cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulsed acceleration charge detection mass spectrometry: application to weighing electrosprayed droplets.

We describe a new approach to measuring the masses of individual macroions. The method employs a pulsed acceleration tube located between two sensitive image charge detectors. The charge and velocity of the macroion are recorded with the first image charge detector. The ion is pulse accelerated through a known voltage drop, and then the charge and velocity are remeasured using the second image charge detector. The mass of the ion is deduced from its charge and its initial and final velocities. The approach has been used to measure masses in the 1010−1014 Da range with z = 103−106 and m/z = 106−109. It should be extendable to masses of <106 Da. We have used the method to determine the size and charge of water droplets transmitted through a capillary interface and an aperture interface. The droplets detected from the aperture interface are ∼1 order of magnitude smaller in mass than those detected from the capillary interface. The droplets from both interfaces have relatively low charges, particularly with t...
Breast cancer treatment with imiquimod: Applying an old lotion to a new disease

Over the prior two decades, imiquimod, a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, has been applied to nearly 50 clinical settings. Because of its immunomodulatory role, the topical cream today, for the first time, is being applied to cutaneous breast cancer in preclinical models and in a phase II clinical trial.
Latent inhibition, overshadowing, and blocking of a conditioned antinociceptive response in spinalized rats

Prior research has shown that a conditioned antinociceptive response can be established in spinalized rats by pairing stimulation to one hind leg (the conditioned stimulus, or CS) with tailshock (the unconditioned stimulus, or US). This suggests that spinal mechanisms can support classical conditioning. It is well known that in intact subjects, classical conditioning is undermined by preexposure to the CS (latent inhibition) or the concurrent presentation of either a more salient CS (overshadowing) or one that has already been associated with the US (blocking). In the present paper we show that these manipulations have a similar impact on the acquisition of a conditioned antinociceptive response in spinalized rats. These findings imply that similar principles may govern the acquisition of a conditioned response across different levels of the nervous system.
Rescue of Ataxia and Preplate Splitting by Ectopic Expression of Reelin in reeler Mice

The gene mutated in reeler (reelin) encodes a protein secreted by neurons in the developing brain that controls laminar positioning of migrating cells in the CNS by an unknown mechanism. To investigate Reelin function, we used the nestin promoter to express Reelin ectopically in the ventricular zone and other brain regions in transgenic mice. In the presence of the endogenous protein, ectopic Reelin did not alter cell migration in the neocortex or the cerebellum. However, in the reeler background, ectopic Reelin induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Dab-1 in the ventricular zone and rescued some, but not all, of the neuroanatomic and behavioral abnormalities characteristic of reeler. These results indicate that Reelin does not function simply as a positional signal. Rather, it appears to participate in multiple events critical for neuronal migration and cell positioning.
Burst and oscillation as disparate neuronal properties

We have developed methods to detect and discern burst and oscillatory patterns of neuronal activity. In them, a burst period is defined as an interval in which there are a significantly higher number of spikes as compared to other intervals in the spike train. Oscillation is defined as a spike train in which significant periodicity is detected in its autocorrelogram. The main feature of our burst detection method is that discharge density (i.e., the number of spikes in a short interval) is used instead of the interspike interval. This enables one to assess the likelihood of having burst periods in a spike train. We use the Lomb periodogram to detect periodicity in an autocorrelogram. This method gives one significance of periodicity detected and enables the detection of multiple frequencies in an autocorrelogram. The advantage of these methods is discussed in comparison with the other methods used to detect bursting and oscillatory activity.
Electron scattering from alkenes in the energy range 200–4500 eV

Abstract Total electron scattering cross sections (TCS) of C 2 H 4 (ethylene), C 3 H 6 (propene), C 4 H 8 (butene) and C 4 H 6 (1,3-butadiene) have been obtained for 200–4500 eV electrons by the measurement of electron-beam intensity attenuation through a gas cell. An analytical expression is deduced to predict the intermediate energy TCS of chain-like hydrocarbons with C–C single and double bonds. The present experimental TCS are compared with the previous experimental measurements and the predictions by theoretical models.
Mathematicians’ Perspectives on Features of a Good Pedagogical Proof

In this article, we report two studies investigating what mathematicians value in a pedagogical proof. Study 1 is a qualitative study of how eight mathematicians revised two proofs that would be presented in a course for mathematics majors. These mathematicians thought that introductory and concluding sentences should be included in the proofs, main ideas should be formatted to emphasize their importance, and extraneous or redundant information should be removed to avoid distracting or confusing the reader. Study 2 is a quantitative study assessing the extent to which a larger group of mathematicians (N = 110) agreed or disagreed with the eight mathematicians interviewed in Study 1. This quantitative study confirmed the findings of Study 1 by demonstrating a high degree of agreement among mathematicians regarding how they would revise proofs for pedagogical purposes.
General G. M. Shtern: A biographical inquiry

(1975). General G. M. Shtern: A biographical inquiry. Soviet Jewish Affairs: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 73-76.
Acid dissociation versus molecular association of perfluoroalkyl oxoacids: environmental implications

Perfluorooctanoate (PFO) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) surfactant anions, once released, may rapidly reach remote regions. This phenomenon is puzzling because the water-bound anions of strong F-alkyl acids should be largely transported by slow oceanic currents. Herein, we investigate whether these hydrophobic F-alkyl oxoanions would behave anomalously under environmental conditions, as suggested elsewhere. Negative electrospray ionization mass spectra of micromolar aqueous PFO or PFOS solutions from pH 1.0 to 6.0 show (1) m/z = 499 (PFOS) signals that are independent of pH and (2) m/z = 413 (PFO) and 369 (PFO − CO2) signals, plus m/z = 213 (C3F7CO2−) and 169 (C3F7−) signals at higher collision energies, and, below pH ∼ 4, m/z = 827 signals from a remarkably stable (PFO)2H− cluster that increase with decreasing pH. Since the sum of the m/z = 369, 413, and 827 signal intensities is independent of pH, that is, effectively encompasses all major species, we infer that pKa(PFOSA) < 1.0 and pKa(PFOA) < 1.0...
Stochastic Survival Models with Competing Risks and Covariates

In survival analysis, information of covariates has been used to evaluate their importance 1Z1 predicting the survival probability oif a given individual. This paper develops a stochastic survival model which incorporates covar&tes and allows two states of "health" and several coss1peting risks of death. The transition intensity functions can have an exponential or Weibull form but depend upon the covariates. Other generalizations of the model are presented. The model of Lagakos (1976) is a special case of the models proposed here. The asymptotic theory of the maximum likelihood estimates and a goodness-of-fit procedure is diseussed along with tS1e estimation of the survival, transition and competing risks probabilities. These models are applicable to data collected in a clinical trial or prospective study and can distinguish between end-ofstudy and loss-to-follow-up censoring. An application is given which analyzes the survival of patients in a heart transplant program.
Growth characteristics of reovirus type 2: The intracellular fate of viral RNA

Tritium-labeled reovirus type 2 was adsorbed rapidly and irreversibly to HeLa cells at 37°C. However, if adsorption was carried out at 4°C and the virus-cell complex subsequently incubated at 37° C, more than 25% of the labeled particles was rapidly eluted in 5 minutes. The adsorbed virus remaining at 37°C was stable and no further elution occurred. The eluted virions were found to be biologically and physically unaltered and the elution phenomenon was determined to be dependent on the multiplicity of virus used.
Electromagnetic force calculations for a conical coil

Levitation melting devices used in the laboratory typically employ small conical coils with a reverse wound turn at the top. The magnetic field and the Lorentz forces on an electrically conducting sample, due to an alternating current flowing in a small conical coil, are studied by modeling it as a conical helix. These are compared with the results obtained by using the ‘stack model’ of the coil. The influence of the semiangle and pitch of the coil on the field and the field gradient is studied. Further, it is shown that the stack model overestimates the field (and by extension the Lorentz force) at the bottom of the coil. The results obtained by using the stack and helix models are shown to match in the limit of vanishing pitch of the coil.
RNA splice site utilization by simian immunodeficiency viruses derived from sooty mangabey monkeys.

Abstract Alternative splicing of the full-length, primary transcript into numerous subgenomic mRNAs is one way that lentiviral gene expression is regulated. Because the behaviors of different viral isolates might reflect in part differences in splicing, we investigated the patterns of splice site utilization by simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) originally isolated from sooty mangabey monkeys ( Cercocebus atys ). We used reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), molecular cloning, and DNA sequencing approaches to characterize SIVdeltaB670, a pathogenic and neurovirulent isolate, and SIVsmmH4, a related molecular clone. The majority of randomly selected SIVdeltaB670 and SIVsmmH4 partial cDNAs contained tat, rev, nef, and long terminal repeat (LTR) intron splice donor and acceptor sites positioned as expected based on the proviral sequence of SIVsmmH4. Nearly all (87%) of the partial cDNAs analyzed contained a spliced LTR intron. A greater number of partial cDNAs derived from SIVdeltaB670–infected cells contained putative alternatively spliced introns in comparison to SIVsmmH4, including two previously undocumented splice junctions involving the LTR intron splice donor. These data provide the first comprehensive analysis of splice site utilization by an isolate of SIV in comparison to a related molecular clone and the first characterization of SIVsmm splice site utilization.
Cryopreservation of Transformed (Hairy) Roots ofArtemisia annua

Abstract The antimalarial drug artemisinin has been found in transformed (hairy) roots of Artemisia annua. A protocol was developed to preserve A. annua hairy roots in liquid nitrogen. Root tips were excised from 7-day-old cultures and held on solid White's medium for 24 h prior to cryoprotection. They were then treated with a cryoprotecting mixture containing 8% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (Me 2 SO) and 20% (w/v) sucrose at 25°C for 1 h followed by cooling at 0.09°C/min to 4°C then cooling to −35°C at 0.72°C/min. Vials containing the root tips were then plunged into liquid nitrogen. After thawing in a water bath to 37°C, root tips were held in the cryoprotecting mixture for 10 min before it was diluted to 25% of its original concentration. Root tips were washed once with fresh liquid White's medium and held for 1 h prior to culturing on White's medium with 0.2% Gelrite and 3% (w/v) sucrose. Regrowth of root tips averaged 65%. Independent variables in this study included 1) Me 2 SO concentration; 2) the type and concentration of cosolutes; 3) cooling rate(s); 4) the temperature at which the sample is transferred to liquid nitrogen; 5) the age of the culture from which root tips are taken; 6) the recovery period between root tip excision and immersion in cryoprotectant; and 7) the amount of Gelrite used in the postthaw plating medium.
Well-posedness for a nonsmooth acoustic system

We consider an acoustic wave system with discontinuous coefficients and nonsmooth inputs. Existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence on input data of weak solutions are established.
Stereotyped beliefs about male and female OB-GYNS: relationship to provider choice and patient satisfaction.

AbstractBackground: Up to 60% of women prefer a female obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN), perhaps in part due to holding negative stereotypes of male providers. However, provider gender stereotypes have not been directly examined. The purpose of the current studies was to evaluate women’s stereotypes of male and female OB-GYN providers and the impact of these stereotypes on provider evaluations.Methods: First, stereotypes of male and female OB-GYNs were elicited from 96 undergraduate women who described the attributes and behaviors of a typical male or female OB-GYN. Next, 126 undergraduate women were randomized to review recordings depicting male or female OB-GYNs engaging in male or female-stereotype congruent behaviors during a well-woman visit.Results: Participants overall had positive stereotypes of female OB-GYNs (e.g. knowledgeable, easy to talk to) but some negative stereotypes of males (e.g. unable to fully understand women’s health issues). However, male and female OB-GYNs who engaged in female...
Suboptimal Cross-linking of Antigen Receptor Induces Syk-dependent Activation of p70S6 Kinase through Protein Kinase C and Phosphoinositol 3-Kinase

Ligation of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) induces a cascade of signaling pathways that lead to clonal expansion, differentiation, or abortive activation-induced apoptosis of B lymphocytes. BCR-mediated cross-linking induces the rapid phosphorylation of protein tyrosine kinases. However, the pathways leading to the activation of downstream serine/threonine kinases such as mitogen-activated protein kinase, p90Rsk, and p70S6 kinase (p70S6k) that mediate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, cell cycle progression, gene transcription, and protein synthesis have not been delineated. We recently demonstrated that cross-linking of BCR leads to activation of p70S6k in B lymphocytes. In this report, we demonstrate that multiple protein tyrosine kinase-dependent signal transduction pathways induced by BCR lead to the activation of p70S6k. These distinct pathways exhibit different thresholds with respect to the extent of receptor cross-linking required for their activation. Activation of p70S6k by suboptimal doses of anti-Ig is Syk-dependent and is mediated by protein kinase C and phosphoinositol 3-kinase. Moreover, the activation of p70S6k results in phosphorylation of S6 protein which is important for ribosomal protein synthesis and may be coupled to BCR-induced protein and DNA synthesis in primary murine B cells.
Allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and symptom severity: a population‐based study

Background: Approximately 20% of the U.S. population suffers from allergic rhinitis (AR), and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is estimated to affect 12.5% of the population. Frequently, many patients suffer from both disorders. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between AR and chronic rhinosinusitis as far as impact on nasal symptoms in a community-based case-control study of adult nonsmokers. Methods: In Washington County, MD, 200 subjects were recruited and interviewed from the same community. Subjects were divided into 4 study groups: AR without CRS, CRS without AR, AR with CRS, and a control group without AR or CRS. A validated questionnaire was used to assess upper respiratory symptoms, and disease-specific quality of life. Results: Upper respiratory symptoms were significantly more severe for the affected subjects when compared to controls. Symptom severity was greatest for the CRS groups with or without AR, followed by AR without CRS, and controls least symptomatic. Subjects with AR plus CRS were most likely to have had previous nasal surgery, and use nasal decongestants when compared to the other groups. Conclusion: While both AR and CRS are common in the United States, it appears that patients who suffer from both disorders have more severe symptoms and are more likely to have undergone nasal surgery than if they have only 1 of these disease states. © 2011 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
The grammatical factor in childhood disfluency in relation to the continuity hypothesis.

The relationship between grammatical function and disfluency was investigated in 15 normal-speaking children aged three years 11 months to four years 10 months. Pronouns and conjunctions appeared i...
A Wide Frequency Range Tunable Vibration Energy Harvesting Device Using Magnetically Induced Stiffness

Although wireless sensors show extensive promise across a wide range of applications, one requirement necessary for widespread deployment is a suitable long-life power source. Self sustainable powering techniques allow for efficient use of these sensors, whose potential life is usually longer than that of the power sources. Vibration energy harvesting techniques offer to have the potential to be employed in powering these devices. The most important requirement of vibration energy harvesting devices is that they be in resonance to harvest energy efficiently. Most of the vibration energy harvesting devices built, irrespective of the mechanism involved, are based on a single resonance frequency, with the efficiency of these devices is very much limited to that specific frequency. In this paper, a frequency tunable mechanism is presented which allows the energy harvesting device to generate power over a wide range of frequencies. External magnetic forces have been used to induce additional stiffness which is variable depending on the distance between the magnets. This technique allowed us to tune the resonance frequencies to have +/− 20% of the original (untuned) resonant frequency. Further, the device can be tuned to higher and lower frequency with respect to the untuned resonance frequency by using attractive and repulsive magnetic forces, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, a piezoelectric cantilever-based energy harvesting device with a natural frequency of 26 Hz was fabricated whose resonance frequency was successfully tuned over a frequency range of 22 Hz to 32 Hz, enabling a continuous power output of 240 μW to 280 μW over the entire frequency range. The tuning mechanism can be employed to any vibrating structure.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Epidemiology of breast carcinoma II: Factors related to the predominance of left‐sided disease

A study of the laterality of 980 patients with unilateral breast carcinoma revealed a left/right ratio of 1.26. Detailed analysis disclosed a significant association between left predominance and the following clinicopathologic features: menarch after age 13, age at diagnosis, parity especially among those between ages 40 and 54, and all histologic types except medullary tumors. When asynchronous bilateral carcinoma was documented, the disease first occurred more often in the left breast. Patients with simultaneous bilateral disease usually had a larger tumor on the left. Because differences in breast size were considered a contributing factor, relative breast volumes were computed from the mammograms of 174 healthy women; 55% were found to have a larger left breast. These data and other observations cited in the literature suggest that the asymmetry of breast carcinoma reflects differences in the sensitivity of the mammary glands to hormonal stimulation, resulting in unequal volumes of tissue at risk to develop carcinoma.
Perturbations of nonlinear systems

where A (t) and B(t) are cont inuous and un i fo rmly bounde d matr ices . I n pa r t i c u l a r we ob ta in condi t ions on the m a t r i x A (t) which will assure us t h a t the charac te r i s t ic exponen t s of sys tem (1.1) are cont inuous a t B ( t ) ~ O as funct ions of B(t) (Corol lary 3.1). I n sect ion 4 we ob ta in resul ts concerning the exis tence and va r i a t i on of bounded solut ions of non l inear d i f ferent ia l equat ions (Theorem 4.1). I n sect ion 5 we a p p l y these resul ts to a lmos t per iodic nonl inear sys tems and ex tend the au tho r ' s p rev ious resul ts (Theorem 5.1).
A sine-cosine method for handlingnonlinear wave equations

In this paper, we establish exact solutions for nonlinear wave equations. A sine-cosine method is used for obtaining traveling wave solutions for these models with minimal algebra. The method is applied to selected physical models to illustrate the usage of our main results.
Fine grained data management to achieve evolution resilience in a software development environment

A software development environment (SDE) exhibits evolution resilience if changes to the SDE do not adversely affect its functionality nor performance, and also do not introduce delays in returning the SDE to an operational state after a change. Evolution resilience is especially difficult to achieve when manipulating fine grained data, which must be tightly bound to the language in which the SDE is implemented to achieve adequate performance. We examine a spectrum of approaches to tool integration that range from high SDE-development-time efficiency to high SDE-execution-time efficiency. We then present a meta-environment, a specific SDE tailored to the development of target SDE's, that supports easy movement of individual tools along this spectrum.
Contributions of sigB and sarA to distinct multiple antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Multiple antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus aureus can result from mutations leading to reduced susceptibility to Pine oil-based cleaners (PSRS) as well as following growth with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory salicylate. We now define the contributions of the alternative sigma factor (sigB) and staphylococcal accessory regulator (sarA) to these mechanisms. We conclude that sarA plays a more prominent role than sigB in overall intrinsic multiple antimicrobial resistance. Both genes have similar effects on intrinsic vancomycin resistance, and the salicylate-inducible mechanism is not sigB- or sarA-dependent. Furthermore, analyses determined that altered expression of sigB and sarA is not responsible for the salicylate-inducible mechanism, and sarA upregulation is associated with the PSRS phenotype.
Methacrylate polymerization by AzoRNA: potential usefulness for chromosomal localization of genes.

An azo pyrimidine nucleotide has been prepared and enzymatically attached to oligo(A) primers. The nucleotide's azo pyrimidine group has previously been shown to initiate polymerization of methacrylate esters designed to bind marker groups for visualization by microscopy. When attached to RNA molecules complementary to a chromosomal DNA segment, these nucleotides may allow localization of the DNA segment following in situ hybridization of the probe, methacrylate polymerization, and marker attachment. Since mRNA molecules of potential interest as probes bear a 3′-poly(A) tail, the modified nucleotides were added to oligo(A) primers as models. First, N4-ureidocytosine nucleotides were enzymatically added to ApApA, (Ap)9A, or [5′-32P]-(pA)10, using the modified cytidine 5′-diphosphate and “primer-dependent” polynucleotide phosphorylase (M. luteus). In the case of the ApApA-primed reaction, the N4-ureidocytosine nucleotides in the product polynucleotide were converted into azo nucleotides by oxidation with N-bromosuccinimide. The other two primers were employed to study the time course of polynucleotide formation and to verify that primer was indeed being utilized by the enzyme. The suitability of the modified nucleotide for in situ hybridization studies was examined. Poly(N4-ureidocytidylic acid) was prepared from poly(C) and semicarbazide by the bisulfite-catalyzed transamination reaction. It was found that 95% of the N4-ureidocytosine nucleotides in this polynucleotide survive the elevated temperatures typically required for DNA:DNA denaturation and RNA:DNA annealing. When poly(N4-ureidocytidylic acid) was mixed with poly(I) in buffered aqueous salt solutions, no evidence for hybridization was found, so binding of the probe RNA to the denatured chromosomal DNA molecule via the modified nucleotides is not expected. Upon oxidation of poly(N4-ureidocytidylic acid) with N-bromosuccinimide, the azo nucleotides were formed, as judged by the appearance of a characteristic peak at approximately 350 nm in the uv-absorption spectrum of the yellow-orange product, azoRNA. The azo nucleotides in azoRNA exhibited the expected acid lability, which is known to be accompanied by 1-glyceryl methacrylate polymerization in the case of the simple azo pyrimidine. Because 1-glyceryl metharcylate bears substituent glycol groups for attaching heavy atoms or fluorescent markers, it is possible that probe RNA molecules bearing azo nucleotides may be useful for localizing low-multiplicity genes along eukaryotic chromosomes.
Test-Retest Reliability of the Pediatric Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction for Balance (P-CTSIB)

Twenty-four children age four through nice years who were typically developing were given the Pediatric Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction for Balance (P-CTSIB) on tow occasions separated by approximately one week. Test-retest reliability and the magnitudes of difference between test and retest scores were examined for both the Feet-Together and Heel-Toe Positions for the sway and duration scores separately and for the combined sway and duration scores by different sensory conditions. Spearman rank correlation coefficients for the sway and duration scores ranged form very low to moderate. Reliability coefficients improved when examining combined sensory condition scores for a low of .44 to a high of .83. Although some of these reliability coefficients were low, they are comparable to those on other published balance tests. The magnitudes of difference between test and retest combined sensory condition scores were minimal for the Feet-Together P-CTSIB. For the Heel-Toe P-CTSIB, the magnitudes of differen...
Observations of a high-energy ion shock spike in interplanetary space

Observations are reported of a high-energy ion shock spike extending in energy to more than 25 MeV for protons, more than 4.3 MeV/nuc for alpha particles, and more than 1.6 MeV/nuc for medium nuclei with Z of at least 6. The measurements were obtained in the course of a solar-particle event on September 15, 1975, by the IMP-7 and IMP-8 spacecraft. It is shown that the observations can be reasonably accounted for by intensive acceleration of charged particles at an 'almost' perpendicular interplanetary shock wave. The data are inconsistent with a one-step d.c.-type acceleration process.
Reducing thermal hotspots in microprocessors with expanded component sizing

Thermal hotspots are a destructive phenomenon occurring in contemporary microprocessors. High power density of microprocessors and excessive use of certain microprocessor components by applications are considered the primary causes of increased temperature. Dynamic Thermal Management Techniques used in mitigating excessive temperatures results in throttling of clock speed, which degrades the performance of the microprocessor. In this paper we propose a simple but novel technique to reduce hotspots in microprocessors. We propose to lower the power density of selected high temperature components by increasing the chip area of that component. We select thermally susceptible components that have small footprints and increase the area of such components, thereby reducing the occurrence of hotspots. The overall chip area increase is minimal and our research has shown that the associated delay penalty is negligible.
Electron-impact excitation of atomic oxygen.

A close-coupling approximation is employed to theoretically investigate the excitation of the 3s3S0 and 3p3P states of atomic oxygen for electron impact energies ranging from 13.87-100 eV. The target states included in the expansion of the total wave function are modeled by accurate configuration-interaction wave functions. The results are consistent with recent experimental findings for the dipole-allowed 3P-3s3S0 transition.
Polystyrene-supported borane complexes PS-BH2 • D

A polystyrene derivative in which the para-positions of the phenyl rings are selectively functionalised with BH2 moieties (PS-BH2) has been prepared from poly(4-trimethylsilyl styrene) through a series of polymer analogous reactions. The polymer was successfully isolated in the form of its polymeric acid-base complexes PS-BH2 • D (D = tBuPy, PPh2Me). The selective and nearly quantitative placement of the BH2 functionalities was confirmed by multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. The thermal properties of the polymer complexes were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.
The complex structure of simple devices: A survey of trajectories and forces that open doors and drawers

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) involve physical interactions with diverse mechanical systems found within human environments. In this paper, we describe our efforts to capture the everyday mechanics of doors and drawers, which form an important sub-class of mechanical systems for IADLs. We also discuss the implications of our results for the design of assistive robots. By answering questions such as “How high are the handles of most doors and drawers?” and “What forces are necessary to open most doors and drawers?”, our approach can inform robot designers as they make tradeoffs between competing requirements for assistive robots, such as cost, workspace, and power. Using a custom motion/force capture system, we captured kinematic trajectories and forces while operating 29 doors and 15 drawers in 6 homes and 1 office building in Atlanta, GA, USA. We also hand-measured the kinematics of 299 doors and 152 drawers in 11 area homes. We show that operation of these seemingly simple mechanisms involves significant complexities, including non-linear forces and large kinematic variation. We also show that the data exhibit significant structure. For example, 91.8% of the variation in the force sequences used to open doors can be represented using a 2-dimensional linear subspace. This complexity and structure suggests that capturing everyday mechanics may be a useful approach for improving the design of assistive robots.
Mechanisms and reactions during atomic layer deposition on polymers

Abstract There is significant growing interest in atomic layer deposition onto polymers for barrier coatings, nanoscale templates, surface modification layers and other applications. The ability to control the reaction between ALD precursors and polymers opens new opportunities in ALD materials processing. It is well recognized that ALD on many polymers involves subsurface precursor diffusion and reaction which are not encountered during ALD on solid surfaces. This article reviews recent insights into chemical reactions that proceed during ALD on polymers, with particular focus on the common Al2O3 reaction sequence using trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and water. We highlight the role of different polymer reactive groups in film growth, and how the balance between precursor diffusion and reaction can change as deposition proceeds. As a strong Lewis acid, TMA forms adducts with Lewis base sites within the polymer, and the reactions that proceed are determined by the neighboring bond structure. Moreover, the Lewis base sites can be saturated by TMA, producing a self-limiting half-reaction within a three-dimensional polymer, analogous to a self-limiting half-reaction commonly observed during ALD on a solid planar surface.
A Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment for an Optical Fiber Communications Course*

This paper describes a technology-enhanced learning environment for an undergraduate course on Optical Fiber Communications (http:ctle.colorado.edunsf2000).
Genome scan of the fifty-six bipolar pedigrees from the NIMH genetics initiative replication sample: chromosomes 4, 7, 9, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

The NIMH genetics initiative on bipolar disorder was established to collect uniformly ascertained bipolar pedigrees for genetic studies. In 1997, the four participating sites published a genome scan on the initial set of 97 bipolar pedigrees. Fifty-six additional bipolar pedigrees have now been ascertained and evaluated. This replication pedigree set contains 354 genotyped subjects, including 139 bipolar I (BPI) subjects, five schizoaffective bipolar type SA/BP subjects, 41 bipolar II (BPII) subjects, and 43 recurrent unipolar (RUP) depression subjects. Our site has recently genotyped the replication study bipolar pedigrees using 107 microsatellite markers from chromosomes 4, 7, 9, 18, 19, 20, and 21. We are now reporting parametric and nonparametric linkage results from this effort. Multipoint nonparametric linkage analysis produced three candidate regions with allele sharing LOD scores >/= 1.0. The linkage signal on 4q35 peaked between markers D4S3335 and D4S2390 with an allele sharing LOD score of 2.49. This finding exceeds standard criteria for suggestive linkage. Two additional loci approach suggestive linkage levels: the 4q32 finding had its maximum near marker D4S1629 with an allele sharing LOD score of 2.16, and the 20p12 finding peaked at D20S162 with an allele sharing LOD score of 1.82. Multipoint parametric linkage analysis produced similar findings. When we combined the genotype data from the original and the replication pedigree sets, 20p12 yielded a nonparametric LOD score of 2.38, which exceeds standard criteria for suggestive linkage, and a corresponding parametric HLOD score of 2.98. The combined analysis did not provide further support for linkage to 4q32 and 4q35.
A Microcomputer Interfacing Course for Computer Science Majors

This paper describes a microcomputer interfacing course for computer science students. Students build simple logic circuits to interface a microcomputer with real‐world devices, such as stepper motor and digital displays, and program the computer to monitor and control these devices. Programs are written in Pascal and assembly language. The emphasis is placed on applications rather than on theory. This course is especially designed for computer science students who are proficient in software programming but have little or no experience in electronics. The experiments described here have been developed on the Apple ft microcomputer, but they can be easily adapted to other microcomputers.
Frailty and Its Potential Relevance to Cardiovascular Care

Frailty is characterized by vulnerability to acute stressors and is a consequence of decline in overall function and physiologic reserves. An estimated 7% of the US population older than 65 years and 30% of octogenarians are frail. The domains to define frailty include mobility, strength, balance, motor processing, cognition, nutrition, endurance, and physical activity. Pathophysiologic pathways leading to frailty involve a multisystem cascade that includes neuroendocrine dysfunction with lower insulinlike growth factor and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and an altered inflammatory milieu with increased levels of C-reactive protein, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor α, and abnormal coagulation. Frailty predicts death and heralds the transition to disability in general populations. As the population with coronary artery disease shifts toward older patients, physicians must consider the role of frailty in their patients. This review will enable clinicians to recognize frailty and consider its relevance in their daily practice. We also elaborate on reasons to consider frailty in older adults with cardiovascular disease and focus on its early identification, on referral to specialists, and on care after serious cardiac events.
Recent advances in basic and clinical prostate cancer research

In the past 3 years, we have seen a persistent decline in the incidence in the United States of prostate cancer. Nonetheless, prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. males, and it is the second leading cause of male cancer deaths in this country. At this time, our understanding of the biology of this complex disease is far from complete, and, relative to other diseases with similar prevalence, such as breast cancer and AIDS, prostate cancer research receives far less in federal research funds. However, prostate cancer continues to be an active area of both basic and clinical research, and several important advances have occurred in the past few years. Due to the brief nature of this review, we will not discuss these advances in detail, and not every finding in the field has been included. Rather, we have chosen to highlight the major areas of research interest and to provide the reader with appropriate direction toward recent contributions in these areas.
A Cerebellar Deficit in Sensorimotor Prediction Explains Movement Timing Variability

A popular theory is that the cerebellum functions as a timer for clocking motor events (e.g., initiation, termination). Consistent with this idea, cerebellar patients have been reported to show greater deficits during hand movements that repeatedly start and stop (i.e., discontinuous movements) compared with continuous hand movements. Yet, this finding could potentially be explained by an alternate theory in which the cerebellum acts as an internal model of limb mechanics. We tested whether a timing or internal model hypothesis best explains results from a circle-drawing task, where individuals trace a circle with the hand at a desired tempo. We first attempted to replicate prior results showing greater impairment for discontinuous versus continuous circling movements, and then asked whether we could improve patient performance by reducing demands in each domain. First, we slowed the movement down to reduce the need to predict and compensate for limb dynamics. Second, we supplied external timing information to reduce the need for an internal event timer. Results showed that we did not replicate the previous findings—cerebellar patients were impaired in both discontinuous and continuous movements. Slowing the movement improved cerebellar performance to near control values. The addition of an external visual timing signal paradoxically worsened timing deficits rather than mitigating them. One interpretation of these combined results is that the cerebellum is indeed functioning as an internal model and is needed to make appropriate predictions for movement initiation and termination.
IRIS: the unfortunate rainbow of HIV

In this issue of Blood, Mahnke and colleagues identify polyfunctional CD4(+) T-cell responses directed against specific opportunistic pathogens in HIV-infected patients who develop immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This work provides a mechanistic advance to our understanding of IRIS pathogenesis.
Blood osmotic concentration of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) found in fresh water

Mill Creek exemplifies a somewhat unusual ecotone between lacustrine and estuarine habitats. While its fauna is largely freshwater in character, several estuarine species are apparently able to survive there, albeit for unknown periods. The most conspicuous estuarine species is the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, which seasonally invades the upper reaches of the stream in large numbers. Invasion by the population is apparently restricted to a period of a few weeks each year, sometime between the middle of August and early October, and the length of time spent there by an individual crab is unknown. The blood osmotic concentration of 13 crabs caught in Mill Creek is higher than one would predict from literature on osmotic adjustment to freshwater under laboratory conditions. But it approaches values for crabs acclimatized for prolonged periods to natural freshwaters.
Origin of Bonding Interactions in Cu2+(H2)n Clusters: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

Binding energies and entropies have been measured for the attachment of up to six H2 ligands to ground-state Cu+ ions (1S, Ar3d10), to electronically excited Cu+* ions (1,3D, Ar4s13d9), and to hydrated H2O·Cu+ ions. The ground-state Cu+ ion added four H2 ligands in the first solvation shell with bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of 15.4, 16.7, 8.8, and 5.1 kcal/mol. The fifth and sixth ligands begin a new solvation sphere and were very weakly bound. The BDEs for addition of H2 to electronically excited Cu+* were also small (4.2, 2.5, and 1.4 kcal/mol for the first three ligands). The difference between ground- and excited-state association energies is almost entirely due to the repulsive nature of the 4s electron. Hydration of the Cu+ ion significantly increased the BDE of the first H2 ligand (to 19.6 kcal/mol) but greatly reduced that of the second (to 3.8 kcal/mol). Theoretical calculations with large basis sets at the DFT-B3LYP and MP2 levels were done on all species both to determine geometries and vi...
220-GHz Quaternary Barrier InAlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs

Depletion-mode high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on a quaternary barrier In0.13Al0.83Ga0.04 N/AlN/GaN heterostructure on SiC substrate were fabricated. The 66-nm-long gate device shows a dc drain current density of 2.1 A/mm, a peak extrinsic transconductance of 548 mS/mm, and a record current gain cutoff frequency fT of 220 GHz for quaternary barrier GaN-based HEMTs, which is also among the highest fT for all GaN-based HEMTs. The large Lg ·fT product of 14.5 GHz ·μm with a gate-length-to-barrier-thickness aspect ratio of 5.8 indicates a high effective electron velocity of 0.9 ×107 cm/s, attributed to a high electron Hall mobility (1790 cm2/V ·s at an ns of 1.8 ×1013-2)-the highest reported in GaN-channel HEMTs with In-containing barriers. An intrinsic electron velocity of 1.7 ×107 cm/s, extracted from conventional Moll delay-time analysis, is comparable to that reported in the state-of-art AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.
A Generic Framework: From Clinical Notes to Electronic Medical Records

Electronic Medical Records are important to manage health data and save lives to improve the quality of service in hospitals. Clinical medical records contain a wealth of information, largely in free-text form. This paper proposes a generic framework to semi-automatically extract and mine data from clinical note, automatically learn patterns for each physicians clinical notes, and automatically populate EMR databases for multi users. In this paper, we also develop a web-based system with a relational database to automatically store data from MEDical Information Extraction (MedIE) system that extracts and mines a variety of patient information with breast complaints from semistructured clinical records.
Design of fault-diagnosable and repairable folded PLAs for yield enhancement

A defect-tolerant PLA (programmable logic array) design with a simple column folding technique to enhance the probe yield is presented. The results show that the design requires less die size than a previous design, while still achieving full diagnosability of single and multiple stuck-at, bridging, and crosspoint faults. The design concept is readily extended to other folding techniques. Among the various folding techniques, the trade-offs are the density improvement and regularity, i.e. the density improvement is often paid for as higher irregularity. In fact, the irregularity often results in a higher defect density. It is concluded that a density improvement does not guarantee a higher overall yield. >
Maternal and Paternal Stress in Families With School‐Aged Children With Disabilities

This study examined stress factors in families with a school-aged child with a disability. Path analyses revealed that children's demandingness and neediness for care was related more to maternal stress and that child's acceptability was related more to paternal stress. Professionals who serve families with children with disabilities may need to devise more specialized support programs to help fathers become emotionally close to their atypical children and may need to provide more respite services for mothers. To assist parents of school-aged children with disabilities, support services may also need to extend beyond the usual early childhood period.
Distribution, Habitat, and Current Population Size Estimates for Polymnia Cossatotensis (Cossatot Leafcup) [Asteraceae], a Rare Arkansas Endemic

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Microscopic Past of Poutwater Pond

Abstract Poutwater Pond Bog is a National Natural Landmark located in Holden, MA. As present-day species inhabiting this bog have been described, this study presents an insight into earlier inhabitants of the area during the mid- to late Holocene. A 5-m coring of peat was collected 10 m from the pond edge. Radiocarbon analysis of 10 sections of the core shows a nearly linear accumulation rate of peatland from 8500 years ago to the present. The presence of mineral matter at the base of the core suggests paulidification as the mechanism for formation of the bog. Microfossils were isolated from sections of the peat core by density-buoyant centrifugation, and examined using a scanning electron microscope. High-resolution images of pollen, sponge remains, and algae are presented. Circumneutral and acidobiontic diatoms were found at different depths of the core, indicating a changing water environment over time. Arboreal pollen grains were documented spanning 8500 years of vegetative history, permitting insight...
Micro UAV Path Planning for Reconnaissance in Wind

The problem addressed in this paper is the control of a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (MAV) for the purpose of obtaining video footage of a set of known ground targets with preferred azimuthal viewing angles, using fixed onboard cameras. Control is exercised only through the selection of waypoints, without modification of the MAV's pre-existing autopilot and waypoint following capability. Specifically, we investigate problems and potential solutions of performing this task in the presence of a known constant wind. Simulations are provided in the presence of randomly perturbed wind, based on the Air Force Research Laboratory equipment and the high fidelity simulator MultiUAV2.
The Effect of Varied Conductor Preparatory Gestures on Singer Upper Body Movement

This study was designed to examine the effect of five conductor preparatory gestures on indirect measurements of individual singers’ (N = 60) head and shoulder movements at two junctures as they sa...
Shiftable representations and multipath processing

In multipath communications environments, the received signal is a superposition of delayed, possibly frequency shifted, and scaled replicas of a base signal s(t). For a known signal s(t), the optimal receiver is matched to the multipath signal s/sub M/(t). In general, this requires the determination of the unknown parameters, a multidimensional optimization problem usually out of reach for most applications. By adapting the notion of shiftability to the multipath problem, the matched filter is found by inner products which are easier to implement than a multidimensional optimization. The paper introduces the concept of nearly shiftable and describes an explicit construction for designing increasingly nearly shiftable signals and demonstrating the improvement obtained in the context of the multipath problem. >