cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New electrical testing structures and analysis method for MOL and BEOL process diagnostics and TDDB reliability assessment

Both MOL PC-CA spacer dielectric and BEOL low-k dielectric breakdown data are commonly convoluted with multiple variables present in the data due to the involvement of many process steps such as lithography, etch, CMP, cleaning, and thin film deposition. With the continuing aggressive scaling of device dimensions and introduction of new device configurations, how to accurately analyze such complicated lateral dielectric breakdown data from MOL and BEOL TDDB in advanced VLSI circuits has become very challenging. In this paper, a new electrical method is developed to accurately characterize different variables in MOL and BEOL dielectric breakdown. This method provides a powerful way to do a fast deep dive process and reliability analysis for technology development and qualification without time consuming physical failure analysis.
Calcium and pH interaction on root nodulation of nursfry-grown red alder (Alnus rubra bong.) seedlings by Frankia

Growing interest in red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) for land-reclamation and commercial use has led to investigations of nursery production methods. Pure culture Frankia inoculum has been used to enhance red alder seedling growth, resulting in better cost efficiency and production quality. The effects of altered pH from applied calcium amendments on inoculum effectiveness at a Washington state nursery site were examined. Calcium oxide was used to increase pH from 5.6 to 7, and CaCl2 was used as a calcium control. A randomized complete-block design was used in a factorial experiment, with nine treatments: control, CaCl2 and CaO (equimolar calcium concentrations for calcium treatments); each soil treatment at 0, 20 and 200 μl packed cell volume m−2Frankia inoculum rates. Soil samples were collected throughout the year for pH measurements. Seedling numbers, height, root and shoot weights, and percentage of nodulated plants were determined at mid-season and at lifting. A companion study on the effects of pH adjustment with HCl was done at an Oregon nursery. Greater seedling nodulation at mid-season paralleled increased height differences at lifting. A significant (P < 0.01) interaction between inoculum rate and soil treatment on the number of plants nodulated was found at the Washington site. The CaCl2 soil amendment temporarily lowered pH to 4.5 when the plots were inoculated and seeded. This treatment also had the greatest proportion of seedlings nodulated at mid-season and at lifting, indicating a possible interaction between calcium and low soil pH, within the pH range studied. To our knowledge, this is the first report of increased nodulation for red alder at pH 4.5, relative to that seen at pH 5.6 or 7.2. We found that the numbers of packable seedlings were greatest at the highest inoculum rate and that the CaCl2 treatment had on average 20 more packable seedlings per plot (P < 0.05) and nearly twice as many nodules per plant as control or CaO treatments.
Molecular spectrometry with a holographically scanned cw dye laser and supersonic cooling

The application of a high-resolution self-scanning cw dye laser to molecular spectrometry is explored. The laser uses optical feedback from a holographic pattern in a BaTiO3 crystal to control its frequency and linewidth. Fluorescence excitation spectra of molecular iodine in a supersonic expansion have been measured, demonstrating the potential of the new technique.
Salutary effects of androstenediol on hepatic function after trauma-hemorrhage are mediated via peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma.

Background A recent study suggested that administration of androstenediol (Adiol) after trauma-hemorrhage (T-H) improves hepatic functions; however, the mechanism responsible for the salutary effect of Adiol remains unknown. Although studies indicate similarities and association between the anti-inflammatory properties of Adiol and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), whether the salutary effects of Adiol are mediated via upregulation of PPARγ remains unclear. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent laparotomy and approximately 90 minutes of hemorrhagic shock (40 mm Hg), followed by resuscitation with 4 times the shed blood volume in the form of Ringer's lactate. Adiol (1 mg per kilogram of body weight, iv) was administered at the end of resuscitation. An additional group of rats were treated with PPARγ antagonist (GW9662, 1 mg/kg ip) along with Adiol and the rats were sacrificed 5 hours thereafter. Results Hepatic functions were markedly depressed and plasma tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein and endothelin-1 were markedly increased after T-H. DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor kappa B and AP-1, and gene expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase and endothelin-1 in the liver also increased significantly. These parameters were attenuated by Adiol treatment. These effects were accompanied an increased DNA-binding activity of PPARγ in T-H-Adiol–treated rats. Treatment of rats with GW9662 prevented the salutary effects of Adiol after T-H. Conclusions Since blockade of PPARγ prevented the salutary effects of Adiol on hepatic functions and proinflammatory factors, this finding suggests that Adiol mediated its salutary effects after T-H via the PPARγ-related pathways.
Turbulent Two-Phase Flows and Particle Deposition in a Duct at High Concentrations

Two-phase flows including particle-particle collisions and two-way coupling in a turbulent duct flow were simulated using a direct simulation approach. The direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the Navier-Stokes equation was performed via a pseudospectral method was extended to cover two-way coupling effects. The effect of particles on the flow was included in the analysis via a feedback force that acted on the fluid on the computational grid points. The point particle equation of motion included the Stokes drag, the Saffman lift, and the gravitational forces. Several simulations for different particle relaxation times and particle mass loading were performed, and the effects of the inter-particle collisions and two-way coupling on the particle deposition velocity, fluid and particle fluctuating velocities, particle normal mean velocity, and particle concentration were determined. It was found that when particle-particle collisions were included in the computation, the particle deposition velocity increased. When the particle collision was neglected but the particle-fluid two-way coupling was accounted for, the particle deposition velocity decreased slightly. When both inter-particle collisions and two-way coupling effects were taken into account in the simulations, the particle deposition velocity increased. Comparisons of the present simulation results with the available experimental data and earlier numerical results are also presented.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Presence of erythropoietin in plasma of non-anemic rats with renal adenocarcinomas.

SummaryNon-anemic and hypertensive rats bearing renal adenocarcinomas induced by a single low dose of dimethylnitrosamine had a significant level of plasma erythropoie-tin (EPF) at 14-17 months of age as compared to non-injected controls. Carcinogen-injected, non-tumor bearing rats without hypertension had undetectable levels of EPF at 14, 15 and 16 months but had increased levels at 17 months of age. The detection of EPF in these animals might be accounted for by the presence of a significant degree of renal ischemia and hypertension.
Wrist and arm movements of varying difficulties

Abstract Although a great deal of experimental attention has been directed at understanding Fitts' law, only a limited number of experiments have attempted to determine if performance differs across effectors for a given movement difficulty. In three experiments reciprocal wrist and arm movements were compared at IDs of 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6. When absolute movement requirements and visual display were constant, participants' movement times and response characteristics for the arm and wrist were remarkably similar (Experiment 1). However, when amplitude for wrist movements was reduced to 8° and the gain (4×) for the visual display increased participants' movement time, defined on the basis of kinematic markers (movement onset − movement termination), was increasingly shorter relative to arm movements as movement difficulty was increased (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 where the arm was tested at 32° and 8° with the 8° movements provided the same gain (4×) that was used for the 8° wrist movements in Experiment 2, no advantage was observed for the arm at the shorter amplitude. The results are interpreted in terms of the advantages afforded by the increased gain of the visual display, which permitted the wrist, but not the arm, to more effectively preplan and/or correct ongoing movements to achieve the required accuracy demands. It was also noted that while the wrist was more effective during the actual movement production this was accompanied by an offsetting increase in dwell time which presumably is utilized to dissipate the forces accrued during movement production and plan the subsequent movement segment.
Distinguishing high-alumina mare basalts using Clementine UVVIS and Lunar Prospector GRS data: Mare Moscoviense and Mare Nectaris

[1] High-alumina (HA) mare basalts are a unique group of the lunar sample collection. Sample geochemistry indicates that these basalts are derived from sources composed of late-stage cumulates from the Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO). Their aluminous nature suggests their sources contained significant plagioclase, which has implications regarding the efficiency of plagioclase separation from earlier forming, mafic cumulates in the LMO to form the anorthositic lunar crust, and hence the heterogeneity of the lunar mantle. The Apollo and Luna missions sampled HA basalts from four different locations that are separated by 80 equatorial degrees (∼2400 km). Radiometric age dating of these samples demonstrates aluminous basaltic volcanism spanned over 1 billion years, suggesting HA basalts may be more prevalent on the Moon than implied by the sample population. Knowing their global occurrence would ultimately enhance our understanding of lunar evolution. Aluminous mare basalts occupy a unique location in Th-FeO compositional space that suggests they can be identified using global remote-sensing data of the Moon. We present our approach for distinguishing exposures of HA basalts using Clementine ultraviolet-visible-infrared (UVVIS) and Lunar Prospector Gamma Ray Spectrometer (LP-GRS) data with constraints based on the FeO, TiO2, and Th abundances of Apollo and Luna HA samples. We identified 34 regions of interest (ROIs) where HA basalts could be a prominent component of the lunar surface. By analyzing the rims and proximal ejecta from small impacts (0.4–4 km in diameter) into the mare surface we characterized compositionally distinct basaltic units that make up the mare and thus determined which units represent HA basalt lavas. The results were used to generate maps that depict discrete mare units and classify their general basalt type. Here we focus on two ROIs: Mare Moscoviense and Mare Nectaris. Mare Moscoviense is composed of four basaltic units, two of which are HA candidates. Clementine UVVIS data of Mare Nectaris show evidence of up to three mare basalt units. One is the remnants of a mid-Ti unit that capped earlier low-Ti flows. The majority of the basin is filled by a compositionally indistinguishable low-Fe, low-Ti basalt. However, spectral profiles suggest there are two units. Regardless, the units both fit the criteria for a HA basalt.
Evaluation of a novel methacrylate-based Protein A resin for the purification of immunoglobulins and Fc-fusion proteins.

Protein A affinity chromatography is a central part of most commercial monoclonal antibody and Fc-fusion protein purification processes. In the last couple years an increasing number of new Protein A technologies have emerged. One of these new Protein A technologies consists of a novel, alkaline-tolerant, Protein A ligand coupled to a macroporous polymethacrylate base matrix that has been optimized for immunoglobulin (Ig) G capture. The resin is interesting from a technology perspective because the particle size and pore distribution of the base beads are reported to have been optimized for high IgG binding and fast mass transfer, while the Protein A ligand has been engineered for enhanced alkaline tolerance. This resin was subjected to a number of technical studies including evaluating dynamic and static binding capacities, alkaline stability, Protein A leachate propensity, impurity clearance, and pressure–flow behavior. The results demonstrated similar static binding capacities as those achieved with industry standard agarose Protein A resins, but marginally lower dynamic binding capacities. Removal of impurities from the process stream, particularly host cell proteins, was molecule dependent, but in most instances matched the performance of the agarose resins. This resin was stable in 0.1 M NaOH for at least 100 h with little loss in binding capacity, with Protein A ligand leakage levels comparable to values for the agarose resins. Pressure–flow experiments in lab-scale chromatography columns demonstrated minimal resin compression at typical manufacturing flow rates. Prediction of resin compression in manufacturing scale columns did not suggest any pressure limitations upon scale up. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1125–1136, 2014
Classical conditioning of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response under fixed and mixed CS-US intervals

Abstract The rabbit's nictitating membrane response was classically conditioned to a tone CS, followed by an electric shock US, at two randomly alternating CS-US interstimulus intervals (ISIs). Different groups were exposed to different proportions of 200- and 700-msec ISIs. The study revealed: (a) CR percentage was a direct function of the proportion of 200-msec ISIs; (b) trials to the first test-trial CR were an inverse function of the proportion of 200-msec ISIs; (c) CR onset latencies decreased over training; (d) CR peak latencies coincided with the temporal loci of the US; and (e) groups exposed to both ISIs acquired double-peaked CRs. Moreover, the amplitudes of nictitating membrane responses in the present experiment paralleled certain quantitative aspects of the free operant key peck response rates of pigeons trained under two mixed inter-reinforcement intervals. The results were discussed with respect to the micromolar response shaping and macromolecular CS-trace accounts of classical conditioning.
CD40/154 blockade and rejection of islet allografts in the streptozotocin and autoimmune diabetic rat.

Islet transplantation in children with autoimmune diabetes will require immunosuppression that has minimal toxicity and side-effects, and overcomes the barrier of autoimmunity. Since antibodies directed against the CD40/154 co-stimulatory pathway may meet these criteria, we have tested the ability of hamster antirat CD154 (AH.F5, Biogen) to prevent rejection of renal subcapsular islet allografts in streptozotocin (STZ) or autoimmune (AUTO) diabetic diabetes-resistant biobreeding (DRBB) rats. STZ diabetic rats that received anti-CD154 at 15 mg/kg per dose but not 10 mg/kg per dose did not have evidence of rejection until about 80-120 d post-transplantation, by which time antibody concentrations had returned to undetectable levels. Rats retreated with anti-CD154 before recurrence of diabetes had a prolonged period of disease-free survival. Most of these rats had recurrence following a spleen cell challenge. In contrast, AUTO diabetic DRBB rats treated with anti-CD154 had recurrence of diabetes between 7 and 12 d following transplantation of the Dark Agouti (DA) islets. In a separate set, AUTO diabetic rats that received a simultaneous islet isograft, islet allograft and thyroid allograft had focal accumulation of lymphocytes at the periphery of the isograft, while the islet and thyroid allografts had diffuse infiltration with lymphocytes and destruction of tissue with no residual staining for glucagon. Therefore, autoimmunity adds an additional barrier to islet allotransplantation that is not overcome with CD40/154 blockade in an animal model that closely parallels autoimmune diabetes in humans. The results indicate the importance of testing regimen of islet transplantation in animal models of autoimmune diabetes.
Perceptual effects of damped and exaggerated facial motion in animated characters

Common guidelines followed in the animation community include the idea that cartoon characters should be exaggerated to better convey emotion and intent, whereas more realistic characters should have “matching” realistic motion. We investigated the effects of rendering style and amount of facial motion on perceptions of character likeability, intelligence, and extraversion. We used cartoon and more realistic-looking characters that were animated with tracked actor motion. The motion was exaggerated and damped in 10% increments up to a 40% difference from the original motion. We discovered that motion changes ±20% from original motion affected perceptions of likeability and intelligence differently in the realistic-looking and cartoon characters. The realistic-looking characters benefited from increased motion whereas the cartoon characters benefitted from damped motion. Furthermore, the amount of facial motion and perceptions of extraversion were significantly correlated.
Governing by Managing Identity Boundaries: The Case of Family Businesses

In this paper we illustrate how boundary theory can be a useful perspective to understand the dynamics of family businesses. We integrate insights from the family business literature with the work–family and identity boundary literatures to describe degrees of integration between the family and business identities in family firms and outline contingencies that influence this integration. We also develop the notion of “differential permeability” as a state of being both integrated and segmented on various aspects of identity and articulate costs and benefits to this state, as well as to high integration and high segmentation. Finally, we invoke the research on “boundary work” as a means of managing family business boundaries and conclude by outlining additional avenues of research that stem from using such a boundary theory lens.
Effect of varying laser parameters on in-vitro ablation of porcine sclera with Ho:YAG laser

The effect of various laser parameters on the ablation rate and the resulting thermal damage on porcine scleral tissue by the Ho:YAG laser was tested. We compared the ablation rate and the thermal damage with varying fluences, fiber core diameters and pulse durations. A Ho:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of 2.1 micrometers at a repetition rate of 2 Hz was used. The ablation rate for the tissue was calculated as the ratio of the number of pulses needed to perforate the sample to the sample thickness (micrometers /pulse +/- standard deviation). The lateral thermal damage depths were quantified by ocular micrometry. Our results suggest that with the Ho:YAG (2.1 micrometers ) laser the ablation rate increases linearly with radiant exposure, but the change in radiant exposure does not significantly affect thermal damage. Different pulse durations generate small changes in ablation rate, but no change in thermal damage. An increase in the irradiated area enhances the ablation rate and thermal damage.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Book Review: China uncovered by Jonathan Story

Biographical notes: Pier A. Abetti is a Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He worked for 32 years at GE in R&D and Project Management, and was a Manager of GE’s Strategic Planning for Europe, Middle East and Africa from 1973 to 1980. He has written three books and 150 technical and management papers in five languages. His present interests are focused on the management of technological innovation and entrepreneurship in large and small companies, globalisation, economic development and corporate social responsibility.
Physical health and social network characteristics as determinants of mental health across cultures

This study examines cross-cultural differences in the etiology of depression and anxiety, two common indicators of mental health problems. Using an ethnically diverse sample of 162 college students, we found that chronic physical symptoms and social network characteristics, particularly network quality, were predictive of both depression and anxiety, yet their effects were mediated by ethnicity. Multiple regression analyses showed that social network quality, compared to physical health, was a much stronger predictor of mental health in Caucasian students, whereas among students of Asian/Pacific descent, physical health was a much stronger predictor of mental health than the social network characteristics. The observed differences were particularly strong for anxiety, which was not significantly associated with physical health in Caucasian students or social network size and quality in the Asian/Pacific group. Theoretical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.
Consequences of Periodic Applications of Copper Sulfate and Simazine for Phytoplankton Control in Catfish Ponds

Abstract Treatment of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) production ponds with biweekly applications of 0.84 kg/hectare copper sulfate was ineffective in reducing phytoplankton density. Three periodic applications of simazine totaling 1.3 mg/liter drastically reduced phytoplankton density. However, extended periods of low dissolved oxygen concentrations following simazine applications resulted in decreased fish yields and poor conversion ratios as compared to control ponds.
Fiscal decentralization and regional income disparities: evidence from the Colombian experience

Using the Colombian experience, this paper introduces new empirical evidence about the relationship between fiscal decentralization and regional income disparities. The study has made some advances in the empirical analysis of this relationship. First, a panel data approach is introduced to catch the dynamics of adjustment involved in a fiscal decentralization policy. Secondly, the analysis is based on a country experience rather than a cross-country analysis, so the effects of fiscal decentralization are estimated more objectively than previous research that exhibits cultural, historical, and institutional variation. Finally, other limitations observed in previous work, such as the absence of spatial dependence and sensitivity of the conclusions to the measures of fiscal decentralization used, are addressed in this paper.
Performance consistency in second language acquisition and language testing research: a conceptual gap

Arguing from the premise that a language test is a special case of a second language acquisition (SLA) elicitation device, I suggest that SLA and language testing share much common ground in terms ...
Nanoporosity-driven superhydrophilicity: a means to create multifunctional antifogging coatings

Multifunctional nanoporous thin films have been fabricated from layer-by-layer assembled silica nanoparticles and a polycation. The resultant multilayer films were found to exhibit both antifogging and antireflection properties. The antifogging properties are a direct result of the development of superhydrophilic wetting characteristics (water droplet contact angle <5° within 0.5 s or less). The nearly instantaneous sheetlike wetting promoted by the superhydrophilic multilayer prevents light scattering water droplets from forming on a surface. The low refractive index of the multilayer film (as low as 1.22) resulting from the presence of nanopores was found to impart excellent antireflection properties. Glass slides coated on both sides with a nanoporous multilayer film exhibited transmission levels as high as 99.8%. Stable superhydrophilic wetting characteristics were obtained only after a critical number of bilayers were deposited onto a surface. The assembly conditions (solution pH and nanoparticle con...
Saltwater performance of triploid Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. brown trout Salmo trutta L. hybrids

Survival and growth in a saltwater net-pen of sexually immature triploid Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. brown trout Salmo trutta L. hybrids was comparable to that of immature diploid Atlantic salmon. Following 17 months of freshwater rearing, the experimental fish were individually tagged and transferred to a saltwater net-pen where they were raised communally for 376 days. Initial and final average weights were 158 and 760 g per fish for the diploid Atlantic salmon and 209 and 1010 g per fish for the triploid hybrids; weights for the hybrids were significantly larger in both cases (α= 0.05). Survival from transfer to harvest was 43% for the Atlantic salmon and 48% for the hybrids. Average specific growth rate of fish which survived to harvest was 0.42% day-1 for Atlantic salmon and 0.41% day-1 for hybrids; these values were not significantly different. No significant differences were observed in average condition factor and dress-out percentage between crosses. Average gonadal weights and gonadosomatic indices were not significantly different for male diploid Atlantic salmon, female triploid hybrids and male triploid hybrids, but were significantly greater for female Atlantic salmon.
Overview: Cardiovascular & Renal; Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitors

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides to their inactive form (5' nucleotides), and thereby play an important role in cellular signalling mechanisms. These enzymes can be classed into seven families (or isozymes/isoenzymes) on the basis of their amino acid sequence, substrate specificity and sensitivity to pharmacological agents. This article reviews each PDE family in turn and analyses the patent literature in each area. Specific attention has been placed on those patents which disclose compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases including thrombosis and atherosclerosis.
The common test for plane mirrors.

The optical test for the flatness of a plane mirror in conjunction with a concave spherical mirror has been analyzed in terms of the hyperboloid to which it can be thought to be referenced. This geometrical approach renders obvious the requirement to make two tests, the second after rotating the plane mirror 90° about its normal. The expression for the separation of the astigmatic foci for a long radius of curvature, nearly flat, mirror is in agreement with previous derivations.
Ball-and-socket tectonic rotation during the 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan earthquake

Abstract The September 2013 M w 7.7 Balochistan earthquake ruptured a ∼200-km-long segment of the curved Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan with 10 ± 0.2 m of peak sinistral and ∼ 1.7 ± 0.8 m of dip slip. This rupture is unusual because the fault dips 60 ± 15 ° towards the focus of a small circle centered in northwest Pakistan, and, despite a 30° increase in obliquity along strike, the ratios of strike and dip slip remain relatively uniform. Surface displacements and geodetic and teleseismic source inversions quantify a bilateral rupture that propagated rapidly at shallow depths from a transtensional jog near the northern end of the rupture. Static friction prior to rupture was unusually weak ( μ 0.05 ), and friction may have approached zero during dynamic rupture. Here we show that the inward-dipping Hoshab fault defines the northern rim of a structural unit in southeast Makran that rotates – akin to a 2-D ball-and-socket joint – counter-clockwise in response to India's penetration into the Eurasian plate. This rotation accounts for complexity in the Chaman fault system and, in principle, reduces seismic potential near Karachi; nonetheless, these findings highlight deficiencies in strong ground motion equations and tectonic models that invoke Anderson–Byerlee faulting predictions.
Defining and measuring poverty in the nonmetropolitan United States using the survey of income and program Participation

Because the poor historically have been more prevalent in nonmetropolitan than metropolitan areas in the United States, issues related to poverty (including its definition and measurement) are important to nonmetropolitan people. This study uses the unique monthly data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to define poverty in different ways. How poverty is defined affects both the measured extent of nonmetropolitan poverty and the groups who are included among the nonmetropolitan poor. Regardless of how poverty is measured, however, nonmetropolitan areas have disproportionately more poor than metropolitan areas. In addition, the nonmetropolitan poor are more likely to be white, aged, disabled, and members of married-couple households than the metropolitan poor under all definitions considered. None of the definitions examined is intrinsically superior. The choice of a definition to use depends largely on the research problem under consideration.
Minimum-energy state guided physical design for nanomagnet logic

Nanomagnet Logic (NML) accomplishes computation through magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. It has the potential for low-power dissipation, radiation hardness and non-volatility. NML circuits have been designed to process and move information via nearest neighbor, device-to-device coupling. However, the resultant layouts often fail to function correctly. This paper reveals an important cause of such failures showing that a robust NML layout must take into account not only nearest neighbor, but also the next nearest neighbor couplings. A new design method is then introduced to address this issue that leverages the minimum-energy states of an NML circuit to guide the layout process. Case studies show that the new method is efficient and effective in arriving at correct NML layouts.
Working for Group Pride in a Slipper Factory1

In a manufacturing firm the management provides daily production goals for a number of small assembly lines, and reports daily performance scores to the workers. In the research reported here, employees were asked after each of 3 weeks what goal they privately preferred their team to have in the future. On two occasions measures also were made of their desire for group success and their views toward their team and its task. It was observed that managers and workers alike preferred very difficult group goals, that workers with greater desire for pride in group more commonly preferred harder goals, and that stress was greater as the team functioned more poorly. Results in this natural setting resembled those in laboratory experiments.
Structure-dependent vibrational lifetimes of hydrogen in silicon.

The lifetimes of the Si-H vibrational stretch modes of the H * 2 (2062 cm - 1 ) and HV.VH ( 1 1 0 ) (2072.5 cm - 1 ) ) defects in crystalline Si are measured directly by transient bleaching spectroscopy from 10 K to room temperature. The interstitial-type defect H * 2 has a lifetime of 4.2 ps at 10 K, whereas the lifetime of the vacancy-type complex HV VH ( 1 1 0 ) is 2 orders of magnitude longer, 295 ps. The temperature dependence of the lifetime of H * 2 is governed by TA phonons, while HV VH ( 1 1 0 ) is governed by LA phonons. This behavior is attributed to the distinctly different local structure of these defects and the accompanying local vibrational modes.
Photon emission resulting from collisions of O5+ with CO

Abstract As part of an investigation of the interactions between solar-wind ions and cometary gases, UV/X-ray and optical measurements of the photons resulting from collisions of O5+ with CO have been made. Although O5+ is not a major solar-wind ion, its interaction with CO yields information applicable to other solar-wind ion interactions. The data show general agreement with the “over-the-barrier” model prediction that electrons are likely to be captured into the n = 4 levels of the resulting O4+ ion. Not only are the UV/X-ray lines measured in the 10–20 nm range with the UV/X-ray spectrometer consistent with this prediction, but the general lack of optical lines in the optical spectrometer range of 350–850 nm support the model for O5+–CO collisions. Only one optical line may be attributed to the decay of excited O4+ ions while most of the observed optical lines are attributable to atomic and molecular excitation of the CO target.
Hot Cracking Susceptibility of Ternary Mg-Al-Ca Alloys

Hot cracking of ternary Mg-Al-Ca alloys in permanent mold casting was studied. The alloys are the base of some potential creep-resistant Mg alloys. The Mg-xAl-yCa alloys included Mg-4Al-1Ca, Mg-4Al-2Ca, Mg-4Al-3Ca, Mg-4Al-4Ca, Mg-5Al-3Ca, and Mg-6Al-3Ca. Constrained-rod casting was conducted with a steel mold. Rods were cast with their ends enlarged to act as anchors, which kept the rods from free contraction and thus induced tension in the rods to cause cracking during solidification. The susceptibility to hot cracking was evaluated based on both the widths and locations of cracks in the resultant castings. Both binary Mg-4Al and commercial alloy AZ91E, which is known to have a low susceptibility to hot cracking, were also included for comparison. It was found that within the composition range studied, the crack susceptibility decreased significantly with increasing Ca content (y) but did not change much with the Al content (x).
Patulin-induced cellular toxicity: A vital fluorescence study

Abstract The mechanisms of patulin-induced cellular toxicity in an immortalized rat granulosa cell line were examined using several vital fluorescence bioassays. Monochlorobimane and 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate were used to monitor cellular glutathione (GSH) levels and revealed dose- and time-dependent depletion of GSH by patulin. A significant reduction in the fluorescence of the monochlorobimane-GSH conjugate by 0.1 μ m patulin was observed between 1 and 2 hr. Similar GSH depletion by the mycotoxin was also observed in parallel studies on a liver (Clone 9) and a renal (LLC-PK1) cell line, although reduction of fluorescence occurred within 1 hr at the same dosage. Analysis of the electrical potential-dependent partitioning of rhodamine 123 into mitochondria also revealed significant effects of patulin within 1 hr at 0.1 μ m . An initial dose-dependent reduction in mitochondrial fluorescence was followed by loss of selective partitioning of the fluorophore into mitochondria at higher doses and/or a longer exposure of cells to patulin. The reduction in mitochondrial fluorescence was paralleled by a dose-dependent decrease in intracellular pH detected with 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. Analysis of [Ca2+]i with indo-1 and fluo-3 revealed a significant dose-dependent influx of Ca2+ at 10 μ m and an alteration of the pattern of ionomycin-induced Ca2+ influx at 1.0 μ m following patulin treatment. A carboxy-fluorescein fluorescence photobleaching assay was used to examine the effects of patulin on gap junction-mediated intercellular communication. Dose-dependent reduction in intercellular communication was observed within 2 hr with 1.0 μ m patulin. These observations indicate that the fluorescence assays used in this study provide a sensitive index of toxicity caused by exposure to patulin. Further, the toxic effects of patulin may involve direct effects on cellular glutathione levels and mitochondrial function in addition to direct effects on the plasma membrane.
Model Learning in a Multistage Machining Process: Online Identification of Force Coefficients and Model Use in the Manufacturing Enterprise

This work presents a systems approach in machining process control. Traditional force-based machining process control has been focused on single machine-single operation. The force or power sensor is used to measure the instantaneous force/power, and control action is taken by changing the feedrate in real time to follow a given force setpoint. The application of such control has successfully been implemented to prevent chatter and to elongate tool life by minimizing tool wear. This research seeks to extend the application of control algorithms to learn about the machining system (comprised in this context of a workpiece being operated on in progressive machining), and how knowledge generated by the process can be passed on to the next process for optimization. To demonstrate this, turning of a partially hardened bar is explored. A nonlinear mechanistic force model-based control framework attempts to control the cutting force at a designated setpoint, with material properties changing over the cut. The force coefficients for the material are calculated offline using experimental data and Bayesian inference methods. Since the hardened part of the bar will shift the force coefficient values, an online estimation strategy (Bayesian Recursive Least Square estimator) is used to learn the new coefficients as well as satisfying the control objective. With the newly learned coefficients passed downstream, the subsequent operation experiences no compromise of control objective as well reduces the maximum values of force encountered. Numerical analyses presented show the adaptation and control scheme performance.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Discrete subaortic stenosis: an acquired heart disease

Objective: To determine the anatomic variables in the left ventricular outflow tract in patients with subaortic stenosis. Methods: Between 1982 and 1996, 36 patients were operated on with the ‘discrete’ form of subaortic stenosis (DSS). The mean time of follow up was 7.4 years with a range of 4 months‐14 years. There were 25 male and 11 female patients. Mean age at operation was 7.1 years with a range of 9 months‐47 years. Results: At the time of surgery, the mitral valve apparatus and interventricular septum were found to be rotated 60‐90° in a counterclockwise fashion with anterior displacement into the left ventricular outflow tract in 30 (83%) patients. Subaortic ridge resection with a deep septal myectomy was performed in 32 patients and the remaining four patients had subaortic ridge resection alone. The reoperation free rate at 5 and 10 years were 74 ∠ 9% and 60 ∠ 12%, respectively. Reoperations for recurrent disease were performed in 10 (27.7%) patients. No operative or late follow up deaths were encountered. Conclusion: We conclude that DSS is an acquired disease due to a pre-existing anatomic alteration in the mitral valve apparatus and interventricular septum. In addition, recurrence rates are high and physicians should not be mislead by the benign nomenclature its name implies. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved
Enabling Secondary Spectrum Markets Using Ad Hoc and Mesh Networking Protocols

Spectrum management is the process of deciding how radio frequency (RF) spectrum may be used in a geographical region and who may use it. Traditionally, spectrum management has been executed as an administrative and political process with the intent of making lasting decisions. Its lack of responsiveness and resolution causes much spectrum to lay fallow since most users rarely need spectrum continuously and ubiquitously. In this paper, we propose an alternative spectrum management approach that enables management at a greater temporal and spatial resolution using networks and wireless ad hoc and mesh networking technologies. Three different spectrum management ideas are described. The Synchronous Collision Resolution (SCR) MAC protocol enables a strict arbitration of spectrum access based on spectrum rights thus enabling a hierarchy of networks in the same spectrum that always guarantees the primary rights holder precedence. Second, it autonomously manages the use of an arbitrary number of channels in the same network. The third and most exciting idea is a new fast command and control model for spectrum management. An underlying ad hoc network built using the Nodes State Routing* (NSR) protocol is used to track and manage the use of spectrum of attached RF emitters. NSR tracks the state of the network by collecting and disseminating the states of the nodes. These states can include relevant information on the spectrum these nodes are using and are observing others use. Thus the network supports tracking and monitoring spectrum use spatially in near real time. Spectrum management utilities built on top of the network could allow users and spectrum managers to rapidly negotiate the use of spectrum and assist spectrum managers in identifying unused spectrum and emitters causing harmful interference. We conclude with proposed standardization and regulatory changes to make this feasible.
Fault-tolerant model of neural computing

A fault-tolerant model of feed-forward neural computing with mixed-mode redundancy is proposed and analyzed. A mixed-mode redundancy is a combination of spatial redundancy and temporal redundancy. The redundancy is based on the homogeneity of both structures and operations of neurons in neural networks. This fault-tolerant model can be applied to both hardware architecture and parallel software simulation. By storing multiple sets of weights in a neuron and recomputing the outputs of this neuron at other different neurons, faults in the neuron can be detected and the output errors can be corrected. The degree of the fault tolerance of this model is analyzed. Further, the sufficient conditions for detecting errors and recovering outputs are also presented. The model can highly increase the reliability of neural computing so that a fairly large number of faulty neurons can be detected and that the outputs of these faulty neurons can be recovered. >
Inferring specifications to detect errors in code

A new static program analysis method for checking structural properties of code is proposed. The user need only provide a property to check; no further annotations are required. An initial abstraction of the code is computed that over-approximates the effect of function calls. This abstraction is then iteratively refined in response to spurious counterexamples. The refinement involves inferring a context-dependent specification for each function call, so that only as much information about a function is used as is necessary to analyze its caller. When the algorithm terminates, the remaining counterexample is guaranteed not to be spurious, but because the program and its heap are finitized, absence of a counterexample does not constitute proof
Preliminary characterization of pyruvate uptake by one-cell ovine embryos

Pyruvate uptake was measured by a noninvasive method on a total of 59 individual one-cell ovine embryos. Uptake was measured over a 4-h period in Whitten's medium containing 1.0 mM glucose and either 0.0 mM, 0.33 mM, 0.67 mM or 1.0 mM sodium pyruvate. Glucose uptake was also assessed to determine the effect of altering pyruvate concentration on glucose uptake. Embryos incubated in medium containing 1.0 mM or 0.67 mM pyruvate showed average uptake values of 20.36 and 5.00 pmoles per embryo per 4 h, respectively. In contrast, when pyruvate concentrations were 0.0 mM and 0.33 mM, the embryos released an average of 24.60 and 10.40 pmoles pyruvate per embryo per 4 h. Uptake or release of pyruvate was found to vary linearly with concentration level. Increasing pyruvate concentration resulted in a significant decrease in glucose uptake.
A Preadmission Telephone Call to Initiate the Consent Process for Clinical Anesthesia Research

Consent for a clinical anesthesia research trial is frequently sought in hospital on the day of surgery. This time is often associated with increased anxiety, diminished privacy, and limited opportunity for reflection. Our objective was to determine whether a preadmission telephone call on the day before surgery resulted in greater satisfaction compared to the traditional practice of initiating the consent process on the day of surgery. We randomized 124 patients eligible for participation in a minimal-risk clinical anesthesia trial to receive either a preadmission telephone call on the day before surgery to initiate consent (Telephone group; n = 62), or no telephone call (Control group; n = 62). In the Telephone group, 21 patients (33.9%) were successfully contacted by telephone, whereas 41 patients (66.1%) were not contacted. Both the Telephone and Control groups reported similar understanding regarding the purpose of the trial. Both groups similarly agreed that the time and setting of recruitment and consent were appropriate. Patients in both groups reported having enough time to consider their participation in the trial. Few patients in either group reported feeling anxious at the time of consent or pressured to participate in the trial. Finally, patients in both groups were equally satisfied with the consent process. Implications: A preadmission telephone call on the day before surgery to initiate the consent process for a minimal-risk clinical anesthesia research trial does not improve satisfaction among consenting patients compared to initiating consent in hospital on the day of surgery, and can be an impractical method to initiate the consent process.
Relationship of Ion Concentration to the Critical Temperatures During Freezing of Bull Spermatozoa

Abstract The over-all osmotic pressure of the extender is an important factor affecting the critical temperatures during which most of the damage to motility of bull spermatozoa occurs during freezing. For a 0.10 m Tris-yolk extender containing various levels of NaCl, KCl, or CaCl 2 the critical temperature begins at −30 to −35C, and for a 0.30 m Tris solution containing corresponding salts this temperature begins at −10 to −15C.
Dusty caches for reference counting garbage collection

Reference counting is a garbage-collection technique that maintains a per-object count of the number of pointers to that object. When the count reaches zero, the object must be dead and can be collected. Although it is cannot detect all garbage on its own, it is well suited for some applications and is implemented typically in conjunction with other methods to increase overall precision. A disadvantage of reference counting is the extra storage traffic that is introduced. In this paper, we describe a new cache write-back policy that can substantially decrease the reference-counting traffic to RAM.We investigate a cache design that takes advantage of temporally silent stores, by remebering the first-fetched value of a cache subblock, so that the subblock need not be written back to RAM unless a different value is present. We present results from experiments that show the effectiveness of this approach, particularly in mitigating the storage traffic due to reference counting.