cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-performance GaAs homojunction far-infrared detectors

A high performance, bias tunable, p-GaAs homojunction interfacial workfunction internal photoemission far-IR detector has been demonstrated. A responsivity of 3.10 +/- 0.05 A/W, a quantum efficiency of 12.5 percent and a detectivity D* of 5.9 X 1010 cm (root) Hz/W, were obtained at 4.2K, for cutoff wavelengths from 80 to 100 micrometers . The bias dependences of quantum efficiency, detectivity, and cutoff wavelength have been measured and are well explained by the theoretical models, where the cutoff wavelength is modeled by a modified high density theory, and the quantum efficiency is predicted by scaling the free carrier absorption coefficient linearly with the doping concentration. The effect of the number of layers on detector performance and the uniformity of the detectors have been discussed. A comparison with Ge:Ga photoconductive detectors suggest that a similar or even better performance may be obtainable.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Anchor selection and Topology Preserving Maps in WSNs — A Directional Virtual Coordinate based approach

Virtual Coordinate Systems (VCS) characterize each node in a network by its hop distances to a subset of nodes called anchors. Performance of VCS based algorithms is highly sensitive to number of anchors and their placement. Extreme Node Search (ENS), a novel and efficient anchor placement scheme, is proposed that demonstrates significantly improved performance over state-of-the-art. ENS starts with two randomly placed anchors and then uses a Directional Virtual Coordinate (DVC) transformation, which restores the lost directionality in traditional VCS, to identify anchor candidates in a completely distributed manner. A vector-based representation is proposed for the DVC domain, which is then used to introduce the concept of angles between virtual directions in the transformed domain. Ability to specify cardinal directions and use angles is a radical change from the traditional VC system approaches. By selecting two anchor pairs with near orthogonal directional coordinates under the DVC transformation, a novel Topology Preserving Map (TPM) generation scheme is developed. This new TPM generation scheme requires significantly less computations than the existing PCA based method. Use of ENS significantly enhances the PCA based TPM generation as well. Simulation results for representative WSNs indicate that the ENS based anchor sets significantly improve performance of all prominent VC based routing schemes. For instance, Directional Virtual Coordinate Routing, when combined with ENS anchor placement strategy, outperforms even the geographic Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing scheme that relies on exact physical node coordinates.
Nerve growth factor and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Objectives. To investigate whether the pain experienced by patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) may be related to the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF), induced by inflammation and tissue injury experienced as a result of chronic inflammation. CPPS is a disease of unknown pathogenesis. Methods. We measured the levels of NGF and the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 and compared these with the levels of IL-8, interferon-gamma, IL-2, and IL-10 in the seminal plasma of 31 patients with CPPS and 14 controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology. Results were correlated with health-related quality of life as measured by the multidimensional pain inventory, the McGill pain questionnaire, and the International Prostate Symptom Score. Results. The cytokines analyzed were detectable in the seminal plasma from the patients with CPPS and controls. NGF correlated directly with pain severity (P <0.01) and IL-10 levels (P <0.04), and IL-6 correlated inversely with pain severity (P <0.03). Conclusions. These results suggest that NGF and cytokines that regulate inflammation (IL-6 and IL-10) may play a role in the pain symptoms experienced by patients with CPPS.
Adrenal Disease Update 2011

This article is based on an invited lecture entitled “Year-in-the-Adrenal: A Clinical Perspective,” presented at the 92nd Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 7, 2011. The objective was to provide clinicians with a summary of key, clinically important advances in the field of adrenal disorders over the past 18 months. Paper selection was based on a comprehensive survey of all adrenal articles published in major endocrinology and high-impact general medical journals between December 2009 and May 2011. Participants in the selection process included 15 endocrinologists with expertise in adrenal disorders. The articles highlighted were those that: 1) constitute novel discoveries that may improve the understanding of pathophysiology; 2) address important clinical questions; and 3) most influence the way we diagnose and treat patients with adrenal disorders. An effort was made to include both adrenal cortical and medullary disorders.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Induces Resistance of Macrophages to Legionella pneumophila Infection

Legionella pneumophila is an ubiquitous opportunistic intracellular pathogen that replicates readily in thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages from genetically susceptible A/J mice. Treatment of macrophage cultures in vitro with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced resistance of the macrophages to infection by Legionella as compared with control macrophages treated with medium alone. Addition of small amounts of monoclonal antibody to TNF-alpha restored susceptibility of the macrophages. Furthermore, antibody to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) alpha/beta increased resistance, but recombinant IL-1 had little effect. Such decreased susceptibility to Legionella growth in anti-IL-1 antibody-treated cultures corresponded with enhanced levels of TNF-alpha in the supernatants of the treated cells. An antibody to another proinflammatory cytokine with known immunoregulatory properties (i.e., IL-6) had little or no effect on the ability of the macrophages to be infected by Legionella and, furthermore, treatment with recombinant IL-6, similar to recombinant IL-1, did not modify the ability of the cells to be infected in vitro. These results indicate that TNF-alpha is important in controlling L. pneumophila replication, and IL-1 can regulate TNF-alpha levels, affecting susceptibility of macrophages to infection with an intracellular opportunistic pathogen like Legionella.
Negotiating Identity in a Bubble: A Critical Race Analysis of African American High School Students' Experiences in an Elite, Independent School

This study used critical race theory to examine how African American adolescents negotiated race and class identity at Wells Academy, a predominately white, independent school. Interviews were conducted, exploring the experiences of six African American high school students. Their counterstories were analyzed focusing on the critique of liberalism, including meritocracy and colorblindness. Several common themes emerged from the students' counterstories regarding their experiences, including Wells' reputation, problems with the elite context, and the difficulty of negotiating African American identity in a “bubble.” Recommendations are made regarding African American identity in the independent school context.
Personality Traits Predict Irrational Beliefs

Irrational beliefs are the focus of many psychological theories, since research has shown that holding irrational beliefs often leads to unhealthy emotions, dysfunctional behaviors, and psychological disturbances. The aim of such therapies as rational emotive behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy is to dispute irrational beliefs to promote more rational ways of thinking; however they do not take into account individual personality differences. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality traits predict rational and irrational beliefs in a mixed student and clinical sample. It was hypothesized that the domains of the five factor model of personality would predict rational beliefs as well as a range of irrational beliefs. Our findings supported the hypothesis, showing distinct associations between personality traits and each specific irrational belief. Neuroticism predicted rational beliefs as well as six out of the seven types of irrational beliefs measured. Additionally, extraversion predicted rationality and self-downing, openness predicted need for comfort and total irrationality, and conscientiousness predicted need for achievement and demand for fairness. Agreeableness did not predict any type of rational or irrational beliefs. Knowledge of these distinct relationships may increase a clinician’s ability to conceptualize a therapy case and determine the best approach to treatment.
Automated Separation of Visceral and Subcutaneous Adiposity in In Vivo Microcomputed Tomographies of Mice

Reflecting its high resolution and contrast capabilities, microcomputed tomography (μCT) can provide an in vivo assessment of adiposity with excellent spatial specificity in the mouse. Herein, an automated algorithm that separates the total abdominal adiposity into visceral and subcutaneous compartments is detailed. This algorithm relies on Canny edge detection and mathematical morphological operations to automate the manual contouring process that is otherwise required to spatially delineate the different adipose deposits. The algorithm was tested and verified with μCT scans from 74 C57BL/6J mice that had a broad range of body weights and adiposity. Despite the heterogeneity within this sample of mice, the algorithm demonstrated a high degree of stability and robustness that did not necessitate changing of any of the initially set input variables. Comparisons of data between the automated and manual methods were in complete agreement (R 2 = 0.99). Compared to manual contouring, the increase in precision and accuracy, while decreasing processing time by at least an order of magnitude, suggests that this algorithm can be used effectively to separately assess the development of total, visceral, and subcutaneous adiposity. As an application of this method, preliminary data from adult mice suggest that a relative increase in either subcutaneous, visceral, or total fat negatively influences skeletal quantity and that fat infiltration in the liver is greatly increased by a high-fat diet.
Real time image de-blurring and image stitching for muscle inspired camera orientation system

This paper proposes a method for real-time image de-blurring and panoramic image stitching. Currently there are several methods for de-blurring images and images stitching however, many take several seconds to process on a standard computer. The method proposed in this paper is to implement parallel processing techniques to an existing de-blurring method and a new dynamic-based panoramic image stitching method to achieve real-time image processing. This method has been applied to a muscle inspired camera orientation system that rapidly captures images to process these images in real time. This orientation system captures images while the camera is in motion causing a blurring effect. Using estimated position data from the system dynamics of the camera orientation system the point spread function of the image and the average image location can be estimated; hence, the image is de-blurred and stitched in real time. The proposed method makes use of parallel processing and precomputation techniques to greatly reduce the required processing time when compared to existing methods.
The Direct Closure of the Internal Fistula Opening Without Advancement Flap for Transsphincteric Fistulas-in-Ano

The recommended closure techniques for transsphincteric fistulas demonstrate divergent results for postoperative continence and recurrence rates. An incontinence rate of 35 percent and a recurrence rate of up to 54 percent has been reported after transanal advancement techniques. The authors hypothesize that a direct closure of the internal fistula opening without tissue mobilization is easier to facilitate and generally leads to better clinical and functional results. A prospective, observational study between 1995 and 1999 was undertaken in 90 patients with transsphincteric fistulas. A direct closure of the internal fistula opening without a flap was performed in all patients. A three-layer, nonstaggered closure of mucosa, submucosa, internal, and external anal sphincters was performed. The follow-up time periods ranged from one-half to six (median, 2.6) years and included assessment of fistula recurrence and continence using patients’ histories, physical examinations, proctoscopy, and continence scores. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t-test or chi-squared test. Data from 90 patients with a total of 106 operations were analyzed (65 males and 41 females; average age 46 (range, 22–78) years). Sixty-six patients had previous anorectal abscess surgery, and 41 had a previous fistula operation. The mean number of previous fistula operations was 1.7. All patients were continent before surgery. Mean elapsed operative time period was 37 ± 11 minutes, and the mean anal retraction time was 20 ± 7 minutes. Suture line dehiscence was the main postoperative complication. It was found to occur between the fourth and tenth postoperative days in 15 patients (14 percent). In 12 of 15 patients (80 percent), the fistula persisted and operative treatment was necessary. In three patients (20 percent), spontaneous closure took place. A recurrent fistula after wound healing was observed in seven patients (6.6 percent). The risk of developing a suture line dehiscence leading to a persistent fistula or a recurrent fistula was 22.5 percent. Ninety-four percent of the patients were continent (continence score 0), 6 percent had a minimal disorder of continence (score 4). A continence level for all patients was determined by the international classification of continence disorders. Direct closure for the treatment of transsphincteric fistulas is a safe and effective approach and achieves a good functional outcome; a small risk of suture line dehiscence, which may lead to a recurrent or persistent fistula, remains.
Enhanced Spreading of Aqueous Films Containing Ethoxylated Alcohol Surfactants on Solid Substrates

The spreading behavior of aqueous solutions containing the ethoxylated alcohol surfactants CH3(CH2)9(OCH2CH2)3OH and CH3(CH2)11(OCH2)n−OH (n = 3−6) on solid substrates has been investigated at different surfactant concentrations and substrate surface energies. The trends in the dynamic spreading behavior differ from those expected on the basis of the thermodynamic spreading coefficients calculated from static surface tensions. The data demonstrate that the spreading rates do not depend upon any identifiable aqueous phase surfactant microstructure. However, the spreading rate dependence upon the length of the hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) chain suggests an interplay between surfactant adsorption on the substrate surface and the aggregation of this surfactant. The results suggest that the onset of turbidity, and an optimal surfactant hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance, are important for achieving high spreading rates.
What is the appropriate role of the trial statistician in preparing and presenting interim findings to an independent Data Monitoring Committee in the U.S. Cancer Cooperative Group setting

A recent draft FDA Guidance on the establishment and operation of clinical trial Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs) suggests that statisticians who prepare and present interim analyses to the DMC should be external to the trial sponsor. In the context of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cooperative Group program, this recommendation appears to imply that Group study statisticians should be blinded to interim data and excluded from the interim monitoring process in all Cooperative Group trials. In this commentary, it is argued that the benefits of such a policy would be minimal in the Cooperative Group setting and are far outweighed by the tangible benefits of including the study statistician in the monitoring process.
Metabolomic analysis reveals amino-acid responses to an oral glucose tolerance test in women with prior history of gestational diabetes mellitus☆

Objective: Although gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to normoglycemic pregnancies, the biochemical pathways underlying the progression of GDM toT2DM are not fully elucidated. The purpose of this exploratory study was to utilize metabolomics with an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to examine the amino acid response in women with prior GDM to determine if a relationship between these metabolites and established risk factors for T2DM exists. Materials/methods: Thirty-eight non-pregnant women without diabetes but with prior GDM within the previous 3 years were recruited from a community-based population. A 75 g-OGTT was administered; fasting and 2-h plasma samples were obtained. Metabolite profiles of 23 amino acids or amino acid derivatives were measured with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Measures of insulin resistance were derived from the OGTT and risk factors for T2DM were obtained by self-report. Results: Twenty-two metabolite levels decreased significantly in response to the OGTT (p < 0.05). The clinical covariates most powerfully associated with metabolite level changes included race, body mass
Cannabinoid 1 Receptor and Interleukin-6 Receptor Together Induce Integration of Protein Kinase and Transcription Factor Signaling to Trigger Neurite Outgrowth

Activation of the Go/i-coupled cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) has been shown to induce neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A cells through activation of Src kinase and STAT3 transcription factor. Signaling by the interleukin 6 receptor (IL-6R) also activates STAT3 through Jak kinase. We studied if signals from the two pathways could be integrated in a synergistic manner to trigger neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A cells. At low concentrations, when agonist at either receptor by itself has no effect, we found that CB1R and IL-6R stimulation together induced synergistic neurite outgrowth. Signal integration requires activation of transcription factors by Src, Jak, and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Mitogen-activated protein kinase can be activated by both receptors and shows enhanced early activation in the presence of both ligands. CREB and STAT3 transcription factors are required for synergy and show enhanced DNA-binding activity when both receptors are activated. STAT3 plays a critical role in integration of the signals downstream of the two receptors. When both pathways are activated, STAT3 phosphorylation is sustained for 6 h. This prolonged activation of STAT3 requires deactivation of SHP2 phosphatase. Reduction of SHP2 levels by RNA interference results in greater synergy in neurite outgrowth. Simultaneous knockdown of both SHP2 and STAT3 blocks the synergistic triggering of neurite outgrowth, indicating that STAT3 is downstream of SHP2. CB1R and IL-6R co-stimulation enhanced the differentiation of rat cortical neuron primary cultures. These results provide a mechanism where multiple protein kinases and transcription factors interact to integrate signals from G protein-coupled and cytokine receptor to evoke neurite outgrowth in Neuro2A cells.
Understanding Minimalist Syntax: Lessons from Locality in Long-Distance Dependencies by BOECKX, CEDRIC.

The article reviews the book "Understanding Minimalist Syntax: Lessons from Locality in Long-Distance Dependencies," by Cedric Boeckx.
Time-Dependent Internal Friction in Aluminum and Magnesium Single Crystals

Magnesium and aluminum single crystals subjected to varying amounts of oscillatory strain of audio frequency have been investigated by measuring the strain amplitude-dependent complex dynamical-mechanical modulus at audio frequencies as a function of temperature and time. If the amplitude of the applied excitation exceeds a critical breakaway strain, an excited mechanical state is manifested in a modification of the amplitude dependence of the complex modulus. Upon cessation of the excitation, the excited state decays. The decay following short excitation times obeys a ${t}^{\frac{1}{3}}$ law, becoming a ${t}^{\frac{2}{3}}$ law as excitation approaches saturation. The short excitation decay rate is found to be governed by an activation energy in the range of 7-10 kcal per mole.The time dependence is considered to be caused by the dispersal and condensation of a pinning atmosphere which has high diffusivity and is easily dispersed by a dislocation segment undergoing pinning interactions with the atmosphere.
Single chip bubble memory packaging

Single chip bubble memory packages are currently in production of Texas Instruments. The mechanical configuration of the packages and some of the assembly techniques will be shown in this paper. Thermal characteristics and magnetic shielding characteristics will be discussed to indicate the type of testing that is required to design an acceptable package. Finally environmental test results will be presented.
A role for the disulfide bond spacer region of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii coupling factor 1 gamma-subunit in redox regulation of ATP synthase.

Theγ-subunit of chloroplast coupling factor 1 contains a disulfide bond which is involved in the redox regulation of the enzyme. In all the sequenced plant γ-subunits this disulfide bond is separated by a five amino acid spacer region. To investigate the regulatory significance of this region genetic transformation experiments were performed withChlamydomonas reinhardtii. C. reinhardtii strainatpC1(nit 1-305, cw 15, mt−), which does not accumulate the CF1γ-subunit polypeptide, was independently transformed with two constructs, each bearing mutations within the disulfide bond spacer region between Cys198 and Cys204 of theγ-subunit. Successful complementation was confirmed by phenotypic selection. Northern blot analysis, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Whereas wild-type thylakoid membrane particles catalyzein vitro, PMS-dependent photophosphorylation that is stimulated 2-fold by the addition of DTT, similar particles from each of the mutant strains exhibit rates of ATP synthesis that are independent of DTT. Consistent with these results, wild-type CF1 ATPase activity is stimulated by DTT which is in contrast to the ATPase activities of both the mutant strains which are independent of DTT addition. These results suggest a role for the γ-subunit disulfide bond spacer region in the redox regulation of chloroplast ATP synthase.
A New Critical Period for Sensory Map Plasticity

The development of neural circuits is influenced by sensory experience during restricted critical periods early in life. A novel critical period is demonstrated for plasticity of the whisker map in layer 2/3 of rat primary somatosensory cortex. Sensory experience during this period guides initial formation of whisker receptive fields.
The enzymatic superactivity in reverse micelles: Role of the dielectric constant

Abstract Calculations previously carried out by the authors regarding the activity of α-chymotrypsin solubilized by the reverse micellar solution of Aerosol OT in isooctane are modified by accounting for the effect of the variation of the dielectric constant with the local field strength and local ionic concentrations in the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The effect of the field strength on the dielectric constant is accounted for through the use of Booth's expression and that of the local ionic concentrations through Hasted's expression. As in the previous calculations, the activity passes through a maximum with the hydration ratio ( W 0 ) and is, in general, greater than that in a bulk aqueous solution having the substrate concentration equal to the overall concentration in the entire reverse micellar solution. The position and the value of the maximum are significantly affected by the value and the radial variation of the dielectric constant of the water pool. For relatively low degrees of dissociation of the reverse micelle, the dielectric constant does not vary significantly with the field strength and the ionic concentrations. In this case, the activities exhibit only moderate enhancement as compared to that in the bulk aqueous solution. Large degrees of dissociation result, however, in significant changes in values and radial variations of the dielectric constant. This leads to higher activities which are comparable to the experimental ones and shifts the maximum to lower values of W 0 as compared to the previous case. The higher activity is due (1) to the higher average substrate concentration in the water pool than that in the bulk aqueous solution when the partitioning of the substrate in the surfactant layer is not too large, and (2) to the pushing of the negatively charged substrate by the likewise charged reverse micellar surface toward the enzyme. The latter effect is expected to be higher when the dielectric constant is smaller because the electrostatic repulsion is higher.
Mentoring girls in juvenile facilities: Connecting college students with incarcerated girls

This paper describes a course offered over the past two summers (2000 and 2001) in the Sociology/Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The course brought college students together with system-involved girls for an eight-week mentoring program. The development and a description of the course are presented, along with the rationale for providing this type of relationally-oriented program to girls. Based primarily on analyses of student papers, there is an exploration of the experiences, perceptions, and changes in attitudes and beliefs of the student mentors. The goal of the course was to provide enriching educational experiences for the students and to provide beneficial and often unavailable services to girls involved in the juvenile justice system. This assessment shows that the course was successful in achieving those outcomes and highlights the key components of a positive and productive relationship between mentor and mentee. This process analysis demon...
No effect of acute exposure to coarse particulate matter air pollution in a rural location on high-density lipoprotein function

AbstractContext: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles perform numerous vascular-protective functions. Animal studies demonstrate that exposure to fine or ultrafine particulate matter (PM) can promote HDL dysfunction. However, the impact of PM on humans remains unknown.Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of exposure to coarse concentrated ambient particles (CAP) on several metrics of HDL function in healthy humans.Methods: Thirty-two adults (25.9 ± 6.6 years) were exposed to coarse CAP [76.2 ± 51.5 µg·m−3] in a rural location and filtered air (FA) for 2 h in a randomized double-blind crossover study. Venous blood collected 2- and 20-h post-exposures was measured for HDL-mediated efflux of [3H]-cholesterol from cells and 20-h exposures for HDL anti-oxidant capacity by a fluorescent assay and paraoxonase activity. The changes [median (first, third quartiles)] between exposures among 29 subjects with available results were compared by matched Wilcoxon tests.Results: HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux...
FREE VIBRATION OF TRANSVERSELY ISOTROPIC SOLID AND THICK-WALLED TOROIDAL SHELLS

The frequency of vibration of thick-walled toroidal shells is studied using a finite element formulation wherein the finite element is derived directly in toroidal coordinates. Hexagonal crystals of thallium and cadmium are used as representative transversely isotropic materials. The shell is assumed to be transversely isotropic with respect to the toroidal radial direction, and results based on that assumption are contrasted to a shell that is transversely isotropic with respect to the circumferential toroidal coordinate. It is established that an analysis based on a toroidal coordinate system is superior to an axisymmetric coordinate system and has some advantages over a commercial finite element code. Tables of results are presented that compare frequency of vibration for the above mentioned transversely isotropic materials and isotropic materials.
Effects of Introducing Classroom Peflormance Assessments on Student Learning

How can performance assessments be used as part of regular instruction? Will this raise student performance on external achievement measures? What aspects of examinee performance improve on the assessment exercises?
Assessment of Extruded Grain Amaranth as a Feed Ingredient for Broilers.1. Apparent Metabolizable Energy Values

Two trials were conducted to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn) of extruded grain amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus). Procedures for these determinations were the total collection method (TCM) and the use of acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as a marker. The AME and AMEn values for the grain were determined both by regression analysis and by calculations based on differences from the basal diet. Based on standard errors of the predicted values and coefficients of determination of the regression equations, TCM produced more accurate results than did AIA. Using regression analysis, the predicted values from the TCM were 3,382 kcal/kg of AME and 3,267 kcal/kg of AMEn on an as-fed basis. When expressed on a dry-matter basis, these values were 3,646 and 3,522 kcal/kg for AME and AMEn, respectively. When the difference method was used to calculate the ME of the extruded grain on an as-fed basis, the values of 3,295 kcal/kg of AME and 3,164 kcal/kg of AMEn were obtained. When the results were expressed on a dry-matter basis, 3,556 kcal/kg of AME and 3,415 kcal/kg of AMEn were determined.
Range limitation for seismic footstep detection

Seismic methods for footstep detection exploit low frequency vibration waves, typically below 100 Hz. There are two limiting factors for detection of human footsteps at these frequencies: walking styles and the background noise floor. The walking style changes the dynamic footstep force on the ground and, therefore, limits the maximum distance at which walkers may be detected. For seismic frequencies, the background vibration noise floor is higher in urban areas than in quiet areas. This article presents and discusses test results of human footstep measurements as a function of distance using the seismic method in quiet and urban areas.
Ignition Process in Single and Multicomponent Polyester/Cotton Textile Structures

The thermal-decomposition behavior and the ignition characteristics of a sories of polyester/cotton fabrics have been studied. Thermal decomposition at 80°C/min in a nitrogen atmosphere is generally retarded by increasing polyester content. Calculated decomposition curves, based on 100% cotton and 100% polyester decomposition curves, do not agree with those observed, either for blended or for layered systems. The interaction implied appears to have a physical rather than a chemical basis. Ignition characteristics in single and multicomponent systems depend sifinificantly on the level of the radiant-energy field surrounding the ignition area, between 7 and 18 W/cm2, as well as on the composition of the fabric. Intrinsic ignition times from autoignition experiments tend to increase with increasing polyester content, but for piloted ignition most intrinsic ignition times are effectively zero.
Procollagen-Like Protein as a Molecular Target in the Treatment of Primary Brain Tumor

METHODS. cDNA library was obtained in one glioma cell line which highly expressed this protein and screening was performed using VDR monoclonal antibody. This partial cDNA was then subcloned into pcDNA3.1 and sequencing was performed. This partial cDNA sequence also was used as a probe to identify mRNA, which encodes for this putative gene. To characterize this 220-Kd protein, we have used five cell lines as follows: Glioma 1, U118, SW1783, which possess variable amount of 220-Kd protein, and U-373 and T-98G which lack this 220-Kd protein.
Runoff, sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus losses from agricultural land converted to sweetgum and switchgrass bioenergy feedstock production in north Alabama.

Abstract Renewable energy sources such as bioenergy crops have significant potential as alternatives to fossil fuels. Potential environmental problems arising from soil sediment and nutrient losses in runoff water from bioenergy crops need to be evaluated in order to determine the sustainability and overall feasibility of implementing bioenergy development strategies. This paper discusses runoff, sediment, N, and total P losses from agricultural land (continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)) converted to short-rotation sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua L.) plantations with and without fescue (Festuca elatior L.) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) bioenergy crops, compared to corn (Zea mays L.), on a Decatur silt loam soil in north Alabama, from 1995 to 1999. Runoff volume was significantly correlated to total rainfall and sediment yield in each year, but treatment differences were not significant. Sweetgum plots produced the highest mean sediment yield of up to 800 kg ha−1compared to corn and switchgrass plots, which averaged less than 200 kg ha−1. Runoff NH4+ N losses averaged over treatments and years for spring season (3.1 kg ha−1) were three to five times those for summer, fall, and winter seasons. Runoff NO3− N for no-till corn and switchgrass plots in spring and summer were five to ten times that for sweetgum plots. No-till corn and switchgrass treatments had 2.4 and 2.1 kg ha−1 average runoff total P, respectively, which were two to three times that for sweetgum treatments. Growing sweetgum with a fescue cover crop provides significantly lower risk of water pollution from sediment, runoff NH4+ N, and NO3− N.
Primary Atomization of a GDi Multi-Hole Plume Using VOF-LES Method

This study is concerned with quantitative analysis of the primary atomization, regarding the droplet size-velocity distribution function, of a multi-hole GDi plume through application of the Volume-of-Fluid Large Eddy Simulation (VOF-LES) method. The distinguishing feature of this study is the inclusion of an accurate seat /nozzle flow domain into the simulation. A VOF-LES study of the seat-nozzle flow and the near-field primary atomization of a single plume of a GDi multi-hole seat is performed. The geometry pertains to a purpose-built 3-hole GDi seat with three identical flow hole and counter-bore nozzles, arranged with 120° circumferential spacing. The VOF-LES prediction of the jet primary breakup structure and near-field macroscale is compared with spray imaging data. The droplet size and velocity distributions within a 4mm vicinity of the nozzle are analyzed. The results show production of a wide droplet size distribution through the jet primary atomization. Analysis of the droplet-size probability function, through comparison with the jet turbulence and KelvinHelmholtz parameters, indicates the dominant role of jet turbulence in the primary breakup process. The simulation results, in the form of the droplet size probability function and the joint droplet size-velocity distribution function, enable a complete description of the plume initial conditions for Lagranagian spray simulation.
The International Year of Statistics: A Celebration and A Call to Action

We are almost two-thirds of the way through 2013, the International Year of Statistics. Statistics2013, as it is also known, is a year-long recognition of the impact of our discipline on science and society. Almost daily, events are taking place across the globe highlighting the contributions of statistics to just about everything. Improving human health. Understanding our environment. Informing decision-making in business and in government. All of us here in this room know the importance of our field. Statistics2013 is devoted to sharing that knowledge – with fellow scientists, industry leaders, government policymakers, students, the media, and the public. Raising awareness of how statistics and statistical thinking affect every one of us will expand opportunities for us to make a difference. And will attract students to the study of statistics, which is essential to meeting the demands posed by this new, data-driven age. And, ultimately, will increase the ability of the public to make sense of what those data mean to them.
The Linear Algebra of Perfect Reconstruction Filtering

There has been considerable recent interest in perfect reconstruction filter banks, wavelets and multiresolution analysis. The basic building blocks for these techniques are special families of convolutions and decimation/interpolation operations. When viewed as linear algebraic operations, those building blocks are unitary operators and related projections. We have developed a general approach to perfect reconstruction and multiresolution analysis that uses polynomial functions of unitary operators and closely related projection operations. This general algebraic framework is powerful in that it easily captures much of the known theory as special cases and gives a simple mechanism for constructing arbitrary perfect reconstruction families of operators. Using the general framework, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the perfect reconstruction property, even for higher dimensional nonseparable sampling lattices and operators. The necessary conditions, although explicitly stated, are not computable however.
Modeling vocal interaction for text-independent detection of involvement hotspots in multi-party meetings

Indexing, retrieval, and summarization in recordings of meetings have, to date, focused largely on the propositional content of what participants say. Although objectively relevant, such content may not be the sole or even the main aim of potential system users. Instead, users may be interested in information bearing on conversation flow. We explore the automatic detection of one example of such information, namely that of hotspots defined in terms of participant involvement. Our proposed system relies exclusively on low-level vocal activity features, and yields a classification accuracy of 84%, representing a 39% reduction of error relative to a baseline which selects the majority class.
Energy harvesting and limits of low power mixed-signal circuit design

Wireless sensors and implantable medical devices have driven IC design to extremes of low power consumption to maximize system operating lifetimes from fixed energy stores or from energy harvested from the environment. Reaching the limits of miniaturization will require approaching the limits of power dissipation. We describe three key sensor subsystems: integrated diodes for solar energy harvesting, efficient microwatt power conversion circuits, and supply-voltage-ripple-tolerant digital circuits. We then extrapolate from these examples to find the minimum surface area and volume required for energy harvesting sensors.
Enhanced absorption and carrier collection in Si wire arrays for photovoltaic applications

The use of silicon nanostructures in solar cells offers a number of benefits, such as the fact they can be used on flexible substrates. A silicon wire-array structure, containing reflecting nanoparticles for enhanced absorption, is now shown to achieve 96% peak absorption efficiency, capturing 85% of light with only 1% of the silicon used in comparable commercial cells. Si wire arrays are a promising architecture for solar-energy-harvesting applications, and may offer a mechanically flexible alternative to Si wafers for photovoltaics1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17. To achieve competitive conversion efficiencies, the wires must absorb sunlight over a broad range of wavelengths and incidence angles, despite occupying only a modest fraction of the array’s volume. Here, we show that arrays having less than 5% areal fraction of wires can achieve up to 96% peak absorption, and that they can absorb up to 85% of day-integrated, above-bandgap direct sunlight. In fact, these arrays show enhanced near-infrared absorption, which allows their overall sunlight absorption to exceed the ray-optics light-trapping absorption limit18 for an equivalent volume of randomly textured planar Si, over a broad range of incidence angles. We furthermore demonstrate that the light absorbed by Si wire arrays can be collected with a peak external quantum efficiency of 0.89, and that they show broadband, near-unity internal quantum efficiency for carrier collection through a radial semiconductor/liquid junction at the surface of each wire. The observed absorption enhancement and collection efficiency enable a cell geometry that not only uses 1/100th the material of traditional wafer-based devices, but also may offer increased photovoltaic efficiency owing to an effective optical concentration of up to 20 times.
Cost efficiency of international insurance firms

This article examines the cost efficiency of insurance firms located in 11 countries over a five-year period, 1988–1992. Two X-inefficiency measures are derived, one from the stochastic cost frontier model and the other from the distribution-free model. The results show that X-inefficiencies not only vary by country but by size and specialization. Firms in Finland and France have the lowest X-inefficiency, while firms in the United Kingdom have the highest. On average, small firms are more cost efficient than large firms worldwide. Firms grouped into those offering single or specialized services also operate more cost efficiently than those offering a combination of life and nonlife services (combined firms). The results also indicate that the X-inefficiency estimates derived from the stochastic cost frontier model are more suitable for this sample of data than those derived from the distribution-free model.
Inferring high-confidence human protein-protein interactions

As numerous experimental factors drive the acquisition, identification, and interpretation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs), aggregated assemblies of human PPI data invariably contain experiment-dependent noise. Ascertaining the reliability of PPIs collected from these diverse studies and scoring them to infer high-confidence networks is a non-trivial task. Moreover, a large number of PPIs share the same number of reported occurrences, making it impossible to distinguish the reliability of these PPIs and rank-order them. For example, for the data analyzed here, we found that the majority (>83%) of currently available human PPIs have been reported only once. In this work, we proposed an unsupervised statistical approach to score a set of diverse, experimentally identified PPIs from nine primary databases to create subsets of high-confidence human PPI networks. We evaluated this ranking method by comparing it with other methods and assessing their ability to retrieve protein associations from a number of diverse and independent reference sets. These reference sets contain known biological data that are either directly or indirectly linked to interactions between proteins. We quantified the average effect of using ranked protein interaction data to retrieve this information and showed that, when compared to randomly ranked interaction data sets, the proposed method created a larger enrichment (~134%) than either ranking based on the hypergeometric test (~109%) or occurrence ranking (~46%). From our evaluations, it was clear that ranked interactions were always of value because higher-ranked PPIs had a higher likelihood of retrieving high-confidence experimental data. Reducing the noise inherent in aggregated experimental PPIs via our ranking scheme further increased the accuracy and enrichment of PPIs derived from a number of biologically relevant data sets. These results suggest that using our high-confidence protein interactions at different levels of confidence will help clarify the topological and biological properties associated with human protein networks.
A tropomyosin-like protein from human platelets.

Abstract A tropomyosin-like protein has been isolated from human platelets. This two-chain α-helical molecule has a subunit molecular weight of 30,000 and forms paracrystals with an axial period of 345 A, which is close to the length of the molecule. It is therefore smaller in size than the 400 A long tropomyosins from muscle. This protein appears to bind to platelet actin. Actomyosin from platelets shows relaxing-factor activity, and this tropomyosin-like protein may have a role in the regulation of contraction.
THE EFFECT OF STATE INSURANCE MANDATES ON INFANT IMMUNIZATION RATES

While US infant immunization rates have been increasing in the last 20 years, the cost of fully immunizing a child with all recommended vaccines has almost tripled. This is partly not only due to new additions in the list of recommended vaccines but also due to the use of new, safer, but more expensive technologies in vaccine production and distribution. In recent years, many states have mandated that recommended childhood vaccines be covered by private health insurance companies. Currently, there are 33 states with such a mandate. In this paper, I examine whether the introduction of mandates on private insurers affected immunization rates. Using state and time variation, I find that mandates increased the immunization rate for three vaccines—the diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis, polio, and measles–mumps–rubella vaccines—by about 1.8 percentage points. These results may provide a lower bound for the expected effect of the Affordable Care Act, which mandates coverage of childhood vaccines for all private insurers in the USA. I also find evidence that the mandates shifted a significant portion of vaccinations from publicly funded sources to private ones, with a decline in public health clinic visits and an increase in vaccinations at hospitals and doctor's offices. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Economic analysis of hydrogen production from wastewater and wood for municipal bus system

Abstract The levelized cost of hydrogen for municipal fuel cell buses has been determined using the DOE H2A model for steam methane reforming (SMR), molten carbonate fuel cell reforming (MCFC), and wood gasification using wastewater biogas and willow wood chips as energy feedstocks. 300 kg H2/day was chosen as the design capacity. Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated for each for the three processes and compared to diesel bus emissions in order to assess environmental impact. The levelized cost per kilogram for SMR, MCFC, and gasification is $5.12, $8.59, and $10.62, respectively. SMR provided the lowest sensitivity to feedstock price, and lowest levelized cost at various scales, with competitive cost to diesel on a cost/km basis. All three technologies provide a reduction in total greenhouse gases compared to diesel bus emissions, with MCFC providing the largest reduction. These results provide preliminary evidence that small scale distributed hydrogen production for public transportation can be relatively cost-effective and have minimal environmental impact.