cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The wealth effects of merger and acquisition announcements on bondholders: New evidence from the over-the-counter market

Abstract The coinsurance and wealth transfer hypotheses are both used to explain the wealth effect of acquirer and target bondholders during mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Hindered by a paucity of high-quality bond data, to date there is at best only limited and mixed evidence. Using bond transaction data from TRACE, we investigate daily bond market reactions to M&A announcements. Consistent with the wealth transfer hypothesis, we find new evidence that acquiring (target) firm bondholders experience negative (positive) and statistically significant abnormal returns. Moreover, investors of speculative-grade bonds experience more negative (positive) returns for the acquirer (target) than investment grades. In addition, larger deals and cash payment method worsen acquirer bondholders’ losses and reduce target bondholders’ gains. Target (acquirer) bonds experience more positive (negative) returns when the acquirer (target) is a public firm and when the target’s credit rating is below the acquirer’s. Lastly, consistent with a loss (gain) to acquiring (target) firm bondholders in the initial market reactions, acquirer (target) bonds are more likely to have their credit rating downgraded (upgraded) following the announcement of a merger or acquisition.
Autism Classification Using Topological Features and Deep Learning: A Cautionary Tale

The identification of autistic individuals using resting state functional connectivity networks can provide an objective diagnostic method for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present state-of-the-art machine learning model using deep learning has a classification accuracy of 70.2% on the ABIDE (Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange) data set. In this paper, we explore the utility of topological features in the classification of ASD versus typically developing control subjects. These topological features have been shown to provide a complementary source of discriminative information in applications such as 2D object classification and social network analysis. We evaluate the performance of three different representations of topological features - persistence diagrams, persistence images, and persistence landscapes - for autism classification using neural networks, support vector machines and random forests. We also propose a hybrid approach of augmenting topological features with functional correlations, which typically outperforms the models that use functional correlations alone. With this approach, even with a simple 3-layer neural network, we are able to achieve a classification accuracy of 69.2% on the ABIDE data set. However, our experiments also show that the improvement due to topological features is not always statistically significant. Therefore, we offer a cautionary tale to the practitioners regarding the limited discriminative power of topological features derived from fMRI data for the classification of autism.
AlN Piezoelectric Nanoelectromechanical Isolator via Parametric Frequency Conversion and Amplification

We report on a novel aluminum nitride (AlN) resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) approach to realizing an electrically tunable nonreciprocal isolator by exploiting nonlinear parametric frequency conversion and efficient mechanical amplification in a radio-frequency (RF) AlN membrane NEMS resonator. The isolator is constructed by combining frequency conversion enabled by the NEMS resonator's strong parametric effect, and tandem band-pass filtering, so that the signal can be transmitted or blocked according to its propagation direction and frequency. In the band of the isolator that is set by the NEMS resonance, it exhibits up to ∼60dB signal isolation between measured $S_{21}$ and $S_{12}$ transmission. Further, the isolation band frequency and width can be tuned via a dc polarization voltage.
Scalable holistic linear regression

Abstract We propose a new scalable algorithm for holistic linear regression building on Bertsimas & King (2016). Specifically, we develop new theory to model significance and multicollinearity as lazy constraints rather than checking the conditions iteratively. The resulting algorithm scales with the number of samples n in the 10,000s, compared to the low 100s in the previous framework. Computational results on real and synthetic datasets show it greatly improves from previous algorithms in accuracy, false detection rate, computational time and scalability.
Anthropology in the Bunker: Teaching Transcultural War at the US Naval War College

The military’s interest in anthropology follows predictable cycles in the US: anthropology holds interest when the military must fight land wars against adversaries from a different culture. In off-cycles, anthropology reverts back to the special operations community and survives as an academic subject in the world of professional military education (PME). In the US, PME institutions exist as a kind of reservoir for the concept of culture and for the discipline of anthropology. PME institutions keep the concept of culture alive within the military domain by retaining a smattering of anthropology in their curriculum. Under these conditions, a professor teaching anthropology to military personnel must focus on anthropology’s professional relevance, offering insights that might be applied to operational problems. This chapter describes my haphazard journey in developing an anthropology course for senior military personnel. I describe some of epistemological benefits offered by an anthropological approach (e.g., ‘ground up’ perspective, de-naturalization of taken-for-granted cultural norms, and subjective thinking), and my discovery of the limitations of anthropology and military history for theorizing about transcultural war. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the central question that emerged from the course: What happens when two ‘culturally distant’ societies go to war, each having their own norms and ideas regarding the organized deployment of military force?
Are Motorized Scooters Associated With More Severe Craniomaxillofacial Injuries

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to compare the severity of craniomaxillofacial injuries between accidents involving motorized and nonmotorized standup scooters. Materials and Methods This is a 20-year cross-sectional study of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Injuries from powered and unpowered standup scooters were included in this study if they involved the head, face, eyeball, mouth, or ear. Study predictors were obtained from both patient and injury characteristics. The study outcome was the probability of hospital admission from the emergency department. A multiple logistic regression model was created to model the probability of admission using all significant univariate predictors. Results A total of 11,916 records were included in the present study, of which 9.5% involved motorized scooters. The proportion of motorized injuries more than tripled from 2014 (5.8%) to 2018 (22.1%). Motorized injuries occurred more often in older individuals (24.0 vs 8.5 years; P Conclusions Motorized standup scooters appear to cause more severe injuries than conventional nonmotorized scooters. The recent growth of rentable electric scooters may pose a future public health concern. Ride-sharing companies should ensure that customers are capable of safely and responsibly operating these vehicles.
Mixed-Methods Study to Predict Upstaging of DCIS to Invasive Disease on Mammography.

Please see the Editorial Comment by Corinne Balleyguier discussing this article. To listen to the podcast associated with this article, please select one of the following: iTunes, Google Play, or d...
Workforce Development Strategies to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare Systems

While institutional racism is baked into the child welfare system, this chapter focuses on the one key constituency group that can help to change the system that supports disproportionality and disparities. This chapter will focus on the child welfare workforce at all levels—director, administrators, supervisors and front line staff with suggested ways those working within child welfare can engage the other constituency groups needed to create new systems and eradicate racism. An examination of how redesigning child welfare jobs, recruiting, selecting onboarding, and promoting a diverse workforce, training, coaching and supervising for culturally competent and humble practice, integrating procedures and practices to enhance decision making to make it less biased, utilizing evalution, continuous quality improvement and performance appraisals to capture and eliminate bias, as well as improving organizational cultures, climates, infrastructure supports, partnerships and resources can all be targeted for the creation of an equitable workplace and system.
Fabrication of Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells via Rapid Thermal Annealing

Perovskite thin films are currently fabricated via solution-processible methods that rapidly deposit perovskite inks; however, annealing perovskite thin films remains a bottleneck in the manufacturing process. A combination of different methods to reduce requisite time for perovskite film formation while simultaneously protecting temperature sensitive plastic substrates are needed to make flexible PSCs at scale. Here, we introduce a blade coated perovskite thin film annealed via a two-step staggered rapid thermal annealing (RTA) for 7 seconds yielding PSCs with a PCE of 14.6% on flexible ITO/PET. This study demonstrates the advantages of RTA over conventional conductive annealing when manufacturing temperature-sensitive, flexible PSCs.
Development of a MIMO QFT CAD Package (Version 2)

This paper presents the up-dating of Version 1 of the MIMO/QFT CAD package to handle the design of discrete in addition to analog robust control systems for MIMO uncertain plants. Version 2 of the CAD package is capable of carying an analog or discrete design problem from problem setup through the design process to a frequency domain analysis of the compensated MIMO system. For analog control problems, the design process is performed in the s-plane, while for the discrete control problems the plants discretized and the design process is performed in the w'-plane. The package automates the selection of the weighting matrix; descretization of the plants; formation of the square effective plants; the polynomial matrix inverse required to form the equivalent plants; generation of templates; selecion of a nominal plant; generation of stablity, tracking, disturbance, gamma, and composite bounds; loop shaping; design of the prefilter elements; frequency-domain analysis of the completed design; and the export of the completed design to MATRIXx or MATLAB for time-domain simulation. Disturbance allocation is automatically performed while generating the tracking bounds. The package allows gain scheduling to be used in the weighting matrix. The improved method may be applied for the general case of an m×m effective plant. The package is implemented usig Mathematica for use on the Sun Workstations.
Comparison of several clustering algorithms for data rate compression of LPC parameters

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of several clustering algorithms for separation of LPC speech segments. Four thousand frames of speech parameters were divided into thirty clusters using four clustering algorithms and three initial seed point selection methods. A second-order and an eithth-order norm in the area function parametric domain were used for distance measures. For single-pass clustering algorithms, using every 130th frame as a seed point resulted in a substantially lower error than that given by using the first thirty frames as seed points. The benefit was noticable for using a more complex algorithm for generating the initial seed points. For iterative clustering algorithms, the initial allocation had negligible effect on the final error and on the number of iterations.
Timing of Tympanostomy Tube Placement and Efficacy of Palatoplasty Technique on the Resolution of Chronic Otitis Media: A Cross-sectional Analysis

Background: Chronic otitis media with effusion is a persistent complication essentially universal in children with cleft palate. The prevalence of chronic otitis media with effusion is hypothesized to be a result of Eustachian tube dysfunction secondary to the anomalous insertion of the palatal musculature. This study was designed to evaluate the timing of tympanostomy tube placement and the effect of primary palatoplasty technique on the recovery of Eustachian tube function and resolution of chronic otitis media with effusion. Methods: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the previous 99 consecutive patients who underwent a palatoplasty at our institution. Variables included timing of initial tympanostomy tube placement, palatoplasty technique, cleft type, and gender. These were then evaluated to assess their impact on the resolution of chronic otitis media with effusion. Resolution was established as an inverse function of the number of tympanostomy tubes placed in correlation with available audiometric/tympanographic data. For all models, a generalized linear mixed model was applied using a Poisson distribution and a log-link function where the outcome variable was the total number of tympanostomy tubes. For all tests, a P = .05 level of significance was used. Results: Of 99 palatoplasties performed, 94 patients were included in the study. Ninety-one percent of patients had documented chronic otitis media with effusion at the time of palatoplasty. Forty-four percent underwent straight-line repair with aggressive intravelar veloplasty, 36% had Furlow double z-plasty, 20% had straight-line repair without intravelar veloplasty. There was a statistically significant difference (F2,83 = 5.36, P = .0065) between the 3 types of repair. The mean number of tubes placed was 0.6000 ± 0.1225, 0.8519 ± 0.1776, and 1.4737 ± 0.2785 for intravelar veloplasty, Furlow double z-plasty, and straight line without intravelar veloplasty, respectively . With regard to the timing of tympanostomy tube placement, there was a trend toward statistical significant (F2,83 = 3.02, P = .0540) in the mean number of tube insertions was 1.4286 ± 0.4518, 0.6964 ± 0.1115, and 1.1304 ± 0.2217 when the initial set was placed before palatoplasty, at the time of palatoplasty, and after palatoplasty, respectively. Conclusions: Despite its inherent limitations, this study suggests that palatal musculature reconstruction via intravelar veloplasty or reorientation via Furlow double z-plasty may improve Eustachian tube function and lower the need for tympanostomy tubes in this population. In comparison with other time points, patients who underwent initial tympanostomy tube placement at the time of palatoplasty trended toward improved chronic otitis media with effusion.
Significance of preradiographic magnetic resonance imaging lesions in persons at increased risk of knee osteoarthritis.

Objective Little is known about early knee osteoarthritis (OA). The significance of lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in older persons without radiographic OA is unclear. Our objectives were to determine the extent of tissue pathology by MRI and evaluate its significance by testing the following hypotheses: cartilage damage, bone marrow lesions, and meniscal damage are associated with prevalent frequent knee symptoms and incident persistent symptoms; bone marrow lesions and meniscal damage are associated with incident tibiofemoral (TF) cartilage damage; and bone marrow lesions are associated with incident patellofemoral (PF) cartilage damage. Methods In a cohort study of 849 Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) participants who had a bilateral Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) score of 0, we assessed cartilage damage, bone marrow lesions, and meniscal damage using the MRI OA Knee Score, as well as prevalent frequent knee symptoms, incident persistent symptoms, and incident cartilage damage. Multiple logistic regression (one knee per person) was used to evaluate associations between MRI lesions and each of these outcomes. Results Of the participants evaluated, 76% had cartilage damage, 61% had bone marrow lesions, 21% had meniscal tears, and 14% had meniscal extrusion. Cartilage damage (any; TF and PF), bone marrow lesions (any; TF and PF), meniscal extrusion, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with prevalent frequent symptoms. Cartilage damage (isolated PF; TF and PF), bone marrow lesions (any; isolated PF; TF and PF), meniscal tears, and BMI were associated with incident persistent symptoms. Hand OA, but no individual lesion type, was associated with incident TF cartilage damage, and bone marrow lesions (any; any PF) with incident PF damage. Having more lesion types was associated with a greater risk of outcomes. Conclusion MRI-detected lesions are not incidental and may represent early disease in persons at increased risk of knee OA.
Tripping the switch fantastic: how a protein kinase cascade can convert graded inputs into switch-like outputs

Recent experimental work has shown that the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade can convert graded inputs into switch-like outputs. The cascade could therefore filter out noise (signals of insufficient magnitude or duration) and still respond decisively to supra-threshold stimuli. Here, we explore the biochemical mechanisms likely to be at the root of this behavior.
The Board of Nonprofit Organizations: Puzzling Through the Gaps Between Law and Practice

belief in what outside directors can do relative to other potential monitoring mechanisms." 49 Lawrence Mitchell concludes, It may be that the monitoring board, in its ideal form or as an aspirational model, could be a reasonable tool of corporate oversight. But as a legal model it fails and has become an institution of corporate governance that is essentially a fraud, designed not to govern but to protect corporate directors from liability. The recent Disney decision is the judicial perfection of that fraud. 5° 47. Stem v. Lucy Webb Hayes Nat'l Training Sch. for Deaconesses & Missionaries, 381 F. Supp. 1003, 1014 (D.D.C. 1974). 48. Principles of Corp. Governance: Analysis and Recommendations § 3.02 cmt. d (1992). 49. James D. Cox, The ALI, Institutionalization, and Disclosure: The Quest for the Outside Director's Spine, 61 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 1233, 1237 (1993). 50. Lawrence E. Mitchell, The Trouble with Boards 2 (Geo. Wash. Univ. Law Sch. Pub. Law & Legal Theory, Working Paper No. 159, 2005), available at http://ssm.com/abstract-801308 (written before the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the chancery court); see also John C. Coffee, Jr., Beyond the Shut-Eyed Sentry: Toward a Theoretical View of Corporate Misconduct and an Effective Legal Response, 63 Va. L. Rev. 1099 (1977); Lynne L. Dallas, The Multiple Roles of Boards of Directors, 40 San Diego L. Rev. 781 (2003); Jill E. Fisch, Taking Boards Seriously, 19 Cardozo L. Rev. 265 (1997); Donald C. Langevoort, The Human Nature of Corporate Boards: Law, Norms, and the Unintended Consequences of Independence and Accountability, 89 Geo. L.J. 797 (2001). 2007]
Transgenic expression of lymphotoxin restores lymph nodes to lymphotoxin-alpha-deficient mice.

Lymphotoxin-alpha (LT alpha) has recently been demonstrated to be important in the development of lymph nodes (LN), Peyer's patches, and splenic organization, including the development of germinal centers. To elucidate the role of LT alpha in lymphoid organogenesis and the plasticity of the process, we examined LT alpha-/- mice in which an LT alpha transgene under the control of the rat insulin promoter (RIPLT) is expressed in the pancreas, kidney, and skin. The LT alpha transgene restored LN in LT alpha-/- mice. The reconstituted LN of RIPLT.LT alpha-/- mice had germinal center-like peanut agglutinin-positive regions, but lacked follicular dendritic cells. Although the LT alpha transgene did not restore Peyer's patches or splenic architecture, it restored the ability of the spleen to form germinal centers and follicular dendritic cell networks. Lymphocytes isolated from the reconstituted LN showed normal proliferative responses to T and B cell mitogens and were defective in their proliferative response to T-dependent Ag, and a decreased number of interdigitating dendritic cells was apparent in the RIPLT.LT alpha-/- mice LN. Expression of the RIPLT transgene in mice deficient in LT beta did not reconstitute LN, suggesting an important role for LT beta in the mechanisms that reconstitute LN in RIPLT.LT alpha-/- mice. These data are the first to demonstrate reconstitution of LN in LT alpha-/- mice and show that the process of LN restoration is amenable to manipulation with ectopic lymphotoxin.
Autonomous Assembly of Modular Structures in Space and on Extraterrestrial Locations

The new U.S. National Vision for Space Exploration requires many new enabling technologies to accomplish the goals of space commercialization and returning humans to the moon and extraterrestrial environments. Traditionally, flight elements are complete sub‐systems requiring humans to complete the integration and assembly. These bulky structures also require the use of heavy launch vehicles to send the units to a desired location. This philosophy necessitates a high degree of safety, numerous space walks at a significant cost. Future space mission costs must be reduced and safety increased to reasonably achieve exploration goals. One proposed concept is the autonomous assembly of space structures. This concept is an affordable, reliable solution to in‐space and extraterrestrial assembly. Assembly is autonomously performed when two components join after determining that specifications are correct. Local sensors continue monitor joint integrity post assembly, which is critical for safety and structural reliability. Achieving this concept requires a change in space structure design philosophy and the development of innovative technologies to perform autonomous assembly. Assembly of large space structures will require significant numbers of integrity sensors. Thus simple, low‐cost sensors are integral to the success of this concept. This paper addresses these issues and proposes a novel concept for assembling space structures autonomously. Core technologies required to achieve in space assembly are presented. These core technologies are critical to the goal of utilizing space in a cost efficient and safe manner. Additionally, these novel technologies can be applied to other systems both on earth and extraterrestrial environments.
Eye, head, and foot tracking during locomation over real-world complex terrain

Successful locomotion over complex terrain such as a rocky trail requires walkers to place each step on a safe foothold with high spatiotemporal precision while also taking the future terrain into account. We have previously shown that humans guide foot placement using a visual control strategy that exploits the physical dynamics of the bipedal gait cycle (e.g. Matthis, Barton & Fajen, 2014). However, this work was limited to locomotion over virtual terrain projected onto flat surfaces within the laboratory. In the current project, we develop a research protocol to allow accurate and integrated tracking of the eye, head, and feet during locomotion over real-world complex and rocky terrain, a protocol that has been previously limited by numerous technical challenges. This protocol allows us to test predictions derived from the results of previous lab-based studies on the visual control of foot placement in real-world terrains, and opens new opportunities to study the visual control of locomotion outside a laboratory setting. Our protocol utilizes a Positive Science mobile eye tracker with a GoPro scene camera and inertial measurement units (IMUs) attached to the head, trunk, and feet. Each IMU integrates the output of temperature-calibrated, tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to determine the sensor's orientation within a world-centered reference frame. The orientation quaternions produced by the head and trunk-mounted IMUs were used to rotate the gaze vectors recorded by the eye tracker in order to specify gaze fixations within a body-centered reference frame and relate gaze location to foot placement. In a pilot study, subjects walked across different types of real-world terrain while performing different distraction tasks. Preliminary results reveal that foot placement in complex terrain is highly demanding of attentional resources, and that the control strategies used to guide foot placement vary dramatically according to the difficulty of the terrain being traversed. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015. Language: en
Effects of an Intercultivaral Chromosome Substitution on Winterhardiness and Vernalization in Wheat

During a study on the genetic control of winterhardiness in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. group aestivum), a gene that affected vernalization was found on chromosome 3B in the winter wheat cultivar ;Wichita.' When chromosome 3B from Wichita was substituted into the winter wheat cultivar ;Cheyenne,' the resultant substitution line exhibited a spring growth habit. This is unusual since a cross between the cultivars Wichita and Cheyenne results in progeny that exhibit the winter growth habit. The F(2) plants from a cross of the 3B substitution line to Cheyenne, the recipient parent, segregated 3:1 for heading/no heading response in the absence of vernalization (chi(2) = 2.44). Earliness of heading appeared to be due to an additive effect of the 3B gene as shown by the segregation ratio 1:2:1 (early heading-later heading-no heading) (chi(2) = 2.74). This vernalization gene differs from previously described vernalization genes because, while dominant in a Cheyenne background, its expression is suppressed in Wichita. The gene may have an effect on winter hardiness in Wichita. In a field test for winter survival the 3B substitution line had only 5% survival, while Wichita and Cheyenne had 50 and 80% survival, respectively. No other substitution line significantly reduced winter survival. The difference between Wichita and Cheyenne in winterhardiness may be due to the vernalization gene carried on the 3B chromosome.
Stimulated Shedding of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (VCAM-1) Is Mediated by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-converting Enzyme (ADAM 17)

A variety of cell surface adhesion molecules can exist as both transmembrane proteins and soluble circulating forms. Increases in the levels of soluble adhesion molecules have been correlated with a variety of inflammatory diseases, suggesting a pathological role. Although soluble forms are thought to result from proteolytic cleavage from the cell surface, relatively little is known about the proteases responsible for their release. In this report we demonstrate that under normal culture conditions, cells expressing vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) release a soluble form of the extracellular domain that is generated by metalloproteinase-mediated cleavage. VCAM-1 release can be rapidly simulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and this induced VCAM-1 shedding is mediated by metalloproteinase cleavage of VCAM-1 near the transmembrane domain. PMA-induced VCAM-1 shedding occurs as the result of activation of a specific pathway, as the generation of soluble forms of three other adhesion molecules, E-selectin, platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1, are not altered by PMA stimulation. Using cells derived from genetically deficient mice, we identify tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE or ADAM 17) as the protease responsible for PMA-induced VCAM-1 release, including shedding of endogenously expressed VCAM-1 by murine endothelial cells. Therefore, TACE-mediated shedding of VCAM-1 may be important for the regulation of VCAM-1 function at the cell surface.
Experimental demonstration of 8-fold multicasting of a 100 Gb/s polarization-multiplexed OOK signal using highly nonlinear fiber

We experimentally demonstrate 8-fold multicasting of a 100 Gb/s polarization-multiplexed RZOOK data signal to 200 GHz spaced copies using a highly nonlinear fiber. Degenerate four-wave mixing in a bi-directional wavelength conversion scheme is employed. An average power penalty of ∼4 dB at a bit error ratio of 10-9 is observed with over 45 nm of wavelength conversion bandwidth.
Determination of Si in Standard Reference Material SRM 295x Silica-on-Filter

Respirable crystalline silica is an occupational hazard whose presence in the workplace is strictly regulated. A new series of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) is being developed to assure the quality of silica measurements and to provide for accurate instrument calibration. SRMs 295x (the value x will designate a specific level of silica loading), Silica-on-Filter, have been prepared by gravimetric delivery of SRM 1878a Respirable Alpha Quartz onto individual filters. The silica on the filter has been verified indirectly by the measurement of the elemental silicon, taking advantage of the knowledge in the filter preparation. An HF acid digestion method has been developed for sample digestion, and a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric method for the determination of silicon has been developed and validated.
Effects of Heat Processing on the Functionality of Whey Protein Concentrates

The effects of heat processing on the composition and functionality of whey protein concentrations (WPC) were investigated. WPC was manufactured from milk, whey and retentate that had either been pasteurized at 72°C for 15 sec or had received no heat treatment. Eight combinations of heat treatment were utilized. Pasteurization of the milk had a positive effect on overrun and foam stability, but a negative effect on gel strength at pH 6.5, protein hydrophobicity, and neutral lipid content. Pasteurization of the whey resulted in decreased mineral content bud did not affect functionality. Pasteurization of the retentate caused a decrease in emulsion capacity, soluble β-lactoglobulin, solubility, whipped topping overrun and gel strength at pH 8.0.
Reduction in elective delivery at <39 weeks of gestation: comparative effectiveness of 3 approaches to change and the impact on neonatal intensive care admission and stillbirth.

Objective No studies exist that have examined the effectiveness of different approaches to a reduction in elective early term deliveries or the effect of such policies on newborn intensive care admissions and stillbirth rates. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data and examined outcomes in 27 hospitals before and after implementation of 1 of 3 strategies for the reduction of elective early term deliveries. Results Elective early term delivery was reduced from 9.6-4.3% of deliveries, and the rate of term neonatal intensive care admissions fell by 16%. We observed no increase in still births. The greatest improvement was seen when elective deliveries at Conclusion Physician education and the adoption of policies backed only by peer review are less effective than “hard stop” hospital policies to prevent this practice. A 5% rate of elective early term delivery would be reasonable as a national quality benchmark.
Optimal scheduling policies for mixed scalar-vector multiprocessor supercomputers

A queueing network model is developed for multiprocessing supercomputer systems implemented on two heterogeneous processors which are thought of as a scalar unit and a vector unit which work concurrently on a single process. The model is analysed theoretically for a representative case of model job mixes. It is found that the utilization of one of the two central service stations in the model can only be maximized at the expense of minimizing the utilization of the other central service station. The method of analysis adopted is the technique of variable aggregation based on nearly complete decomposability.
Accurate solutions of wave propagation problems under impact loading by the standard, spectral and isogeometric high-order finite elements. Comparative study of accuracy of different space-discretization techniques

For the first time, accurate numerical solutions to impact problems have been obtained with the standard, spectral, and isogeometric high-order finite elements. Spurious high-frequency oscillations appearing in numerical results are quantified and filtered out by the two-stage time-integration approach. We also use the 1-D impact problem with a simple analytical solution for the comparison of accuracy of the different space-discretization techniques used for transient acoustics and elastodynamics problems. The numerical results show the computational efficiency of the linear finite elements with reduced dispersion compared with other space-discretization techniques used for elastodynamics with implicit and explicit time-integration methods. We also show that for all space-discretization methods considered (except the linear finite elements with the lumped mass matrix), very small time increments which are much smaller than stability limit should be used in basic computations at large observation times. We should note that the size of time increments used at the filtering stage and calculated according to the special formulas defines the range of actual frequencies and can be used as a quantitative measure for the comparison and prediction of the accuracy of different space-discretization techniques. We also show that the new findings are valid in the multidimensional case.
Upwind Finite Difference Solution of Boltzmann Equation Applied to Electron Transport in Semiconductor Devices

We present a new numerical method for solving the Boltzmann-Poisson system which describes charge transport in semiconductor devices. The Boltzmann equation is reduced from three dimensions in velocity space to two by taking the electric field parallel to the z axis, which implies invariance of the probability density function under rotation around the z axis. We develop a finite difference discretization of the Boltzmann equation in one spatial dimension and two-dimensional velocity space, coupled to the Poisson equation. The system of equations obtained by taking the first five moments of the Boltzmann equation coupled to the Poisson equation is known as the hydrodynamic model in semiconductor modeling. A comparison of the numerical results from our method and the hydrodynamic model is given. Also a numerical investigation is done with respect to the heat conduction, viscosity, and momentum relaxation terms in the hydrodynamic model.
North Pacific Magnetotelluric Experiments

Electromagnetic signals from two deep sea floor magnetotelluric stations located far from coastal influence in the North Central and North Eastern Pacific are evaluated.The electric field was recorded by means of salt bridge chopper type instruments with a resolution of .01μV/m. Independent magnetic variographs using suspended magnet sensors recorded magnetic variations accurate to .2γ. Both electric and magnetic recorders are characterized by very small long term drift. They are self contained, store data on magnetic cassettes and travel free, between surface and bottom.Magnetotelluric interpretation of records from a first station, located 450 nautical miles to the NNE of Hawaii, at a position which corresponds to magnetic reversal anomaly 31 and to a plate age of 72 m. y. suggests a moderate to low lithospheric conductivity with an average value less than 3×10-3 (ohm m)-1 over the upper 60km, increasing sharply around 100km. A high conductivity tongue, with an average value around 6×10-2 (ohm m)-1 occurs over the interval 180±40km. Meaningful information ceases for a depth beyond 400km.A second and more recent magnetotelluric sounding 700km off central California suggests that a very high and quite shallow conductivity feature implied from earlier work was probably overemphasized. Nevertheless, according to the new data a relatively higher conductivity at a shallower depth seems to differentiate this second station from the first. This result is in harmony with the younger crustal age at the second station (32 m. y.; magnetic reversal 12-13).
Inhibition of Apoptosis by Z-VAD-fmk in SMN-depleted S2 Cells

Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive motor neuron degenerative disorder, caused by the loss of telomeric copy of the survival motor neuron gene (SMN1). To better understand how motor neurons are targeted in Spinal muscular atrophy patients, it is important to study the role of SMN protein in cell death. In this report, we employed RNA interference (RNAi) to study the loss-of-function of SMN in Drosophila S2 cells. A 601-base pair double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of Drosophila SMN (dSMN) was used for silencing the dSMN. Our data indicate that dSMN RNAi resulted in more than 90% reduction of both RNA and protein. Further analysis of S2 cells by cell death ELISA and flow cytometry assays revealed that reduction of dSMN expression significantly increased apoptosis. The cell death mediated by SMN depletion is caspase-dependent and specifically due to the activation of the endogenous caspases, DRONC and DRICE. Significantly, the effect of dSMN RNAi was reversed by a peptide caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk. These results suggest that dSMN is involved in signal pathways of apoptotic cell death in Drosophila. Hence, the model system of reduced SMN expression by RNAi in Drosophila could be exploited for identification of therapeutic targets.
Prevalence and Incidence of Severe Mental Illness in the United States: An Historical Overview

The nineteenth century witnessed growing alarm among professionals and the public in the United States and Europe that the number of people in mental hospitals was rapidly rising. Whether this growth was caused by an increase in the incidence or prevalence of mental illness or by other factors has been debated for over 150 years. Those who believe that mental illness did increase attribute the change mainly to a rise in alcoholism, functional psychoses, syphilis, and disorders related to senescence. The hypothesis that functional psychoses increased has generated the most debate and is the focus of the present article. Those who believe that mental illness did not increase attribute the growth in mental hospital populations to various other factors that influence hospitalization. This article presents an historical overview of this long and complex debate. It is a balanced presentation of the arguments for and against a rise in mental illness. Original data from U.S. censuses and national reporting of mental hospital statistics are incorporated.
Pain perception decrement produced through repeated stimulation

Pain responses (pain detection and pain discomfort) to electrical dental stimulation were studied in 16 normal subjects. The repetition of the dental stimuli induced a significant and long-lasting (60 min) decrease in pain sensitivity at both sensory levels (after 60 min of repetitive stimulation, 79% increase in pain detection, P < 0.0001, 45% increase in pain discomfort, P < 0.0004). The sensory response decrement through repeated elicitation was not influenced by naloxone administration (1.2 mg i.m.). This study clearly demonstrates the induction of pain sensory decrease through repetitive stimulation which differs from peripheral sensory receptor adaptation, from the inhibitory gating mechanism or from diffuse inhibitory controls activation; its unresponsiveness to naloxone suggests that this phenomenon is not opioid-dependent. A technique has been standardized which will enable the systematic study of pain decrease under sustained nociceptive stimulation in chronic pain patients.
Politicizing abortion: personal morality and professional responsibility of residents training in the United States.

Ever-increasing technological innovations surrounding birth are creating new challenges in biomedical ethics in U.S. obstetrics. The politicization of abortion has augmented these challenges and led to increased conflict between physicians' personal morality and professional responsibility. This paper focuses on some of the problems generated by abortion policies and procedures in an obstetric/ gynecology residency program. Examples of conflicts among residents are presented to demonstrate the effect of pluralistic moral perspectives. A system is described where some residents will do abortions and some will not. Patients seeking abortion are often treated in an unprofessional manner when it appears that a conflict exists between the values of patients and those of residents. Unless the socialization of residents includes ethical training, defined educational policy and institutional direction, ethical dilemmas will lead to increased resident stress, an inadequate doctor-patient relationship and a continued shortage of physicians willing to perform abortions despite new policies called for in graduate medical education.
Response to period shifts in tapping and circle drawing: A window into event and emergent components of continuous movement

Synchronization of movement to a metronome is a well-studied task for both discretely and smoothly produced rhythmic movement. In particular, behavioral responses to unexpected changes in a regular metronome can reveal both the strength and the completeness of error correction mechanisms and temporal control. Clock-like control is exhibited by discretely produced movement and movement with discrete perceptual information, whereas smoothly produced movement does not rely on internal clock mechanisms. Documented differences in error correction between discretely and smoothly produced movements have been attributed to this different underlying control. In this study, error correction mechanisms were examined by inducing changes in the pace of rhythmic movement. An overshoot response following the pace change for both tapping and circle drawing is documented, and suggests the presence of phase and period correction in both tasks. The presence of phase correction in circle drawing also suggests that clock and non-clock timing may co-exist within the same movement. Furthermore, a sub-group of participants emerged who appropriately changed pace, but were not able to correct the phasing of their movement while performing the circle drawing task, supporting that phase and period maintenance in timing are independently controlled processes.
Taking Optics to the Chip: From Board-mounted Optical Assemblies to Chip-level Optical Interconnects

Board-mounted optical assemblies (BOAs) enable significant bandwidth density increase relative to pluggable optics at the card edge. We discuss the challenges for the next step in this evolution as optics moves towards the chip.
Calibration of the Mg/Ca of Globorotalia truncatulinoides (R) for the reconstruction of marine temperature gradients

[1] Recent work has provided useful Mg/Ca to water temperature calibrations for shallow-dwelling planktonic foraminifer species. Globorotalia truncatulinoides (right coiling (R)) is a deep-dwelling species that can serve as a source of information about the temporal variability in the water characteristics of the thermocline. We present a temperature calibration for the Mg/Ca in the shell of G. truncatulinoides (R) and examine some of the practical issues associated with evaluating the usefulness of the technique. The Mg/Ca in the primary and the secondary calcite of individual G. truncatulinoides (R) correlates exponentially with water column temperatures, showing a change of ∼10% in the Mg/Ca per 1°C (R2 = 0.92). A limited comparison with plankton tow samples demonstrates that the average Mg/Ca temperature was offset +1°C from the average temperature calculated using the δ18O calibration of O'Neil et al. [1969], and the Mg/Ca temperatures have a range similar to the δ18O temperatures. Comparisons of the [Mg] in the core top samples to water depth of deposition indicates that dissolution does not alter the measured value of Mg in the primary calcite.
Programmable diffractive optical element using a multichannel lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate phase modulator

We introduce a programmable diffractive optical element based on an electro-optic phased array implemented with a multichannel lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate phase modulator. The design and fabrication procedures are outlined, along with an experimental demonstration of the device. Experimental results from a 16-channel device operating with a 2pi ; voltage of 300 V demonstrate selective beam steering. The programmable diffractive optical element allows for efficient, high-speed high-resolution random-access optical beam steering over a continuous scanning range.
Neurogenesis in the cerebellum of the rat: An autoradiographic study

Time of origin of various neuronal elements in the cerebellum of rat was established with the aid of tritiated-thymidine-autoradiography. The earliest nerve cells to form were the Purkinje cells, and they came into existence on days 15 and 16 of gestation. Interstitial nerve cells had their genesis on days 15, 16, 17 and 18, and the marginal cells on day 16 of the embryonic development. The Golgi cells were found to come into existence on days 17, 18 and 19 of gestation. On day 21 of gestation a number of small-medium-sized nerve cells, which were smaller than the Golgi cells but larger than the granule cells, were seen to come into existence. Finally, the earliest stock of granule, basket and stellate cells, primarily in the nodulus, flocculus and para-flocculus, were observed to have been formed on the day 21 of embryogenesis.
Periphyton responses to invertebrate grazing and riparian canopy in three northern California coastal streams

SUMMARY. 1. Field experiments were conducted to examine the impact of grazing invertebrates on periphyton biomass in twenty-one pools across three northern California coastal streams (U.S.A.): Big Sulphur Creek, the Rice Fork of the Eel River, and Big Canyon Creek. Periphyton accrual on artificial substrate tiles was compared in each stream between two treatments: those elevated slightly above the stream bottom to reduce access by grazers (= platforms) and those placed directly on the stream bottom to allow access by grazers (=controls). 2. Crawling invertebrate grazers (cased caddisflies and snails) were numerically dominant in each stream (86% of all grazers in Big Sulphur Creek, 61% in the Rice Fork, 84% in Big Canyon Creek). Platforms effectively excluded crawling grazers, but were less effective in excluding swimming mayfly grazers (Baetidae). 3. Periphyton biomass (as AFDM) on tiles was significantly lower on controls compared to platforms for the Rice Fork, an open-canopy stream, and Big Sulphur Creek, a stream with a heterogeneous canopy. In contrast, no grazer impact was found for Big Canyon Creek, a densely shaded stream. Here, extremely low periphyton biomass occurred for both treatments throughout the 60 day study. 4. The influence of riparian canopy on periphyton growth (i.e. accrual on platforms), grazer impact on periphyton, and grazer abundance was examined for Big Sulphur Creek. As canopy increased (15–98% cover), periphyton biomass on platforms decreased. In contrast, canopy had little influence on periphyton accrual on controls; apparently, grazers could maintain low periphyton standing crops across the full range of canopy levels. The abundance of one grazer species, the caddisfly Gumaga nigricula, was highest in open, sunlit stream pools; abundance of two other prominent grazers, Helicopsyche borealis (Trichoptera) and Centroptilum convexum (Ephemeroptera), however, was unrelated to canopy.
Ecological implication of mercury pollution in aquatic systems

Abstract Mercury compounds discharged into the environment from industrial, agricultural, and domestic, sources have contaminated a substantial portion of the hydrosphere and other parts of the biosphere. Their effects on aquatic ecosystems are a result of their low solubility in water, chemical stability in sediments, and accumulation through biological concentration and magnification in food-webs. The limited data available on the environmental chemistry and toxicity of mercurials prevent the establishment of adequate standards for the protection of biotic communities.