A lower bound on the period length of a distributed scheduler

Ad-scheduling of a graphG is a sequence of rounds, each consisting of some of the nodes of the graph, such that the distance between any two nodes participating in the same round is greater thand. Ad-scheduler is a protocol that determines ad-scheduling ofG. A 1-scheduler is applicable to process scheduling in a resource-sharing system, and to proper communication scheduling of the half-duplex model in communication networks. A 2-scheduler can be used as a collision-free protocol for radio networks.In this paper a simpled-scheduler is analyzed. We first discuss basic properties of this scheduling, and give a complete characterization of this scheduling for trees and cycles. We study the period length of this scheduling, and the main result is a worst-case exponential lower bound for this length.The research of Shmuel Zaks was supported by the Fund for Research in Electronics, Computers, and Communications adminstered by the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities.     

Inferring region salience from binary and gray-level images

We introduce a method that uses contour fragments to highlight regions of interest. Our method obtains as input either a binary image or the gradient map of a gray-level image. It produces a saliency map that reflects for every point in the image our belief that it belongs to a salient region. Saliency is determined by criteria such as closure, convexity, and size. In addition, gaps in the boundaries of regions diminish their saliency. Explicit scale parameter determines the size of interest. The method is implemented by a convolution of the input edge image with a linear filter that specifies the region of influence of a contour point over the image. Experiments demonstrate the utility of the method for saliency and segmentation.     

A CMOS low noise amplifier with integrated front-side micromachined inductor

The paper presents the design and characterization of a low noise amplifier (LNA) in a 0.18 μm CMOS process with a novel micromachined integrated stacked inductor. The inductor is released from the silicon substrate by a low-cost CMOS compatible dry front-side micromachining process that enables higher inductor quality factor and self-resonance frequency. The post-processed micromachined inductor is used in the matching network of a single stage cascode 4 GHz LNA to improve its RF performance. This study compares performance of the fabricated LNA prior to and after post-processing of the inductor. The measurement results show a 0.5 dB improvement in the minimum noise figure and a 1 dB increase in gain, while good input matching is maintained. These results show that the novel low-cost CMOS compatible front-side dry micromachining process reported here significantly improves performance and is very promising for System-On-Chip (SOC) applications.     

Single Domain 10 nm Ferromagnetism Imprinted on Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles Using Chiral Molecules

The rapid growth in demand for data and the emerging applications of Big Data require the increase of memory capacity. Magnetic memory devices are among the leading technologies for meeting this demand; however, they rely on the use of ferromagnets that creates size reduction limitations and poses complex materials requirements. Usually magnetic memory sizes are limited to 30–50 nm. Reducing the size even further, to the ≈10–20 nm scale, destabilizes the magnetization and its magnetic orientation becomes susceptible to thermal fluctuations and stray magnetic fields. In the present work, it is shown that 10 nm single domain ferromagnetism can be achieved. Using asymmetric adsorption of chiral molecules, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles become ferromagnetic with an average coercive field of ≈80 Oe. The asymmetric adsorption of molecules stabilizes the magnetization direction at room temperature and the orientation is found to depend on the handedness of the chiral molecules. These studies point to a novel method for the miniaturization of ferromagnets (down to ≈10 nm) using established synthetic protocols.     

Interfacing the Cell with “Biomimetic Membrane Proteins”

Integral membrane proteins mediate a myriad of cellular processes and are the target of many therapeutic drugs. Enhancement and extension of the functional scope of membrane proteins can be realized by membrane incorporation of engineered nanoparticles designed for specific diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In contrast to hydrophobic insertion of small amphiphilic molecules, delivery and membrane incorporation of particles on the nanometric scale poses a crucial barrier for technological development. In this perspective, the transformative potential of biomimetic membrane proteins (BMPs), current state of the art, and the barriers that need to be overcome in order to advance the field are discussed.     

Comparison of stroke volume measurements during hemodialysis using bioimpedance cardiography and echocardiography

Background: Fluid management remains a major challenge of hemodialysis (HD) care, with serious implications for morbidity and mortality. Intradialytic fluid management is typically guided by blood pressure, an indirect resultant of hemodynamics status. Direct measurements of hemodynamic parameters may improve cardiovascular outcomes by providing rational bases for intervention. We compare stroke volume (SV) measurements using a noninvasive, regional biompedance cardiography device (NiCaS) with Doppler echocardiography (Echo) in HD setting. Methods: Stroke volumes were simultaneously measured using the devices in 17 patients receiving maintenance HD. Measurements were made during 2 weekly HD treatments, and twice within each HD treatment during the first and last hour of each treatment, for a total of 64 SV measurements. Agreement between devices was assessed using linear regression, a Pearson's correlation coefficient, and a Bland‐Altman plot all adjusted for repeated measures within patients. Results: Echo and NiCaS SV mean and 95% CIs were 58.0 (50.1, 65.8) and 56.7 (49.4, 64.0) mL, respectively. NiCaS SV correlated strongly with Echo SV during the first and last hours of treatments (r = 0.93, P < 0.001 and r = 0.92, P < 0.001, respectively). Linear regression of NiCaS on Echo showed a slope of 0.97, 95% CI (0.91, 1.02) which did not differ from 1, P = 0.20. A Bland‐Altman plot and 4‐Quadrant plot confirmed that the 2 methods produced comparable measurements. Conclusion: NiCaS SV measurements are similar to and strongly correlated with Echo SV measurements. This suggests that noninvasive NiCaS technology may be a practical method for measuring SV during HD.     

Mental illness stigma as a mediator of differences in Caucasian and South Asian college students' attitudes toward psychological counseling.

Previous research has established that Asian Americans use mental health services less frequently and hold poorer attitudes toward psychological counseling than Caucasians. The authors directly tested whether stigmatizing beliefs regarding mental illness might explain such differential attitudes toward counseling in a South Asian and Caucasian student sample. Using mediation analyses, the authors examined 2 aspects of stigma posited to affect help-seeking attitudes: personal stigmatizing views and perceptions of the public's stigmatizing views directed toward persons with mental illness. First, the authors found that Caucasian (n = 74) college students revealed more positive attitudes toward counseling than did South Asian (n = 54) students. Second, in terms of mediation, increased personal stigma, but not perceived stigma, expressed by South Asians partially mediated and accounted for 32% of the observed difference in attitudes toward counseling services. These findings support a long-standing conjecture in the literature regarding the increased significance of stigma processes on disparities in majority-minority help-seeking attitudes. They also suggest that efforts to reduce disparities in attitudes toward counseling for South Asian students specifically should incorporate interventions to reduce the increased stigma expressed by this community, particularly related to a desire for social distance from persons with a mental illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Systemic candidiasis in the newborn. Report of 3 cases

In two related studies, a pictorial sorting task served as the means of measuring conceptual development in LD and normal boys. The studies found no differences in the bases on which groups were formed (perceptible attributes, function, or nominal class membership) or in the manner in which groups were structured (thematically, in complexive groups or superordinate groups). Furthermore, parallel developmental trends were found in both LD and normal subjects groups. These findings are not consistent with early studies of concept formation in brain-damaged subjects, most of whom were retarded. Subjects in the present studies were selected on the basis of clinical diagnosis of LD and average IQ. The findings of the present studies suggest that generalizations about conceptual abilities of LD children of normal intelligence should not be based on early studies of the effects of brain damage.     

An ellipsometric study of relaxation-induced changes in the optical characteristics and structural inhomogeneity of As2S3 glassy thin films

The optical characteristics of thin (～2-μm-thick) films of As₂S₃ chalcogenide glass prepared by thermal deposition in vacuum have been determined from the results of multiangle ellipsometric measurements using He-Ne laser radiation (λ = 0.6328 μm), with allowance for weak absorption in this spectral range. Relaxation-induced changes in the optical properties of both freshly prepared (unannealed) and annealed As₂S₃ films are determined. The possibility of using ellipsometry for the qualitative estimation of the degree of inhomogeneity of the film and its variation in the course of structural transformations during relaxation or under the action of other factors is considered.