Gap Fill Research Articles

Statistical models for longitudinal zero‐inflated count data with applications to the substance abuse field

This study fills in the current knowledge gaps in statistical analysis of longitudinal zero-inflated count data by providing a comprehensive review and comparison of the hurdle and zero-inflated Poisson models in terms of the conceptual framework, computational advantage, and performance under different real data situations. The design of simulations represents the special features of a well-known longitudinal study of alcoholism so that the results can be generalizable to the substance abuse field. When the hurdle model is more natural under the conceptual framework of the data, the zero-inflated Poisson model tends to produce inaccurate estimates. Model performance improves with larger sample sizes, lower proportions of missing data, and lower correlations between covariates. The simulation also shows that the computational strength of the hurdle model disappears when random effects are included.

Application of Temporal Gap Filling to Natural Power Law Spectrums

Power law spectrums are frequently used to model complex natural processes. Estimation of power law behavior can be severely hampered by temporal gaps in measured data, which can occur frequently for data sets spanning many years. The author presents an algorithm for iterative gap filling through the use of an autoregressive model. This technique is validated with a simulation study, and its benefits are demonstrated through application to measured data sets.

Contribution of “Women’s Gold” to West African Livelihoods: The Case of Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) in Burkina Faso

Contribution of “Women’s Gold” to West African Livelihoods: The Case of Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) in Burkina Faso. This paper (i) quantifies the contribution that Vitellaria paradoxa makes to the total income of rural households belonging to different economic groups in two areas of Burkina Faso; (ii) quantifies the involvement of women in shea nuts and fruits collection and processing; and (iii) empirically verifies the “gap filling” function of shea products in Burkina Faso by quantifying the commercialization and subsistence use of shea fruits, nuts, and butter between agricultural seasons. Based on data collected from structured household surveys used on a quarterly basis during a one-year period on 536 households, we demonstrate that the reliance on shea is generally high in the sampled populations, and is at its highest for the poorest households, for which it contributes 12 % of total household income. Moreover, shea nut collection and processing was found to provide a valuable source of cash income to female household members who otherwise have very few income possibilities. Finally, due to its ecology, shea fills in an income gap during a period where human activities are at their highest while income is at its lowest. Although shea is crucial for poor people’s livelihoods and for the generation of income for women, its harvesting and processing are time-consuming activities that generate low returns per unit of labor. We argue that shea collection and processing should therefore not be considered as a remedy to poverty but instead as a way for households to diversify their livelihood strategy and decrease their vulnerability to food insecurity and climate variability.

Gap Filling and the Determinants of Long-Term Corporate Debt Issuances

Investment grade corporations issue debt across a wide spectrum of maturities. A significant proportion of the debt issued by these firms has maturities greater than 20 years. In this paper we argue that an important determinant of these long-term debt issues is gap filling behavior, in which high grade issuers fill gaps in the supply of long-term government bonds. Using a large sample of individual corporate loans and bond issues by U.S. companies between 1987 and 2009, we find evidence of gap filling behavior only in the very long end of the maturity spectrum where the required risk capital makes it difficult for arbitrageurs to smooth out supply shocks.

A Dynamic Method for Gap Filling in Daily Temperature Datasets

AbstractA regression-based approach for temperature data reconstruction has been used to fill the gaps in the series of automatic temperature records obtained from the meteorological network of Veneto Region (northeastern Italy). The method presented is characterized by a dynamic selection of the reconstructing stations and of the coupling period that can precede or follow the missing data. Each gap is considered as a specific case, identifying the best set of stations and the period that minimizes the estimated reconstruction error for the gap, thus permitting a potentially better adaptation to time-dependent factors affecting the relationships between stations. The best sampling size is determined through an inference procedure, permitting a highly specific selection of the parameters used to fill each gap in the time series. With a proper selection of the parameters, the average errors of reconstruction are close to 0 and those corresponding to the 95th percentile are typically around 0.1°C. In comparison with similar regression-based approaches, the errors are lower, particularly for minimum temperatures, and the method limits inversions between the minimum, mean, and maximum temperatures.

Gap Filling and the Determinants of Long-Term Corporate Debt Issuances

A significant proportion of the debt issued by investment grade firms has maturities greater than 20 years. In this paper we provide evidence that gap-filling behavior is an important determinant of these very long-term issues. Using data on individual corporate debt issues between 1987 and 2009, we find that gap-filling behavior is more prominent in the very long end of the maturity spectrum where the required risk capital makes arbitrage costly. In addition, we find that changes in the supply of long-term government bonds affect not just the choice of maturity but also the overall level of corporate borrowing.

The next 50years: A personal view

I review history, starting with Turing’s seminal paper, reaching back ultimately to when our species started to outperform other primates, searching for the questions that will help us develop a computational account of human intelligence. I answer that the right questions are: What’s different between us and the other primates and what’s the same. I answer the what’s different question by saying that we became symbolic in a way that enabled story understanding, directed perception, and easy communication, and other species did not. I argue against Turing’s reasoning-centered suggestions, offering that reasoning is just a special case of story understanding. I answer the what’s the same question by noting that our brains are largely engineered in the same exotic way, with information flowing in all directions at once. By way of example, I illustrate how these answers can influence a research program, describing the Genesis system, a system that works with short summaries of stories, provided in English, together with low-level common-sense rules and higher-level concept patterns, likewise expressed in English. Genesis answers questions, notes abstract concepts such as revenge, tells stories in a listener-aware way, and fills in story gaps using precedents. I conclude by suggesting, optimistically, that a genuine computational theory of human intelligence will emerge in the next 50 years if we stick to the right, biologically inspired questions, and work toward biologically informed models.

Pulsed submicrosecond multichannel sliding discharges of opposite polarities: Filling of the discharge gap with spark channels

Results are presented from measurements of the discharge current and the factor of the discharge gap filling with spark channels during pulsed sliding discharges of opposite polarities in Ne, Ar, and Xe on an aluminum oxide ceramic surface. The measurements were performed in the regime of single pulses of submi-crosecond duration at discharge voltages of 0–12 kV with two discharge chambers with different thicknesses of the ceramic plate (0.4 and 0.17 cm) and different electrode gap lengths (4 and 10.3 cm) at gas pressures of 30 and 100 kPa. The results obtained for discharges of opposite polarities are compared with one another, and common features of discharges in three gases are revealed. It is shown that the filling of the discharge gap with spark channels in the gases under study is more efficient in the case of the positive polarity of the discharge voltage, except Xe at a pressure of 100 kPa in the electrode gap of length 10.3 cm. The quasi-homogeneous regime of discharge in each of the three gases is attained easier at lower gas pressures. Comparison of the data on the filling factors of the discharge gap and the peak currents of opposite-polarity discharges for each gas at a given pressure indicates that the higher the discharge current, the more densely the discharge gap is filled with spark channels.

Effective Gap Filling via Magnetic Field Simulation Assisted on Longthrow Sputtering PVD of Side Magnet Designs and Arrangements for 3DIC Application

This study used Finite Volume Method to simulate the magnetic profile of PVD (physical vapor deposition) chamber. For this longthrow PVD, the adaptor of the gap filling chamber has 120 mm height and 44 sets of side magnets around the adaptor. The polarity of the side magnets is the same as the top magnets of the chamber. These side magnets can very effectively increase electron mobility and collision frequency with sputtered atoms. The plasma simulation result shows that ionization rate on sputtered atoms can be up to 12% from such a PVD system along with such a magnet arrangement. Therefore, it shows a significant improvement on bottom side-wall coverage of via hole up to 45%. The deposition rate increases by 40%. In addition, the adjustment of RF bias and resputtering power can result in further improvement on 3/4 depth of side-wall coverage by 30% and corner step coverage by 70%. This study uses a simple method to apply 3DIC gap filling capability for an increase of aspect ratio (AR).

The Contributions of Barrier Resputter for BEOL Integration

For Cu interconnect, Ta(N) barrier is widely used. In this work barrier resputter process was studied. Related wafer acceptance test (WAT), via pouch through, profile of Dual Damascene structure and via electron migration (EM) was investigated. Resputter removes the high resistive Ta(N) from the bottom to lower the via Rc. Barrier first process, including Ta(N) deposition and aggressive resputter, is widely used. Aggressive resputter enlarges top CD of trench and via. That makes gap fill easier and even lower via Rc. Aggressive resputter is helpful to via clean and enhances downstream electro migration (EM) performance. Resputter can change the geometry of dual damascene structure. Such a geometry change has large impact on the upstream electro migration (EM) performance. Barrier resputter also has its shortcoming and limitation. For punch through process, Cu sputtered from the bottom redeposits on the side wall, which may have negative impact on upstream EM performance. Resputter also causes damage to low-k material, with such damage metal line capacitance and reliability may become problem. For Cu interconnect, to manage resputter properly is a key factor to the succeed of back end of line (BEOL).

Side Magnet Designs and Magnetic Field Effects on Effective Gap Filling of Longthrow Sputtering PVD for 3DIC Application

This study used Finite Volume Method to simulate the magnetic profile of PVD (physical vapor deposition) chamber. It can be applied to different kinds of magnet arrangements to the longthrow sputtering PVD. For this long throw PVD, the best optimized process conditions and results from simulations included effects from chamber adaptor height, side magnet space, and magnet arangements. The side magnets consist of a total of 44 sets for one supporter around the chamber adaptor. Each set has three magnets. Each magnet has the magnetic field strength of 5,500 Gauss. The adaptor of gap filling chamber has a height of 120 mm and 44 sets of magnets around the adaptor. The polarity of side magnets is the same as the top magnets of the chamber. These magnets can very effectively increase of electron mobility and collision frequency with sputtered atoms. The plasma simulation result shows that the ionization rate on supttered atoms can be up to 26% from such a longthrow PVD system along with such magnets arrangement. Therefore, it shows a significant improvement on bottom side-wall step coverage in via hole up to 45%. The deposition rate increases by 40%. In addition, by adjusting RF bias and resputtering power, further improvement with 3/4 depth of side-wall step coverage by 30% and corner step coverage by 70% can be obtained. This study uses a simple method to apply to 3DIC gap filling capability for an increase of aspect ratio (AR). The improvement from this longthrow sputtering PVD with side magnets design around the adaptor not only results in low cost target design but also provides a very effective gap filling capability with higher deposition rate for 3DIC application.

Aluminum Alloy Formation and Impacts in Advanced Replacement Metal Gate Process

ABSTRACTFor the gate last approach of a high K metal gate scheme used in advanced CMOS technology, various materials were tested as wetting layers to allow Aluminum (Al) gap fill at gate widths of10 to 45 nanometers. In this study, Titanium (Ti) and Cobalt (Co) were investigated as a wetting layer for Al gap fill. It was discovered that Al-Ti and Al-Co alloys were formed during high temperature Al deposition. Alloys were characterized using XRD. Alloy’s impacts on line resistivity and subsequent Al Chemical Mechanical Polish (Al CMP) were also investigated. In addition, a model was established to predict the alloy type and alloy mole% with respect to feature size. The predicted Al mole% by this model correlated very well with 1) line resistivity trend and 2) morphologies. The model also predicted that due to Al lower electro-chemical potential than Ti, Co or its alloys, galvanic corrosion could take place depending on the chemical environment in the Al CMP slurry. Different slurry or cleaning chemical may reduce or increase the risk of galvanic corrosion. The knowledge gained with the help of the model provides clear directions on selection criteria for wetting layers, optimization for deposition processes and Al CMP consumable design to meet the challenges.

Survey on Gap Filling in Satellite Images and Inpainting Algorithm

Survey on Gap Filling in Satellite Images and Inpainting Algorithm

Growing Home

ABSTRACTUsing the concepts of “throwntogetherness” and disorder this article offers another perspective on the role of domestic disorder in making a family home. with original data generated within a qualitative research project with same-sex parented families in Sydney, Australia, the article considers some of the everyday ways parents “use disorder” to regulate and reconcile expectations of family life with lived reality, as materialized through reconfiguring existing home spaces. At the same time, the discussion fills in some empirical gaps in contemporary geographies of family by presenting some family home cultures that remain underrepresented in the empirical work on home and family: the domestic, everyday routines, and rhythms of same-sex parented families.

Asthma diagnosis and treatment: Filling in the information gaps

Current approaches to the diagnosis and management of asthma are based on guideline recommendations, which have provided a framework for the efforts. Asthma, however, is emerging as a heterogeneous disease, and these features need to be considered in both the diagnosis and management of this disease in individual patients. These diverse or phenotypic features add complexity to the diagnosis of asthma, as well as attempts to achieve control with treatment. Although the diagnosis of asthma is often based on clinical information, it is important to pursue objective criteria as well, including an evaluation for reversibility of airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, an area with new diagnostic approaches. Furthermore, there exist a number of treatment gaps (ie, exacerbations, step-down care, use of antibiotics, and severe disease) in which new direction is needed to improve care. Amajor morbidity in asthmatic patients occurs with exacerbations and in patients with severe disease. Novel approaches to treatment for these conditions will be an important advance to reduce the morbidity associated with asthma.

Maren Tova Linett, Modernism, Feminism, and JewishnessModernism, Feminism, and Jewishness. Maren TovaLinett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Pp. vii+231.

<i>Maren Tova Linett,</i> Modernism, Feminism, and Jewishness<i>Modernism, Feminism, and Jewishness</i>. Maren TovaLinett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Pp. vii+231.

Extending the Symbolic Interactionist Theory of Interaction Processes: A Conceptual Outline

This article outlines the elements of a more robust symbolic interactionist theory of interpersonal processes. I argue that George Herbert Mead's conceptualization of interaction processes can be extended to explain not only micro-level social processes but also key elements of meso- and macro-level dynamics. By expanding Mead's and more recent symbolic interactionist theorizing, and incorporating key ideas from other theoretical traditions outside symbolic interactionism proper, it becomes possible to develop a theory of interaction that fills in important conceptual gaps in theories on the dynamics of micro-, meso-, and macro-level social phenomena.

P1-S2.01 Prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among clients of female sex workers in Karnataka, South India

IntroductionSeveral studies have demonstrated the importance of commercial sex work in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in India. Clients of female sex workers (FSWs) are...

Knowledge articulation and dynamic capabilities in firm collaborations: An empirical comparison of Taiwanese and South Korean Enterprises

This empirical investigation demonstrates the gateways of knowledge articulation (KA) and dynamic capabilities (DCs) upgrading in inter- and intra-firm collaborations. Researchers investigated 363 Taiwanese inter-firm collaborations and 210 South Korean intra-firm collaborations to determine the role of dynamic learning drivers (DLDs) in upgrading KA and DCs. Manager integration power, external linkages, codification of experience, and ambiguity have a positive impact on KA in inter-firm collaborations. External linkages and repeated practice have a positive impact and previous experience has a negative impact on KA in intra-firm collaborations. KA has a strong positive influence on DCs upgrading in both inter- and intra-firm collaborations. This study shows how various DLDs upgrade KA and DCs in inter- and intra-firm collaborations and fills in some gaps in the study of KA and DCs upgrading according to the innovation routine approach. Key words: knowledge, dynamic capabilities, inter-firm, intra-firm, learning, routine.

Delay of Gap Filling during Nucleotide Excision Repair by Base Excision Repair: The Concept of Competition Exemplified by the Effect of Propolis

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) consists of a sequence of events including DNA damage recognition, excision of the damage containing oligonucleotide, gap filling, and ligation. We found that gap filling during the repair of ultraviolet (UV)C-induced DNA lesions was inhibited by various compounds, e.g., amoxicillin, and mixtures, e.g., propolis, the materials that could induce oxidative DNA damage in serum-supplemented cell cultures. Such inhibitory effect was also demonstrated by the immunostaining experiment and host cell reactivation assay. In this study, we link the repair of oxidative DNA damage with the inhibition of gap filling. Our experimental evidence includes the following: (1) induction of oxidative DNA damage and inhibition of gap filling were quantitatively correlated; (2) although the repair of UV-induced DNA damage was delayed in the presence of propolis, the repair of propolis-induced oxidative DNA damage proceeded regardless of preexposure to UV radiation; (3) inhibition of gap filling by propolis was absent in base excision repair (BER)-deficient cells; (4) suppression of propolis-induced oxidative DNA damage by β-carotene abolished the inhibition of gap filling; and (5) inhibition of gap filling was also found with typical BER-inducing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, menadione, and methyl methanesulfonate. We propose that competition may occur between NER and BER, which results in delay of gap filling. Our study reveals the dominancy of BER over NER.