cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Involved in Tactile Texture Perception through Probes

An understanding of texture perception by robotic systems can be developed by examining human texture perception through a probe. Like texture perception through direct touch with the finger, texture perception by indirect means of a probe is multi-dimensional, comprising rough, hard, and sticky texture continua. In this study, we describe the individual subject variability in probe-mediated texture perception, and compare similarities and differences of texture perception between direct touch and indirect touch. The results show variability among subjects, as individual subjects may choose to rely on different degrees of three texture dimensions and do so at different scanning velocities. Despite this variability between scanning conditions within each subject, the subjects make consistently reliable discriminations of textures and subjective magnitude estimates along texture continua when indirectly exploring texture surfaces with a probe. These data contribute information that is valuable to the design of robotic sensory systems, and to the understanding of sensory feedback, which is essential in teleoperations.
Measured Impact of a Mandated Warning on User Behavior

Two groups of expectant first-time mothers were asked to examine an automobile infant restraint and its instruction label, then to install the restraint in an automobile. The label for one group was presented in a warning format, as now required by federal regulation, while the label for the other group was not. Error rates were higher for the warning-label group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Most subjects rated the labels as “Good” or “Very Good”, whether or not they installed the restraints correctly. Results illustrate that, in some situations, clear and direct instructions can be at least as effective as a warning in eliciting the desired behavior, and that subjective ratings of labels are not necessarily valid predictors of impact on behavior.
Physical controls on the seasonal migration of the North Pacific transition zone chlorophyll front

[1] The large seasonal migration of the transition zone chlorophyll front (TZCF) is of interest because a number of marine fauna, both commercial and endangered, appear to track it. Herein we examine the physical dynamics driving this seasonal migration of the TZCF. Vertical processes, traditionally viewed as controlling the dynamical supply of nutrients to surface waters, prove insufficient to explain seasonal variations in nutrient supply to the transition zone. Instead, we find that the horizontal Ekman transport of nutrients from higher latitudes drives the TZCF’s southward migration. The estimated horizontal transport of nitrate supports up to 40% of new primary productivity in the region annually and nearly all of new primary productivity in the winter. The significance of horizontal advection to the North Pacific transition zone supports revising the paradigm that nutrients are supplied to surface waters from below.
On the complexity of regular resolution and the Davis-Putnam procedure

Abstract For infinitely many n > 0 we construct contradictory formulas α n in conjunctive form with n literals such that every regular proof tree which proves the contradiction must contain 2 cn distinct clauses for some c > 0. This implies a 2 cn lower bound for the number of distinct clauses which are generated by the Davis-Putnam procedure applied to α n using any order of variable elimination.
The Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale: Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Helmet Use Among Undergraduates

Abstract Objective: This study examined bicycle helmet attitudes and practices of college undergraduates and developed the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale, which was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974, in Becker MH, ed. The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior. Thorofare, NJ: Charles B. Slack; 1974:328–335) to predict reported helmet use. Participants: Students (N = 337) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey between November 2006 and November 2007. Methods: Participants completed a comprehensive survey on attitudes and behaviors relevant to bicycle helmet use. Results: The resulting Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale contains 57 items and represents 10 reliable subscales that reflect the HBM. Only 12% of students were self-reported helmet users. Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale scores captured 52% of the variance associated with helmet use; each subscale differentiated wearers from nonwearers. Men reported more media influences than did women. Conclusio...
Comparing Package Programs for Factor Analysis.

Earlier comparisons of packaged programs for factor analysis are updated because of recent revisions in some programs. The top status of SPSS is no longer so apparent as formerly. BMD and SAS now have expanded options. SAS has flexibility and convenience.
CD-SEM precision: improved procedure and analysis

Accurate precision assessment becomes increasingly important as we proceed along the SIA road map, in to more advanced processes and smaller critical dimensions. Accurate precision is necessary in order to determine the P/T ratio which is used to decide whether a specific CD-SEM is valid for controlling a specific process. The customer's needs, as been presented by the SEMATECH Advanced Metrology Advisory Group, are to receive a detailed precision report, in the form of a full repeatability and reproducibility (RR) analysis. The 3 sigma single tool RR, of an in-line SEM, are determined in the same operational modes as used in production, and should include the effects of time and process variants on the SEM performance. We hereby present an RR procedure by a modulate approach which enables the user extending the evaluation according to her/his needs. It includes direct assessment of repeatability, reproducibility and stability analysis. It also allows for a study of wafer non homogeneity, induced process variation and a measured feature type effect on precision. The procedure is based on the standard ISO RR procedure, and includes a modification for a correct compensation for bias, or so called measurement turned. A close examination of the repeatability and reproducibility variations, provides insight to the possible sources of those variations, such as S/N ratio, SEM autofocus mechanism, automation etc. For example, poor wafer alignment might not effect the repeatability, but severally reduce reproducibility. Therefore the analysis is a key to better understanding and improving of CD-SEM performance, on production layers. The procedure is fully implemented on an automated CD-SEM, providing on line precision assessment. RR < 1 nm has been demonstrated on well defined resist and etched structures. Examples of the automatic analysis results, using the new procedure are presented.
Comparison of German to Marston Design Methods

In the United States and several other countries around the world, the Marston load theory is commonly used in computing the trench backfill loads on rigid pipes. Germany is using an alternative method developed by Abwasserbechnischen Vereinigung CoV. (ATV) as the working design method for rigid and flexible pipe. This paper presents the German design method and a comparison of the two theories as they are applied to buried vitrified clay pipe design. The load ratio is defined as the ratio of the German load to Marston load. This ratio shows that the Marston theory is conservative for small pipes backfilled with well-compacted granular material because it neglects the load relieving effect of the side fill and underestimates the friction between backfill soil and trench walls. The German design method is relatively simpler and could result in savings for vitrified clay pipe manufacture and design and for installation. The effects of the trench geometry, soil characteristics, the pipe diameter, and the stiffness ratio of bedding and Marston methods of design. Results show that the load ratio depends significantly on the ratio of trench width to pipe diameter. This paper would be of great interest to engineers in pipeline practice in their attempts to evaluate design techniques used in other technologically competitive countries.
Reliability, Validity, and Cross-Cultural Comparisons for the Simplified Attitudes toward Women Scale.

This article investigates the use of the simplified version of the Attitudes Toward Women Scale with 278 American adults taken from the general population. Normative data and estimates of internal consistency reliability are reported, both for the overall sample and for selected subgroups. Females are found to have more liberal sex role attitudes than males, younger people to have more liberal attitudes than older people, and those of higher social status to have more liberal attitudes than those of lower status, supporting the construct validity of the scale. A cross-cultural comparison is also made between the scores of British and American women.
Differential rates of skill acquisition and outcomes of early intensive behavioral intervention for autism

Intensive behavioral intervention for very young children with autism has received increased attention in recent years. Researchers have documented unprecedented success in educating some young children with autism, although not every child makes dramatic developmental gains. It might be useful to identify early in treatment those children who will benefit most from the current methodology and who might require slight variations in instructional format or curricular focus. The present study suggests that initial learning rates are moderately correlated with treatment outcomes after two years. Among 20 children receiving early, intensive behavioral intervention, initial acquisition of skills was correlated with later learning rates, severity of autism symptomatology and adaptive behavior profiles two years into treatment. Implications are discussed, especially in light of the universal need for intensive intervention in this population. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sampling stable marriages: why spouse-swapping won't work

We study the behavior of random walks along the edges of the stable marriage lattice for various restricted families of allowable preference sets. In the "k-attribute model," each man is valued in each of k attributes, and each woman's ranking of the men is determined by a linear function, representing her relative ranking of those attributes; men's rankings of the women are determined similarly. We show that sampling with a random walk on the marriage lattice can take exponential time, even when k = 2. Moreover, we show that the marriage lattices arising in the k-attribute model are more restrictive than in the general setting; previously such a restriction had only been shown for the sets of preference lists. The second model we consider is the "k-range model," where each person lies in a position in [i, i + k - 1], for some i, on every preference list of the opposite sex. When k = 1 there is a unique stable marriage. When k = 2 there already can be an exponential number of stable marriages, but we show that a random walk on the stable marriage lattice always converges quickly to equilibrium. However, when k ≥ 5, there are preference sets such that the random walk on the lattice will require exponential time to converge. Lastly, we show that in the extreme case where each gender's rankings of the other are restricted to one of just a constant k possible preference lists, there are still instances for which the Markov chain mixes exponentially slowly, even when k = 4. This oversimplification of the general model helps elucidate why Markov chains based on spouse-swapping are not good approaches to sampling, even in specialized scenarios.
Physiological Modulation of Rabphilin Phosphorylation

The dynamic modulation of protein function by phosphorylation plays an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity. Several proteins involved in synaptic transmission have been shown to be targets of protein kinases and phosphatases. A thorough analysis of the physiological role of these modifications has been hampered by the lack of reagents that specifically recognize the phosphorylated states of these proteins. In this study we analyze the physiological modulation of rabphilin using phosphospecific antibodies. We show that phosphorylation on serine-234 and serine-274 of rabphilin is dynamically regulated both under basal and stimulated conditions by the activity of kinases and phosphatases. The two sites are differentially phosphorylated by the stimulation of various kinases, suggesting a possible convergence of different pathways to modulate the function of the protein. Maximal stimulation was observed under plasma membrane-depolarizing conditions that trigger synaptic vesicle exocytosis. The increase in phosphorylation was critically dependent on external Ca2+ and on the presence of Rab3a, a small GTPase that recruits rabphilin to synaptic vesicles. The rapid phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during and after stimulation demonstrates the transient nature of the modification. Our results indicate that rabphilin is phosphorylated on synaptic vesicles by Ca2+-dependent kinases that become active in synaptic terminals during exocytosis. We have found that phosphorabphilin has a reduced affinity for membranes; we therefore propose that the modulation of the membrane association of rabphilin has a role in the synaptic vesicle life cycle, perhaps in vesicle mobilization in preparation for subsequent rounds of neurotransmission.
An anisotropic scale-invariant unstructured mesh generator suitable for volumetric imaging data

We present a boundary-fitted, scale-invariant unstructured tetrahedral mesh generation algorithm that enables registration of element size to local feature size. Given an input triangulated surface mesh, a feature size field is determined by casting rays normal to the surface and into the geometry and then performing gradient-limiting operations to enforce continuity of the resulting field. Surface mesh density is adjusted to be proportional to the feature size field and then a layered anisotropic volume mesh is generated. This mesh is ''scale-invariant'' in that roughly the same number of layers of mesh exist in mesh cross-sections, between a minimum scale size L"m"i"n and a maximum scale size L"m"a"x. We illustrate how this field can be used to produce quality grids for computational fluid dynamics based simulations of challenging, topologically complex biological surfaces derived from magnetic resonance images. The algorithm is implemented in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) version of the Los Alamos grid toolbox LaGriT. Research funded by the National Heart and Blood Institute Award 1RO1HL073598-01A1.
Learning problem-solving concepts by reflecting on problem solving

Learning and problem solving are intimately related: problem solving determines the knowledge requirements of the reasoner which learning must fulfill, and learning enables improved problem-solving performance. Different models of problem solving, however, recognize different knowledge needs, and, as a result, set up different learning tasks. Some recent models analyze problem solving in terms of generic tasks, methods, and subtasks. These models require the learning of problem-solving concepts such as new tasks and new task decompositions. We view reflection as a core process for learning these problem-solving concepts. In this paper, we identify the learning issues raised by the task-structure framework of problem solving. We view the problem solver as an abstract device, and represent how it works in terms of a structure-behavior-function model which specifies how the knowledge and reasoning of the problem solver results in the accomplishment of its tasks. We describe how this model enables reflection, and how model-based reflection enables the reasoner to adapt its task structure to produce solutions of better quality. The Autognostic system illustrates this reflection process.
The Effect of Magnesium on Oxidative Neuronal Injury In Vitro

The effect of magnesium on the oxidative neuronal injury induced by hemoglobin was assessed in murine cortical cell cultures. Exposure to 5 microM hemoglobin in physiologic (1 mM) magnesium for 26 h resulted in the death of about one-half the neurons and a sixfold increase in malondialdehyde production; glia were not injured. Increasing medium magnesium to 3 mM reduced neuronal death by about one-half and malondialdehyde production by about two-thirds; neuronal death and lipid peroxidation were approximately doubled in 0.3 mM magnesium. Comparable results were observed in spinal cord cultures. The NMDA antagonist MK-801 weakly attenuated hemoglobin neurotoxicity in low-magnesium medium, but tended to potentiate injury in physiologic magnesium. Incubation in low-magnesium medium alone for 24 h reduced cellular glutathione by approximately 50% in mixed neuronal and glial cultures but by only 10% in pure glial cultures. The iron-dependent oxidation of phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes was attenuated in a concentration-dependent fashion by 2.5-10 mM magnesium; a similar effect was provided by 0.01-0.1 mM cobalt. However, oxidation was weakly enhanced by 0.5-1 mM magnesium. These results suggest that the vulnerability of neurons to iron-dependent oxidative injury is an inverse function of the extracellular magnesium concentration. At high concentrations, magnesium inhibits lipid peroxidation directly, perhaps by competing with iron for phospholipid binding sites. At low concentrations, enhancement of cell death may be due to the combined effect of increased NMDA receptor activity, glutathione depletion, and direct potentiation of lipid peroxidation.
The rate of convergence of GMRES on a tridiagonal toeplitz linear system. II

Abstract This paper continues the recent work of the authors’ [R.-C. Li, W. Zhang, The rate of convergence of GMRES on a tridiagonal Toeplitz linear system, Numer. Math. 112 (2009) 267–293 (electronically published on 19 December 2008)] on the rate of convergence of GMRES for a tridiagonal Toeplitz linear system Ax = b . Much simpler formulas than the earlier ones for GMRES residuals when b is the first or the last column of the identity matrix are established, and these formulas allow us to confirm the rate of convergence that was conjectured but only partially proven earlier. Simpler and sharper bounds than earlier ones when all b ’s entries, except its first and last ones, are zeros are also obtained.
Cell Cycle Regulation by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus K-bZIP: Direct Interaction with Cyclin-CDK2 and Induction of G1 Growth Arrest

In order to cope with hostile host environments, many viruses have developed strategies to perturb the cellular machinery to suit their replication needs. Some herpesvirus genes protect cells from undergoing apoptosis to prolong the lives of infected cells, while others, such as Epstein-Barr virus Zta, slow down the G 1 /S transition phase to allow ample opportunity for transcription and translation of viral genes before the onset of cellular genomic replication. In this study, we investigated whether Kaposi9s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) K-bZIP, a homologue of the Epstein-Barr virus transcription factor BZLF1 (Zta), plays a role in cell cycle regulation. Here we show that K-bZIP physically associates with cyclin-CDK2 and downmodulates its kinase activity. The association can be detected in the natural environment of KSHV-infected cells without artificial overexpression of either component. With purified protein, it can be shown that the interaction between K-bZIP and cyclin-CDK2 is direct and that K-bZIP alone is sufficient to inhibit CDK2 activity. The interacting domain of K-bZIP has been mapped to the basic region. The result of these associations is a prolonged G 1 phase, accompanied by the induction of p21 and p27 in a naturally infected B-cell line. Thus, in addition to the previously described transcription and genome replication functions, a new role of K-bZIP in KSHV replication is identified in this report.
Clinical characteristics of prostate cancer in an analysis of linkage to four putative susceptibility loci.

Purpose: Hereditary prostate cancer is an etiologically heterogeneous disease with six susceptibility loci mapped to date. We aimed to describe a collection of high-risk prostate cancer families and assess linkage to multiple markers at four loci: HPC1 (1q24–25) , PCaP (1q42.2–43) , HPCX (Xq27–28), and CAPB (1p36) . Experimental Design: Medical record data on 505 affected men in 149 multiply-affected prostate cancer families were reviewed, and correlations of clinical traits within each family were calculated. Logarithm of odds (LOD) score and nonparametric (NPL) linkage analyses were performed; white families were stratified by age of diagnosis, grade and stage of disease, and evidence of linkage to the other loci to increase genetic homogeneity. Results: Age at diagnosis was the most correlated clinical trait within families. A maximum NPL score of 2.61 ( P = 0.007) appeared to confirm HPC1 linkage for families that had a prevalence of high-grade or advanced-stage prostate cancer and which were not likely to be linked to PCaP , HPCX , or CAPB . Because the NPL scores improved when families more likely to be linked to the other loci were excluded, HPC1 may act independently of the other loci. The relationship of HPC1 and aggressive disease was strongest in families with median age at diagnosis ≥65 years (NPL, 3.48; P = 0.0008). Conclusions: The current results suggest that HPC1 linkage may be most common among families with more severe prostate cancer. Stratification by clinical characteristics may be a useful tool in prostate cancer linkage analyses and may increase our understanding of hereditary prostate cancer.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a human mitochondrial ceramidase.

We have recently purified a rat brain membrane-bound nonlysosomal ceramidase (El Bawab, S., Bielawska, A., and Y. A. Hannun (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 27948–27955). Using peptide sequences obtained from the purified rat brain enzyme, we report here the cloning of the human isoform. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein did not show any similarity with proteins of known function but was homologous to three putative proteins from Arabidospis thaliana, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Dictyostelium discoideum. Several blocks of amino acids were highly conserved in all of these proteins. Analysis of the protein sequence revealed the presence at the N terminus of a signal peptide followed by a putative myristoylation site and a putative mitochondrial targeting sequence. The predicted molecular mass was 84 kDa, and the isoelectric point was 6.69, in agreement with rat brain purified enzyme. Northern blot analysis of multiple human tissues showed the presence of a major band corresponding to a size of 3.5 kilobase. Analysis of this major band on the blot indicated that the enzyme is ubiquitously expressed with higher levels in kidney, skeletal muscle, and heart. The enzyme was then overexpressed in HEK 293 and MCF7 cells using the pcDNA3.1/His-ceramidase construct, and ceramidase activity (at pH 9.5) increased by 50- and 12-fold, respectively. Next, the enzyme was characterized using lysate of overexpressing cells. The results confirmed that the enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of ceramide in the neutral alkaline range and is independent of cations. Finally, a green fluorescent protein-ceramidase fusion protein was constructed to investigate the localization of this enzyme. The results showed that the green fluorescent protein-ceramidase fusion protein presented a mitochondrial localization pattern and colocalized with mitochondrial specific probes. These results demonstrate that this novel ceramidase is a mitochondrial enzyme, and they suggest the existence of a topologically restricted pathways of sphingolipid metabolism.
AP-1, but not NF-κB, is required for efficient steroid-triggered cell death in Drosophila

Extensive studies in vertebrate cells have assigned a central role to Rel/NF-κB and AP-1 family members in the control of apoptosis. We ask here whether parallel pathways might function in Drosophila by determining if Rel/NF-κB or AP-1 family members contribute to the steroid-triggered death of larval salivary glands during Drosophila metamorphosis. We show that two of the three Drosophila Rel/NF-κB genes are expressed in doomed salivary glands and that one family member, Dif, is induced in a stage-specific manner immediately before the onset of programmed cell death. Similarly, Djun is expressed for many hours before salivary gland cell death while Dfos is induced in a stage-specific manner, immediately before this tissue is destroyed. We show that null mutations in the three Drosophila Rel/NF-κB family members, either alone or in combination, have no apparent effect on this death response. In contrast, Dfos is required for the proper timing of larval salivary gland cell death as well as the proper induction of key death genes. This study demonstrates a role for AP-1 in the stage-specific steroid-triggered programmed cell death of larval tissues during Drosophila metamorphosis.
Chromatographic Separation and Identification of Products from the Reaction of Dimethylarsinic Acid with Hydrogen Sulfide

The reaction of dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV) with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is of biological significance and may be implicated in the overall toxicity and carcinogenicity of arsenic. The course of the reaction in aqueous phase was monitored, and an initial product, dimethylthioarsinic acid, was observed by using LC-ICP-MS and LC-ESI-MS. Dimethylarsinous acid was observed as a minor product. A second slower-forming product was identified, and the electrospray mass chromatograms for this species produced ions at m/z 275, 171, and 137 in positive mode. To aid in the identification of this slower-forming product, crystalline standards of sodium dimethyldithioarsinate and dimethylarsino dimethyldithioarsinate were prepared and re-characterized by using improved spectroscopic and structural analysis techniques. An aqueous solution of sodium dimethyldithioarsinate produced a single major chromatographic peak that matched the retention time (7.6 min) of the slower-forming product and contained similar molecular ions at m/z 275, 171, and 137 via LC-ESI-MS. The dimethylarsino dimethyldithioarsinate standard produced four aqueous phase species one of which coeluted with the slower forming product. This coeluting peak also produced the identical ESI-MS ions as the slower-forming product of DMAV + H2S. ESI-MS/MS experiments conducted on sodium dimethyldithioarsinate in deuterated water produced molecular ions at m/z 276, 173, and 137. Subsequent collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) experiments on m/z 276 did not produce a product ion at m/z 173. These data indicate that two different species are present in solution, while NMR data indicate that only dimethyldithioarsinic acid exists in aqueous solutions. This discrepancy was investigated by conducting NMR studies on the acidic solution of sodium dimethyldithioarsinate after taking this solution to dryness. The resolubilized solution produced a proton NMR signal characteristic of dimethylarsino dimethyldithioarsinate. Therefore, it was concluded that the ESI-MS ion at m/z 275 associated with the slowly forming second reaction product and the sodium dimethyldithioarsinate compound is a product of the ESI desolvation process.
Tick Size, Bid-Ask Spreads and Market Structure

We propose a link between market structure and the resulting market characteristics—tick size, bid-ask spreads, quote clustering, and market depth. We analyze transactions data of stocks traded on the London Stock Exchange, a dealer market. We conclude that market charateristics are endogenous to the market structure. The London dealer market does not have a mandated tick size, and it exhibits higher spreads, higher quote clusterings, and higher market depth than the NYSE auction market. Clustering of trade prices is similar in London and New York.
Accuracy of Heart Disease Prevalence Estimated from Claims Data Compared With an Electronic Health Record

Agreement between claims data and manual review was best in both the development and the validation samples (Cohen’s 8, 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87–0.97; and Cohen’s 8, 0.94, 95% CI, 0.89–0.98, respectively) when patients with only 1 visit were considered to have heart disease. Conclusion In this population, prevalence of heart disease can be estimated from claims data with acceptable accuracy.
Effectiveness and harms of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 in spine fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is used as a bone graft substitute in spinal fusion, which unites (fuses) bones in the spine. The accuracy and completeness of journal publications of industry-sponsored trials on the effectiveness and harms of rhBMP-2 has been called into question. Purpose To independently assess the effectiveness and harms of rhBMP-2 in spinal fusion and reporting bias in industry-sponsored journal publications. Data sources Individual-patient data (IPD) from 17 industry-sponsored studies; related internal documents; and searches of MEDLINE (1996 to August 2012), other databases, and reference lists. Study selection Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies of rhBMP-2 versus any control and uncontrolled studies of harms. Data extraction Effectiveness outcomes in IPD were recalculated using consistent definitions. Study characteristics and results were abstracted by 1 investigator and confirmed by another. Two investigators independently assessed quality using predefined criteria. Data synthesis Thirteen RCTs and 31 cohort studies were included. For lumbar spine fusion, rhBMP-2 and iliac crest bone graft were similar in overall success, fusion, and other effectiveness measures and in risk for any adverse event, although rates were high across interventions (77% to 93% at 24 months from surgery). For anterior lumbar interbody fusion, rhBMP-2 was associated with nonsignificantly increased risk for retrograde ejaculation and urogenital problems. For anterior cervical spine fusion, rhBMP-2 was associated with increased risk for wound complications and dysphagia. At 24 months, the cancer risk was increased with rhBMP-2 (risk ratio, 3.45 [95% CI, 1.98 to 6.00]), but event rates were low and cancer was heterogeneous. Early journal publications misrepresented the effectiveness and harms through selective reporting, duplicate publication, and underreporting. Limitations Outcome assessment was not blinded, and ascertainment of harms in trials was poor. No trials were truly independent of industry sponsorship. Conclusion In spinal fusion, rhBMP-2 has no proven clinical advantage over bone graft and may be associated with important harms, making it difficult to identify clear indications for rhBMP-2. Earlier disclosure of all relevant data would have better informed clinicians and the public than the initial published trial reports did. Primary funding source Yale University and Medtronic.
Distributed computer controls for accelerator systems

Abstract A distributed control system has been designed and installed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Multiuser Tandem Facility using an extremely modular approach in hardware and software. The two tiered, geographically organized design allowed total system implantation within four months with a computer and instrumentation cost of approximately $100k. Since the system structure is modular, application to a variety of facilities is possible. Such a system allows rethinking of operational style of the facilities, making possible highly reproducible and unattended operation. The impact of industry standards, i.e., UNIX, CAMAC, and IEEE-802.3, and the use of a graphics-oriented controls software suite allowed the effective implementation of the system. The definition, design, implementation, operation and total system performance will be discussed.
Rethinking Education and Emancipation: Being, Teaching, and Power

This essay describes two central principles for a renewed emancipatory pedagogy across educational contexts: the recognition of an essential equality between students and teachers and a liberatory agency that uncovers and builds on students' effectivity as beings against domination. While critical educational theory traditionally conceives of the human as a condition to be developed through the process of conscientization, De Lissovoy argues for the recognition of the human as the already existing fact of a body in struggle. He proposes an understanding of the human as the ontological kernel of the selves of students and teachers, as it asserts itself before contests over knowledge and identification. Building from recent work in cultural studies and philosophy that confronts the question of being as a political problem, the author develops an original understanding of emancipation as the discovery and affirmation of the persistent integrity and survival of beings in struggle.
Studies on the dilution of turkey semen.

1. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the effect of diluent, holding temperature and dilution rate on the viability of turkey semen. 2. No significant difference was observed in the fertility of the undiluted controls and semen diluted with Lake's solution to a final rate of 1:4 and maintained at 25 degrees C or 5 degrees C for 30 min. Under these conditions as few as 25 million sperm per weekly insemination were needed for optimum fertility. 3. Turkey semen exhibited the typical "dilution effect", increased respiration with a corresponding decline in fertilising capacity, when diluted at rates of 1 : 8 and 1 : 12.
Persistent and proximal migration of a large coronary thrombus during percutaneous coronary intervention in the setting of acute Q-wave myocardial infarction

We describe a patient with an acute inferior myocardial infarction. Patient was taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory for primary angioplasty. Angiography revealed 100% occluded proximal right coronary artery (RCA). After initial balloon angioplasty of the occluded RCA, a very large mobile thrombus was seen in the proximal RCA. Despite multiple stenting, suctioning through the guide catheter lumen, and intracoronary thrombolytic therapy, the thrombus persisted and migrated proximally after each stenting. However, patient did well despite of persistent large thrombus burden in the proximal RCA on aggressive antithrombotic treatment.
Thermal behavior of a solid nitrogen impregnated high-temperature superconducting pancake test coil under transient heating

This paper presents experimental and analytical results on a solid nitrogen impregnated high-temperature superconducting (HTS) test coil under transient heating. The test coil is a 1-layer, 10-turn single-pancake wound with Bi2223/Ag composite tape, 9-mm wide and 0.5-mm thick, with an average winding diameter of 105 mm. The solid nitrogen impregnating the 0.38-mm turn-to-turn radial gaps in the winding enhances the winding's overall heat capacity significantly in the operating temperature range 30-40 K and thereby limits the test coil's temperature rise when it is subjected to overcurrent pulses. The presence of solid nitrogen within the winding improves stability against fault-mode overcurrent pulses for HTS magnets used in electric power devices.
MorphoSys: A Coarse Grain Reconfigurable Architecture for Multimedia Applications

MorphoSys is a reconfigurable architecture for computation intensive applications. It combines both coarse grain and fine grain reconfiguration techniques to optimize hardware, based on the application domain. M2, the current implementation, is developed as an IP core. It is synthesized based on the TSMC 0.13 micron technology. Experimental results show that for multimedia applications MorphoSys has a performance comparable to ASICs with the added benefit of being able to be reconfigured for different applications in one clock cycle.
Higher Education Transformation: Some Trends in California and Asia

The social transformations rippling throughout education systems worldwide impact both basic and higher education. In general, higher education is being asked to provide graduates with skills and abilities commensurate with the workforce demands of rapidly changing economies. Frequently articulated critiques of higher education argue that its institutions have been elitist, dominated by faculties resistant to change, lacking in social relevance, and—as institutions—absorbing an increasing (and perhaps unwarranted) amount of societal resources. Where higher education has largely been a state function, conservative bureaucracies are viewed as impediments to necessary development and change. Virtually everywhere, voices are raised to demand necessary reforms yet, in spite of these apparently common challenges, it remains true that policy-related education issues are framed by and “spoken through” the particularities of distinct cultures and histories. For those of us seeking to understand and document appeals for higher education reform, the task is always to appreciate the distinctiveness of local/national articulations of these issues while also recognizing the structural commonalities that link global higher education issues. As one of my colleagues recently stated, “[A]ll globalization is local.”
Linear computational complexity decoding for semi orthogonal full rate space time codes

Communication with low complexity decoding is an important attribute for many applications. From low cost, distributed sensors arrays with desirably long operative life to ultra smart handheld battery operated devices, low complexity decoding results in better power consumption and simpler hardware implementation. In this paper a linear decoding complexity is applied and analyzed to the semi-orthogonal space time codes which are rate 1 codes originated from a regular orthogonal space time codes. The proposed transmission and decoding schemes are very appealing in the sense that they improve the code rate of the orthogonal codes family, yet, maintain its simple, symbol by symbol decoding with no filter calculation complexity overhead. In addition, a performance boosting modifications are suggested and investigated for the basic transmission and decoding schemes under different system settings such as the availability of limited feedback and multiple receiving antennas.
Functional acquired pulmonary atresia secondary to subpulmonary aneurysmal tissue: a rare form of pulmonary outflow tract obstruction.

artery (PA) arising from rudimentary pouch (*). Fetal echocardiography was performed at 19 and 29 weeks gestation after an abnormal screening ultrasound suggested left heart hypoplasia. The echocardiogram revealed left-sided hypoplasia with d-transposition of the great arteries and a small, posteriorly positioned pulmonary artery (PA) with both prograde and retrograde flow demonstrated. There appeared to be a moderate ventricular septal defect and, of note, there was unusual aneurysmal tissue of indeterminate origin below the pulmonary annulus. Postnatal echocardiography confirmed d-transposition of the great arteries with the aorta anterior and rightward of the smaller PA. The PA arose directly from a rudimentary, aneurysmal blind pouch (Figure 1) with bidirectional flow between the blind pouch and the main PA (Figure 2). However, no communication between the pouch and the remainder of the heart could be demonstrated by Doppler interrogation. The aneurysmal pouch was centrally located in the heart and appeared to possibly consist of redundant atrioventricular (AV) valve tissue contiguous with a leaflet of the left-sided AV valve. The PA was supplied by a large, tortuous patent ductus arteriosus typical for pulmonary atresia. There were 2 distinct AV valves entering a common single ventricle, with hypoplasia of the left-sided AV valve noted. The patient was initially treated with prostaglandin infusion to maintain ductal patency, followed by placement of a right-sided Blalock-Taussig shunt in the neonatal period. She subsequently underwent successful bidirectional Glenn anastomosis and left pulmonary arterioplasty at 7 months of age. This case represents an extremely unusual form of functional pulmonary atresia in which abnormal intracardiac aneurysmal tissue of indeterminate ori-
Failure analysis of pixel shorting problems in polymer light emitting diode (PLED) displays

A failure analysis process, combining electrical characterization, optical microscopy, SEM/FIB, and other analytical methods, to identify the root cause of pixel shorts in polymer light emitting diode (PLED) displays is presented. Shorted pixels appear black on a full-on white screen, influencing the display uniformity; they could also cause driver problems by drawing excess current. Pixel shorting also poses a reliability problem, since it can occur after burn-in, during the lifetime of the display. The paper discusses the FA process and identified failure mechanisms.
Willing to play the game: How at-risk students persist in school

A qualitative case study of 17 high-school students identified as at risk for dropping out, this research develops a grounded theory describing the process of students' persistence and the support they received from teachers and school administrators. Three interactive factors appear critical to persistence: (a) goal orientation—students' belief they will benefit from graduating, (b) willingness to play the game—students' willingness to follow school rules, and (c) meaningful connections—relationships with teachers who believed students could graduate and provided support and caring. All three factors were present for students who stayed through the school year whereas one or more was absent from the experiences of the students who left school before graduation. The research provides further support for the role of schools in supporting students' persistence and has implications for how schools support students who are struggling to stay in school. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 599–611, 2006.
“DREAMING OVER AN UNATTAINABLE END”: DISRAELI'S TANCRED AND THE FAILURE OF REFORM

The “condition of England” in the middle of the nineteenth century was, for most Victorians (and is, indeed, for most modern scholars of the Victorian period), about as far removed from desert pirates and neo-Grecian queens as London from Jerusalem. But such was not the case in 1847 for the ambitious novelist-turned-politician Benjamin Disraeli, himself a mixture of political and social incongruities, who chose to conclude his political trilogy with a novel that bore greater resemblance to an Arabian Nights fantasy than to any mid-Victorian reform fiction. Contemporary readers of Tancred, or The New Crusade (1847) were understandably perplexed: “There is no principle of cohesion about the book, if we except the covers,” complained one reviewer (qtd. in Stewart 229). And, while critics have expanded upon this dismissive condemnation throughout the twentieth century, not much has changed regarding the general critical appraisal or thoughtful analysis of what Disraeli regarded as the favorite of his compositions (Blake 215). The least popular of the Young England novels both in its own day and in ours, Tancred has most frequently been viewed as an anomaly – an abandonment of the political manifesto Disraeli began in Coningsby and continued in Sybil.
On the Design of Gradient Algorithms Employing Orthogonal Matrix Constraints

Algorithms for adapting orthogonal matrices in optimization and signal processing typically employ the geometry of either the Grassmann manifold or the Stiefel manifold depending on the chosen cost function. In this paper, we develop gradient adaptive algorithms that use the geometry of both manifolds in their operation. Such algorithms offer a straightforward way to mitigate numerical error accumulation due to discretization of the coefficient updates. Examples drawn from subspace tracking and eigenvector analysis illustrate the usefulness of the design methods.
Mesoscale Features and Cloud Organization on 10–12 December 1978 over the South China Sea

Abstract Aircraft data from Winter MONEX have been combined with other data to study mesoscale features, and organization of cumulus clouds, on 10–12 December 1978. A moderate cold surge in the northeasterly monsoon flow, toward cloudiness in an equatorial trough off Borneo, peaked on 11 December. Clouds in the northeasterly monsoon flow were similar to those in the trades, with variations in convective regime on length scales on the order of 100 km. Marked mid-tropospheric subsidence was accompanied by low-level divergence near 20°N. During 10 December, anvil clouds near Borneo expanded; cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus formed on the periphery of this area. The approach of the low-level northeasterlies to the area of anvils was marked by a diminution of subsidence, conditional instability, and a weak field of low-level convergence, with randomly organized cumulus of increasing height. A low-level easterly jet was found in this transition zone, downstream from cloudiness over the Philippines. South of V...
Immigration into Canada, 1851–1920

The purpose of the paper is to provide more firmly based estimates of some aspects of Canadian population growth. In Part I estimates are derived of the natural increase in the Canadian population by decades from 1851 to 1931 based on survival rates derived from life tables. The figures on natural increase then permit the derivation of net migration estimates. In Part II new estimates of immigration are developed that, together with the net migration figures of Part I, yield estimates of emigration by decades. Part III tests some of the results by an examination of the limited information available on other aspects of Canada's economic development in the period. The life table is a basic tool of population study. The most recent application of the life table to the problem of the reconstruction of Canadian population growth was made by Nathan Keyfitz. While the same method is used here, we feel that we have made more realistic assumptions in deriving a life table designed to represent the mortality characteristics of early Canadian populations.