cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
De-embedding errors due to inaccurate test fixture characterization

Making high quality vector network analyzer (VNA) measurement is relatively easy with standard coaxial connectors. However, in RF or high speed interconnect applications, test fixtures are usually required to connect the standard coaxial connectors to the device under test (DUT). The test fixtures need to be characterized first and then de-embedded to reveal the measured S parameters of the DUT. A good test fixture design is critical to the measurement accuracy of DUT. In this paper, the de-embedding error due to in-accurate fixture characterization is analyzed. Examples are given to show that for test fixtures with large insertion loss and return loss, a small error in the fixture characterization can lead to significantly larger error in the deembedded result of the DUT.
Non-linear propagation of waves induced by general vibrations of plates

Abstract First-order uniform expansions for the non-linear propagation of waves induced by general motions of plates are obtained. The method of renormalization is used to determine the non-linear propagation of two waves and 2N waves in a lossless medium. The strained co-ordinates contain terms that account for the effects of self-interaction and mutual interaction of the waves. The mutual interaction terms are negligible if the induced waves are pulses or periodic functions. The method of multiple scales is used to determine the propagation of two waves in a thermoviscous medium. The result consists of two uncoupled equations that can be reduced to Burgers' equations. They account for the effects of dissipation and self-interaction of the waves but not the effects of mutual interaction. A combination of the methods of renormalization and multiple scales can be used to account for dissipation and all interactions.
Wave Function Representation for the Generalized Eigenstates of SU(1, 1) Noncompact Generators

The SU(1, 1) algebra is represented by a two bosonic operator realization. This allows one to obtain a remarkable simplification of the SU(1, 1) noncompact generator eigenvectors by representing the Hilbert space basis in terms of two harmonic oscillator wave functions.
Coupled-cluster, unitary coupled-cluster and MBPT(4) open-shell analytical gradient methods

Abstract We report open-shell analytical gradient methods and results for the high-level many-body methods, full fourth-order MBPT, coupled-cluster doubles, and the recently proposed unitary coupled-cluster method. Examples include vibrational frequencies and dipole moments of 3 B 1 CH 2 , 2 B 1 NH 2 , and 3 B 1 SiH 2 in polarized basis sets.
Computational Aids for Determining the Minimal Form of a Truth Function

The literature concerned with methods for finding the minimal form of a truth function is, by now, quite extensive. This article extends this knowledge by introducing an algorithm whereby all calculations are performed on decimal numbers obtained from binary-decimal conversion of the terms of the Boolean function. Several computational aids are presented for the purpose of adapting this algorithm to the solution of large-scale problems on a digital computer.
"Material, Package and Mold Design Technology Development for Miniature Packages"

As the semiconductor world moves towards miniaturization of every possible component; the package design rules and material needs are constantly being challenged. This is because, the package is getting weaker due to aggressive size reduction and smaller mold compound to package size ratio. A study is conducted on package design robustness with package footprint size of 1.0 mm x 0.80 mm and molded body size of 0.80 mm x 0.60 mm x 0.50 mm thick; lead pitch 0.35 mm. this is 1/4th of the size of SOT-563. Three type of internal lead design were studied for package strength, better mold locking and having maximum mold compound around leads. This report discusses the effect of two mold gate location; one on package side and the other in-between leads, on package chip, gate remain and moldability. It also discusses the findings during package trim and singulation whereby the singulation punch to molded body distance is 0.100 mm. The report also share mold compound formulation DOE, studying the effects of filler quantity, coupling agent, filler size, filler type and resin type on moldability and package strength. Mold Compound and lead frame design is selected based on moldability and the package robustness at various processes. Miniature Package design rules has been established for lead frame design, mold design, trim design and compound selection.
A method for coupling cytomegalovirus antigens to aldehyde-fixed erythrocytes for use in passive hemagglutination.

Abstract A method for coupling cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens to aldehyde-fixed erythrocytes for use in a passive hemagglutination assay for antibody to CMV is described. This method uses acid buffer instead of tannic acid for coupling CMV-complement fixation (CF) antigen to the stabilized cells. The coated cells are stable for at least 6 mth at −70°C and for 5 days at 4°C. This provides an inexpensive reagent having a sensitivity for anti-CMV detection which compares favorably with that of the CF test and enzyme immunoassay.
Photophysics properties of blue-emitting polymers

Abstract We report on an extensive spectroscopic study of thin films of two blue-emitting π-conjugated polymers (PCP), namely ladder-type poly-para-phenylene (mLPPP) and polyfluorene (PFO). In our work, we employed several continuous-wave (cw) spectroscopic techniques, such as absorption, photoluminescence (PL), photoinduced absorption (PA) and PA detected magnetic resonance (PADMR). We have obtained PA spectra measured over a very broad spectral range from 0.05 to 2.5 eV and identify PA bands related to triplet excitons and charged polarons, respectively. We found that the low energy polaron PA band, P1 peaks at unusually low photon energy, indicative of small relaxation energy for polarons in these materials. Similar results were obtained for high-mobility, highly ordered films of regio-regular poly-hexyl-thiophene (RR-P3HT), where the polarons are delocalized in two dimensions. In fact, the P1 band is so low that it overlaps in photon energy with the photoinduced infra-red active vibrations (IRAVs) in the PA spectrum, consequently, this leads to the formation of anti-resonances between IRAVs and the electronic band, which are sharp lines that appear as dips superimposed on the PA band. The spin 1/2 PADMR technique takes advantage of the dependence of the polaron recombination rate on the spin state of the recombining pairs of polarons. The origin of the spin-dependent recombination rate is a considerable difference in nature between singlet and triplet excitons in polymers, which are the two possible by-products of oppositely charged polaron recombination. The motivation for the PADMR study is the great importance of spin-dependent formation cross-sections to commercial light emitting diodes (LED) application. These cross-sections directly determine the maximum possible electroluminescence quantum efficiency (ELQE) for LEDs that are made from these polymers. We found that the ELQE may approach 60% for the blue-emitting polymers.
Recurrent phenotypic selection for forage yield in rye

Little progress has been made in the past 20 years in improvement of rye (Secale cereale L.) forage yields. In 1985, a recurrent phenotypic selection procedure was initiated to improve forage yield of ‘Wrens Abruzzi’ (WAL-Cycle 0) rye. The selection procedure included visual selection of spaced plants, grid selection, maintenance of a relatively large population size, bi-parental selection, a one-year cycle interval, and intermating of selected plants in isolation. Cycle four of selection in the WAL population was completed in 1989. Experiments were conducted from 1987 to 1990 to evaluate progress from selection over the first four selection cycles and quantify the association between visual forage potential ratings and fresh plant weight. Wrens Abruzzi rye and Cycle 1, 2, 3, and 4 populations were evaluated over a 2 year period in space-plant population progress trials at Tifton, GA. Wrens Abruzzi was evaluated in comparison to WAL-C1 (9 environments). WAL-C2 (18 env.), WAL-C3 (16 env.), WAL-C4 (5 env.) and rye check cultivars in small-plot clipping trials in a set of 36 southern U.S. environments. Spaced-plant evaluation indicated forage yield gains of 6 to 7% per cycle with little change in population variation. In seeded small-plot clipping evaluations WAL-C1, WAL-C2, and WAL-C3 produced similar or slightly higher forage yields as WAL-C0, but WAL-C4 produced 9 to 12% higher forage yields than WAL-C0. Available data from WAL-Cycles 1 to 4 indicates that forage yield gains in small-plot evaluation are 2 to 3% per cycle. High positive correlations between visual plant potential ratings and plant fresh weights indicate that visual selection is effective in identifying high-yielding rye phenotypes.
Persistent cauda equina syndrome following bilateral aortoiliac dissection as a complication of cardiac angiography

Cardiac angiography is accepted as an invasive yet safe procedure with well-characterized complications. We present a complication heretofore not described to our knowledge, in which a patient experienced the cauda equina syndrome following bilateral aortoiliac dissection during cardiac angiography. Similarities are noted between this complication and those documented in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery.
Improved photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy

In order to evaluate the effect of substituents in photosensitizing activity, a series of long wavelength absorbing photosensitizers related to pyropheophorbides, bacteriopheophorbides, and benzoporphyrin derivatives were synthesized. Pheophorbide dimers, covalently joining two molecules of pyropheophorbide-a and bacteriopheophorbide-a with lysine as a cross-link were also prepared. The syntheses and spectroscopic properties of these compounds are discussed. Some of these compounds were tested for in vivo photosensitizing activity vis-a-vis Photofrin IITM, using the standard screening system of DBA/2 mice bearing transplanted SMT/F tumors. The preliminary in vivo results suggest that replacement of substituents at peripheral positions of the macrocycles causes a significant difference in photosensitizing efficacy.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Swim bladder volume maintenance related to initial oceanic migratory depth in silver-phase Anguilla rostrata

Gas deposition rates in the swim bladders of postmetamorphic (silver) Anguilla rostrata eels are about five times greater than those of premetamorphic (yellow) individuals. This extends the maximum depth at which silver eels can maintain swim bladder volume and prepares them for their spawning migration to the Sargasso Sea.
Photoluminescence study of native defects in annealed GaAs

Abstract Low temperature (6°K) photoluminescence measurements have been performed on GaAs annealed under various conditions, to study defects generated by outdiffusion of the constituent atoms. Several defect-related luminescence peaks have been observed and associated with Ga and As outdiffusion. The outdiffusion of these elements during annealing to 850°C in vacuum and with Ga or As overpressure and SiO 2 coatings is studied by monitoring the intensities of these peaks.
Scale-space features for object detection

In many applications, such as remote sensing or target detection, the target objects are small, compact blobs. In the images discussed in this paper these objects are only 6 or fewer pixels across, and the images contain noise and clutter which is similar in appearance to the targets. Since so few pixels comprise an object, the object shape is uncertain, so common shape features are unreliable. To distinguish targets from clutter, features which make use of scale-space have proven useful. The scale-space of an image is a sequence of Gauss-filtered versions of the image, using increasing scales from one image to the next. Experiments show that object features calculated at a single scale. Various moments of the value of the Laplacian at the centroid of a blob were particularly effective for some targets.
Weight Loss and the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Using Lifestyle Therapy, Pharmacotherapy, and Bariatric Surgery: Mechanisms of Action

Weight loss, whether achieved by lifestyle intervention, pharmacotherapy, or bariatric surgery, is highly effective as a primary interventional strategy in both the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. In high-risk patients with prediabetes and/or metabolic syndrome, weight loss effectively prevents progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and improves cardiovascular risk factors. These benefits are the result of improvements in insulin resistance, which is central to the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic disease. In patients with T2DM, weight loss improves glycemia, while reducing the need for conventional glucose-lowering medicines, by affecting all three processes that produce and sustain the hyperglycemic state, namely via increments in peripheral insulin sensitivity with improvements in insulin signal transduction at the cellular level, more robust insulin secretory responses, and reduced rates of hepatic glucose production. In both nondiabetic and diabetic subjects, hypocaloric feeding (e.g., treatment with very low-calorie diet or bariatric surgery) produces a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity due to mobilization of fat from the intramyocellular, intrahepatocellular, and intra-abdominal compartments, and via a more long-term mechanism that correlates with the loss of total body fat. In diabetes, by improving glycemia, weight loss also enhances glucose homeostasis by reversing the defects in insulin action and secretion attributable to glucose toxicity. Regardless of the therapeutic approach, weight loss of ∼ 10 % maximally prevents future diabetes in patients with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. In T2DM, greater degrees of weight loss lead to progressive improvements in glucose homeostasis. Therefore, when accompanied by greater weight loss, the metabolic benefits following bariatric surgery are generally more pronounced than those achieved following lifestyle and medical treatment. In addition, the mechanisms by which bariatric operations improve diabetes may include both weight-dependent and weight-independent mechanisms, and the latter may involve changes in gut hormones, bile acids, or gut microflora.
A Global Dataset of Palmer Drought Severity Index for 1870–2002: Relationship with Soil Moisture and Effects of Surface Warming

A monthly dataset of Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) from 1870 to 2002 is derived using historical precipitation and temperature data for global land areas on a 2.58 grid. Over Illinois, Mongolia, and parts of China and the former Soviet Union, where soil moisture data are available, the PDSI is significantly correlated (r 5 0.5 to 0.7) with observed soil moisture content within the top 1-m depth during warm-season months. The strongest correlation is in late summer and autumn, and the weakest correlation is in spring, when snowmelt plays an important role. Basin-averaged annual PDSI covary closely (r 5 0.6 to 0.8) with streamflow for seven of world’s largest rivers and several smaller rivers examined. The results suggest that the PDSI is a good proxy of both surface moisture conditions and streamflow. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the P ← ]
Randomized Phase II Study of Erlotinib Combined With Bevacizumab Compared With Bevacizumab Alone in Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer

Purpose Bevacizumab (Bev) has clinical activity in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and, when combined with erlotinib (Erl), has shown encouraging objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). We performed a phase II, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial to assess whether Erl provides additional clinical benefit with regard to PFS and ORR when combined with Bev in first-line treatment of metastatic RCC. Patients and Methods One hundred four patients received intravenous Bev (10 mg/kg) every 2 weeks in combination with oral Erl (150 mg) or placebo daily. Patients were treated until progression or toxicity. Results A landmark analysis was performed 9 months after enrollment was completed (median follow-up, 9.8 months). Sixty-five patients had discontinued therapy; time to study discontinuation did not differ between the two treatment groups. The median PFS was 9.9 months (Bev + Erl [B+E]) versus 8.5 months (Bev; hazard ratio = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.5 to 1.49; P ...
Enzymes of the Tryptophan Pathway in Three Bacillus Species

The tryptophan synthetic pathway was characterized in three species of Bacillus, B. subtilis, B. pumilus, and B. alvei. They share the common features of a pathway which is subject to tryptophan repression, contains no unexpected complexes among the five enzymes, exhibits dissociable anthranilate synthase enzymes which do not require phosphoribosyl transferase for amidetransfer activity, contains separate indoleglycerol phosphate synthase and phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase enzymes, and contains similar tryptophan synthetase multimers. In looking at these characteristics in detail however, differences among the three species became apparent, as, for example, in the complementation observed between the α and β2 components of tryptophan synthetase, and the dissociation patterns of the large and small components of anthranilate synthase. The results demonstrate some pitfalls in attempting to compare multimeric enzymes in crude extracts from different organisms.
Asymptotics of the eigenvalues of the rotating harmonic oscillator

Abstract The eigenenergies λ of a radial Schrodinger equation associated with the problem of a rotating harmonic oscillator are studied, these being values which admit eigensolutions which vanish at both the origin (a regular singularity of the equation) and at infinity. Asymptotic expansions, for the case where a coupling parameter α is small, are derived for λ. The approximation for λ consists of two components, an asymptotic expansion in powers of α, and a single term which is exponentially small (which can be associated with tunneling effects). The method of proof is rigorous, and utilizes three separate asymptotic approximations for the eigenfunction in the complex radial plane, involving elementary functions (WKB or Liouville-Green approximations), a modified Bessel function and a parabolic cylinder function.
Induction of Retinal Degeneration in Cats by Methylnitrosourea and Ketamine Hydrochloride

Persistent mydriasis seen in cats used in an oncology study apparently was not related to neoplasia. Opthalmoscopically, the cats had severely atrophic retinas and clinically observable visual impairment. These findings were confirmed by electroretinographic and histologic examination. Cats with these retinal lesions had received combinations of methyl- nitrosourea, ketamine hydrochloride, and feline leukemia virus. Retinopathy was not seen in ketamine-anesthetized cats receiving feline leukemia virus. To test the nature of this phenom- enon, four cats were given both drugs and three received methylnitrosourea alone. The four cats developed severe generalized retinal degeneration by day 5, whereas the three cats given methylnitrosourea alone had normal retinas. Histologic changes in the affected cats were extensive loss of rods and cones, and of the outer nuclear layer. The electroretinographic responses to white light were depressed or extinguished. Retinal degeneration, therefore, appeared to be dependent upon administration of both methylnitrosourea and ketamine hydrochloride. N-methyl N-nitrosourea, which belongs to the acylalkyl group of nitrosamides, is a neurotropic, resorptive carcinogen that produces brain neoplasms in rodents following parenteral injection (lo, 11, 14, 311. The route of administration, dose levels, and the time interval between doses of methylnitrosourea are dependent variables that affect the incidence, type, and location of tumors, and the proportion of neural to nonneural tumors (lo, 25, 32, 341. Intravenous administration of methylnitrosourea typically produces central nervous system neoplasms in several species (lo, 14, 161, whereas other routes cause tumor development at the site of administration and in the brain. The cat is resistant to the induction of tumor development by methylnitrosourea. We know of no reports on the effect of methyl- nitrosourea on development of ocular neoplasms or on the induction of ocular lesions in rodents or cats. We reported recently that adult cats receiving methylnitrosourea had greater susceptibility to feline leukemia virus infection and subsequent development of lymphosarcoma (23, 241. Ketamine was used for restraint to facilitate intravenous injection of methylnitrosourea. During these studies (23, 241, we saw persistent mydriasis in cats given methylnitrosourea, with or without feline leukemia virus,
Pseudotetraploid Clone with Structural Chromosomal Rearrangements in a Chondromyxoid Fibroma: A Case Report:

Chondromyxoid fibroma is a rare benign tumor accounting for 1-2% of primary bone tumors. Most of the patients are young males in the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Metaphyses of long bones are predominantly affected. The histology of this tumor is well established, but its genetic mechanism remains poorly characterized. To our knowledge, only 22 abnormal cytogenetic analyses have been reported, and all contained diploidy or near-diploidy karyograms as their primary event, and inv(6)(p25)(q13) and rearrangements involving regions 6p23-25, 6q12-15, and 6q23-27 constituted a recurrent observation. In this report, a pseudotetraploidy tumor clone with multiple numerical and structural aberrations involving 6p23 as well as other chromosomal loci was identified in a chondromyxoid fibroma from the metaphysis of the left fibula of an 18-year-old male, which has not been reported. The finding may relate to the atypical-looking large cells often seen in this benign tumor.
ANDRéE TABOURET-KELLER (ed.), Les noms des langues, I: Les enjeux de la nomination des langues . (Bibliothèque des Cahiers de l'Institut de Linguistique de Louvain, 95). Louvain: Peeters, 1997. Pp. 274. FB 960.

This collection of articles is the first in a projected series on the topic of language names – glottonyms, or occasionally glossonyms. The present volume owes its impetus to a 1994 colloquium organized by the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique, Universite de Bretagne Occidentale. The book offers a reasonable treatment of general issues, but most of the authors treat European, particularly Western European, cases. As the subtitle of the volume indicates, the focus here is claimed to be largely a social one, having to do with the political, ideological, and social aspects of language naming. The book consists of an introduction by the editor, followed by four sections.
RDA Training and Implementation at the University of Chicago: An Interview with Christopher Cronin

In December 2012, Eric Hanson interviewed Christopher Cronin, director of technical services at the University of Chicago, about their participation as an RDA test partner and issues surrounding RDA training and implementation.
Ultrafast Dynamics in the Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer Excited-State Evolution of [Ru(4,4`-diphenyl-2,2`-bipyridine)3]2+

The transition metal complexes [Ru(dmb)3]2+ and [Ru(dpb)3]2+, where dmb is 4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine and dpb is 4,4‘-diphenyl-2,2‘-bipyridine, have been studied by femtosecond visible electronic absorption spectroscopy. Spectroelectrochemical measurements in conjunction with nanosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy allow for the assignment of various features in the excited-state differential absorption spectra as both ligand-based π* ← π* and ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) in nature. A unique absorptive feature centered at ∼ 530 nm in [Ru(dpb)3]2+ was identified as an optical marker for the thermalized (and hence fully intraligand delocalized) excited state. Single wavelength and full spectrum transient absorption data were obtained on both molecules in CH3CN solution at room temperature following metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excitation at 400 nm. Data on [Ru(dmb)3]2+ at 532 nm, a region of net excited-state absorption, revealed biphasic decay kinetics (∼120 fs and 5 ps) att...
Ancient farming in eastern North America

Answers to one of the great archaeological questions are changing. The origins of agriculture have been a centerpiece of research for many years. Specific what, where, and when questions are being resolved. Recent years have seen an extraordinary burst of new information about this fascinating subject (1–3). Today, there are at least 10 recognized regions in the world where different species of plants and animals were first domesticated (Fig. 1). Various theories have arisen over the last century and a half to explain how and why this happened, but no consensus has emerged. A variety of causal factors have been explored as potential drivers for domestication: climate change, carbon dioxide increases, population growth, developments in human cognition, ideology, and increasing social complexity and differentiation (4–8). New information from the eastern United States in the article by Smith and Yarnell in this issue of PNAS (9) provides much food for thought.
Forests, Fuel, or Food? Competing Coalitions and Biofuels Policy Making in the Philippines

The first country in Southeast Asia to enact legislation on biofuels, the Republic of the Philippines is recognized as a model for its decisive mandates in this area. This article uses the Philippine case to elucidate how competition among policy coalitions plays out in the formation and change of biofuels policy. Through content analysis of newspaper articles and government documents published from 2002 to 2009, we identify four active discourse coalitions: Biofuels Proponents, Technical Viability, Food Security, and Forest Conservation. Together, these coalitions maintain the political salience of biofuel debates in the Philippines. In these debates, the Forest Conservation coalition was particularly weak, resulting in its relative inability to influence the country’s biofuels policy. Its weakness may be attributed to perceptions among policy makers and the general public that forest conservation has no immediate socioeconomic relevance, and that, given their dismal state, primary forestlands across muc...
Steroidogenic activities of purified alpha, beta, gamma, delta-corticotropins and pepsin degradation products of beta-corticotropin.

The adrenocorticotropic activity of the purified corticotropins α1, α2, α3, β γ1 γ2, δ1 has been determined vs. the U.S.P. Reference Standard for corticotropin in an in vitro assay based on corticoidogenesis. The potencies of these various preparations in U.S.P. u./mg. were: α1 = 11.2±2.1; α3 = 34.0±2.8; α4 = 25.8±5.1; β = 94.5±10.6; γ1 = 11.6±2.0;γ2= 21.7 + 4.1; 5,δ=27.6±6.9. The pepsin degradation products of/3-corticotropin, P2,3,4 had activities respectively of 27.5±7.9; 31.4±4.7; 21.5 ±10.0, in U.S.P. U./mg. All these preparations had been reported previously to have equal and maximal activity (80–100 U./mg.) in the adrenal ascorbic acid depletion test.
Receptor of advanced glycation end product (RAGE) expression in the minor salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome: a preliminary study.

Objective: Receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) is a cell‐surface receptor with ligands capable of inducing proinflammatory responses in autoimmunity. We investigated the immunohistochemical expression and immunoblotting of RAGE in labial salivary glands from Sjogren's syndrome (SS) patients.Material and methods: Ten minor salivary glands from SS and 15 from normal salivary tissue adjacent to mucocele were stained immunohistochemically using an antibody to RAGE. Immunoblotting was performed on four SS biopsies and four controls from normal gland.Results: Immunohistochemistry showed all sections positive for RAGE. The SS sections did not statistically differ from controls. In immunoblotting, SS samples expressed approximately 100% more RAGE than controls [probability (p)<0.03, Student's t‐test].Conclusions: RAGE is present in the labial salivary glands of both normal and SS patients, with preliminary data suggesting over‐expression in SS tissues. The role of RAGE in the pathogenesis of SS has...
Multinomial processing tree models: An implementation

Multinomial processing tree (MPT) models have been widely used by researchers in cognitive psychology. This paper introduces MBT.EXE, a computer program that makes MPT easy to use for researchers. MBT.EXE implements the statistical theory developed by Hu and Batchelder (1994). This user-friendly software can be used to construct MPT models and conduct statistical inferences, including point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and goodness of fit. Furthermore, this program can be used to examine the robustness of MPT models. Algorithms for parameter estimation, hypothesis testing, and Monte Carlo simulation are presented.
Trouble Reports as an Indicator of Service Quality: The Influence of Competition, Technology, and Regulation

Network trouble reports provide a proxy measure of service quality and network reliability. This paper analyzes the influence of local competition, state-level regulation, new technologies, automation, and mergers on RBOC reports of network trouble. Service quality discrimination between residential and business customers is also analyzed. Results indicate that (1) service quality discrimination between business and residential customers in response to competition may be occurring, (2) alternative regulation plans have not led to systematic increases in network trouble, and (3) merger and technology have a consistent impact on repeat trouble.
Examining the Structure of Physical Self-Description Using an American University Sample

(2001). Examining the Structure of Physical Self-Description Using an American University Sample. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 78-83.
MANAGEMENT OF FIBULAR HEMIMELIA: AMPUTATION OR LIMB LENGTHENING

We reviewed retrospectively 22 patients (23 limb segments) with fibular hemimelia treated by amputation or limb lengthening to evaluate these methods of treatment. There were 12 boys and 10 girls, all with associated anomalies in the lower limbs. Twelve patients (13 limb segments) had early amputation and prosthetic fitting and ten had tibial lengthening using the Ilizarov technique. At the latest follow-up, the twelve patients who had amputation were functioning well and had few complications. The ten patients who had lengthening had suffered numerous complications, and all had needed either further corrective surgery or to wear braces or shoe-raises. Two of the ten lengthened limbs required late amputation for poor function or cosmesis. There were fewer hospital admissions, clinic visits, and periods of absence from school in the amputation group. Our findings suggest that amputation is a more effective method of management than limb-lengthening in severe fibular hemimelia. The Ilizarov method is an attractive alternative for selected patients, but its exact role is not yet established. One problem is that families often have unrealistic expectations of the surgical and prosthetic technology available and may refuse amputation when this has been recommended.
Roles of quaternary structure and cysteine residues in the activity of human serine racemase.

Background D-serine is an important coagonist at the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor class of glutamate receptors. It is chiefly synthesized in the CNS by serine racemase (SR). Regulation of SR activity is still poorly understood. As step toward developing reagents and methods for investigating SR in vitro, we analyzed structure-function relationships of a recombinant enzyme of human sequence.
Young infants' reasoning about hidden objects: evidence from violation-of-expectation tasks with test trials only

The present research examined alternative accounts of prior violation-of-expectation (VOE) reports that young infants can represent and reason about hidden objects. According to these accounts, young infants' apparent success in these VOE tasks reflects only novelty and familiarity preferences induced by the habituation or familiarization trials in the tasks. In two experiments, 4-month-old infants were tested in VOE tasks with test trials only. The infants still gave evidence that they could represent and reason about hidden objects: they were surprised, as indicated by greater attention, when a wide object became fully hidden behind a narrow occluder (Experiment 1) or inside a narrow container (Experiment 2). These and control results demonstrate that young infants can succeed at VOE tasks involving hidden objects even when given no habituation or familiarization trials. The present research thus provides additional support for the conclusion that young infants possess expectations about hidden objects. Methodological issues concerning the use of habituation or familiarization trials in VOE tasks are also discussed.
Crisis of the 1980s

There have been three crises since the 1930s: the Agricultural crisis of the 1980s, the S&L crisis in the 1980s and the major financial crisis of 2008. The two crises of the 1980s had many features in common, but were localized. The crisis of 2008 shared the common elements of the earlier two but was more pervasive and severe due to the financial structure that was based upon the housing/mortgage sector. I focus upon the agriculture crisis. How should creditors, banks and bank regulators evaluate and monitor risk of an excessive debt that significantly increases the probability of default? I show how the techniques of stochastic optimal control used in earlier chapters provided early warning signals of the crisis. I compare the S&L crisis to the agricultural crisis.
The C-Terminal Extension That Characterizes Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Ribosomal Protein S6 Is Widespread Among the Culicomorpha

Abstract Eukaryotic ribosomal proteins, which participate in the structure and function of the translational machinery, are generally well conserved. In Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), however, ribosomal protein S6 (RpS6) contains a low-complexity, C-terminal extension that is absent from its homolog in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen and Manduca sexta (L.). To explore the distribution of RpS6 C-terminal extensions in genera phylogenetically closer to mosquitoes than is Drosophila, we recovered cDNAs encoding RpS6 from a phantom midge (Chaoborus sp.), a midge (Chironomus sp.), a blackfly (Simulium sp.), and a phantom crane fly [Bittacomorpha clavipes (F.)]. Sequences of deduced translation products showed that RpS6 extensions occurred only in members of the Culicomorpha, and they were absent from B. clavipes, a member of the Ptychopteromorpha, which forms the sister group to the Culicomorpha. Likewise, the extension did not occur in Telamtoscopus sp., a moth fly classified among the mo...
Clinical Trials of Factor VIII Produced by Recombinant Technology

Hemophilia is a very old disease; references to a bleeding disorder appearing in males are found as early as the 2nd century AD in the Talmud. However, treatment has only been available since the 1950’s when treatment with fresh frozen plasma became available. The major therapeutic advance for hemophilia A occurred in the mid-1960s when Judith Pool of Stanford University described a methodology to isolate an anti-hemophilic factor from cryoprecipitate1. This observation led to the rapid introduction of commercial scale production of factor VIII concentrates for treatment of hemophilia A. Factor IX concentrates for treatment of hemophilia B were also developed shortly thereafter.
Orthogonalization of Categorical Data: How to Fix a Measurement Problem in Statistical Distance Metrics

Policy makers depend on economists, statisticians, and other social scientists to make accurate observations and draw solid conclusions from quantitative analysis. Econometrics, for example, has come a long way in the past century and guides many decisions made today. On the other hand, some statistical procedures have not had significant advances, but are instead applied and their original assumptions are forgotten. The appropriateness of many of these measurements has come into question, and while criticism is often accepted, little is done to correct them. In reality, there is a prolific measurement problem being committed every day. This problem involves the use of statistical distance metrics to measure social phenomena. For example, measurements which would routinely be used to answer questions like: by how much have the imports of the United States changed in the past year? By how much has racial diversity changed in the past decade? Does greater ethno-linguistic diversity lead to civil conflict? These and similar questions rely on accurate multi-variate distance metrics. However all distance metrics suffer from a common calculation problem. No one can deny that the math is correct, rather, the problem lies with an overlooked implicit assumption: that all categories are mutually orthogonal (right angles). This is a bold assumption in any context. In this paper I first show that this assumption is rarely valid, and second I suggest an orthogonalization procedure: measure the similarity or angle between categories, and then apply a transformation from spherical to rectangular coordinates. I illustrate the effect of the methodology using a simulation, a collection of potential applications, and two examples from international trade.
Abstract 3608: The effect of tobacco on prostate cancer cell aggressiveness.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Studies have shown that smoking is associated with both greater incidence and worse outcomes of prostate cancer. The mechanism involved in this adverse effect of cigarette smoke on prostate cancer cells is not known. We hypothesized that cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) would have an effect on in vitro cell proliferation and motility. CSC is the tar phase of smoke particulate. We submitted PC-3 cells for proliferation assays after 4 and 24 hours exposure to varying concentrations of CSC. We also performed motility assays and probed for epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) using immunohistochemistry on cells exposed to CSC to investigate how the action of cigarette smoke induces more aggressive behavior in cells. Results showed that CSC caused up to 83% increase in cell proliferation depending on dose and time of exposure. The antioxidant Ebselen, a scavenger of H2O2 and hydroperoxides, decreased but did not abrogate the proliferation caused by CSC. There was no effect of CSC on cell motility in Boyden chamber assays. There was also no effect of CSC on EMT, which was demonstrated by testing the immunohistochemical expression of vimentin, E-cadherin, and beta-catenin after cell exposure to CSC. In conclusion, CSC increases cell proliferation, but has no effect on motility. This action of CSC is at least in part mediated by H2O2, as shown by Ebselen inhibition of cell proliferation. The increase in proliferation could in part explain the worse prognosis of patients who smoke. Citation Format: Natalie Bodmer, Aishwarya Gokuldass, Theresa Kucynda, Virgilia Macias, Gnasekar Munirathinam, Andre Kajdacsy-Balla. The effect of tobacco on prostate cancer cell aggressiveness. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3608. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3608
Bacterial Interference. I. Its Occurrence among the Respiratory Tract Flora and Characterization of Inhibition of Group A Streptococci by Viridans Streptococci

The interaction of man's indigenous microflora and exogenously acquired pathogens has been the subject of sporadic investigation and continuous speculation for more than 5 decades. However, only recently has it been demonstrated conclusively that antagonistic interactions may enhance man's capacity to resist infection. The exploitation of this phenomenon, labeled bacterial interference, in control of staphylococcal disease among newborn infants [1] has stimulated renewed interest in the potentially beneficial activities of man's normal microbial flora. The
The 20 Issues Needed to be Clarified in Regard to the Public Propaganda for the Japanese Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident

The serious nuclear accident of Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has become the focus of public attention all over the world.This paper specifically summarizes and reviews the 20 significant topics which are needed to be clarified in regard to the public propaganda for the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.
The effect of pen density during rearing on subsequent reproductive performance in gilts.

A study involving 109 crossbred gilts of Duroc and Landrace breeding that were reared in equal-sized pens with 8 or 16 pigs/pen was initiated to determine the effects of pen density during rearing on subsequent reproductive and maternal performance. Gilts in pens of eight were allowed 1.06 m2/animal from 30 to 65 kg and 1.25 m2/animal from 65 to 100 kg, whereas those in pens of 16 were allowed only one-half as much floor area per animal. Gilts raised in groups of eight farrowed 1.0 more pigs/litter (P less than .05), and .7 more pigs/litter born alive (P = .15), than gilts reared in groups of 16 pigs/pen. There were no pen-density differences in the number of corpora lutea at 30 d of gestation (P = .33) or in litter birth weight (P = .26). After adjusting by covariance for the number of live pigs at the beginning of the lactation period, gilts from the pen density of 16 had more pigs per litter alive (P less than .01) and heavier litter weights (P less than .05) at 21 d postpartum and higher piglet survival rates to 21 d (P less than .02) than gilts that were reared in the low pen-density of eight pigs/pen. Results of this study indicate that pen density during the growing-finishing period may affect subsequent reproductive and maternal performance of gilts.
Assisted care as a baseline patient risk characteristic affecting the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve insertion.

BACKGROUND Objective measures of frailty have not been well defined as risk factors for a poor outcome after transcatheter aortic valve insertion. We hypothesized that assisted care as a baseline patient characteristic was a simple objective measure of frailty. We reviewed our experience to assess for an association between assisted care and outcome of operation. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 597 patients operated with transcatheter aortic valve insertion from November 2008 through July 2015. The study cohort included patients with a dichotomous baseline characteristic of receiving assisted care (AC group, n = 60, 10.1%) or not receiving assisted care (NC group, n = 537, 89.9%). The endpoints of the study were operative stroke/death and 1-year survival. RESULTS The age of the patients was 80.6 ± 9.0 years, male sex was present in 349 (58.5%), and STS predicted risk of mortality was 9.2 ± 6.2%. Alternate access was used in 26 (43.3%) patients in the AC care group and in 220 (41.0%) in the NC group (P = 0.724). Operative stroke/death occurred in 4 (6.7%) patients in the AC group and in 25 (4.7%) in the NC group (P = 0.492). Mortality at 1 year in the AC group was 14.8 ± 5.2% and in the NC group was 12.9 ± 1.7%; (P = 0. 250). CONCLUSIONS Assisted care as a baseline patient characteristic does not result in increased operative stroke/death or 1-year mortality in patients following transcatheter aortic valve insertion. Assisted care should not by itself preclude operation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hemodynamic Flow-Induced Mechanotransduction Signaling Influences the Radiation Response of the Vascular Endothelium

Hemodynamic shear stress is defined as the physical force exerted by the continuous flow of blood in the vascular system. Endothelial cells, which line the inner layer of blood vessels, sense this physiological force through mechanotransduction signaling and adapt to maintain structural and functional homeostasis. Hemodynamic flow, shear stress and mechanotransduction signaling are, therefore, an integral part of endothelial pathophysiology. Although this is a well-established concept in the cardiovascular field, it is largely dismissed in studies aimed at understanding radiation injury to the endothelium and subsequent cardiovascular complications. We and others have reported on the differential response of the endothelium when the cells are under hemodynamic flow shear compared with static culture. Further, we have demonstrated significant differences in the gene expression of static versus shear-stressed irradiated cells in four key pathways, reinforcing the importance of shear stress in understanding ...
Large Vocabulary Speech Recognition Using Deep Tensor Neural Networks.

Recently, we proposed and developed the context-dependent deep neural network hidden Markov models (CD-DNN-HMMs) for large vocabulary speech recognition and achieved highly promising recognition results including over one third fewer word errors than the discriminatively trained, conventional HMM-based systems on the 300hr Switchboard benchmark task. In this paper, we extend DNNs to deep tensor neural networks (DTNNs) in which one or more layers are double-projection and tensor layers. The basic idea of the DTNN comes from our realization that many factors interact with each other to predict the output. To represent these interactions, we project the input to two nonlinear subspaces through the double-projection layer and model the interactions between these two subspaces and the output neurons through a tensor with three-way connections. Evaluation on 30hr Switchboard task indicates that DTNNs can outperform DNNs with similar number of parameters with 5% relative word error reduction
Differential geometric regularization for supervised learning of classifiers

We study the problem of supervised learning for both binary and multiclass classification from a unified geometric perspective. In particular, we propose a geometric regularization technique to find the submanifold corresponding to an estimator of the class probability P(y|x). The regularization term measures the volume of this sub-manifold, based on the intuition that overfitting produces rapid local oscillations and hence large volume of the estimator. This technique can be applied to regularize any classification function that satisfies two requirements: firstly, an estimator of the class probability can be obtained; secondly, first and second derivatives of the class probability estimator can be calculated. In experiments, we apply our regularization technique to standard loss functions for classification, our RBF-based implementation compares favorably to widely used regularization methods for both binary and multiclass classification.
Two-photon absorption by a quantum dot pair

The biexciton absorption spectrum of a pair of InAs/GaAs quantum dots is being studied by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. An absorption resonance with the characteristics of an instantaneous two-photon process reveals a coherent interdot two-photon transition. Pauli-selective tunneling is being used to demonstrate the transduction of the two-photon coherence into a nonlocal spin singlet state. The two-photon transition can be tuned spectrally by electric field, enabling amplification of its transition strength.