cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exciting black hole modes via misaligned coalescences. II. The mode content of late-time coalescence waveforms

Using inspiral and plunge trajectories we construct with a generalized Ori-Thorne algorithm, we use a time-domain black hole perturbation theory code to compute the corresponding gravitational waves. The last cycles of these waveforms are a superposition of Kerr quasinormal modes. In this paper, we examine how the modes' excitations vary as a function of source parameters, such as the larger black hole's spin and the geometry of the smaller body's inspiral and plunge. We find that the mixture of quasinormal modes that characterize the final gravitational waves from a coalescence is entirely determined by the spin $a$ of the larger black hole, an angle $I$ which characterizes the misalignment of the orbital plane from the black hole's spin axis, a second angle $\theta_{\rm fin}$ which describes the location at which the small body crosses the black hole's event horizon, and the direction sgn$(\dot\theta_{\rm fin})$ of the body's final motion. If these large-mass-ratio results hold at less extreme mass ratios, then measuring multiple ringdown modes of binary black hole coalescence gravitational waves may provide important information about the source's binary properties, such as the misalignment of the orbit's angular momentum with black hole spin. This may be particularly useful for large mass binaries, for which the early inspiral waves are out of the detectors' most sensitive band.
Associations Between Catecholaminergic and Serotonergic Genes and Persistent Arm Pain Severity Following Breast Cancer Surgery.

Abstract Persistent arm pain is a common problem after breast cancer surgery. Little is known about genetic factors that contribute to this type of postsurgical pain. Study purpose was to explore associations between persistent arm pain phenotypes and genetic polymorphisms among 15 genes involved in catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. Women (n = 398) rated the presence and intensity of arm pain monthly for 6 months after breast cancer surgery. Three distinct latent classes of patients were identified (ie, no arm pain [41.6%], mild arm pain (23.6%), and moderate arm pain (34.8%). Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate for differences between genotype or haplotype frequencies and the persistent arm pain classes. Compared with the no arm pain class, 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 1 haplotype, in 4 genes, were associated with membership in the mild arm pain class: COMT rs4633, HTR2A haplotype B02 (composed of rs1923886 and rs7330636), HTR3A rs1985242, and TH rs2070762. Compared with the no arm pain class, 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 3 genes were associated with membership in the moderate arm pain class: COMT rs165656, HTR2A rs2770298 and rs9534511, and HTR3A rs1985242. Findings suggest that variations in catecholaminergic and serotonergic genes play a role in the development of persistent arm pain. Perspective Limited information is available on genetic factors that contribute to persistent arm pain after breast cancer surgery. Genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission were associated with 2 persistent arm pain phenotypes. Findings may be used to identify patients are higher risk for this common pain condition.
Evaluating Performance of Photographs for Marine Citizen Science Applications

Long-term measurements are imperative to detect, understand, and predict changes in coastal biological communities, but can be both costly and difficult to implement. Here, we compare measurement methods used to document community structure and assess changes in marine systems, and explore potential applications in citizen science. The use of photographs for species identifications and monitoring has become a popular and useful data collection tool, but its use requires evaluation of its effectiveness in comparison to data collected from live examinations. We used settlement panels in San Francisco Bay, a well-studied and vital coastal ecosystem, to compare standardized measures of the invertebrate fouling community through examination of live organisms in the field and via photographs. Overall, our study found that live measurements were more accurate and better represented these marine communities, having higher richness and diversity measurements than photographic measurements. However, photographic analyses accurately captured the relative abundances of some species and functional groups. We suggest that highly recognizable target taxa or broad scale comparisons of functional group composition are easily tracked through photographs and offer the best potential for research conducted by citizen scientists.
A 9 dB Noise Figure Fully Integrated 79 GHz Automotive Radar Receiver in 40 nm CMOS Technology

This paper presents a low noise and fully integrated automotive radar receiver in 40 nm CMOS technology. The receiver adopts the direct conversion architecture, and it consists of a low noise amplifier (LNA), mixer, and analog baseband blocks. The three-stage LNA and the low noise mixer improve the whole receiver noise figure (NF). Integrated low-dropped out regulators (LDOs) generate 1.1 V for the LNA and the mixer core from 1.8 V supply. The receiver chip also includes a frequency doubler, phase-locked loop (PLL), bandgap reference bias circuit, and a serial peripheral interface (SPI). The die is packaged using the wafer level chip size package (WLCSP). The receiver achieves 9.0 dB NF at 81 GHz local (LO) and 76.8 dB maximum gain. Moreover, the receiver front-end shows -22.3 dBm IP1dB, and consumes 143 mW power dissipation, and 0.8 mm2 chip area.
Postoperative Respiratory Complications

Postoperative respiratory complications may contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality, and the length of hospital stay. The incidence varies from 0.5% to 3% but can be higher in patients with traumatic brain injury.
An investigation into the electrostatic force representation for electrically actuated microelectromechanical systems

The ever-increasing demand for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in modern electronics has reinforced the need for extremely accurate analytical and reduced-order models to aid in the design of MEMS devices. Many MEMS designs consist of cantilever beams with a tip mass attached at the free end to act as a courter electrode for electrical actuation. One critical modeling aspect of electrically actuated MEMS is the electrostatic force that drives these systems. The two most used representations in the literature approximate the electrostatic force between two electrodes as a point force. In this work, the effects of the representation of the electrostatic force for electrically actuated microelectromechanical systems are investigated. The system under investigation is composed of a beam with an electrode attached to its end. The distributed force, rigid body, and point mass electrostatic force representations are modeled, studied, and their output results are compared qualitatively. Static and frequency analyses are carried out to investigate the influences of the electrostatic force representation on the static pull-in, fundamental natural frequency, and mode shape of the system. A nonlinear distributed-parameter model is then developed in order to determine and characterize the response of electrically actuated systems when considering various representation of the electrostatic forces. The results show that the size of the electrode may strongly affect the natural frequencies and static pull-in when the point mass, rigid body, and plate representations are considered. From nonlinear analysis, it is also proven that the representation may affect the hardening behavior of the system and its dynamic pull-in. This modeling and analysis give guidelines about the usefulness of the electrostatic force representations and possible erroneous assumptions that can be made which may result in inaccurate design and optimal performance detection for electrostatically actuated systems.
Cohort of Four Thousand Four Hundred Four Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19 in a New York Hospital and Predictors of ICU Care and Ventilation.

Study objective Most coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reports have focused on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients. However, at initial presentation, most patients’ viral status is unknown. Determination of factors that predict initial and subsequent need for ICU and invasive mechanical ventilation is critical for resource planning and allocation. We describe our experience with 4,404 persons under investigation and explore predictors of ICU care and invasive mechanical ventilation at a New York COVID-19 epicenter. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all persons under investigation and presenting to a large academic medical center emergency department (ED) in New York State with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. The association between patient predictor variables and SARS-CoV-2 status, ICU admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality was explored with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Between March 12 and April 14, 2020, we treated 4,404 persons under investigation for COVID-19 infection, of whom 68% were discharged home, 29% were admitted to a regular floor, and 3% to an ICU. One thousand six hundred fifty-one of 3,369 patients tested have had SARS-CoV-2–positive results to date. Of patients with regular floor admissions, 13% were subsequently upgraded to the ICU after a median of 62 hours (interquartile range 28 to 106 hours). Fifty patients required invasive mechanical ventilation in the ED, 4 required out-of-hospital invasive mechanical ventilation, and another 167 subsequently required invasive mechanical ventilation in a median of 60 hours (interquartile range 26 to 99) hours after admission. Testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and lower oxygen saturations were associated with need for ICU and invasive mechanical ventilation, and with death. High respiratory rates were associated with the need for ICU care. Conclusion Persons under investigation for COVID-19 infection contribute significantly to the health care burden beyond those ruling in for SARS-CoV-2. For every 100 admitted persons under investigation, 9 will require ICU stay, invasive mechanical ventilation, or both on arrival and another 12 within 2 to 3 days of hospital admission, especially persons under investigation with lower oxygen saturations and positive SARS-CoV-2 swab results. This information should help hospitals manage the pandemic efficiently.
Inhibition of protein glycosylation is a novel pro-angiogenic strategy that acts via activation of stress pathways

Endothelial cell (EC) metabolism is thought to be one of the driving forces for angiogenesis. Here we report the identification of the hexosamine D-mannosamine (ManN) as an EC mitogen and survival factor for bovine and human microvascular EC, with an additivity with VEGF. ManN inhibits glycosylation in ECs and induces significant changes in N-glycan and O-glycan profiles. We further demonstrate that ManN and two N-glycosylation inhibitors stimulate EC proliferation via both JNK activation and the unfolded protein response caused by ER stress. ManN results in enhanced angiogenesis in a mouse skin injury model. ManN also promotes angiogenesis in a mouse hindlimb ischemia model, with accelerated limb blood flow recovery compared to controls. In addition, intraocular injection of ManN induces retinal neovascularization. Therefore, activation of stress pathways following inhibition of protein glycosylation can promote EC proliferation and angiogenesis and may represent a therapeutic strategy for treatment of ischemic disorders.
A Tool for Accurate Stoichiometric Composition of Cryopreservative Media for Fetal and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Human Neural Stem Cells

Fetal human neural stem cells (fhNSC) are of considerable interest as potential regenerative therapies for neuronal or glial degeneration or destruction resulting from genetic abnormalities, disease, or injury. Realization of this potential requires securing a supply of cells sufficient to meet the needs of transplantation, which are often tens to hundreds of millions of cells per dose. This challenge necessitates the establishment of safe and efficient cell banking protocols. Cryopreservation, involving the slow freezing or vitrification of cells, enables storage of fhNSC for prolonged periods, while maintaining their viability and multipotency required for clinical use. To optimize cryopreservation of fhNSC, attention has become focused on the composition of the medium used to effect cryopreservation by slow freezing/vitrification-i.e., the cryopreservative medium. The cryopreservative medium is typically specified as a dilution of a concentrated cryoprotectant, such as dimethylsulfoxide or glycerol, in cell culture medium that is often combined with serum or another source of necessary growth factors. The present work is devoted to a computational tool for determining the composition of a cryopreservative medium that can be combined with dissociated fhNSC resuspended in a certain volume of culture medium to achieve the criterion of stoichiometric dilution of cryoprotectant favorable to cell viability in the final mixture of cryopreservative medium and cells. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Culture and passage of fhNSC, counting of enzymatically dissociated fhNSC, and quantitative formulation of cryomedium Alternate Protocol: Procedure when cell medium is not added to the cryomedium.
SEXTANT - Station Explorer for X-Ray Timing and Navigation Technology

The Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) is a technology demonstration enhancement to the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, which is scheduled to launch in late 2016 and will be hosted as an externally attached payload on the International Space Station (ISS) via the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC). During NICER's 18-month baseline science mission to understand ultra-dense matter though observations of neutron stars in the soft X-ray band, SEXTANT will, for the first-time, demonstrate real-time, on-board X-ray pulsar navigation, which is a significant milestone in the quest to establish a GPS-like navigation capability that will be available throughout our Solar System and beyond. Along with NICER, SEXTANT has proceeded through Phase B, Mission Definition, and received numerous refinements in concept of operation, algorithms, flight software, ground system, and ground test capability. NICER/SEXTANT's Phase B work culminated in NASA's confirmation of NICER to Phase C, Design and Development, in March 2014. Recently, NICER/SEXTANT successfully passed its Critical Design Review and SEXTANT received continuation approval in September 2014. In this paper, we describe the X-ray pulsar navigation concept and provide a brief history of previous work, and then summarize the SEXTANT technology demonstration objective, hardware and software components, and development to date.
Smart Parking Zones Using Meshed Bluetooth Sensor Networks

Developing seamless smart parking solutions remain an active research area. User coordination burden remains high, and systems based on complex instrumentation are often expensive and costly to maintain. Contemporary parking lot management systems are slow to adopt new technology, particularly in cases where there is no perceived immediate return on investment. We propose the use of a low cost, low power, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based outdoor localization system coupled with a Random Forest classifier and dual-mode Bluetooth mesh network to provide space occupancy detection and sensor data transfer. To balance computational demands with cost, we leverage fog computing paradigms to shift computational capability near the sensor network where it can be used without an expensive network back-haul to a data center or cloud. We provide operational experiment results and analysis, and a study on the effects on accuracy from various network complexity and radio map minimization schemes.
Determination of morphine, codeine, and thebaine concentrations from poppy seed tea using magnetic carbon nanotubes facilitated dispersive micro-solid phase extraction and GC-MS analysis.

Abstract With tightening enforcement and restrictions amid the opioid epidemic, poppy seed tea is consumed as an alternative to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms or as a home remedy to relieve pain and stress. Previously published studies suggested the potential danger of consuming tea brewed with a moderate to a large amount of poppy seed. In this study, the effects of small quantity and repeat brewing on opiate concentrations were evaluated. A dispersive-micro solid phase extraction facilitated by magnetic carbon nanotubes (Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE) was developed, optimized, successfully validated, and applied to ten poppy seed tea samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. A total of ten poppy seed samples were evaluated in this work. Two grams of bulk poppy seeds were brewed with 6 mL of heated and acidified DI water three times. The brewed tea samples were subjected to the validated Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE/GC-MS analysis. The total mean opiate concentrations obtained from three brews were 1.1–1926, 20.2–311, and 9.0–100 mg/kg for morphine, codeine, and thebaine, respectively. The total opiate yields obtained from the small quantity brewing, i.e., 6 g seed in 18 mL tea, in this study may provide minimal analgesic and euphoric effects. Over 80% of the total opiate yield was extracted in the first brew with acidified deionized water from the 10 min brewing period, and opiate yields from the second and third brew were minimal. However, potential overdose could occur for some tea samples when scaled up to the starter quantity of seed suggested for new users.
Using Oral Corpora in Contrastive Studies of Linguistic Politeness

Oral corpora constitute excellent sources of real data with which to undertake pragmalinguistic inductive research into politeness phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance and the main advantages of two oral corpora, the British National Corpus and a Peninsular Spanish Spoken Corpus (Corpus Oral de Referencia del Espanol Contemporaneo), in contrastive studies on linguistic politeness. In particular, this work aims to explain how these corpora can be used in general and specific qualitative as well as quantitative studies to analyze politeness strategies in English and Spanish. The results of the analyses shed light on the nature of politeness phenomena and on the functions of politeness strategies in four different domains of social interaction. Also, some pedagogical implications for the fields of teaching Spanish and English as foreign languages are discussed.
The Tacit Rejection of Multiculturalism in American Philosophy Ph.D. Programs: The Case of Chinese Philosophy

At the confluence of the philosophy of education and social/political philosophy lies the question of how we should educate the next generation of philosophy professors. Part of the question involves how broad such an education should be in order to educate teachers with the ability to, themselves, educate citizens competent to function in a diverse, globalized world. As traditional Western education systems from elementary schools through universities have embraced multicultural sources over the last few decades, philosophy Ph.D. programs have bucked this trend, clinging tightly to traditional Western sources and problems. While this claim will come as no surprise to those working in the field, there is little published evidence or discussion of the tacit rejection of multiculturalism by philosophy Ph.D. programs, and few people outside the field realize how Eurocentric these programs remain. This article provides evidence and discussion of this fact, focusing on the case of Chinese philosophy in American Ph.D. programs.
Wind Shear Estimation by Frequency-Shaped Optimal Estimator

This paper presents a formulation of the frequency shaped optimal estimator and investigates the role of the measurement noise shaping function in this estimator. This shaping function creates transmission zeros and affects the singular values of the estimator transfer matrix, which can be used to improve control system robustness. The resulting estimator design technique has been applied to the estimation of wind shear on-board an airplane, and its performance has been simulated and compared with a reference Kalman filter.
Law Enforcement Agencies as Multiproduct Firms: Correcting Some Misconceptions

In this note we correct several misunderstandings which have arisen since publication of our earlier paper “Law Enforcement Agencies as Multiproduct firms: An Econometric Investigation of Production Costs.” These misconceptions arise regularly in empirical applications of economic theory to situations where “firms” do not operate in traditional markets.
The role of Helen Purdy Beale in the early development of plant serology and virology.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the role of Helen Purdy Beale, a pioneer in plant virology, in the early development of plant serology and virology. As a scientist, Beale contributed to the pioneering days of plant virology in the United States. Her insight and skillful laboratory technique brought immunology and serology to the plant virus community in the early 20 th century that her tools came into general use for diagnostics and experimentation. For her experiments, Beale prepared plant sap from healthy plants and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected plants. Beale found that antiserum generated from TMV sap was different from healthy sap serum. Furthermore, when the healthy sap was repeatedly cross absorbed with TMV antiserum, interaction with normal sap was abolished. Beale's role in the discovery of the nature of TMV was profoundly affected by her career at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the influence of (and interactions with) some of the leading virologists including Louis O. Kunkel, Francis O. Holmes, and Wendell M. Stanley. Beale's research provided the definitive observations on the application of serology to study the properties of plant viruses.
Pancreatic duct obstruction triggers acute necrotizing pancreatitis in the opossum

Abstract Background : The common channel theory suggests that bile reflux, through a common biliopancreatic channel, triggers acute pancreatitis. In the present study, this controversial issue was evaluated using an experimental model of hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis. Methods : American opossums underwent ligation of the pancreatic duct alone, bile and pancreatic duct separately, or common biliopancreatic duct; the severity of pancreatitis was evaluated at selected times after ligation. Results : Animals in all three experimental groups developed hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis; the severity of pancreatitis was similar in each group, although only those subjected to common biliopancreatic duct ligation experienced bile reflux. Conclusions : Bile reflux into the pancreatic duct, via a common biliopancreatic channel, is not necessary for the development of pancreatitis and does not worsen the severity of pancreatitis associated with pancreatic duct obstruction in this model.
Chemical Sensing Applications of Semiconductor Photoluminescence

Semiconductor-derived interfaces have applications in chemical sensing because the bulk photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the semiconductor can be perturbed by chemical adsorption at the surface. Using changes in PL intensity, we have created semiconductor-based systems for non-destructive, in situ, “on-line” chemical sensing (Meyer, et al., 1987; Lisensky, et al., 1988). This paper presents practical applications of PL-based chemical sensors. We have investigated the use of semiconductor PL in a headspace analysis, and in the detection of compounds dissolved in hydrocarbon solution and in aqueous solution. We have constructed two portable systems using semiconductor sensors, where the excitation source, semiconductor, and detection electronics can be transported and used as an on-line system at remote locations. These sensors can be used to detect various classes of compounds in both the liquid and gas phases.
Unequal sustainabilities: The role of social inequalities in conservation and development projects

In this article, I examine the efforts of a national marine protected area in Loreto, Mexico, to create sustainable development through regulations and economic development programs. I argue that these kinds of efforts can ignore social aspects of sustainability, particularly the ways that existing economic, political, and social inequalities interact with sustainability efforts through flawed participatory processes, misunderstandings of community values, and the lack of attention to the impact of a larger socioeconomic context. Instead, we should focus on how inequalities are reproduced, altered, challenged, and constructed by the policies and practices of sustainability. I propose that greater commitment to an integrated social, environmental, and economic sustainability can provide the space needed for alternative visions and values as well as real progress toward sustainability.
Chronic rotator cuff injury and repair model in sheep.

Background:Most rotator cuff surgery is performed on chronic tears. As there is no animal model in which to examine the physiology of muscle and tendon injury and repair in this setting, we developed a chronic rotator cuff injury model in sheep.Methods:The infraspinatus tendon was released in thirty
An Attribute Model of Faculty Development

This article presents the key attributes of a faculty development program: education, comprehensiveness, relatedness between organizational and individual goals, flexibility, variety in method, lin...
Incidence and clinical characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus necrotizing fasciitis in a large urban hospital.

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a prevalent health issue for soft-tissue infections. In severe soft-tissue infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, MRSA has been identified as an increasingly common pathogen. Herein, we report a 5-year experience of MRSA necrotizing fasciitis at a large urban hospital. Methods All cases of necrotizing fasciitis between 2001 and 2006 were reviewed. All patients were taken for surgical debridement. MRSA patients were identified and compared with the non-MRSA patients to identify any clinical variables that impacted incidence or severity of disease. A P value of less than .05 was considered significant. Results During the 5-year period, there were 74 cases of necrotizing fasciitis with a 39% prevalence of MRSA as the causative organism for the infection. The mean age of patients with MRSA fasciitis was 43 ± 3 years. There were no discernible social variables (eg, smoking, ethanol use, intravenous drug use) that predisposed patients to MRSA infection. The overall mortality rate was 15%, with no significant difference between groups. One hundred percent of MRSA specimens were susceptible to vancomycin or rifampin, 93% were susceptible to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and only 62% were susceptible to clindamycin. Conclusions The incidence of MRSA fasciitis may be much higher than initially suspected and prompt MRSA-directed antibiotic therapy should be administered. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for this organism in necrotizing fasciitis.
U.S. FDA requirements for Human Vaccine Product Safety and Potency Testing

Abstract The Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates preventative and therapeutic vaccines for infectious disease indications for use in humans. The framework for regulation of biological products includes Statutes (e.g. The U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act), regulations as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and guidance documents. Approval of a biologics license for a product, including vaccines, is based on a demonstration of safety, purity, and potency and assurance that the facility for manufacture, processing, and packaging meets standards to ensure that product released for distribution is safe, pure and potent. The regulatory definitions of safety, purity and potency are detailed in Title 21 of the Code of Federal regulations (CFR) Part 600. All manufacturing information including tests for safety, purity, and potency for a particular product must be documented in the Biologics License Application (BLA). Potency testing may be performed on the final bulk sample or final container sample and may consist of either in vivo or in vitro tests or both. To change a potency or safety test post-licensure requires a Supplement to the License and data to support a modified or alternative test. CBER encourages the development and use of appropriate alternative methods for vaccine safety and potency testing.
Hyperuricemia and chronic renal disease.

Abstract Simultaneous serum creatinine and enzymatic spectrophotometric uric acid determinations were performed in a group of 25 patients with known renal disease. The presence or absence of six other factors associated with hyperuricemia was also documented. A group of 41 middle-aged white male volunteers, who had been found to have hyperuricemia by a community screening program, were similarly evaluated. A weakly positive relationship between serum creatinine and uric acid levels was found in the group with renal disease but no correlation could be demonstrated in the hyperuricemic volunteers. The frequent occurrence of other factors associated with hyperuricemia was documented in both groups. It was concluded that, in patients with chronic renal disease and serum creatinine elevation, hyperuricemia remains a complex phenomenon often associated with multiple factors. In the group of middle-aged male volunteers, found to be hyperuricemic on screening, chronic renal disease with unequivocal creatinine retention could not be documented as a frequent associated factor.
A comparison of CVD stacked gate oxide and thermal gate oxide for 0.5- mu m transistors subjected to process-induced damage

Process-induced damage of gate oxide or of the Si-SiO/sub 2/ interface may result in device degradation problems such as threshold voltage scatter. The problem is especially pronounced for submicrometer technology. In addition to offering a low area defect density, a thermal/CVD stacked gate oxide decreases process-induced device degradation dramatically as compared with thermal gate oxide. Hot carrier injection stressing and Fowler-Nordheim stressing were performed to investigate the robustness of CVD stacked gate oxide. The effect of densification of the stacked gate oxide on electrical channel length was studied with supporting SEM analysis. An optimal value for the thickness ratio of CVD to thermal oxide for stacked gate dielectric was observed for minimum defect density of 150-AA gate dielectric. >
Effect of inactivation of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) depolymerase gene on the properties of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) in Pseudomonas resinovorans.

The phaZ gene of Pseudomonas resinovorans codes for a poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA) depolymerase. Two phaZ mutants of Pseudomonas resinovorans NRRL B-2649, FOAC001 and FOAC002, were constructed by an in vitro transposition procedure followed by chromosomal integration via homologous recombination. A detailed mapping of the transposon insertion sites and an analysis of the resultant sequences showed that putative fusion polypeptides PhaZFOAC001 (239 amino-acid residues) and PhaZFOAC002 (85 amino-acid residues) could result from the mutant phaZ genes of FOAC001 and FOAC002, respectively. In vivo PHA degradation data indicated that PhaZFOAC001 might still retain a partial PHA depolymerization activity, while PhaZFOAC002 is completely devoid of this function. The cell yields and PHA contents of B-2649, FOAC001, and FOAC002 were similar when the cells were grown either under a limiting nitrogen-source (low-N) condition for up to 5 days or in excess N-source (high-N) for 3 days. A dramatic decrease in PHA content was observed in the PhaZ-active B-2649 and FOAC001 cells during prolonged cell growth (5 days) in high-N medium or in response to a shift-up in nitrogen-source. The repeat-unit compositions of the PHAs from FOAC001 and FOAC002 contained slightly lower amounts of β-hydroxyoctanoate and higher β-hydroxytetradecenoate than that of the wild-type B-2649 when grown under a high-N condition. While the molecular masses of the PHAs from FOAC001 and FOAC002 did not vary under any conditions used in this study, those of the wild-type B-2649 were markedly increased in cells either grown for 5 days under a high-N condition or subjected to a nitrogen-source shift-up. These phaZ mutants thus provide a valuable system to study the influence of PHA depolymerase on the accumulation and properties of medium-chain-length PHA.
Dental Expenditures and Insurance Coverage Among Older Adults

Using data on 975 elderly persons from the 1990 Health Supplements to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we describe the predictors of expenditures for dental services. Forty-four percent of elderly persons reported using some dental services within a year. Thirteen percent had private dental insurance, and 8% had a separate dental policy. The average total expenditure for those who used any dental services was $378, 88% of which was paid out-of-pocket. Persons with a separate dental insurance policy, younger and better educated persons, and those with greater financial resources were more likely to use dental services.
Aspects of cardiomyopathy in copper-deficient pigs. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, and ultrastructural findings.

Pigs were made copper(Cu)-deficient to evaluate cardiac function and pathology, and electrocardiography. Fifteen-day-old pigs were fed a Cu-restricted diet over an 8 wk period and compared to Cu-adequate diet-fed pigs. Cardiac effects were examined concerning gross morphometry and ultrastructure, echocardiography, and electrocardiography, as well as serum cholesterol levels. The Cu-restricted diet-fed pigs exhibited a marked deceleration of growth and lower hematocrit, hemoglobin, and liver and serum Cu concentrations compared to the Cu-adequate diet-fed pigs. The Cu-restricted diet-fed pigs developed a significantly greater heart weight:body weight ratio, along with greater diastolic measures of ventricular wall and internal dimension relative to body weight. Electrocardiography in the Cu-restricted diet-fed pigs revealed one instance of electrical alternans and an intraventricular conduction disturbance and several instances of T-wave inversion. The Cu-restricted pigs also displayed a prolonged QT interval at the closure of study. Increased mitochondrial volume density and mitochondria: myofibril volume density ratio were observed in the Cu-restricted pig electron micrographs along with excessive lipid and glycogen inclusion and focal degradation of Z-lines, intercalated disk, and sarcomeres. Copper-restriction in young pigs results in cardiac pathology and electrical disturbances. These alterations are similar to those reported for young Cu-restricted rodents. Given then that many cardiac manifestations of developed Cu-deficiency appear conserved across specie lines, the potential for human disturbances in response to severe Cu-deficiency may be plausible.
An algorithm search engine for software developers

Efficient algorithms are extremely important and can be crucial for certain software projects. Even though many source code search engines have been proposed in the literature to help software developers find source code related to their needs, to our knowledge there has been no effort to develop systems that keep abreast of the latest algorithmic developments. In this paper, we describe our initial effort towards developing such an algorithm search engine. The proposed system extracts and indexes algorithms discussed in academic literature and their associated metadata. Users can search the index through a free text query interface. The source code of proposed system, being developed as a part of a larger open source toolkit, SeerSuite, will be released in due course. We also provide directions for further research and improvements of the current system.
High temperature measurements for the rate constants of C1–C4 aldehydes with OH in a shock tube

Abstract The overall rate constants for the reactions of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with a series of aldehydes, formaldehyde (CH2O), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), propionaldehyde (C2H5CHO) and n-butyraldehyde (n-C3H7CHO), were studied behind reflected shock waves at temperatures of 950–1400 K and pressures of 1–2 atm. OH radicals were produced by rapid thermal decomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), and OH time-histories were monitored by narrow-linewidth UV laser absorption of the well-characterized R1(5) line in the OH A-X (0, 0) band near 306.69 nm. The overall rate constants were inferred by fitting simulated OH profiles to the measured OH time histories using detailed mechanisms of Veloo et al. (2013), USC Mech-II (2007) and GRI Mech 3.0. The measured high-temperature aldehydes + OH rate constants can be expressed in modified Arrhenius equations, in units of cm3 mol−1 s−1 and K, as k CH 2 O = 1.02 × 10 7 T 1.92 exp ( 779 / T ) ± 13 % k CH 3 CHO = 4.32 × 10 6 T 2.02 exp ( 716 K / T ) ± 22 % k C 2 H 5 CHO = 5.94 × 10 6 T 1.98 exp ( 823 K / T ) ± 27 % k nC 3 H 7 CHO = 5.36 × 10 6 T 2.06 exp ( 658 K / T ) ± 25 % No pressure dependence was observed in these measurements. The measured rate constant for the formaldehyde + OH reaction is consistent with previous experimental work from Vasudevan et al. (2005) within ±25%. For C2–C4 aldehydes + OH, this study provides the first direct rate constant measurement at high temperatures. More general rate constant expressions covering a much wider temperature range (200–1400 K) were also determined by combining current measurements with existing low temperature data in the literature. These wide-range expressions were seen to be in excellent agreement with most existing experimental data.
Effect of inert venting on the stability of autorefrigerated batch reactors

Removal of the exothermic heat of chemical reactons by autorefrigeration (vaporization of a liquid phase) is frequently used in continuous and batch chemical reactors. The vapor thus generated is usually liquified in a condenser and the condensate returned to the reactor. This paper studies the effects of the formation of an inert gas by-product on the stability and control of batch autorefrigerated reactors. Stability is shown to be strongly influenced by the production of these inerts because their buildup in the condenser reduces heat removal capacity. Inert buildup can be reduced by venting, but excessive venting results in a loss of not only inerts but also of the volatile components in the system. This leads to higher reactor temperaturs, faster reaction rates and instability. Digital simulation of a numerical example illustrates the effects of various parameters.
Challenges in the design and analysis of content-centric networks

Over the past 100 years, communication networks have evolved from a primary emphasis on circuits to packets to (most recently) content. While architectural visions articulated at each such evolutionary point have often been "pure" and "minimalist," the control planes of networks embodying the architecture have become increasingly richer, more sophisticated, and more complex. Content networks -- with in-network content storage and the possibility of cloud-based control -- present nearly limitless protocol design possibilities and analysis challenges. We begin this talk with a few reflections on this network evolution. We then identify and discuss several fundamental challenges in the design and analysis of content-caching networks including content location, content mobility and the performance analysis of networks of caches.
Dinitrophenylation and inactivation of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A.

Abstract The dinitrophenylation of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A at pH 8.0, 15 °C is confined in its initial stages to the modification of lysine residues. The sites of attack are the α-amino group of the N-terminal lysine residue and the ϵ-amino groups of the lysine residues in positions 7 and 41. The most reactive amino group is that at position 41; it reacts with fluorodinitrobenzene about 70 times faster than the ϵ-amino group in glycyl- l -lysine. Substitutions at positions 1 and 41 appear to take place independently. However, examination of the product distribution reveals that substitution at position 7 is dependent on prior reaction at position 41. This implicates a rearrangement of the tertiary structure after reaction at that position. The 41-DNP-ribonuclease A is inactive, whereas modification of the α-amino group gives rise to a product with 60% of the specific activity of ribonuclease A. The rate of the inactivation reaction is strongly affected by competitive inhibitors of the enzyme, including ortho -phosphate ion, pyrimidine nucleosides, and both pyrimidine and purine nucleotides. The results are interpreted in terms of a hypothesis which regards the ϵ-amino group of the lysine residue in position 41 as associated with a positively charged site necessary for the binding of the anionic portion of the substrate and which provides a partial explanation for the enhanced reactivity of the amino group towards fluorodinitrobenzene.
A note on the cost of estimating the ratio of regression parameters after fitting a power transformation

Abstract The inflation in variance of the ratio of regression parameters, due to estimation of the transformation, in a power transformation model with two independent variables is considered. It is shown that the cost of estimating the transformation parameter is generally small and frequently zero. This is in contrast to the results of Bickel and Doksum (1981), who show that the inflation in variance of a single regression parameter can be extremely large. A small study of the effect of the design and parameter values on the inflation in variance of the ratio of parameters, shows that the design of the independent variables is an important determinant of the variance inflation. If the design contains no outlying or influential observations the cost of estimating the transformation parameter is very small; however for designs with outliers the cost can be significant, although nowhere near as large as those found by Bickel and Doksum.
Integration techniques for isoparametric and higher order bases on finite elements with a curved side

Abstract Efficient integration techniques are developed for a class of integrals over finite elements bounded by two straight sides and a parabolic arc. The techniques can be used to speed up the evaluation of the element matrices for both high order transformation bases and for isoparametric bases.
Role of the CCAAT Enhancer Binding Proteins (C/EBPs) in Adipocyte Differentiation

Members of the C/EBP family of transcription factors play essential roles in the adipocyte differentiation program. Treatment of growth-arrested 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with appropriate hormonal agents causes the cells to synchronously reenter the cell cycle and to undergo mitotic clonal expansion. Expression of C/EBPbeta and delta occur early in clonal expansion, later followed by C/EBPalpha (which is anti-mitotic) as the cells exit the cell cycle begin to express adipocyte genes. C/EBPalpha serves as transcriptional activator of many adipocyte genes whose expression produce the adipocyte phenotype. Recent work in this laboratory has focussed on the roles of C/EBPbeta and delta in the differentiation program, in particular the mechanisms by which they activate transcription of the C/EBPalpha gene. Several regulatory elements, both repressive and activating, in proximal promoter of the gene have been identified. The cognate transacting factors that interact with these elements have been characterized and their functions elucidated. These factors have been incorporated into a model for a cascade that leads to transcriptional activation of the C/EBPalpha gene and the terminal steps in the differentiation program.
Divergent dispersal strategies in the freshwater bryozoan Plumatella repens: ramet size effects on statoblast numbers.

Evaluation of size-dependent variation in statoblast numbers in Plumatella repens indicates that this freshwater bryozoan employs divergent strategies in dispersing its asexual offspring in space and time. While the numbers of sessoblasts which were cemented to local substrates did not vary per unit ramet size, numbers of floatoblasts which disperse away from the parent to colonize substrates elsewhere varied in a size-dependent manner. Large ramets produced disproportionately more floatoblasts than did small ramets. In general, this result is consistent with the optimal dispersal predictions of three alternative theoretical models. However, the fact that the total number of sessoblasts in a ramet increased with ramet size appears to violate the “constant disperser principle” of one alternative model, and the occurrence of fusion in P. repens may violate the assumption of local competition for sites in another. In order to determine which model represents an appropriate description of dispersal in P. repens, future studies should evaluate the relative importance of local competition, cooperative phenomena like fusion, and mortality among dispersed and nondispersed offspring.
Elastic Contact of Rough Surfaces Subject to Combined Force and Moment

In this paper we consider the contact between two rectangular rough surfaces that provide normal and tangential contact forces, as well as contact moment, to counteract the net moment imposed by the applied forces. The surfaces are permitted to develop a slight angular misalignment, and thereby contact moment is derived. Through this scheme it is possible to also define elastic contribution to friction, since the half-plane tangential contact force on one side of an asperity is no longer balanced by the half-plane tangential force component on the opposite side. The elastic friction force, however, is shown to be of a much smaller order than the contact normal force.