Situational influences on gender differences in agency and communion.

Gender differences were examined in the context of situational effects. Participants monitored interpersonal behavior for 20 days, using an event-sampling strategy. The monitored behaviors reflected dominance and submissiveness (components of agency) and agreeableness and quarrelsomeness (components of communion). The situations reflected differences in the status of work roles: interactions with boss, co-worker, and supervisee. Status influenced agency. Individuals were most agentic when with a supervisee and least agentic when with a boss. Gender did not influence agency but did influence communal behaviors. Women were more communal regardless of social role status; women were especially communal with other women, compared with men with men. Findings about agency supported a social role theory interpretation of gender differences. Results for communion were consistent with accounts of the influence of sex segregation on interpersonal relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short-circuit power driven gate sizing technique for reducing powerdissipation

One major challenge in low-power technology is how to reduce overall power dissipation of a given subsystem without impacting its performance. In this paper we present a technique that can be applied to the nonspeed-critical nets in a circuit in order to reduce overall power dissipation. This technique involves a study of short-circuit power dissipation as a function of input signal slews and output load conditions, to aid in making a judicious choice of drive strengths for various gates in a circuit. The resulting low-power solution does not degrade the original performance and yields a circuit which occupies less silicon area. The technique described here can be incorporated into any power optimization or synthesis tool. Lastly, we present the savings in power and area for a 32-b carry lookahead adder which was designed using the technique described here     

K- and Q-bands CMOS frequency sources with X-band quadrature VCO

Fully integrated 10-, 20-, and 40-GHz frequency sources are presented, which are implemented with a 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. A 10-GHz quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) is designed to have output with a low dc level, which can be effectively followed by a frequency multiplier. The proposed multipliers generate signals of 20 and 40 GHz using the harmonics of the QVCO. To have more harmonic power, a frequency doubler with pinchoff clipping is used without any buffers or dc-level shifters. The QVCO has a low phase noise of -118.67 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset frequency with a 1.8-V power supply. The transistor size effect on phase noise is investigated. The frequency doubler has a low phase noise of -111.67 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset frequency is measured, which is 7 dB higher than a phase noise of the QVCO. The doubler can be tuned between 19.8-22 GHz and the output is -6.83 dBm. A fourth-order frequency multiplier, which is used to obtain 40-GHz outputs, shows a phase noise of -102.0 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset frequency with the output power of -18.0 dBm. A large tuning range of 39.3-43.67 GHz (10%) is observed.     

Computational Implementation of Asymmetric Integral Imaging by Use of Two Crossed Lenticular Sheets

We propose an asymmetric integral imaging method to adjust the resolution and depth of a three‐dimensional image. Our method is obtained by use of two lenticular sheets with different pitches fabricated under the same F/#. The asymmetric integral imaging is the generalized version of integral imaging, including both conventional integral imaging and one‐dimensional integral imaging. We present experimental results to test and verify the performance of our method computationally.     

Diagnosis of tapping operations using an AI approach

On-line diagnosis of the machining operations is essential because it can prevent potential problems caused by abnormal conditions. So far, little research has been done for the on-line diagnosis of tapping operations. However, tapping is a very important machining operation. And the on-line diagnosis is essential. In this work, an artificial neural network was utilized for the diagnosis of the tapping operation. The input vector for the neural network is obtained by processing the signals of the thrust, torque, and lateral forces during the tapping operations. A total of ten indices were used in the input layer of the network. The output of the artificial neural network provides the tapping states. Five different tapping states were investigated: normal operation, tap wear, misalignment, oversize hole, and undersize hole. The weights and thresholds of the artificial neural network can be modified by the generalized delta rule. Experimental results showed that diagnosis of tapping operations through an artificial neural network can reach a success rate of over 95%.     

Pseudorandomness of Basic Structures in the Block Cipher KASUMI

The notion of pseudorandomness is the theoretical foundation on which to consider the soundness of a basic structure used in some block ciphers. We examine the pseudorandomness of the block cipher KASUMI, which will be used in the next‐generation cellular phones. First, we prove that the four‐round unbalanced MISTY‐type transformation is pseudorandom in order to illustrate the pseudorandomness of the inside round function FI of KASUMI under an adaptive distinguisher model. Second, we show that the three‐round KASUMI‐like structure is not pseudorandom but the four‐round KASUMI‐like structure is pseudorandom under a non‐adaptive distinguisher model.     

Distributed Multirobot Exploration and Mapping

Efficient exploration of unknown environments is a fundamental problem in mobile robotics. We present an approach to distributed multirobot mapping and exploration. Our system enables teams of robots to efficiently explore environments from different, unknown locations. In order to ensure consistency when combining their data into shared maps, the robots actively seek to verify their relative locations. Using shared maps, they coordinate their exploration strategies to maximize the efficiency of exploration. This system was evaluated under extremely realistic real-world conditions. An outside evaluation team found the system to be highly efficient and robust. The maps generated by our approach are consistently more accurate than those generated by manually measuring the locations and extensions of rooms and objects.     

Reliability of a k-out-of-n: G system with common-mode outages

This paper presents the model of a k-out-of-n: G system with common mode outages. The objective is to analytically derive the mean operating mode between failures for a non-repairable component system. The average system failure time and the system availability are also considered. Then, the model is extended to a system with repairable components and unrestricted repair, in which service times are exponentially distributed.     

Self-Organization of Microlens Arrays Caused by the Spin-Coating-Assisted Hydrophobic Effect

A simple, low-cost, low-temperature, and shape-controllable approach has been demonstrated to fabricate polymer microlens arrays (MLAs). By using microcontact printing of the self-assembled monolayers and then spin coating, the microlenses were able to organize themselves on the patterned glass substrate. High-quality MLAs made of NOA65 prepolymer with lens-diameters of 50, 75, and 100 mum have been fabricated by this method. Lens shapes can be controlled by changing the spin rates of the prepolymer coating. Optical measurements have revealed an excellent light-collecting capability from the fabricated MLAs. It is anticipated that the technique will be ideally suited to low-cost and high-volume production     

Mechanical properties and antibacterial activity of peroxide‐cured silicone rubber foams

Silicone rubber (SR) foams were prepared by the peroxide curing of a silicone compound with 2,4‐dichlorobenzoyl peroxide (DCBP), di‐t‐butyl peroxide (DTBP), or 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐di(t‐butylperoxy) hexane (DBPH) in the presence of 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a blowing agent. The cells were formed in the foam as a result of nitrogen produced by the decomposition of AIBN during the foaming process. The cell size, hardness, and tensile properties of the SR foams were examined as a function of the peroxide concentration. When the peroxide concentration increased, the hardness and tensile strength of the SR foams increased, whereas the cell size and elongation at break decreased. The antibacterial activity of the prepared foams was also evaluated via their effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The peroxide‐cured SR foams had antibacterial activity because a toxic residue was generated by the peroxide decomposition. The foam prepared by the AIBN/DCBP system showed more antibacterial activity than the AIBN/DBPH and AIBN/DTBP ones. However, after postcuring at 250°C for 2 h, the antibacterial activity of the SR foams significantly decreased. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008