not so uniquely complex compared to organizational behavior, strategic management studies, and entrepreneurship. We argue that viewing IB as uniquely complex is likely a result of what a vast body of social psychology research has uncovered and labeled false uniqueness bias: the tendency for people to believe that they are unique compared to others. We discuss selective accessibility and focalism as underlying psychological mechanisms of this bias. We acknowledge advantages of claiming uniqueness, but argue that it is now more beneficial and realistic to highlight similarities. Doing so will allow IB to import and export theories and methods and thereby make IB borders even more permeable. In turn, increased permeability is likely to lead to further theoretical progress that will benefit IB research, practice, and its positive impact on organizations and society even further. To illustrate advantages of not exaggerating IB’s uniqueness, we use JIBS Decade Award winners as exemplars of studies that are admired and impactful precisely because of their focus on similarities rather than unique complexity.
A vitamin D enriched diet attenuates sex-specific behavioral deficits, increases the lifespan, but does not rescue bone abnormalities in a mouse model of cortical dysplasia.

Abstract Individuals who experience recurrent spontaneous seizures often show behavioral and physiological comorbidities. Those with epilepsy are at a high risk of bone fractures (independent of seizure-related falls) and show a higher rate of a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The neural subset-specific (NS) Pten knockout (KO) mouse has an epilepsy phenotype, has been characterized to show autistic-like deficits, and has an osteoporosis phenotype. The current study examined the effect of a vitamin D enriched diet (20,000 IU VD) in the NS-Pten KO and wildtype mice. Mice were placed onto a vitamin D enriched diet at 4 weeks of age and maintained on that diet throughout testing. Behavioral testing began at 6 weeks of age and included tests for general activity, anxiety, repetitive behaviors, social behaviors, and memory. Results indicated that a vitamin D diet attenuated hypoactivity levels in male KO mice (p
Tiny GPU Cluster for Big Spatial Data: A Preliminary Performance Evaluation

GPU-equipped computing nodes have much higher ratios between floating point computing power (in the order of TFlops and is fast growing) and network bandwidth (in the order of Gbps and remains stable) than regular computing nodes at which Hadoop-based systems are targeting. The gap makes efficient and scalable processing of large-scale data challenging, especially for geo-referenced spatial (or geospatial) data, whose processing is both data intensive and computing intensive. We aim at developing a tiny GPU cluster using Nvidia Tegra K1 (TK1) System on Chip (SoC) boards as a downscaled, low-cost GPU cluster for Big (Spatial) Data research. The tiny GPU cluster is equipped with standard gigabyte Ethernet network while has much less computing power and energy footprint when compared with a regular GPU cluster and represents a new platform with more balanced compute to communication ratio. We have ported our implementations of both single-node technologies for point-in-polygon test based spatial joins and the lightweight distributed execution engine originally developed for regular clusters to the tiny GPU cluster. We evaluate its performance on two real world geospatial applications with various settings and experiment results have demonstrated good scalability. Preliminary analysis on the scaling effect between the tiny cluster and a regular Amazon EC2 cluster using a simplified model suggest that the ARM-based CPU of the TK1 board is likely to achieve better energy efficiency while the Nvidia GPU of the TK1 board might be less efficient when compared with desktop/server grade GPUs, in both standalone and 4-node cluster settings.
ON THE SPLITTING OF WATER

Abstract Future energy needs and requirements in manufacturing processes (like fertilizers, synfuels, etc.) makes hydrogen an important chemical commodity. It is projected that hydrogen required for various processes may reach 1.8 × 109 MBTU by the year 2000. This increases the importance of producing hydrogen especially from a cheap raw material like water. A survey of the different approaches for splitting water (electrolysis, plasmolysis, magnetolysis, magmalysis, photolysis, photoelectrochemical methods, radiolysis, etc.) is made and discussed in detail in this review.
Plasma alpha-amino nitrogen in pregnancy.

Abstract 1. 1. Administration of estrogenic material, with or without progesterone, to patients in the early puerperium did not influence the normal postpartum rise in amino nitrogen. 2. 2. Although other factors may be involved, these observations are consistent with the concept that the hypo-amino-acidemia of pregnancy is based on active placental transfer of amino acids from the maternal circulation.
Individual attributes and self-selection of higher education: College attendance versus college completion

Abstract We have estimated a joint discrete-continuous utility maximization model of college attendance and college completion. Special attention is given to the possibility that test scores and other individual attributes are poor predictors of who will succeed in college and thus may not promote optimal investment decisions and may indeed unjustly limit the educational opportunities of some youth. We find that: (1) College attendance decisions are strongly commensurate with college completion. Persons who are unlikely to attend college would be very likely to drop out of even their ‘first-choice’ colleges, were they to attend. College human capital investment decisions are strongly mirrored by the likelihood that they will pay off. (2) Contrary to much of the recent criticism of the predictive validity of test scores, we find that their informational content is substantial. After controlling for high school class rank, for example, the probability of dropping out of the first-choice college varies greatly with SAT scores. (3) Individual self-selection, related to both measured and unmeasured attributes, is the dominant determinant of college attendance.
Cross-layer combining of queuing with adaptive modulation and coding over wireless links

Assuming there are always sufficient data waiting to be transmitted, adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) at the physical layer have been traditionally designed separately from higher layers. However, this assumption is not always valid when queuing effects are taken into account at the data link layer. In this paper, we analyze the performance of a wireless system with finite-length queuing and AMC. We characterize the queuing service process induced by AMC, and derive the recursion of the queue state. We then construct a finite state Markov chain (FSMC) with a state pair containing both the queue and the queue server state, and compute its stationary distribution. The latter enables us to derive closed-form expressions for the packet loss rate and the average throughput. Guided by our performance analysis, we also introduce a cross-layer design, which optimizes the target packet error rate in AMC at the physical layer, to minimize the packet loss rate and maximize the average throughput, when combined with a finite-length queue at the data link layer.
Evaluation of a preventive intervention for a self-selected subpopulation of children

Evaluated an experimental preventive intervention developed for children who perceived their parents as problem drinkers. The 8-session program was designed to improve children's coping, self-esteem, and social competence, and modify alcohol expectancies which were specified as mediators of the effects of parental alcohol abuse on child mental health. Participants were 271 self-selected 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade students in 13 schools. The children were randomly assigned to treatment or delayed treatment conditions and the program was given to three successive cohorts of students. A meta-analysis across three different cohorts indicated significant program effects to improve knowledge of the program content and the use of support- and emotion-focused coping behaviors for the full sample. A slightly stronger range of effects was found for a high-risk subsample.
Studies on the synthesis of the influenza b virus nb glycoprotein

Abstract The synthesis of the influenza B virus glycoprotein NB has been demonstrated in cells infected with four different virus strains isolated from 1940 to 1983. Time-course studies have shown that the neuraminidase protein (NA) and NB appear simultaneously in infected cells, in agreement with the previous observation that both proteins are translated from a single, bicistronic mRNA. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that the NB protein disappears from infected cells within 3 hr after synthesis. The influenza B virus nonstructural protein NS 2 was also observed to disappear rapidly from infected cells, with none detected 1 hr after synthesis. Immunoprecipitation of viral proteins from infected cells using hyperimmune mouse serum has demonstrated antigenic cross-reactivity among the NB proteins of the four virus strains studied. The finding of polypeptides smaller than NB that exhibit a labeling pattern with different amino acids which is characteristic of NB and which are precipitated by the mouse antiviral serum suggests that specific cleavage products of NB may be formed in infected cells.Academic
Cocaine-mediated supersensitivity of 5-HT2A receptors in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus is a withdrawal-induced phenomenon.

Abstract We previously reported that treatment and withdrawal from cocaine increases: (1) 5-HT 2A receptor-mediated neuroendocrine responses, and (2) Gα q and Gα 11 G-protein levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) at 48 h post-treatment. This study investigates changes in the initial 24 h of withdrawal to discern whether 5-HT 2A receptor supersensitivity is due to cocaine treatment or is induced during the withdrawal period. We report here increases in 5-HT 2A receptor-mediated neuroendocrine responses only 12 or 24 h post-treatment, but not during the initial 4 h withdrawal period. Levels of membrane- or cytosol-associated Gα q or Gα 11 proteins in PVN are not altered during the first 24 h of withdrawal. However, the density of 125 I-(−)-1-(2,5 dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-amino-propane HCl (DOI)-labeled high-affinity 5-HT 2A receptors in PVN increased 35% in rats withdrawn from cocaine for 24 h. These findings demonstrate that cocaine-induced increases in 5-HT 2A receptor function in PVN represents a withdrawal-induced phenomena that: (1) is likely attributed to increased G-protein coupled/high-affinity conformational state of the 5-HT 2A receptor, and (2) occurs in the absence of changes in the levels of associated G proteins during the first 24 h.
Economic Analysis of Producing Fishmeal and Fish Oil from Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Processing Wastes

The economic profitability of adding value to catfish processing wastes by further processing the waste into fishmeal and fish oil was evaluated with capital budgeting investment and financial risk analysis. Five fishmeal/oil plant sizes (48-h capacities of 181 metric tons, 91 metric tons, 45 metric tons, 23 metric tons, and 5 metric tons) were modeled. Estimated net present values were positive for all but the smallest plant size, indicating economic feasibility. The estimated modified internal rate of return was moderate and ranged from 19% for the largest plant (at 10% cost of capital and 15% reinvestment rate) to 3% for the smallest plant (at 10% cost of capital and 3% reinvestment rate). The smallest plant sizes were the most affected by risks of increased operating costs. This analysis showed potential for catfish processing plants to add value by processing wastes into fishmeal/oil, under the assumptions used in this study. However, comprehensive assessment of the market for fishmeal/oil products from catfish processing waste is needed to assess overall feasibility of such a venture.
Mass spectrometric studies of trimethylindium pyrolysis

The kinetics of the pyrolysis of trimethylindium (TMIn) in He, D2, and H2 carriers was investigated using the atmospheric pressure flow-tube apparatus described by Larsen et al. (1987) and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The rate constant for the pyrolysis of TMIn in He was found to be comparable to that found by Jacko and Price (1964) for TMIn in toluene carrier (a radical scavenger), indicating that TMIn decomposes in He not by radical attack of methyl groups, but by homolytic fission. The decomposition of TMIn is enhanced in D2 and H2 carriers, where the principal products are CH3D and C2H6, and CH4 and C2H6, respectively, indicating that the reaction pathway in these carriers is different from those in He and toluene. The pyrolysis in H2 and D2 is attributed to a radical attack by H or D on TMIn. A reaction mechanism involving a short-lived hypervalent DTMIn species was proposed and was tested using numerical modeling techniques.
Primary Brain Tumors in the Elderly

The incidence of primary brain tumors is highest in elderly patients, and advanced age often is a negative prognostic factor. Nevertheless, large randomized studies in this population are scarce. Elderly patients with primary brain tumors also present unique challenges, such as the presence of multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy, decreased tolerance to chemotherapy, and an increased risk for radiation-induced neurotoxicity. This review gives an overview of the treatment options for older patients with glioblastoma and other gliomas, primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs), and meningiomas. Selected elderly glioblastoma patients with good performance status may benefit from aggressive treatment with surgical resection, radiotherapy, and possibly chemotherapy. For older patients with PCNSLs, high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy should be the mainstay option; whole-brain radiation therapy should be avoided in chemosensitive tumors because of the high risk of irreversible and progressive neurotoxicity. Meningiomas often may be followed up in elderly patients, as they usually are asymptomatic and have a slow growth rate. Treatment for elderly patients with primary brain tumors should be individualized, and age alone should not preclude the use of more aggressive treatments.
Designing clinical trials for early (Pre-Dementia) Alzheimer’s disease: Determining the appropriate population for treatment

Treatments that are designed to reduce Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology may be most useful when given to subjects prior to a diagnosis of AD using current diagnostic criteria. These earlier patients may have early cognitive losses consistent with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or may be completely asymptomatic. Screening and treatment programs for other disease states have been explored previously; these include cholesterol screening for cardiovascular disease, genetic screening for Huntington’s disease and screening for some types of cancer. Cancer screening and treatment programs have been developed for colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Screening programs for these other disease states are briefly reviewed and are compared to preliminary modeling data describing a hypothetical screening and treatment program for AD. While primary prevention based on screening of asymptomatic individuals using biomarkers has broad appeal, secondary prevention employing treatment of patients with MCI may be more easily implemented.
Coupling between middle atmosphere trend estimates and solar effects in ozone vertical structure

Studies are performed on both the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II (1985-1989) and Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (SBUV)-Version 6 (1979-1986) global ozone vertical structure satellite data sets to determine the long-term trends in ozone as a function of altitude (pressure) and latitude. SAGE II data are only available during the period of increasing solar activity and show increases in ozone with time in the upper stratosphere which are attributed largely to rising solar activity. Looking at this data set independently, the solar effects and trends are highly coupled and cannot be clearly separated. However, a study of combined SBUV and SAGE II data over the 11-year solar cycle shows a clear response of ozone to 11-year solar variations and allows a decoupling of solar effects, quasibiennial oscillations (QBO), and trends. The detailed pattern of long-term ozone trends become clear using this approach. In the upper stratosphere, ozone depletion increases sharply with latitude. Global trends are fairly symmetric about the equator but are somewhat stronger in the Southern Hemisphere. Near the equator, some layers of ozone are decreasing with time while others appear to be increasing. Near 30 mb, there is evidence of intrusion to mid latitudes of high latitude negative trends. Near 15 mb, trends appear to be very weak. Near the tropopause there appears to be strong ozone depletion on a global scale. Two regions of unexpectedly strong ozone response to 11-year solar variations were detected: the first near 2 mb and the second near 30 mb at low latitudes and near 15 mb at mid latitudes.
CIRSE: A solvation energy estimator compatible with flexible protein docking and design applications

We present the Coordinate Internal Representation of Solvation Energy (CIRSE) for computing the solvation energy of protein configurations in terms of pairwise interactions between their atoms with analytic derivatives. Currently, CIRSE is trained to a Poisson/surface-area benchmark, but CIRSE is not meant to fit this benchmark exclusively. CIRSE predicts the overall solvation energy of protein structures from 331 NMR ensembles with 0.951 ± 0.047 correlation and predicts relative solvation energy changes between members of individual ensembles with an accuracy of 15.8 ± 9.6 kcal/mol. The energy of individual atoms in any of CIRSE's 17 types is predicted with at least 0.98 correlation. We apply the model in energy minimization, rotamer optimization, protein design, and protein docking applications. The CIRSE model shows some propensity to accumulate errors in energy minimization as well as rotamer optimization, but these errors are consistent enough that CIRSE correctly identifies the relative solvation energies of designed sequences as well as putative docked complexes. We analyze the errors accumulated by the CIRSE model during each type of simulation and suggest means of improving the model to be generally useful for all-atom simulations.
Upper arm graft fistula for hemodialysis

Abstract The repeated failure of forearm hemodialysis access grafts in patients with end-stage renal failure often requires the use of an upper arm graft fistula. During a 7-year period, 20 upper arm graft fistulas were placed in 15 patients. The 5-year patency rate by life-table analysis, including graft fistula salvage by thrombectomy, is 53%. The mean survival from graft insertion until revision or thrombectomy is 36 months. Twenty of the twenty-two thrombectomies performed (91%) were successful in reestablishing graft fistula patency. Six grafts required more than one thrombectomy, and seven grafts required revision of the venous anastomosis. Only one arterial anastomosis required revision. We conclude that the upper arm graft fistula is an acceptable method of hemodialysis access in those patients without suitable forearm access sites. However, an aggressive approach to both graft fistula thrombectomy and the revision of stenotic anastomoses is necessary to maintain a satisfactory patency rate. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:660-3.)
The Performance of the Full Information Maximum Likelihood Estimator in Multiple Regression Models with Missing Data

A Monte Carlo simulation examined the performance of a recently available full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimator in a multiple regression model with missing data. The effects of four ...
Using the Presidedress Soil Nitrate Test and Organic Nitrogen Crediting to Improve Corn Nitrogen Recommendations

The PSNT and N crediting for organic N inputs can improve the accuracy of corn (Zea mays L.) N recommendations, but are often not used due to producer concerns about their reliability. This study compared the use of these techniques for identifying optimum N rates and quantifying economic returns in 101 N response field experiments with corn conducted during 1989-1999. The accuracy of PSNT recommendations was highest for sites with average or above average May-June air temperatures and high soil yield potential. The frequency of excess N recommendations from the PSNT increased from 16 to 59% when May-June temperatures were >0.56°C below average likely due to slower organic N mineralization. Use of N recommendations based on the PSNT or book value N credits (BVNC) lowered N rates by 90 to 102 kg ha -1 in systems with recent manure or legume N inputs and increased average economic returns for all cropping systems by $19 ha -1 compared with unadjusted N recommendations (i.e., economic gain). Economic gains using PSNT- or BVNC-based recommendations were generally highest in the first year following organic N inputs with an average gain of $34 ha -1 for both methods. Conversely, economic gains were higher using the PSNT ($40 ha -1 ) than the BVNC ($2 ha -1 ) 1 to 3 yr after the organic N additions on high yield potential soils where May-June air temperatures were average or above. Results from this work confirm that adjusting N application rates for corn using the PSNT or BVNC is more profitable than not making these adjustments.
Representation spaces of Seifert fibered homology spheres

Abstract Let Σ be a Seifert fibered homology sphere and τ the complex conjugation involution on Σ viewed as a link of singularity. We study the equivariant topology of SU(2) representation space of π 1 (Σ) with respect to the involution induced by τ . As an application we prove splicing additivity in the Floer homology of Seifert fibered homology spheres.
Administration of progesterone before oocyte retrieval negatively affects the implantation rate

Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy of two clinically accepted methods of progesterone supplementation during IVF. Design: Prospective randomized trial. Setting: A university-based IVF program. Patient(s): Three hundred fourteen stimulated IVF cycles between January 1993 and October 1994. Intervention(s): Patients were assigned to one of two luteal phase progesterone regimens by a random permuted block design. In protocol A, 12.5 mg of IM progesterone was given 12 hours before oocyte retrieval; in protocol B, 25 mg of IM progesterone was given on the day of oocyte retrieval. Main Outcome Measure(s): Clinical pregnancy. Result(s): Patient demographic characteristics, including age, diagnosis, number of oocytes retrieved and fertilized, and number of embryos transferred, were not different between the two groups. There was no difference in the rate of cycle cancellation between the groups. One hundred forty ETs were performed in patients assigned to protocol A and 142 in patients assigned to protocol B. The clinical pregnancy rate in group A was 12.9% compared with 24.6% in group B. Conclusion(s): The administration of progesterone before oocyte retrieval is associated with a lower pregnancy rate than the administration of progesterone after oocyte retrieval.
Long-Term Follow-up of Nocturnal Ventilatory Assistance in Patients with Respiratory Failure Due to Duchenne-Type Muscular Dystrophy

We followed eight patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy for an average of 39 months after initiation of noninvasive intermittent ventilatory assistance using body ventilators. After one to three months of nocturnal use averaging 8 h, mean daytime PaCO s fell from 63 ± 2 to 45 ± 3 mm Hg. At late follow-up, PaCO 2 remained stable at 47 ± 4 mm Hg, but vital capacity fell 33 percent compared with the initial value and the average duration of ventilator use had increased to 18 ± 2 h daily. Three patients died and five survived; two continued using negative pressure ventilators and three had tracheostomies placed for administration of positive pressure ventilation. We conclude that noninvasive intermittent ventilatory assistance effectively reverses hypoventilation and symptoms in patients with late-stage Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but pulmonary function continues to deteriorate necessitating longer periods of ventilation, and often tracheostomy, within a few years. (Chest 1990; 97:91-96)
Thwarting traffic analysis: A signal processing perspective

Traffic analysis, where eavesdroppers retrieve networking information such as source-destination pairs and paths of data flow, severely compromises user privacy and can equip an adversary to launch more powerful network attacks. Anonymous communication, where users exchange information without revealing the communicating parties is essential in any data network. Chaum Mixing, where relay nodes or proxy servers use cryptographic and batching strategies to mask source identities, is a well technique to provide anonymous communication on the Internet. The mathematical analysis of Chaum mixes and the design of mixing strategies have utilized an information theoretic measure of anonymity based on Shannon entropy. In this work, a statistical signal processing framework is proposed to study optimal mixing strategies and the achievable anonymity. Using the detection time of an adversary as a metric, the maximum achievable anonymity of a mix is characterized as a function of its available memory and the allowed rate of dummy transmissions. It is shown that, in the absence of dummy transmissions, the maximum allowable time for anonymous transmission increases quadratically with the buffer size, and for a fixed buffer size, the system approaches perfect unobservability at a rate inversely proportional to the rate of dummy transmissions.
Renewable-resource thermoplastic elastomers based on polylactide and polymenthide.

An α,ω-functionalized polymenthide was synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of menthide in the presence of diethylene glycol with diethyl zinc as the catalyst. Termination with water afforded the dihydroxy polymenthide. The reaction of this telechelic polymer with triethylaluminum formed the corresponding aluminum alkoxide macroinitiator that was used for the controlled polymerization of lactide to yield biorenewable polylactide-b-polymenthide-b-polylactide triblock copolymers. The molecular weight and chemical composition were easily adjusted by the monomer-to-initiator ratios. Microphase separation in these triblock copolymers was confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry. A representative triblock was prepared with a hexagonally packed cylindrical morphology as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering, and tensile testing was employed to assess the mechanical behavior. On the basis of the ultimate elongations and elastic recovery, these triblock copolym...
A theoretical study on electron donor–acceptor complexes of Et2O, Et2S and Me3N with interhalogens, I–X (X=Cl and Br)

Abstract The electron donor–acceptor complexes of diethyl ether, diethyl sulfide and trimethyl amine with ICl and IBr are studied by ab initio molecular orbital and density functional methods. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis reveals that the interaction occurs between the σ* orbital of iodine in I–X (X=Cl and Br) and the lone pair of donors. Based on this, computed ether ⋯ IX and amine ⋯ IX complexes yield C2v and C3v geometries respectively, whereas sulfide ⋯ IX achieves a Cs structure. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis confirms the stabilization interaction through the quantified orbital occupancies as anticipated in FMO; the least occupancy in donor orbital and the highest in acceptor predict a greater charge transfer. Computed geometries, corrected interaction energies, NBO and frequency analyses show the sulfide complex to be favorable over ether case, while amine complex is the most efficient one because the complex strength increases this order. Calculations further establish that ICl is a stronger acceptor than I–Br for such complex formation by virtue of greater σ-withdrawal of Cl over Br.
Effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on capillary flow velocity in the rat cerebral cortex.

The velocity of red blood cells (RBC) in individual capillaries of the rat cerebral cortex was assessed using direct, intravital video microscopy under normal conditions and during systemic hypoxia or hypercapnia. The movement of RBC in capillaries within 50-μm depth of the parietal cortex was visualized with the aid of fluorescent labeling of RBC in a closed cranial window preparation in pentobarbital-anesthetized, artificially ventilated adult rats. Hypoxia was produced by lowering the concentration of oxygen in the inspired gas from 30 to 15% for 5 min. Hypercapnia was achieved by increasing the inspired CO2concentration (FiCO2) from 0 to 5% and then to 10% for 5 min at each level. The mean arterial pressure was maintained constant during both maneuvers. Under control conditions, fast and heterogeneous RBC flow in multioriented, tortuous capillaries was observed. During hypoxia, RBC velocity increased from 0.61 ± 0.06 to 0.82 ± 0.10 mm/sec (35% change). During hypercapnia, RBC velocity increased from 0.73 ± 0.05 to 1.07 ± 0.11 mm/sec (46% change) at 5% CO2and to 1.19 ± 0.11 mm/sec (63% change) at 10% CO2. Corresponding changes in regional blood flow as assessed by laser–Doppler flowmetry during hypercapnia were 69 ± 7 and 128 ± 21%, respectively. The RBC velocity increased in almost all capillaries during hypoxia and during moderate hypercapnia. However, a substantial number of capillaries showed no change or a small decrease in RBC velocity during severe hypercapnia. A significant negative correlation between the velocity change at 10% CO2and the normocapnic resting velocity was found in a group of capillaries isolated by cluster analysis. These results suggest that the dominant component of cerebral hyperemic response to hypoxia and to moderate hypercapnia is an increase in capillary RBC flow velocity. A more complex change in the velocity distribution occurs during severe hypercapnia and results in increased homogeneity of RBC perfusion in the cerebrocortical capillary network.
Local Analysis of a Quantum Field Confined Within a Rectangular Cavity

Abstract Detailed local analysis is presented of a quantum scalar field confined within a rectangular spatial cavity by Dirichlet conditions on the cavity walls. Integration over the cavity to obtain from this local description the known global Casimir effect for the cavity reveals the precise role played by wall, edge, and corner boundary divergences in producing the global Casimir effect.
Torus actions on a product of two odd spheres

THE OBJECT of this paper is to describe certain methods which may be applied to the study of arbitrary topological torus actions, and to apply these methods to actions on a product of two odd spheres. We are motivated by certain recent papers of Wu-Yi Hsiang ([4], [5] and others), which study actions of a compact connected Lie group on Euclidean spaces, spheres, and complex projective spaces by restrictin, 0 an action to a maximal torus of the group and applying certain known results concernin g torus actions on these spaces. It is hoped that the methods and results of this paper may be useful in obtaining results about actions of compact connected Lie groups on other spaces.
Fascism and Modernization: Some Addenda

Henry Ashby Turner's recent suggestions concerning the analysis of fascism in terms of its relationship to the processes we have come to understand as “modernization” are too important and interesting to pass without critical comment. So much of what Turner says is persuasive that we run the risk of uncritically accepting what might be the chaff of his discussion along with its welcome substance.There are at least two types of reservations with respect to Turner's account. One type turns on the general thesis he entertains; the second deals with the specifics of his argument.
Speech based emotion recognition using spectral feature extraction and an ensemble of kNN classifiers

Security (and cyber security) is an important issue in existing and developing technology. It is imperative that cyber security go beyond password based systems to avoid criminal activities. A human biometric and emotion based recognition framework implemented in parallel can enable applications to access personal or public information securely. The focus of this paper is on the study of speech based emotion recognition using a pattern recognition paradigm with spectral feature extraction and an ensemble of k nearest neighbor (kNN) classifiers. The five spectral features are the linear predictive cepstrum (CEP), mel frequency cepstrum (MFCC), line spectral frequencies (LSF), adaptive component weighted cepstrum (ACW) and the post-filter cepstrum (PFL). The bagging algorithm is used to train the ensemble of kNNs. Fusion is implicitly accomplished by ensemble classification. The LDC emotional prosody speech database is used in all the experiments. Results show that the maximum gain in performance is achieved by using two kNNs as opposed to using a single kNN.
Estimating Effective Soil Hydraulic Properties Using Spatially Distributed Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration

With the development of many earth-observing remote sensing (RS) platforms, spatially distributed remote sensing products are becoming critical inputs to many hydrologic and meteorological models. Remotely sensed soil moisture (SM) and evapotranspiration (ET) including ground-based data have the potential to be used for estimating pixel-scale soil hydraulic parameters. However, only a few studies have been conducted to better understand the impact of assimilating both SM and ET in estimating soil hydraulic properties of the root zone. In this study, we used inverse modeling based on the Noisy Monte Carlo Genetic Algorithm by linking RS SM and ET derived from the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land for estimating pixel-scale effective soil hydraulic properties. Walnut Creek (Iowa), Brown (Illinois), and Lubbock (Texas) test sites were selected to assess the performance of this approach from point to satellite scales using synthetic and validation experiments. For comparison purposes, inverse modeling results were analyzed under three scenarios (ET only, SM only, and SM + ET in the optimization criteria). These results showed that considering both SM and ET components improved the estimations of effective soil hydraulic properties and reduced their uncertainties better than SM or ET only. Overall, although uncertainty exists, our proposed SM + ET based scheme performed well in estimating effective soil hydraulic properties at multiple spatial scales (point, airborne, and satellite footprints) under various hydroclimatic conditions.
Work of flexion related to different suture materials after flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis tendon repair in zone II: a biomechanical study.

Purpose Repair of both flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendons is commonly performed in zone II flexor tendon injuries; however, the bulk of the repair may impair tendon gliding. We evaluated whether repairing 1 slip of FDS tendon and resecting the other would significantly decrease work of flexion and whether suture material affected this interaction in an in vitro study. Methods The index, middle, and ring fingers from 10 fresh-frozen human cadaveric hands were disarticulated and their tendon sheaths opened. Baseline work of flexion was tested. Lacerations were made in zone II, and then the FDP tendon was repaired with 3 different suture materials: FiberWire, Ticron, and prolene. Work of flexion was again measured and the percentage increase calculated. Further iterations were performed with both slips of FDS tendon repaired and with one slip of FDS tendon repaired and the other resected. Results There was no significant difference in the work of flexion after repairs done with FiberWire, Ticron, or Prolene. Work of flexion after repair of both FDP and FDS tendons increased 51% compared with an increase of 21% after FDP-only repair and an increase of 9% after repair of one and resection of the other slip of FDS. Repair of both FDP and FDS tendons significantly increased work of flexion. Conclusions Resection of 1 slip of FDS tendon significantly reduces work of flexion in zone II flexor tendon repair. Suture material had no effect on this interaction.
LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION TIME IN AORTIC AND MITRAL VALVE DISEASE.

Abstract Indirect carotid artery tracings were recorded on 11 patients with aortic stenosis, 25 with aortic insufficiency, 32 with mitral stenosis and 13 with mitral insufficiency (total, 81 patients). All had regular sinus rhythm. The left ventricular ejection time as measured from such curves was shown to be increased in both aortic insufficiency and aortic stenosis and decreased in mitral insufficiency and mitral stenosis. Following mitral valvulotomy in 12 of the patients with mitral stenosis, the left ventricular ejection time was shown to be increased toward or to normal values. In 5 patients who had aortic valve surgery, the ejection time was decreased postoperatively.
New two-temperature dissociation model for reacting flows

A new two-temperature dissociation model for flows undergoing compression is derived from kinetic theory. The model minimizes uncertainties associated with the two-temperature model of Park. The effects of the model on AOTV type flowfields are examined and compared with the Park model. Calculations are carried out for flows with and without ionization. When considering flows with ionization, a four temperature model is employed. For Fire II conditions, the assumption of equilibrium between the vibrational and electron-electronic temperatures is somewhat poor. A similar statement holds for the translational and rotational temperatures. These trends are consistent with results obtained using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method.
Correlation Weights in Multiple Regression.

A general theory on the use of correlation weights in linear prediction has yet to be proposed. In this paper we take initial steps in developing such a theory by describing the conditions under which correlation weights perform well in population regression models. Using OLS weights as a comparison, we define cases in which the two weighting systems yield maximally correlated composites and when they yield minimally similar weights. We then derive the least squares weights (for any set of predictors) that yield the largest drop in R 2 (the coefficient of determination) when switching to correlation weights. Our findings suggest that two characteristics of a model/data combination are especially important in determining the effectiveness of correlation weights: (1) the condition number of the predictor correlation matrix, R xx , and (2) the orientation of the correlation weights to the latent vectors of R xx .
What Are the Contributory and Compensatory Relationships Between Physical Education and Physical Activity in Children

Limited data are available on the contributory and compensatory relationships between physical education and physical activity in children. Four hundred eighty-five (280 girls) children in first through sixth grades wore sealed pedometers during waking hours, including normally scheduled physical education lessons. The least, moderately, and most active children accumulated approximately 1,700, 1,100, and 2,500 more steps/day, respectively, on school days with physical education. No compensatory increases in physical activity were found on school days that did not offer physical education. The implications of the contributory relationship are highlighted by the evidence that 50% of the least active children were at risk for overweight or overweight and that no compensatory increases in physical activity were found on school days when physical education classes were not scheduled.
A fungal cellulase shows sequence homology with the active site of hen egg-white lysozyme.

Abstract The N-terminal amino acid sequence of an endo-β-1,4-glucanase from the cellulase complex of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune has been determined. The sequence from Glu-33 to Tyr-51 was homologous with the active site sequences of various hen egg-white type lysozymes, including lysozyme catalytic residues (Glu-35, Asp-52) and substrate binding residue Asn-44. The homology offers evidence for a lysozyme-type mechanism in enzymic hydrolysis of cellulose.
On a new class of multiplicative pseudo-random number generators

In the computing literature, there are few detailed analytical studies of the global statistical characteristics of a class of multiplicative pseudo-random number generators.