cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transient distortion and nth order filtering in deep level transient spectroscopy (DnLTS)

Abstract Problems associated with intrinsic sensitivity and time constant selectivity of capacitive DLTS systems are discussed as well as intrinsic limitations in predominantly deep level doped semiconductors. A previously published figure of merit for the optimized exponential correlator for capacitive DLTS studies is shown to be too high because of improper consideration of effects of level restoration: when correctly compared, a filter with a 12% lower figure of merit can be constructed based purely on gating and a weighted phase inversion before the integrator and a phase sensitive detector has a 20% lower figure of merit. The exponential DLTS correlator is also inadequate for analysis of continuous spectra because of its slow drop off in response (∝ TS for TS shorter than the peak response time constant and ∝ TS−1 for longer times). Blanking is necessary to achieve more selectivity relative to short time constants. When performed on-line, D2LTS gives a response ∝ TS−2 for longer times. Still more selective filters of order n, or DnLTS, are considered based on weighted averages over time intervals in geometric progression that are suitable for DLTS and a system with ±1 weighting and suitably chosen time intervals for use with DDLTS. For these filters there is no penalty in figure of merit associated with choice of DDLTS which also appears to be easier to achieve than DLTS. On-line filters with long time constant responses ∝ TS−3 or higher order are shown to exact a large penalty in figure of merit. Equivalent filters can, however, be synthesized with much better figure of merit by a software compensation of multichannel data. The channels are then selected so that the responses of successive channels peak a factor of 2 away in TS and the number of pulses used is decreased by a factor of two. Relative to a multipoint averager, the software compensated analyzer requires a factor of 100 less in measurement time for comparable accuracy when a spectrum must cover a range of 1000:1 in relaxation times. There are also comparable improvements in the holding time specifications and the number of A/D conversions if the system is to be coupled to a computer. When the deep level concentration is comparable to the shallow doping concentration, the peak responses of both DLTS and DDLTS are broadened, the sensitivity increases, the response peaks are shifted to larger relaxation times, and the system becomes essentially nonlinear in response to the individual deep level constituents. This distortion can, in principle, be corrected by going to a constant capacitance mode of operation both during the initial driving pulse and during the recovery transient.
Sextic formalism in anisotropic elasticity for almost non-semisimple matrix N

Abstract The sextic formalism of Stroh for anisotropic elasticity leads to the eigen-relation N ξ = pξ in which N is a 6 × 6 real matrix. The orthogonality and closure relations as well as many other relations involving the eigenvalues p and the eigenvectors ξ x are based on the assumption that N is simple or semisimple so that the six eigenvectors ξ α span a six-dimensional space. Problems arise when N is non-semisimple. In fact there are problems even when N is almost non-semisimple. We present a modified formalism which is valid regardless of whether N is simple, almost non-semisimple or non-semisimple. The modified formalism does not apply when N is semisimple.
Effect of a Medication-Taking Behavior Feedback Theory–Based Intervention on Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure

Abstract Background Medication nonadherence contributes to hospitalization and mortality, yet there have been few interventions tested that improve adherence and reduce hospitalization and mortality in heart failure (HF). Our objective was to determine whether an education intervention improved medication adherence and cardiac event–free survival. Methods and Results A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 82 HF patients. The intervention was based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and included feedback of medication-taking behavior using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). Patients were assigned to one of three groups: 1) theory-based education plus MEMS feedback; 2) theory-based education only; or 3) usual care (control). Cardiac events were collected for 9 months. Patients in both intervention groups were more adherent over follow-up compared with the control group. In Cox regression, patients in either intervention group had a longer event-free survival compared with those in the control group before and after controlling age, marital status, financial status, ejection fraction, New York Heart Association functional class, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use, and presence or absence of a significant other during the intervention ( P Conclusions Use of an intervention based on the TPB improves medication adherence and outcomes in patients with HF and therefore offers promise as a clinically applicable intervention to help patients with HF to adhere to their prescribed regimen.
An optimal network for passenger traffic

Abstract The optimal solution of an inter-city passenger transport network has been studied using Zipf’s law for the city populations and the Gravity law describing the fluxes of inter-city passenger traffic. Assuming a fixed value for the cost of transport per person per kilometer we observe that while the total traffic cost decreases, the total wiring cost increases with the density of links. As a result the total cost to maintain the traffic distribution is optimal at a certain link density which vanishes on increasing the network size. At a finite link density the network is scale-free. Using this model the air-route network of India has been generated and an one-to-one comparison of the nodal degree values with the real network has been made.
Management of Connective Tissue Disease–associated Interstitial Lung Disease

A thorough, often multidisciplinary assessment to determine extrathoracic versus intrathoracic disease activity and degrees of impairment is needed to optimize the management of connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). Pharmacologic intervention with immunosuppression is the mainstay of therapy for all forms of CTD-ILD, but should be reserved for those that show clinically significant and/or progressive disease. The management of CTD-ILD is not yet evidence based and there is a need for controlled trials across the spectrum of CTD-ILD. Nonpharmacologic management strategies and addressing comorbidities or aggravating factors should be included in the comprehensive treatment plan for CTD-ILD.
Target Classification Algorithms For Video And Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Imagery

The purpose of the target classification algorithms is to properly categorize the object isolated by the target detection and extraction algorithms. Feature determination and object classification with the given features are the two distinct phases associated with target classification. This paper compares the impact of using "radial and angular moments" versus Hu's seven Cartesian moment invariants, and also compares silhouette moments and intensity moments for feature extraction. The k-nearest neighbor approach is then used for the object classification phase. The efficacy of the technique has been evaluated off-line via the method of confusion matrices. The theoretical results are presented, supported by validation on the synthetic data base generated in our Digital Image Processing Lab.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Humidity effects on the fatigue behavior of CuNi

Abstract A 90%Cu10%Ni alloy containing 1.5% Fe was subjected to torsional fatigue in helium and humid air. A substantial decrease in fatigue life resulted from exposure to humid air. The decrease was attributed to the interaction between moisture and the iron particles, resulting in particle-matrix interfacial separations.
The slowly varying phase shift for perturbed, single and multi-phased, strongly nonlinear, dispersive waves

Abstract Slowly varying, strongly nonlinear, dispersive, oscillatory waves are analyzed for equations which may be represented by a Lagrangian, including the effects of perturbations. The linear partial differential equation for the modulations of the phase shift follows from a perturbation analysis of the exact equation for wave action. For purely dissipative perturbations, it is shown that variations of the wave action, its flux, and its dissipation are due to perturbations of the wave number and frequency (if, in addition, the dissipative effect of a higher-order perturbation is included), a result the authors have previously developed for some specific problems. Similar conclusions are also derived for strongly nonlinear dispersive waves with higher spatial dimension and with multiple oscillatory phases. Furthermore, only the nonhomogeneous terms for the phase shift are altered for more general perturbations.
Mass Correlates with Increased Mating Success for Older but Not Younger Males in Thornbug Treehoppers

ABSTRACT In many species, male mating success is often influenced by both age and mass. Because mass often increases with age, it can be difficult to disentangle their separate contributions to older male mating success. In species in which age and mass vary independently, it may be possible to determine the influence of mass on male reproductive success. For example, declines in residual reproductive value with age often result in older males increasing their reproductive effort. Mass may have an important influence on this relationship, if having greater mass provides an older male with a larger resource pool to invest in reproductive effort. Here, I evaluated the effect of mass on the reproductive success of males in an insect species in which age and mass are uncorrelated, but mass is highly variable within age classes. Female thornbug treehoppers [Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot and Serville) (Hemiptera: Membracidae)] were given simultaneous choices of younger (22 d) and older (30 d) males under free-cho...
Forage from Soybean Provides an Alternative to Its Poor Grain Yield in the Southern Great Plains

The economic potential for soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) as forage, compared to its potential as grain, creates a dilemma for soybean farmers in the southern Great Plains. To better understand these two potential uses, soybean cultivars differing in maturity and growth habit were planted in 14-inch and 28-inch rows on 11 May 2001 and 16 May 2002 near Dallas, TX. The soil was a Houston Black Clay (fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplusterts). Plant height, plate meter readings, and forage biomass were measured in July and August and grain yield determined in September. Forage (1.26 to 2.13 ton/acre) and grain yields (9.3 to 20.9 bu/acre) were relatively low and similar between row spacings and between cultivars. Forage quality traits ranged as follows (by dry weight): crude protein (8.7 to 17.2%), acid detergent fiber (24.1 to 33.6%) and neutral detergent fiber (33.2 to 48.9%), in vitro dry matter digestibility (69.2 to 78.6%), and relative feed value (120 to 196). Plate meter readings and plant height were each correlated to biomass in one season but not both. Because of its relatively high forage quality and low grain yields, harvesting any of the soybean cultivars for forage during mid-season would have been more profitable than harvesting for grain, given the hay and grain market prices when the experiments were conducted.
Multiple intracellular signals coordinate structural dynamics in the sea urchin egg cortex at fertilization.

Fertilization of the sea urchin egg is accompanied by a sequence of structural changes in the egg cortex that include exocytosis, endocytosis, and microvillar growth. This architectural reorganization is coordinated by two intracellular signals: a rapid, transient rise in cyto-solic free calcium and a slower, longer lasting increase in cytoplasmic pH. In this report we provide ultrastructural views of these events in quick-frozen eggs and discuss their relationship to the calcium and pH signals.
Lexical choice and language selection in bilingual preschoolers

This study examined single-word code-mixing produced by bilingual preschoolers in order to better understand lexical choice patterns in each language. Analysis included item-level code- mixed responses of 606 five-year-old children. Per parent report, children were separated by language dominance based on language exposure and use. Children were assigned to a no-risk or at-risk for language impairment group based on individual performance from an English-Spanish screening battery. Data analysis compared the prevalence, frequency, and accuracy of code- mixed responses on expressive semantic items across participants' language dominance and risk status. Language dominance and risk status impacted children's code-mixing patterns. The correct number of code-mixed responses on the English screener was influenced by risk status, whereas language dominance determined the number of correct code-mixed answers on the Spanish screener. Lexical choice and language selection depend on linguistic knowledge and skill. During this emergent stage of bilingualism, preschoolers demonstrate the use of code-mixing as a compensatory strategy to fill lexical gaps. Consistent with previous studies, findings indicate that code-mixing necessitates linguistic competence in more than one language.
Comparison-based file server verification

Comparison-based server verification involves testing a server by comparing its responses to those of a reference server. An intermediary, called a "server Tee," interposes between clients and the reference server, synchronizes the system-under-test (SUT) to match the reference server's state, duplicates each request for the SUT, and compares each pair of responses to identify any discrepancies. The result is a detailed view into any differences in how the SUT satisfies the client-server protocol specification, which can be invaluable in debugging servers, achieving bug compatibility, and isolating performance differences. This paper introduces, develops, and illustrates the use of comparison-based server verification. As a concrete example, it describes a NFSv3 Tee and reports on its use in identifying interesting differences in several production NFS servers and in debugging a prototype NFS server. These experiences confirm that comparison-based server verification can be a useful tool for server implementors.
Lipid Bilayer Pressure Profiles and Mechanosensitive Channel Gating

The function of membrane proteins often depends on the proteins' interaction with their lipid environment, spectacularly so in the case of mechanosensitive channels, which are gated through tension mediated by the surrounding lipids. Lipid bilayer tension is distributed quite inhomogeneously, but neither the scale at which relevant variation takes place nor the effect of varying lipid composition or tension has yet been investigated in atomic detail. We calculated lateral pressure profile distributions in lipid bilayers of various composition from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations totaling 110.5 ns in length. Reproducible pressure profile features at the 1 A length scale were determined. Lipids with phosphatidylcholine headgroups were found to shift the lateral pressure out of the hydrophobic core and into the headgroup region by an amount that is independent of area per lipid. POPE bilayers simulated at areas smaller than optimal exerted dramatically higher lateral pressure in a narrow region at the start of the aliphatic chain. Stretching of POPC bilayers increased tension predominantly in the same region. A simple geometric analysis for the gating of the mechanosensitive channel MscL suggests that pressure profiles affect its gating through the second moment of the profile in a tension-independent manner.
Upper flow regime sheets, lenses and scour fills: Extending the range of architectural elements for fluvial sediment bodies

Abstract Fluvial strata dominated internally by sedimentary structures of interpreted upper flow regime origin are moderately common in the rock record, yet their abundance is not appreciated and many examples may go unnoticed. A spectrum of sedimentary structures is recognised, all of which occur over a wide range of scale: 1. cross-bedding with humpback, sigmoidal and ultimately low-angle cross-sectional foreset geometries (interpreted as recording the transition from dune to upper plane bed bedform stability field), 2. planar/flat lamination with parting lineation, characteristic of the upper plane bed phase, 3. flat and low-angle lamination with minor convex-upward elements, characteristic of the transition from upper plane bed to antidune stability fields, 4. convex-upward bedforms, down- and up-palaeocurrent-dipping, low-angle cross-bedding and symmetrical drapes, interpreted as the product of antidunes, and 5. backsets terminating updip against an upstream-dipping erosion surface, interpreted as recording chute and pool conditions. In some fluvial successions, the entirety or substantial portions of channel sandstone bodies may be made up of such structures. These Upper Flow Regime Sheets, Lenses and Scour Fills (UFR) are defined herein as an extension of Miall's [Miall, A.D., 1985. Architectural-element analysis: a new method of facies analysis applied to fluvial deposits. Earth Sci. Rev. 22: 261–308.] Laminated Sand Sheets architectural element. Given the conditions that favour preservation of upper flow regime structures (rapid changes in flow strength), it is suggested that the presence of UFR elements in ancient fluvial successions may indicate sediment accumulation under the influence of a strongly seasonal palaeoclimate that involves a pronounced seasonal peak in precipitation and runoff.
Editorial: RSV, dendritic cells, and allergens—a bad combination

Discussion of the central role of DC in how RSV primes the respiratory tract to bias subsequent pulmonary mucosal responses.
Terminology Tools: State of the Art and Practical Lessons

Objectives: As controlled medical terminologies evolve from simple code-name-hierarchy arrangements, into rich, knowledge-based ontologies of medical concepts, increased demands are placed on both the developers and users of the terminologies. In response, researchers have begun developing tools to address their needs. The aims of this article are to review previous work done to develop these tools and then to describe work done at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH). Methods: Researchers working with the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and NYPH’s Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) have created a wide variety of terminology browsers, editors and servers to facilitate creation, maintenance and use of these terminologies. Results: Although much work has been done, no generally available tools have yet emerged. Consensus on requirement for tool functions, especially terminology servers is emerging. Tools at NYPH have been used successfully to support the integration of clinical applications and the merger of health care institutions. Conclusions: Significant advancement has occurred over the past fifteen years in the development of sophisticated controlled terminologies and the tools to support them. The tool set at NYPH provides a case study to demonstrate one feasible architecture.
Guidelines for case classification for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Background Previous studies have suggested that etiologic heterogeneity may complicate epidemiologic analyses designed to identify risk factors for birth defects. Case classification uses knowledge of embryologic and pathogenetic mechanisms to make case groups more homogeneous and is important to the success of birth defects studies. METHODS The goal of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), an ongoing multi-site case–control study, is to identify environmental and genetic risk factors for birth defects. Information on environmental risk factors is collected through an hour-long maternal interview, and DNA is collected from the infant and both parents for evaluation of genetic risk factors. Clinical data on infants are reviewed by clinical geneticists to ensure they meet the detailed case definitions developed specifically for the study. To standardize the methods of case classification for the study, an algorithm has been developed to guide NBDPS clinical geneticists in this process. RESULTS Methods for case classification into isolated, multiple, and syndrome categories are described. Defects considered minor for the purposes of case classification are defined. Differences in the approach to case classification for studies of specific defects and of specific exposures are noted. CONCLUSIONS The case classification schema developed for the NBDPS may be of value to other clinicians working on epidemiologic studies of birth defects etiology. Consideration of these guidelines will lead to more comparable case groups, an important element of careful studies aimed at identifying risk factors for birth defects. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:193–201, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Unsteady turbulent skin-friction measurement in an adverse pressure gradient

A near-surface-mounted hot-wire shear gauge was designed, built, and installed in three locations on the upper surface of an NACA 0012 airfoil. The time constant of the gauge is essentially the same as a hot-wire anemometer, which implies that the gauge can measure turbulent shear stress. The skin friction at these three locations was measured over a reduced frequency range of 0-6.4 at two angles of attack (0 and 10 deg)
Photochemical reactivity of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin induced by nonstoichiometric CdS nanoparticles in 2-propanol

The photoreactivity of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) in the presence of photoexcited CdS nanoparticles and molecular oxygen in 2-propanol has been revisited. The photodecomposition of ZnTPP in 2-propanol, in the presence of CdS(e-CB/h
Effect of Microbial Interactions on In Vitro Plaque Formation by Streptococcus mutans

Eight non-plaque-forming oral organisms were grown in paired mixed cultures with Streptococcus mutans in an in vitro plaque assay system. The amount of plaque that formed was compared with that formed by pure cultures of S mutans. Four organisms had no effect on the total amount of plaque that formed, three organisms caused decided inhibitions, and one organism greatly increased total plaque formation.
Early European accounting theory: Sir William Petty's contributions to accounting

Accounting and auditing are frequently cited as culprits in the current economic crisis. Traditional practices (including academic rationales) are coming under increased scrutiny. This paper proposes a way of beginning to reinvigorate the subject by returning to the classics. Accounting, as a social science has several origins. This paper explores these diverse origins of accounting starting with the work of one of the ‘Fathers of Accounting’, Sir William Petty, the first general comptroller of England. Petty lived during the 17th century and published a variety of works on political economy that extended into accounting of the period.
Improved Medium for Sporulation of Clostridium perfringens

An improved sporulation medium has been developed in which all five strains of Clostridium perfringens tested exhibited a 100- to 10,000-fold increase in numbers of spores when compared with spore yields in SEC medium under comparable conditions. In addition, three of five strains produced a 100- to 1,000-fold increase, with the remaining two strains yielding approximately the same numbers of spores, when compared with strains cultured in Ellner medium. At the 40-hr sampling time, 18 of 27 strains produced a 10- to 100-fold increase in numbers of spores in our medium, when compared to spore production obtained in a medium recently reported by Kim et al. The new medium contained yeast extract, 0.4%; proteose peptone, 1.5%; soluble starch, 0.4%; sodium thioglycolate, 0.1%; and Na2HPO4. 7H2O, 1.0%. In some cases, the spore yield could be increased by the addition of activated carbon to the new medium. The inclusion of activated carbon in the medium resulted in spores with slightly greater heat resistance than spores produced in the new medium without added carbon or in SEC or in Ellner medium. The major differences in heat resistance of the various strains appeared to be genetically determined rather than reflections of a particular sporulation medium. A definite heat-shock requirement was shown for four of four strains, with the optimal temperature ranging from 60 C for a heat-sensitive strain to 80 C for a heat-resistant strain. Heating for 20 min at the optimal temperature resulted in a 100-fold increase over the viable count obtained after heating for 20 min at 50 C.
Ventilation-Perfusion Inequalities During Graft Rejection in Patients Undergoing Single Lung Transplantation for Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

We report herein data on single lung transplant (SLT) recipients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). One patient did well following surgery but died on the 30th postoperative day due to cytomegalovirus pneumonia. The remaining two patients initially did well with unlimited exercise tolerance following transplantation, but then developed marked dyspnea on exertion and hypoxemia on postoperative days 144 and 120, respectively. Pulmonary function testing showed marked deterioration of function and transbronchial lung biopsy specimens revealed acute graft rejection in one patient and evidence of chronic graft rejection in the second patient. Quantitative ventilation-perfusion lung scanning demonstrated a marked decrease in ventilation to the transplanted lung in both cases associated with only a mild decrease in perfusion. This V/Q mismatch resulted in markedly decreased arterial oxygen saturations, widened alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients, and clinically debilitating dyspnea. We conclude that rejection may result in significant V/Q mismatch and hypoxemia in PPH patients undergoing SLT, which may limit the use of this specific type of surgery for PPH.
Novel Lipid Modifications of Secreted Protein Signals

▪ Abstract Secreted signaling proteins function in a diverse array of essential patterning events during metazoan development, ranging from embryonic segmentation in insects to neural tube differentiation in vertebrates. These proteins generally are expressed in a localized manner, and they may elicit distinct concentration-dependent responses in the cells of surrounding tissues and structures, thus functioning as morphogens that specify the pattern of cellular responses by their tissue distribution. Given the importance of signal distribution, it is notable that the Hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt proteins, two of the most important families of such signals, are known to be covalently modified by lipid moieties, the membrane-anchoring properties of which are not consistent with passive models of protein mobilization within tissues. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying biogenesis of the mature Hh proteins, which are dually modified by cholesteryl and palmitoyl adducts, as well as on the relationship bet...
Finite difference approach for rigorous full-wave analysis of superconducting microwave structures

A full-wave analysis of superconducting transmission line structures is presented. This approach avoids making any simplifying assumptions regarding the strip thickness and the electromagnetic wave inside the superconductor. The propagation constant and the attenuation constant are obtained rigorously by solving the eigenvalue problem resulting from the discretization of the wave equations using the finite difference method. The corresponding eigenvectors are the possible modes. The current distribution inside the superconducting materials and the electromagnetic fields in the structure can be easily obtained. Results for the propagation characteristics of the microstripline are demonstrated. Slow wave propagation is observed along the microstrip line. The increase of attenuation with temperature and frequency is clearly shown. >
Dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission by Nymphal Ixodes dammini Ticks

Groups of 25-30 nymphal Ixodes dammini infected with Borrelia burgdorferi fed on mice for 36, 42, or 48 h. Only 1 (7%) of 14 mice exposed for 36 h became infected as did 3 (25%) of 12 mice exposed for 42 h and 6 (75%) of 8 mice exposed for 48 h. The minimum transmission rate calculation for ticks attached for 36 h was 0.5%; for 42 h, 1.5%; and for 48 h, 5.8%. Homogenates derived from nonfed "flat" nymphs or nymphs fed for 12 h were not infectious to mice. Homogenates derived from nymphs attached for 24 h, however, infected 20% of inoculated mice; homogenates derived from ticks attached for > or = 36 h infected > or = 80% of inoculated mice. Incubation of nonfed ticks at 37 degrees C did not produce infectious homogenates. The ID50 for low-passage JD1 strain spirochetes in 3-week-old mice was 2.69 x 10(3) spirochetes.
A comparison of diffusive transport in a moment method for nanoparticle coagulation

Direct numerical simulations of nanoparticle coagulation in temporal mixing layers using two different formulations for particle diffusion are compared. In the first formulation, a diffusion coefficient based on the local mean volume is used while the second formulation utilizes diffusion coefficients which are based on each particle size. A moment method in conjunction with a lognormal particle size distribution is used to represent the particle field. Results indicate that simulations using diffusion coefficients based on the local mean volume predict slightly higher polydispersity. Furthermore, the simulations using diffusion coefficients based on the local mean volume can be performed at reduced spatial resolutions which allows for more affordable computations.
Refractometric characterization of microsphere resonator based optical sensors

We have carried out the refractometric characterization on the whispering gallery mode (WGM) of a fused silica microsphere as the first step towards developing novel bio/chemical sensors with high sensitivity and high multiplexing capability. The WGM spectral position shifts when the refractive index of the surrounding medium is varied by adding ethanol to water. It is found that a sensitivity of 30 nm/RIU (refractive index units) and a refractive index detection limit on the order of 10-7 RIU can be achieved. Theoretical calculation is also performed and agrees well with the experimental data
Constitutional dynamic systems of ionic and molecular liquids

The ionic liquids N-methylpyridinium-2-carboxaldehyde Tf2N− and N-methylpyridinium-3-carboxaldehyde Tf2N− form readily-reversible covalent bonds with protic nucleophiles, creating all-liquid constitutionally dynamic materials.
Capacity Bounds for Sticky Channels

The capacity of sticky channels, a subclass of insertion channels where each symbol may be duplicated multiple times, is considered. The primary result is to provide nearly tight numerical upper and lower bounds for the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) duplication channel.
Examining the relationship between face processing and social interaction behavior in children with and without autism spectrum disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impairment in reciprocal social communication, which includes deficits in social cognition and behavior. Since social cognition and social behavior are considered to be interdependent, it is valuable to examine social processes on multiple levels of analysis. Neuropsychological measures of face processing often reveal deficits in social cognition in ASD including the ability to identify and remember facial information. However, the extent to which neuropsychological measures are associated with or predictive of real-world social behavior is unclear. The study investigated 66 children (ASD 34, typically developing (TD) 32) using neuropsychological measures of face processing (identity, affect, and memory). Children also participated in a peer interaction paradigm, which allowed observation and coding of natural social interaction behaviors during play with peers (e.g., Self-Play, Cooperative Play, Verbal Bout). ANCOVA, regression, and correlation models analyzed between-group differences, the ability of neuropsychological measures to predict social behavior, and the strength of the associations. Between-group differences were shown on Memory for Faces Delayed and the peer interaction variables Self-Play and Verbal Bout. Regression models indicated that Memory for Faces Delayed predicted the amount of Self-Play, Equipment use alone, and Cooperative Play with peers on the playground. Autism symptomology only predicted verbal exchange with peers. Face memory strongly predicts relevant social engagement patterns in both children with and without ASD. Impairment in facial memory is associated with reduced ‘real-world’ social interaction and more self-play, whereas higher performance in face memory predicts more cooperative play. Results highlight the strong connection between face memory and reciprocal social interaction, suggesting that improvement in one may benefit the other.
2014 Update to the National Seismic Hazard Model in California

The 2014 update to the U. S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model in California introduces a new earthquake rate model and new ground motion models (GMMs) that give rise to numerous chan...
A recursively partitioned mixture model for clustering time-course gene expression data

Background: Longitudinally collected gene expression data provides an opportunity to investigate the dynamic behavior of gene expression and is crucial for establishing causal links between changes on a molecular level and disease development and progression. In terms of the analysis of such data, clustering of subjects based on time-course expression data may improve our understanding of temporal expression patterns that result in disease phenotypes. Although there are numerous existing methods for clustering subjects using gene expression data, most are not suitable when expression measurements are repeatedly collected over a time-course. Methods: We present a modified version of the recursively partitioned mixture model (RPMM) for clustering subjects based on longitudinally collected gene expression data. In the proposed time-course RPMM (TC-RPMM), subjects are clustered on the basis of their temporal profiles of gene expression using a mixture of mixed effects models framework. This framework captures changes in gene expression over time and models the autocorrelation between repeated gene expression measurements for the same subject. We assessed the performance of TC-RPMM using extensive simulation studies and a dataset from a multi-center research study of inflammation and response to injury (www.gluegrant.org), which consisted of time-course gene expression data for 140 subjects. Results: Our simulation studies encompassed several different scenarios and were aimed at assessing the ability of TC-RPMM to correctly recover true class memberships when the expression trajectories that characterized those classes differed. Overall, our simulation studies revealed favorable performance of TC-RPMM compared to competing approaches, however clustering performance was observed to be highly dependent on the proportion of class discriminating genes used in clustering analysis. When applied to real epidemiologic data with repeated-measures, longitudinal gene expression measurements, TC-RPMM identified clusters that had strong biological and clinical significance. Conclusions: Methods for clustering subjects based on temporal gene expression profiles is a high priority for molecular biology and bioinformatics research. Along these lines, the proposed TC-RPMM represents a promising new approach for analyzing time-course gene expression data.
I Will Pour Out of My Spirit Upon All Flesh

Scholars of Pentecostalism have recently debated pentecostal monogenesis (that is, a single origin) in contrast to polygenesis (or multiple origins). This essay examines contributions to the discussion by Allan Anderson, Michael Bergunder, Cecil Robeck, and Adam Stewart, and argues that polygenetic views find support through new evidence from pre-1900, proto- or paleo-pentecostal movements in diverse localities. Moreover, those who argue today for the importance of the Azusa Street Revival acknowledge this global complexity, and so the mono/polygenesis distinction might now be outmoded. The terminology of “Classical Pentecostalism,” in light of Bergunder’s analysis, confirms a pluralized pentecostal identity. The essay’s second, paradoxical claim is that polygenesis does not diminish the significance of the Azusa Street Revival but enhances it by underscoring the theme of “inclusive origins”—a theme presented here as a theological interpretation of pentecostal origins that builds on Walter Hollenweger’s “black origins” and Allan Anderson’s “global origins”—and yet moves a step further.
Microsatellite Markers in White-Tailed Deer

A genomic library of DNA from white-tailed deer was constructed for the isolation of d(AC)n microsatellite repeats. PCR primers were designed from regions flanking each repeat and used to amplify DNA samples from a pedigreed herd of white-tailed deer and other artiodactyls. Allelic frequencies, PIC values, and heterozygosity values are reported for five polymorphic markers scored in 41 animals. Homologs of two of the five markers were assigned to bovine chromosomes 4 and 23, respectively, using a panel of bovine+hamster hybrid somatic cell lines.
Snapshots of Pluripotency.

Pluripotency is a unique developmental state that lays the foundation upon which the entire embryo is built. Pluripotent cells possess the unique capacity to generate, in an exquisitely defined sequence, all the distinct cell types comprising the fetal and adult organism. The discovery of pluripotent stem cells and now the ability to generate them from differentiated cells has had a profound impact on a vast array of scientific disciplines. In addition to their clinical potential as a source of therapeutic cell types, pluripotent stem cells provide scalable access to otherwise experimentally inaccessible development- and disease-associated biology. Here I provide my perspective on the continuum of pluripotency in the early mammalian embryo. I also discuss how novel genomic technologies are now enabling the capture of molecular “snapshots” of the several distinct pluripotent states that stem cells undergo during this pivotal developmental period.
Quality assurance in clinical hyperthermia

Careful attention to quality assurance in all phases of hyperthermia treatment is essential to assure optimal safe and effective treatments. General guidelines have been established by the Hyperthermia Physics Center (HPC). However, equipment and treatment needs will vary among hyperthermia facilities. Therefore, these guidelines should serve as a baseline starting point for each facility in the establishment of their own QA guidelines.
The Interrelationships of the Blood Cells of Cattle in Health and During BrucellaInfections

In the preceding article1 were given the changes in the average number of erythrocytes and leukocytes per unit volume of blood, and in the percentages of the different types of leukocytes, in cattle before and during an induced infection with Brucella abortus. As a means of determining, for example, whether an increase in the proportion of polymorphonuclear cells was consistently accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes, the intercorrelations of the various categories of cells were analyzed for each of the groups of animals. The only similar study in the literature is that of Casey2 on rabbit cells. This author, however, used the total number per unit volume of each of the different types of leukocytes in the correlations, rather than their percentages. It will not be expected, therefore, because of this difference in treatment, that the values of the correlation coefficients in the respective studies will be at all comparable.
GENETIC BASIS OF ACTIVITY METABOLISM. I. INHERITANCE OF SPEED, STAMINA, AND ANTIPREDATOR DISPLAYS IN THE GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS SIRTALIS.

Recent conceptual advances in physiological ecology emphasize the potential selective importance of whole-animal performance. Empirical studies of locomotor performance in reptiles have revealed surprising amounts of individual variation in speed and stamina. The present study is the first in a series examining the genetic basis of variation in locomotor performance, activity metabolism, and associated behaviors in garter snakes. Maximal sprint crawling speed, treadmill endurance, and antipredator displays (Arnold and Bennett, 1984; exhibited as snakes reached exhaustion on the treadmill) were measured for approximately six offspring (presumed to be full siblings) from each of 46 wild-caught gravid garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). Each character was measured on two days; all were individually repeatable. Correlations of these characters with body mass, snout-vent length, age at testing, litter size, dam mass, and dam snout-vent length were removed by computing residuals from multiple-regression equations. These residuals were used in subsequent genetic analyses. Approximate coefficients of variation of residuals were 17% for speed, 48% for endurance, and 31% for antipredator displays. Broad-sense heritabilities were significant for all characters: speed h2 = 0.58; stamina h2 = 0.70; antipredator display h2 = 0.42. All three residual characters showed positive and statistically significant phenotypic correlations (r = 0.19-0.36). Genetic correlations (estimated and tested by restricted maximum likelihood) among residuals were positive and highly significant between speed and endurance (0.58), but nonsignificant between speed and antipredator display (0.43), and between endurance and antipredator display (0.26). All environmental correlations were nonsignificant. These data suggest that, contrary to expectations based on previous physiological studies, there may be no necessary evolutionary trade-off between speed and stamina in these animals. This tentative conclusion will have important implications for future theoretical studies of the evolution of locomotor performance and associated antipredator behaviors.
Hypothesis testing for differentially correlated features

In a multivariate setting, we consider the task of identifying features whose correlations with the other features differ across conditions. Such correlation shifts may occur independently of mean shifts, or differences in the means of the individual features across conditions. Previous approaches for detecting correlation shifts consider features simultaneously, by computing a correlation-based test statistic for each feature. However, since correlations involve two features, such approaches do not lend themselves to identifying which feature is the culprit. In this article, we instead consider a serial testing approach, by comparing columns of the sample correlation matrix across two conditions, and removing one feature at a time. Our method provides a novel perspective and favorable empirical results compared with competing approaches.
Effects of Morphology on Movement of Space Charge Packet in Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a major kind of internal insulating material. This paper measured the space charge phenomenon in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method and observed the space charge packet. This research got the LDPE films of different morphology by different annealing rate and discussed the effect of morphology and electrical field stress changing on space charge packet's moving velocity. The research shows that morphology of LDPE affects the velocity of space charge packet remarkably; bigger crystallinity results in lower velocity of space charge packet. The intensity of electrical field has little affection to the velocity. The average mobility of different crystallinity under different electric field was calculated. The relationship between crystallinity and mobility was found. The results further demonstrate there are inherent relationships among higher crystallinity,more space charge accumulation,lower mobility and deeper trap depth. Lower mobility and deeper trap depth have a monotone relationship.
361 HLA DRB1 ALLELES IN AFRICAN-AMERICANS WITH EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM 207 SUBJECTS IN THE CLEAR STUDY

Purpose HLA DRB1 alleles containing the shared epitope (*0101,*0102,*0401,*0404, *0405,*0408,*0413,*1001) are associated with susceptibility and severity of RA in Caucasians, but their role in African-Americans with RA is less clear. Methods The Consortium for the Evaluation of African-Americans with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (CLEAR) is a NIAMS-funded registry with the goal of recruiting 400 African-Americans with early RA ( Results Approximately 61% of subjects have 0 copies of shared epitope-containing HLA DRB1 alleles, 33% have 1 copy, and 6% have 2 copies. Thus the shared epitope is much less common in African-Americans with RA than Caucasians with RA. Conclusions This is the largest study to date describing the shared epitope status in African-Americans with RA and the first study in focusing on those with early RA. Most African-Americans in the CLEAR Registry presenting with early RA do not have HLA DRB1 alleles containing the SE. Genotyping of geographic region-specific controls is currently in progress, which should help to clarify the role of the HLA DRB1 in RA susceptibility in African-Americans. Correlation of HLA DRB1 alleles with baseline radiographs of the hands and feet is also under way, which should help delineate the role of HLA DRB1 alleles in disease severity and outcomes in African-Americans.
Automating Crowd-supervised Learning for Spoken Language Systems.

Spoken language systems often rely on static speech recognizers. When the underlying models are improved on-the-fly, training is usually performed using unsupervised methods. In this work, we explore an alternative approach that uses human computation to provide crowd-supervised training of a deployed system. Although the framework we describe is applicable to any stochastic model for which the training data can be generated by non-experts, we demonstrate its utility on the lexicon and language model of a speech recognizer in a cinema voicesearch domain. We show how an initially shaky system can achieve over a 10% absolute improvement in word error rate (WER) – entirely without expert intervention. We then analyze how these gains were made.
Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, TNF-α) and LPS modulate the Ca2+ signaling pathway in osteoblasts

Locally derived growth factors and cytokines in bone play a crucial role in the regulation of bone remodeling, i.e., bone formation and bone resorption processes. We studied the effect of interleuk...
Social Media in the Sexual Lives of African American and Latino Youth: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Neighborhood

There has been significant interest in the role of social media in the lives of adolescents, particularly as it relates to sexual risk. Researchers have focused on understanding usage behaviors, quantifying effects of social media exposure and activity, and using social media to intervene. Much of this work has focused on college students and non-minority youth. In this paper, we examine the growing body of literature around social media use among US minority youth and its intersection with sexual risk behavior. We introduce the concept of the “digital neighborhood” and examine the intersection of social media and sexual health in two domains: 1) sexual content in social media and 2) evidence of social media effects on sexual behavior. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for researchers and practitioners engaging youth of color.