Frontal brain activation in repressors and nonrepressors.

Assessed whether resting anterior asymmetry would discriminate individual differences in repressive-defensive coping styles. In 2 sessions, resting electroencephalogram was recorded from female adults during 8 60-sec baselines. Ss were classified as repressors or nonrepressors on the basis of scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In midfrontal and lateral frontal sites, repressors demonstrated relative left hemisphere activation when compared with other groups. The MC, but not the STAI or the BDI, contributed unique variance to frontal asymmetry. Relative left frontal activation may be linked to a self-enhancing regulatory style that promotes lowered risk for psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The vulnerability of geometric sequences based on fields of odd characteristic

A new method of cryptologic attack on binary sequences is given, using their linear complexities relative to odd prime numbers. We show that, relative to a particular prime number p, the linear complexity of a binary geometric sequence is low. It is also shown that the prime p can be determined with high probability by a randomized algorithm if a number of bits much smaller than the linear complexity is known. This determination is made by exploiting the imbalance in the number of zeros and ones in the sequences in question, and uses a new statistical measure, the partial imbalance.This project was sponsored by the National Security Agency under Grant No. MDA904-91-H-0012. The United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints notwithstanding any copyright notation hereon.     

Long-term effect of inducible silent ischaemia on left ventricular systolic function

A new method of thin section preparation of III-V semiconductors and multilayers for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is presented that exhibits considerable advantages over conventional methods such as ion beam milling and jet thinning. GaAs thin films and multilayers of GaAs/In chi Ga1-chi As/GaAs are grown over an etch release layer of AlAs on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Planar TEM sections prepared by selective etching from these samples show improved ability to image film morphology and dislocation arrangements, and the resulting large thin electron transparent areas facilitate dislocation density measurements and detection of spatial variations. Avoidance of radiation effects and wedge shaping, both common to ion milled samples, allows this method to be used to prepare uniform thickness standards of single layer GaAs films for EDS analysis or lattice imaging.     

Study on the propagation of inlet flow distortion in axial compressor using an integral method

 An integral method is investigated and developed in the current work. The effects of the parameters of inlet distortions on the trend of downstream flow feature in compressor are simulated. Other than the drag-to-lift ratio of the blade and the inlet incidence angle, it is found that the distorted inlet velocity is another essential parameter to control the distortion in propagation. Based on this study, a novel critical distortion line and corresponding critical distortion factor are proposed to express the effect of the two essential inlet parameters on the propagation of distortion, namely, the inlet incidence angle and the distorted inlet velocity. From the viewpoint of compressor efficiency, the propagation of inlet flow distortion is further described by a compressor critical performance and its critical characteristic. The results present a useful physical insight to an axial flow compressor behavior and asymptotic behavior of the propagation of inlet distortion, and confirm the active role of compressor in determining the velocity distribution when compressor responds to an inlet flow distortion. Received: 20 December 2001 / Accepted: 21 August 2002 The authors would like to thank HQ RSAF for permission to publish this work, their financial support and encouragement. The first author wants to acknowledge Prof. Frank Marble of California Institute of Technology, for bringing the problem to the author's attention and for his helpful discussion.     

Self-efficacy expectations predict survival for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Evaluated the validity of self-efficacy expectations as predictors of mortality for 119 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ss completed 4 physiological measures that represent common clinical indicators of disease severity: forced expiratory volume in 1 s(FEV1.0), arterial blood gas measurement of resting partial pressure of oxygen (PaO?), single-breath diffusing capacity (DLCO), and maximum oxygen uptake (V02max) during exercise. In addition, self-reported self-efficacy expectation for walking on a treadmill was measured. Self-efficacy was a significant univariate predictor of 5-yr survival. However, when controlling for FEV1.0 in multivariate survival analysis, self-efficacy had only a marginal effect. Simple self-report scales may provide significant information about health status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dynamic frequency grid allocation scheme for the efficient designof equiripple FIR filters

In the design of a digital filter, the frequency response is often optimized to meet a given set of specifications on a dense grid of frequency points. The density of the frequency grid points must be sufficiently high so that the frequency response of the filter does not violate the specifications at frequencies in between the grid points. However, the computational complexity of the design process and the storage requirements of the computer increase with the number of frequency grid points. We propose a novel dynamic: grid point allocation technique for the design of minimax optimum FIR filter. It uses a sparse frequency grid but will produce a design that is the same as one designed on very dense frequency grid points. It requires significantly less computer time and memory resources compared with fixed grid point algorithms     

Analysis and characterization of traveling-wave electrode in electroabsorption modulator for radio-on-fiber application

Comparing with a lumped electroabsorption modulator (EAM), we show the merits of a long EAM with traveling-wave electrode with high radio-frequency (RF) gain that could be used in high-frequency analog application. By terminating the RF output port with the characteristic impedance of 30 /spl Omega/, the device exhibited a large enhancement of 6 dB above 10 GHz in the electrical-to-optical response and a wide fractional bandwidth as estimated from simulation. In addition, an input impedance matching circuit of stub embedded on the device chip was found to be very effective for improving RF characteristics in the narrow band of frequency.     

A New Variable Diffusion Drying Model for the Second Falling Rate Period of Paddy Dried in a Rapid Bin Dryer

The objectives of this article is to propose a new drying model for the second falling rate period known as the variable diffusion controlled period that follows after the first falling rate period and to propose a new method to determine the second critical moisture content that separates these two periods. Experimental work on paddy drying at minimum fluidization velocity was carried out in a rapid bin dryer. The effects of operating temperatures (60-120°C) and bed depths (2-6 cm) on the paddy drying characteristics were investigated. It was found that the normalized drying rate of paddy was proportional to the normalized moisture content in the first falling rate period but in the second falling rate period, the normalized drying rate of the material varies exponentially with the normalized moisture content. The different relationship between the normalized drying rate and the normalized moisture content in the first and second falling rate periods indicate that two different mechanism of moisture transport are at work. The new exponential model of the second falling rate period and the linear model of the first falling rate period were found to fit the experimental data very well. Derivation from variable diffusion equation shows that the linear model is the result of constant diffusion coefficient whereas the new exponential model is the result of linear diffusion coefficient. This also implies that the first falling rate period is a constant diffusion controlled period and the second falling rate period is a variable diffusion controlled period. In addition, drying kinetics data of a drying process that fits the exponential model over a very slow drying period will show that the drying process is under the effect of a linear diffusion coefficient. It was also found that the proposed new method to determine the second critical moisture content that distinguishes between the first and second falling rate periods by using a sudden change in the value of the drying rate gradient to a much lower value at that point is more rigorous and yet simpler than the method of determining the specific location of the receding drying boundary since it is based on the behavior of the actual drying kinetic data.     

A One‐Kilobit PQR‐CMOS Smart Pixel Array

The photonic quantum ring (PQR) laser is a three dimensional whispering gallery (WG) mode laser and has anomalous quantum wire properties, such as microampere to nanoampere range threshold currents and √T‐dependent thermal red shifts. We observed uniform bottom emissions from a 1‐kb smart pixel chip of a 32×32 InGaAs PQR laser array flip‐chip bonded to a 0.35 µm CMOS‐based PQR laser driver. The PQR‐CMOS smart pixel array, now operating at 30 MHz, will be improved to the GHz frequency range through device and circuit optimization.