cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mismatch negativity and adaptation measures of the late auditory evoked potential in cochlear implant users.

A better understanding of the neural correlates of large variability in cochlear implant (CI) patients’ speech performance may allow us to find solutions to further improve CI benefits. The present study examined the mismatch negativity (MMN) and the adaptation of the late auditory evoked potential (LAEP) in 10 CI users. The speech syllable /da/ and 1-kHz tone burst were used to examine the LAEP adaptation. The amount of LAEP adaptation was calculated according to the averaged N1-P2 amplitude for the LAEPs evoked by the last 3 stimuli and the amplitude evoked by the first stimulus. For the MMN recordings, the standard stimulus (1-kHz tone) and the deviant stimulus (2-kHz tone) were presented in an oddball condition. Additionally, the deviants alone were presented in a control condition. The MMN was derived by subtracting the response to the deviants in the control condition from the oddball condition. Results showed that good CI performers displayed a more prominent LAEP adaptation than moderate-to-poor performers. Speech performance was significantly correlated to the amount of LAEP adaptation for the 1-kHz tone bursts. Good performers displayed large MMNs and moderate-to-poor performers had small or absent MMNs. The abnormal electrophysiological findings in moderate-to-poor performers suggest that long-term deafness may cause damage not only at the auditory cortical level, but also at the cognitive level.
The hydrothermal synthesis of sodium manganese oxide and a lithium vanadium oxide

Abstract We report here the direct synthesis of the hexagonal form of sodium manganese dioxide using the mild hydrothermal decomposition of sodium permanganate in water at 170 °C. Sodium manganate, Na 0.35 MnO 2 · 0.7H 2 O, has an R3m rhombohedral structure like Li x (H 2 O)TiS 2 with a 7 A repeat distance indicative of a monolayer of water between the manganese dioxide layers. The water may be readily removed by gently heating to 150 °C in air. This manganese oxide and a new vanadium oxide, also formed hydrothermally, react readily and reversibly with lithium ions and are under evaluation for use as the cathode in high energy density lithium batteries.
Ion-beam mixing of metal-semiconductor eutectic systems

Abstract A study has been made of the ion-beam mixing of four metal-semiconductor eutectic systems (AuSi, AuGe, AlGe and AgSi). Two sample configurations were used: (1) unlimited supply where a single metal layer was deposited on a semiconductor substrate, and (2) limited supply where multiple layers of metal and semiconductor of a fixed composition were deposited onto an inert substrate. Inert gas ions were used to cause mixing between the metal and semiconductor. The ion-beam mixing behavior of the four systems can be categorized into two groups.For AuSi and AuGe (group A), the mixing is efficient. For Al-Ge and AgSi (group B), the mixing is much less compared with that of the group A systems. In the case of samples with an unlimited supply configuration, group A systems exhibited a mixed layer of well-defined composition (Au 71 Si 29 and Au 50 Ge 50 ) which is formed initially at the metal-semiconductor interface. The thickness of the mixed layer increases with the square root of the ion dose. The structure of the mixed layer is metastable in nature. The efficiecy of mixing and the uniformity of the mixed layer improve with an increase in the substrate temperature from cryogenic to room temperatures. For group B systems, the mixing is limited to the interfacial regions even at elevated substrate tempertures (up to ∼ 200°C). At higher substrate temperatures, solid-phase reactions (similar to solid-phase epitaxial growth) take place even without the influence of an ion beam. In the case of multiple layered samples (limited supply), mixing is pronounced for group A systems. For group B systems, relatively uniform mixed layers can be obtained if the individual layer thickness is similar to the interfacial concentration spread caused by ion beams in samples with a single deposited metal layer (unlimited supply configuration). These results are compared with those obtained by laser melting aand quenching experiments as well as splat-cooling experiments.
Engineering concepts: Introductory engineering courses should teach more than just rules and formulae

Most engineering colleges seek to orient their students to engineering by requiring them to take a college-wide introductory course. At the University of Notre Dame, this introductory course is titled Engineering Concepts, and is required of all freshmen intending to major in engineering. The content of and philosophy behind this course will be used as the basis for this discussion at engineering education.
A Descriptive Study of Elderly Community-Dwelling Alcoholic Patients in the Rural South

Alcohol-related disorders, estimated to be more prevalent in the South, are associated with serious comorbid disorders, such as depression and suicide. In a rural outreach program, the authors examined patients with a diagnosis of alcoholism and compared them with nonalcoholic patients on various demographic and descriptive variables. Of 166 patients referred to the program, 35 (21.1 %) had an alcohol-related disorder. Alcoholism was significantly associated with male gender and younger age, but nearly half of the alcoholic subjects were women. Alcoholism is associated with inappropriate health care utilization; alcohol-related disorders produced significantly more emergency room visits and somewhat more hospital admission; these patients were less likely to have a primary care physician. No patient was receiving treatment for alcoholism.
Axisymmetric viscoplastic deformation by the boundary element method

Abstract This paper presents a boundary element formulation and numerical implementation of the problem of small axisymmetric deformation of viscoplastic bodies. While the extension from planar to axisymmetric problems can be carried out fairly simply for the finite element method (FEM), this is far from true for the boundary element method (BEM). The primary reason for this fact is that the axisymmetric kernels in the integral equations of the BEM contain elliptic functions which cannot be integrated analytically even over boundary elements and internal cells of simple shape. Thus, special methods have to be developed for the efficient and accurate numerical integration of these singular and sensitive kernels over discrete elements. The accurate determination of stress rates by differentiation of the displacement rates presents another formidable challenge. A successful numerical implementation of the boundary element method with elementwise (called the Mixed approach) or pointwise (called the pure BEM or BEM approach) determination of stress rates has been carried out. A computer program has been developed for the solution of general axisymmetric viscoplasticity problems. Comparisons of numerical results from the BEM and FEM, for several illustrative problems, are presented and discussed in the paper. It is possible to get direct solutions for the simpler class of problems for cylinders of uniform cross-section, and these solutions are also compared with the BEM and FEM results for such cases.
Determination of static pulmonary volumes after bronchodilator therapy.

Increased (more positive) end-expiratory and decreased (more negative) end-inspiratory values for intrapleural pressure (Ppl) invariably accompany acute bronchoconstriction. We hypothesize that both the increase in vital capacity (VC) and the decrease in residual volume (RV) observed after dilation of the central airways in patients with reversible obstruction of the airways result, in part, from a restoration of normal Ppl during unforced exhalation. To test this hypothesis, we examined the end-expiratory Ppl during breathing at rest in ten emphysematous and eight asthmatic subjects before and after inhalation of isoproterenol. The VC increased by 0.38 L after therapy, and the specific airway resistance and the RV decreased by 6.8 cm H 2 sec and 0.63 L, respectively. Total lung capacity was unchanged. The response of the VC to administration of isoproterenol is an important sequel to dilation of the large airways. Bronchioles close at a critical Ppl during exhalation. Because Ppl normalizes with administration of isoproterenol, this closure may be delayed to a lower pulmonary volume even if improvement in the function of peripheral airways does not occur.
Normal mode analysis and applications in biological physics

Normal mode analysis has become a popular and often used theoretical tool in the study of functional motions in enzymes, viruses, and large protein assemblies. The use of normal modes in the study of these motions is often extremely fruitful since many of the functional motions of large proteins can be described using just a few normal modes which are intimately related to the overall structure of the protein. In this review, we present a broad overview of several popular methods used in the study of normal modes in biological physics including continuum elastic theory, the elastic network model, and a new all-atom method, recently developed, which is capable of computing a subset of the low frequency vibrational modes exactly. After a review of the various methods, we present several examples of applications of normal modes in the study of functional motions, with an emphasis on viral capsids.
Attacks on public telephone networks: technologies and challenges

Signaling System 7 (SS7) is vital to signaling and control in America's public telephone networks. This paper describes a class of attacks on SS7 networks involving the insertion of malicious signaling messages via compromised SS7 network components. Three attacks are discussed in detail: IAM flood attacks, redirection attacks and point code spoofing attacks. Depending on their scale of execution, these attacks can produce effects ranging from network congestion to service disruption. Methods for detecting these denial-of-service attacks and mitigating their effects are also presented.
Function of the Neurospora crassa mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase in RNA splicing. Role of the idiosyncratic N-terminal extension and different modes of interaction with different group I introns

The Neurospora crassa mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (CYT-18 protein) promotes the splicing of group I introns by helping the intron RNA fold into the catalytically active structure. The regions required for splicing include an idiosyncratic N-terminal extension, the nucleotide-binding fold domain, and the C-terminal RNA-binding domain. Here, we show that the idiosyncratic N-terminal region is in fact comprised of two functionally distinct parts: an upstream region consisting predominantly of a predicted amphipathic alpha-helix (H0), which is absent from bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases (TyrRSs), and a downstream region, which contains predicted alpha-helices H1 and H2, corresponding to features in the X-ray crystal structure of the Bacillus stearothermophilus TyrRS. Bacterial genetic assays with libraries of CYT-18 mutants having random mutations in the N-terminal region identified functionally important amino acid residues and supported the predicted structures of the H0 and H1 alpha-helices. The function of N and C-terminal domains of CYT-18 was investigated by detailed biochemical analysis of deletion mutants. The results confirmed that the N-terminal extension is required only for splicing activity, but surprisingly, at least in the case of the N. crassa mitochondrial (mt) large ribosomal subunit (LSU) intron, it appears to act primarily by stabilizing the structure of another region that interacts directly with the intron RNA. The H1/H2 region is required for splicing activity and TyrRS activity with the N. crassa mt tRNA(Tyr), but not for TyrRS activity with Escherichia coli tRNA(Tyr), implying a somewhat different mode of recognition of the two tyrosyl-tRNAs. Finally, a CYT-18 mutant lacking the N-terminal H0 region is totally defective in binding or splicing the N. crassa ND1 intron, but retains substantial residual activity with the mt LSU intron, and conversely, a CYT-18 mutant lacking the C-terminal RNA-binding domain is totally defective in binding or splicing the mt LSU intron, but retains substantial residual activity with the ND1 intron. These findings lead to the surprising conclusion that CYT-18 promotes splicing via different sets of interactions with different group I introns. We suggest that these different modes of promoting splicing evolved from an initial interaction based on the recognition of conserved tRNA-like structural features of the group I intron catalytic core.
Relation between west coastal rainfall and Nimbus-6 SCAMS liquid water data over the northeastern Pacific Ocean

The application to rainfall prediction of cloud liquid water data obtained from the SCAMS experiment of Nimbus-6 is explored. The study area is the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States, where rainfall is produced by extratropical storms that approach from across the Pacific Ocean. The SCAMS data related to cloud liquid water over the ocean, and coastal rainfall data, are analyzed for 20 different storm systems in the northeastern Pacific Ocean; these produced significant rainfall from Washington to central California during the period October 1975 through March 1976. Results show that the distribution of storm cloud water analyzed from the SCAMS data over the ocean foreshadows the distribution of coastal rainfall accumulated from the storm at a later time. It is concluded that passive microwave sensor measurements of cloud water over the ocean, when used in conjunction with numerical and other objective guidance, can be used to enhance the accuracy of predictions of coastal rainfall distribution. Limitations in the SCAMS measurements and in the data analysis and interpretation are noted.
A paradigm for predicting selective oxidation on noble metals: oxidative catalytic coupling of amines and aldehydes on metallic gold

We demonstrate in the present work that relatively straightforward acid/base principles of surface reactivity predict oxygen-assisted amine–aldehyde coupling on metallic gold. Formed via the oxygen-assisted (Bronsted acid) N–H bond activation of dimethylamine, (CH3)2N(a) acts as a nucleophile to couple with various aldehydes, forming the corresponding amides. At low initial coverages of oxygen on the surface very high selectivities are achieved. The reaction proceeds via the surface-bound hemiaminal intermediate, which β-hydride eliminates well below room temperature to form the amide product. On metallic gold desorption of the amide appears to be the rate-limiting step. Under the transient conditions employed in this work oxygen-assisted coupling of the amine with alcohols is limited, suggesting that such reactions must be conducted in the steady state in order to have both the aldehyde and adsorbed (CH3)2N(a) present simultaneously.
When Should Epidemiologic Regressions Use Random Coefficients

Regression models with random coefficients arise naturally in both frequentist and Bayesian approaches to estimation problems. They are becoming widely available in standard computer packages under the headings of generalized linear mixed models, hierarchical models, and multilevel models. I here argue that such models offer a more scientifically defensible framework for epidemiologic analysis than the fixed-effects models now prevalent in epidemiology. The argument invokes an antiparsimony principle attributed to L. J. Savage, which is that models should be rich enough to reflect the complexity of the relations under study. It also invokes the countervailing principle that you cannot estimate anything if you try to estimate everything (often used to justify parsimony). Regression with random coefficients offers a rational compromise between these principles as well as an alternative to analyses based on standard variable-selection algorithms and their attendant distortion of uncertainty assessments. These points are illustrated with an analysis of data on diet, nutrition, and breast cancer.
Successful treatment of pediatric IgG4 related systemic disease with mycophenolate mofetil: case report and a review of the pediatric autoimmune pancreatitis literature

Autoimmune pancreatitis is frequently associated with elevated serum and tissue IgG4 levels in the adult population, but there are few reports of pediatric autoimmune pancreatitis, and even fewer reports of IgG4 related systemic disease in a pediatric population. The standard of care treatment in adults is systemic corticosteroids with resolution of symptoms in most cases; however, multiple courses of corticosteroids are occasionally required and some patients require long term corticosteroids. In these instances, steroid sparing disease modify treatments are in demand. We describe a 13-year-old girl with IgG4 related systemic disease who presented with chronic recurrent autoimmune pancreatitis resulting in surgical intervention for obstructive hyperbilirubinemia and chronic corticosteroid treatment. In addition, she developed fibrosing medianstinitis as part of her IgG4 related systemic disease. She was eventually successfully treated with mycophenolate mofetil allowing for discontinuation of corticosteroids. This is the first reported use of mycophenolate mofetil for IgG4 related pancreatitis. Although autoimmune pancreatitis as part of IgG4 related systemic disease is rarely reported in pediatrics, autoimmune pancreatitis is also characterized as idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis. All pediatric autoimmune pancreatitis cases reported in the world medical literature were identified via a PUBMED search and are reviewed herein. Twelve reports of pediatric autoimmune pancreatitis were identified, most of which were treated with corticosteroids or surgical approaches. Most case reports failed to report IgG4 levels, so it remains unclear how commonly IgG4 related autoimmune pancreatitis occurs during childhood. Increased evaluation of IgG4 levels in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis may shed further light on the association of IgG4 with pancreatitis and the underlying pathophysiology.
2,5,‐Dimethoxy‐ and 2,5‐di‐n‐butoxy‐1,4‐benzoquinone reactions and polymerization with 1,6‐hexanediamine

The serendipitous formation of 2,5-dimethoxy- 1,4-benzoquinone is reported from the reaction of 1,4-benzoquinone with methanol, DABCO, and paraformaldehyde. This monomer, and its di-n-butoxy analog, are also available from 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone. These materials are capable of novel polycondensation reactions with diamines such as 1,6-hex-anediamine. Use of m-crexsol as polymerization solvent gave a dark, insoluble product while various amide solvents lead to orange or pink polymers that had average degrees of polymerization from 5 up to >30. These polymers, Plus model compounds obtained from 1-aminopropane and N,N'- dimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine, were characterized by FTIR, solution, and solid-state NMR.
Mode selective chemistry at surfaces

Abstract Surface chemistry experiments can now quantify the reactivity of polyatomic reagents prepared in select vibrational states. These studies of vibrationally mediated chemistry are showing that the nature of the vibrational excitation, and not just its total energy, can play an important role in determining the rates and pathways of surface reactions. Such vibrational mode selective behavior results when the timescale for statistical redistribution of vibrational energy within the reaction complex is slower than reaction. This review surveys prior examples of mode selective reactivity on surfaces, and it emphasizes four aspects of experimental work published within the past year: the extension of earlier methane/nickel studies to another metal, the observation of vibrational mode selectivity in a precursor-mediated reaction, the demonstration of bond-selective control over a gas–surface reaction, and the outline of an emerging framework for understanding the origin of these non-statistical reaction patterns in surface chemistry. These studies impact our fundamental understanding of surface chemistry, and they point toward new strategies for controlling and manipulating reactivity in vapor deposition processes.
Micro-engineered biomineralized materials for bone tissue engineering

We microfabricated a group of parallel grooves/ridges on silicon surfaces using standard photolithography and reactive ion etching. Anionic groups were immobilized to the patterned surfaces to induce mineralization under physiological conditions - an approach frequently adopted in the natural biomineralization process. The formed minerals, mainly calcium phosphates, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Biomineralized micropatterned silicon chips were placed in cell culture medium to test the stability of the mineral layers. The viability of fibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells on mineralized surface was comparable to that on cell culture plates. In addition, the grooves/ridges also affected cell behavior on patterned surfaces. These results suggest that we have produced highly biocompatible materials with potential applications in bone tissue engineering.
In Vivo Random Mutagenesis of Bacillus subtilis by Use of TnYLB-1, a mariner-Based Transposon

This report describes the construction and characterization of a mariner-based transposon system designed to be used in Bacillus subtilis, but potentially applicable to other gram-positive bacteria. Two pUC19-derived plasmids were created that contain the mariner-Himar1 transposase gene, modified for expression in B. subtilis, under the control of either σA- or σB-dependent promoters. Both plasmids also contain a transposable element (TnYLB-1) consisting of a Kanr cassette bracketed by the Himar1-recognized inverse terminal repeats, as well as the temperature-sensitive replicon and Ermr gene of pE194ts. TnYLB-1 transposes into the B. subtilis chromosome with high frequency (10−2) from either plasmid. Southern hybridization analyses of 15 transposants and sequence analyses of the insertion sites of 10 of these are consistent with random transposition, requiring only a “TA” dinucleotide as the essential target in the recipient DNA. Two hundred transposants screened for sporulation proficiency and auxotrophy yielded five Spo− clones, three with insertions in known sporulation genes (kinA, spoVT, and yqfD) and two in genes (ybaN and yubB) with unknown functions. Two auxotrophic mutants were identified among the 200 transposants, one with an insertion in lysA and another in a gene (yjzB) whose function is unknown.
Accumulation of BDCA1+ Dendritic Cells in Interstitial Fibrotic Lung Diseases and Th2-High Asthma

Dendritic cells (DCs) significantly contribute to the pathology of several mouse lung disease models. However, little is known of the contribution of DCs to human lung diseases. In this study, we examined infiltration with BDCA1+ DCs of human lungs in patients with interstitial lung diseases or asthma. Using flow cytometry, we found that these DCs increased by 5~6 fold in the lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which are both characterized by extensive fibrosis in parenchyma. The same DC subset also significantly increased in the lung parenchyma of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although the degree of increase was relatively modest. By employing immunofluorescence microscopy using FceRI and MHCII as the specific markers for BDCA1+ DCs, we found that the numbers of BDCA1+ DCs also significantly increased in the airway epithelium of Th2 inflammation-associated asthma. These findings suggest a potential contribution of BDCA1+ DCs in human lung diseases associated with interstitial fibrosis or Th2 airway inflammation.
The electrostatic properties of membranes.

CONTENTS PERSPECTIVES AND OVERVlEW . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 113 AN ELEMENTARY DISCUSSION OF ELECTROSTATICS AND DOUBLE-LAYER THEORy 115 EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF THE GOUY-CHAPMAN THEORy 1 19 Dependence of Surface Potential on Salt Concentration and Surface Charge Density 1 19 Dependence of the Potential on Distancefrom the Membrane Surface.... . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . 122 EXPERIMENTALLY OBSERVED LIMITATIONS OF THE THEORy 123 Discreteness-aI-Charge Eff ects ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... ......... . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . '123 Finite Size of Ions. . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . 125 Fixed Charges Displacedfrom the Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ 126 Forces Between Char.qed Bilayer Membranes . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . 126 ALTERNATIVE THEORIES .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .... . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . ...... . . . . . . . .. . . . . ... .. . . 127 Donnan Theory.. . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ..... . . . . 127 Manning Condensation Theory and Geometrical Considerations . . . 127 Modern Statistical Mechanical Theories..... .. . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . 128 BIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 129 Previous Work.. . . ... . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . 129 Future Directions: Surface Potentials and Second Messengers.. .. . .. . . ...... . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . 129
Comparison of Log Transformed and Scaled Cone Indices

Busscher, W.J. and Sojka, R.E., 1990. Comparison of log transformed and scaled cone indices. Soil Tillage Res., 15: 329-336. Changes in soil properties with time and position make it difficult to analyze cone index data taken throughout a growing season. It was hypothesized that scaling would aid in interpretation. Cone indices were measured at 10 different dates over two growing seasons in conventional- and conservation-tillage plots in Florence, SC. They were measured at 0.05-m depth intervals to a depth of 0.55 m at spacings of 0.1 m across two 0.76-m wide rows of soybean or maize. Cone indices were scaled by subtracting each value by the mean and dividing by the range of cone indices for each date of measurement. This yielded an equal mean (zero) for each date with a unique distribution. Unscaled values were transformed by taking their logarithm to normalize the data. Log transformed data varied significantly with date of measurement but not between treatments. Scaled values did not vary with date of measurement but did vary between tillage treatments. Both unscaled and scaled cone indices varied significantly with water content. Scaling has the potential to improve the analysis of cone index data by reducing or eliminating some of the confounding treatment effects.
The Viability of Human Blood Stored in Phosphate Adenine Media

The addition of .03 M phosphate ion and adenine to stored blood produces a profound effect on erythrocyte ATP. At the end of 50–65 days storage, the ATP content of such blood is approximately 40% higher than that of blood supplemented with adenine alone. Despite the large increment of ATP, there was little, if any, difference in the viability of blood stored in these solutions. Thus, after 50 days storage, the ATP content is no longer the limiting factor in maintaining erythrocyte viability.
Towards a single-photon all-optical transistor

The Expert Opinion is written by a distinguished scientist and presents his personal view on important and relevant new results of research, highlighting their significance and putting the work into perspective for a broader audience. Please send comments to pss.rapid@wiley-vch.de or to the author. The text by Andrew M. C. Dawes refers to the Rapid Research Letter by S. Schumacher et al., published in this issue of Phys. Status Solidi RRL 3, 10 (2009). (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Promoting Positive Youth Development: New Directions in Developmental Theory, Methods, and Research

The articles in this special issue report the efforts of the Miami Youth Development Project (YDP), a community-supported positive youth development program of outreach research that draws on a developmental intervention science (DIS) perspective (i.e., a fusion of the developmental and intervention science literatures). These reports illustrate how the application of DIS outreach research contributes to knowledge of human development at all levels (practical as well as methodological, theoretical, and metatheoretical). Consistent with a DIS outreach research approach, YDP is committed to the use of descriptive and explanatory knowledge about changes within human systems that occur across the life span in the development of evidence-based individual and institutional longitudinal change intervention strategies in promoting long-term developmental change. The evolution of the Miami YDP illustrates the value of DIS outreach research “in action.”
Efficient testing of wireless polar transmitters

Polar radio architectures are gaining in popularity due to the promise of an all digital implementations in future CMOS systems-on-chip (SoCs) solutions. Test cost is an important consideration for manufacturers developing these complex devices. Phase noise is an important specification in all digital polar radios as it affects the signal modulation quality. In this paper, a low cost test technique for predicting gain, IIP3, phase noise, and EVM with good accuracy is proposed. The method uses a single down-conversion module and a low pass filter on the load board. Although this test setup has been proposed in the past for other specifications, it has not used to test for phase noise and EVM specifications.
Utilization of Special Computerized Tomography and Nuclear Medicine Techniques for Quality Control and for the Optimization of Combined Precision Chemotherapy and Precision Radiation Therapy

We have previously reported the use of a combination of precision (selective, intra-arterial) chemotherapy and precision radiotherapy for advanced pancreatic, biliary tract, and sarcomatous malignancies. There were some remarkable responses, but also a few poor responses and even some morbidity. Accordingly, we are attempting to develop methods of pre-selecting those patients whose tumors are likely to respond to such therapy, as well as methods for improving the therapeutic ratio by the rational optimization of combined therapy. Specifically, clinical tumor blood flow characteristics (which we monitor with nuclear medicine techniques) may provide useful criteria for such selection. Also, we qualitatively evaluate the drug distribution or exposure space with specialized color-coded computerized tomography images, which demonstrate spatially dependent enhancement of intra-arterial contrast in tumor and in adjacent normal tissues. Such clinical data, we suggest could improve the quality control aspects of intra-arterial chemotherapy administration, as well as the possibility of achievement of a significant therapeutic ratio by the integration of precision chemotherapy and precision radiation therapy.
The measurement of urinary testosterone glucuhonide by competitive photein binding and validation by a double isotope derivative assay

A competitive protein binding assay (CPBA) for the measurement of urinary testosterone in 5 ml aliquots of urine is presented. The recovery, precision and accuracy have been statistically evaluated. The recovery of 4-14C testosterone added to urine was 40% ± 11% (N=12). A coefficient of variation of 21% for N=11 pairs of analyses by CPBA compared favorably to a quoted value of 17% for the double isotope technique. Values for urinary testosterone in males and females (N=10) were compared to those found by a double isotope method. A correlation coefficient (r) of 0.96 (p=<001) was demonstrated. The specificity was assessed by the determination of the lowest value distinguishable from zero (“method blank”) using a urine extract from a dexamethasone treated castrate male. The value for apparent testosterone was 2.7 mμg/5 ml urine. A water blank, without added labeled testosterone gave values ranging from 0.20–0.35 mμg. It is suggested that the proposed method is a useful alternative to the double isotope assay.
High-performance pentacene field-effect transistors using Al2O3 gate dielectrics prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD)

Abstract High-performance pentacene field-effect transistors have been fabricated using Al2O3 as a gate dielectric material grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Hole mobility values of 1.5 ± 0.2 cm2/V s and 0.9 ± 0.1 cm2/V s were obtained when using heavily n-doped silicon (n+-Si) and ITO-coated glass as gate electrodes, respectively. These transistors were operated in enhancement mode with a zero turn-on voltage and exhibited a low threshold voltage (
Spatial Variations in Major U.S. Hurricane Activity: Statistics and a Physical Mechanism

The authors provide a statistical and physical basis for understanding regional variations in major hurricane activity along the U.S. coastline on long timescales. Current statistical models of hurricane activity are focused on the frequency of events over the entire North Atlantic basin. The exception is the lead author’s previous work, which models the occurrence of hurricanes over the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the southeast U.S. coast separately. Here the authors use statistics to analyze data from historical and paleoclimatic records to expand this work. In particular, an inverse correlation in major hurricane activity across latitudes at various timescales is articulated. When activity is above normal at high latitudes it tends to be below normal at low latitudes and vice versa. Past research, paleoclimatic records, and historical data hint at the potential of using the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) as an indicator of where storms will likely track over long timescales. An excited (relaxed) NAO is associated with higher (lower) latitude recurving (nonrecurving) storms. The Gulf (East) Coast is more susceptible to a major hurricane strike during a relaxed (excited) NAO.
Geosmithia morbida found on weevil species Stenomimus pallidus in Indiana.

The canker pathogen Geosmithia morbida is known to be transmitted to Juglans species by the bark beetle Pityophthorus juglandis, and to lead to development of thousand cankers disease. In an Indiana-wide trap-tree survey of ambrosia and bark beetles and weevils colonizing stressed Juglans nigra, G. morbida was detected on three Stenomimus pallidus weevils emerged from two trees on one site. This is the first report of the pathogen in Indiana and the first report of the fungus from an insect species other than P. juglandis.
Enhanced transcription of metallothionein genes in rat kidney: effect of uninephrectomy and compensatory renal growth

Metallothioneins (MTs) have been implicated in the intracellular regulation of essential metals in eukaryotic cells, and increased expression of MT genes has been demonstrated during the growth and proliferation of cells. To explore the expression of MT in somatic cells undergoing growth (hypertrophy) in the kidney in situ, we measured the rates of transcription of the genes for MT-1 and MT-2, measured the levels of mRNA for MT-1 and MT-2, and measured the concentration of MT-1 and MT-2 protein in samples of renal (and hepatic) tissue from uninephrectomized (NPX) and sham-operated (SO) rats 15 days after surgery. The rates of transcription of the genes for MT-1 and MT-2 were found to be enhanced significantly in the remnant renal mass, particularly in the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla, and in the liver, after uninephrectomy and after 15 days allowing for compensatory renal growth. Increased accumulation of mRNA for MT-1 and MT-2 also occurred in the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medu...
Phenomenological study of decline of personal health records: Empirical evidence from thematic analyses of blogs’ content

AbstractThis study examines the current state of personal health records (PHRs) in electronic health care. Surveys report that the PHR usage is generally increasing, and yet, even an influential organization such as the Google decided to end its “Google Health” venture. If the potential for use and future growth is high, why are there so many obstacles to the adoption of PHRs? We analyze comments to articles and blogs related to PHRs in order to identify the current status, barriers to adoption, and future potential of PHRs. This study identifies issues of PHRs clustering mainly around certain key ideas: trust, communication, markets, standards, usability, politics, usefulness, and data ownership. It appears that disparity among the multiple stakeholders as to the expected benefits is the main barrier to its adoption.
Determining the effective resolution of advection schemes. Part II

Numerical models of fluid flows calculate the resolved flow at a given grid resolution. The smallest wave resolved by the numerical scheme is deemed the effective resolution. Advection schemes are an important part of the numerical models used for computational fluid dynamics. For example, in atmospheric dynamical cores they control the transport of tracers. For linear schemes solving the advection equation, the effective resolution can be calculated analytically using dispersion analysis. Here, a numerical test is developed that can calculate the effective resolution of any scheme (linear or non-linear) for the advection equation.The tests are focused on the use of non-linear limiters for advection schemes. It is found that the effective resolution of such non-linear schemes is very dependent on the number of time steps. Initially, schemes with limiters introduce large errors. Therefore, their effective resolution is poor over a small number of time steps. As the number of time steps increases the error of non-linear schemes grows at a smaller rate than that of the linear schemes which improves their effective resolution considerably. The tests highlight that a scheme that produces large errors over one time step might not produce a large accumulated error over a number of time steps. The results show that, in terms of effective-resolution, there is little benefit in using higher than third-order numerical accuracy with traditional limiters. The use of weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes, or relaxed and quasi-monotonic limiters, which allow smooth extrema, can eliminate this reduction in effective resolution and enable higher than third-order accuracy.
The Effect Of Print Advertisings Use Of Sexual Themes ON Brand Recall And Purchase Intention: A Product Specific Investigation Of Male Responses

Two convenience samples comprised of 230 male respondents participated in a study to measure the effect of sexual stimuli in print advertising on brand recall and intention to purchase. Using jeans and liquor products, the study suggests that the use of sexual stimuli in print advertisements does influence viewers brand recall and purchase intentions. However, the study was not able to conclusively argue that specific levels of sexual intensity were more effective across the two product categories.
Observing Oxygen Vacancy Driven Electroforming in Pt-TiO2-Pt Device via Strong Metal Support Interaction.

Oxygen vacancy formation, migration, and subsequent agglomeration into conductive filaments in transition metal oxides under applied electric field is widely believed to be responsible for electroforming in resistive memory devices, although direct evidence of such a pathway is lacking. Here, by utilizing strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) between Pt and TiO2, we observe via transmission electron microscopy the electroforming event in lateral Pt/TiO2/Pt devices where the atomic Pt from the electrode itself acts as a tracer for the propagating oxygen vacancy front. SMSI, which originates from the d-orbital overlap between Pt atom and the reduced cation of the insulating oxide in the vicinity of oxygen vacancies, was optimized by fabricating nanoscale devices causing Pt atom migration tracking the moving oxygen vacancy front from the anode to cathode during electroforming. Experiments performed in different oxidizing and reducing conditions, which tune SMSI in the Pt-TiO2 system, further confirmed the ...
Confronting Oppression with Violence: Inequality, Military Infrastructure and Dissident Repression

This study examines the relationships between collective violence, economic inequality, and repression. Some researchers propose that collective violence results from economic deprivation, while others emphasize the role of repression in producing violence. This study uses polynomial equations to analyze these relationships on 52 countries. Results suggest that collective violence varies as a cubic non-monotonic "N" shaped function of repression, while economic inequality is not directly related to violence. A strong military infrastructure is also found to deter collective violence. The combination of results supports the argument that extremely repressive regimes with weak military infrastructures tend to encourage a backlash of violence.
Electrical Control of a Semiconductor Heater for a Continuous Mach 7 True-Temperature Wind Tunnel *

A project is under way at the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center to develop a continuous Mach 7 true-temperature wind tunnel test capability. An electric heater with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YsZ) elements has been proposed to reach the required extreme temperatures. YsZ has electrical and thermal properties similar to those of semiconductors and thus presents unusual challenges in the design of an electrical power and control system. These challenges and the proposed electrical system concepts are presented in this paper.
Another Proof that Convex Functions are Locally Lipschitz

(1974). Another Proof that Convex Functions are Locally Lipschitz. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 81, No. 9, pp. 1014-1016.
Multi-mode lasing theory for complex or random lasers

We reformulate the steady-state multi-mode lasing equations using biorthogonal modes of the open cavity. The theory is convenient for treating the mode competition, emission patterns and output power of complex or random laser cavities.
Identification of a novel Arg→Cys mutation in the LDL receptor that contributes to spontaneous hypercholesterolemia in pigs

Abstract We previously carried out genetic and metabolic studies in a partially inbred herd of pigs carrying cholesterol-elevating mutations. Quantitative pedigree analysis indicated that apolipoprotein (apo)B and a second major gene were responsible for the hypercholesterolemia in these animals. In this study, we assessed LDL receptor function by three different methods: ligand blots of liver membranes using β-very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) as a ligand; low density lipoprotein (LDL)-dependent proliferation of T-lymphocytes; and direct binding of 125I-labeled LDL to cultured skin fibroblasts. All three methods demonstrated that LDL receptor ligands bound with decreased affinity to the LDL receptor in these animals. In skin fibroblasts from the hypercholesterolemic pigs, the Kd of binding was about 4-fold higher than in cells from normal pigs. The cDNA of the pig LDL receptor from normal and hypercholesterolemic pigs was isolated and sequenced. We identified a missense mutation that results in an Arg→Cys substitution at the position corresponding to Arg94 of the human LDL receptor. The mutation is in the third repeat of the ligand binding domain of the receptor. By single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, we studied the relationship between LDL receptor genotype and plasma cholesterol phenotype. In contrast to humans, the hypercholesterolemia associated with the LDL receptor mutation in pigs was expressed as a recessive trait. The LDL receptor mutation made a far more significant contribution to hypercholesterolemia than did the apoB mutation, consistent with observations made in human subjects with apoB mutations. Within each genotypic group (mutated apoB or mutated receptor), there was a wide range in plasma cholesterol. As the animals were on a well-controlled low-fat diet, this suggests that there are additional genetic factors that influence the penetrance of cholesterol-elevating mutations. —Grunwald, K. A. A., K. Schueler, P. J. Uelmen, B. A. Lipton, M. Kaiser, K. Buhman, and A. D. Attie. Identification of a novel Arg→Cys mutation in the LDL receptor that contributes to spontaneous hypercholesterolemia in pigs. J. Lipid Res. 1999. 40: 475–485.
Behavioral state organization in normal human term fetuses: the relationship between periods of undefined state and other characteristics of state control.

Repeated alteration in episodes of quiet sleep and active sleep is a basic feature of behavioral state organization in human fetuses. When compared to normal fetuses, at-risk fetuses generally exhibit extended periods of no coincidence (PsNC), that is, associations between state variables that cannot be classified as a sleep state. The purpose of this study was to determine if fetuses with extended PsNC differ in other state measures from fetuses with short PsNC. Fetal heart rate and fetal eye and gross body movements were collected simultaneously on 85 normal human fetuses between 37 and 41 weeks gestation for a total of 9,135 minutes (mean 108.8 +/- 12.7 minutes, range 85-130 minutes). We found that as percent PsNC increased, the frequency (r = 0.464, p 0.05). We interpret these findings as an indication that extended PsNC may be the result of disruption of homeostatic control mechanisms during active sleep.
Inverse Problems and Ebola Virus Disease Using an Age of Infection Model

Parameter estimation problems in ordinary and partial differential equations constitute a large class of models described by ill-posed operator equations. A considerable number of such problems come from epidemiology and infectious disease modeling, with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) being a very important example. While it is not difficult to find a solution of an SEIJCR ODE constrained least squares problem, this problem is extremely unstable and a number of different parameter combinations produce essentially the same case curve. This is a serious obstacle in the study of the Ebola virus epidemics, since reliable approximations of system parameters are important for the proper assessment of existing control measures as well as for the forward projections aimed at testing a variety of contact tracing policies. In this paper, we attempt a stable estimation of system parameters with the use of iterative regularization along with a special algorithm for computing initial values. The numerical study is illustrated by data fitting and forward projections for the most recent EVD outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Somatic Embryo Ontogeny in Tissue Cultures of Orchardgrass

A plant embryo can be defined as a new individual arising from a single cell and having no vascular connection with maternal tissue (12). Embryos formed during sexual reproduction and attached to adjacent tissue by suspensors, obviously develop from single cells (zygotes) and, thus, fit this definition. However, somatic (nonzygotic or adventive) embryos produced in plant tissue cultures often appear as buds, broadly attached to underlying tissue, and this has caused some confusion as to whether or not they originated from single cells.