cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non‐linear analysis of symmetric structures with unsymmetric boundary conditions

Two efficient computational procedures are presented for generating the global approximation vectors used in conjunction with the reduction methods for the large‐deflection non‐linear analysis of symmetric structures with unsymmetric boundary conditions. Both procedures are based on restructuring the governing equations for each of the unsymmetric global approximation vectors to delineate the different contributions to the symmetric and antisymmetric components of this vector. In the first procedure the unsymmetric global approximation vectors are approximated by linear combinations of symmetric and antisymmetric modes, which are generated by using the finite element method. The amplitudes of these modes are computed by using the classical Rayleigh‐Ritz technique. The second procedure is based on using a preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) technique for generating the global approximation vectors, and selecting the preconditioning matrix to be the matrix associated with the symmetric response. In both procedures the size of the analysis model used in generating the global approximation vectors is identical to that of the corresponding structure with symmetric boundary conditions. The similarities between the two procedures are identified, and their effectiveness is demonstrated by means of two numerical examples of large‐deflection, non‐linear static problems of shells.
89Y + n resonances for E = 10–740 keV and intermediate structure

Abstract High-resolution neutron total-cross-section measurements on 89Y have been made from a few eV to 1 MeV using the pulsed neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy at ORELA with a neutron burst width of 5 ns and a nominal resolution of 0.025 ns/m at the highest energy. We have analyzed the data from 10–740 keV using a multilevel R-matrix code and obtained the values of resonance parameters (E0, Jπ, gΓn). From these results we have obtained the values of average quantities up to about 600 keV: Dl = 0 = 4.6 ± 0.3 keV, Dl = 1 = 1.35 ± 0.15 keV; S0 = 0.33 ± 0.045, S1 = 5.82 ± 0.38, in units of 10 −4 eV − 1 2 . The staircase plots of reduced neutron widths for s- and p-waves and the plots of the Lorentz-weighted strength functions averaged over different energy intervals show an evidence of several doorway states. A least-squares fit to the lorentzian smooth curves provides the best values of Ed (doorway energy) and γ2dc (escape reduced width of doorway). These values are in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. The experimental ratio of s- to p-wave level spacings was found to be 3.43 ± 0.6. This is in disagreement with the theoretical prediction of 2.06 (for σ = 3.8) and indicates a parity dependence of the level density at high excitation.
Trade Liberalization in Textiles and Clothing and Developing Countries: An Analysis with Special Emphasis on the US Import Market

This article examines the role and importance of the textiles and clothing sector in the economies of the United States and developing countries as well as the qualitative changes in the dynamics of the industry. After briefly looking at the history of protectionism in the industry, the article addresses the impact of quota elimination on developing countries' exports to the United States. It also discusses the role of China as the dominant supplier. It suggests that with the elimination of quotas, most of the benefits will probably accrue to a handful of efficient suppliers, notably China and India. The article concludes by providing some recommendations to enable many developing countries to cushion the sudden effects of trade liberalization.
Elemental dissolution study of Pu-bearing borosilicate glasses

Abstract Single-pass flow-through tests were conducted to study the effects of self-radiation damage from alpha decay on dissolution kinetics of three radiation-aged Pu-bearing (1 mass% PuO 2 ) borosilicate glasses over a pH interval of 9–12 at 80–88 °C. The chemical compositions of the glasses were identical except the 239 Pu/ 238 Pu isotopic ratio, which was varied to yield accumulated doses of 1.3 × 10 16 , 2.9 × 10 17 and 2.6 × 10 18 α-decays/g at the time of testing. Release of Al, B, Cs, Na, Si and U to solution increased with increasing pH, whereas Ca, Pu and Sr were invariant over the pH interval. Average dissolution rates, based on B release, were identical within experimental uncertainty for all three glass compositions and increased from 0.17 ± 0.07 at pH(23 °C) 9 to 10.6 ± 2.7 (g/(m 2 d 1 )) at pH(23 °C) 12. Release rates of Pu were 10 2 - to 10 5 -fold slower compared to all other elements and were not affected by isotopic composition, self-radiation damage sustained by the glass, or pH. These data demonstrate that self-radiation damage does not affect glass dissolution rates, despite exposure to internal radiation doses for >20 years.
Distribution of α-tocopherol in early foliage samples in several forage crops

Abstract Concentrations of α-tocopherol in foliage samples of the forages annual rye, winter rye, red fescue, Kentucky blue-grass and white clover were determined. Concentrations of α-tocopherol increased with age in all four of the grasses tested during the six-week experimental period to values of 70.9, 80.9, 94.0 and 146.7 μg g−1 dry wt in annual rye, winter rye, red fescue and Kentucky blue-grass, respectively. White clover, the only legume forage tested, did not increase α-tocopherol concentrations with age, remaining at about 20 μg g−1 dry wt for each time sample. These results support the hypothesis that concentrations of α-tocopherol may act as indicators of biological age, although exceptions to this concept are likely to exist.
MICROSCOPES FOR THE SUB-VISIBLE: SCANNING THE NEAR-FIELD IN THE MICROWAVE TO IR

Conventional microscopy is a mainstay of science and technology, yet it uses only the visible fraction of the spectrum, leaving the longer wavelength regime largely unexplored. With tiny antennas and scanning probe microscopes, however, researchers are beginning to shed new light onto this once-invisible world.
Autoimmunity to Type VII Collagen: Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an acquired, mechanobullous disease characterized by autoimmunity to type VII collagen. Type VII collagen makes anchoring fibrils, structures that connect th
Histamine H1-receptor modulation of inter-neuronal coupling among vasopressinergic neurons depends on nitric oxide synthase activation.

Abstract Inter-neuronal coupling is a relatively recently documented property of a wide variety of cell groups in the mammalian central nervous system. For many of these groups there is evidence that the coupling can be modulated by synaptic inputs. Incidence of dye coupling among vasopressin (VP) neurons of the rat supraoptic nucleus (SON) has been shown to increase in response to either activation of histamine H1-receptors or to increased NO production. Both of these effects involve activation of cGMP-dependent pathways. We tested the hypothesis that activation of H1-receptors resulted in downstream activation of NO synthase, which then mediated the H1-receptor effects. Putative VP neurons were intracellularly recorded and dye-injected in horizontal slices of hypothalamus, in which monosynaptic connections from the tuberomammillary nucleus (TM) were intact and electrically stimulated. Single-pulse TM stimulation evoked EPSPs and repetitive stimulation resulted in a nearly 3-fold increase in coupling incidence over unstimulated slices. TM-stimulated increased coupling was completely blocked by inhibitors of NO synthase ( l -NAME) or of soluble guanylyl cyclase (ODQ or methylene blue), or pyrilamine, suggesting that the H1-receptor is not directly linked to guanylyl cyclase. Addition of the NO precursor, l -arginine or the NO donor, SNP, in combination with TM stimulation produced increases in coupling that were not significantly larger than those seen with stimulation alone, supporting the idea that a common pathway was used. We conclude that H1-receptors activate NO synthase via G-protein-coupled pathways and that NO working though its receptor, induces the downstream cGMP-dependent processes that result in increased inter-neuronal coupling.
The preparation of cation-functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotube/sulfonated polyurethane composites

Abstract Covalent functionalization of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with minimal alteration to the MWCNT surface is important to achieve homogenously dispersed carbon nanotubes while maintaining their unique mechanical and electrical properties. Carboxylic acid derivatized MWCNTs (MWCNT-COOH) were covalently functionalized with 3,3′-iminobis(N,N-dimethylpropylamine) (DMPA). Upon subsequent quaternization of DMPA, dendritic ammonium cation-functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNT-DMPA+) were formed, where two ammonium cations were incorporated per amide site. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated successful covalent functionalization and formation of the surface-bound ammonium salt. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy indicated the absence of an appreciable decrease in the MWCNT aspect ratio. Compared with pristine MWCNTs and MWCNT-COOH, MWCNT-DMPA+ exhibited enhanced dispersibility in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as observed with UV–Visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, blending the cation-bound MWCNT-DMPA+ with anion-bound sulfonated polyurethane in DMF generated novel composites with a nanotube content ranging from 0.5 to 5 wt.%. Characterization of the composite films using both field emission scanning electron microscopy and TEM revealed that MWCNT-DMPA+ exhibited uniform dispersion in sulfonated polyurethane matrices even at 5 wt.%. Tensile analysis showed that the modulus of the sulfonated polyurethane matrix linearly increased with MWCNT-DMPA+ content.
WE-C-108-02: Current Methods for Calculating Air Density Can Overestimate Skin Dose

Purpose: Following accepted procedures for configuring Image‐Value to Density Tables (IVDT) can lead to overestimation of skin dose due to exaggerated buildup and scatter in air. Treatment planning systems (TPS), such as Tomotherapy, which calculate dose to air before entering the body, can overestimate air density, leading to buildup and high skin dose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the magnitude of errors in planned skin dose from incorrect air density assignment on various TPS. Methods: Air in a sample patient CT scan was contoured and manually assigned mass densities. Planning was performed using Pinnacle, Eclipse, and Tomotherapy TPS. Air densities were overridden to values between 0.0013 and 0.02 g/cc. A single anterior 6 MV breast tangent was applied to a sample patient to deliver 20 Gy, half the dose under RTOG protocol 1005. Results: Pinnacle and Eclipse assume negligible dose delivered along the beam path in air, so varying air density did not affect dose with these TPS. Using Tomotherapy, a test site 1 mm under the skin received 168% more dose with an air density of 0.02 g/cc than with normal air density of 0.0013 g/cc. The dose to contralateral breast was 1.40 Gy with air density of 0.0013 g/cc, but rose to 3.05 Gy with a slightly elevated density of 0.003 g/cc, greater than the limit of 2.4 Gy under RTOG 1005. Conclusion: Following procedure by adding a point at the average HU for air will assign half the air voxels excessive density. An IVDT that generated air density of 0.003 g/cc can increase the contralateral breast dose above the max dose limit of RTOG 1005. We recommend placing the IVDT point for air near the maximum image value for air to assure all air voxels are assigned accurate density.
SAUL JARCHO AS A TRANSLATOR AND EDITOR

The evidence of Jarcho’s range of abilities and his dedication to excellence is obvious in his work as translator and editor. His concerns are also evident: concerns to convey what he could see to those with more limited perspectives and to assist those who had contributions to make, to make them, and to make them better. His role goes far beyond being a midwife to ideas. He is an interpreter and cultivator of knowledge.
A comparison of the oxidation behavior of CrN films deposited using continuous dc, pulsed dc and modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering

Abstract The study is aimed at comparing the oxidation behavior of the stoichiometric CrN films deposited by continuous dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS), mid-frequency pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PMS), and modulated pulsed power (MPP) magnetron sputtering techniques in a closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. These as-deposited CrN films exhibited a cubic structure and similar stoichiometric compositions, but with different microstructures and residual stresses. After annealing in the ambient air from 600 to 1000 °C, the changes in the crystal phase, microstructure, and hardness of the films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy line scan, and nanoindentation. The oxidation activation energies of the films were calculated using Arrhenius equation. It was found that the MPP CrN film exhibited superior oxidation resistance than dcMS and PMS CrN films. After annealing at 900 °C, the MPP CrN film exhibited an extremely dense structure and the cubic phase was well maintained. On the other hand, the dcMS and PMS CrN films were severely oxidized into a porous structure with the development of β-Cr2N and Cr2O3 phases and a rapid degradation of the cubic phase after 700 and 800 °C, respectively. The results indicate that all films showed a parabolic oxidation rate below 900 °C. The oxidation activation energies for the dcMS, PMS and MPP CrN films are 116 kJ/mol, 141 kJ/mol, and 195 kJ/mol, respectively. The better oxidation resistance of the MPP CrN film is attributed to its dense microstructure and low residual stress.
Ductile reinforcements for enhancing fracture resistance in composite materials

Abstract Ductile reinforcements can supply fracture toughness to a polymer matrix by pulling out and by plastically deforming. In the case of metal reinforcements that are not in a toughened condition, there may be more toughening to be gained when the fibers remain in the matrix and plastically deform rather than pulling out. These fibers can be said to have an unused plastic potential . When these fibers bridge a crack, their plastic deformation causes a rise in the force which is trying to pull out the fiber. Because of this, the shape of the fiber must be adjusted along its length if it is to remain anchored and contribute its plastic work. The use of anchored, ductile fibers provides a new design axis that brings new possibilities not achievable by the current research focus on the fiber–matrix interface. This paper describes the experimental pullout of aligned ductile fibers from a polymer matrix, and indicates the effect of the shape and embedded length of the fiber on the toughness increase of the composite. Anchored, plastically deforming fibers are shown to provide a major improvement to the toughening. Even for unoptimized ductile fibers, the calculated toughening improvement equals or exceeds the toughening available from current short glass or graphite fibers. In addition, pullout values are obtained for fibers that are embedded at an angle, simulating fiber bridging from fibers not perpendicular to the crack surface. These results further demonstrate the toughening efficiency of ductile fibers.
Startle Reflex Modification: Emotion or Attention?

Alternative interpretations of startle probe modulation by a pictorial foreground were tested: Either reflex amplitude varies as a function of modality-determined attention allocation, or, regardless of probe modality, reflex amplitude varies with the emotional valence of the foreground content. Thirty-six subjects viewed a series of 54 slides, divided into two 27-slide blocks. Each block consisted of nine exemplars of three independently rated emotional content categories--pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant. Startle probes, half visual (flashgun) and half acoustic (white noise), were presented unpredictably during and between slide presentations. Eyeblink reflexes, corrugator and orbicularis oculi muscle tension, heart rate, and skin conductance were recorded during a 6-s slide interval. Subjects subsequently rated the slides for emotional valence and arousal, and interest value. Free-viewing times were also recorded. Analysis of reflex response and all ancillary measures supported the hypothesis that the primary determinant of startle modulation was the emotional valence of foreground content.
Elemental mapping with elastically scattered electrons

SUMMARY We describe a technique for efficient, quantitative, standardless elemental mapping using a high-angle annular detector in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to collect elastically scattered electrons. With a single crystal specimen, contrast due to thickness variations, diffraction, and channelling effects can be avoided, so that the resulting image contrast quantitatively reflects variations in impurity concentration. We compare a number of simple analytical approximations to the elastic scattering cross sections and show that a standardless analysis is possible over a wide range of atomic number and inner detector angle to an absolute accuracy of better than 20%.
The forces from coupled surface plasmon polaritons in planar waveguides

We analytically investigate the forces due to Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) modes between finite and infinitely thick metal slabs separated by an air gap. Using the Drude model and experimentally determined values of the dielectric functions of gold and silver, we study how frequency dispersion and loss in the metals affects the behavior of the SPP modes and the forces generated by them. We calculate the force using the Maxwell Stress Tensor for both the attractive and repulsive modes.
From Technologization to Totalization in Education Research: US Graduate Training, Methodology, and Critique

Focusing on the context of graduate training in educational research in the United States today, this article is organized into two principal parts. The first overviews the state of research training in order to emphasize the preoccupation with, indeed dominance of, study of methodology. This has turned ‘how to do research’ into valuing method as technology for its own sake, and thus into technologization. The second part turns to three critiques of technology that together point to potential totalization in research: technologization that limits research processes and potential results. The writings of Martin Heidegger and Jacques Ellul provide a broad frame; the three specific critiques are found in contributions from Henry Adams, Aldous Huxley, and Donna Haraway. The conclusion calls for a questioning of the current form of graduate training and by implication its hold on current research practice.
Virtual biochemistry — a case study

Abstract Two dimensional textbook illustrations provide a limited description of the content being discussed. The academic sciences teach mainly process oriented content that require more than a static image on a page. Dynamic scientific processes need dynamic presentations to fully get the concept across to students. This paper addresses this situation by exploring a case study in which a CD-ROM is being distributed with a textbook intended for the study of biochemistry. VRML and CHIME based 3D models provide students with fully interactive content to ensure an enriching learning experience. The use of these web-based technologies are shown to be important tools for visualization in the classroom.
Universal scaling in mixing correlated growth with randomness.

We study two-component growth that mixes random deposition (RD) with a correlated growth process that occurs with probability $p$. We find that these composite systems are in the universality class of the correlated growth process. For RD blends with either Edwards-Wilkinson or Kardar-Parisi-Zhang processes, we identify a nonuniversal exponent in the universal scaling in $p$.
The appearance of U1 RNP antibody specificities in sequential autoimmune human antisera follows a characteristic order that implicates the U1-70 kd and B'/B proteins as predominant U1 RNP immunogens.

Objective To observe the order of development of anti–U1 RNP peptide antibodies in humans. Methods Immunoblots against Jurkat cell lysates were performed on 5,882 serum samples from 3,668 patients referred on clinical grounds for RNP antibody testing to a reference laboratory between 1989 and 1999. In patients from whom multiple samples were drawn, we determined the order in which IgG antibodies to the U1 RNP peptides A, B′/B, C, D, and 70 kd appeared. Results One hundred sixty-three patients with serial samples were identified in whom antibodies to at least one U1 RNP peptide initially were not present but later appeared. The first RNP antibodies to appear were most often directed against the 70 kd and B′/B peptides (P < 0.01). Antibodies to the A and C peptides usually developed after other RNP peptide antibodies, and antibodies to D often emerged only after immunity to multiple other U1 RNP proteins had appeared. B′/B, but not 70 kd, was a frequent early target of spreading after initial immunity to other RNP peptides. Conclusion Orderly patterns of emergence of U1 RNP peptide antibodies appear to exist in humans. Two peptides, 70 kd and B′/B, show characteristics of early immunogens in the development of human RNP immunity.
Some Aspects of the Determination of the Microstructures of Polymers

The importance of the correct polymer absorptivities for determining the microstructures of polybutadienes and polyisoprenes, particularly when one component is present in large amount, is shown. A method is described for determining both the major and minor polymer absorptivities and an application to the analyses of butadiene–isoprene copolymers is given. The absorptivities of cis- and trans-C(CH3)=CH at 890 cm−1, cis- and trans-C(CH3)=CH at 1155 cm−1 and 1130 cm−1, and of cis-CH=CH at 967 cm−1 are discussed.
Studies on the nucleotide arrangement in deoxyribonucleic acids VIII. A comparison of procedures for the determination of the frequency of pyrimidine nucleotide runs

Abstract Two DNA preparations of mammalian origin, viz ., the DNA from calf thymus and the DNA from human spleen, were employed in a comparative study of different methods suitable for the investigation of the arrangement of pyrimidine nucleotides in the polymer chain. The conditions under comparison were (a) the degradation of DNA with dilute sulfuric acid; (b) the degradation of DNA with formic acid-diphenylamine; (c) the degradation of apurinic acid with dilute alkali. The released pyrimidine nucleotide runs of length 1 to 6 were determined directly by two-dimensional paper chromatography. The range and validity of the several procedures described here and in the literature are considered in detail and the bearing of the findings on the general problem of the nucleotide sequence in DNA is discussed.
Deletions within the 5'UTR of coxsackievirus B3: consequences for virus translation and replication.

Abstract Key features of an ideal RNA-based vaccine against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are (i) limited genome replication/virus production (to minimize vaccine-related pathology) and (ii) abundant virus protein synthesis (to maximize immunogenicity). These attributes may apply to CVB3 RNAs lacking up to 250 nucleotides (nt) from their 5′ terminus; these RNAs do not give rise to infectious progeny, but they have been reported to retain the entire CVB3 IRES (mapped to nt ∼ 432–639) and to produce large quantities of viral protein in transfected cells. Here, we constructed five 5′ RNA deletion variants that, to our surprise, failed to protect against CVB3 challenge. We investigated the reasons for this failure and conclude that (i) a 5′ terminal deletion as short as 32 nt abolishes CVB3 RNA replication in transfected cells; (ii) this deleted RNA, and others with longer deletions, do not direct abundant protein synthesis in transfected cells, probably as a consequence of their replicative incapacity; and (iii) the CVB3 IRES is substantially larger than previously thought, and its 5′ boundary lies between residues 76 and 125, very closely approximating that of the poliovirus IRES.
Effects of repetitive norgestomet treatments on pregnancy rates in cyclic and anestrous beef heifers

Abstract Sixty-eight 12- to 14-month-old crossbred beef heifers averaging 285 kg were assigned at random to treated (n = 35) and control (n = 33) groups to evaluate the use of repetitive norgestomet treatments. Treated heifers received an ear implant containing 6 mg norgestomet on two occasions 16 days apart. Injections of 3 mg norgestomet and 5 mg estradiol valerate (EV) were given intramuscularly the same day as first implantation (Syncro-Mate-B). Implants were removed after eight days. Four bulls were then placed in each of two pastures containing half of the treated and half of the control heifers for 24 days after the time of the first implant removal. Progesterone concentrations from blood samples collected prior to the first treatment were used to determine reproductive status. The overall pregnancy rate 64 days after first implant removal for treated anestrous heifers (61%; 14 23 ) was similar (p > 0.25) to untreated (73%; 11 15 ) and treated (75%; 9 12 ) cyclic heifers, but higher (p 6 18 ). This treatment advantage resulted from an increased (p
MCU encodes the pore conducting mitochondrial calcium currents

Mitochondrial calcium (Ca(2+)) import is a well-described phenomenon regulating cell survival and ATP production. Of multiple pathways allowing such entry, the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter is a highly Ca(2+)-selective channel complex encoded by several recently-discovered genes. However, the identity of the pore-forming subunit remains to be established, since knockdown of all the candidate uniporter genes inhibit Ca(2+) uptake in imaging assays, and reconstitution experiments have been equivocal. To definitively identify the channel, we use whole-mitoplast voltage-clamping, the technique that originally established the uniporter as a Ca(2+) channel. We show that RNAi-mediated knockdown of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) gene reduces mitochondrial Ca(2+) current (I MiCa ), whereas overexpression increases it. Additionally, a classic feature of I MiCa , its sensitivity to ruthenium red inhibition, can be abolished by a point mutation in the putative pore domain without altering current magnitude. These analyses establish that MCU encodes the pore-forming subunit of the uniporter channel. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00704.001.
Haptic Detection of Artificial Tumors by Hand and with a Tool in a MIS Environment

Minimally invasive surgery uses optical cameras and special surgical tools in order to operate from an environment one step removed from the body cavity of interest to the surgeon. It has been suggested that constraints posed by this arrangement, in particular the lack of direct haptic feedback to the surgeon, may affect the surgeon's ability to identify tissues and accurately maneuver inside the body cavity. In the present study, the ability of laypeople to detect artificial tumors of various hardness values embedded in silicone gels was assessed in a simulated MIS environment. Participants explored the gels under three conditions all with remote viewing; using the unrestricted bare finger, using a stick-like surgical tool also unrestricted, and using the surgical tool restricted by its insertion through an operating port as in MIS. Participants were significantly more accurate and more efficient at tumor detection with the finger as compared to the other methods of exploration, and they were also better at detecting harder tumors as compared to softer ones. The potential implications of these results for the role of haptic perception in minimally invasive surgery are discussed.
Non Linear Regression Model to Predict Flashover of Nonceramic Insulators

This work is based on the application of non-linear regression analysis technique to develop a model for prediction of flashover voltage of non-ceramic insulators (NCIs). The superiority of nonlinear model over a linear model is demonstrated. Surface resistance measurement and flashover experiments were performed with field aged samples. This work finds applications in distribution class insulators and can be extended for higher voltage class of insulators.
Statin Drugs and Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer

ARTICLES 1819 Background: Statins are commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs that have proapoptotic and antimetastatic activities that could affect cancer risk or progression. Results from previous epidemiologic studies of the association between statin use and cancer have been inconsistent. We investigated the association of statin use with total and advanced prostate cancer, the latter being the most important endpoint to prevent. Methods: We analyzed data from an ongoing prospective cohort study of 34 989 US male health professionals who were cancer free in 1990 and were followed to 2002. Participants reported their use of cholesterol-lowering drugs on biennial questionnaires. Prostate cancer diagnosis was confi rmed by medical record review. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) were estimated from Cox proportional hazards regression models. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: During 376 939 person-years of follow-up, we ascertained 2579 prostate cancer cases, 316 of which were advanced (regionally invasive, metastatic, or fatal). The age-standardized incidence rates of advanced prostate cancer were 38 and 89 per 100 000 person-years in current statin users and in past or never users, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted relative risk of advanced disease was 0.51 (95% confi dence interval [CI] = 0.30 to 0.86) and of metastatic or fatal disease was 0.39 (95% CI = 0.19 to 0.77) for current statin use compared with no current use. The associations remained after adjusting for prostate-specifi c antigen screening history (advanced disease: RR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.30 to 1.11; metastatic or fatal disease: RR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.92). Risk of advanced disease was lower with longer statin use ( P trend = .003); compared with never use, the relative risk for less than 5 years of use was 0.60 (95% CI = 0.35 to 1.03) and for 5 or more years of use was 0.26 (95% CI = 0.08 to 0.83). We found no association between statin use and risk of total prostate cancer (RR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.85 to 1.09). Conclusions: In this cohort of male health professionals, use of statin drugs was not associated with risk of prostate cancer overall but was associated with a reduced risk of advanced (especially metastatic or fatal) prostate cancer. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98: 1819 – 25 ]
Low Fixed Pattern Noise Current-mode Imager Using Velocity Saturated Readout Transistors

This paper described a novel current-mode active pixel sensor (APS) imager. Conversion of photodiode voltage to output current is done using transistors operating in velocity saturation region. The high output impedance of this region makes it more suitable for current-sourcing operation than the linear region. The transistors also exhibit high linearity, allowing us to suppress fixed pattern noise (FPN) by correcting for both offset and gain variations among pixels. Experimental results on the fabricated 110times200 pixel array are presented. With conventional correlated double sampling (CDS), FPN is reduced from 3.8% to 0.85%. Further reduction requires compensation of gain variations, and results in a final FPN of 0.19%. A triple sampling approach is introduced to implement the described correction in hardware.
Posterior Simulation in the Generalized Linear Mixed Model With Semiparametric Random Effects

Generalized linear mixed models with semiparametric random effects are useful in a wide variety of Bayesian applications. When the random effects arise from a mixture of Dirichlet process (MDP) model with normal base measure, Gibbs samplingalgorithms based on the Polya urn scheme are often used to simulate posterior draws in conjugate models (essentially, linear regression models and models for binary outcomes). In the nonconjugate case, some common problems associated with existing simulation algorithms include convergence and mixing difficulties.This article proposes an algorithm for MDP models with exponential family likelihoods and normal base measures. The algorithm proceeds by making a Laplace approximation to the likelihood function, thereby matching the proposal with that of the Gibbs sampler. The proposal is accepted or rejected via a Metropolis-Hastings step. For conjugate MDP models, the algorithm is identical to the Gibbs sampler. The performance of the technique is investigated using a Poisso...
Studies with thin membranes. I. Characterization of parlodion membranes formed by multiple dip technique and by incorporation of lipoidal substances

Parlodion membranes formed by the dipping technique using solutions of Parlodion in isoamyl acetate of concentrations extending to 3% have been characterized. The thickness of the membrane increased with increase in the viscosity of the membrane-forming solution. Although the membrane resistance increased with increase in its thickness, the specific resistance ρ of the different membranes was not a constant but increased with increase in thickness and showed a tendency to attain a limiting value. The effects of different cations at the same concentration and of the same cation at different concentrations on membrane properties have been studied. Membranes formed by multiple dips into the same solution and into different solutions of Parlodion have also been characterized in respect of their electrical resistance, capacitance, and specific resistance. In general, all Parlodion solutions on a second dip gave membranes of increased thickness and resistance. Subsequent dips always increased membrane thickness and resistance except in the case of 0.25% solution which produced a membrane of approximately the same thickness and resistivity. The dipping and the spreading techniques of membrane formation have been used to introduce stearic acid, phosphatidyl L-serine, and cholesterol into the Parlodion matrix, and the lipoidal membranes so prepared have been characterized.
A Crash Course in Feedback Control; A MATLAB-based introduction with one prerequisite: high school algebra

This paper presents an overview of a recently designed and implemented introductory course on feedback control amenable to traditional and nontraditional audiences. The course material is based on fundamental concepts in dynamical systems, modeling, stability analysis, robustness to uncertainty, feedback as it occurs naturally, and the design of feedback control laws to engineer desirable static and dynamic response. The material also includes an introduction to MATLAB, provides many exercises to reinforce concepts, and concludes with a control design and simulation-based analysis to achieve wall tracking with a kinematic robot. The only prerequisite for the course is high school algebra. The authors have recently implemented the presented material in a four-week course of the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) program at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). All materials are freely available online.
A study in rapid prototyping: Leveraging software and hardware simulation tools in the bringup of system-on-a-chip based platforms

Traditional use of software and hardware simulators and emulators has been in efforts for chip level analysis and verification. However, prototyping and bringup requirements often demands system or platform level integration and analysis requiring new uses of these traditional pre-silicon methods along with novel interpretations of existing hardware to prototype some functions matching behaviors of future systems. In order to demonstrate the versatility and breadth of the pre-silicon environments in our systems lab, ranging from functional instruction set software simulators to Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chip logic implementations to integrated systems of existing hardware built to mimic key functional aspects of the future platforms, we present our experiences with platform level verification, analysis and early software development/enablement for an I/O attached network appliance system. More specifically, we show how simulation tools along with these early prototype systems were used to do chip level verification, early software development and even system level software testing for a System on a Chip processor attached as an I/O accelerator via Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI Express) to a host system. Our experiences demonstrate that leveraging the full range of pre-silicon environment capabilities results in full system level integrated software test for a I/O attached platform prior to the availability of fully functional ASICs.
Curriculum Review and the Strategic Planning Process

Just as almost 35 years previously, in March 1955, Dean Courtney Brown issued a memorandum setting in motion the events that culminated in the launch of Columbia Business School’s bold, new, innovative MBA curriculum in September 1960, so, in December 1989, two memos from the Dean’s Office set the stage for new, major changes at Columbia Business School.
System identification for the Berkeley lower extremity exoskeleton (BLEEX)

The exoskeleton is an autonomous robotic device whose function is to increase the strength and endurance of a human pilot. In order to achieve an exoskeleton controller which reacts compliantly to external forces, an accurate model of the dynamics of the system is required. In this report, a series of system identification experiments are designed and carried out for the Berkeley lower extremity exoskeleton. As well as determining the mass and inertia properties of the segments of the legs, various non-ideal elements such as friction, stiffness and damping forces are identified. The resulting dynamic model is found to be significantly more accurate than the original model predicted from the designs of the robot
Substance among other categories

This book revives a neglected but important topic in philosophy: the nature of substance. The belief that there are individual substances, for example, material objects and persons, is at the core of our common-sense view of the world yet many metaphysicians deny the very coherence of the concept of substance. The authors develop an account of what an individual substance is in terms of independence from other beings. In the process many other important ontological categories are explored: property, event, space, time. The authors show why alternative theories of substance fail, and go on to defend the intelligibility (though not the existence) of interacting spiritual and material substances.
Ionian Sea Submarine Canyons and the 1908 Messina Turbidity Current

A prominent system of submarine canyons has been discovered in the Ionian Sea south of the Strait of Messina. The canyons are from 2 to 5 miles wide and more than 100 fathoms deep. Below the base of the continental slope, the canyons widen and develop flat floors as they extend southward 150 miles across a large cone to the Messina Abyssal Plain. On December 28, 1908, the Strait of Messina was affected by a severe earthquake which devastated the city of Messina and nearby communities. Only two of the eight submarine cables which linked Italy and Sicily within the area of maximum intensity were damaged. Ten hours after the quake, a cable from Malta to Zante parted 120 miles to the south in 1800 fathoms depth at a point where the cable crossed the submarine canyon leading from the Strait to the abyssal plain. The earthquake apparently generated a slump which initiated a turbidity current which broke the two successive cables as it traveled downslope through the canyon at an average speed of 12 knots. The tsunami which swept repeatedly against the surrounding coasts appears to have been produced by the slump and the turbidity current. The cables lying in shallower parts of the Strait, although directly within the epicentral area, did not break because the strong currents through the Strait had removed essentially all the unconsolidated sediments. Multiple sub-bottom echoes, observed beneath the canyon floors and beneath the abyssal plain but absent from the cone, are reflections from coarse-grained layers of sediment deposited by turbidity currents. Cores from within the canyons contain graded beds of sands and silts. Cores from isolated topographic locations show a pelagic record of stagnations and tephra falls which may be correlated.
Breaking the Bank: Why FDIC and NCUA Deposit Insurance Coverage Fails to Trigger OFCCP's Jurisdiction

For nearly half a century, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) has forced the vast majority of banks, thrifts, and credit unions to comply with a set of costly employment laws known as the affirmative action regulations (41 C.F.R. part 60, generally). Specifically, OFCCP maintains that holding deposit insurance with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”) triggers the obligation to comply with these regulations. Yet, as this Article demonstrates, OFCCP’s position is flawed. As such, this Article shows how the Agency’s fallacious position has cost depository institutions nearly $6 billion since the early 1970s. The affirmative action regulations regulate only to holders of federal procurement contracts for specific goods and services. This Article argues that FDIC and NCUA deposit insurance is not such a federal contract for four discrete reasons: 1) the arrangement between FDIC or NCUA and their member institutions sounds in quasi-contrast, not in contract; 2) the federal government is not a party to the arrangement since neither the FDIC nor the NCUA is part of the federal government; 3) FDIC and NCUA deposit insurance is more akin to financial assistance than the other services OFCCP traditionally regulate; and, 4) the affirmative action regulations do not apply when the federal government is not procuring goods and services. Worse yet, OFCCP’s position with respect to depository institutions eschews the proportional manner in which burdens associated with the affirmative action regulations are imposed upon non-financial institutions (i.e., the greater the profits realized in doing business with the federal government, the greater the burdens imposed). Rather, OFCCP’s position applies indiscriminately to all FDIC and NCUA deposit-insured financial institutions, even those small community banks, thrifts, and credit unions that simply cannot shoulder the burdens. Finally, this Article analyzes why OFCCP’s position is not saved by any deference the Agency may be owed to its interpretation of the laws it administers (i.e., Chevron deference) and/or its own regulations (i.e., Auer deference). In sum, this Article critiques OFCCP’s position as atextual and disproportionately burdensome on depository institutions. It concludes that the Agency should reevaluate its position or, in the alternative, that a trade association representing depository institutions should mount a collective defense to challenge OFCCP’s position.
Understanding Informal Constitutional Change

Amid much recent American work on the problem of informal constitutional change, this article stakes out a distinctive position. I argue that theories of constitutional change must address more directly the question of the relationship between the "small c" and "big C" Constitution and treat seriously the possibility of conflict between them. I stress the role the text of the Constitution and structural doctrines of federalism and separation of powers play in this relationship and thus in constitutional change, both formal and informal. I therefore counsel against theories that rely solely on a practice-based approach or analogies between "small c" constitutional developments and British or Commonwealth traditions of the "unwritten" constitution and constitutional "conventions". In particular, I critique theories developed by Karl Llewellyn, Ernest Young, Adrian Vermeule, and David Strauss. The alternative I advocate is to approach constitutional change from a historicist perspective that uses work from American political development scholarship to focus attention on how state building and the creation of new institutional capacities are linked to constitutional change. This approach will allow us to make progress by highlighting that there can be multiple constitutional orders in a given historical era, thus accounting for the conflictual nature of contemporary constitutional development.
Factors influencing litter delivery to streams

Abstract Leaves and needles are an important energy source for streams. However, relatively little is known about factors that determine width of the area contributing litter to streams. We assessed the relative effect of wind speed, wind direction, litter type, tree height and riparian topography on litter delivery to streams. Wind speed effect on litter travel distance was determined by releasing needles (Douglas-fir) and leaves (red alder) from mature and young tree canopies over a range of wind velocities. Short-term litter collections were conducted to determine the effect of wind speed on litter fall. Litter travel distance increased with increasing wind speed and increasing tree height. At low wind speeds leaves traveled further than needles. Litter fall increased with wind speed. These relationships were combined with literature values for seasonal rates of litter production and an annual wind speed and direction record from a riparian area in western Washington to evaluate the relative effect of various factors on litter delivery area width. We found that width of the contributing area for needles was about 35% greater in riparian stands supporting mature conifer trees than at sites with young trees. Increasing riparian area slope from 0° to 45° increased width of contributing area by 71–95%, depending on litter type and stand age. Doubling measured wind speed increased contribution zone width 67–82%. Estimated buffer width required to capture 95% of annual litter input ranged from about 14 m to over 25 m under the conditions which we evaluated. The variety of factors influencing litter delivery area width and the spatial and temporal variation in these factors indicates that the common practice of employing fixed-width buffers to protect stream–riparian interactions cannot be consistently effective.