cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association of serologically documented maternal thyroid conditions during pregnancy with bipolar disorder in offspring.

Objectives Higher rates of thyroid conditions are reported in individuals with bipolar disorder. However, no study to date has considered whether maternal thyroid conditions during pregnancy are associated with offspring risk of bipolar disorder, even though the fetus exclusively relies on maternal thyroid hormones through the early second trimester. We therefore examined the association between offspring bipolar disorder and serologically documented maternal thyroid conditions. Methods The study was based on a nested case-control design that utilized data from the Child Health and Development Study, a birth cohort that enrolled pregnant women from 1959 to 1966. Eighty-five cases with DSM-IV-TR were ascertained and matched to controls (1:2) by date of birth, sex, gestational timing of the serum draws, and residence in Alameda County the first year receiving treatment. Archived prenatal maternal serum drawn during early to mid-gestation was used to measure two thyroid hormones, free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Subclinical and clinical hypothyroxinemia, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism were determined based on standard methods. Results Exposure to maternal hypothyroxinemia was associated with a five-fold increased risk of offspring bipolar disorder with psychotic features, but not without psychotic features. In stratified analysis, female offspring demonstrated increased risk for bipolar disorder with exposure to maternal hypothyroxinemia. No significant association was found between maternal hypothyroidism and offspring bipolar disorder. Conclusions These findings suggest that prenatal thyroid hormone deficiency, particularly a thyroid condition marked by low levels of thyroxine, may be an important developmental mechanism related to the risk of bipolar disorder with psychotic features.
Anisotropic Functional Deconvolution for the irregular design with dependent long-memory errors

Anisotropic functional deconvolution model is investigated in the bivariate case under long-memory errors when the design points $t_i$, $i=1, 2, \cdots, N$, and $x_l$, $l=1, 2, \cdots, M$, are irregular and follow known densities $h_1$, $h_2$, respectively. In particular, we focus on the case when the densities $h_1$ and $h_2$ have singularities, but $1/h_1$ and $1/h_2$ are still integrable on $[0, 1]$. Under both Gaussian and sub-Gaussian errors, we construct an adaptive wavelet estimator that attains asymptotically near-optimal convergence rates that deteriorate as long-memory strengthens. The convergence rates are completely new and depend on a balance between the smoothness and the spatial homogeneity of the unknown function $f$, the degree of ill-posed-ness of the convolution operator, the long-memory parameter in addition to the degrees of spatial irregularity associated with $h_1$ and $h_2$. Nevertheless, the spatial irregularity affects convergence rates only when $f$ is spatially inhomogeneous in either direction.
Risk factors for late onset infection of very low birth weight infants in Ghana

Objective To examine the incidence and mortality for late onset infection of very low birth weight infant(VLBWI) and associated risk factors in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) of Korle-Bu teaching hospital in Ghana.Methods Data on all infants 1 500 g or below admitted to Korle-Bu teaching hospital NICU between Nov 2011 and Apr 2012 were analyzed for late onset infection,including:clinical information,positive blood or/and cerebrospinal fluid culture,biochemical data occurring after 7 days of life.Late onset infection was defined as clinical signs of infection starting more than 7 days after birth.The risk factors associated with late onset infection were investigated by Logistic regression.Results The overall survival of the 244 study infants was 61.9％ (151/244).The rate of late onset infection was 30.3％ (74/244).The mortality in those with late onset infection was 32.3％ (21/65).The most common infection organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae,accounting for 38.5％ (25/65) of infection and 47.6％ (10/21) of deaths in infants with infection,followed by coagulase-negative staphylocci,16.9％ (11/65) and 14.3 ％ (3/21),respectively.On logistic regression analysis,risk factors for Gram-negative infection were endotracheal intubation at birth,respiratory distress syndrome and blood transfusion.Hypoglycemia was associated with Gram-positive infection.Birth weight ＜ 1 000 g,gestational age ＜ 28 weeks,mechanical ventilation,central venous catherization were associated with both infection above.Conclusion Multifactor cause late onset infection in VLBWI.The supervision should be extended to decrease the incidence and mortality of the infection in NICU. Key words: Late onset infection; Very low birth weight infant; Risk factor
Differentially Private Set Union

We study the basic operation of set union in the global model of differential privacy. In this problem, we are given a universe U of items, possibly of infinite size, and a database D of users. Each user i contributes a subset W⊆U of items. We want an (ϵ,δ)-differentially private algorithm which outputs a subset S of the union of all sets W such that the size of S is as large as possible. The problem arises in countless real world applications; it is particularly ubiquitous in natural language processing (NLP) applications as vocabulary extraction. For example, discovering words, sentences, n-grams etc., from private text data belonging to users is an instance of the set union problem. Known algorithms for this problem proceed by collecting a subset of items from each user, taking the union of such subsets, and disclosing the items whose noisy counts fall above a certain threshold. Crucially, in the above process, the contribution of each individual user is always independent of the items held by other users, resulting in a wasteful aggregation process, where some item counts happen to be way above the threshold. We deviate from the above paradigm by allowing users to contribute their items in a dependent fashion, guided by a policy. In this new setting ensuring privacy is significantly delicate. We prove that any policy which has certain contractive properties would result in a differentially private algorithm. We design two new algorithms, one using Laplace noise and other Gaussian noise, as specific instances of policies satisfying the contractive properties. Our experiments show that the new algorithms significantly outperform previously known mechanisms for the problem.
Photonic Crystal Waveguides for >90% Light Trapping Efficiency in Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Luminescent solar concentrators are currently limited in their potential concentration factor and solar conversion efficiency by the inherent escape cone losses present in conventional planar diele...
Highlights of Selected Microscopy Research Resource Activities at San Diego

The intermediate high-voltage electron microscope (IVEM) located at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at San Diego (NCMIR) can image relatively thick specimens that contain substantial three-dimensional (3-D) structure. Electron tomography is an important tool used at NCMIR for deriving 3-D cellular and subcellular structure from IVEM images. Reconstruction algorithms commonly used in electron tomography include weighted back projection, and iterative algebraic reconstruction techniques such as ART and SIRT. Improvements in reconstruction quality are possible using the iterative algorithms. Because these algorithms are computationally intensive, we have ported them to massively parallel computers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, reducing the computation time over that required with workstation level machines.The quality of tomographic data for the 3-D reconstruction of biological structures is also being enhanced by NCMIR projects to improve the microscope. We have designed and constructed special electron optics and microscope control systems for the JEOL 4000EX.
Comparative Incidence and Outcomes of COVID-19 in Kidney or Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Recipients Versus Kidney or Kidney-Pancreas Waitlisted Patients: A Pilot Study

Comparative COVID-19 epidemiologic studies between immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients may provide insight into the impact of immunosuppressive medications on clinical outcomes. In this retrospective cohort pilot study, we determined the incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 in kidney or kidney-pancreas transplant recipients and kidney or kidney-pancreas waitlisted patients in our center. COVID-19 testing was performed in 63 of 537 kidney or kidney-pancreas transplanted patients, versus 43 of 383 kidney or kidney-pancreas waitlisted patients as of June 4, 2020 (12% versus 11%, p=0.81). COVID-19 was identified in 14 of 537 kidney or kidney-pancreas transplanted patients, versus 9 of 383 kidney or kidney-pancreas waitlisted patients (2.6% versus 2.3%, p=0.81). Hospitalization occurred in 11 of 14 transplanted patients, and 4 of 9 waitlisted patients with COVID-19 (79% versus 44%, p=0.18). Intensive care unit admission occurred in 5 of 14 transplanted patients, and 1 of 9 waitlisted patients with COVID-19 (36% versus 11%, p=0.34). Two transplanted patients with COVID-19 were mechanically ventilated and died, whereas no waitlisted patients with COVID-19 died or were mechanically ventilated. Our study provides preliminary data that can be used for power calculations to inform multicenter studies designed to validate these findings.
Off-gas rhenium capture and recovery in a laboratory-scale melter

Abstract The path for immobilizing low-activity waste (LAW), a mixture of salts, for long-term storage is adding glass-forming and modifying additives and minerals to the solution and vitrifying the resulting slurry in an electric melter. Technetium-99 (99Tc), a long-lived radionuclide present in LAW, is highly volatile at the elevated temperatures in a glass melt. An off-gas system was designed for capturing volatile 99Tc or Re, its nonradioactive surrogate, during continuous charging of a LAW melter feed in a laboratory-scale melter (LSM). The Re retention in the glass was determined via the measured amount of volatilized Re in the off-gas during a time period when the reacting melter feed was at a quasi-steady-state. This study was performed in preparation for the LSM system to be applied for melter feeds containing either a LAW simulant spiked with 99Tc or an actual tank waste.
Concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation is associated with increased risk of acute kidney injury but improved late survival.

Abstract Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remains a common complication that has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study implemented Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria to evaluate renal outcomes after concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation. Methods Patients with a history of atrial fibrillation who underwent elective cardiac surgery at our institution from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Those with preoperative renal dysfunction were excluded. Patients were classified as those who underwent concomitant Cox-Maze IV (CMP-IV) (n = 376) or no surgical ablation (n = 498). Nearest neighbor 1:1 propensity matching was conducted on fourteen covariates. AKI was evaluated by mixed effects logistic regression analysis. Long-term survival was evaluated by proportional hazards regression. Results Propensity matching yielded 308 patients in each group (n = 616). All preoperative variables were similar between groups. The concomitant CMP-IV group had a greater incidence of AKI: 32% (n = 99) versus 16% (n = 49), P Conclusions Concomitant CMP-IV was independently associated with increased risk of AKI in the acute postoperative period. However, the long-term risks of AKI were offset by the significant survival benefit of CMP-IV. Concerns regarding new-onset renal dysfunction should not prohibit recommendation of this procedure in appropriate patients.
COVID-19 Mortgage Forbearances: Drivers and Payment Behavior

This article examines mortgage forbearance in Freddie Mac loans during the COVID-19 crisis and compares this period to two previous episodes: a baseline and a natural disasters sample. We find that the rates of mortgage forbearance in the COVID-19 period are similar to those in the natural disaster sample but are much higher than in the baseline sample. In all three periods, we find higher forbearance rates are associated with lower FICO scores, higher DTI ratios, and higher LTV ratios. In addition, higher levels of the cumulative cases of COVID-19 are associated with higher forbearance rates. We also examine the payment behavior of borrowers who entered forbearance during the COVID-19 crisis. We show that most mortgages in forbearance missed at least one payment within the first three months or were delinquent when entering forbearance. However, by the seventh month after entry into forbearance, about half of the mortgages are current, whereas about 40.7% are at least 90 days delinquent. TOPICS:MBS and residential mortgage loans, financial crises and financial market history, legal/regulatory/public policy Key Findings ▪ Mortgage forbearance rates in the COVID-19 crisis are similar to historic rates in natural disaster areas but are much higher than in the months just prior to the crisis. ▪ Higher forbearance rates are associated with lower FICO scores, higher DTI ratios, higher LTV ratios, higher cumulative COVID-19 rates, larger mortgage payments, two- to four-unit and investor properties, single borrowers, and refinances. ▪ By the seventh month in forbearance, about half of the loans have transitioned to current status, but a similar share of loans remains delinquent.
Venue-based versus Geosocial Networking Application-based Recruitment of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: An Examination of Feasibility:

Because of the high cost, venue-based probability sampling of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) is largely inaccessible to social researchers. The aim of this study is to compare the feasibili...
The Role of Mentalizing in Communication Behaviors

Communication is a fundamental ability of humans, and much of our daily energy is used in producing, sharing, receiving, and understanding information and messages. As part of our capacities as information communicators and receivers, we often infer and evaluate the mental states of those people with whom we are interacting. Here we describe research from social psychology, communication, behavioral economics, and neuroscience that highlights the role of mentalizing in communication and decision-making more broadly. In this chapter, we give particular focus to the neuroscientific evidence, which shows that the mentalizing network, a set of cortical brain regions thought to preferentially process social information, is commonly activated by communicators and audiences, and facilitates successful information transfer between communicators and receivers. We close with future directions for research in psychology and neuroscience that further elucidates the role of mentalizing in communication and decision-making.
Cardiovascular disease risks in younger versus older adult B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors.

INTRODUCTION Young cancer survivors may be at increased risk of early-onset chronic health conditions. The aim of this population-based study is to estimate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among younger versus older B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) survivors compared with their respective general population cohorts. METHODS B-NHL survivors diagnosed from 1997 to 2015 in the Utah Cancer Registry were matched with up to five cancer-free individuals on birth year, sex, and birth state, using the statewide Utah Population Database. Electronic medical records and statewide health care facility data were used to identify disease outcomes ≥5 years after cancer diagnosis. Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios for B-NHL survivors diagnosed at <65 years and ≥65 years old. RESULTS Younger B-NHL survivors had higher relative risks than older cancer survivors of chronic rheumatic disease of the heart valves (HR = 4.14, 99% CI = 2.17-7.89; P valueheterogeneity = 0.004); peri-, endo-, and myocarditis (HR = 2.43, 99% CI = 1.38-4.28; P valueheterogeneity = 0.016); diseases of the arteries (HR = 1.63, 99% CI = 1.21-2.21; P valueheterogeneity = 0.044); and hypotension (HR = 2.44, 99% CI = 1.58-3.75; P valueheterogeneity = 0.048). B-NHL survivors of both age groups had elevated relative risks of heart disease overall and congestive heart failure. CONCLUSION Younger B-NHL survivors had higher risks than older B-NHL survivors of specific cardiovascular diseases compared to their respective general population cohorts.
Net Operating Working Capital Behavior: A First Look

Net operating working capital captures multiple dimensions of firms’ adjustments to operating and financial conditions. Sales growth, uncertainty of sales, costly external financing, and financial distress encourage firms to pursue more aggressive working capital strategies. Firms with greater internal financing capacity and superior capital market access employ more conservative working capital policies. Results are robust to unobserved heterogeneity and industry effects. The evidence suggests that operating and financing conditions should be considered when evaluating working capital behavior, not just industry averages. Additionally, industry concentration magnifies the effect of sales growth.
Modular Wireless Power Transmission for Photovoltaic Subpanel System

A modular wireless power transmission (WPT) Photovoltaic (PV) subpanel system is proposed. The PV system may contain multiple PV subpanels, and each subpanel is integrated with an individual DC/DC converter connected to a full bridge inverter and to a WPT LC resonant tank. The PV units can be placed on a wireless charging mat, and each WPT unit can be independently designed without affecting other units’ performance. However, because of the rugged outdoor environment, it is difficult to precisely know various circuit parameters, airgaps, or other influential variables that need to be matched or optimized for the WPT. Therefore, two separate power point tracking algorithms are implemented. The first (traditional) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is used to maintain the solar panel at its highest efficiency point. The second frequency power point tracker is used to adjust the operating frequency of the inverter to match the resonant frequency of the WPT system to ensure the maximum efficiency transfer. Preliminary experimental results are provided to verify the robustness of the WPT system features and the control strategies.
Laser Spectroscopy of a Single Barium Ion Using “Shelving”

It has been pointed out elsewhere [1] that a single, laser-cooled atomic ion can be used to perform optical spectroscopy that is free from all conventional shifts and broadenings to the part in 1018 level. If one is to construct a practical spectrometer based on a single ion with comparable long term stability, signal to noise considerations make it imperative that virtually every transition between the ground state and metastable excited state be detected. This is particularly true when working with single ions, where conventional techniques which depend upon the observation of a single fluorescent photon from each excitation would detect only a small percentage of the forbidden transitions, resulting in an unacceptably low data rate.
A versatile interactive 3D brush model

We present a flexible modeling approach capable of realistically simulating many varieties of brushes commonly used in painting. Our geometric model of brush heads is a combination of subdivision surfaces and hundreds of individual bristles represented by thin polygonal strips. We exploit bristle-to-bristle coherence, simulating only a fraction of the bristles and using interpolation for the remainder. Our dynamic model incorporates realistic physically-based deformation, including anisotropic friction, brush plasticity, and tip spreading. We use an energy minimization framework with a novel geometric representation of the brush head to generate a wider variety of brushes. Finally, we have developed an improved haptic model that provides realistic force feedback, directly related to the results of the brush dynamic simulation. Using this model, we are able to simulate a wide range of brush styles and create an excellent variety of strokes such as the crisp, curvy strokes of Western decorative painting, or rough scratchy strokes like certain Oriental calligraphy. We have also developed an exporter for a popular free 3D modeling package that makes it easier for non-programmers to create any desired style of brush, real or fanciful.
A hardware efficient implementation of a boxes reinforcement learning system

This paper presents two modifications to the Boxes-ASE/ACE reinforcement learning algorithm to improve implementation efficiency and performance. A state history queue (SHQ) replaces the decay computations associated with each control state, decoupling the dependence of computational demand from the number of control states. A dynamic link table implements CMAC state association to decrease training time, yet minimize the number of control states. Simulations of the link table demonstrated its potential for minimizing control states for unoptimized state-space quantization. Simulations coupling the link table to CMAC state association show a 3-fold reduction in learning time. A hardware implementation of the pole-cart balancer shows the SHQ modification to reduce computation time 12-fold. >
A rotational-state population analysis of the high-resolution IUE observation of CS emission in comet P/Halley

The high resolution spectrum of comet P/Halley has been measured in the region of the CS emission. CS in comet Halley is produced by photodissociation of CS2 and subsequently re-excited by broad band solar radiation. An inversion procedure is introduced to extract the rotational population distribution from the dispersed fluorescence spectrum. The fluorescence profile from the R branch of the v′ = 0 to v″ = 0 is analyzed using this method. The extracted rotational distribution shows a peak at J′ =1 superimposed on a background extending to J″ = 29. The distribution is interpreted by considering radiative and collisional relaxation processes in the comet. Intensity anomalies in the wavelength region corresponding to P and Q branch emission are considered.
Theory of stellar and extragalactic jets

Different types of astrophysical jets are briefly described and the wide differences in their observed properties are emphasized. Various physical mechanisms that have been proposed for creating jets, based on gas dynamical, magnetic, and radiative stresses are briefly reviewed. It is argued that magnetic flelds are probably generally important for collimating astrophysical jets.
Sexual harassment of military personnel: An examination of power differentials

Abstract To examine the influence of power differentials with regard to sexual harassment victims, data from a survey of military personnel were analyzed to see if patterns of sexual harassment differed among racial or ethnic groups. Four independent variables (victim's officer or enlisted classification, gender pioneer status, and marital status, and harasser's race) were included in the analysis to determine patterns of interaction among the racial or ethnic groupings that might affect the degree of sexual harassment. Although a number of the interactions of these variables were significant, the main effect of race or ethnic group on sexual harassment events was not supported. The results are discussed relative to a power or status model of individual attitudes and behaviors.
Preventing Inadvertent Stereotyping in the Racial Gap Literature

This study investigates the political origins of dominant anti-Black stereotypes in the controversy over the abolition of slavery. These stereotypes involve derogatory beliefs about the work ethic, self-sufficiency, intelligence, and political participation of African Americans. They also include derogatory stereotypes about “Black criminality” (compare Mendelberg 2001) traceable to slave holders’ shock over the Haitian Revolution of 1771. To what degree may these stereotypes endure not only in political campaigns (Mendelberg 2001), but also in the discourse among social scientists about remaining racial gaps (Craemer, 2011)? The paper distinguishes between “proper” and “improper” stereotyping based on statistical reasoning. If nothing else is known about an individual except his or her membership in a given group, the “best guess” regarding this individual is any characteristic shared by a majority of group members. Reviewing the literature I find that the “best guess” principle is routinely violated when gaps in poverty, unemployment, welfare, educational attainment, political participation, and (most egregiously) violent crime are discussed. Rather than focusing on the vast majority of African Americans who live above the federal poverty level, are gainfully employed, do not live on welfare, have completed high school or more, turn out to vote, and are law abiding, the literature focuses on the relatively few that do not. While racial gaps remain in these domains (ca. 5-30%), the often cited “crime gap” amounts to little more than a rounding error. Both racially liberal as well as racially conservative social scientists focus on the small and atypical fringe-group of violent offenders (
Competing definitions of contextual environments

The growing interest in the effects of contextual environments on health outcomes has focused attention on the strengths and weaknesses of alternate contextual unit definitions for use in multilevel analysis. The present research examined three methods to define contextual units for a sample of children already enrolled in a respiratory health study. The Inclusive Equal Weights Method (M1) and Inclusive Sample Weighted Method (M2) defined communities using the boundaries of the census blocks that incorporated the residences of the CHS participants, except that the former estimated socio-demographic variables by averaging the census block data within each community, while the latter used weighted proportion of CHS participants per block. The Minimum Bounding Rectangle Method (M3) generated minimum bounding rectangles that included 95% of the CHS participants and produced estimates of census variables using the weighted proportion of each block within these rectangles. GIS was used to map the locations of study participants, define the boundaries of the communities where study participants reside, and compute estimates of socio-demographic variables. The sensitivity of census variable estimates to the choice of community boundaries and weights was assessed using standard tests of significance. The estimates of contextual variables vary significantly depending on the choice of neighborhood boundaries and weights. The choice of boundaries therefore shapes the community profile and the relationships between its components (variables). Multilevel analysis concerned with the effects of contextual environments on health requires careful consideration of what constitutes a contextual unit for a given study sample, because the alternate definitions may have differential impact on the results. The three alternative methods used in this research all carry some subjectivity, which is embedded in the decision as to what constitutes the boundaries of the communities. The Minimum Bounding Rectangle was preferred because it focused attention on the most frequently used spaces and it controlled potential aggregation problems. There is a need to further examine the validity of different methods proposed here. Given that no method is likely to capture the full complexity of human-environment interactions, we would need baseline data describing people's daily activity patterns along with expert knowledge of the area to evaluate our neighborhood units.
Cellular mechanisms contributing to response variability of cortical neurons in vivo.

Cortical neurons recorded in vivo exhibit highly variable responses to the repeated presentation of the same stimulus. To further understand the cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we performed intracellular recordings from neurons in cat striate cortex in vivo and examined the relationships between spontaneous activity and visually evoked responses. Activity was assessed on a trial-by-trial basis by measuring the membrane potential ( V m) fluctuations and spike activity during brief epochs immediately before and after the onset of an evoked response. We found that the response magnitude, expressed as a change in V m relative to baseline, was linearly correlated with the preceding spontaneous V m. This correlation was enhanced when the cells were hyperpolarized to reduce the activation of voltage-gated conductances. The output of the cells, expressed as spike counts and latencies, was only moderately correlated with fluctuations in the preceding spontaneous V m. Spike-triggered averaging of V m revealed that visually evoked action potentials arise from transient depolarizations having a rise time of ∼10 msec. Consistent with this, evoked spike count was found to be linearly correlated with the magnitude of V m fluctuations in the γ (20–70 Hz) frequency band. We also found that the threshold of visually evoked action potentials varied over a range of ∼10 mV. Examination of simultaneously recorded intracellular and extracellular activity revealed a correlation between V mdepolarization and spike discharges in adjacent cells. Together these results demonstrate that response variability is attributable largely to coherent fluctuations in cortical activity preceding the onset of a stimulus, but also to variations in action potential threshold and the magnitude of high-frequency fluctuations evoked by the stimulus.
Direct Construction Of Phase-Only Correlation Filters

The purpose of this paper is to review a new direct construction of phase-only filters and to further document its potential use for threshold optical correlation detectors. This construction is a descendant of the constructions introduced in Kallman and leads to a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over previous methods. Simulations suggest that the resulting filters and their optimized binarizations can be designed to contain a great deal of information, to be stable under perturbations in the training set, to have a very low false alarm rate, and to be insensitive to large amounts of additive zero mean Gaussian or uniform noise.
Trends in innovation and productivity: The case of chemical and textile industries in the U.S.

This paper attempts to investigate an empirical linkage between technological innovation and productivity in two industries in the United States. During the period 1967—82, the chemical and textile industries experienced different rates of productivity growth. In spite of stiff competition from foreign manufacturers, American textile firms maintained a steady growth in productivity. This industry benefitted from major technological innovations occurring in industries supplying to it. The chemical industry faced crisis due to sudden changes in petroleum prices. Changes in regulatory requirements also imposed a different set of constraints on the chemical industry. Rate of innovation decreased quite severely in this industry during this time period. Innovation indicators were developed by obtaining data on new product/process announcements in the technical literature. Panels of technical experts from the industries and academia evaluated the data for their technical novelty. The data indicate a relationship between innovation and productivity growth.
On Reliable Estimation of Curvatures of Implicit Surfaces

Estimation of curvature in volumetric datasets is considered. One component of the exhibition here is new extensions of several known methods for such estimations in range images to the new domain of volumetric datasets. A second component is that the (1) accuracy and (2) computational performance of these extensions (and five well-known existing methods for curvature estimation in volumetric datasets) are comparatively examined.
A classical green's function approach to vibrational spectra of biopolymers

Abstract Classical green's function methods can be used to calculate the spectra of large molecules by essentially putting together the spectra of smaller parts. The methods are useful where the parts are connected by few valence bonds.
Chemical composition of mammalian sperm.

MAMMALIAN sperm have been reported by various workers to contain no nucleoprotamine or nucleo-histone extractable by the usual means (with water or neutral salt solutions)1. This has been confirmed in the case of the bull, man, dog, boar and ram, but basic protein and nucleic acid, having solubility properties quite different from the usual, have been extracted from the isolated heads of these cells.
Tale of tails: parallelism and prehensility

The occurrence of prehensile tails among only five platyrrhine genera--Cebus, Alouatta, Lagothrix, Ateles, and Brachyteles--might be interpreted as evidence that these are a closely related, possibly monophyletic group. In the absence of behavioral data, it is impossible to test whether all possess equivalent biological roles; such would lend credence to the idea that their tails evolved from an homologous, derived character complex. Contrariwise, the tendency for species of Cebus to have "averagely" proportioned or relatively short tails, in contrast to the relatively elongate tails of howlers and other atelines; osteological differences in caudal and sacral morphology; and a lack of ateline-like tail/neocortex correlates in Cebus, all imply that prehensility has evolved twice in parallel: once (homologously) in atelines and again in capuchins.
Uniqueness for an Elliptic Inverse Problem

For the elliptic equation $-\nabla\cdot(p(x)\nabla v)+\lambda q(x)v=f,\ x\in\Omega\subset\bbR^n,$ the problem of determining when one or more of the coefficient functions p, q, and f are defined uniquely by a knowledge of one or more of the solution functions $v=v_{p,q,f,\lambda}$ is considered.
Ethical and logistical considerations of multicenter parental bereavement research

ABSTRACT Background: Multicenter research has the potential to recruit participants with diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds and is essential for understanding heterogeneity in berea...
Anti-jamming performance of cognitive radio networks

In this paper, we study both the jamming capability of the cognitive-radio-based jammers and the anti-jamming capability of the cognitive radio networks. We first setup the models of cognitive-radio-based jammers and the cognitive radio network transmissions. We then analyze various jamming attack strategies where the jammer spends various powers in order to jam various transmission slots of the cognitive radio networks. Average throughput and jamming probability are derived and verified by simulations. Strength and weakness of jammer and cognitive radio networks are then discussed, which will be useful to guide the anti-jamming cognitive radio network design.
Ridge regression: A multivariate analysis of criminal activity

The objective of the paper is to apply the statistical procedure of ridge regression to a multivariate model of criminal activity. The explanatory variables are of an economic, apprehension, and seasonal nature. The Time Shared Reactive On Line Laboratory (TROLL) computer package was used in estimating all regression coefficients and other pertinent statistics. The economic variables, which included per capita personal income, hours worked, and plant closing dummy variable, were found to be statistically related to criminal activity. In addition, police expenditures as well as the three seasonal dummy variables were statistically associated with the dependent variable. A comparison is made between the results obtained from the ordinary least squares procedure and the ridge regression approach.
STUDYING GLUON PROPERTIES EXPERIMENTALLY

Abstract We argue in this paper the following. (i) A large part of what is observed in high-energy hadron reactions may be rather directly interpretable in terms of gluon interactions. Since gluons do not interact directly with leptons and photons this could be a valuable way to study them experimentally. Earlier work in this direction is briefly summarized. We suggest how several quantities can be reinterpreted in terms of gluon interactions; the rise in σtot, and the more rapid increase of multiplicity with energy at very high energies, are particularly fruitful to examine. The possibility of interpreting inclusive polarization data in terms of gluon spin properties is considered. Most importantly, we propose that if certain of our predictions on central region particle ratios are correct, then the gluon distribution as a function of x may be measurable at energies in the ISABELLE range. (ii) The structure of gluon jets in mass, multiplicity and momentum is discussed; we suggest that gluon jets will be quite different from quark jets, with more of the energy of the gluon jet going into mass, so hard gluon jets may not exist.
Ethics of innovative surgery: US surgeons’ definitions, knowledge, and attitudes

Background Innovative surgery is not clearly defined, nor is it formally regulated by governing bodies as is the development of drugs and medical devices. This unclear status and the subsequent questionable applicability of existing federal guidelines for human subject research pose an ethical concern. To clarify its position, we solicited US surgeons' definitions of, opinions toward, and attitudes about innovative surgery. Surgeons were also invited to self-report knowledge about current federal regulations guiding human subject research and rules for informed consent for and IRB review of clinical research. Study design A group of US surgeons received a 46-item questionnaire addressing the definition of innovative surgery versus those for research and practice, regulations for human subject research, need for specific informed consent, and IRB review of surgical innovations. Results A total of 665 responses were used in the content analysis. Respondents expressed a fairly prudent stance when judging hypothetical innovative scenarios. Hallmarks for experimentation and clinical research as modes of innovation were defined more clearly for the surgical situation. Conclusions Defining criteria exist that prompt added scrutiny and previous review of surgical innovations. Some forms of innovation clearly fall under the current regulations for human subject research; others might not fully meet the definition but could still require some additional oversight.
Simulating operational behaviors of pedestrian navigation

Navigation is an innate ability for humans, but simulating this capability in a virtual environment is no easy task and has been of interest to researchers for over a decade. This paper describes the development of ISAPT, an individual-based Intermodal Simulator for the Analysis of Pedestrian Traffic. ISAPT's development is based on the observed behaviors of pedestrians reported from the literature and simulates the strategies employed by pedestrians for collision avoidance, including changes in speed and trajectory, passing strategies, and distance between objects. The implementation of these behaviors and strategies is described in the paper along with the results from a validation study. These results illustrate that the micro-level simulation of individual pedestrians gives ISAPT the ability to reproduce identified macro-level pedestrian behavior, as well as the capability to reproduce the operational statistics of an observed pedestrian corridor. Such functionality is necessary to support the use of simulation as a tool for designers and planners in the design and evaluation of intermodal facilities.
Temporal patterns of tick-borne granulocytic anaplasmosis in California.

Abstract Granulocytic anaplasmosis (GA) is a tick-borne emerging infectious disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. From fall 2005 to spring 2007, A. phagocytophilum infection prevalence in small mammals and tick abundance were monitored at 4 study sites in coastal California. The abundance of different life stages of questing Ixodes pacificus ticks fluctuated seasonally with the number of adults peaking December to February, nymphs peaking May to July, and larvae peaking April to June. Numerous Ixodes tick species were found attached to dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes), chimunks (Tamias spp.), and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus); however, attached tick larvae on all 3 rodent species were primarily I. pacificus, attached nymphs were primarily I. angustus, and adults were either I. ochotonae, I. spinipalpis, or I. woodi. A. phagocytophilum DNA was detected by PCR in 2.2% (n = 275, 95% C.I. = 0.09–4.9) of sampled ticks. The overall A. phagocytophilum seroprevalence among small mammals was 7.4% (n = 654, 95% C.I. = 5.5–9.7) while 7.2% (n = 125, 95% C.I. = 3.5–13.4) of the animals were found to be PCR-positive. Seropositive animals included woodrats, chipmunks, and deer mice, although only woodrats and chipmunks had PCR-detectable infections. Seroprevalence varied temporally among species with the majority of exposed deer mice detected in fall 2006 and the majority of exposed woodrats and chipmunks identified in spring 2007. This study highlights the importance of multiple-year monitoring of both vectors and wildlife hosts in order to better understand the complex ecology of A. phagocytophilum and other related tick-borne disease agents.
Nearest-Neighbor Variance Estimation (NNVE)

Robust covariance estimation commonly proceeds by downweighting outliers. In this article we measure the “outlyingness” of a data point by the standardized distance between the point and its Kth nearest neighbor. The appropriate weights for robust estimation are found by a model-based mixture modeling approach that follows from considering the data cloud as a realization of a high-dimensional point process. To correct a potential bias when there are no outliers, we introduce a boundary correction procedure that artificially adds in extra outlying points; the resulting methodology is called nearest-neighbor variance estimation (NNVE). The strength of NNVE is its robustness against a large proportion of noise points and against deviation from normality of the signal. A consistency result for the method is established. Under some reasonable assumptions, it is shown that the covariance estimate is bounded and that each point has only bounded influence on the final estimates. NNVE outperformed the popular mini...
Empowering the marginalized: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in India

Social protection programs have been an important part of development process and planning in India since its Independence. However, after sixty-five years, around one-fourth of its population lives in poverty. Despite a plethora of social protection programs, vulnerable groups among the poor have not been well targeted. However, the recent paradigm shift towards rights-based legislations may have hit the right chord with its self-targeting mechanism. The Right to Work, or the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) provided employment to almost 55 million households and spending nearly 8 billion US dollars in April 2010–March 2011. Participation of women and socially backward groups has been exceptionally high. This paper analyzes the policy provisions, implementation and monitoring mechanism of MGNEGA to argue that policy designs with legal enforceable mechanisms and collaborative governance systems can lead to empowerment of the marginalized sections.
Reflections on the White Privilege Conference

What is the work of White adult educators to dismantle racism in our classrooms and training sessions? How are we to engage and influence White people to do what is required to create a more just society? These are some questions that the ninth annual White Privilege Conference attempts to address. This Perspective on Practice essay reviews that conference to share my reflections on its meaning and relevance to adult education and implications for practitioners. I am excited, I feel knowledgeable; I am finally in a space talking about being White with White people who get it. I contribute eagerly, "Me too. When I talk with Whites, sometimes I go to this dark place…" Groans from the room erupt and I know that I have fallen into the trap of using a word that associates dark with bad. I want to curl up and disappear. The presenter says to me that I could say that, or I could say … but I'm so nervous I don't hear her. I push my way through my sentence and then fall silent. A dialogue begins in my head. I want to assure the group of my enlightenment; I want to explain… The White Privilege Conference (WPC) was founded by Eddie Moore, Jr. in 1999 and "serves as a yearly opportunity to examine and explore issues of White privilege, diversity, multicultural education, multicultural leadership, social justice, race/racism, sexual orientation, gender relations, and other systems of privilege/oppression" (Speak Out, n.d.). Its purpose is to provide space conducive to dialogue and honesty, as participants think and talk about "the advantages that accrue to some but not others," and "offers a means to develop and sustain ongoing work to dismantle this system of White privilege, White supremacy, and oppression" (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 2008, para. 1). The conference attracts participants from business and industry, education, community service, artists, musicians, and activists. Organizers are careful to clarify that it is not a place for "beating up on White folks" (Speak Out, n.d., para. 2) rather, it is a place for critical and deep reflection. The theme for this conference was "Critical Liberation Praxis: Creating Transformation for Social Justice". It was a fast paced conference that began at 8 am and continued until 10 pm. In addition to presenters, there were newly released films and documentaries, discussion and caucus groups, and keynotes. There were no conference papers; speakers or presenters distributed handouts relevant to their session. Reflections
Quantitative characteristics of qualitative localized bonding patterns.

Patterns of localized and delocalized chemical bonding obtained using the recently proposed adaptive natural density partitioning (AdNDP) provide a qualitative description of electronic structure but miss any quantitative information. Descriptors, such as the electron localization function (ELF), provide quantitative characteristics of bonding and can enhance the usefulness of qualitative patterns. In the present study, we used ELF and a related construct, charge-density-weighted ELF (ELFρ), to characterize localized and delocalized bonding in a variety of systems. It is demonstrated that ELFρ yields a more detailed description than ELF when used to analyze bonding in aromatic, conflicting aromatic, and antiaromatic systems. Both canonical molecular orbitals (CMOs) and localized multicenter two-electron (nc-2e) bonds obtained in the latter case by AdNDP localization are used to calculate ELFρ.