cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inclusion of temporal effects in forecasting building electrical loads for demand resource planning

This paper presents a method of load forecasting specifically for predicting a building's electrical load for demand resource planning. This forecasting method allows the manager of a controllable load to assess his or her risk and capabilities when participating in the energy market. Correlation studies are performed using demand data collected for the main library building at Drexel University in order to identify important factors that drive the electrical demand of the building as well as importance of temporal load dependencies. Incorporating these temporal dependencies is the primary focus of this work. A general problem formulation for building-specific load forecasting based on previous research is first presented. The remainder of the paper focuses on a simple engineering method of including temporal effects into the forecaster. The forecasting method presented here is tested using the data collected at Drexel University and the results compared to the case when temporal load dependencies are ignored, demonstrating its ability as a demand resource planning tool.
Application of the Padé Approximant to Scattering Theory

The Pad\'e approximant is shown to yield exactly unitary $S$ matrices in scattering theory. The method is used to construct a unitary $S$ matrix for $n\ensuremath{-}d$ scattering above the threshold for inelastic scattering. Thus the effect of inelastic scattering on elastic-scattering total cross sections and angular distributions is calculated. No cusps are found at the threshold.
New techniques for computing order statistics in Euclidean space (extended abstract)

Given a finite point-set S in E2, how hard is it to compute the kth largest interdistance, or say, the kth largest slope or kth largest triangular area formed by points of S? We examine the complexity of a general class of problems built from these examples, and present a number of techniques for deriving nontrivial upper bounds. Surprisingly, these bounds often match or come very close to the complexity of the corresponding extremal problems (e.g. computing the largest or smallest interdistance, slope, etc.)
Spirituality and Public Service

The common pronouncement of a career in public service as a “calling” echoes with a decidedly spiritual chord. However, the spiritual roots of public service have been ignored in much of the public administration scholarship. This essay examines the empirical connection between individual spirituality and participation in public service occupations. Data from the 1998 General Social Survey are analyzed to determine whether those in public service occupations are more spiritual than persons in non–public service occupations. The findings indicate that individuals in public service occupations, especially government-related ones, are in fact more spiritual in their attitudes than others. Moreover, belief in the notions of transcendence and compassion for others are more pronounced in public service employees. Finally, the experience of interconnectedness and life meaning is greater for those in the public service.
'Simple' model systems need comparative studies: differences are as important as commonalities

The study of selected species and preparations as simple models of nervous systems has brought us many insights into neural function but it has been limited in respect to one major class of questions: namely, those concerned with the phenomenon of evolutionary advancement in brain and behavior in higher animals. Given that some taxa, such as primates, are more advanced than others, such as elasmobranchs or hymenopterans, we have little understanding of how differences in behavior relate to differences in anatomy, physiology or biochemistry.
Systolic FFT Processors: A Personal Perspective

This paper provides a personal perspective on developments in the implementation of two systolic fast Fourier transform processors over the last 25 years and identifies some of the lessons learned. This has been a period of tremendous advancements in integrated circuit technology that is demonstrated by the resulting processors. The first processor is the Modular Transform Processor that was developed at TRW in the 1982---1984 time frame using VLSI technology. It is a set of six large circuit boards that computes 4,096-point fast Fourier transforms using 22-bit floating-point arithmetic at sustained data rates of 40 MSPS. The second processor is a single ASIC chip systolic FFT processor developed by the Mayo Foundation in the 2001---2002 time frame that computes 4,096-point FFTs using 16-bit fixed-point arithmetic at sustained data rates of 200 MSPS. Some thoughts on the future directions of systolic FFT processor development are offered. Future systems will compute large transforms (e.g., 16 K-point to 1 M-point) at high data rates (e.g., 500 MSPS to 1 GSPS), will employ more precise arithmetic (e.g., 32-bit single precision IEEE Standard floating-point arithmetic), will consume very low power (e.g., on the order of one watt) and will be realized on a single chip.
Carbon Dioxide Regeneration of Ion Exchange Resins and Fibers: A Review

Alternative chemicals for the regenerant of ion exchangers have been the subject of research for the past sixty years. The advances spanning this time period have been significant and demonstrated at the laboratory, pilot, and commercial scale. The use of carbon dioxide as a regenerant has several significant benefits including cost savings, waste minimization, and carbon dioxide sequestration, with applications including: chemical synthesis, desalination, demineralization, metals removal and hardness removal. Having originally been pursued as a means of reducing costs of regenerant chemicals, regeneration with carbon dioxide has also been described as a non-polluting separation process and has shown significant environmental benefits. Its use as a regenerant circumvents the use of brines, strong acids, or other aggressive chemicals and with the advent of new materials such as ion exchange fibers, the list of potential applications will continue to grow. This review discusses some of the significant advan...
The behaviour of density functionals with respect to basis set. V. Recontraction of correlation consistent basis sets

The correlation consistent basis sets of Dunning and coworkers, cc-pVnZ (n = D, T, Q, and 5) have been recontracted for use in BLYP and B3LYP density functional computations. A set of first row atoms (H, B–Ne) and molecules has been used to investigate properties including total energies, ionization potentials, electron affinities (vertical attachment energies), atomization energies, and optimized geometries. The impact of basis set superposition error on these properties also has been examined. Compared with the original Hartree–Fock contractions, these Kohn–Sham contractions are found to be superior for energetics, but have little impact on geometries. Extrapolations to the complete basis set (Kohn–Sham) limit have also been performed for energetic properties using the newly recontracted sets, and have been compared with extrapolations using the original cc-pVnZ basis sets. We have found that recontracting the basis sets, correcting for basis set superposition error, and including diffuse functions in t...
Three-year growth and yield of Populus hybrids grown under intensive culture☆

Abstract Above-ground growth of four Populus × euramericana clones was compared on intensively cultured plots in Ames, Iowa, and Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Clones 5323 and 5377 were superior biomass producers three years from planting. The lowest planting density (5,000 trees ha−1) produced the greatest leaf surface area and stem-branch per tree, whereas the highest density (15,000 trees ha−1) yielded the greatest leaf area and stem-branch per hectare. Better growth performance was shown at Ames than at Rhinelander.
Climatic regime shifts and decadal-scale variability in calanoid copepod populations off southern California

Decadal-scale climatic regimes and the shifts between them have important impacts on marine ecosystems. Climatic regime shifts have been observed or hypothesized in the North Pacific basin in 1976‐77 and 1989. This paper examines long-term (1951‐99) trends in calanoid copepod populations off southern California, and the evidence for responses to regime shifts. Most of the species of calanoid copepod that were analysed underwent one or more step changes during the 49 years covered by the study. All but one of these changes occurred in five periods: the late 1950s, late 1960s, mid-1970s, early 1980s and around 1990. The late 1960s changes are considered to be artifacts of an
Genetic heterozygosity and reproductive success in the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea

The relationship between genetic variation and fitness characteristics is important because reduced variation at the population level is usually associated with reduced viability of individuals. Adult green treefrogs from a single population were examined at eight polymorphic allozyme loci to test the prediction that a positive correlation exists between reproductive success and number of heterozygous loci. In females, clutch size, corrected for snout-vent length, and total number of surviving offspring were significantly correlated with number of heterozygous loci. The relationship with percentage hatched showed the same correlation, but it was not significant. Body size as measured by snout-vent length was not associated with number of heterozygous loci, although larger females had significantly more hatched offspring. In males, heterozygosity was not associated with body size or hatching success of the clutch. Total reproductive success in females was positively correlated with number of heterozygous loci, while factors such as body size, which may affect fitness, were not.
Necrotizing Fasciitis: Reviewing the Causes and Treatment Strategies

Purpose To update the practitioner with causes, diagnosis, and treatment options for necrotizing fasciitis. Target audience This continuing education activity is intended for physicians and nurses with an interest in better understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of necrotizing fasciitis. Objectives After reading this article and taking this test, the reader should be able to: 1. Identify the risk factors and causes of necrotizing fasciitis (NF). 2. Describe the clinical presentation and diagnosis of NF. 3. Explain the treatment options for NF.
Gestational exposure to methylmercury alters neurotrophin- and carbachol-stimulated phosphatidylinositide hydrolysis in cerebral cortex of neonatal rats.

Neurotrophin-stimulated signal transduction through the Trk receptors has been implicated in the development and survival of the nervous system. Phospholipase Cy (PLCy) is an early downstream effector for the Trk receptors, and catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositides (PIs) to inositol phosphates (IPs) and diacylglycerol. The current study demonstrated that PI hydrolysis can be used as a measure of Trk stimulation in slices from neonatal rat brain, and examined changes in the ontogeny of neurotrophin-stimulated PI hydrolysis in animals exposed to MeHg during gestation. Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) stimulated PI hydrolysis in neocortical and cerebellar slices from neonatal rats in a concentration-dependent manner (30–1000 ng/ml). The neurotrophin-stimulated PI hydrolysis was completely blocked by K-252a, a compound known to inhibit Trk autopho-sphorylation. To examine the effects of MeHg on PI hydrolysis, Long-Evans dams were dosed p.o. on gestational days 6–15 with 0 or 2 mg/kg/day MeHg dissolved in saline. Pups were sacrificed on postnatal days (PND) 1, 4, 10, 14, and 21 and brain slices prepared from the neocortex and cerebellum. Neurotrophin-stimulated PI hydrolysis was highest on PND 1–4 and decreased with age in slices from both regions. Prior exposure to MeHg had no effect on NT-3 or BDNF-stimulated PI hydrolysis in the cerebellum; however, in the neocortex carbachol-stimulated PI hydrolysis and NT-3-stimulated PI hydrolysis were decreased on PND 1. In addition, NT-3-stimulated PI hydrolysis was increased on PND 14 compared to controls. Nerve growth factor (NGF), which had no effect in controls, increased PI hydrolysis in MeHg exposed animals. Acute exposure to 10 μM MeHg increased basal PI hydrolysis in cortical slices and increased NT-3- and BDNF-stimulated PI hydrolysis in slices from the cerebellum. These data indicate that gestational exposure to MeHg can alter neurotrophin signaling in the neocortex at early postnatal times.
Pedestrian injury analysis with consideration of the selectivity bias in linked police-hospital data

Abstract Evaluation of crash-related injuries by medical specialists in hospitals is believed to be more exact than rather a cursory evaluation made at the crash scene. Safety analysts sometimes reach for hospital data and use them in combination with the police crash data. One issue that needs to be addressed is the, so-called, selectivity (or selection) bias possible when data used in analysis are not coming from random sampling. If not properly addressed, this issue can lead to a considerable bias in both the model coefficient estimates and the model predictions. This paper investigates pedestrian injury severity factors using linked police-hospital data. A bivariate ordered probit model with sample selection is used to check for the presence of the selectivity bias and to account for it in the MAIS estimates on the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS). The presence of the sample selection issue has been confirmed. The selectivity bias is considerable in predictions of low injury levels. The pedestrian injury analysis identified and estimated several severity factors, including pedestrian, road, and vehicle characteristics. Male and older pedestrians were found to be particularly exposed to severe injuries. Rural roads and high-speed urban roads appear to be more dangerous for pedestrians, particularly when crossing such roads. Crossing a road between intersections was found to be particularly dangerous behavior. The size and weight of the vehicle involved in a pedestrian crash were also found to have an effect on the pedestrian injury level. The relevant safety countermeasures that may improve pedestrian safety have been proposed.
Improving stability of NDVI data for NOAA environmental satellite

Empirical distribution functions were applied for improving stability of NDVI data for NOAA environmental satellites. This paper investigates NDVI stability in the NOAA/NESDIS Global Vegetation Index (GVI) data set during 1982- 2003, in the period, which includes five NOAA series satellites. Degradation of NDVI over time and NDVI's shifts between the satellites were estimated for geographical location in China. The method of matching empirical distribution functions improves the time relative stability of NDVI data for all satellites, especially NOAA-9, -11 and -14.
Autonomy or independence in distributed systems?: position paper

The use of remote resources such as printers, specialized hardware, execution cycles, disk storage and so on is motivated primarily by economic considerations. It is often cheaper and more convenient for a collection of sites to share in the use of a common pool of such resources. If the negative consequences of sharing rise to intolerable levels, they can alleviated by adding local resources. For example, one can add a local disk or printer to a workstation, thereby reducing its dependence on the rest of the distributed system for computational resources. It is also often the case that an application is indifferent to the specific remote resource it is using. For example, one remote Vax is as good as another identical one as far as execution cycles are concerned. Thus it is possible to develop strategies to replace loss of remote resources by other equivalent resources. The challenge, of course, is to come up with mechanisms (such as process migration, in the above example) that make such alternative use of resources convenient, efficient, and transparent to applications.
Ostracism: The kiss of social death.

To be ostracized is to be ignored and excluded. How does ostracism affect individuals? Considerable research has now shown that the initial (reflexive) reactions to even the most minimal forms of ostracism are painful and distressing. Fundamental needs of belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence are thwarted; sadness and anger increase. These effects emerge despite individual differences or situational factors that should lead logically to easy dismissal. With time to appraise the ostracism episode, individuals become differentially sensitized based on (i) the specific needs that are thwarted, (ii) their own individual differences, and (iii) their assessment of who ostracizes and why. These differences lead to need-restorative behaviors that range from being overly socially attentive and susceptible to influence to being aggressive and antisocial.
Autosomal recessive generalized myotonia

Two siblings and a first degree cousin of a consanguinous marriage were afflicted with recessive generalized myotonia (RGMy). All had muscle weakness which was particularly prominent after rest, thinning of the forearms, weakness of anterior compartment muscles, and muscular contractures. The first degree cousin was the most severely afflicted with congenital myotonia. Muscle biopsy and electromyography were consistent with a myopathy. Exercise after rest demonstrated a marked reduction in muscle membrane excitability in all patients.
Quadratic electroabsorption studies of molecular motion in dye-doped polymers

This paper reports on quadratic electroabsorption studies of thin-film solid solutions of squarylium dye molecules in poly(methylmethacrylate) polymer with the aim of understanding the role of electronic and reorientational mechanisms in the third-order nonlinear-optical susceptibility. We present a generalized theory of the quadratic electrooptic response that includes both electronic mechanisms and molecular reorientation and show that the ratio of two independent third-order susceptibility tensor components, namely (chi) (3)3333/(chi) (3)1133, determines the relative contribution of each mechanism. Based on these theoretical results, we have designed and built an experiment that determines this ratio as a function of temperature and wavelength. Results show that at room temperature and near the first electronic transition wavelength, the response is dominated by the electronic mechanism, and that the reorientational contribution dominates when the sample is heated above its glass transition temperature. Furthermore, results show that, off-resonance, the sign of the imaginary part of the third-order susceptibility is positive. Quadratic electroabsorption is thus shown to be a versatile tool for measuring the imaginary part of the third-order nonlinear-optical susceptibility which yields information about the interaction of polymer and dopant molecule.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Gene segment selection in V(D)J recombination: accessibility and beyond

V(D)J recombination assembles genes encoding antigen receptors according to defined developmental programs in immature B and T lymphocytes. The 'accessibility hypothesis' was initially invoked to explain how a single recombinase complex could control the locus and allele specificity of V(D)J recombination. It has been since shown that recombination signal sequences themselves influence recombination efficiency and specificity in ways that had not been previously appreciated. Recent developments have increased our understanding of how the chromatin barrier to V(D)J recombination is regulated, and how chromatin control and the properties of the underlying recombination signal sequences may cooperate to create diverse, lineage-restricted and allelically excluded repertoires of antigen receptors.
Abnormal Subgrain Growth by Monte Carlo Simulation Based on Hot-Rolled AA5005 Aluminum Alloy Texture

The subgrain structure of hot rolled aluminum alloy AA 5005 has been characterized on as-received samples using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Based on the OIM scans of RD-ND and TD-ND, 3 dimensional microstructures of subgrains are built up using the 3D Microstructure Builder, which is a method for developing statistically representative digital representations of microstructures. Following the generation of microstructure, different textures were fit to these reconstructed 3D microstructures, based on individual components such as Brass and S textures. For this study, the Brass texture was chosen as an exemplary case. Monte Carlo simulation was used to model subgrain coarsening and visualization was a key to detecting abnormal grain growth. The main objective is to understand the circumstances under which we can expect abnormal (sub-)grain growth to lead to nucleation of recrystallization.
Correlates of local union officers' satisfaction

Three models of satisfaction with the national union were tested by regression analysis on a sample of 139 elected local union officers. The first model (expectations-performance) hypothesized satisfaction to be a function of expectations of union performance and perceived performance on three dimensions, wages and benefits, quality of worklife, and member-union relations. The second model (discrepancy) considered satisfaction to be a function of the difference between expectations and performance on these three dimensions. The third model (instrumentality) hypothesized satisfaction as a function of union beliefs and demographic variables in addition to the expectations and perceived performance measures. The expectations-performance and discrepancy models accounted for less variance in satisfaction than the instrumentality model. Satisfaction with the national union was related to union strength and quality of leadership. These findings indicate that the theoretical conceptualization and correlates of sa...
An Estimate of Tidal Energy Lost to Turbulence at the Hawaiian Ridge

Abstract An integrated analysis of turbulence observations from four unique instrument platforms obtained over the Hawaiian Ridge leads to an assessment of the vertical, cross-ridge, and along-ridge structure of turbulence dissipation rate and diffusivity. The diffusivity near the seafloor was, on average, 15 times that in the midwater column. At 1000-m depth, the diffusivity atop the ridge was 30 times that 10 km off the ridge, decreasing to background oceanic values by 60 km. A weak (factor of 2) spring–neap variation in dissipation was observed. The observations also suggest a kinematic relationship between the energy in the semidiurnal internal tide (E) and the depth-integrated dissipation (D), such that D ∼ E1±0.5 at sites along the ridge. This kinematic relationship is supported by combining a simple knife-edge model to estimate internal tide generation, with wave–wave interaction time scales to estimate dissipation. The along-ridge kinematic relationship and the observed vertical and cross-ridge st...
Uniprocessor EDF scheduling of AVR task systems

The adaptive varying-rate (AVR) task model has been proposed as a means of modeling certain physically-derived constraints in CPS's in a manner that is more accurate (less pessimistic) than is possible using prior task models from real-time scheduling theory. Existing work on schedulability analysis of systems of AVR tasks is primarily restricted to fixed-priority scheduling; this paper establishes schedulability analysis results for systems of AVR and sporadic tasks under Earliest Deadline First (EDF) scheduling. The proposed analysis techniques are evaluated both theoretically via the speedup factor metric, and experimentally via schedulability experiments on randomly-generated task systems.
Causes of interannual variability in the sea ice cover of the Eastern Bering Sea

It has been shown that large-scale weather patterns in both the tropical South Pacific (El Nino-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, events) and the North Pacific (Pacific-North American, or PNA, patterns) have strong teleconnection effects on the air, ice, and ocean environments of the Bering Sea. This signal apparently comes via the atmosphere and not the ocean. The connection between variability of the Bering Sea and the ENSO and PNA appears to be the winter position of the Aleutian Low. Interannual variability in air temperatures, ice cover, and surface winds in the Bering Sea generally are in phase with each other, whereas sea-surface temperatures (SST) tend to lag these variables by 1–3 months. These Bering Sea time-series are significantly correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) time-series (an indicator of ENSO events) when the Bering sea data are lagged behind the SOI for up to 18 months. The correlations suggest that warming in the Bering Sea follows negative anomalies in the SOI (i.e., El Nino events). Cooling in the Bering Sea tends to follow positive anomalies (i.e., precursors of El Ninos) in the SOI. Maximal correlations for the PNA also lag the SOI by a mouth or two.
Rapid colorimetric detection of proteins and bacteria using silver reduction/precipitation catalyzed by gold nanoparticles

A colorimetric immunoassay has been developed based on the reduction and precipitation of silver ions catalyzed by colloidal gold. This method was evaluated for a noncompetitive heterogeneous immunoassay to detect ovalbumin as a model protein and Escherichia coli as model bacterium. The influence of relevant experimental variables, including the reaction time of antigen with antibody, the dilution ratio of the colloidal gold-labeled protein, time allowed for silver reduction/precipitation reaction and other parameters were examined and optimized. This colorimetric method of detection is convenient, easy to use and economic. The presence of the target molecules or antigens can be visually inferred based on the color change that occurs in a short time without using major instrumentation. This method is widely amenable for detection of proteins, viruses and bacteria.
Multicast Authentication in the Smart Grid With One-Time Signature

Multicast has been envisioned to be useful in many smart grid applications such as demand-response, wide area protection , in-substation protection and various operation and control. Since the multicast messages are related to critical control, authentication is necessary to prevent message forgery attacks. In this paper, we first identify the requirements of multicast communication and multicast authentication in the smart grid. Based on these requirements, we find that one-time signature based multicast authentication is a promising solution, due to its short authentication delay and low computation cost. However, existing one-time signatures are not designed for the smart grid and they may have high storage and bandwidth overhead. To address this problem, we propose a new one-time signature scheme which can reduce the storage cost by a factor of 8 and reduce the signature size by 40% compared with existing schemes. Thus, our scheme is more appropriate for smart grid applications where the receivers have limited storage (e.g., home appliances and field devices) or where data communication is frequent and short (e.g., phasor data). These gains are at the cost of increased computations in signature generation and/or verification and fortunately our scheme can flexibly allocate the computations between the sender and receiver based on their computing resources. We formulate the computation allocation as a nonlinear integer programming problem to minimize the signing cost under a certain verification cost and propose a heuristic solution to solve it.
Use of Ambulatory Overnight Oximetry to Investigate Sleep Apnea in a General Internal Medicine Practice

OBJECTIVE To examine how clinical factors and results from ambulatory overnight oximetry related to recommendations for further sleep evaluation in patients with clinically suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed 100 medical records selected randomly from 375 consecutive patients for whom ambulatory overnight oximetry had been ordered by internists and completed between September 1, 2001, and May 1, 2002. We analyzed relationships among clinical information, oximetry results, resultant recommendations, and patient follow-up data. RESULTS Only 21 of 100 patients had normal results from ambulatory overnight oximetry; 5 were referred for further sleep consultation. Abnormal results from ambulatory overnight oximetry were seen in 79 patients, but only 51 were referred for further sleep evaluation. Abnormal results from ambulatory overnight oximetry were associated with only a small increased likelihood of referral (likelihood ratio, 2.7; confidence interval, 1.2-6.0). Those with an oxygen desaturation index (number of desaturation events per hour of recording time) of greater than 15 received sleep consultation at a median of 8 days after completion of oximetry, whereas those with an oxygen desaturation index of 6 to 10 were evaluated in a median of 42 days ( P =.60). All 17 patients who had minimum oxygen saturation of less than 80% were referred for further evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal results from ambulatory overnight oximetry per se may not substantially influence internist referral of patients with clinically suspected sleep apnea for further sleep evaluation. Rather, severity of oximetry abnormalities is used along with other patient-related factors and sleep study accessibility to prioritize the need and urgency of further evaluation.
The spinal needle test for estimating the thickness of the umbilicus at laparoscopy

Purpose: Originally described by Semm in 1987, the spinal needle test can be used to estimate the thickness of the umbilicus following insufflation and before initial trocar placement at laparoscopy. The purpose of this study was to correlate umbilical thickness with body mass index (BMI) and weight. Methods: Patients enrolled presented for diagnostic and operative laparoscopy. The spinal needle test was performed following carbon dioxide insufflation by inserting a spinal needle attached to a saline-filled syringe perpendicular to the skin and advancing the needle until the gas pocket was identified. The umbilical thickness was then measured and recorded on three occasions. Data were compared using Pearson correlation and Student t test. Results: Of the 85 women in the study group, 50 (59%) were nulliparous, 33 (39%) had undergone previous laparoscopy, and 19 (22%) had undergone previous laparotomy. The mean age of the total group was 37.5 years (range 15 to 61), with a mean body weight of 157 lb (94 to 360) and an umbilical thickness of 2.0 cm (0.5 to 6.3). The average BMI was 26.6 (17.5 to 60) with 17 (20%) considered clinically obese as defined by a BMI of 30 or more. A significant correlation was noted between umbilical thickness and weight (R = 0.73, P <0.01) as well as umbilical thickness and BMI (R = 0.69, P <0.01). The mean umbilical thickness significantly differed between obese (3.1 + 0.3 cm) and nonobese (1.7 + 0.1 cm) groups (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Not surprisingly, the thickness of the umbilicus correlates well with weight and BMI. However, even in obese patients the mean umbilical thickness was only 3 cm, and in nonobese patients it was 1.7 cm.
The relationship between the soft and hard ridges

Two particle correlation measurements in relativistic heavy ion collisions show a 'ridge' of correlated particle pairs not seen in proton on proton collisions. The measured two-dimentional correlation landscape resembles a mountain ridge since correlated pairs are focused into a narrow regions of relative azimuthal angle, but can extend to a long range in relative pseudorapidity. Similar ridge structures are observed in correlations of particles associated with and without a jet trigger. Explanations, with and without a jet, are challenged to explain the long range pseudorapidity behavior of correlations where causality limits the influence of transport dynamics. Glasma initial conditions as predicted by the theory of Color Glass Condensate provide a and early stage correlation that naturally extends far in rapidity. We have previously shown that the soft ridge is a consequence of particles forming from an initial Glasma phase that experience a later stage transverse flow. We extend this work to study the ridge dependence on the pt of the correlated pairs and determine the relationship between the triggered and untriggered measurements.
The measurement of radiance and the van Cittert–Zernike Theorem

Abstract We demonstrate a remarkable analogy between the measurement of radiance and the well-known van Cittert–Zernike Theorem.
Double excitations within time-dependent density functional theory linear response

Within the adiabatic approximation, time-dependent density functional theory yields only single excitations. Near states of double excitation character, the exact exchange–correlation kernel has a strong dependence on frequency. We derive the exact frequency-dependent kernel when a double excitation mixes with a single excitation, well separated from the other excitations, in the limit that the electron–electron interaction is weak. Building on this, we construct a nonempirical approximation for the general case, and illustrate our results on a simple model.
Intelligence-related differences in the learning, maintenance, and transfer of problem-solving strategies

Abstract Intuitive (e.g., Sternberg, Conway, Ketron, & Bernstein, 1981) and informed (e.g., Brown & Campione, 1984; Campione & Brown, 1984; Resnick & Glaser, 1976) perspectives on intelligence emphasize the importance of strategy learning, maintenance, and transfer. There is, however, surprisingly little relevant data, and they conflict (cf. Campione & Brown, 1987; Campione, Brown, & Ferrara, 1982). The purpose of this study was to examine whether intelligence-related differences in strategy learning, maintenance, and transfer exist. Intellectually gifted, average, and mentally retarded children were taught strategies on a version of the balance-scale problem, and were then given additional training until they transferred these strategies to a related version of the problem. Maintenance was assessed 2 weeks after the completion of strategy training. We found that mentally retarded children needed more training to learn and transfer balance-scale strategies, and were less likely to maintain strategies that either gifted or average children. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Role of histone tails in nucleosome remodeling by Drosophila NURF

The Drosophila nucleosome remodeling factor NURF utilizes the energy of ATP hydrolysis to perturb the structure of nucleosomes and facilitate binding of transcription factors. The ATPase activity of purified NURF is stimulated significantly more by nucleosomes than by naked DNA or histones alone, suggesting that NURF is able to recognize specific features of the nucleosome. Here, we show that the interaction between NURF and nucleosomes is impaired by proteolytic removal of the N-terminal histone tails and by chemical cross-linking of nucleosomal histones. The ATPase activity of NURF is also competitively inhibited by each of the four Drosophila histone tails expressed as GST fusion proteins. A similar inhibition is observed for a histone H4 tail substituted with glutamine at four conserved, acetylatable lysines. These findings indicate a novel role for the flexible histone tails in chromatin remodeling by NURF, and this role may, in part, be independent of histone acetylation.
CROSS-CULTURAL SUPERVISION IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the various cultural factors that influence the supervisor-trainee relationship when at least one of these individuals is a member of an ethnic minority group in the United States. Marriage and Family Therapy supervisors and students were asked to compare and contrast their experiences working with ethnic minority and white persons. Findings indicate that both supervisors and students express great value in cross-cultural supervisory experiences, but report that these opportunities are very limited.
Efficacy of d-, l- and dl-Methionine for Growth of Chicks Fed Crystalline Amino Acid Diets

Four assays employing young male chicks were conducted to evaluate the relative efficacy of D-, L- and DL-methionine and to estimate the requirement for D- and L-methionine when serving as the sole source of sulfur amino acids or when added to a diet containing 0.27% L-cystine. Crystalline amino acid diets containing 14.9% protein equivalent and 4200 kcal. M.E./kg. were used in all assays. L-methionine supported faster and more efficient gains than D- or L-methionine when fed at levels below thhe requirement. At levels of supplementation near the requirement, however, equal efficacy was attained. When serving as the sole source of sulfur amino acids, the requirement as estimated by least squares for optimal gain was 0.58% of the diet or 104 mg./day for L-methionine and 0.59% or 104 mg./day for D-methionine. In the presence of cystine, the requirements were estimated at 0.27% or 49 mg./day and 0.30% or 52 mg./day for L- and D-methionine respectively. The results indicate that at lower levels of supplementation, L-methionine is a better source of sulfur amino acids than D-methionine. On the other hand, L- and D-methionine appear to have equal efficacy when incorporated into diets that are only marginally deficient in sulfur-bearing amino acids.
Spatial mapping of electrotactile sensation threshold and intensity range on the human tongue: Initial results

We have developed a novel, tongue-based electrotactile brain-machine interface. Variability of the tactile sensation intensity across the stimulated area, however, limits the amount of reliable information transmission. We have conducted an experiment to characterize local sensitivity across the region stimulated by the array. From this data we have constructed an isointensity algorithm to compensate for the variability in electrotactile sensation levels across the stimulated area of the tongue.
Hematology Grants Workshop

Obtaining research funding is of utmost importance for academic hematologists, especially those engaged in basic science research. Several funding mechanisms are available to researchers working in the fields of Hematology and/or Oncology. This chapter will discuss various issues relating to applications for National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants, the classic funding mechanism for investigator-initiated research. It will also discuss other opportunities for funding from other government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. We will also provide a summary of the process by which NIH R01 applications are reviewed and some guidelines and tips for the successful writing of R01 grants or their equivalents from other agencies.
Severity of presentation is associated with time to recovery in spinal epidural lipomatosis

We present a patient with prednisone-induced spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) and relatively acute neurologic deterioration followed by rapid recovery after surgical decompression. SEL is a rare disease characterized by hypertrophy of epidural fat, most commonly associated with exogenous steroid use. To our knowledge, an analysis of the dynamics of steroid dose related to time to onset has never been performed, or of patient presentation features with respect to patient outcome. We retrospectively reviewed the literature for English language series and case reports of SEL associated with prednisone use from 1975-2013. Data were compiled for 41 patients regarding the prescribed dose of prednisone and length of treatment, as well as the severity of symptoms on the Ranawat scale, time to onset, time to recovery, and degree of recovery of neurological symptoms. Fisher's exact test and analysis of variance were used for comparing proportions, and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. We found that the mean cumulative dose of prednisone trended towards an association with a lack of recovery (p=0.06) and may be related to rate of recovery. Prescribed prednisone dose varied inversely with the time before onset of neurological symptoms, but failed to reach statistical significance. Higher severity of presenting symptoms on the Ranawat scale were found to be associated with a higher likelihood of delayed recovery (p=0.035). Patients with symptoms lower on the Ranawat scale more frequently experienced complete neurologic recovery, though this did not reach significance. The acuity of neurological deterioration was not related to the time to recovery or ultimate degree of recovery. Severity of presentation on the Ranawat scale is associated with rate of recovery and may be related to degree of recovery in SEL patients. Cumulative dose of prednisone may be related to degree and rate of recovery. Prescribed dose of prednisone may be related to time to onset of neurological symptoms. Acuity of neurological deterioration is not related to rate or degree of recovery.
Adoption: new tasks for the pediatrician.

Adoption involves an excess of 2,500,000 American children younger than 21 years of age and, thus, directly affects approximately 2% of American families. It profoundly touches the lives of those involved. For the pregnant, unmarried woman it offers hope for better nurture and security for her child than she may be able to provide. For the adopting couple, it offers an opportunity to love and care for a child as their own. For the adopted child, it offers a chance to have a family that is presumably able to meet his or her needs for love, guidance, and stability. Pediatricians have provided services in different areas of the adoption process for many years. They may be asked for guidance by teenage patients who are pregnant but feel unable to care for the child themselves. Pediatricians are consulted by couples or adoption agencies to examine a child prior to adoption to assess specific problems and needs for services. They are asked for advice and assistance by families that include adopted children who find that they need help with difficulties that may or may not be specifically related to the adoption. Their help is sought by adoptees struggling with identity issues, problems in their relationships with members of their adoptive families or with others, concerns about obtaining medical information about themselves or their biologic families, or questions about attempting to establish contact with their families of origin.
National Identity: A Question of Choice?:

The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the traditional image of national identity and to question its validity as a dominant narrative through which individuals define their sense of belonging. The claim is made that children's notions of national identity reflect this narrowness and superficiality and that what is required is a curriculum focus which supports the development of ‘intercultural citizenship’ as a focus for the development of multiple identities in a postmodern world.
A "single authoring" programming model: the interaction logic

For the mobile Internet, new content and applications are developed with the intent of delivering it through many different channels with different characteristics. Therefore, such content and applications must be adapted and optimized to each channel. Also, since new devices and content emerge continuously, this adaptation must be made to work for new devices not originally envisioned. In addition, it is important to be able to adapt existing content that may not have been created with this multi-channel or multi-modal deployment model in mind. Today, multi-channel applications are often repeatedly authored once for each channel. These multiple authoring methodologies can be classified as follows: repeated authoring of the application for each target channel; or repeated authoring of style sheets that enable transformation of a common XML representation. Under some constrained conditions, it is possible to automate the transformation of legacy or newly developed applications to multiple channels. It should be clear that it is in general impossible to automate the adaptation of legacy applications. Single authoring is motivated by the need to author, maintain, and revise content for delivery to an ever-increasing range of end-user devices.
Gate-Level Exception Handling Design for Noise Reduction in High-Speed VLSI Circuits

This paper presents a novel design approach for addressing the pressing problem of noise and signal integrity in high-speed circuits. The approach uses a combination of gate-level redundancy in form of a shadow circuit, exception handling, and retry to tolerate random and delay faults that are of increasing concern in modern circuits. An empirical evidence of the delay/random fault problem is developed and a scheme to press clocking frequency beyond traditional limit is presented. The results show that approximately 10% improvement in clocking frequency can be achieved with almost negligible performance penalty and 5%-20% area overhead for the benchmark circuits studied
Child and young adult injuries among long-term Afghan refugees

The aim was to determine the epidemiology and risk factors of childhood and young adult injuries among long-term Afghan refugees in Pakistan. A stratified cluster study was undertaken on a random sample of refugee households from June to July 2002. The Afghan Refugee Injury Survey was administered to the head of the household and recorded all injuries among household members within the last 3 months. Crude injury incidence was 12.3 per 1000 population among those aged 0 – 29 years (age groups 0 – 4, 5 – 14 and 15 – 29 years). Those aged 15 – 29 years had the highest injury rate (18.3 per 1000) closely followed by those aged 5 – 14 (12.3 per 1000) and much higher than the 0 – 4 years category (2.3 per 1000). Falls accounted for most injuries (48%) with both road traffic injuries and assaults accounting for 15%. The 15 – 29 year age group (odds ratio = 9.1) and those educated informally or for less than 6 years (odds ratio = 2.10), were associated with injury (p < 0.05) after adjustment for age, gender, occ...
B Cell Stimulatory Effects of α-Enolase That Is Differentially Expressed in NZB Mouse B Cells

Abstract Intrinsic polyclonal B cell activation is characteristic of NZB mice and it contributes to the development of lupus nephritis in NZB crosses. Although multiple autosomal genes appear to be involved, the major loci for B cell hyperactivity have been mapped on chromosome 4. To identify various genes determining B cell hyperactivity, differential mRNA display was done comparing B cells of NZB and BALB/c mice. The approach yielded 32 genes that were consistently upregulated in NZB B cells. Among these, α-enolase, which is located in the region of chromosome 4 containing B cell hyperactivity loci, was found to be spontaneously overexpressed only in NZB B cells, but not in splenic B or T cells of BALB/c or T cells of NZB mice. Exposure to soluble, but not plate-bound, enolase induced splenic B cells from normal BALB/c mice or B cell lymphoma lines to secrete Ig that was mediated by augmented transcription. Moreover, in combination with a subthreshold stimulus with anti-IgM, enolase augmented the expression of CD69 and B7.2 in naive B cells from normal mice. Enolase probably functions intracellularly as an accessory molecule in stimulating B cells. Since functionally related genes tend to congregate, enolase may contribute to polyclonal B cell activation in cooperation with other genes in the hyperactivity loci, which appear to be in a transcriptionally active region in NZB B cells.
Capacity of the generalized PPM channel

We show the capacity of a generalized pulse position modulation (PPM) channel, where the input vectors may be any set that allows a transitive group of coordinate permutations, is achieved by a uniform input distribution. We derive a simple expression for capacity in terms of the Kullback-Leibler distance for the binary case, and find the asymptote in the PPM order. We prove a subadditivity result for the PPM channel and use it to show PPM capacity is monotonic in the order