cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring residential noise for prospective home owners and renters

Residential noise is a leading cause of neighborhood dissatisfaction but is difficult to quantify for it varies in intensity and spectra over time. We have developed a noise model and data representation techniques that prospective homeowners and renters can use to provide quantitative and qualitative answers to the question, "is this a quiet neighborhood?" Residential noise is modeled as an ambient background punctuated by transient events. The quantitative noise model extracts noise features that are sent as SMS text messages. A device that implements the noise model has been build, calibrated and verified. The qualitative impact of sound is subjectively assessed by providing one-minute audio summaries composed of twenty 3-second sound segments that represent the loudest noise events occurring in a 24 hour sampling period. The usefulness and desirability of the noise pollution monitoring service is confirmed with pre- and post-use surveys.
Identification of the origin of centromeres in whole-arm translocations using fluorescent in situ hybridization with α-satellite DNA probes

We detected 2 patients with whole-arm translocations resulting in a derivative chromosome consisting of 18q and 21q. Because the breakpoints were near the centromere, classical cytogenetic techniques could not determine the centromeric origin of the derivative chromosomes. Using nonradioactive in situ hybridization with a chromosome 18 alpha-satellite DNA probe (D18Z1), the centromeres in the abnormal chromosomes were determined to be from chromosome 18. The abnormality in one patient resulted in monosomy 18p with a karyotype 45,XX, -18, -21, + der(18)t(18;21) (p11;q11)mat complement. The second patient with a 46,XX, -21, + der(18)t(18;21)(p11;q11) de novo karyotype had complete trisomy of 18q. In both cases the appropriate phenotype was observed.
A convenient synthesis of 1,n-bis-[4-chloromethylphenyl]alkanes

Abstract Both 1,12- bis -[4-chloromethylphenyl]dodecane and the tetradecane homolog are prepared from p-toluic acid and an α,ω-dibromoalkane in ∼35% yield free from contamination by the non-parasubstituted isomers.
The stability of quark matter

Abstract The possibility of quark matter existing in the interior of neutron stars is examined under a wide variety of conditions. The existence of a “quark star” relies only on its stability against gravitational collapse after the transition to quark matter occurs. It is found that for all choices of temperature and density, a star can not remain stable with a quark interior. In the context of model given, a maximum temperature of 30 MeV and a corresponding maximum mass of 2.8 M ⊗ is derived for neutron stars.
Using closed frequent sets to cluster malwares

The static analysis of malwares at UAB starts with the receipt of about 5000 malwares each day. One of our goals is to cluster these malwares into families. Each malware is an executable. For processing, we represent each malware by the set of printable strings that it contains. A method we have pursued to cluster malwares into families starts with the data mining technique of generating frequent itemsets. It is difficult to generate frequent itemsets at low support thresholds, which is what our application demands. This paper discusses our successful efforts to overcome this barrier of low support threshold.
Ground‐penetrating radar survey of the Sny Magill Mound Group, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey of 101 mounds at the Sny Magill Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa, demonstrates that GPR can be an effective tool to evaluate the structure and condition of mounds without damaging them. Ideal survey conditions and improved processing technology allow for the identification of strata within the mounds, as well as areas of post-construction disturbance and possible archaeological features within the mounds. Provisional interpretations indicate that 60 are intact conical mounds with minimal post-construction disturbance, and two show very strong evidence of containing interior burial platforms; 29 are badly damaged by non-cultural or cultural activity; two are probable non-cultural mounds; nine are reasonably intact linear and effigy mounds; one is an excavated effigy mound. GPR and other remote-sensing techniques are highly recommended for mound investigation, but wherever possible such techniques need to be coordinated with mound excavation so as to test the remote-sensing results. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Aural Proxies and Directionally-Varying Reverberation for Interactive Sound Propagation in Virtual Environments

We present an efficient algorithm to compute spatially-varying, direction-dependent artificial reverberation and reflection filters in large dynamic scenes for interactive sound propagation in virtual environments and video games. Our approach performs Monte Carlo integration of local visibility and depth functions to compute directionally-varying reverberation effects. The algorithm also uses a dynamically-generated rectangular aural proxy to efficiently model 2-4 orders of early reflections. These two techniques are combined to generate reflection and reverberation filters which vary with the direction of incidence at the listener. This combination leads to better sound source localization and immersion. The overall algorithm is efficient, easy to implement, and can handle moving sound sources, listeners, and dynamic scenes, with minimal storage overhead. We have integrated our approach with the audio rendering pipeline in Valve's Source game engine, and use it to generate realistic directional sound propagation effects in indoor and outdoor scenes in real-time. We demonstrate, through quantitative comparisons as well as evaluations, that our approach leads to enhanced, immersive multi-modal interaction.
3D imaging properties of a polarized light microscope revealed by birefringence measurements of small calcite crystals

We used a new type of polarized light microscope (Pol-Scope) equipped with a precision universal compensator to record images of small, uniaxial birefringent crystals. Pol-Scope measurements of small calcite crystals represent complete in-focus and out-of-focus retardance maps of the crystals. We relate the 3-D retardance maps to the crystal morphologies and the directions of their optic axes in three dimensional space. In addition to single crystal measurements, we also recorded 3-D retardance maps of small clusters of crystals to study the superposition of overlapping image features. We demonstrate that the retardance of overlapping image features in cluster images can be theoretically predicted by combining separately recorded single crystal images. Our experimental and theoretical analysis indicates that the superposition of retardance features is equivalent to adding incoherently the respective intensity values that were recorded with the Pol-Scope using different compensator settings. This analysis is part of a larger effort towards establishing 3-D image restoration procedures for polarized light imaging.
Colloid transport in the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta.

Abstract The cestode, Hymenolepis diminuta , has been tested for its capacity to transport either colloidal carbon, colloidal ferritin, or colloidal thorium dioxide. All three materials are transported by the cestode studied. The mechanism of transport is conjectural, and considered not to be pinocytosis.
Influence of the Ultrasonic Treatment on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites

We study he influence of the optimal mode of ultrasonic treatment on the physicomechanical and thermal characteristics of nanocomposites. The maximum values of these characteristics were recorded in the case of introducing of a nanodispersed sintered composite (filler) in the epoxy binder in the amounts of 0.05 m.p. of the filler per 100 m.p. of the epoxy oligomer. In this case, the adhesive shear strength σ τ = 15.0 MPa, the elasticity modulus E = 3.7 GPa, the fracture stress in bending σ u = 100 MPa, and the heat-resistance temperature (by Martens) T = 342°K.
Purification of skeletal-muscle mitochondria by density-gradient centrifugation with Percoll

Abstract Mitochondria prepared from skeletal muscle are typically contaminated with sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments and salt-soluble proteins. These contaminants can be removed by density-gradient centrifugation in Percoll. The resulting mitochondria retain both their original state three respiratory rates and their respiratory control ratios. The method has also been adapted to prepare mitochondria from very small tissue samples.
Factors Associated With K-12 Teachers' Use of Environment-Based Education

The term environment-based education describes a form of school-based environmental education in which an instructor uses the local environment as a context for integrating subjects and a source of real world learning experiences. Despite the growing body of evidence that supports the educational efficacy of this instructional approach and its foundation of high-quality environmental education, relatively few teachers seem to practice environment-based education (University of Maryland Survey Research Center, 2000). In the context of encouraging more widespread adoption of this formal instructional approach, the author used exploratory survey research with a convenience sample of 287 teachers to investigate influences on teachers' decisions to use and their abilities to implement environment-based education. The author used analysis of variance and discriminant function analyses, and results suggest that environmental literacy knowledge and skills and environmental sensitivity are important in teachers' d...
Association between early airway damage-associated molecular patterns and subsequent bacterial infection in patients with inhalational and burn injury

Bacterial infection is a major cause of morbidity affecting outcome following burn and inhalation injury. While experimental burn and inhalation injury animal models have suggested that mediators of cell damage and inflammation increase the risk of infection, few studies have been done on humans. This is a prospective, observational study of patients admitted to the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at the University of North Carolina who were intubated and on mechanical ventilation for treatment of burn and inhalational injury. Subjects were enrolled over a 2-yr period and followed till discharge or death. Serial bronchial washings from clinically indicated bronchoscopies were collected and analyzed for markers of tissue injury and inflammation. These include damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as hyaluronic acid (HA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), heat-shock protein 70 (HSP-70), and high-mobility group protein B-1 (HMGB-1). The study population was comprised of 72 patients who had bacterial cultures obtained for clinical indications. Elevated HA, dsDNA, and IL-10 levels in bronchial washings obtained early (the first 72 h after injury) were significantly associated with positive bacterial respiratory cultures obtained during the first 14 days postinjury. Independent of initial inhalation injury severity and extent of surface burn, elevated levels of HA dsDNA and IL-10 in the central airways obtained early after injury are associated with subsequent positive bacterial respiratory cultures in patients intubated after acute burn/inhalation injury.
The Electrokymograph: Studies in Recording Fidelity

Several electrokymographs were subjected to study of their recording fidelity. Distortions were found in respect to time and amplitude of recorded response. The recording defects were analyzed quantitatively, and the degree to which the various components of the electrokymograph contribute to these distortions was measured. The significance of these deviations in recording fidelity is discussed in reference to the application of the electrokymograph to the study of cardiovascular dynamics.
U.S. Ethnic Politics: Implications for Latin Americans

Unlike most countries, which recognize the existence of social classes and class struggles in both commonsense understandings of social reality and legitimate political discourse, the United States is silent about class and obsessed with racial/ethnic politics. While other dimensions of stratification such as, for example, gender and age also enjoy political legitimacy, the politics of race/ethnicity has displaced class politics on the American political scene. This hegemony of race/ethnicity in the perception and discussion of most social conflict and political struggle is the result of the complex interaction of many factors. Perhaps most important is the heterogeneous origin of the population, whose composition is continuously affected by the changing nature of immigration flows. Demographic factors alone, however, cannot have such powerful political effects; one must take into account the heritage of slavery, the presence of "colonized minorities" (Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Puerto Ricans), and the lasting political effects of McCarthyism, which eradicated the left from American politics and defined class politics as un-American. Equally important are the effects of deindustrialization, economic recession, steadily increasing unemployment, and the erosion of the st-andard of living of the American working class. A key determinant of the salience of race and ethnicity in American politics is the role of the state in legitimating the labeling of people in racial terms, thus creating, despite the heterogeneity of the populations thus labeled, "races"1 and "ethnicities" that presumably can be described on the basis of real and identifiable common traits. The current definitions of Asians, blacks, and Hispanics are exceedingly broad,' and they have the objective effect of minoritizing the entire world (Gimenez, 1988). These labels ignore socialclass and national-origin differences among people, thus blurring the differences between U.S. "minority groups" (populations historically oppressed in the United States) and immigrants. In the "social reality" created by these
Splashing and boiling mechanisms of melt layer losses of PFCs during plasma instabilities

Abstract Due to excellent thermo-mechanical properties, tungsten (W) is considered as a promising divertor material in ITER, full divertor in JET, first wall in DEMO and ASDEX Upgrade. During plasma disruptions and ELMs the W material can be severely damaged because of macroscopic melt losses resulting in short lifetime and plasma contamination. Therefore, understanding the underlying forces and physical mechanisms of the development, motion, and removal of melt W layers is very important for successful operation of fusion devices. We have performed viscous stability analysis to assess the initial conditions for the development and growth of surface waves at the plasma-liquid W interface and computational modeling to predict the effects of viscosity, heat conduction, and phase change on the stability of melt layer. The developed theory and computational models are applicable to various fusion devices including ITER, DEMO, and current devices such as JET, TEXTOR and ASDEX.
Choosing the optimal wound dressing for irradiated soft tissue wounds

This article reviews the healing state of the previously irradiated wound, the tenets for optimal wound care, and the choices of wound dressings now available for its management. The goal in assisting a previously irradiated surgical wound to heal is to transform its chronic wound state into an acute wound state. This transformation encourages wound healing to proceed. Six major moisture-retentive dressing categories exist to optimize its healing. They are classified into the alginates, foams, gauzes, hydrogels, hydrocolloids, and transparent films. Optimal wound care management for previously irradiated wounds involves (1) adequately debriding and cleansing the local wound, (2) accurately assessing the wound, (3) choosing the appropriate dressing based on the wound assessment, and (4) encouraging granulation tissue formation and reepithelialization.
Incidence of Bruxism

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUAINCIDENTIA DE BRUXISMO.—Le incidentia de bruxismo esseva investigate inter studentes de etates de inter 3 e 36 annos per medio de un questionario. In omne le gruppos de etate, le incidentia de bruxismo amontava a circa 5 pro cento. Pro le gruppos de etate ab 3 ad 17 annos, antecedentes de bruxismo esseva constatate in 15 pro cento del subjectos. Le differentias inter le procentage de bruxistas mascule e feminin non esseva statisticamente significative. Esseva trovate un association significative inter (1) bruxismo currentemente presente in le proposito e (2) bruxismo currentemente o previemente presente in consanguineos del proposito.
A Bifurcating Pathway Directs Abscisic Acid Effects on Stomatal Closure and Opening in Arabidopsis

Terrestrial plants lose water primarily through stomata, pores on the leaves. The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) decreases water loss by regulating opening and closing of stomata. Here, we show that phospholipase Dα1 (PLDα1) mediates the ABA effects on stomata through interaction with a protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) and a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein (G protein) in Arabidopsis. PLDα1-produced phosphatidic acid (PA) binds to the ABI1 PP2C to signal ABA-promoted stomatal closure, whereas PLDα1 and PA interact with the Gα subunit of heterotrimeric G protein to mediate ABA inhibition of stomatal opening. The results reveal a bifurcating signaling pathway that regulates plant water loss.
Air pollution: time for appraisal.

A general and anecdotal discussion is presented of several aspects of the air pollution problem. Rather extensive discussions are included of the uncertainties associated with the estimates of the economic costs associated with air pollution. The nonbiologic and biologic effects of air pollution are discussed. The administrative criteria necessary to apply antipollution regulations are outlined.
The genetic effects of ecological disturbance: flooding in jumping mice.

Abstract: Pacific jumping mice (Zapus trinotatus) live in riparian habitats that are discontinuously distributed and subject to regular flooding. Both of these characteristics have a spatial component. Habitat‐restricted dispersal frequently leads to spatial genetic structure among individuals, and flooding often imposes spatially specific mortality. Here I report that following a severe flood, an interaction between these factors resulted in an immediate reduction of genetic diversity and genetic divergence of the postflood population. Survival was spatially biased toward more closely related individuals, and this was propagated throughout the postflood population by changes in reproduction. Not only did the number of closely related breeding pairs increase, but so did the production of offspring by individuals. These changes precipitated strong genetic effects, including a reduction in observed heterozygosity, an increase in relatedness, a doubling of inbreeding levels, and significant genetic divergenc...
Mandibular bone lengthening

Abstract The ensuing discussion will illustrate the simple and effective procedure, which can be applied to patients with carniofacial microsomia, Nager syndrome, and developmental micrognathia. The technique of bone distraction or lengthening, originally popularized by l]izarov of Russia for reconstruction of deformities of the axial skeleton, can also be applied to deficiencies of the mandible.
Time-domain observation of nuclear contributions to the optical nonlinearities of glasses.

Time-resolved measurements of nonlinear refraction and two-photon absorption in glasses directly exhibit the effects of nuclear vibrational motion in addition to the electronic response. Time-domain observation of the Raman response of optical glasses allows us to determine the relative contributions of the electronic and nuclear mechanisms to the nonlinear response.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALPHA AMYLASE AND FALLING NUMBER IN WHEAT

Comparative results from a calorimetric α-amylase assay and Falling Number indicated that white and hard red winter wheats differed in susceptibility to α-amylase. The Falling Number values for the sprouted white wheats were higher than those for the hard red winter wheats at the same level of α-amylase. Both genetic differences and growth conditions were responsible for the differences in susceptibility.
Motivations and Emotional Consequences Related to Engaging in Extramarital Relationships

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to allow adults who were actively engaged in extramarital relationships to explain their motivations and emotions in their own words. We recruited 77 participants (22 men and 55 women) from an Internet discussion board aimed at people who were actively pursuing or involved in extramarital affairs. Participants completed an online survey that allowed them to describe up to three extramarital relationships, including the reasons for beginning each affair and the emotional consequences of each affair. We found sexual needs, emotional needs, and falling in love to be major reasons for beginning affairs. Both men and women were equally likely to cite sexual or emotional motivations if their primary relationship was not satisfying in either of these elements. Most participants reported experiencing both negative and positive emotions in consequence of their affairs. The results of our study illustrate the complexity of these kinds of relationships.
Brooding Rumination and Risk for Depressive Disorders in Children of Depressed Mothers.

The goal of the current study was to examine the role of brooding rumination in children at risk for depression. We found that children of mothers with a history of major depression exhibited higher levels of brooding rumination than did children of mothers with no depression history. Examining potential mechanisms of this risk, we found no evidence for shared genetic influences (BDNF or 5-HTTLPR) or modeling of mothers’ rumination. However, we did find that children with a history of prior depressive disorders exhibited higher current levels of brooding rumination than children with no depression history. Importantly, children’s brooding predicted prospective onsets of new depressive episodes over a 20-month follow-up even when we statistically controlled for depressive symptom levels at the initial assessment, suggesting that the predictive effect of brooding rumination in children was not due simply to co-occurring depressive symptoms.
Just Caring About Women's and Children's Health: Some Feminist Perspectives

This article addresses the issue of women as primary caregivers to children and the concept of “maternal practice.” The idea of maternal practice guides mothers as they learn (1) how to meet their child's physical, psychological, and spiritual needs, and (2) how to make their child socially acceptable. Hindrances to maternal practice include severe poverty and disabilities of the mother. The relationship between maternal practice and the quest for health care in the U.S. is discussed. Maintaining adequate health care is more difficult when parents are poorly educated and/or impoverished. Without proper health care, poor children are less likely to be able to compete with rich children in society. Dental care is also a concern, because proper dental care is fundamental in the maintenance of overall health. Dental care is not a “luxury” but medically necessary care. Solutions include increasing the awareness of such programs as CHIP and WIC, extending Medicaid benefits to more children, and compensating hea...
Activation of High-TC Ferromagnetism in Co2+:TiO2 and Cr3+:TiO2 Nanorods and Nanocrystals by Grain Boundary Defects

Colloidal Co(2+)- and Cr(3+)-doped TiO(2) nanorods and nanocrystals were synthesized and studied by X-ray powder diffraction, electronic absorption spectroscopy, magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanorods were paramagnetic as colloids but showed room-temperature ferromagnetism when spin-coated aerobically into films. Crystalline domain size, thermal annealing, and dopant or defect migration are not the dominating factors converting the doped TiO(2) nanocrystals from the paramagnetic state to the ferromagnetic state. The most important factor for activating ferromagnetism is found to be the creation of grain boundary defects, proposed to be oxygen vacancies at nanocrystal fusion interfaces. These defects are passivated and the ferromagnetism destroyed by further aerobic annealing. These results not only help elucidate the origins of the TM(n+):TiO(2) DMS ferromagnetism but also represent an advance toward the controlled manipulation of high-T(C) DMS ferromagnetism using external chemical perturbations.
Multi-year survival of sugarbeet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis) larvae in cold storage.

Abstract To test the hypothesis that long-term survival of sugarbeet root maggot in storage is facilitated by larvae undergoing prolonged diapause, respiration and gene expression patterns of field-collected diapausing larvae were compared with those of 1-, 2-, and 5-year laboratory-stored larvae. Additional assessments were made on post-storage survival, emergence, and reproductive fitness of stored larvae. Respirometry, carried out at 5 and 20 °C revealed no differences among respiration rates of initially diapausing and long-term stored larvae. A 15° increase in temperature elevated respiration in both diapausing and stored larvae, with levels of CO 2 release ranging between 8- and 14-fold higher at 20 °C than at 5 °C. Similarly, 6–10-fold increases in O 2 consumption levels were observed at the higher temperature. A transcript with sequence similarity to the fat body protein 2 ( Fbp2 ) gene was highly expressed in diapausing larvae, and trace levels were expressed in some samples of 1-year stored larvae. However, no expression was detected in 2- and 5-year stored larvae. Survival and emergence studies of stored larvae revealed mixed populations of diapausing (i.e., the 5–17% of larvae that did not pupate) and post-diapausing (62–84% of larvae pupated) insects, with a high incidence of pupation (62%) and emergence (47%), even after 4 years in cold storage. Therefore, extended survival of Tetanops myopaeformis larvae in long-term cold storage is facilitated by two mechanisms, with a majority of larvae in post-diapause quiescence and a smaller fraction in a state of prolonged diapause.
Prediction of monomer compositions in terpolymerization

An efficient algorithm has been developed allowing iterative solution of the Alfrey–Goldfinger equation. The algorithm is shown to result in rapid convergence for terpolymerization calculations and can be extended to polymerizations with more than three monomers.
A binding free energy decomposition approach for accurate calculations of the fidelity of DNA polymerases.

DNA polymerase β (pol β) is a small eukaryotic enzyme with the ability to repair short single-stranded DNA gaps that has found use as a model system for larger replicative DNA polymerases. For all DNA polymerases, the factors determining their catalytic power and fidelity are the interactions between the bases of the base pair, amino acids near the active site, and the two magnesium ions. In this report, we study effects of all three aspects on human pol β transition state (TS) binding free energies by reproducing a consistent set of experimentally determined data for different structures. Our calculations comprise the combination of four different base pairs (incoming pyrimidine nucleotides incorporated opposite both matched and mismatched purines) with four different pol β structures (wild type and three mutants). We generate three fragments of the incoming deoxynucleoside 5′-triphosphate-TS and run separate calculations for the neutral base part and the highly charged triphosphate part, using different dielectric constants in order to account for the specific dielectric response. This new approach improves our ability to predict the effect of matched and mismatched base pairing and of mutations in DNA polymerases on fidelity and may be a useful tool in studying the potential of DNA polymerase mutations in the development of cancer. It also supports our point of view with regards to the origin of the structural control of fidelity, allowing for a quantified description of the fidelity of DNA polymerases. Proteins 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stability of low-speed reacting flows

Small perturbation, linear, inviscid stability theory is developed and applied to coflowing chemically reacting jets. A necessary condition for the existence of axisymmetric and azimuthal instabilities is derived. The eigenfunction structure provides considerable insight into the underlying physical mechanism. In nonpremixed cases, high temperature tends to occur in regions where the shear layer tries to roll up; this reduces the available momentum, suppressing the growth of instabilities. It is found that chemical reaction during the growth of instabilities is unimportant, suggesting that this effect could be ignored in a viscous theory. Both nonpremixed and premixed flames in axisymmetric shear layers are generally more stable to small perturbations than in the corresponding cold case. However, while for nonpremixed flames the frequency of the most amplified wave decreases with increasing heat release, the opposite occurs for premixed cases.
Neurospora mitochondria contain an acyl‐carrier protein

Mitochondria of Neurospora crassa were found to contain a protein which was labelled with [14C]pantothenic acid and which carried an acyl group. This protein, when purified 6000-fold, closely resembled the bacterial and chloroplast acyl-carrier protein(s) [ACP(s)] in its physical and chemical properties. The predominant acyl group esterified to the purified protein was 3-hydroxytetradecanoate, as determined by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry. The amino acid sequence of the tryptic peptide carrying the 4′-phosphophantetheine moiety showed a high degree of sequence similarity to the analogous bacterial and chloroplast ACP peptide sequences. The possible functions of this ACP in lipid metabolism are discussed in view of the fact that Neurospora has a separate cytoplasmic enzyme complex which carries out the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids.
A comparative trial of the Today contraceptive sponge and diaphragm

A comparative trial was conducted in the United States to compare the Today contraceptive sponge and the diaphragm used with spermicide. Subjects were randomly assigned to contraceptive methods and were followed up for 1 year. None of the subjects were previous sponge users, but about 30% were previous diaphragm users. The overall cumulative 1-year life-table pregnancy rate was higher for sponge users compared to diaphragm users. No serious side effects occurred with either product. The discontinuation rates for allergic-type reactions and discomfort were higher for sponge users. Similar rates of method-related complaints and discontinuation rates for personal and product-related reasons suggest there were no differences in the acceptability of the two products. In this trial, the allowable use time for the sponge was 2 days. The sponge is now recommended for 1-day use. The overall results of the study indicate the sponge to be a safe and acceptable method of contraception with an effectiveness rate in the range of that for other vaginal contraceptives.
Information theoretic bounds to sensing capacity of sensor networks under fixed SNR

In this paper we address the problem of finding the sensing capacity of sensor networks for the class of linear observation and fixed SNR models. We define sensing capacity as the maximum number of signal dimensions that can be reliably identified per sensor/observation. In this context the sparsity of the signal plays an important role. Sensing capacity has direct implications for the so called compressed sensing problem, which involves reconstruction of sparse phenomena from random Gaussian projections. In this paper we adopt an information theoretic framework and develop upper and lower bounds for sensing capacity. We first extend Fano's inequality to incorporate distortion effects as well as continuous signal spaces. We use this modified version of the inequality to derive upper bounds to sensing capacity. Upper bounds to probability of error subject to a distortion criteria are derived under a max-likelihood detection set-up over the set of vector rate-distortion quantization points. Using the upper bound a sufficient condition is identified for reliable reconstruction that provides lower bounds to sensing capacity. For the case of linear observation model with Gaussian ensemble and under fixed SNR, our results show the following interesting behaviors : (A) Sensing Capacity is a function of SNR, distortion and sparsity; (B) Sensing capacity goes down to zero as sparsity goes down to zero, irrespective of SNR. We quantify the effect of sensing diversity (effective coverage per sensor) on sensing capacity and show that sufficiently large diversity can be traded off for SNR and signal sparsity. Also low sensing diversity implies low sensing capacity.
Evaluation of a novel thermoplastic polyimide for bonding titanium

A novel hot-melt processable polyimide has been synthesized and characterized as an adhesive for a titanium alloy. This system shows potential for applications with service temperatures near 200 C. A bonding cycle was developed from preliminary processing studies. The bonded specimens were tested at room temperature, 177 C and 204 C both before and after aging in air at 204 C for times up to 1000 hours. There was no appreciable change in strength after aging. Bonded specimens were exposed to boiling water continuously for a 72 hour period. These specimens exhibited some loss in strength due to this rather severe exposure.
The Cassini Ka-band gravitational wave experiments

Cassini, a joint American/European interplanetary scientific mission to Saturn, will be continuously and coherently tracked for 40 days during its solar oppositions in the next three years, starting on 26 November 2001. Doppler tracking searches for gravitational waves in the millihertz frequency band will be performed by using newly implemented Ka-band (≈32 GHz) microwave capabilities on the ground and onboard the spacecraft. Use of the Ka-band coherent microwave link will suppress solar plasma scintillations to levels below those identified by remaining instrumental noise sources, making the Cassini Doppler tracking experiments the most sensitive searches for gravitational waves ever attempted in the millihertz frequency band. This paper provides a short review of the Doppler response to gravitational radiation, the noise sources and their transfer functions into the Doppler observable and estimates of the anticipated Cassini Doppler tracking sensitivities to gravitational radiation.
Elastically driven anisotropic percolation in electronic phase-separated manganites

Complex oxide films are highly anisotropic in the way they conduct electricity, which is due to phase separation. However, the origin of this metal–insulator phase coexistence has been unclear. Transport measurements now show that strain, rather than chemical inhomogeneity, is mainly responsible. The presence of electronic phase separation in complex materials has been linked to many types of exotic behaviour, such as colossal magnetoresistance, the metal–insulator transition and high-temperature superconductivity1,2,3,4; however, the mechanisms that drive the formation of coexisting electronic phases are still debated5,6,7,8. Here we report transport measurements that show a preferential orientation of electronic phase domains driven by anisotropic long-range elastic coupling between a complex oxide film and substrate. We induce anisotropic electronic-domain formation along one axis of a pseudocubic perovskite single-crystal thin-film manganite by epitaxially locking it to an orthorhombic substrate. Simultaneous temperature-dependent resistivity measurements along the two perpendicular in-plane axes show substantial differences in the metal–insulator transition temperature and extraordinarily high anisotropic resistivities, which indicate that percolative conduction channels open more readily along one axis. These findings suggest that the origin of phase coexistence is much more strongly influenced by strain than by local chemical inhomogeneity.
Emerging Potential of Therapeutic Targeting of Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases in the Treatment of Cancer

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has emerged as a therapeutic focus and target for the treatment of cancer. The most clinically successful UPS-active agents (bortezomib and lenalidomide) are limited in application to hematologic malignancies, with only marginal efficacy in solid tumors. Inhibition of specific ubiquitin E3 ligases has also emerged as a valid therapeutic strategy, and many targets are currently being investigated. Another emerging and promising approach in regulation of the UPS involves targeting deubiquitinases (DUB). The DUBs comprise a relatively small group of proteins, most with cysteine protease activity that target several key proteins involved in regulation of tumorigenesis, apoptosis, senescence, and autophagy. Through their multiple contacts with ubiquitinated protein substrates involved in these pathways, DUBs provide an untapped means of modulating many important regulatory proteins that support oncogenic transformation and progression. Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USP) are one class of DUBs that have drawn special attention as cancer targets, as many are differentially expressed or activated in tumors or their microenvironment, making them ideal candidates for drug development. This review attempts to summarize the USPs implicated in different cancers, the current status of USP inhibitor-mediated pharmacologic intervention, and future prospects for USP inhibitors to treat diverse cancers.
Is Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy a Risk Factor for Cigarette Smoking in Offspring? A Longitudinal Controlled Study of ADHD Children Grown Up

Objective: This study examined whether exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy in children with and without ADHD is associated with smoking in offspring and whether this association is selective to ADHD children. Method: Ninety-six exposed and 400 unexposed participants were derived from two longitudinal studies of boys and girls with and without ADHD. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was defined by interviews with participants’ mothers. Results: A significant association was observed between exposure to maternal smoking in pregnancy and cigarette smoking in offspring (p = .02). Exposed offspring were also more likely to have higher rates of major depression (p = .04), bipolar disorder (p = .04), and conduct disorder (p = .04), and lower IQ (p = .01), lower Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score (p = .02), and more impaired Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA) scores versus unexposed offspring, adjusting for social class. Conclusion: Maternal smoking during pregnan...
Toxicity and effect of omega-methylpantothenic acid on blood-induced infections of Plasmodium lophurae in the chick.

Summaryω-Methylpantothenic acid has been shown to exhibit low acute toxicity toward rats, mice and chicks. Growth inhibition of Tetrahymena geleii H at high levels of this analog was reversed by pantothenic acid. Plasmodium lophurae infections in chicks on the other hand were unaffected by ω-methylpantothenic acid administered intraperitoneally at a level of 2 g/kg twice daily for 4 days or orally at 5 g/kg daily for 5 days. In chicks on a pantothenic acid-deficient diet, the simultaneous administration of ω-methylpantothenic acid did not alter the course of the infection with P.lophurae.
Effects of ball milling and thermal annealing on size and strain of ASnO3 (A = Ba, Sr) ceramics

Abstract An investigation of the impact of ball milling and consequent thermal annealing on particle size and crystallite strain of ASnO3 (A = Ba, Sr) ceramics is presented. Whole Powder Pattern Modeling (WPPM) algorithms were used in the analysis of these nanoparticle stannates. Samples of BaSnO3 and SrSnO3 showed an increase in strain coupled with a decrease in particle size when milled for longer periods of time. Interestingly, thermal annealing at controlled temperatures led to a slight increase in particle size with a large decrease in strain. Samples of ASnO3 with particle sizes ranging from 15 nm to 60 nm were reproducibly synthesized. These findings allow for the facile preparation of nanoparticles with predetermined particle size and strain for optimal performance in applications including dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), thermoelectric devices, and fuel cells.
Enantioselective Synthesis of Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane Carbocyclic Nucleosides via a Lipase-Catalyzed Asymmetric Acetylation. Characterization of an Unusual Acetal Byproduct

The bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane scaffold can lock the conformation of a carbocyclic nucleoside into one of the two antipodal (north or south) conformations typical of conventional nucleosides that normally exist in a rapid, two-state equilibrium in solution. In a recent brief communication, we reported a practical method to access the requisite bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane pseudosugar for the north antipode via an intramolecular olefin−ketocarbene cycloaddition. The most attractive features of this synthesis was that a relatively complex synthon was obtained from simple and inexpensive starting materials and that the resulting racemic mixtures of purine nucleosides could be successfully resolved by adenosine deaminase (ADA) hydrolysis. In this work, we describe the development of a more general, lipase-catalyzed double-acetylation reaction, which could successfully resolve an earlier precursor, 4-(tert-butyldiphenylsilamethoxy)-1-(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-ol [(±)-7], into enantiomerically pure (+)-diacetate 8...
The Homeless Junior High School Student Phenomenon: Personalising a Social Problem

When narrated by children, social issues achieve new emotional meanings. A prime example of such a narration is the transmedia ‘homeless student’ phenomenon. The 2007 autobiographical novel Hōmuresu chūgakusei (Homeless Junior High School Student) by comedian Tamura Hiroshi sold millions of copies and was adapted into television drama, film, manga, children's books and spoofs. Tamura's brother Ken'ichi retold the story in Hōmuresu daigakusei (Homeless University Student), also televised. The Tamuras make visible the homeless who are often overlooked. Yet their goal is not to promote awareness of diverse homelessness during economic recession but instead to inspire readers and make them appreciate the value of home. I read Homeless Junior High School Student alongside texts that present urban homelessness as an antidote to excesses of middle-class society. I question the impact of these uplifting accounts on public perceptions of poverty. I argue that Homeless Junior High School Student and related texts c...
Development and application of a rat ovarian gene expression database

The pituitary gonadotropins play a key role in follicular development and ovulation through the induction of specific genes. To identify these genes, we have constructed a genome-wide rat ovarian gene expression database (rOGED). The database was constructed from total RNA isolated from intact ovaries, granulosa cells, or residual ovarian tissues collected from immature pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)/human chorionic gonadotropin-treated rats at 0 h (no PMSG), 12 h, and 48 h post PMSG, as well as 6 and 12 h post human chorionic gonadotropin. The total RNA was used for DNA microarray analysis using Affymetrix Rat Expression Arrays 230A and 230B (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). The microarray data were compiled and used for display of individual gene expression profiles through specially developed software. The final rOGED provides immediate analysis of temporal gene expression profiles for over 28,000 genes in intact ovaries, granulosa cells, and residual ovarian tissue during follicular growth and the preovulatory period. The accuracy of the rOGED was validated against the gene profiles for over 20 known genes. The utility of the rOGED was demonstrated by identifying six genes that have not been described in the rat periovulatory ovary. The mRNA expression patterns and cellular localization for each of these six genes (estrogen sulfotransferase, synaptosomal-associated protein 25 kDa, runt-related transcription factor, calgranulin B, alpha1-macroglobulin, and MAPK phosphotase-3) were confirmed by Northern blot analyses and in situ hybridization, respectively. The current findings demonstrate that the rOGED can be used as an instant reference for ovarian gene expression profiles, as well as a reliable resource for identifying important yet, to date, unknown ovarian genes.
Team Size and Decision Rule in the Performance of Simulated Monitoring Teams

A methodology is presented for randomly creating “teams” from a data pool of individual response records. Using this approach, the effects of two variables on team monitoring performance were inves...
ENGAGE: A DSP learning paradigm for an engineering age

ENGAGE is an innovative engineering learning paradigm and technology based on presenting a student with challenges framed in real-world scenarios. Defined within a scenario-based learning model, this approach requires students to make technical and non-technical decisions to successfully complete a session. These activities therefore emulate the engineering decision-making processes found in the workplace. ENGAGE responds to incorrect answers or a flawed conceptual understanding with immediate remediation. Using software that only recently has become commercially available, scenario-based learning modules are being developed for use in undergraduate and graduate DSP instruction. This paper reports on these activities and accomplishments.
3D modeling from range images with integrated registration

3D modeling of cluttered environments for semi-autonomous robotic systems implies that the position and orientation of the sensor is determined for each viewpoint from which measurements are collected. Often the registration estimation is performed offline or with the help of external tracking devices. In this paper, we propose to integrate an efficient range data-based registration estimation technique with a probabilistic occupancy modeling scheme which both make use of the same data set to estimate registration and to build 3D virtual representations of complex scenes. The resulting models are to be used for collision avoidance as well as for interaction with human operators who have to validate operations and guide data acquisition. The impact of the registration estimation technique on the quality of the models is examined in the context of telerobotic applications under operator supervision.
A study of within-wafer non-uniformity metrics

This work reconsiders within-wafer nonuniformity (WIWNU) metrics for semiconductor processes. Simulations of typical chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) scenarios are used to demonstrate that these metrics may vary with the pre-process thickness profile, the removal rate characteristics, and processing time. These metrics are compared and contrasted. Some of these metrics are shown to be biased with processing time, while others are shown to be insensitive to improvements in WIWNU. Finally, experimental data is compared with these simulations. It is suggested that multiple metrics may be necessary to determine the actual characteristics of a process.
Evidence for preganglionic pupillary involvement in superficial siderosis

Article abstract A 36-year-old man presented with spinal myoclonus, ataxia, hearing loss, and unilateral pupillary dilation. MRI demonstrated hemosiderin deposition along the superficial surfaces of the brain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spine. The pupillary changes were localized to the preganglionic oculomotor nerve. In contrast to vasculopathic oculomotor nerve palsies, superficial siderosis may cause selective involvement of the superficially located pupillary fibers.