cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerating the performance of stochastic encoding-based computations by sharing bits in consecutive bit streams

Stochastic encoding represents a value using the probability of ones in a random bit stream. Computation based on this encoding has good fault-tolerance and low hardware cost. However, one of its major issues is long processing time. We have to use a long enough bit stream to represent a value to guarantee that random fluctuations introduce only small errors to final computation results. For example, for most digital image processing algorithms, we need a 512-bit stream to represent an 8-bit pixel value stochastically to guarantee that the final computation error is less than 5%. To solve this issue, this paper proposes to share bits between adjacent bit streams to represent adjacent deterministic values. For example, in image processing applications, the bit stream which represents the current pixel value can share parts of the bits in the bit stream which represents the previous pixel value. We use an image contrast stretching algorithm to evaluate this method. Our experimental results show that the proposed methods can improve the performance by 90%.
Venous malformation and haemangioma: differential diagnosis, diagnosis, natural history and consequences

Venous malformation (VM) is the most common form of congenital vascular malformation (CVM). VM presents at birth as an inborn vascular defect and never disappears/regresses spontaneously through the rest of life; it will continue to grow slowly at a rate that is proportional to the growth rate of the body. Haemangioma is not a vascular malformation but one of the vascular tumours originating from the endothelial cells; it develops after birth mostly in the infantile/neonatal period with a distinctive growth cycle: a proliferation phase of early rapid growth followed by an involutional phase of slow regression. Although the vascular malformation and vascular tumour belong to the 'vascular anomaly' together, both conditions are fundamentally different not only in their anatomical, histological and pathophysiological findings but also in their clinical courses. Therefore, an appropriate differential diagnosis of the VM is mandated not only from other kinds of CVMs but also from 'genuine' haemangioma. Appropriate diagnosis and assessment of VMs can be made based on clinical presentation and a proper combination of basic non-invasive studies in general but the presence of a mixed lesion involving other types of CVM lesions and the type of VM lesion, extratruncular and truncular, will dictate the need for further work-up with additional non- to less-invasive study or angiography. Otherwise, angiography is usually reserved for therapeutic planning and treatment.
System-reliability confidence-intervals for complex-systems with estimated component-reliability

A flexible procedure is described and demonstrated to determine approximate confidence intervals for system reliability when there is uncertainty regarding component reliability information. The approach is robust, and applies to many system-design configurations and component time-to-failure distributions, resulting in few restrictions for the use of these confidence intervals. The methods do not require any parametric assumptions for component reliability or time-to-failure, and allows type-I or -II censored data records. The confidence intervals are based on the variance of the component and system reliability estimates and a lognormal distribution assumption for the system reliability estimate. This approach applies to any system design which can be decomposed into series and/or parallel connections between the components. To evaluate the validity of the confidence limits, numerous simulations were performed for two hypothetical systems with different data sample-sizes and confidence levels. The test cases and empirical results demonstrate that this new method for estimating confidence intervals provides good coverage, can be readily applied, requires only minimal computational effort, and applies for a much greater range of design configurations and data types compared to other methods. For many design problems, these confidence intervals are preferable because there is no requirement for an exponential time-to-failure distribution nor are component data limited to binomial data.
The epidemiology of hearing impairment in the United States: Newborns, children, and adolescents

Objective Hearing loss ranks high among disabilities in the United States. The epidemiologic parameters of hearing impairment in the United States have not been systematically studied and important historic data have not diffused to relevant stakeholders; even otolaryngologists are unfamiliar with epidemiologic data. We wished to compile known studies to establish an epidemiologic baseline beginning with pediatric data. Data Sources Relevant literature was retrieved from medical databases and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Methods Candidate articles and national data sets encompassing pediatric hearing loss were analyzed and compared. Whenever possible, group analyses were performed. Results The average incidence of neonatal hearing loss in the United States is 1.1 per 1000 infants, with variation among states (0.22 to 3.61 per 1000). Childhood and adolescent prevalence rates demonstrate variability. The prevalence of mild hearing impairment or worse (>20 dB) is 3.1 percent based on the average of comparable audiometric screening studies; self-reporting prevalence is 1.9 percent. Hispanic Americans demonstrate a higher prevalence of hearing impairment than other children. Low-income households demonstrate a higher prevalence of hearing loss compared to households with higher income levels. Genetic causes were attributed to 23 percent across studies. Conclusions Analysis of the data reveals gaps in our knowledge of the epidemiology of hearing loss and stresses the importance of consistent definitions of hearing impairment for systematic assessment of changes over time. Hearing loss in childhood deserves further epidemiologic investigation and elevated awareness among health care professionals and the public. Genetic etiologies are likely underestimated in this review.
Natural history and treatment of renal vein thrombosis in children

Abstract The general features and problems of renal vein thrombosis in children are first discussed. The records of 11 children with this condition, 7 ill neonates and 4 older children with burns, are then reviewed, indicating the clinical course of the disease, how they were treated, the results, and pathological findings. From this study, the natural history is assembled and a protocol for treatment is proposed. Supportive therapy is necessary in all cases to correct dehydration and sepsis. Many children will develop a consumptive coagulopathy. Others will develop pulmonary emboli associated with thrombosis of the inferior vena cava. Anticoagulation should be achieved for these two conditions. Nonvisualization of affected renal units upon initial urographic examination virtually assures an atrophic, functionless kidney later. Nephrectomy will be required because of hypertension, persistent infection, and scarring. Thrombectomy may be attempted when bilateral non-visualization on urography is associated with a positive venacavogram.
CMB anisotropy experiments

Abstract Anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) encode information about the evolution and development of the universe. Quality observations of CMB anisotropies can provide a very strong test of cosmological models and provide high precision determination of major cosmological parameters. This paper provides a review of the COBE DMR results, the current status of the measurements of the CMB anisotropy power spectrum and then focuses current and future programs including both suborbit al observations and the two selected satellite missions: the NASA MidEX mission MAP and the ESA M3 mission Max Planck Surveyor. This review includes both a description of the experimental programs and the expected quality level of results.
Empirical strategies for incorporating weak complementarity into consumer demand models

Abstract This article appraises existing empirical strategies for incorporating weak complementarity into consumer demand models. The repackaging, integrating-back, and discontinuity approaches are evaluated in terms of their behavioral implications and potential usefulness for applied research. The appraisal suggests that the repackaging approach offers the most flexibility and tractability in the multi-good demand system framework, but the integrating-back approach holds considerable promise in the single-good context. A multi-good empirical comparison suggests that qualitatively similar policy inference arises from different repackaging approaches.
Comment on ``Relative importance of climate and land use in determining present and future global soil dust emission'' by I. Tegen et al.

: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure:Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0322 Atmospheric Composi-tion and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 0365 Atmo-spheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere—compositionand chemistry. Citation: Mahowald, N. M., G. D. R. Rivera, andC. Luo (2004), Comment on ‘‘Relative importance of climate andland use in determining present and future global soil dustemission’’ by I. Tegen et al., Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L24105,doi:10.1029/2004GL021272.
Comparable levels of Ca-ATPase inhibition by phospholamban in slow-twitch skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Alterations in expression levels of phospholamban (PLB) relative to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-ATPase have been suggested to underlie defects of calcium regulation in the failing heart and ...
Bisexuality and Adolescence

A decade ago, the author and a colleague observed that little was known about female adolescent bisexuality and contributed an empirical article on the topic to this journal. They used the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (the Add Health Study) to provide documentation of same-sex attractions and relationships among female adolescents in the United States. In looking back at that article, the author considers how far the field has come in scholarship on adolescence and bisexuality—yet at a basic level the coauthors still have much to learn. Understanding of adolescent bisexuality will continue to shift due to influences of expanding communication technologies and to growing awareness of the complexities of sexualities and identities.
Technical description and feasibility of laparoscopic adrenal contouring using fluorescence imaging

Identification of adrenal glands from the surrounding structures during laparoscopic surgery can be challenging especially in obese individuals. This can increase the chances for hemorrhage and conversion to open surgery. We present the first report of fluorescent infrared visualization of the adrenal glands in a large animal model. Five adult Yorkshire pigs were utilized for the study, in compliance with the animal study regulations. After an intravenous bolus administration of 3 mL of indocyanine green (ICG), visualization was performed with a xenon/infrared light source and a laparoscope with a charge-coupled filter device. Activation of the device was done with a foot pedal. Images were analyzed using histogram software and the difference of enhancement was statistically analyzed using unpaired two-tailed t test. The right adrenal glands were visualized in all five animals immediately after administering ICG. Fluorescence facilitated demarcation of adrenal gland tissue from surrounding adipose tissue. Peritoneum and fat was visualized in black color. Adrenal enhancement lasted for 4 h in all cases. The mean value for adrenal fluorescence using histogram count was 71.75 pixels, and for adrenal xenon was 168.87 pixels (p = 0.0002; 95 % CI −130.93 to −0.63). The mean value for fat fluorescence using histogram count was 5.54 pixels and fat xenon was 187.15 pixels (p = 0.0001; 95 % CI −199.39 to −163.82). Although there was no significant difference between adrenal and fat enhancement with xenon light (p = 0.24; 95 % CI −15.53 to 52.09), the difference became significant between adrenal and fat fluorescence (p = 0.0001; 95 % CI 48.51–83.9). Fluorescence imaging appears to be a feasible and easy method to differentiate adrenal glands from the surrounding tissue in a large animal model. Further studies are necessary to investigate the real application of this method during laparoscopic adrenalectomy in humans.
Analysis of Public Image and Video Databases for Quality Assessment

Databases of images or videos annotated with subjective ratings constitute essential ground truth for training, testing, and benchmarking algorithms for objective quality assessment. More than two dozen such databases are now available in the public domain; they are presented and analyzed in this paper. We propose several criteria for quantitative comparisons of source content, test conditions, and subjective ratings, which are used as the basis for the ensuing analyses and discussion. This information will allow researchers to make more well-informed decisions about databases, and may also guide the creation of additional test material and the design of future experiments.
Recurrence relations in the solution of a certain class of nonlinear systems

This paper (a modified version of the material in an unpublished paper of the same name by the author presented at the AIEE 1957 Summer General Meeting) introduces aspects of a generalized mathematical theory for the analysis of a certain class of nonlinear systems. (Since the original presentation of this paper other work has appeared,1?5 which enlarges on the comments made here and extends the present work.) It is shown that under a very broad class of conditions, consistent with physical realization, a class of systems exists for which it is possible to develop exact and unique mathematical solutions. These conditions are important since nonlinear differential equations do not in general possess such unique properties although linear differential equations do.
Mucinous differentiation in adnexal sweat gland tumors

We report an eccrine acrospiroma, on the cheek of a 29-year-old female, in which the presence of abundant mucinous (goblet cell) metaplasia closely mimicked a primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma. To determine the frequency of mucinous differentiation in benign adnexal sweat gland tumors, we evaluated sixty-five cases in hematoxylin and eosin stained sections for the presence of goblet cells and sixty of these for mucicarmine positivity. Goblet cell metaplasia was seen in 3 of 12 acrospiromas, 1 of 8 mixed tumors, and in 1 of 9 cases of syringocystadenoma papilliferum. All goblet cells were positive for mucicarmine, except in one case of acrospiroma, where goblet cells were not detected on the section stained with mucicarmine. In addition, intracellular mucin, inclusive of goblet cells, was seen in 5 of 12 acrospiromas, 1 of 11 poromas, 5 of 8 mixed tumors, 3 of 13 spiradenomas, 1 of 5 cylindromas, 3 of 9 cases of syringocystadenoma papilliferum and 1 of 3 nipple adenomas. The majority of the tumors had both extracellular mucicarmine positivity (40 of 60) and luminal mucicarmine positivity (39 of 60). We conclude that mucinous differentiation in sweat gland tumors, as defined by the presence of goblet cells and/or intracellular mucicarmine positivity, is common and does not indicate aggressive behavior. Mucinous differentiation in benign sweat gland tumors should not be confused with more aggressive mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary gland origin or adenosquamous carcinoma.
Development of daily precipitation projections for the United States based on probabilistic downscaling

[1] Projections of mid and late 21st century precipitation for 963 stations across the contiguous United States are derived using probabilistic downscaling of 10 coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). The projections are constructed by downscaling the statistical parameters describing precipitation occurrence and intensity, using a first-order Markov chain and two-parameter gamma distribution, respectively. Future downscaled values of the parameters are used to derive projections of wet day probability, wet day precipitation intensity and its distribution, and total seasonal precipitation for the cold season (November through March) and the warm season (May through September). Downscaled results for the 10 AOGCMs indicate several robust features of possible changes in the U.S. regional precipitation climatology. Cold season projections are characterized by increases in precipitation in the northwest and northeast regions, decreases in precipitation in the southwest region, and smaller or inconsistent changes in other regions. With the exception of the northeast region, warm season projections reflect drier conditions overall resulting primarily from fewer wet days. In both the cold and warm seasons, changes in both the occurrence and intensity processes contribute to changes in total precipitation. Changes in total precipitation, and the relative roles of the occurrence and intensity processes, are found to be sensitive to the change in the distribution of wet day precipitation intensities. Regions with increasing seasonal precipitation totals are characterized by disproportionate increases in large precipitation events, while those with decreasing seasonal precipitation totals are characterized by the largest fractional decreases in small precipitation events.
Enhanced tumor control following sequential treatments of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and localized microwave hyperthermia in vivo.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), or photoradiation therapy (PRT), utilizing hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) as photosensitizer and an argon-dye laser system as the light source, was used alone and in combination with localized microwave hyperthermia (2450 MHz) to treat axillary tumors of the SMT-F mammary carcinoma in mice. Thirty-minute heat treatments were applied either immediately before or immediately after a standard PDT treatment of 630 nm light at 75 mW/cm2 for 30 min (135 J/cm2) given 24 hr post-7.5 mg/kg HPD, intraperitoneally (i.p.). Tumor control as judged by lack of tumor regrowth 35 days or longer after the combined treatments was compared to that following each treatment when given alone. Little or no enhancement of tumor control was seen when sublethal temperatures of 37.5, 38.5, and 39.5 degrees C were applied for 30 min immediately following the PDT treatment. However, increasing levels of enhancement were seen when heat treatments of 40.5 and 41.5 degrees C or 44.5 degrees C, given for 30 min, were applied immediately before or after the photodynamic treatment.
Examples of aerosol model effects in SeaWiFS atmospheric correction

It has been found that, at certain solar and sensor viewing geometries and for certain atmospheric conditions, some discontinuity lines appear in the retrieved atmospheric and ocean color products from measurements of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS). Such discontinuity lines, which do not often happen in the SeaWiFS products, appear along lines with constant scattering angles between the solar and sensor viewing directions. The discontinuity lines are clearly not real. They are artifacts from the SeaWiFS atmospheric corrections. The atmospheric correction, which is the key data processing in the ocean color remote sensing, removes more than 90% of the sensor-measured signals that are contributed from atmosphere and ocean surface effects in the visible wavelengths. In this paper, a brief description of the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm, in particular, the technique that is used in retrieving the aerosol models and aerosol radiance contributions in the visible wavelengths, is provided. Results from some specific simulations that explain the causes of the discontinuity lines in the derived products are presented. We show that these discontinuities are results of the imperfect atmospheric correction due to some effects of the aerosol models that are used for the SeaWiFS data processing. A simple modification to the current atmospheric correction algorithm to correct such effects is proposed and tested with SeaWiFS data.
History of periodontal disease diagnosis and lung cancer incidence in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.

Purpose While some evidence suggests that periodontal disease (PD) might be positively associated with lung cancer, prospective studies in women are limited. Previous findings may reflect residual confounding by smoking. The study aims to determine whether history of PD diagnosis is associated with incident lung cancer in a large cohort of postmenopausal women.
Electroabsorption Modulator for Analog Fiber Link Applications

Design and performance of electroabsorption waveguide modulators for high gain and low noise figure analog fiber links are presented. Peripheral coupled waveguide design has led to electroabsorption modulator with high linearity and optical saturation power.
Reaction mechanism for oxidation and degradation of high density polyethylene in chlorinated water

Polyethylene is increasingly used for potable water pipe even though polyethylene is susceptible to oxidative degradation. Accelerated aging conditions with chlorinated water solutions which minimized variations in solution chemistry were used in a 160-day (3840 h) immersion study of high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe and HDPE resin. Samples were periodically characterized for changes in visual appearance and surface chemistry using infrared spectroscopy. Surface carbonyl bonds were detected for both HDPE pipe and HDPE resin samples. Experiments with isotopic 18O2 gas demonstrated that molecular oxygen is partly responsible for formation of the carbonyl oxygen. Both HDPE pipe and HDPE resin samples were demonstrated to form 4-chloro-2-methylbutan-2-ol and 2,3-dichloro-2-methylbutane as novel HDPE breakdown products which leached into chlorinated water. From these data, reactive species involved in the breakdown of HDPE pipe have been identified. A proposed mechanism for the breakdown of HDPE is Cl• or HO• initiated H-abstraction to produce a carbon-center radical that reacts with triplet oxygen to form a peroxyl, which upon decomposition yields a carbonyl and further propagates the formation of radicals.
A complexity analysis for directional parametric height field ray tracing

Abstract It has been shown that height field ray tracing efficiency can be improved by traversing rays in steps across evenly spaced inverted cones of empty space centered above height field cells. This approach, referred to as linear parametric height field ray tracing , has previously been extended by directionalizing the inverted cones, i.e., by allowing the opening angles of the inverted cones to vary between sectors. This paper provides a mathematical analysis of parametric ray tracing complexity as a function of cone sector width and height field resolution. Empirical data on ray tracing run-times and mean lengths of traversal steps along rays during ray tracing is presented. It is shown that parametric height field ray tracing can be substantially more efficient than other popular height field ray tracing methods when cones with narrow sectors are used.
Pediatric thyroidectomy in a high volume thyroid surgery center: Risk factors for postoperative hypocalcemia.

Abstract Introduction Hypocalcemia is a common complication following thyroid surgery. We seek to report on our experience in pediatric thyroidectomy in a high volume thyroid surgery center and accurately assess the incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia. Materials and methods A retrospective review of patients aged 18 and younger who underwent thyroid surgery between 1992 and 2013. The primary endpoints were the occurrence of postoperative hypocalcemia as by defined as a nadir calcium Results 171 patients who underwent 186 thyroid operations were analyzed. The average age was 15.4 years with 82.3% female. The most common indications for surgery were nodular disease (74.7%) and hyperthyroidism (12.4%). 24 patients (12.9%) experienced postoperative hypocalcemia with 13 (7.0%) requiring intravenous calcium infusion. One patient (0.9%) experienced permanent hypoparathyroidism. Risk factors for postoperative hypocalcemia included total thyroidectomy (OR 7.39, p Conclusions Pediatric patients who undergo total thyroidectomy for underlying malignancy or Graves’ disease and those who have more extensive nodal dissections are at increased risk of developing this postoperative hypocalcemia. These patients may benefit from more vigilant preoperative preparation and postoperative calcium and vitamin D supplementation.
Power semiconductor devices for the 1990s

Abstract This paper reviews recent progress in power semiconductor technology. The introduction of MOS processing to power semiconductor devices has led to the development of an array of chips that can control large amounts of energy with very little input power. This in turn has led to the creation of smart power technology, which has far-reaching applications in commercial and industrial systems. Although, currently, power semiconductor chips are all made from silicon, recent analysis has indicated that other semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide, have the potential for completely displacing it in the future.
“Green Harms” as Art Crime, Art Criticism as Environmental Dissent:

This article argues that the focus of many criminologists and art crime scholars is too often rather narrow, and promotes a more expansive notion of “art crime” —one that centers not on crime, but on the relationship between art and crime. More specifically, this article argues for an approach to “art crime” that contemplates “socially injurious acts” or omissions involving art that are not defined as “crime” or proscribed by civil or criminal statutes. Employing this “harm-based” approach, this article examines the responses to Damian Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living—a piece consisting of a 14-ft tiger shark (caught by a fisherman commissioned to do so) immersed in formaldehyde in a vitrine of glass and steel—to demonstrate how art criticism can be employed as a tool for dissent, especially in cases involving art that causes ecological or environmental harms.
False-Positive Metaiodobenzylguanidine Scan for Neuroblastoma in a Child With Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome Treated With Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH):

We describe the case of a 2-year-old girl with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome treated with chronic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in which a metaiodobenzylguanidine scan showed abnormal radiotracer uptake in the left adrenal gland region, interpreted as the site of an occult neuroblastoma. As this finding was not corroborated by previous or subsequent metaiodobenzylguanidine scans or by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we attribute the finding to being a false-positive result from adrenal hyperplasia owing to chronic use of ACTH and not to neuroblastoma. Metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy is an extremely important nuclear medicine examination tool used for the evaluation and staging of pediatric neuroblastoma. We highlight the need for cautious interpretation of metaiodobenzylguanidine as a screening tool for neuroblastoma in patients treated with ACTH.
Magnetic moment degradation of nanowires in biological media: real-time monitoring with SQUID magnetometry

Magnetic nanoparticles are used throughout biology for applications from targeted drug and gene delivery to the labeling of cells. These nanoparticles typically react with the biological medium to which they are introduced, resulting in a diminished magnetic moment. The rate at which their magnetic moment is diminished limits their utility for targeting and can signal the unintended release of surface-functionalized biomolecules. A foreknowledge of the time-dependent degradation of the magnetic moment in a given medium can aid in the selection of the optimal buffering solution and in the prediction of a reasonable experimental time frame. With this goal in mind, we have developed a SQUID magnetometer based methodology for measuring the saturation magnetic moment of nanoparticles in real time while immersed in a biological medium. Measurements on Co and Ni nanowires in a variety of commonly used buffered salines demonstrated that the technique has the dynamic range and sensitivity to detect the rapid reduction in moment due to active corrosion as well as much more subtle changes from the formation of a passivating surface oxide layer. In order to correlate the magnetic moment reductions to these specific chemical processes, samples were additionally characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The most reactive buffers studied were found to be phosphate and carbonate based, which caused active corrosion of the Co nanowires but only a comparatively slow passivation of the Ni nanowires by oxidation.
Love, Sex, and Marriage in Late Medieval German Verse Narratives, Lyric Poetry, and Prose Literature

In the late German Middle Ages literary documents reveal a new interest in love, sex, and marriage. Almost all literary genres contain examples of outspoken descriptions of sexual intercourse, either within or outside of marriage. In this article representative pieces from the codex Karlsruhe 408, lyric poetry by Oswald von Wolkenstein, Johannes von Tepl's Der Ackermann aus Bohmen, Heinrich Wittenwiler's Der Ring, and several Volksbucher are used as evidence for this novel interest in eroticism. Although we discover in cases such as the Volksbucher attempts to restructure the torn screen between audience and the private sphere of the protagonists, overall the element of intimacy is brought into public light. Instead of secret voyeurism, a drastic and uninhibited interest in the topic of sex dominates this body of late medieval literature.
Freezing drizzle detection with WSR-88D radars

Abstract This study describes a freezing drizzle detection algorithm based on the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) measured radar reflectivity. Although radar returns from freezing drizzle and light snow are similar—<5 dBZ and spatially uniform—freezing drizzle can be identified using feature parameters computed from radar reflectivity, such as local and global standard deviations and reflectivity texture weighted with a fuzzy-logic scheme. Algorithm results agree well with surface precipitation reports. The proposed algorithm can serve as one component of automated decision-support schemes for icing hazard detection and/or hydrometeor identification.
An infinite series of resolution III.2 designs for the 2 m factorial experiment

Abstract Consider a resolution III plan for the 2m-factorial experiment which has the following additional property. Instead of assuming that all the interactions are zero (as in a resolution III plan), we assume that at most two interactions are nonnegeligible. Which interactions are nonnegligible is unknown. The design which allow us identification and estimation of these nonnegligible effects is called a resolution III.2 plan. This plan involves, for the 2m factorial experiment, the checking of the linear independence of 2 m −(m+1) 4 possible sets of four columns from a certain matrix. We present an enormous combinatorial reduction of this problem. This enables us to prove that the design consisting of all the distinct treatments of weight m, 1, 2, and 0 constitutes a resolution III.2 design, where the weight of a treatment means “the number of factors at level 1” in the treatment.
Theoretical and practical considerations for school‐based research in a post‐positivist era

During the last decade, the positivist perspective of social reality has lost credibility in education and other fields, giving way to a wide range of alternative conceptions of social science. This proliferation is welcome but confusing. This paper examines several intellectual traditions within the “post‐positivist camp” and identifies a number of approaches to decoding social reality as guidelines for field‐based research.
Use of polarization to improve signal to clutter ratio in an outdoor active imaging system

This paper describes the methodology and presents the results of the design of a polarization-sensitive system used to increase the signal-to-clutter ratio in a robust outdoor structured lighting sensor that uses standard CCD camera technology. This lighting sensor is intended to be used on an autonomous vehicle, looking down to the ground and horizontal to obstacles in an 8 foot range. The kinds of surfaces to be imaged are natural and man-made, such as asphalt, concrete, dirt and grass. The main problem for an outdoor eye-safe laser imaging system is that the reflected energy from background clutter tends to be brighter than the reflected laser energy. A narrow-band optical filter does not reduce significantly the background clutter in bright sunlight, and problems also occur when the surface is highly absorptive, like asphalt. Therefore, most of applications are limited to indoor and controlled outdoor conditions. A series of measurements was made for each of the materials studied in order to find the best configuration for the polarizing system and also to find out the potential improvement in the signal-to-clutter ratio (STC). This process was divided into three parts: characterization of the reflected sunlight, characterization of the reflected laser light, and measurement of the improvement in the STC. The results show that by using polarization properties it is possible to design an optical system that is able to increase the signal-to-clutter ratio from approximately 30% to 100% in the imaging system, depending on the kind of surface and on the incidence angle of the sunlight. The technique was also analyzed for indoor use, with the background clutter being the room illumination. For this specific case, polarization did not improve the signal-to-clutter ratio.
Drug and gene delivery using gold nanoparticles

Monolayer-functionalized gold nanoparticles provide attractive vehicles for pharmaceutical delivery applications as a result of their size and the unique properties and release mechanisms imparted by their monolayer. This review provides examples of recent advances in the field of drug and gene delivery using gold nanoparticles.
Comparative study of interphase cytogenetics, flow cytometric analysis, and nuclear grade of fine‐needle aspirates of breast carcinoma

The correlation between DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) by flow cytometry (FCM) and the detection of numerical chromosomal abnormalities (NCA) by interphase cytogenetics (IC) involving chromosomes 8 and 12 was studied in 20 human breast lesions (17 breast carcinomas, 2 fibroadenomas, and 1 sclerosing adenosis). Initial diagnosis was performed on fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) material with subsequent histologic confirmation. FCM was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue while IC by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was done on alcohol fixed FNAB materials. Sixteen (80%) cases showed concordance between FCM and IC with respect to the presence or absence of aneuploidy. The remainder of the cases (20%), which were all malignant neoplasms, showed discrepancies between the two methods, all four were DNA-diploid with low SPF by FCM but showed various NCA by IC. Nuclear grades (NG) of all the malignant samples were also evaluated and correlated with both FCM and IC studies. Although a good correlation was observed between NG and FCM, a better correlation was seen between NG and IC. This study shows that although IC by FISH correlated well with FCM analysis, it can detect NCA in DNA-diploid, low SPF tumors. It also correlates well with the NG of the tumor. The increased sensitivity provided by IC in detecting aneuploidy may be of great prognostic significance in low stage, DNA-diploid, low SPF breast carcinomas.
Urban Academic Medical Centers

Eli Ginzberg, ed., Urban Medical Centers: Balancing Academic and Patient Care Functions: Cornell University Medical College Tenth Conference on Health Policy (Boulder: Westview Press, 1996): 105 pp., ISBN 0-8133-2883-7 (cloth), $58.50. To order call 800-242-7737.
Putting a PARKINg brake on neurodegeneration.

Mutations in the parkin gene are associated with the juvenile-onset form of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies suggest that Parkin plays a central role in a cellular pathway that provides neuroprotective function. Manipulating Parkin activity may prevent neurodegeneration in juvenile onset as well as more common sporadic forms of PD.
A Review of the Design Formulations for Static Axial Response of Deep Foundations from CPT Data (DFI 2013 Student Paper Competition Runner-Up)

AbstractAxial capacity analysis of deep foundations has been a topic of great interest in the soil-structure interaction problems. Soil behavior is governed by a series of complex stress-strain changes that occur during pile installation and subsequent loading. Owing to the difficulties and uncertainties on the basis of the soil strength-deformation characteristics, one of the most frequently followed design practice is to refer to the formulae correlating directly the pile axial capacity components of unit base resistance (qb) and unit shaft resistance (fp) to the data collected from cone penetration test (CPT). The elementary basis for such formulations has been the idea of considering cone penetrometer as a minipile foundation. This has resulted in plethora of correlative relationships in the past over 60 years. Such correlations, although empirical, have been worked out on the basis of load test results from both instrumented and un-instrumented full scale piles and are able to accommodate many import...
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

Ａｓｓｉｇｎｍｅｎｔ：Ｊａｐａｎ Ｔｈｅ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ Ｗａｒ Ｔａｋｉｎｇ Ｏｎｅ’ｓ Ｐｒｏｐｅｒ Ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ Ｔｈｅ Ｍｅｉｊｉ Ｒｅｆｏｒｍ Ｉｎ Ｄｏｂｔ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ Ｐａｓｔ ａｎｄ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ Ｗｏｒｌｄ Ｐａｙｉｎｇ Ｂａｃｋ Ｏｎｅ‐Ｔｅｎ‐Ｔｈｏｕｓａｎｄｔｈ Ｔｈｅ Ｍｏｓｔ Ｄｉｆｆｉｃｕｌｔ Ｒｅｐａｙｍｅｎｔ Ｃｌｅａｒｉｎｇ Ｏｎｅ’ｓ Ｎａｍｅ Ｔｈｅ Ｃｉｒｃｌｅ ｏｆ Ｈｕｍａｎ Ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇｓ Ｔｈｅ Ｄｉｌｅｍｍａ ｏｆ Ｖｉｒｔｕｅ Ｓｅｌｆ‐ｄｉｓｃｉｐｌｉｎｅ Ｔｈｅ Ｃｈｉｌｄ Ｌｅａｒｎｓ Ｔｈｅ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ Ｓｉｎｃｅ Ｗｏｒｌｄ Ｗａｒ ２
Striving for a standard protocol for preconditioning or stabilization of polycrystalline thin film photovoltaic modules

Polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules containing cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin film materials can exhibit substantial transient or metastable current-voltage (I-V) characteristics depending on prior exposure history. Transient I-V phenomena confound the accurate determination of module performance, their reliability, and their measured temperature coefficients, which can introduce error in energy ratings models or servicelifetime predictions. Indeed, for either of these two technologies, a unique performance metric may be illusory without first specifying recent exposure or stateeven at standard test conditions. The current standard preconditioning procedure for thin-film PV modules was designed for amorphous silicon (a-Si), and is likely inadequate for CdTe and CIGS. For a-Si, the Staebler-Wronski effect is known to result from defects, created via breaking of weak silicon bonds or light-activated trapping at the device junction, occurring rapidly upon light-exposure. For CdTe and CIGS devices, there is less agreement on the causes of metastable behavior. The data suggests that either deep-trapping of charge carriers, or the migration and/or electronic activation of copper may be responsible. Because these are quite disparate mechanisms, we suspect that there may be a more practical preconditioning procedure that can be employed prior to accurate performance testing for CdTe and CIGS modules. We devise a test plan to examine and compare the effects of light soaking versus forward-biased dark exposure at elevated temperatures, as parallel strategies to determine a feasible standard protocol for preconditioning and stabilizing these polycrystalline PV technologies, and report on the results of our tests.
Synchronization of human diploid fibroblasts at multiple stages of the cell cycle.

Abstract Because of the scarcity of techniques for synchronizing the growth of cultured human diploid fibroblasts at multiple stages within the cell cycle, efforts were expended in this report to establish a set of protocols that would permit synchronization of cells at several different points throughout the cycle. The protocols that were developed to synchronize the growth of HSF-24 and HSF-55 cells, human foreskin-derived fibroblast cultures, were modifications of procedures employed to synchronize the growth of cultured rodent cells. Optimization of synchrony induction was directed by consideration of both the biochemical properties of the synchronized populations (determined via three-parameter flow cytometric measurements of DNA, RNA, and protein contents) and their kinetic behavior following reversal of the synchronization-inducing blockade (determined via combined flow cytometric analysis of DNA content, [ 3 H]thymidine autoradiography, and measurement of increase in cell number). The conditions judged to yield the best results for studying events associated with production of a G0 block or for maintaining cells for prolonged periods in G0 were those in which the cells were grown to confluency in D-MEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Procedures producing the best results for studying processes associated with the G0 to G1 transition, G1 events, and operations accompanying the transition from G1 to S, employed subconfluent growth for 48 h in α-MEM + 0.1% fetal bovine serum (α-MEM 0.1F ) followed by resuspension in α-MEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum (α-MEM 10F ). When the goal was to obtain cells in which to study very early S-phase events, satisfactory results were achieved by combining a 48-h period of subconfluent growth in α-MEM 0.1F , followed by treatment for 24 h in α-MEM 10F containing 5 μg/ml aphidicolin. For study of events occurring in mid- to late-cycle, acceptable results were achieved by combining a 48-h block in α-MEM 0.1F with resuspension for 24 h in α-MEM 10F containing 10 −3 M hydroxyurea followed by resuspension in drug-free α-MEM 10F . The best results were obtained with these latter synchronization procedures (i.e., low-serum/high-serum + APC or HU/high serum) when the fetal calf serum was replaced with heat-inactivated calf serum. The success achieved in synchronizing the growth of these human diploid fibroblasts compared favorably/exceeded the results obtained with synchronized cultures of Chinese hamster ovary cells.
Large-bile-duct stones — extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripsy as adjuvant measure for endoscopic basket extraction

Extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripsy (EPL) was performed in 12 patients with large-bile-duct stones and intrahepatic stones. The Piezolith 2300 lithotripter (Wolf, Knittlingen, FRG) was used in all patients in whom routine endoscopic approaches for removal of the calculi had failed or were considered inappropriate because of large stone size or difficult localization. In 9 of the 12 patients the stones were fragmented. Complete stone clearance from the bile ducts was obtained in 8 of 10 patients by EPL alone or combined with one of the following: endoscopic extraction, mechanical lithotripsy or installation of solvents. Adjuvant EPL in conjunction with endoscopic therapy increased the success rate of nonsurgical treatment for bile duct stones from 73% to 95%. No clinically significant side effects or complications were noted.
Social Learning in Economics

Social learning is a rapidly growing field for empirical and theoretical research in economics. We encounter social learning in many economically important phenomena, such as the adoption of new products and technologies or job search in labor markets. We review the existing empirical and theoretical literatures and argue that they have evolved largely independently of each other. This suggests several directions for future research that can help bridge the gap between both literatures. For example, the theory literature has come up with several models of social learning, ranging from naive DeGroot models to sophisticated Bayesian models whose assumptions and predictions need to be empirically tested. Alternatively, empiricists have often observed that social learning is more localized than existing theory models assume, and that information can decay along a transmission path. Incorporating these findings into our models might require theorists to look beyond asymptotic convergence in social learning.
Stepwise two-photon excitation of molecular iodine: the E state vindicated

Abstract The E ↔ B system of iodine has been examined by a stepwise two-photon process in which iodine molecules are excited first to individual vibrational—rotational levels of the B state, then to E state vibrational bands. In contrast to an earlier two-photon study by Danyluk and King, our data support the analysis of the emission spectra given by Wieland et al.
Dollars, diplomacy, and dignity: United States economic involvement in Lithuania, 1914–1940

The successful efforts by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to gain independence from the Soviet Union and win diplomatic recognition from the world community during the 1 990s have reawakened discussions of the earlier Baltic campaigns for international recognition and economic investment which took place during and immediately after World War I. Recent works by Alfred Erich Senn and Jan Arveds Trapans allow a new understanding of important social, political, and economic similarities and differences between these two periods in Baltic history, despite their separation by some seventy years.' Scholars who focus on earlier Baltic attempts to achieve foreign recognition and commercial development during the rather brief internar period of independence face a variety of important questions. Among these are: To what extent and in what ways did foreign investment and commercial development affect the viability and security of the Baltic States between the two world wars? How were conflicting economic and political considerations resolved as Western nations negotiated business ventures with the Baltic nations? Could stronger economic ties to the West have made the Baltic States less vulnerable to German and Soviet aggression during and after World War II? Finally, why were economic relations between the Baltic republics and Western nations not more successful than they were? Several good studies of European business and political activity in the Baltic region during the interwar period are available. Olavi Hovi, Merja-Liisa Hinkkanen-Lievonen, and David Kirby help provide important insight into British commercial involvement in the Baltic area during the 1920s and 1930s. Hovi and Hinkkanen-Lievonen have shown how both British investors and Baltic business leaders strove to develop stronger commercial ties following World War I, but were hampered by, among other factors, a worldwide scarcity of available credit, concerns over lingering Baltic territorial disputes, and Britain's pressing need to invest in its own post-war reconstruction.2 Consequently, as Kirby explains, British commercial development of the Baltic States yielded to a more assertive German policy of economic investment in the Baltic area, thereby helping Germany maintain a stronger political role in the region, as well.3 John
Measuring naval presence using blotto games

Although the combat capabilities of alternative aircraft carrier designs have been much analyzed, force structure comparisons for peacetime uses, such as the projection of presence, are less often quantified. This paper uses a Blotto game framework to evaluate equal cost forces of alternative carrier designs in the presence role.