cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Computing And The Chemical Elements Of Logic

Future developments in molecular electronicsi-b not only offer the possibility of high density archival memories, 1015 to 1018 gates/cc, but also new routes to fabrication of high levels of parallel processors (> 106) and hence to new computer architectures. A central theme of molecular electronics is that information can be stored as conformational changes in chemical moieties or functional groups. Further, these functional units are chosen or designed so that their structure facilitates the storage of information via reversible conformational changes, either in bond distances or in bond angles, or both. In exploring possible switching and information storage mechanisms at the molecular-size level, it has become apparent that there are many analogues or alternatives possible for any logical function which might be desired. It is even more exciting to realize that some structural chemical units or configurations offer completely new functional or logical capabilities. The example offered below is the molecular analogue of the CASE statement in PASCAL (proposed by an NRL summer student employee7). As suggested in the title, one of the purposes of this article is to enhance the appreciation of the universality of the 'chemical' or 'molecular' systems to express logical functions. The literature on molecular electronic concepts is growing and some reviews are available1-4. Two Molecular Electronic Device (MED) workshops5-6 have been held in Washington, D.C. (1981 and 1983) and an International Symposium on Bioelectric and Molecular Electronic Devices 8 was held in Tokyo, 20-21 November 1985. Beyond the strong interest current in Japan9, interest is also developing in England and Soviet block11.
Extended tight-binding potential for modelling intertube interactions in carbon nanotubes

Due to the intrinsic connection between the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes and their long-ranged interactions, an accurate description for both covalent and van der Waals forces is desired in nanomechanical studies. A tight-binding treatment offers an accurate description for the covalent bonding but fails to account for the long-ranged attractions and for the energy variations of graphite layers under relative shift. Combining the most reliable experimental data on graphite (equilibrium interlayer spacing, Z-axis compressibility, and the interlayer shear-mode frequency), tight-binding is extended to model the interlayer interactions of graphitic structures.
Dietary Intake Is Associated with Phthalate Body Burden in a Nationally Representative Sample

BackgroundPhthalates are compounds that are used in a wide range of consumer products. However, the contribution of dietary intake to phthalate exposure has not been well defined.ObjectiveThe objec...
Atmospheric propagation testing with a high power, tunable thulium fiber laser system

A tunable master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) fiber laser system based on thulium doped silica fiber designed for investigation of multi-kilometer propagation through atmospheric transmission windows existing from ~2030 nm to ~2050 nm and from ~2080 nm to beyond 2100 nm is demonstrated. The system includes a master oscillator tunable over >200 nm of bandwidth from 1902 nm to beyond 2106 nm producing up to 10 W of linearly polarized, stable, narrow linewidth output power with near diffraction limited beam quality. Output from the seed laser is amplified in a power amplifier stage designed for operation at up to 200 W CW over a tuning range from 1927 - 2097 nm. Initial field tests of this system at the Innovative Science & Technology Experimental Facility (ISTEF) laser range on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida will be discussed. Results presented will include investigation of transmission versus wavelength both in and out of atmospheric windows, at a variety of distances. Investigations of beam quality degradation at ranges up to 1 km at a variety of wavelengths both in and out of atmospheric transmission windows will be also presented. Available theoretical models of atmospheric transmission are compared to the experimental results.
An EMG comparative analysis of quadriceps during isoinertial strength training using nonlinear scaled wavelets

High-speed resistance training is used to increase power; however, momentum can reduce the effectiveness of high-speed (HS) training when using weight-stack (WS) machines. This study used a non-linear scaled wavelet analysis to assess differences between pneumatic (P) and WS during seven HS or controlled speed (CS) repetitions. Vastus medialis (VM) and lateralis (VL), and rectus femoris (RF) EMG data were collected during leg extension exercises performed by five regular weight-trainers (mean age ± SD, 23.2 ± 2.9 years). Data were analyzed using continuous wavelet analysis to assess temporal Intensity distribution across eight frequency bands. Significant differences occurred due to speed for all muscles (p<.0001). P produced higher Intensity than WS for all muscles during HS (p<.0001), and VM and RF during CS (p<.001). The CON phase produced higher Intensity than ECC for the vasti muscles during CS (p<.0003), and VM and RF during HS (p<.0001). Intensity increased across repetitions plateauing earlier for the vasti than RF during CS. Regardless of the machine, Intensity levels peaked between the 25-53 Hz and 46-82 Hz (2nd and 3rd wavelets) bands. The results indicate that when the objective is increasing power through isoinertial training, P machines at HS appear to be the most effective alternative.
Some issues in the logic of prevention

Abstract A typology is developed to analyze some of the logical, issues of prevention. This typology is based on certain aspects of a specific person's preventive behavior (predicting an undesirable state, knowing about it and acting on it) to certain aspects of the prevention situation (whether or not the undesirable state is objectively predictable, avoidable and typically avoided). Objectivity is defined by group consensus. Only types considered relevant to the rational prevention of distress were discussed. These were divided into correct prevention, over-prevention and underprevention. Correct prevention is consistent with the standards of the relevant group, underprevention results in avoidable distress, and overprevention involves interference without benefit to the targets of prevention. Possible reasons for different kind of distortion of preventive behavior were discussed. The excesses of overprevention were stressed since it was felt that the dangers of underprevention were sufficiently well known. It was emphasized that it is important to accept the fact of our current inability to prevent certain conditions while at the same time trying to devise means of their future prevention. Not facing up to such present preventive inabilities often leads to negative ethical as well as practical consequences. Some of the tendencies and pressures resulting in excessive zeal for prevention were also discussed.
Identification of an Akinete Marker Gene in Anabaena variabilis

Cyanobacteria that form akinetes as well as heterocysts present a rare opportunity to investigate the relationships between alternative differentiation processes and pattern formation processes in a single bacterium. Because no akinete marker gene has been identified, akinete formation has been little studied genetically. We report the first identification of an akinete marker gene.
Towards statistical summaries of spike train data.

Abstract Statistical inference has an important role in analysis of neural spike trains. While current approaches are mostly model-based, and designed for capturing the temporal evolution of the underlying stochastic processes, we focus on a data-driven approach where statistics are defined and computed in function spaces where individual spike trains are viewed as points. The first contribution of this paper is to endow spike train space with a parameterized family of metrics that takes into account different time warpings and generalizes several currently used metrics. These metrics are essentially penalized L p norms, involving appropriate functions of spike trains, with penalties associated with time-warpings. The second contribution of this paper is to derive a notion of a mean spike train in the case when p = 2. We present an efficient recursive algorithm, termed Matching-Minimization algorithm, to compute the sample mean of a set of spike trains. The proposed metrics as well as the mean computations are demonstrated using an experimental recording from the motor cortex.
Embedded Library Instruction in a First‐Year Biology Laboratory Course

A biology professor and a science librarian collaborated to develop and embed research‐based library instruction in a new first‐year biology laboratory course. This paper describes the rationale, collaborative process, and the various aspects of the program. Assessment was done through library exercises as well as preinstruction and end‐of‐semester student surveys asking attitudinal and objective‐skills questions. Course professors were also surveyed regarding the value of the program to their students. The authors would like to thank Elaine Jurries, Science and Engineering Bibliographer, Auraria Library, for valuable consultation and suggestions. The authors would also like to thank all the biology laboratory course professors who participated.
Identification of SH2B2β as an Inhibitor for SH2B1- and SH2B2α-Promoted Janus Kinase-2 Activation and Insulin Signaling

The SH2B family has three members (SH2B1, SH2B2, and SH2B3) that contain conserved dimerization (DD), pleckstrin homology, and SH2 domains. The DD domain mediates the formation of homo- and heterodimers between members of the SH2B family. The SH2 domain of SH2B1 (previously named SH2-B) or SH2B2 (previously named APS) binds to phosphorylated tyrosines in a variety of tyrosine kinases, including Janus kinase-2 (JAK2) and the insulin receptor, thereby promoting the activation of JAK2 or the insulin receptor, respectively. JAK2 binds to various members of the cytokine receptor family, including receptors for GH and leptin, to mediate cytokine responses. In mice, SH2B1 regulates energy and glucose homeostasis by enhancing leptin and insulin sensitivity. In this work, we identify SH2B2β as a new isoform of SH2B2 (designated as SH2B2α) derived from the SH2B2 gene by alternative mRNA splicing. SH2B2β has a DD and pleckstrin homology domain but lacks a SH2 domain. SH2B2β bound to both SH2B1 and SH2B2α, as demonst...
How Does One Safely Anesthetize a Univentricular Patient for Noncardiac Surgery

As the surgical, perioperative, and pediatric management of univentricular patients advances, more anesthesiologists will see these challenging patients as children, teenagers, and adults come to the operating room for common noncar diac surgeries: tonsillectomy, appendectomy, labor and de livery, etc. The univentricular heart has 2 atrioventricular valves with 1 ventricular chamber or a large dominant ven tricle associated with a diminutive opposing ventricle. The common pathway of physiology is complete mixing of blood. Blood pressure and oxygen saturation are dependent on the ratio of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) to sys temic vascular resistance (SVR). A thorough history and physical examination give the anesthesiologist insight into what further laboratory evaluations and interventions are needed. The 3 key issues with respect to echocardiographic evaluation of the heart are ventricular function, atrioventric ular valve insufficiency, and pulmonary artery stenosis or distortion. After completio...
Synthesis of Organofunctional Silicon Hydride Halides from Methylchlorosilane

The organofunctional silicon hydride halides R(CH3)SiHCl were prepared in high yields from CH3SiHCl2, employing CH3SiH2Cl as an intermediate. CH3SiHCl2 was converted to CH3SiH2Cl by chloride−hydride redistribution in 41% yield (based on Si−H). The chloride substituent in CH3SiH2Cl reacted selectively with the Grignard reagent RMgX to form the corresponding dihydride R(CH3)SiH2, where R = H2C═CH−, H2C═C(CH3)−, H2C═CHCH2−, (CH3)2CH−, H2C═CHCH2CH2−, c-C5H9−, PhCH2−, and p-Cl(C6H4)−. Cl(CH2)3(CH3)SiH2 was also prepared by reduction of the corresponding dichloride. Monohalogenation of R(CH3)SiH2 with CuCl2/CuI in THF then gave CH3RSiHCl in 60−88% overall yield (starting from CH3SiH2Cl).
Modeling of Complex Hydronic Systems for Energy Efficient Operation

Energy requirements for heating and cooling of residential, commercial and industrial spaces constitute a major fraction of end use energy consumed. Centralized systems such as hydronic networks are becoming increasingly popular to meet those requirements. Energy efficient operation of such systems requires intelligent energy management strategies, which necessitates an understanding of the complex dynamical interactions among its components from a mathematical and physical perspective. In this work, concepts from linear graph theory are applied to model complex hydronic networks. Further, time-scale decomposition techniques have been employed to obtain a more succinct representation of the overall system dynamics. Lastly, the usefulness of the proposed model for energy efficient operation of the system through advanced control techniques has been discussed.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Shape-dependent canny edge detector

Edges characterize the boundaries of objects in images and are informative structural cues for computer vision and target/object detection and recognition systems. The Canny edge detector is widely regarded as the edge detection standard. It is fairly adaptable to different environments, as its parametric nature attempts to tailor the detection of edges based on image-dependent characteristics or the particular requirements of a given implementation. Though it has been used in a myriad of image processing tasks, the Canny edge detector is still vulnerable to edge losses, localization errors, and noise sensitivity. These issues are largely due to the key tradeoff made in the scale and size of the edge detection filters used by the algorithm. Small-scaled filters are sensitive to edges but also to noise, whereas large-scaled filters are robust to noise but could filter out fine details. In this paper, novel edge detection kernel generalizations and a shape-dependent edge detector are introduced to alleviate these shortcomings. While most standard edge detection algorithms are based on convolving the input image with fixed size square kernels, this paper will illustrate the benefits of different filter sizes, and more importantly, different kernel shapes for edge detection. Moreover, new edge fusion methods are introduced to more effectively combine the individual edge responses. Existing edge detectors, including the Canny edge detector, can be obtained from the generalized edge detector by specifying corresponding parameters and kernel shapes. The proposed representations and edge detector have been qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated on several different types of image data. Computer simulations demonstrate that nonsquare kernel approaches can outperform square kernel approaches such as Canny, Sobel, Prewitt, Roberts, and others, providing better tradeoffs between noise rejection, accurate edge localization, and resolution.
Stuttering against marginotomy.

Stuttering by telomerase contributes to the natural heterogeneity of fission yeast telomeric repeat sequences.
Reactions of thioamides with bis(triphenylstannyl)-carbodiimide and (triphenylstannyl)cyanamide

Abstract Bis(triphenylstannyl)carbodiimide reacts with thioamides to give organic nitriles and with N -substituted thioamides to give N ′-substituted- N -cyanoamidines. The latter compounds may also be prepared by the reaction of (triphenylstannyl)cyanamide with S -(triphenylstannyl)isothioamides, which are obtainable from the reaction of triphenyltin iodide with N -substituted thioamides in the presence of triethylamine. (Triphenylstannyl)cyanamide reacts with thioamides to give organic nitriles.
Superconducting Metals in Porous Glass as Granular Superconductors

The critical fields of superconductors in porous glass are found to have the same temperature dependence as the critical field of a homogeneous dirty alloy. An effective mean free path for electrons in the normal state can be deduced; it is proportional to the pore diameter but is much smaller. This is most easily explained if the superconductor consists of grains separated by tunneling barriers, for this gives a mean free path equal to the grain size multiplied by an average of the transmission coefficient of the barriers. This model can also give a plausible explanation of the large change in critical field produced by chemical treatment of the glass before impregnation with metal. Parmenter's theory of granular superconductors shows that vortices can exist in such materials, and the critical current should be determined by vortex pinning. The measured critical current for indium in porous glass is less than that calculated from a Parmenter formula which assumes that the fields in the sample are uniform.
A pivoting algorithm for linear programming with linear complementarity constraints

We present a pivoting algorithm for solving linear programs with linear complementarity constraints. Our method generalizes the simplex method for linear programming to deal with complementarity conditions. We develop an anticycling scheme that can verify Bouligand stationarity. We also give an optimization-based technique to find an initial feasible vertex. Starting with a feasible vertex, our algorithm always finds a minimizer or an unbounded descent search direction in a finite number of pivoting steps.
Linear Free Energy Relationships in Kinetic Analyses: Applications of Quantum Chemistry

Abstract The role of linear free energy relationships and quantum chemistry in kinetic analyses is discussed and applied to a representative sequence of molecular pathways important in hydrocracking chemistry. Experimental data on adsorption, hydrogenation, cracking, isomerization, and coking for various aromatic, heteroatom-containing aromatics, and alkylaromatics were compiled from the literature and correlated with a set of reactivity indices which describe important structural, electronic, and/or energetic features of the reactants, products, or intermediates. All reactivity indices were computed from serniempirical quantum chemical calculations. The equilibria of adsorption were correlated with the proton affinity. Hydrogenation kinetics were related to the atomic site containing the highest π-electron density. Cracking kinetics were explained by the correlation with the heat of hydride transfer. Isomerization appeared dependent upon the heat of carbocation formation. Coke formation was related to th...
Determinants and Short-Term Reproducibility of Relative Plasma Volume Slopes during Hemodialysis

Summary Background and objectives Hypervolemia is a major cause of morbidity, in part because of the lack of well characterized diagnostic tests. The hypothesis was that relative plasma volume (RPV) slopes are influenced by ultrafiltration rate, directly associate with improvement in arterial oxygen saturation, and are reproducible. Design, setting, participants, & measurements RPV slopes were measured on three consecutive hemodialysis sessions. Various relationships were tested using mixed models. Reproducibility was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results RPV slopes averaged 1.37±1.45% per hour. The mean RPV slopes were steeper on the first dialysis of the week, which correlated with a higher ultrafiltration rate; RPV slope and ultrafiltration rate were directly related. Increasing ultrafiltration rate quartiles were associated with similar change in RPV in the first 1 hour of dialysis but steeper changes in RPV subsequently. A direct relationship emerged between increasing RPV slopes and increasing arterial oxygen saturation slopes. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the relative plasma volume slope was 0.77. Conclusions Although ultrafiltration rate is a major determinant of RPV slope, similar ultrafiltration rates are associated with varying RPV between individuals. Because RPV is associated with little change by ultrafiltration rate during the first 1 hour of dialysis, probing dry weight during the earlier part of dialysis may be safer. RPV slopes are physiologically meaningful, because they are associated with parallel changes in arterial oxygenation saturation slopes. RPV slopes are reproducible, and therefore, RPV may serve as a useful marker to judge changes in volume status within an individual.
A theory of domain switch for the nonlinear behaviour of ferroelectrics

While there has been some significant progress in the study of piezoelectric behaviour of composite materials, the success has been primarily confined to the linear range. The linear behaviour of such a system involves issues of homogenization and many well–developed methods in the uncoupled fields can be readily extended to the coupled field. Nonlinear properties of piezoelectric materials (such as ferroelectricity) involve not only issues of homogenization but, equally importantly, the irreversible thermodynamics and physics of domain switch. This paper seeks to integrate the aspects of thermodynamics, physics and mechanics (homogenization) involved to develop a nonlinear theory for the coupled electromechanical properties of ferroelectrics. The theory starts out with the formulation of Gibbs free energy of the system at its generic state and, by considering the thermodynamic driving force and resistance force during domain switching, a kinetic equation is established to determine the volume concentration of the new domain at a given applied stress and/or electrical field. The overall strain and the overall polarization of the system are then determined. The developed theory is a coupled theory with an evolving microstructure, and is applied to calculate the nonlinear stress–strain relation and depolarization of a poled lead zirconate titanate (PZT) under a compressive stress. The calculated results display the essential features of ferroelectric behaviour, and are found to be in good quantitative accord with experimental data.
Ranking the benefits of biodiversity: an exploration of relative values

Public concern about the alarmingly high rate of biodiversity loss has not been matched by public willingness to bear boundless costs to stem the tide of extinction. Because resources for conservation are limited, setting conservation priorities to use those resources effectively is crucial. To do so in a way that addresses people's most pressing concerns about biodiversity loss, managers and policy makers must understand those concerns. This study investigates preferences for an array of benefits associated with biodiversity and wildlife and the relative importance to people of each. A survey was administered to a sample of the US population to explore public preferences for types of benefits often associated with biodiversity: utilitarian (commodity and recreation), ecological (certain and uncertain), aesthetic, symbolic, and humanistic. Respondents were asked to rank hypothetical species presented in choice sets of three species, each described simply in terms of one type of benefit. A rank-ordered multinomial logit model was estimated to establish a ranking of the benefits and evaluate the sensitivity of the ranking to socio-demographic variables. The means of the sample predictions indicated the relative importance of each type of benefit. Confidence intervals were constructed to evaluate the extent to which the ranks could be distinguished from one another. Ecological functions were most important to survey respondents; commodity-based benefits and human attributes were of moderate importance; and recreation, aesthetics, and symbolic references in literature and art appeared to be least important.
Technological change and the age–earnings profile: Evidence from the International Merchant Marine, 1861–1912

Abstract Models of vintage-specific learning predict systematic cross-technology differences in earnings among otherwise identical employees. This paper outlines a vintage learning model based on Chari and Hopenhayn's (1991, Journal of Political Economy) exposition. The model predicts that (i) the age–earnings profile is steeper in new technologies, (ii) the discounted present value of lifetime earnings are equalized across technologies, and (iii) the age–earnings profile in newer technologies becomes flatter over time. These predictions find support from a data set spanning a 52-year period beginning in 1861 that matches over 141,000 wage contracts accepted by merchant mariners to the technologies with which they worked. As a by-product, the paper reports some of the oldest evidence yet made available of the returns to literacy.
Write-noise relaxation in magnetic film memories

In magnetic film memories incorporating a metal ground plate, the write noise, i.e., the sense-line voltage caused by application of the bit-current pulse, has a long "tail." By an analysis of pulse propagation along a conductor with rectangular cross section above a stratified ground plate, it is shown that 1) the slow decay of the write noise is due to current diffusion into the ground plate, and 2) the time derivative of the write noise, which should be as small as possible for best rejection by the sense system, can be considerably reduced by a) an appropriate stratification of the ground plate, and b) keeping the ground plate at a low temperature. The most effective stratified ground plate consists of a top layer of copper separated from the substrate by a layer of a ferromagnetic conductor such as Permalloy. The relative permeability of the Permalloy layer μ r need not be greater than 100. If \mu_{r} = 100 , a Permalloy thickness of ≳ 1.5 microns makes the electrical properties of the ground plate independent of the substrate material. The optimum thickness of the copper layer is a function of the time interval between the end of the bit pulse and readout. A thick copper ground plate at liquid-nitrogen temperature is almost as effective in reducing the noise-voltage slope as the best stratified ground plate at room temperature.
Internal sinus manipulation (ISM) procedure: a technical report.

Background The sinus augmentation procedure has facilitated dental implant treatment in the posterior maxilla where there is insufficient bone for implant placement. A modified Caldwell-Luc, lateral window technique can be applied in most cases needing sinus augmentation in order to create a larger bone volume. However, treatment morbidity can be a concern, especially in the form of postoperative swelling due to surgical trauma. Vertical augmentation using osteotomes has also been selected as a choice of treatment due to less invasive surgery and less postoperative trauma. Although the osteotome technique enables the surgeon to raise the sinus membrane internally through an implant osteotomy site, the quantity and predictability of bone augmentation can be limiting due to the elasticity of the Schneiderian sinus membrane, difficulty of the membrane to separate from the floor as well as the inability to have direct tactile access to “peel” the membrane off of the floor. Purpose The objective of this report is to present a new, minimally invasive sinus augmentation technique, called the Internal Sinus Manipulation (ISM) procedure, which has been developed to facilitate sinus floor augmentation while reducing treatment morbidity and yet have direct tactile access to raise the membrane off of the sinus floor. Surgical Technique Access to the Schneiderian sinus membrane is achieved without perforation of the membrane through a conventional osteotomy drilling procedure alone or combined with osteotome technique, followed by reflection of the membrane utilizing special ISM instrumentation and bone graft procedure laterally and vertically through the osteotomy site. A planned implant is then placed. Conclusion The Internal Sinus Manipulation procedure can be used as an alternative treatment modality for sinus augmentation as compared to the external lateral window technique while reducing postoperative morbidity for the patients who need implant treatment in posterior maxillary areas.
Reaching ELLs at Risk: Instruction for Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education.

The United States is receiving unprecedented numbers of immigrants, with a parallel increase in the number of English-language learners (ELLs) entering our schools. Many of these ELLs are students with limited or interrupted formal education who face great challenges, especially at the secondary level where they have little time to master academic content, develop literacy skills, and build English proficiency. Fundamental to school success for these students is their need to adjust to culturally different ways of learning. In this article, the authors examine salient academic and cultural issues and describe a new instructional model to help teachers adapt their instruction to facilitate the active engagement of this student population, as well as transition them to the learning environment of the U.S. educational system.
Physical barriers for suppression of movement of adult stink bugs into cotton

Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), and Chinavia hilaris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are economic pests of cotton in the southeastern USA. Because adult stink bugs exhibit edge-mediated dispersal at crop-to-crop interfaces as they colonize cotton, strategic placement of physical barriers at these interfaces could manage these pests. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a physical barrier, either synthetic or plant-based, at the peanut-to-cotton interface for suppressing stink bugs that would move to cotton. In 2012 and 2013, sorghum sudangrass (2.4 and 2.1 m high, respectively) was significantly taller than cotton (1.4 and 1.3 m high, respectively) which was taller than peanut (0.4 and 0.5 m high, respectively). Buckwheat (0.6 m high), planted only in 2012, was significantly taller than peanut, but shorter than cotton. For both years of the study, sorghum sudangrass and a 1.8-m-high polypropylene barrier wall effectively deterred dispersal of stink bugs into cotton. Because each of these barriers was taller than cotton, their success in protecting cotton likely was due to disruption of the flight of stink bugs from low-growing peanut into cotton. The shortest barrier wall (0.6-m-high) did not suppress stink bug dispersal into cotton probably because it was approximately the same height as peanut. In 2012, flowering buckwheat increased the efficacy of Trichopoda pennipes (F.) attacking N. viridula in cotton although it did not deter dispersal of stink bugs. In conclusion, a barrier at least as tall as cotton can effectively retard the entry of stink bug adults into cotton.
Iterative sequential decoding

It is shown that use of a two-stage decoding procedure consisting simply of an inner stage of block decoding and an outer stage employing a single sequential decoder does not result in an improvement in the computational overflow problem for the sequential decoder. Improvement can, however, result from use of multiple sequential decoders or use of a single sequential decoder with appropriate scrambling. Although the performance improvement resulting from application of these techniques to the additive white Gaussian noise channel is not significant, implementation and rate advantages make iterative sequential decoding techniques worth pursuing. Ia particular, with these techniques, a sequential decoder for a binary symmetric channel can be used regardless of the physical channel characteristics. Such a "universal" decoder is expected to be both simple and capable of high rate operation.
Emergency medicine animal research: does use of randomization and blinding affect the results?

Objectives: It has been shown that human clinical trials that lack randomization (RND) or blinding (BLD) often overestimate the magnitude of treatment effects. However, no studies have evaluated the effect of RND and BLD on animal research. The authors' objectives were to determine the proportion of animal studies presented at a national academic emergency medicine meeting that utilize randomization, blinding, or both; and to determine whether failure to employ these techniques changes the likelihood of observing a difference between treatment groups. Methods: Two trained researchers reviewed abstracts presented at the 1997–2001 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) annual meetings using a standard data collection sheet. Studies that used an animal or cell line, compared two or more study groups, and measured an effect caused by the intervention or drugs were included. Studies were classified as randomized (RND+) if any part of the experiment involved random assignment of subjects to treatment groups, blinded (BLD+) if any assessment of the outcome was made by an investigator blinded to treatment group, and outcome-positive (Outcome+) if any difference between the study groups met the author's definition of significant. Following the initial review, differences in classification were resolved by consensus. The association between outcome and study methodology (RND, BLD or both) was measured using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: A total of 2,592 studies were published as abstracts. Three hundred eighty-nine were animal studies, and 290 of these studies had two or more study groups. RND− and BLD− studies were more likely to be Outcome+ than RND+ or BLD+ studies (OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.7 to 6.9 and OR = 3.2; 95% CI = 1.3 to 7.7, respectively). When studies that used both RND and BND were compared with studies that used neither, the OR for a positive study was 5.2 (95% CI = 2.0 to 13.5). Conclusions: These results suggest that animal studies that do not utilize RND and BLD are more likely to report a difference between study groups than studies that employ these methods.
Pre-Crisis Conditions and Government Policy Responses: Chile and Mexico during the Great Recession

Chile and Mexico experienced extraordinary economic and social improvements over the first decade of the twenty-first century. Nonetheless, the 2008–2009 international crisis dramatically affected these two economies via real channels. Both countries reacted to the external shock by implementing several measures. However – thanks to the policies implemented during the period before the crisis – the Chilean government enjoyed more fiscal space and was able to introduce a stimulus package twice as large the Mexican one. In particular, Chile supported families with children via the expansion of the main social protection programme, additional cash transfers to the poorest families with children and passive labour market measures. In contrast, the worsening of fiscal conditions pushed Mexico into a fiscal consolidation process since 2010. As a result, child poverty dropped in Chile while it rose sharply in Mexico.
Satellite solar occultation sounding of the middle atmosphere

This paper discusses the principles, achievements, and prospects for satellite solar occultation sounding of the middle atmosphere. Advantages, disadvantages, and spatial and temporal coverage capabilities are described. Progress over the past 15 years is reviewed, and results from a recent satellite aerosol experiment are presented. Questions with regard to Doppler shift, atmospheric refraction, instrument pointing, pressure sensing, and measurement of diurnally active species are addressed. Two experiments now orbiting on the Nimbus-7 and AEM-B satellites, and approved experiments under development for future flights on Spacelab and the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, are also described. In some cases more than one experiment is scheduled to be flown on the same spacecraft, and the advantages and synergistic effects of these applications are discussed.
Osteochondrosis of the lateral trochlear ridge of the talus in seven Rottweiler dogs

Eleven lesions of osteochondrosis in the lateral trochlear ridge of the talus were diagnosed in seven young Rottweiler dogs. Diagnosis was based on clinical and radiographic evaluations. Defects in the lateral trochlear ridge and osteochondral fragments arising from the dorsal and proximal margins of the ridge were visible radiographically. The dorsal 45 degrees lateral-plantaromedial oblique (D45 degrees L-P1MO) projection was the most useful in identifying the lesions. Exploratory arthrotomies were performed in six affected tarsi. In three cases, histologic examination revealed mineralized osteochondral fragments consistent with a diagnosis of osteochondrosis.
Maternal psychosocial risks predict preterm birth in a group of women from Appalachia

Abstract Objectives : to identify and evaluate which psychosocial criteria are associated with preterm birth in a midwifery model of risk in pregnancy. Design: a quantitative study with a prospective correlational research design. Setting: women attending three prenatal clinics in East Tennessee. Participants: 120 pregnant women between 16 and 28 weeks gestation. The majority of the clinics' clients were from rural Appalachia. Measurements and findings: multiple logistic regression statistical analysis revealed that women with symptoms of depression, lower levels of self-esteem, or a negative perception of pregnancy had significantly higher odds of delivering a preterm baby. Key conclusions and implications for practice: these findings suggest the importance of screening for psychosocial risk factors in pregnancy. Interventions to address these psychosocial risks could improve maternal psychosocial health, maintain continuity of midwifery care, and reduce the incidence of preterm birth.
Susceptibility loci revealed for bovine respiratory disease complex in pre-weaned holstein calves

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is an infectious disease of cattle that is caused by a combination of viral and/or bacterial pathogens. Selection for cattle with reduced susceptibility to respiratory disease would provide a permanent tool for reducing the prevalence of BRDC. The objective of this study was to identify BRDC susceptibility loci in pre-weaned Holstein calves as a prerequisite to using genetic improvement as a tool for decreasing the prevalence of BRDC. High density SNP genotyping with the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip was conducted on 1257 male and 757 female Holstein calves from California (CA), and 767 calves identified as female from New Mexico (NM). Of these, 1382 were classified as BRDC cases, and 1396 were classified as controls, with all phenotypes assigned using the McGuirk health scoring system. During the acquisition of blood for DNA isolation, two deep pharyngeal and one mid-nasal diagnostic swab were obtained from each calf for the identification of bacterial and viral pathogens. Genome-wide association analyses were conducted using four analytical approaches (EIGENSTRAT, EMMAX-GRM, GBLUP and FvR). The most strongly associated SNPs from each individual analysis were ranked and evaluated for concordance. The heritability of susceptibility to BRDC in pre-weaned Holstein calves was estimated. The four statistical approaches produced highly concordant results for 373 top ranked SNPs that defined 126 chromosomal regions for the CA population. Similarly, in NM, 370 SNPs defined 138 genomic regions that were identified by all four approaches. When the two populations were combined (i.e., CA + NM) and analyzed, 324 SNPs defined 116 genomic regions that were associated with BRDC across all analytical methods. Heritability estimates for BRDC were 21% for both CA and NM as individual populations, but declined to 13% when the populations were combined. Four analytical approaches utilizing both single and multi-marker association methods revealed common genomic regions associated with BRDC susceptibility that can be further characterized and used for genomic selection. Moderate heritability estimates were observed for BRDC susceptibility in pre-weaned Holstein calves, thereby supporting the application of genomic selection to reduce the prevalence of BRDC in U.S. Holsteins.
Gastrointestinal pH profile in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome.

Aim To investigate the small bowel pH profile and small intestine transit time (SITT) in healthy controls and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods Nine IBS patients (3 males, mean age 35 yr) and 10 healthy subjects (6 males, mean age 33 yr) were studied. Intestinal pH profile and SITT were assessed by a wireless motility pH and pressure capsule (Smart Pill). Mean pH values were measured in the small intestine (SI) and compared both within and between groups. Data presented as mean or median, ANOVA, P <0.05 for significance. Results We found the pH for the first (Q1), second (Q2), third (Q3), and fourth quartile (Q4) of the SI in healthy versus IBS patients was 5.608 ± 0.491 vs. 5.667 ± 0.297, 6.200 ± 0.328 vs. 6.168 ± 0.288, 6.679 ± 0.316 vs. 6.741 ± 0.322, and 6.884 ± 0.200 vs. 6.899 ± 0.303, respectively. We found no significant group difference in pH per quartile (P=0.7979). The proximal SI was significantly more acidic, compared to distal segments, in both healthy subjects and IBS patients (P<0.0001). We found no significant difference in the measured SITT between IBS and control groups with a mean SITT of 218.56 ± 59.60 min and 199.20 ± 82.31 min, respectively (P=0.55). Conclusion This study shows the presence of a gradient of pH along the SI, in both IBS and healthy subjects, the distal being less acidic. These finding may be of importance in small bowel homeostasis.
The Role of Firms in Fostering Within Country Migration Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India 1

High ability individuals can be constrained from commensurate employment opportunities due to their geographic location. In the face of physical, informational and social barriers to migration, firms with nation-wide hiring practices can benefit from facilitating the migration of high ability individuals from low employment districts to regions with better employment opportunities. We exploit a natural experiment within an Indian technology firm where the pre-existence of a talent allocation protocol allows us to isolate the relation between an employee’s prior home town/village and subsequent performance within the firm. Using unique personnel data for entry level undergraduates and leveraging the fact that the assignment of an employee to one of many technology centers within the firm is uncorrelated to observable characteristics of the employee, we find that employees hired from low employment districts (remote employees) out-perform their non-remote counterparts in the short term. They continue to outperform their non-remote counterparts in the long term once we control for the distance of migration. As a possible explanation of our result, we test for selection and find that employees hired from low employment districts outperform their non-remote counterparts in standardized verbal and logical tests at the recruitment stage. To explain why the firm might be more likely to select high ability individuals from remote districts, we additionally conduct a survey of randomly selected urban and rural colleges and document statistically significant differences in employment opportunities for rural and urban graduates. Our survey results also indicate that not every firm follows the policy of hiring from low-employment districts.
Datapath-oriented FPGA mapping and placement for configurable computing

Widespread acceptance of FPGA-based reconfigurable coprocessors will be expedited if compilation time for FPGA configurations can be reduced to be comparable to software compilation. This research achieves this goal, generating complete datapath layouts in fractions of a second rather than hours. Our algorithm, adapted from instruction selection in compilers, packs multiple operations into single rows of CLBs when possible, while preserving a regular bit-slice layout. Furthermore, placement and thus routing delays are considered simultaneously with packing, so that the total delay, not just the CLB delay, is optimized.
Inmate Sincerity via Community Reentry

While numerous states have programs within their prisons, community reentry-to-society is a topical area of focus. These programs require little operational funding but have a direct impact on rehabilitation of inmates. Reentry often involves outside volunteers who share invaluable lessons with inmates. With the use of precious correctional resources at issue perpetually, this study is important in examining the validity of a portion of the reentry application forms used in an Arkansas state reentry program. Findings should be of use to corrections officials, researchers and those with any interest in rehabilitation.
Impact of spectrum aggregation technology and frequency on cellular networks performance

Spectrum Aggregation (SA) technology has been introduced in cellular standards: Long Term Evolution (LTE)-Advanced is expected to aggregate multiple Component Carriers (CC) to fulfill the high data rate requirement. In this paper, we use simulation to compare the performance of a cellular system using spectrum aggregation to systems that operates carriers independently, and to systems with contiguous spectrum. We vary a large number of assumptions to generate a comprehensive picture of spectrum aggregation's impact on cellular network performance. Under spectrum aggregation, users are assigned resource blocks from across all carriers. For Independent Carrier (IC) systems we model a simple carrier selection technique, which assigns a single carrier to each user. To fully understand the impact of SA, spectrum allocation is varied from contiguous to fragmented carriers across bands ranging from UHF to 2.6 GHz. This creates multiple network scenarios including intra-band and inter-band spectrum aggregation systems. Results show that LTE systems that use spectrum aggregation over fragmented blocks of spectrum can have better performance compared to independent carrier systems. Moreover, at low inter-site distances, the performance of inter-band SA is equivalent to that of contiguous low band spectrum, and superior to contiguous high band spectrum.
Development of a New Approach to Forecasting Demand

Low income elasticity of demand for food and decreasing variations in consumption due to degrees of urbanization have depreciated the usefulness of income and urbanization for forecasting demand. This article reports some preliminary investigations and reviews earlier research pertinent to the possibility that moderately high income families may act as forerunners of changes in demand and consumption. Also, the author outlines a preliminary conceptual framework for analysis of family consumer behavior. Measurement of the interrelationships indicated by this framework may provide valuable clues for forecasting changes in the way Americans will live as they respond to a wide range of economic, technological, and social changes.