cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive tracking control of an induction motor

An adaptive tracking controller for an induction motor driving a load is presented. Using nonlinear models of the motor and load, a global uniform asymptotic stability (GUAS) result for the motor position tracking error is obtained. The control is capable of handling parametric uncertainty throughout the entire electromechanical system dynamics. The control requires full state feedback (i.e., motor position, velocity, stator currents, and rotor fluxes).
Optimization of Tablet Formulations Containing Talc

AbstractAn optimized direct compression tablet formulation of a conventional theophylline tablet was developed using the technique of response surface methodology and successive quadratic programming (SQP). The response surfaces were obtained from fitting data generated from a secondorder uniformprecision rotatable hexagonal experimental design. The tablet formulation was optimized for mean in vitro dissolution time using disintegration time, ejection force, friability and hardness, as constraints within the experimental region by the SQP technique. The response surface model was validated by preparing and evaluating the predicted formulation. The characteristics of the tablet formulation were analyzed by principal component analysis. Sensitivity analysis for the optimal solution was performed for each constraint, while all remaining constraints were held constant. The robustness of the response surface model was evaluated by simulation for error in the compression force values.
A Unified Framework for Whole-Body Humanoid Robot Control with Multiple Constraints and Contacts

Physical interactivity is a major challenge in humanoid robot-ics. To allow robots to operate in human environments there is a pressing need for the development of control architectures that provide the advanced capabilities and interactive skills needed to effectively interact with the environment and/or the human partner while performing useful manipulation and locomotion tasks. Such architectures must address the robot whole-body control problem in its most general form: task and whole body motion coordination with active force control at contacts, under various constraints, self collision, and dynamic obstacles. In this paper we present a framework that addresses in a unified fashion the whole-body control problem in the context of multi-point multi-link contacts, constraints, and obstacles. The effectiveness of this novel formulation is illustrated through extensive robot dynamic simulations conducted in SAI, and the experimental validation of the framework is currently underway on the ASIMO platform.
Person perception by active versus passive perceivers

Person perception research is dominated by studies of passive perceivers who exert no control over the information they receive. In contrast, perceivers in everyday life can often actively choose the type and quantity of information they receive. In this study, active and yoked passive perceivers formed impressions of individuals based on information from Facebook. Compared to active perceivers, passive perceivers reported greater confidence and ease in their judgments. Passive perceivers exhibited greater confidence (though not greater accuracy) with increased information, but active perceivers did not show this effect, placing a boundary condition on past research. Passive perceivers also liked targets more than active perceivers, a finding that is not explained by valence-dependant sampling by active participants, or by misattribution of fluency or greater sensitivity among passive participants. These provocative findings highlight the need to account for active and interactive processes in person perception rather than continuing to focus on passive perceivers.
Photocleavable Biotin Phosphoramidite for 5′-End-Labeling, Affinity Purification and Phosphorylation of Synthetic Oligonucleotides

We report the design, synthesis and evaluation of a non-nucleosidic photocleavable biotin phosphoramidite (PCB-phosphoramidite) which provides a simple method for purification and phosphorylation of oligonucleotides. This reagent introduces a photocleavable biotin label (PCB) on the 5'-terminal phosphate of synthetic oligonucleotides and is fully compatible with automated solid support synthesis. HPLC analysis shows that the PCB moiety is introduced predominantly on full-length sequences and is retained during cleavage of the synthetic oligonucleotide from the solid support and during subsequent deprotection with ammonia. The full-length 5-PCB-labeled oligonucleotide can then be selectively isolated from the crude oligonucleotide mixture by incubation with immobilized streptavidin. Upon irradiation with 300-350 nm light the 5'-PCB moiety is cleaved with high efficiency in <4 min, resulting in rapid release of affinity-purified 5'-phosphorylated oligonucleotides into solution. 5'-PCB-labeled oligonucleotides should be useful in a variety of applications in molecular biology, including cassette mutagenesis and PCR. As an example, PCB-phosphoramidite has been used for the synthesis, purification and phosphorylation of 50-and 60mer oligonucleotides.
Chronic Diarrhea and Pneumonia

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS A 57-year-old caucasian man presented in May, 1993 with the complaint of difficulty maintaining his body weight, daily episodes of abdominal distention, and diarrhea (five to seven bowel movements each day). His stool was poorly formed, floated, and had a foul odor. No blood was noted. His diet was nutritionally complete and he denied pica. He had first experienced similar symptoms approximately 30 years earlier and had been diagnosed at that time with sucrase and lactase deficiency. A gluten-free diet had never provided benefit. A lactosefree and sucrose-free diet had previously controlled symptoms but no longer did. Current medications were vitamin supplements of niacin, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin B complex, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
Design of a Gaze-Sensitive Virtual Social Interactive System for Children With Autism

Impairments in social communication skills are thought to be core deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In recent years, several assistive technologies, particularly Virtual Reality (VR), have been investigated to promote social interactions in this population. It is well known that children with ASD demonstrate atypical viewing patterns during social interactions and thus monitoring eye-gaze can be valuable to design intervention strategies. While several studies have used eye-tracking technology to monitor eye-gaze for offline analysis, there exists no real-time system that can monitor eye-gaze dynamically and provide individualized feedback. Given the promise of VR-based social interaction and the usefulness of monitoring eye-gaze in real-time, a novel VR-based dynamic eye-tracking system is developed in this work. This system, called Virtual Interactive system with Gaze-sensitive Adaptive Response Technology (VIGART), is capable of delivering individualized feedback based on a child's dynamic gaze patterns during VR-based interaction. Results from a usability study with six adolescents with ASD are presented that examines the acceptability and usefulness of VIGART. The results in terms of improvement in behavioral viewing and changes in relevant eye physiological indexes of participants while interacting with VIGART indicate the potential of this novel technology.
Childhood abuse and aggression in girls: The contribution of borderline personality disorder

The authors tested whether emerging borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms mediated the association between childhood physical abuse (CPA) and aggression among incarcerated girls. Participants were 121 incarcerated adolescent girls (13-19 years old). Three forms of aggression (relational, overt, and violent offending behavior) and exposure to CPA by a parental figure were assessed using self-report inventories, whereas BPD symptoms were evaluated using a structured interview. Mediation models, including tests of indirect effects, were conducted in which each form of aggression was predicted from CPA with BPD symptoms entered as a mediator. A divergent pattern emerged in which BPD symptoms mediated the relationship between CPA and violent offending, but not less severe forms of overt aggression. Relational aggression, although correlated with CPA, was not associated with BPD symptoms. Implications for the conceptualization and treatment of girls' aggression within the context of interpersonal functioning are discussed.
Decision criteria, data fusion and prediction calibration: a Bayesian approach

Abstract The novel research paradigm, dubbed the “court of miracles of hydrological modelling”, focuses on achieving scientific progress in circumstances which traditionally would be called model failures. Many of the associated modelling issues can be addressed systematically and coherently within the mathematical framework of Bayesian forecast-decision theory. Five of them are addressed herein: (a) choosing a criterion function for making rational decisions under uncertainty (a meta-decision problem); (b) modelling stochastic dependence between variates to quantify uncertainty and predict realizations; (c) fusing data from asymmetric samples to cope with unrepresentativeness of small samples and corruptive effects of outliers; (d) calibrating probabilistic predictions against a prior distribution; and (e) ordering predictors, or models, in terms of their informativeness (equivalently, in terms of their economic value to a decider). It is suggested that communication between hydrologists and deciders (pl...
Security based on network topology against the wiretapping attack

In wireless networks, an attacker can tune a receiver and tap the communication between two nodes. Whether or not some meaningful information is obtained by tapping a wireless connection depends the security protocols used. One may use cryptographic techniques to secure the communications. In this article we discuss an alternate way of securing the communication between two nodes. We provide a simple security protocol against a wiretapping attack based on the network topology. Although we study the problem from a theoretical perspective, our protocol is easily implementable. Our protocol is at least as secure as any other protocol against these attacks. We show that an attacker can get any meaningful information only by wiretapping those links that are necessary for the communication between the sender and the receiver. We use techniques from network encoding. Our protocol works for any network topology, including cycle networks. We note here that acyclicity is the main assumption in much of the network encoding literature.
Performance on frontal lobe tests in healthy, older individuals

Changes with age in cognitive abilities subserved by the frontal lobes have not been well studied, and the existing research has been contradictory, possibly due to uncontrolled effects of medical and psychiatric illness. The purpose of this study was to compare performance of healthy middle‐aged and older individuals on four frontal lobe tests (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Test, Auditory Consonant Trigrams, and Verbal Fluency) to provide information regarding age differences in frontal lobe abilities. Data were obtained on 61 individuals screened for the absence of significant medical, neurologic, and psychiatric illness grouped by three age decades: 50–59, 60–69, and 70–79. Few statistically significant differences were found between groups, suggesting that in a medically and psychiatrically healthy population of older adults, minimal evidence of age differences in frontal lobe abilities can be documented.
CAD computation for manufacturability: can we save VLSI technology from itself?

Every 18 to 24 months, the areal density of VLSI doubles and the predicted date for the End Of CMOS Scaling is pushed out approximately 18 to 24 months. This rate of growth has been controlled mainly by the increasing capabilities of lithographic patterning. However, the rate of improvement of lithography systems in key physical parameters such as illumination wavelength has begun to slow. To make up the shortfall, lithography has increasingly turned to using CAD tools to transform the geometric shapes in designs into shapes on photomasks which have been compensated for systematic pattern-distorting effects. As the requirements for this compensation grow, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide in post-tapeout data preparation, and must be considered in back-end design tools and methodologies. We describe a number of the challenges to lithographic patterning, highlighting the factors that limit "physical scaling" and introduce the layout-to-mask shape transformations that compensate for these limitations. We describe the implementation of these transformations in general-purpose and specialized CAD tools, pointing out challenges like growth of computation effort. Finally, we describe how limitations of post-tapeout compensation drive the need for "litho-aware" physical design tools, showing examples in cell design, place-and-route, and layout migration.
Effective Retrieval of Lyme Disease Information on the Web

The spirochetal infection Lyme disease, although now usually easily diagnosed and treated, has acquired an aura of ambiguity for many laypersons and medical professionals. The existence of controversy makes it difficult for infectious diseases physicians and scientists to readily obtain accurate information on Lyme disease by casually browsing the World Wide Web. Informative and current Web sites on the diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease can be found on-line, as can clear images of its clinical variants and of ticks. There are a handful of on-line resources on the biology of Borrelia and ticks, which can be tapped by the research community. These Web sites are described in the present article.
3 V low noise amplifier implemented using a 0.8 [micro sign]m CMOS process with three metal layers for 900 MHz operation

A 3 V CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) was implemented in a 0.8 µm CMOS process. This is the first CMOS amplifier which integrates input and output matching networks and integrated inductors formed using a conventional process. The LNA achieves a power gain of 14.3 dB and a noise figure of 4.5 dB, with a centre frequency of 820 MHz.
Keystone correction for stereoscopic cinematography

Keystone distortion is a long-standing problem in stereoscopic cinematography. Keystone distortion occurs when a stereoscopic camera toes in to achieve a desirable disparity distribution. One particular problem from keystone distortion is vertical disparity, which often compromises stereoscopic 3D viewing experience. Keystone distortion can be corrected by applying a proper homography; however, this damages the desirable disparity distribution. This paper presents an approach to keystone correction for stereoscopic cinematography that both corrects keystone distortion and preserves the original disparity distribution. Our method formulates keystone correction as a spatially-varying warping problem. Our method eliminates the vertical disparities and preserves the original horizontal disparities by encoding them as data terms in the warping problem. The energy terms are designed to be quadratic and thus the keystone correction problem can be quickly solved using a sparse linear solver. Our experiment shows that our method can effectively solve the keystone problem while preserving desirable horizontal disparities.
Delivery of a read-through inducing compound, TC007, lessens the severity of a spinal muscular atrophy animal model

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality and is caused by the loss of a functional SMN1 gene. In humans, there exists a nearly-identical copy gene known as SMN2 that encodes an identical protein as SMN1, but differs by a silent C to T transition within exon 7. This single nucleotide difference produces an alternatively spliced isoform, SMNΔ7, which encodes a rapidly degraded protein. The absence of the short peptide encoded by SMN exon 7 is critical in the disease development process; however, heterologous sequences can partially compensate for the SMN exon 7 peptide in several cellular assays. Consistent with this, aminoglycosides, compounds that can suppress efficient recognition of stop codons, resulted in significantly increased levels of SMN protein in SMA patient fibroblasts. We now examine the potential therapeutic capabilities of a novel aminoglycoside, TC007. In an intermediate SMA model (Smn−/−; SMN2+/+; SMNΔ7), when delivered directly to the central nervous system (CNS), TC007 induces SMN in both the brain and spinal cord, significantly increases lifespan (∼30%) and increases ventral horn cell number, consistent with its ability to increase SMN levels in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human SMA motor neuron cultures. Collectively, these experiments are the first in vivo examination of therapeutics for SMA designed to induce read-through of the SMNΔ7 stop codon to show increased benefit by direct administration to the CNS.
Outcome of Induction and Postremission Therapy in Younger Adults With Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Normal Karyotype: A Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study

Purpose Evaluate the outcome of induction and postremission therapy in adults younger than 60 years with normal cytogenetics acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patients and Methods In 490 patients, induction included cytarabine and daunorubicin (AD) or cytarabine and escalated doses of daunorubicin and etoposide ± PSC-833 (ADE/ADEP). Intensification included one cycle of high-dose cytarabine (HDAC) followed by etoposide/cyclophosphamide and mitoxantrone/diaziquone (group I), three HDAC cycles (group II), four intermediate-dose cytarabine (IDAC) or HDAC cycles (group III), or one HDAC/etoposide cycle and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT; group IV). Results Of 350 patients receiving AD, 73% achieved complete remission (CR), compared with 82% of 140 receiving ADE/ADEP (P = .04). Splenomegaly was associated with a lower CR rate (P < .001), and ADE/ADEP, with a higher CR rate in younger patients (P = .005). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 28% each for intensification groups I and II, compa...
Sediments in marsh ponds of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain: effects of structural marsh management and salinity

Physical characteristics of sediments in coastal marsh ponds (flooded zones of marsh associated with little vegetation) have important ecological consequences because they determine compositions of benthic invertebrate communities, which in turn influence compositions of waterbird communities. Sediments in marsh ponds of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain potentially are affected by (1) structural marsh management (levees, water control structures and impoundments; SMM), and (2) variation in salinity. Based on available literature concerning effects of SMM on sediments in emergent plant zones (zones of marsh occasionally flooded and associated with dense vegetation) of coastal marshes, we predicted that SMM would increase sediment carbon content and sediment hardness, and decrease oxygen penetration (O2 depth) and the silt-clay fraction in marsh pond sediments. Assuming that freshwater marshes are more productive than are saline marshes, we also predicted that sediments of impounded freshwater marsh ponds would contain more carbon than those of impounded oligohaline and mesohaline marsh ponds, whereas C:N ratio, sediment hardness, silt-clay fraction, and O2 depth would be similar among pond types. Accordingly, we measured sediment variables within ponds of impounded and unimpounded marshes on Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, near Grand Chenier, Louisiana. To test the above predictions, we compared sediment variables (1) between ponds of impounded (IM) and unimpounded mesohaline marshes (UM), and (2) among ponds of impounded freshwater (IF), oligohaline (IO), and mesohaline (IM) marshes. An a priori multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) contrast indicated that sediments differed between IM and UM marsh ponds. As predicted, the silt-clay fraction and O2 depth were lower and carbon content, C:N ratio, and sediment hardness were higher in IM than in UM marsh ponds. An a priori MANOVA contrast also indicated that sediments differed among IF, IO, and IM marsh ponds. As predicted, carbon content was higher in IF marsh ponds than in ponds of other impounded marsh types. In contrast to our predictions, C:N ratio and sediment hardness were lowest and silt-clay fraction and O2 depth were highest in IO and IM marsh ponds. Our results indicated that SMM has affected physical properties of sediments in coastal marsh ponds. Moreover, sediments in IF marsh ponds were affected more so than were those in IO and IM marsh ponds. Our results, in conjunction with those of previous studies, indicated that sediments of marsh ponds and emergent plant zones differed greatly. We predict that changes in pond sediments due to SMM will promote greater epifaunal macroinvertebrate biomass, which in turn should attract larger populations of wintering waterbirds. However, waterbirds that filter or probe soft
Perspectives on recent advances in microvascular heat transfer

This paper presents an overview of recent developments in the formulation of microvascular heat transfer problems. Following a brief statement of the major challenges in the field, a critical review of the competing forms of the bio-heat transfer equation is provided.
RAPID AND ACCURATE CALCULATION OF THE VOIGT FUNCTION

Author Institution: Department of Physics, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Positive Family Intervention for Severe Challenging Behavior I: A Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial.

The present study was a multisite randomized clinical trial assessing the effects of adding a cognitive-behavioral intervention to positive behavior support (PBS). Fifty-four families who met the criteria of (a) having a child with a developmental disability, (b) whose child displayed serious challenging behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, tantrums), and (c) who scored high on a measure of parental pessimism were randomly assigned to either PBS intervention or a combination of PBS and optimism training for parents (positive family intervention [PFI]). A manualized approach to both interventions was used for eight weekly individual sessions. Both groups improved in scores of parental pessimism as well as on standardized measures and direct observations of child challenging behavior. The PFI intervention resulted in significantly improved scores on the General Maladaptive Index of the "Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised" when compared with the PBS alone group. No differences in attrition were observed across the two different approaches. Importantly, significant improvements in child behavior at home were achieved through a clinic-based approach. Implications for working with families who may be less likely to benefit from parent training are discussed. Language: en
A Protocol for Retrospective Remote Sensing–Based Ecological Monitoring of Rangelands

The degree of rangeland degradation in the United States is unknown due to the failure of traditional field-based monitoring to capture the range of variability of ecological indicators and disturbances, including climatic effects and land use practices, at regional to national spatial scales, and temporal scales of decades. Here, a protocol is presented for retrospective monitoring and assessment of rangeland degradation using historical time series of remote sensing data and catastrophe theory as an ecological framework to account for both gradual and rapid changes of state. This protocol 1) justifies the use of time-series satellite imagery in terms of the spatial and temporal scale of data collection; 2) briefly explains how to acquire, process, and transform the data into ecological indicators; 3) discusses the use of time-series analysis as the appropriate procedure for detecting significant change; and 4) explains what reference conditions are appropriate. Landsat data have been collected and archived since 1972, and include complete coverage of US rangelands. Characteristics of land degradation can be retrospectively measured for a nearly 33-year trend using surrogate remote sensing–based indicators that correlate with changes in life-form composition (time series of thematic maps), declines in vegetation productivity (vegetation indices), accelerated soil erosion (soil indices), declines in soil quality (piospheric analysis), and changes in landscape configuration (time series of thematic maps). Aspects of 2 retrospective studies are presented as examples of application of the protocol to considerations of the land use impacts from military training and testing and ranching activities on rangelands.
Outcomes in Eyes with Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT)

Purpose To compare baseline characteristics, visual acuity (VA), and morphologic outcomes between eyes with retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) and all other eyes among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs. Design Prospective cohort study within the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT). Participants Patients with NVAMD. Methods Reading center staff evaluated digital color fundus photographs, fluorescein angiography (FA) images, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of eyes with NVAMD treated with either ranibizumab or bevacizumab over a 2-year period. Retinal angiomatous proliferation was identified by the intense intra-retinal leakage of fluorescein in combination with other associated features. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity; fluorescein leakage; scar; geographic atrophy (GA) on FA; retinal thickness, fluid, and subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) on OCT; and the number of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections at 1 and 2 years. Results Retinal angiomatous proliferation was present in 126 of 1183 (10.7%) study eyes at baseline. Mean VA improvement from baseline was greater (10.6 vs. 6.9 letters; P = 0.01) at 1 year, but similar at 2 years (7.8 vs. 6.2 letters; P = 0.34). At 1 year, eyes with RAP were more likely to have no fluid (46% vs. 26%; P P = 0.03), and greater reduction in foveal thickness (−240 μm vs. −161 μm; P P = 0.01) and less likely to have scarring (17% vs. 36%; P P = 0.01). These results were similar at 2 years. The mean change in lesion size at 1 year differed (−0.27 DA vs. 0.27 DA; P = 0.02), but was similar at 2 years (0.49 DA vs. 0.79 DA; P = 0.26). Among eyes treated PRN, eyes with RAP received a lower mean number of injections in year 1 (6.1 vs. 7.4; P = 0.003) and year 2 (5.4 vs. 6.6; P = 0.025). Conclusions At both 1 and 2 years after initiation of anti-VEGF treatment in CATT, eyes with RAP were less likely to have fluid, FA leakage, scar, and SHRM and more likely to have GA than eyes without RAP. Mean improvement in VA was similar at 2 years.
Nutrition: A personal forecast

Machine learning, applied to complex multidimensional data, is shown to provide personalized dietary recommendations to control blood glucose levels. This is a step towards integrating the gut microbiome into personalized medicine.
Fair Trading Around the World

The purpose of this paper is to explore differences among countries in perceptions of the fairness of trading in financial markets and offer these perceptions as measures of social capital in financial markets. What are the differences in the perceptions of insider trading among different countries? Are the judgments of students similar to those of finance professional? Are rules of fairness in financial markets similar to rules of fairness in non-financial markets? I use surveys to elicit rules of fairness from two segments of the community, finance professionals and university students, in eight countries, Australia, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey and the U.S. I find that majorities of professionals and students in the U.S., the Netherlands, Israel and Australia consider insider trading unfair while majorities of students and substantial portions of professionals in India, Tunisia, Italy and Turkey consider insider trading acceptable. Students are more lenient than professionals in their ratings of insider trading in all countries. I also find that rules of fairness for trading stocks are different from rules of fairness for trading cars. For example, students in Tunisia and Turkey judge sellers of cars who have inside information about defective transmissions as less fair than they are judged by students in the U.S. and the Netherlands. But students in Tunisia and Turkey judge sellers of stocks based on inside information as more fair than they are judged by students in the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in college music majors and nonmusic majors

The presence and absence of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) as well as DPOAE amplitudes were compared between college music majors and a control group of nonmusic majors. Participants included 28 music majors and 35 nonmusic majors enrolled at a university with ages ranging from 18-25 years. DPOAEs and hearing thresholds were measured bilaterally on all the participants. DPOAE amplitudes were analyzed at the following f2 frequencies: 1,187 Hz, 1,500 Hz, 1,906 Hz, 2,531 Hz, 3,031 Hz, 3812 Hz, 4,812 Hz, and 6,031 Hz. Significantly more music majors (7/28) than nonmusic majors (0/35) exhibited absent DPOAEs for at least one frequency in at least one ear. Both groups of students reported similar histories of recreational and occupational noise exposures that were unrelated to studying music, and none of the students reported high levels of noise exposure within the previous 48 h. There were no differences in audiometric thresholds between the groups at any frequency. At DPOAE f2 frequencies from 3,031 Hz to 6,031 Hz, nonsignificantly lower amplitudes of 2-4 dB were seen in the right ears of music majors versus nonmajors, and in the right ears of music majors playing brass instruments compared to music majors playing nonbrass instruments. Given the greater prevalence of absent DPOAEs in university music majors compared to nonmusic majors, it appears that early stages of cochlear damage may be occurring in this population. Additional research, preferably longitudinal and across multiple colleges/universities, would be beneficial to more definitively determine when the music students begin to show signs of cochlear damage, and to identify whether any particular subgroups of music majors are at a greater risk of cochlear damage.
Survival of Diapausing and Nondiapausing Boll Weevlls (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Subjected to Freezing Temperatures

Boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, were subjected to freezing temperatures of 0.0, -2.5, -5.0, -7.5, and -10.0°C in a cold bath. Survival of diapausing and nondiapausing adults was compared after exposures of 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-h duration. Diapausing and nondiapausing individuals could be separated by exposure to -7.5°C for 6 h ; diapausing adults were alive and able to walk after this treatment, whereas nondiapausing adults were dead or unable to stand. In the diapausing group, young boll weevils (36 d old) were more tolerant of freezing conditions than were older (110 d old) boll weevils. In a 2nd test, diapausing adults were exposed to these 5 temperatures for 8-72 h. Boll weevils did not survive exposures ≥40 h duration at -10.0°C, In a 3rd test, diapausing boll weevils were subjected to temperatures of 0.0, -2.5, -5.0, and -7.5°C for 4, 8, 16, and 24 h/d for 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 consecutive days. At the end of the daily freezing exposure, adults were removed from the cold bath and held at 4.4°C. No boll weevils survived the treatment combinations of -5.0°C for 24 h/d for 14 d and of -7.5°C for 16 and 24 h/d for 10, 14, or 18 d. However, temperatures this low for this length of time are not common in the Texas Rolling Plains. In the regression equation relating survival with the various exposure conditions, the linear and quadratic components for temperature were primary variables affecting survival in each of the 3 tests.
Constrained spacecraft reorientation using mixed integer convex programming

Abstract A constrained attitude guidance (CAG) system is developed using convex optimization to autonomously achieve spacecraft pointing objectives while meeting the constraints imposed by on-board hardware. These constraints include bounds on the control input and slew rate, as well as pointing constraints imposed by the sensors. The pointing constraints consist of inclusion and exclusion cones that dictate permissible orientations of the spacecraft in order to keep objects in or out of the field of view of the sensors. The optimization scheme drives a body vector towards a target inertial vector along a trajectory that consists solely of permissible orientations in order to achieve the desired attitude for a given mission mode. The non-convex rotational kinematics are handled by discretization, which also ensures that the quaternion stays unity norm. In order to guarantee an admissible path, the pointing constraints are relaxed. Depending on how strict the pointing constraints are, the degree of relaxation is tuneable. The use of binary variables permits the inclusion of logical expressions in the pointing constraints in the case that a set of sensors has redundancies. The resulting mixed integer convex programming (MICP) formulation generates a steering law that can be easily integrated into an attitude determination and control (ADC) system. A sample simulation of the system is performed for the Bevo-2 satellite, including disturbance torques and actuator dynamics which are not modeled by the controller. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the system to disturbances while meeting the mission requirements with desirable performance characteristics.
Development of a Miniaturized Autonomous Vehicle: Modification of a 1:18 Scale RC Car for Autonomous Operation

Autonomous vehicles are a subject of intense research interest, and are being approached by many researchers in different ways. Some of these approaches are based upon pure simulation, while others involve investigations using hardware. One possible approach, which can be useful when investigating how autonomous vehicles might interact, involves the use of physical scaled model vehicles, and the development of an appropriate vehicle is the focus of this paper. For this purpose, a commercially available 1:18 radio controlled car is remodeled and modified. An onboard microcontroller unit (MCU) is used for sensor data acquisition and preliminary signal conditioning as well as actuator control. The sensor array includes a gyroscope/accelerometer, a compass and speed encoder to find the angular and linear position of the car in a local coordinate frame as well as a range finder to detect impending obstacles in the vehicle’s planned path. This information is sent over a serial communication protocol to a Master station via a 2.4 GHz wireless module. The master station consists of a National Instruments (NI) myRIO real-time FPGA module where the local coordinates are used to formulate the position of the car in global coordinates and a user defined control scheme is implemented and the appropriate actuator signal is sent back wirelessly to the MCU on the car. The main purpose of using an independent and offsite control station is to isolate the main processing and increase response speed to changing environmental factors. Furthermore, the myRIO contains the dynamic model of the car which can be modified by linking it to a personal computer station running the LabVIEW graphic user interface (GUI). This adds greater flexibility to the overall system, thus allowing the user to focus on the different control schemes to be implemented through the hardware setup. This setup will be replicated for more cars, set in an urban traffic environment, and the interactions between the cars can then be studied and optimized.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Third-order nonlinear optical properties of methylammonium lead halide perovskite films

We report third-order nonlinear coefficient values and decay time kinetics vs. halide composition (CH3NH3PbBr3 and CH3NH3PbBr2I), temperature, and excitation wavelength. The maximum values of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) (∼1.6 × 10−6 esu) are similar to or larger than many common third-order materials. The source of the nonlinearity is shown to be primarily excitonic in the tribromide film by virtue of its strong enhancement near the exciton resonance. Nonresonant excitation reduces the nonlinearity significantly, as does increasing the temperature. Substitution of one I for one Br also reduces the nonlinearity by at least one order of magnitude, presumably due to the lack of strong exciton resonance in the substituted form. The thin films are stable, highly homogenous (lacking significant light scattering), and simple and inexpensive to fabricate, making them potentially useful in a variety of optoelectronic applications in which wavelength selectivity is important.
Diagnosis and screening for obesity-related conditions among children and teens receiving medicaid — Maryland, 2005–2010

The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the United States tripled during 1980-2008 and plateaued during 2008-2010. This rise in obesity was associated with a rise in chronic conditions previously observed mostly in adults, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes. In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics published Expert Committee recommendations for universal screening for overweight and targeted laboratory screening for metabolic disorders among children and adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile based on age or presence of certain risk factors. To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and teens enrolled in Maryland Medicaid or the Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP) and whether or not the children were being screened for obesity-related conditions according to the Expert Committee recommendations, investigators from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene computed BMI percentiles for age and sex on a random sample of persons aged 2-19 years enrolled in Maryland Medicaid or MCHP whose height and weight were measured during a well-child visit. Encounter records were used to identify obesity-related conditions and screening laboratory tests received. This study found that 16.5% of participants were overweight (BMI in the 85th-94th percentiles) and 21.4% were obese (BMI at or above the 95th percentile). Obesity was highest among those aged 12-19 years (25.6%) and among Hispanics (28.1%). The diagnosis of obesity-related conditions increased significantly with increasing BMI, with 33.5% of obese participants diagnosed with asthma, 7.9% diagnosed with dyslipidemia, and 7.2% diagnosed with depression. Only 29.9% of overweight and 40.2% of obese participants received a lipid panel test. The results of this investigation were communicated to pediatric, public health, and managed-care leaders. Efforts to communicate the need to increase obesity screening and laboratory testing among this population should continue.
A Research-Validated Program for Improving At-Risk Students’ Fraction Magnitude Understanding, Word-Problem Solving, and Explanations

In this chapter, we describe a research-validated Tier II intervention program designed to prevent at-risk students from developing significant difficulty with fractions. We provide an overview of the instructional strategies used to improve at-risk students’ fraction magnitude understanding (i.e., comparing fractions, ordering fractions, and placing fractions on the number line), word-problem solving (i.e., multiplicative reasoning), and explanations (i.e., verbally explaining how to compare fraction magnitudes). We discuss each instructional strategy incorporated within the program to enhance these outcomes and explain how they can be effectively implemented to improve students’ understanding of fractions. We conclude by discussing results from 4 years of intervention research testing the efficacy of the program. At-risk students who participated in the intervention program outperformed at-risk classmates receiving fraction instruction in the general education classroom on assessments of fraction magnitude understanding (i.e., number line estimation), calculations, released fraction items from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, multiplicative-reasoning word problems, and verbal explanations of magnitude comparisons.
Hybrid SnO2/TiO2 Nanocomposites for Selective Detection of Ultra-Low Hydrogen Sulfide Concentrations in Complex Backgrounds

In this paper, we present a chemiresistive metal oxide (MOX) sensor for detection of hydrogen sulfide. Compared to the previous reports, the overall sensor performance was improved in multiple characteristics, including: sensitivity, selectivity, stability, activation time, response time, recovery time, and activation temperature. The superior sensor performance was attributed to the utilization of hybrid SnO2/TiO2 oxides as interactive catalytic layers deposited using a magnetron radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique. The unique advantage of the RF sputtering for sensor fabrication is the ability to create ultra-thin films with precise control of geometry, morphology and chemical composition of the product of synthesis. Chemiresistive films down to several nanometers can be fabricated as sensing elements. The RF sputtering technique was found to be very robust for bilayer and multilayer oxide structure fabrication. The geometry, morphology, chemical composition and electronic structure of interactive layers were evaluated in relation to their gas sensing performance, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX), UV visible spectroscopy, and Kelvin probe measurements. A sensor based on multilayer SnO2/TiO2 catalytic layer with 10% vol. content of TiO2 demonstrated the best gas sensing performance in all characteristics. Based on the pattern relating material’s characteristics to gas sensing performance, the optimization strategy for hydrogen sulfide sensor fabrication was suggested.
Comparison between nonlinear FEA and notch strain analysis for modeling elastoplastic stress-strain response in crossbores

Abstract The elastoplastic stress-strain response of a crossbore geometry were evaluated using FEA and notch strain analysis based on Neuber and Glinka approaches. The stress and strain in the crossbore were predicted by FEA and analytical models for an autofrettage overload pressure, an unload, and an operating pressure cycle. An elastic FEA simulation was used to define the elastic stress concentration factors ( K t ) based on von Mises and maximum normal stress using with two definitions of nominal stress. Four resulting stress concentration expressions were combined with the three forms of the Glinka notch formula and the three forms of the Neuber notch formula. This gives 24 possible expressions that were evaluated for prediction accuracy. From this comparison, the Glinka approach was found to match the FEA results most closely when the stress concentration was based on the ratio of the von Mises stress and nominal stress. However, no single notch equation was found to accurately capture the stress and strain state in the crossbore. By adopting an averaging approach using both the Neuber and Glinka predictions, the analytical model results were found to improve significantly for the entire pressure history.
Preservation of Cell Ultrastructure by Freeze-Substitution

Currently, most cytologists “fix” cells with chemical fixatives for examination with light and electron microscopes. There is little doubt in examining such cells that we have gained enormous information pertaining to cell structure and function. Sadly, however, all but the most critical and astute cytologists are probably unaware that the cells they fix and examine represent little of the way in which the cell existed immediately prior to fixation. Most researchers probably have never examined the cell during the fixation process, and as a result have little appreciation of the violent and dramatic changes that occur over a period of seconds and minutes (frequently up to 30 min) before it is finally stabilized. Not only does the process of chemical fixation take time, but the organization of the cytoplasm is drastically altered during the time required for the fixative to diffuse into the cell (Fig. 1). Various organelles such as nuclei, for example, are frequently described as passing through the septal pore of a fungal hypha when, in fact, they probably were nowhere near the septum prior to fixation. In addition to the alteration in the position of organelles during fixation, considerable membrane blebbing and fusion occurs in the post-fixation process [cf. 23, 24]. Mersey and McCully [38] and others [2, 3, 14, 36, 41, 48] have documented the time-course of fixation as well as the concomitant cytoplasmic distortion for various cells. Most cytologists would gain a great appreciation for the dynamics of the fixation process by reading these and other references on the nature of chemical fixation.
Studies on native lignins and lignification

The remarkable processes of life and decay are based on the ability of enzyme systems to function in a dual role in the dynamic metabolism associated with living systems. On the one hand, the enzymes present in organisms promote the synthesis of complex organic compounds from low molecular weight intermediates, and, on the other hand and simultaneously, other enzymes present therein facilitate the degradation of such compounds. Thus, in the study of the source and ultimate fate of a natural substance in living cells, the investigation of both the pathway of its synthesis and its breakdown are of equal importance.
Channel tracking for D-BLAST for airborne platforms

Coherent symbol detection requires knowledge of channel state information. The traditional use of embedding pilot symbols with payload data may not be easy to justify if channel variation is fast and/or the data rate requirement is high. We consider the implementation of the D-BLAST algorithm for airborne platforms and develop channel tracking schemes that eliminate or reduce the use of pilot symbols. In a normal operation mode, channel update is achieved dynamically as each layer of the D-Blast, encoded using an LDPC code, is decoded. We find the optimal symbol length to estimate a SISO channel under the Rayleigh channel model and then generalize it to the MIMO case. To ensure that the transceiver can detect outage due to the loss of channel state, an adaptive algorithm is devised utilizing the extremal property of the terminating likelihood ratio of an LDPC decoder.