cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cochlear implant-related speech processing may diminish the advantage of exposure to infant-directed speech

Caregivers modify their speech when talking to infants, a specific type of speech known as infant-directed speech (IDS). This speaking style facilitates language learning compared to adult-directed speech (ADS) in infants with normal hearing (NH). While infants with NH and those with cochlear implants (CIs) prefer listening to IDS over ADS, it is yet unknown how CI speech processing may affect the acoustic distinctiveness between ADS and IDS, as well as the degree of intelligibility of these. This study analyzed speech of seven female adult talkers to investigate the effects of simulated CI speech processing on (1) acoustic distinctiveness between ADS and IDS, (2) estimates of intelligibility of caregivers speech in ADS and IDS, and (3) individual differences in caregivers ADS-to-IDS modification and speech intelligibility. Results suggest that CI speech processing is substantially detrimental to the acoustic distinctiveness between ADS and IDS, as well as to the intelligibility benefit derived from ADS-to-IDS modifications. Moreover, the observed considerable variability across individual talkers in acoustic implementation of ADS-to-IDS modification and speech intelligibility was significantly reduced due to CI speech processing. The findings are discussed in the context of the link between IDS and language learning in infants with CIs.
Exchange interactions, Yang-Baxter relations and transparent particles

Abstract We introduce a class of particle models in one dimension involving exchange interactions that have scattering properties satisfying the Yang-Baxter consistency condition. A subclass of these models exhibits reflectionless scattering, in which particles are “transparent” to each other, generalizing a property hitherto only known for the exchange Calogero model. The thermodynamics of these systems can be derived using the asymptotic Bethe-Ansatz method.
Towards Addiction Treatment: Technological Advances & Applying Technology

Digital health, broadly defined as applying technology to better understand health behavior and offer healthcare resources, has shown promise in improving the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide. Relatively few individuals seek and receive SUD treatment due to factors such as lack of access and stigma; however, digital health interventions may help address these limitations. Digital health treatments have been shown to be effective when integrated into traditional care, as well as offered as standalone interventions outside of traditional care settings. Future efforts in the field of digital health for SUD treatment will need to address barriers such as consumer engagement and privacy issues.
Creating an asset map for student and community success: Finding our strengths through a campus partnership

Rhode Island College (RIC) has a history of collaboration both across campus departments and within the larger Providence and Rhode Island community. These partnerships are an essential factor in student success and ensuring students access to available resources and opportunities. RIC’s librarians, with faculty status and liaison duties, are frequently well positioned to facilitate collaboration by both acting as a connection between departments and leveraging our expertise in data management. In 2012 and 2013, RIC began two initiatives: The Rhode Island College Central Falls Innovation Lab (Lab) and Learning for Life (L4L).
Rethinking teacher evaluation using human, social, and material capital

Teacher evaluation’s relationship with instructional improvement is under-theorized in the literature. To address this gap, this paper uses a conceptual framework rooted in human, social, and material capital to analyze and synthesize findings from research conducted since 2009 on whether and under what conditions teacher evaluation stimulates change in teachers’ instruction. We find that teacher evaluation can facilitate instructional improvement if evaluators understand teaching and the teacher evaluation system and teachers and evaluators trust each other and have opportunities to develop social capital regarding instruction. In addition, adequate time and a userfriendly online data system appear to facilitate the use of teacher evaluation to stimulate changes in teachers’ practice. This paper thus presents a theoretical framework, rooted in theory and empirical research, that may prove useful to scholars and practitioners.
Frequency Consensus for Distributed Antenna Arrays With Half-Duplex Wireless Coordination

We present a decentralized approach for achieving frequency consensus in distributed antenna arrays that considers the effects of half-duplex wireless coordination between nodes. Reaching a common frequency among the separate elements in a distributed antenna array is necessary for distributed beamforming, and is beneficially implemented in a decentralized manner where no single point of failure exists. In this work we present a gossip-based randomized half duplex (directed) algorithm and demonstrate convergence to a common frequency for arrays of size 5, 20 and 100 nodes within 100 iterations.
Inter-class Concomitant Pharmacotherapy in Medicaid-Insured Youth Receiving Psychiatric Residential Treatment

Background: Concomitant pharmacotherapy has become increasingly common in the treatment of youth, including in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF) despite limited efficacy and safety data. Research is reported on the prevalence of any class and interclass concomitant pharmacotherapy, specific class combinations of psychotropics, and changes in number of medications from admission to discharge for Medicaid insured youth treated in PRTFs in one mid-Atlantic state. Methods: Medicaid administrative claims data were examined for youth under age 18 years who were discharged from one of 21 PRTFs during calendar year 2019. Descriptive statistics were calculated to examine patterns of service utilization 90 days prior to admission. The rates of concomitant psychotropic use at admission were compared to the rates at discharge. Logistic regression models were used to examine covariates associated with discharging on 4 or more medications. Results: Fifty-four % of youth were admitted on either two or three psychotropics, while 25% were admitted on four or more psychotropics. The proportion of youth admitting and discharging on 2 or 3 medications was stable. There was a 27% increase in number of youth discharging on 4 medications with a 24% decrease in those on a 5- drug regimen. Only the number of medications prescribed at admission was found to be significant (p < 0.001), with more medications at admission contributing to probability of discharging on 4 or more medications. Conclusions: Concomitant pharmacotherapy is common in PRTFs. These findings support the practice of deprescribing and underscore the need for further research.
Eddy covariance quantification of soybean (Glycine max L.,) crop coefficients in a farmer’s field in a humid climate

For sustainable irrigated agriculture, scheduling irrigations based on accurate estimates of crop water requirements (ETc, crop evapotranspiration) are critical. ETc was estimated as a product of a reference crop evapotranspiration computed from weather data and a crop coefficient (Kc) in weather-based irrigation scheduling. In this investigation, an eddy covariance (EC) method was used for quantifying soybean (cv. Asgro 46X4) Kc in a farmer’s field under a humid climate. ETc quantified using the EC method was used for developing Kc for alfalfa (Kcr) and grass (Kco) reference crops computed from measured weather data. Experiments were conducted during three crop seasons (2017–2019) in a 500-ha furrow-irrigated soybean field—planted in silt loam soil in late April to early May and harvested in September. Harvested soybean yields were 4771, 5783, and 4909 kg ha−1, consuming 584, 640, and 593 mm ETc (average 605 mm), respectively, in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Monthly averaged daily ETc across the crop seasons varied between 2.1 mm in May 2019 to 6.2 mm in June 2018. Seasonally averaged daily ETc across the three crop seasons varied between 4.3 and 5.2 mm with an average of 4.8 mm. Across the crop seasons, ETc was 22% less and 2% greater than computed grass (ETo) and alfalfa (ETr) reference crop evapotranspiration. Monthly averaged daily Kco varied between 0.79 and 1.18, and Kcr ranged between 0.65 and 0.97. The Kc established can help develop soybean irrigation schedules, across climates and soils, based on ETo or ETr computed from real-time weather data.
The Class Appeal

For a wide variety of claims against the government, the federal courthouse doors are closed to all but those brought by powerful, organized interests. This is because hundreds of laws—colloquially known as “channeling statutes”—require disaffected groups to contest government bodies directly in appellate courts that hear cases individually. In theory, these laws promise quick, consistent, and authoritative legal decisions in appellate courts. In fact, without class actions, government bodies avoid judicial review by selectively avoiding claims brought by some of the most vulnerable claimants in the administrative state—from veterans and immigrants to coal miners, laborers, and the disabled. This Article proposes a novel solution: courts of appeals should hear class actions themselves. In so doing, courts high in the judicial hierarchy would continue to authoritatively decide important legal questions involving government institutions, while ensuring groups of similar, unrepresented parties finally get their day in court. While appellate class actions might sound like a strange procedural innovation, appellate courts already have power do this. Relying on the All Writs Act, appellate courts long ago created ad-hoc procedures modeled after class actions to respond to systemic government harm. This Article is the first to examine nascent experiments with appellate class actions. It shows that, contrary to popular belief, appellate courts can hear class actions and explains why they should do so. In cases challenging systemic abuse, this power has become vital not only to level the playing field between the government and the governed, but to protect courts’ core function in our separation of powers—to hear claims, interpret law, and grant meaningful relief. Without classwide judgments in such cases, courts risk ceding power to the executive branch to decide for itself when judicial decisions limit its own unlawful policies.
COVID-19 Effects on Communication Course and Faculty Evaluations

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are utilized by universities as one component in assessing course effectiveness, despite evidence in the research regarding their validity. With the global COVID-19 pandemic, many universities rapidly transitioned teaching modalities from face-to-face to online learning, regardless of the faculty experience. This study investigates the effects on SETs of the rapid transition in teaching modalities for all sections of courses occurring during COVID-19 compared with all sections of courses taught within a Communication department at a large public research university over the past 8 years. The results indicate moderate effects from the rapid transition to online learning.
Are Americans Confident Their Ballots Are Counted

Building on the literature that investigates citizen and voter trust in government, we analyze the topic of voter confidence in the American electoral process. Our data comes from two national telephone surveys where voters were asked the confidence they have that their vote for president in the 2004 election was recorded as intended. We present preliminary evidence that suggests confidence in the electoral process affects voter turnout. We then examine voter responses to determine the overall level of voter confidence and analyze the characteristics that influence the likelihood a voter is confident that their ballot was recorded accurately. Our analyses indicate significant differences in the level of voter confidence along both racial and partisan lines. Finally, we find voter familiarity with the electoral process, opinions about the electoral process in other voting precincts, and both general opinions about voting technology and the specific technology the voter uses significantly affect the level of voter confidence.
Trypanosomatid iron-superoxide dismutase inhibitors: Selectivity and mechanism of N1, N6-BIS (2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-1,6-diaminohexane

Abstract Crithidia, like trypanosomes and leishmania, has an iron-containing Superoxide dismutase. The iron chelator N 1 , N 6 -bis (dihydroxybenzoyl)-1,6-diaminohexane proved to be a potent inhibitor of this enzyme. Inhibition of the crithidial Superoxide dismutase by this compound was dependent on the presence of oxygen and associated with the formation of a complex which could not be dissociated by gel-filtration chromatography. We propose that this biscatecholic inhibitor is first oxidized to a quinone which then covalently modifies a nucleophilic residue on the enzyme. This compound was less effective as an inhibitor of a mammalian copper- and zinc-containing Superoxide dismutase. Thus, this inhibitor could serve as a prototype for the design of antiparasitic agents.
An obfuscated radix-2 real FFT architecture

Design of integrated circuits that cannot be reverse engineered is very important for protecting the intellectual property of owners. Integrated circuits can be obfuscated by introducing several modes into the control flow. Only one of the modes is the desired mode and other modes represent either meaningful modes where computations are partially correct or modes where the outputs computed are completely random. This paper presents a novel architecture and implementation of an obfuscated FFT for real input signals. The proposed design can be reconfigured to compute real FFTs of size N or N/4 with 2-parallel or 4-parallel processing, which are considered the 4 meaningful modes in the design. A 4-bit configure data is used to select one of the four meaningful modes. The remaining 12 modes output partially correct results. The meaningful mode with the most number of blocks, i.e., an N-point, 4-parallel real FFT, is designed first and that circuit is then obfuscated with the inclusion of a reconfigurator and an obfuscating FSM. A novel control flow approach is introduced for hiding the modes for obfuscation. It is shown that the proposed approach results in minimal area and power overhead compared to the base design.
Does E-Government Use Contribute to Citizen Engagement with Government and Community?

Is e-government changing patterns of interaction between citizens and government? Does it support civic engagement by citizens, with government and with each other? After discussing theories of civic engagement and possible links to e-government, we examine different types of e-government use (service users and policy researchers), and the relationships between these types of use on the one hand, with various kinds of civic engagement on the other: contacting through email, offline interactions with government, online participation in public affairs, and online and offline discussion with neighbors regarding community affairs. Using data from a recent national survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project (December 2009), we find that policy researchers are more likely to engage in all of these activities, both online and offline. Those who use e-government for services, however, are also more likely than non-e-government users to engage in some of these activities. This suggests multiple ways in which e-government may be assisting in the transformation of governance, not only through service delivery but also through more informed and engaged citizenship.
The MIT Bates X-ray laser project

MIT and the Bates Linear Accelerator Center are exploring the construction of an X-ray free electron laser user facility. It will be based on a superconducting linac of 4-8 GeV energy, and produce XUV light in the 0.3-100 nm range at kilohertz repetition rates. The facility will be a full user facility incorporating up to 30 beamlines. Conventional lasers that produce the electron beam, seed the FEL and execute pump-probe experiments are carefully integrated. The current design of the facility is discussed.
Immunological Studies on Dermatophytes III. Further Analyses of the Reactivities of Neutral Polysaccharides with Rabbit Antisera to Microsporum quinckeanum, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton interdigitale, and Trichophyton granulosum

The serological reactivities of polysaccharides isolated from five species of dermatophytes, Microsporum quinckeanum, Trichophyton granulosum, T. interdigitale, T. rubrum , and T. schoenleinii , with rabbit antisera to these species were studied qualitatively by precipitation in gel and quantitatively by complement-fixation analyses. Significant differences in the serological reactivities of the galactomannans I were detected with antisera to T. schoenleinii and T. interdigitale . The differences appeared to be related to the specificity of these antisera for the galactofuranose residues in the polysaccharides. Antisera to M. quinckeanum, T. granulosum , or T. rubrum did not detect differences between the galactomannans I. The serological reactivities of the galactomannans II were different with each of the five antisera. The reactivities of the glucans could be correlated with the amount of α 1 → 6 linked glucopyranose residues when antisera to T. schoenleinii and M. quinckeanum were used. Images
Dual-template synthesis of N-doped macro/mesoporous carbon with an open-pore structure as a metal-free catalyst for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted world-wide attention due to their low cost, high conversion efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Pt catalyst is usually used as the catalyst in the counter electrode of DSSCs due to its high electrochemical catalytic activity toward tri-iodide reduction. However, the high cost and scarcity of Pt prevent its large-scale application in DSSCs. It is highly desirable to replace Pt with low-cost catalysts made from earth-abundant elements. Here, we report a dual-template synthesis of N-doped macro/mesoporous carbon (macro/meso-NC) with an open-pore structure as the catalyst in the counter electrode of DSSCs. The catalytic activity of macro/meso-NC toward tri-iodide reduction has been tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and photocurrent-voltage (J–V) curves. It is found that the macro/meso-NC possesses excellent electrochemical catalytic activity with higher open-circuit voltage and cell efficiency than Pt. A high energy conversion efficiency of 7.27% has been achieved based on the metal-free macro/meso-NC, demonstrating as a promising catalyst for low-cost DSSCs.
Stochastic Interest Rates and the Bond-Stock Mix

The optimal bond-stock mix is examined in light of an apparent inconsistency between the Tobin Separation Theorem and the advice of popular investment advisors which has been pointed out by Canner et al. (1997). It is shown that the apparent inconsistency is largely explicable in terms of the hedging demands of optimising long-term investors in an environment in which the investment opportunity set is subject to stochastic shocks. The analysis points to the importance of considering investors' time horizons in analyzing optimal portfolio policies.
Focus on Inclusive Education: The Educational and Social Challenges of Children With Celiac Disease: What Educators Should Know

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease in which gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and contaminated oats, attacks the lining of the small intestine. Children with this disease m...
Infrastructure for successful BEOL characterization and yield ramp at the 65 nm node and below

BEOL yield characterization is increasingly difficult on advanced technology nodes using traditional short flow devices. A new BEOL technology development read only memory (TDROM/spl trade/) has been used to successfully drive BEOL yield learning on the 65 nm node. The addressable nature of the TDROM/spl trade/ allows isolation of all fails to within 2 um/sup 2/ using known memory testing techniques which has resulted in accelerated yield learning, and PFA utilization. The eight megabit array size allows exhaustive DOE for all design rules and margins.
Gravitational waves: from astrophysics to optics

Gravitational waves, predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity, will be a unique probe of violent astrophysical events. The precision measurement challenges and successes for interferometric detectors, now starting to observe, take optics to extremes.
Direct-diffusion methods for inorganic-nitrogen analysis of soil

Determinations of exchangeable NH4, NO 3 , and NO 2 in soil normally require the preparation of an extract, which is usually obtained with a neutral salt solution such as 2 M KCl. In cases where analytical speed and convenience are key factors, as in routine soil testing, a more practical approach would be to carry out the determination directly on the soil sample itself. Studies were conducted to ascertain whether this approach could be employed using Mason-jar diffusion methods previously developed for inorganic-N analysis of soil extracts. Direct diffusions were performed with MgO to recover NH 4 -N, or with MgO and Devarda's alloy to recover (NH 4 + NO 3 + NO 2 )-N, from 1- to 5-g samples of a wide variety of air-dried soils, following treatment of the soil with sufficient 2 M KCl to give a 1:10 ratio of soil to solution. Up to 4 mg of inorganic N was recovered quantitatively in 18 h to 6 d at room temperature, or in 1.75 to 5.5 h with gentle heating on a hot plate (45-50°C). Analyses by direct diffusion were in close agreement (r = 0.993-0.999) with results obtained by diffusion of soil extracts, and recoveries ranged from 97 to 102% when direct diffusions were performed on samples that had been treated with NH4-N or NO 3 -N. Besides being quantitative, direct diffusions were found to have potential for N-isotope analysis. In diffusing 15 N-treated samples, isotope-ratio analyses of NH 4 -N or (NH 4 + NO 3 + NO 2 )-N were accurate to within 3%. The latter finding virtually precludes interference by labile organic N or nonexchangeable NH 4 -N; however, interference did lead to an increase in inorganic-N analyses when diffusion was prolonged beyond the recommended period.
Mortality of the Gray Citrus Scale from Sulfur Dusts

This paper briefly summarizes the data from orchard studies covering a period of three years on the insecticidal action of finely divided sulfurs against the gray citrus scale. When properly timed so as to act against the young crawlers, a program of three dustings has given marked mortality in the hot inland San Joaquin Valley.
Adhesion-reduced mutants and the wild-typeNectria haematococca: An ultrastructural comparison of the macroconidial walls

We examined the macroconidial wall layers of various strains ofNectria haematococca prior to germ tube emergence. Using freeze-substituted cells, the wall ultrastructure of an adhesion-competent wild-type strain was compared with two adhesion-reduced mutants, LE1 and LE2. At 0 h, the freshly harvested macroconidia of all strains had a similar, bilayered wall and were all nonadhesive. After 1 h, wild-type macroconidia were adhesive and their cell walls exhibited two additional layers not present at 0 h: a pellicular third layer and a thick, outermost fourth layer. Material from the fourth layer was apparently discharged into the surrounding medium. In contrast to the wild type, the mutants after 1 h were adhesion-deficient; the outermost wall layers of LE1 and LE2 differed from each other and from the wild type. There were also differences in the wall layers and extracellular matrices between the mutants and the wild type after 3- and 5-h incubations. Plasma membrane invaginations were not observed at 0 h, but were detected in both wild type and mutant macroconidia at 1, 3, and 5 h. The data demonstrate that in macroconidia ofN. haematococca (1) the wall and associated extracellular matrix undergo major morphological changes prior to germ tube emergence and (2) development of adhesiveness is correlated with the appearance of new wall layers.
Copolymerization between Nonconjugated Bicyclic Dienes and Maleic Anhydride

Abstract Alternating copolymers of maleic anhydride and 5-ethylidene-, 5-methylene-, and 5-vinylbicyclo(2.2.1)-2-heptene were synthesized and found to contain the comonomers in a 1:1 ratio. Evidence is presented which supports a bicyclic structure which incorporates maleic anhydride as part of a six- or seven-membered ring in the repeat unit.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Bolted Dry Spent Fuel Storage Cask

EPRI performed a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of a dry spent fuel storage cask. The study was performed for a bolted cask at a “generic” pressurized water reactor site. A generic site was chosen so the widest variety of challenges could be considered. The study calculates the annual individual radiological risk and consequences associated with a single cask life cycle, where the life cycle is divided into three phases: loading, on-site transfer, and on-site storage. The project used standard methods of PRA with the following analysis tasks: initiating event (IE), data, human reliability, structural, thermal hydraulic, accident sequence, and consequence. The results shows that the risk is extremely low with no calculated early fatalities and a first year risk of latent cancer fatality of 3.5E−11 per year per cask. Subsequent year risk to the general public is even lower; with, again, no early fatalities and a cancer risk of 4.2E−12.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Prime Time Diet: A Content Analysis of Eating Behavior and Food Messages in Television Program Content and Commercials.

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze messages related to food and eating behavior as presented on prime time television (8:00-11:00 pm) both in programming and commercials. Food references occurred an average of 4.8 times per 30 minutes of programming time. Over half (60 percent) of all food references in programs were for low nutrient beverages and sweets. The prime time diet is inconsistent with dietary guidelines for healthy Americans.
Determination of phosphorus in organic compounds: A new micro procedure

A new micro procedure for the determination of phosphorus in organic compounds has been developed. It is based on the yellow complex produced by mixing ammonium vanadate, molybdate, and phosphate. The procedure is rapid, simple, and suited for series determinations; the reagents and the colored compounds are stable. A precision of ± 0.2% phosphorus is obtained with samples of 3 to 10 mg weight.
Proper Design and Fabrication of Socket Welds for Use in Sour Service

Socket welds are commonly used to assemble small-bore carbon steel process piping systems because they can be fabricated fairly quickly and are somewhat tolerant of field fit-up issues. In the most simplistic terms, these welds are made by inserting the pipe into a socket and then seal welding using gas tungsten arc welding around the gap between the outside pipe wall and the end of the fitting. This leaves a notch in the root of the seal weld that is open to the process fluid. This notch can act both as a stress riser and a crevice capable of concentrating chemical species. In many process applications, these socket weld notches do not cause any in-service problems. However, in the case of sour service, these notches can become problematic because of the potential for sulphide stress corrosion cracking (SSCC). For SSCC to occur, the right combination of stress, environment, and material susceptibility must be present. Therefore, for socket welds to be used in sour service without the risk of failure, these parameters need to be controlled by proper design and fabrication of the welded joint. Since a crevice is created as a natural by-product of a socket weld geometry, where the SSCC environment will be present, the parameter most readily controlled to minimize susceptibility to SSCC is the microstructure and residual stress of the weld filler metal. As will be shown, this resistance to SSCC can be accomplished by designing a welding procedure specification to include the combination of both a second pass seal weld and by post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). It will also be shown that a complete second pass is crucial to proper tempering and refining the microstructure of the root pass. Without this microstructural tempering and refining by the second pass, the root pass can still undergo SSCC even with subsequent application of PWHT. Examples of SSCC initiating from crack-like weld root defects caused by poor welding techniques and propagating into single-pass socket welds that had been subjected to PWHT will be presented.
A Topological Approach to the Analysis of Star Tracking Systems

The systems engineer, in formulating and analyzing star tracking systems, is often confronted with conversion of lengthy coordinate transformation matrices into meaningful physical data. The matrices associated with vector analysis and the equations of spherical trigonometry used in celestial and space applications often defy orderly and concise interpretation. One becomes lost in a maze of sines, cosines, and error vectors. The topological method of performing orthogonal coordinate transformations graphically illustrates the conversions and projections being attempted and serves as a map to orient our thinking. This paper discusses coordinate transformation of star tracking systems in terms of the topological and signal flow chart. The topological or signal flow diagram is briefly explained before being applied to typical star tracking problems. Star identification in space and terrestial navigation were chosen as representative problems to illustrate the usefulness of the topological analysis approach.
Glow characterization in direct current plasma polymerization of trimethylsilane

Plasma polymerization of trimethylsilane (TMS) was carried out in a direct current (dc) glow discharge and was investigated by optical photography and plasma diagnostic techniques including optical emission spectroscopy and residual gas analysis. The nature of the glow formed in TMS discharge, which deposited plasma polymers, was significantly different from that of a simple gas such as Ar. In an Ar discharge, the dominant glow was the well known negative glow, which developed at a distinctive distance from the cathode, whereas the cathode surface remained in the dark space. In strong contrast to this situation, in TMS dc discharge the dominant or primary glow was the cathode glow, which appeared at the cathode surface. At a similar location where the Ar negative glow appeared, a very feeble glow as a secondary glow was also observed in TMS glow discharge. The deposition results and plasma diagnosis data evidently indicated that in TMS glow discharge, the cathode glow resulted from the low-energy electron-impact dissociation of TMS molecules that creates polymerizable species, but the negative glow was related to nonpolymerizable species such as hydrogen atoms and molecules. In this article, the cathode glow formed in glow discharges of organic compounds was designated as the dissociation glow according to its underlying plasma reactions.
Cavitation Chemistry of Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Decomposition Mechanisms and Rates

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are pollutants of environmental concern due to their widespread presence and persistence. The sonolytic destruction of aqueous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is reported in this article. The kinetics and transformation pathways were investigated at multiple frequencies and with various analytical tools. The pseudo-first-order rate constants for 2-PCB (4.6 μM), 4-PCB (5.4 μM), and 2,4,5-PCB (7.6 × 10-2 μM) were 2.1 × 10-3 ± 2.8 × 10 -5 s-1, 1.6 × 10-3 ± 3.4 × 10-5 s-1, and 2.6 × 10-3 ± 9.4 × 10 -5 s-1, respectively, when Ar-saturated solutions were sonicated at 20 kHz and an acoustic intensity of 30.8 W cm-2. Chlorine recovery as chloride ion was 77%, 79%, and 70% for 2-PCB, 4-PCB, and 2,4,5-PCB under the same conditions. Electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments demonstrated that phenyl radical was formed during sonolysis of 2-PCB and 4-PCB. The formation of biphenyl, which was detected by mass spectroscopy, also indicates PCB dechlorination during sonication. Ethyl benz...
The albedo of Titan

The irradiance of Titan has been measured from 0.50 to 1.08 micron in 30 A bandpasses spaced 0.01 to 0.02 micron apart. Geometric albedos have been computed at the wavelengths of measurement using a standard solar flux distribution after Labs and Neckel (1967). The maximum value of p sub lambda (0) is 0.37 at 0.68, 0.75, and 0.834 micron; the minimum value, in the centers of the strongest methane absorption bands, is 0.10 at 0.887 and 1.012 micron. The brightness of Titan at the time of the present measurements has been compared with that of previous modern photoelectric measurements. Within the apparent consistency of the different photoelectric systems, the brightness of Titan appears to undergo changes with time.
Regulation of interferon action in human fibroblasts: Transient induction of specific proteins and amplification of the antiviral response by actinomycin D

Abstract We reported earlier that interferon treatment of human fibroblasts induces a number of proteins, and that this induction seems to correlate with the development of the antiviral state. The accumulation of interferon-induced proteins reaches a maximum within a few hr after interferon treatment and is then followed by a marked decline despite the continued presence of interferon in the medium indicating that this induction may be subject to regulation. Inhibitors of RNA synthesis (actinomycin D, 5,6-dichloro-1-β- d -ribofuranosylbenzimidazole) were found to have a dual effect on the antiviral action of interferon. When added together with interferon, they blocked the development of the antiviral state. In contrast, when added at later intervals (4–8 hr after interferon), the antiviral effect was greatly amplified. This amplification was associated with increased levels of various interferon-induced proteins and 2′,5′-oligoadenylate synthetase enzyme activity. The results indicate that the cellular response to interferon is subject to regulation and can be manipulated. Evidence is also presented which indicates that the interferon-induced genetic transcription required for the development of the antiviral state may extend for several hours.
Poster Abstract: CacheCloak: enabling realtime location privacy for mobile users

Mobile users face privacy risks when providing their locations to untrusted location based services (LBSs). We develop CacheCloak, a system that enables realtime anonymization of location data. A trusted anonymizing server receives the location of a user, processes it using CacheCloak, and exposes the processed data to LBSs. We show that the quality of the location data does not degrade in space or time, and hence, LBSs are able to respond accurately in real time. Yet, privacy is preserved as LBSs are unable to track any given user for more than a short duration. The key is to exploit mobility patterns to intelligently extrapolate each user's path until it meets another. A snapshot of intersecting paths is sent to the LBS, preventing reliable tracking of any given user. We use stochastic methods to generate mobility predictions and entropy measurements to quantify a user's anonymity. We demonstrate a high tracking resilience against a reasonably powerful adversary. Tracebased traffic simulation using real GIS data shows that CacheCloak can achieve realtime location privacy without degrading location accuracy or service availability.
Luminescence of the solid complexes of acridine orange with RNA

The products of interaction between acridine orange (AO) and natural RNA, or the synthetic RNA homopolymers are precipitates insoluble over a wide range of ionic strength. These complexes have a composition of 1 AO molecule per 1 phosphate. The reaction is highly cooperative and the complex exhibits metachromatic luminescence. Significant differences in the luminescence spectra, related to base composition of RNA, characterize the insoluble complexes. This observation suggests that dye-base interactions take place in the AO-RNA complexes. During titration of poly(rA) with AO and simultaneous measurement of the luminescence and light scatter a two-step formation of the particles could be detected. The cooperative binding of the ligand at D/P less than 0.6 coincides with formation of small particles (molecular aggregates or micelles) and is followed at D/P greater than 0.6 by a cooperative agglomeration; the product of this agglomeration is particles of the size 0.35 micrometer and larger. Evidence is presented that suggests that the long wave length luminescence (approximately 650 nm) is a consequence of the solute-solid state transition of the AO-RNA interaction product rather than the classic dye-dye interactions previously visualized in the stacking model. Since these novel observations cannot be fully explained by the previously postulated molecular mechanisms of AO binding, an alternative model is advanced. Its implications in quantitative cytochemistry of nucleic acid as applied to flow cytometry are discussed.
Innovative applications of computer science in medicine

For a variety of economic, social and geographical reasons, there currently exists a maldistribution of medical expertise with respect to the needs of the population both in this country and perhaps more markedly abroad. The particular characteristics of the computer, its large memory and the industry of its computing engine, suggest the possibility of its use to provide replicable and distributable packages of expertise. Attempts to build such packages, however, until recently have been confined to rather sharply circumscribed medical problems. Success has been somewhat limited, and the net effect of this work has been small when compared to the problems which exist in the health care industry. Advances in computer science, and in particular in the domain of artificial intelligence, offer hope that some of the major impediments to success in this area can be eliminated. This session will be concerned with current work in the area of computer science applications in medicine. Particular attention will be paid to the identification of the cutting edge of computer science and artificial intelligence technology in medicine and to the major problems which as yet remain unresolved.
Transient emittance limit for cooling a semitransparent radiating layer

n q q q() = outgoing flux, W/m T = absolute temperature, K r,cl = arbitrary reference temperature, K Tm = integrated mean layer temperature, K t = T/Trc< tm = TJTK{ X = x/D x = coordinate in direction across layer, m £fd = "fully developed" transient emittance of layer ellt = emittance of a layer at uniform temperature Kn = optical thickness of layer, aD p = density of radiating medium, kg/m p = internal reflectivity at a boundary (j = Stefan-Boltzmann constant, W/mK T = dimensionless time, (4crTct/pcD)(time)
Influences of Temperature on Lactobacilli of Nonfermented Acidophilus Milks

Abstract Growth temperature ranges, generation times, and thermal resistance data were determined for four lactobacilli isolated from cultures used in manufacturing nonfermented acidopbilus milks. One isolate was Lactobacillus acidophilus , judged by physiological characteristics and a guanine plus cytosine content of 36.8 mole %. Another resembled Lactobacillus acidophilus in physiological characteristics but had high guanine plus cytosine content (52.6mol %). Two others apparently were Lactobacillus lactis .
Internet-Based Bilateral Teleoperation Based on Wave Variable With Adaptive Predictor and Direct Drift Control

In a conventional bilateral teleoperation, transmission delay over the Internet can potentially cause instability. A wave variable algorithm guarantees teleoperation stability under varying transmission delay at the cost of poor transient performance. Adding a predictor on the master side can reduce this undesirable side effect, but that would require a slave model. An inaccurate slave model used in the predictor as well as variations in transmission delay, both of which are likely under realistic situations, can result in steady-state errors. A direct drift control algorithm is used to drive this error to zero, regardless of the source of the error. A semi-adaptive predictor that can distinguish between free space and a rigid contact environment is used to provide a more accurate force feedback on the master side. A full adaptive predictor is also used that estimates the environmental force using recursive least squares with a forgetting factor. This research presents the experimental results and evaluations of the previously mentioned wavevariable-based methods under a realistic operation environment using a real master and slave. The algorithm proposed is innovative in that it takes advantage of the strengths of several control methods to build a promising bilateral teleoperation setup that can function under varying transmission delay, modeling error, and changing environment. Success could lead to practical applications in various fields, such as space-based remote control, and telesurgey.
Photonic crystal biosensors and tunable resonant optical devices

Summarizes the development of tunable photonic crystal structures for a variety of applications within the Nano Sensors Group at the University of Illinois. The author focuses on the design, fabrication, and application of large, plastic-based photonic crystal slabs for label-free biosensing, fluorescence enhancement, mechanical strain sensors, and tunable reflectors for laser modulation.
ESSAY: Finding the ethical standard of medical science in the age of the sciences

Science has nothing to do with ethics. Science is blind to good and evil. Ethics is a division of philosophy, not science. Socrates was the father of ethics, not science. The science of his day taught him little about human nature. Searching his soul enlightened. It is therefore odd to find certain modern scientists employing the Socratic method. They ask probing questions. Their questions begin a conversation, as though they know nothing. They do know there are serious limits to knowledge. Like Socrates they may admit their ignorance. They define terms. Then they differentiate between real knowledge and mere opinion. They argue, in order to demolish false opinion. Truth is what is left when the rest has been destroyed by compelling logic.
Observations of the Moon and of the terrestrial rocks in the infrared

Abstract The color of the Moon was found to be very uniform in the infrared (1.0–2.2 microns). Intensity ratios relative to the Sun varied by less than 5% over most of the ten points studied. These points included maria, uplands, and recent craters. One point, a bright area near the crater Kant, was found to be bluer than the others by more than 5%. The Aristarchus plateau was the reddest point observed. Terrestrial rock samples generally were found much less red than the Moon at these wavelengths. The infrared intensity ratios of volcanic rock samples irradiated by B. Hapke with a beam of 2.0 keV H + ions for the lunar equivalent of about 2.5 × 10 5 years, approached the lunar infrared intensity ratios. This supports Hapke's hypothesis that solar irradiation is the principal agent producing the unusual spectral curve and low albedo of the lunar surface.
White light emission from two blue emitters of an equimolar (1:1) blend in single-layer device

Abstract A white light emission was observed from a single-layer emitting system consisting of an equimolar blend of two blue emitters of a bipolar oligomer, 9,9-spirobifluorene-centered bioxadiazole (303) and polyvinylcarbazole (PVK), featuring a single broad emission (ranging in 400–800 nm), which is distinctly different from those of large PVK-fraction blends (λem ≈ 490 nm) and that of pristine 303 (λem ≈ 555 nm) as well.
A model for channel noise, including the effect of diffusion

A model (based on a proposal by Schick (1974), is developed for channels composed of four species; the channels allow conduction when all species are in the correct configuration. Allowance is also made for diffusion resulting from depletion of ions in the neighbourhood of the channel. The result is a series of pulses in which the current falls as −1/2 upon closing the channel. The resulting power spectrum is calculated according to the method given by Schick and earlier workers, and is found to be, at least qualitatively, in agreement with many of the features of noise measured for certain types of nerve membranes. The calculations are not linearized, but are carried through numerically.
Autoionization emission by electron impact in the 3d transition-metal series /sub 21/Sc to /sub 29/Cu

Autoionization emission associated with direct recombination of the resonant 3p..-->..3d transitions have been examined for all the 3d transition-metal elements from /sub 21/Sc to /sub 29/Cu. Two characteristic trends with atomic number Z are observed which correlate with those previously reported in the 3p-electron energy-loss spectra. Firstly, the intensity of this emission decreases with increasing Z. Secondly, the separation of the emission peak from the 3p threshold is large (approx.10 eV) toward the beginning of the series (/sub 21/Sc through /sub 24/Cr) and abruptly drops to a few electron volts near the middle of the series (/sub 25/Mn, /sub 26/Fe). This latter reduction in peak separation causes the autoionization and (M/sub 2,3/VV) Auger emission to merge into a single spectral feature. We show for /sub 25/Mn (and /sub 22/Ti) that the two contributions can be separately identified by means of oxygen-dosing experiments. Oxidation dramatically shifts the Auger emission to lower energy leaving the autoionization emission as a separate peak pinned above the 3p threshold. These measurements shed light on the spectral details in the 3p line shapes of the autoionization and the electron-energy-loss spectra. We report angle-resolved measurements for Cr which show different angular dependences of the emission and absorptionmore » processes.« less