cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of video scheduling on band width allocation for multiplexed MPEG streams

We present efficient schemes for scheduling thedelivery of variable-bit-rate MPEG-compressed video withstringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Video scheduling is being used to improve bandwidth allocation ata video server that uses statistical multiplexing to aggregate video streams prior to transporting them over a network. A video stream is modeled using a traffic envelopethat provides a deterministic time-varying bound on the bitrate. Because of the periodicity in which frame types in anMPEG stream are typically generated, a simple traffic envelope can be constructed using only five parameters. Usingthe traffic-envelope model, we show that video sources canbe statistically multiplexed with an effective bandwidth thatis often less than the source peak rate. Bandwidth gain isachieved without sacrificing the stringency of the requestedQoS. The effective bandwidth depends on the arrangementof the multiplexed streams, which is a measure of the lagbetween the GOP periods of various streams. For homogeneous streams, we give an optimal scheduling scheme forvideo sources at a video-on-demand server that results in theminimum effective bandwidth. For heterogeneous sources,a sub-optimal scheduling scheme is given, which achievesacceptable bandwidth gain. Numerical examples based ontraces of MPEG-coded movies are used to demonstrate theeffectiveness of our schemes.
Catatonia after liver and kidney transplantation

We present the case of a 52-year-old man who developed catatonia after undergoing liver and kidney transplantation. This is the third reported case of catatonia after liver transplant. Because of the unique and effective therapy for a syndrome that may resemble delirium, schizophrenia or neuroleptic malignant syndrome, it is important that physicians be alert to the signs of catatonia, particularly in the postoperative setting.
Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

Abstract Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m2/m3). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m2, cathode surface area; 74 A/m3) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of ηE = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3–18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H2 gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system.
Development of ACTION! Wellness Program for Elementary School Personnel

WEBBER, LARRY S., CAROLYN C. JOHNSON, DONALD ROSE, AND JANET C. RICE. Development of ACTION! Wellness Program for Elementary School Personnel. Obesity. 2007;15(Suppl 1):48S–56S. Objective: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in the adult population over the past 2 decades. Almost two-thirds of the adult population works outside the home; thus, interventions implemented at the worksite are viable for obesity reduction. Elementary schools are worksites that have a number of resources that can encourage a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this paper is to describe the formative research activities and how these were used to design the ACTION! Wellness Program for Elementary School Personnel. Research Methods and Procedures: Formative data were collected using focus groups, a school survey, and an environmental audit. Focus groups were conducted in three elementary schools, whereas the school survey and environmental audit were collected in 24 elementary schools. The intervention was then tested as a pilot study in one school to determine feasibility and receptivity and refine its components. Results: Participants in the focus groups indicated that most had experience with trying to lose weight, some had positive social support, and most had little free time at school; however, most were very receptive to having a weight control intervention program at their school. Eighteen (75%) of the schools had snack vending machines on the school site, and all had cold drink machines. All 24 schools had at least one indoor site that could be used for physical activity programs. All schools were in neighborhoods conducive for walking. Discussion: ACTION! will take advantage of the school resources in implementing an environmental intervention to reduce overweight and obesity. This paper describes the progression of events that led to the final trial.
The human tibia: static testing in bending by an in vivo method.

We have developed a method for static testing of the human tibia in bending in the living subject, and fabricated a prototype device for carrying it out. Model testing indicates that the device and model system are inherently accurate and reliable. However, the biological system is more complex, and while more than 200 tests have been conducted with perfect safety, the variability of replicate tests suggests that the method does not yet have general clinical utility. In some subjects, that variance is relatively small, possibly because they are more relaxed and perhaps also for anatomical reasons. In two subjects, postmortem tests corresponded very well with antemortem tests on the tibiometer. We conclude that with further refinements the method may have clinical potential, if only in carefully selected subjects.
Optimality of a utility-based performance metric for ROC analysis

We previously introduced a utility-based ROC performance metric, the "surface-averaged expected cost" (SAEC), to address difficulties which arise in generalizing the well-known area under the ROC curve (AUC) to classification tasks with more than two classes. In a two-class classification task, the SAEC can be shown explicitly to be twice the area above the conventional ROC curve (1-AUC) divided by the arclength along the ROC curve. In the present work, we show that for a variety of two-class tasks under the binormal model, the SAEC obtained for the proper decision variable (the likelihood ratio of the latent decision variable) is less than that obtained for the conventional decision variable (i.e., using the latent decision variable directly). We also justify this result using a readily derived property of the arclength along the ROC curve under a given data model. Numerical studies as well as theoretical analysis suggest that the behavior of the SAEC is consistent with that of the AUC performance metric, in the sense that the optimal value of this quantity is achieved by the ideal observer.
The Eigenfactor MetricsTM: A Network Approach to Assessing Scholarly Journals

Limited time and budgets have created a legitimate need for quantitative measures of scholarly work. The well-known journal impact factor is the leading measure of this sort; here we describe an alternative approach based on the full structure of the scholarly citation network. The Eigenfactor Metrics—Eigenfactor Score and Article Influence Score—use an iterative ranking scheme similar to Google’s PageRank algorithm. By this approach, citations from top journals are weighted more heavily than citations from lower-tier publications. Here we describe these metrics and the rankings that they provide.
The classification of delusional misidentification syndromes.

The delusional misidentification syndromes are characterized by a belief in duplicates and replacements. They can be classified as forms of reduplication expressed in the modalities of person, place, time and event, objects, parts of the body and the self. Common features are selectivity, coexistence of forms, intact recognition and faulty identification, depersonalization, and symbolic representation of the patient’s feelings, experiences and problems. A neural substrate of altered connectivity of multimodal cortical association areas and paralimbic and limbic structures resulting in a cognitive-perceptual-affective dissonance is suggested.
Implants in the pterygoid region: a systematic review of the literature

This systematic review aimed to identify clinical studies on the short-term and long-term survival of implants placed in the pterygoid region. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases. Relevant studies were selected according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from the final included studies could only be extracted for calculating interval survival rate (ISR) and cumulative survival rate (CSR) of implants for different time intervals. The initial database search yielded 693 titles. After filtering, 32 abstracts were selected culminating in 17 full text articles. Three additional articles were added through a hand search to obtain a total of 20 articles. Application of exclusion criteria led to elimination of 11 articles. Pooled data from the final 9 articles showed a first year ISR of 92%. The CSR over a 10 year period, largely due to data from one study was 91%. The minimum follow-up period reported in various studies was less than a year. There is insufficient data about failures that occurred beyond the first year interval, making it difficult to draw conclusions about long-term survival of these implants. More studies with longer follow-up periods involving adequate number of pterygoid implants are needed.
Role of MicroRNA in Visceral Pain

The long-lasting nociceptive transmission under various visceral pain conditions involves transcriptional and/or translational alteration in neurotransmitter and receptor expression as well as modification of neuronal function, morphology and synaptic connections. Although it is largely unknown how such changes in posttranscriptional expression induce visceral pain, recent evidence strongly suggests an important role for microRNAs (miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs) in the cellular plasticity underlying chronic visceral pain. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA endogenously produced in our body and act as a major regulator of gene expression by either through cleavage or translational repression of the target gene. This regulation is essential for the normal physiological function but when disturbed can result in pathological conditions. Usually one miRNA has multiple targets and target mRNAs are regulated in a combinatorial fashion by multiple miRNAs. In recent years, many studies have been performed to delineate the posttranscriptional regulatory role of miRNAs in different tissues under various nociceptive stimuli. In this review, we intend to discuss the recent development in miRNA research with special emphases on miRNAs and their targets responsible for long term sensitization in chronic pain conditions. In addition, we review miRNAs expression and function data for different animal pain models and also the recent progress in research on miRNA-based therapeutic targets for the treatment of chronic pain.
Lockbox: mobility, privacy and values in cloud storage

This paper examines one particular problem of values in cloud computing: how individuals can take advantage of the cloud to store data without compromising their privacy and autonomy. Through the creation of Lockbox, an encrypted cloud storage application, we explore how designers can use reflection in designing for human values to maintain both privacy and usability in the cloud.
Statistical methods for the characterisation of tumour types using cDNA microarray data

We explore an ensemble of multivariate statistical methods for the analysis of gene expression data from cDNA microarray experiments. The statistical questions we investigate are motivated by the experimental program carried out in the laboratories of professors Brown and Botstein at Stanford University to characterise the molecular variations among cancers of the breast, prostate, liver and brain, based on transcript abundance for tens of thousands of genes in several hundred tumour samples. The aims of the statistical analysis are to assist the biologists in (i) developing a classification or "taxonomy" of tumours based on gene expression data, and (ii) identifying a subset of "marker" genes that characterise the different tumour types defined in (i).
Effects of travel technique and gender on a divided attention task in a virtual environment

We report a user study which compared four virtual environment travel techniques using a divided attention task. Participants used either real walking, gaze-directed, pointing-directed, or torso-directed travel to follow a target through an environment while simultaneously responding to auditory stimuli. In addition to travel technique, we investigated gender as a between-subjects variable and task difficulty (simple or complex) and task type (single or divided) as within-subjects variables. Real walking allowed superior performance over the pointing-directed technique on measures of navigation task performance and recognition of stimuli presented during navigation. This indicates that participants using real walking may have had more spare cognitive capacity to process and encode stimuli than those using pointing-directed travel. We also found a gender-difficulty interaction where males performed worse and responded slower to the attention task when the spatial task was more difficult, but no differences were observed for females between difficulty levels. While these results may be pertinent for the design of virtual environments, the nature and goal of the virtual environment tasks must be carefully considered to determine whether similar effects on performance can be expected under different conditions.
Time-Resolved Fluorescence Studies Of Ph Effects On The Conformation Of Troponin C

Using time-resolved nanosecond fluorescence spectroscopy, we investigated the conformational changes of skeletal and cardiac troponin C. A thiol specific fluorescence probe N-(iodoacety1)-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)- ethylenediamine (IAEDANS) was attached to cysteine 98 of skeletal troponin C (STnC) and 2-(4'-iodoacetamido-anilino)-naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (IAANS) was linked to cysteine 35 and 84 of cardiac troponin C (CTnC). With excitation at 340 nm for STnC-IAEDANS and at 335 nm for CTnC-IAANS, apo-STnC and apo-CTnC exhibited biexponential decay kinetics. At 20°C and neutral pH, the following lifetimes were observed: (1) apo-STnC, 9 and 16 ns, and (2) apo-CTnC, 2.3 and 7 ns. The long lived component of the emission in STnC-IAEDANS comprised ~ 61% of observed intensity, however, the corresponding component in CTnC contributed only. A decrease of pH from 7.2 to 5.2 induced an increase of the lifetimes 20% (STnC) and 10% (CTnC). These results suggest that Cys-98 of STnC and Cys-35 and Cys-84 of CTnC became less quenched by their neighboring residues at low pH. Addition of guanidine hydrochloride to STnC resulted in a decrease of ~30% of both lifetimes. The lifetimes increased slightly when the temperature was lowered. Variation of solution viscosity by addition of sucrose did not affect the long component of the lifetimes of STnC. However, the short component did sense a viscosity effect. These results suggest that there was likely a chromophore heterogeneity which may arise from differences in conformation, environment, and or ionization of the excited state of the chromophore. At 20°C and neutral pH, two rotational correlation times were observed: (1) apo-STnC, - 1.2 ns, .2 1 11.3 ns, and (2) apo-CTnC, .~ 0.6 ns, .2 1 13.6 ns. The short rotational correlation times likely reflect rapid motions of the chromophores covalently attached to the side chain of the cysteine residues, and the long correlation times reflect the overall protein motions. The .2 values suggest that both proteins were not highly asymmetric at neutral pH. In the presence of Ca2+, at 20A‚Â°C and neutral pH the rotational correlation times were (1) STnC, .1 ~ 2.1 ns, .2 1 13.9 ns, and (2) CTnC, .1 ~ 1.9 ns, .2 1 13.0 ns. A decrease of pH from 7.2 to 5.2 led to an increase of .2 ~ 20% for STnC and a reduction of .2 ~ 7% for CTnC. The two proteins appear to have different hydrodynamic properties in an acidic environment.
AUX: A scripting language for auditory signal processing and software packages for psychoacoustic experiments and education

This article introduces AUX (AUditory syntaX), a scripting syntax specifically designed to describe auditory signals and processing, to the members of the behavioral research community. The syntax is based on descriptive function names and intuitive operators suitable for researchers and students without substantial training in programming, who wish to generate and examine sound signals using a written script. In this article, the essence of AUX is discussed and practical examples of AUX scripts specifying various signals are illustrated. Additionally, two accompanying Windows-based programs and development libraries are described. AUX Viewer is a program that generates, visualizes, and plays sounds specified in AUX. AUX Viewer can also be used for class demonstrations or presentations. Another program, Psycon, allows a wide range of sound signals to be used as stimuli in common psychophysical testing paradigms, such as the adaptive procedure, the method of constant stimuli, and the method of adjustment. AUX Library is also provided, so that researchers can develop their own programs utilizing AUX. The philosophical basis of AUX is to separate signal generation from the user interface needed for experiments. AUX scripts are portable and reusable; they can be shared by other researchers, regardless of differences in actual AUX-based programs, and reused for future experiments. In short, the use of AUX can be potentially beneficial to all members of the research community—both those with programming backgrounds and those without.
A practical application of quantitative vascular image analysis in breast pathology.

Abstract Aims Quantitative image analysis of histopathology slides is becoming an important technology in diagnostic pathology. To this end, it is essential to combine a robust image analysis software with the most commonly used immunohistochemical staining methods. In this investigation, we describe a practical application of NIH ImageJ software for quantitative vascular image analysis for diaminobenzene chromogen-based CD34 immunostain in breast cancer. CD34 immunostain is in a unique position to identify lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis simultaneously in a given tumor tissue. This investigation aims at establishing a practical quantitative vascular image analysis solution for diagnostic pathologists by using ImageJ, and CD34 immunostain. Methods and results Tissue microarray slides containing breast cancer tissue were immunostained for CD34 for simultaneous identification of lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) and blood vessel endothelial cells (BEC). Digital images were analyzed using NIH ImageJ software. A CD34 score was quantified for each tissue core as a percentage (CD34-positive area/area of tissue core). The mean CD34 scores were 0.24%, 0.40%, 1.30%, 2.33%, 2.64%, and 3.44% for normal breast tissue, in stage IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC breast cancer tissue cores, respectively (p Conclusions ImageJ software seems to be an attractive quantitative image analysis tool for diagnostic pathology for immunohistochemistry-based applications because of its capabilities, availability, and ease of use with most image formats. Our results show the feasibility, versatility, and ease of use of ImageJ and CD34 immunohistochemistry for vascular image analysis in breast pathology. Given the prospects of novel lymphatic and vascular endothelium-targeting therapeutics in breast oncology, the practical analysis of combined LEC and BEC density described in this report could enable diagnostic pathologists to apply quantitative vascular image analysis easily in their pathology practice and translational research.
What is a first-year computer science graduate student?

This is an informal discussion of several problems we have begun to notice in our graduate degree program. As the birthplace of the ENIAC, the University of Pennsylvania has long been a source of computer related courses in its graduate curriculum. With the growth of the undergraduate computer science curriculum, however, several significant problems have developed. In the first place, many of the courses in our graduate program are being overtaken by courses which are now recognized as part of the undergraduate curriculum. As a consequence, we are now faced with a “mixed bag” of backgrounds in our graduate student body, ranging from those with no background in computers at all, much like our earliest graduate students, to those who have had a full undergraduate computer science program and seek further education.
Effect of blinding on reproductive and pelage cycles in the ferret

The effect of blinding on reproductive and pelage cycles in ferrets held outdoors under natural environmental conditions was investigated from October, 1966, to March, 1969. Blind female and intact male and female ferrets underwent the normal seasonal changes during this period. They became reproductively active and underwent the spring molt in March and April and became reproductively quiescent, molted and grew the dense winter pelage in September and October. Blind male ferrets exhibited a prolonged reproductive period which began in March and April, 1967, and extended through December. An incomplete pelage change and partial testicular regression occurred in most blind males in January and February, 1968. The same sequence of reproductive and coat changes was observed the following year. Blind and intact female ferrets mated to blind males bore normal litters.
A realistic theory of family unification

Abstract We develop an O(18) theory of family unification consistent with all established phenomenology and cosmology. The theory makes firm predictions that will be tested soon. It implies that five new families live below 265 GeV. One of the new families is left-handed, and the other four are right-handed. The new left-handed family is lighter than its right-handed counterparts. The lightest right-handed quark should have a mass of less than 130 GeV. All the charged leptons should be lighter than 55 GeV; the lightest should be less than 40 GeV. The five new neutrinos have Dirac masses of less than 40 GeV, so a total of eight doublet neutrinos contribute to the width of the Z0. We study the decays of new families, and show that proton decay into e+π0 proceeds at an observable but acceptable rate, with a lifetime on the order of 1032±1 y.
An enigmatic souvenir of Venetian opera: Alessandro Piazza's Teatro (1702)

The Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, preserves an iconographic gem that so far has escaped musicological attention: a monumental oil on canvas capturing a Venetian opera performance in 1702. The painting, by Alessandro Piazza, summarizes the fortes and vicissitudes of carnival opera in colourful, even uncompromising fashion. Unfortunately, the picture cannot stand as a straightforward snapshot of operatic history. For whereas the theatre's interior and public can be identified as belonging to the early Settecento, its staging harks back to an illustration in the libretto to Berenice vendicativa (1680), an operatic extravaganza staged at Marco Contarini's private theatre in Piazzola. However, pictorial analysis, combined with contextual research, leads towards the hypothesis that the painter might have idealized a 'try-out' performance of Francesco Gasparini's Tiberio, imperatore d'Oriente (Venice, 1702) at the Teatro Sant'Angelo, in the absence of its dedicatee, Johann Wilhelm of Neuburg-Pfalz (who had the opera revived at his Dusseldorfer Opernhaus in 1703). The Berenice vendicativa print, which had been designed by a court artist of the elector, Domenico Rossetti, appears to have been provided by Berenice's original librettist, Giorgio Maria Rapparini, who at that time served the elector as private secretary. In sum, Piazza's enigmatic vista offers cautionary insights into the interpretational intricacies of operatic memorabilia.
Consumer Privacy: Balancing Economic and Justice Considerations

Consumer privacy is at the center of an ongoing debate among business leaders, privacy activists, and government officials. Although corporations face competitive pressures to collect and use personal information about their customers, many consumers find some methods of collection and use of their personal information unfair. We present a justice theory framework that illustrates how consumer privacy concerns are shaped by the perceived fairness of corporate information practices. We describe a set of global principles, fair information practices, which were developed to balance consumer privacy concerns with an organization's need to use personal information. We conclude by discussing three alternatives for implementing fair information practices with particular attention to the Internet: government regulation, industry self-regulation, and technological solutions.
Memory and Attention Make Smart Word Learning: An Alternative Account of Akhtar, Carpenter, and Tomasello

Two general types of accounts have been offered to explain the smartness of young children's word learning. One account postulates that children enter the word-learning task with specific knowledge about how words link to categories. The second account puts the source of children's smart word learning in knowledge about the pragmatics of communication and social interactions. The present experiment tested a third idea: that children's seemingly smart word learning derives from general, indeed mundane, cognitive processes. Forty-eight children from 18 to 28 months of age participated in a task designed to test our alternative explanation as applied to Akhtar, Carpenter, and Tomasello's (1996) finding that children use knowledge of the communicative intents of others to interpret a novel noun. Specifically, we suggest that children's attention to the proper referent was guided by the general effects of a contextual shift on memory and attention. The procedure in the present study was identical to that of Akhtar et al. except that we differentiated the target through a nonsocial context shift. Findings similar to that of Akhtar et al. emerged under the present procedures. These results strongly suggest that general attentional and memorial processes, and not knowledge about the communicative intents of others, may guide young children's word learning. These findings provide one demonstration of how smart word learning may emerge from more ordinary (and dumb) cognitive processes.
Recent developments in electro-organic synthesis

There has been no better time than the present to initiate or continue research in electro-organic synthesis. The past decade has seen truly gigantic advances in the organization of sources of information, in the development of equipment and techniques, in the elucidation of principles, and in the achievement of significant results. Much remains to be done.
A quantitative model of the British industrial revolution, 1780–1850

Abstract A simple aggregative model is calibrated to data from Great Britain in 1850 and used to study the role of growing foreign trade, the declining cost of power, and technical change in manufacturing over the period 1780–1850. The model shows that growth in trade played an important role in redistributing income away from land and toward labor, as it reduced the share of agriculture and increased the share of manufactured goods in aggregate output. Both types of technical change contributed significantly to growth, but the change in manufacturing was about three times as important as that in the energy sector.
Indication of Hydroxyl in a Water Vapour Discharge Tube

THE presence of OH in the gas coming from a water vapour discharge tube has been demonstrated by photographing the exit tube with a quartz spectrograph; the well-known band at 3060 A. was obtained. Addition of a small quantity of oxygen to the water vapour has the effect of increasing the intensity of the bands; a larger amount of oxygen causes the appearance of the green oxygen afterglow. This glow is continuous in the visible and is accompanied by the OH bands in the ultra-violet. The active gas appears to possess both reducing and oxidising properties. This is illustrated by the simultaneous reduction of copper sulphate to copper oxide and metallic copper and the oxidation of metallic silver. In both instances heat effects have been observed. The glow appears to be unaffected by the copper sulphate, but is removed by the silver. An extensive study of the conditions determining the production of OH, its separation from any other active constituents which may be present, and its chemical properties are now under way in this laboratory.
Current sensors based on the Sagnac interferometer

The PM fiber Sagnac interferometer operated a current sensor is described. Its most serious difficulty is its high sensitivity to mechanical and thermal perturbations. An 'in- line' derivative optical circuit which solves this 'Shupe effect' error is then described.
Promoting Hmong Refugees' Well-Being Through Mutual Learning: Valuing Knowledge, Culture, and Experience

Refugees who resettle in a new country face numerous struggles, including overcoming past traumas and coping with post-migration stressors, such as lack of meaningful social roles, poverty, discrimination, lack of environmental mastery, and social isolation. Thus, in addition to needing to learn concrete language skills and gain access to resources and employment, it is important for refugees to become a part of settings where their experiences, knowledge, and identity are valued and validated. The Refugee Well-Being Project (RWBP) was developed to promote the well-being of Hmong refugees by creating settings for mutual learning to occur between Hmong adults and undergraduate students. The RWBP had two major components: (1) Learning Circles, which involved cultural exchange and one-on-one learning opportunities, and (2) an advocacy component, which involved undergraduates advocating for and transferring advocacy skills to Hmong families to increase their access to resources in their communities. The project was evaluated using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. This article discusses data from qualitative interviews with participants, during which the importance of reciprocal helping relationships and mutual learning emerged as significant themes.
New Approximations and Tests of Linear Fluctuation-Response for Chaotic Nonlinear Forced-Dissipative Dynamical Systems

We develop and test two novel computational approaches for predicting the mean linear response of a chaotic dynamical system to small change in external forcing via the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. Unlike the earlier work in developing fluctuation–dissipation theorem-type computational strategies for chaotic nonlinear systems with forcing and dissipation, the new methods are based on the theory of Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen probability measures, which commonly describe the equilibrium state of such dynamical systems. The new methods take into account the fact that the dynamics of chaotic nonlinear forced-dissipative systems often reside on chaotic fractal attractors, where the classical quasi-Gaussian formula of the fluctuation–dissipation theorem often fails to produce satisfactory response prediction, especially in dynamical regimes with weak and moderate degrees of chaos. A simple new low-dimensional chaotic nonlinear forced-dissipative model is used to study the response of both linear and nonlinear functions to small external forcing in a range of dynamical regimes with an adjustable degree of chaos. We demonstrate that the two new methods are remarkably superior to the classical fluctuation–dissipation formula with quasi-Gaussian approximation in weakly and moderately chaotic dynamical regimes, for both linear and nonlinear response functions. One straightforward algorithm gives excellent results for short-time response while the other algorithm, based on systematic rational approximation, improves the intermediate and long time response predictions.
The rotational axis approach for resolving the kinematic redundancy of the human arm in reaching movements

The human arm is kinematically redundant with respect to reaching tasks in a 3 dimensional (3D) workspace. Research on reaching movements of the healthy human arm reveals the control strategy of the human motor system, which can be further applied to the upper limb exoskeletons used for stroke rehabilitation. Experiments performed on ten healthy subjects have shown that when reaching from one point to another, the human arm rotates around an axis going through the shoulder. The proposed redundancy resolution based on the direction of the axis can predict the arm posture with a higher accuracy comparing to a redundancy resolution that maximizes the motion efficiency. It is also shown that for reaching movements in the comfortable arm motion range, the directions of the axis are constrained by a linear model.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE BRIDGE BEAMS

Recently high-performance concrete (HPC) has been used in highway bridges and has gained popularity for its short-term and prospective long-term performances. Benefits of using HPC include fewer girder lines required, longer span capacity of girders, reduced creep and shrinkage deformation, less prestress losses, longer life cycle, and less maintenance of bridges. Research has been conducted on several issues of structural design of HPC bridge beams. The topics discussed include the effects of section properties of prestressed concrete girders, allowable tensile and compressive stresses, creep and shrinkage deformations of HPC, and prediction of prestress losses with HPC. The results from a parametric study have shown that a section that can have a large number of strands placed in its bottom flange is more suitable for HPC applications. The use of 15-mm-diameter prestressing strands allows the higher prestressing force applied on sections and can provide more efficiency in HPC bridges. The research results also indicate that the allowable compressive strength of HPC has a major effect on the structural design of bridges, whereas the allowable tensile stress has a minor effect on the design. Equations for predicting prestress losses based on the experimental and analytical results are recommended. The recommended equations consider the effects of lower creep and shrinkage deformations of HPC.
Selective Functional Interactions between Excitatory and Inhibitory Cortical Neurons and Differential Contribution to Persistent Activity of the Slow Oscillation

The neocortex depends upon a relative balance of recurrent excitation and inhibition for its operation. During spontaneous Up states, cortical pyramidal cells receive proportional barrages of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials. Many of these synaptic potentials arise from the activity of nearby neurons, although the identity of these cells is relatively unknown, especially for those underlying the generation of inhibitory synaptic events. To address these fundamental questions, we developed an in vitro submerged slice preparation of the mouse entorhinal cortex that generates robust and regular spontaneous recurrent network activity in the form of the slow oscillation. By performing whole-cell recordings from multiple cell types identified with green fluorescent protein expression and electrophysiological and/or morphological properties, we show that distinct functional subpopulations of neurons exist in the entorhinal cortex, with large variations in contribution to the generation of balanced excitation and inhibition during the slow oscillation. The most active neurons during the slow oscillation are excitatory pyramidal and inhibitory fast spiking interneurons, receiving robust barrages of both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials. Weak action potential activity was observed in stellate excitatory neurons and somatostatin-containing interneurons. In contrast, interneurons containing neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal peptide, or the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 3a receptor, were silent. Our data demonstrate remarkable functional specificity in the interactions between different excitatory and inhibitory cortical neuronal subtypes, and suggest that it is the large recurrent interaction between pyramidal neurons and fast spiking interneurons that is responsible for the generation of persistent activity that characterizes the depolarized states of the cortex.
The Needs of the Army: Using Compulsory Relocation in the Military to Estimate the Effect of Air Pollutants on Children's Health

Abstract:Recent research suggests that pollution has a large impact on asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. But this relationship and its implications are not well understood. I use changes in location due to military transfers, which occur entirely to satisfy the needs of the army, to identify the causal impact of pollution on children's respiratory hospitalizations. I use individual-level data of military families and their dependents, matched at the zip code level with pollution data, for the period 1989-95. I find that for military children only ozone appears to have an adverse effect on health, although not for infants.
The spiroplasma deformation test, a new serological method

The deformation test is a simple and highly sensitive technique capable of demonstrating significant antigenic differences among helical, wall-less prokaryotes (spiroplasmas). Specific identified. Quantitative relationships among various antisera are determined by examining, under dark-field microscopy, samples containing serum dilutions and a measured number of organisms which is held constant in each test. Antisera dilutions of 1:2,000 to 1;16,000 deformed spiroplasmas in homologous tests involvingSpiroplasma citri and the corn stunt and suckling mouse cataract spiroplasmas. With the exception of some heterologous cross-reactions in the deformation test betweenS. citri and corn stunt spiroplasmas, antisera and preimmunization sera failed to deform heterologous spiroplasmas at dilutions higher than 1:16.
Agenesis of the lung complicated by vascular compression and bronchomalacia

Abstract A child with compression of a solitary left bronchus was treated by anterior fixation of the great vessels and dividing the ductus arteriosus, which proved ineffective. Bronchial resection was performed but was also ineffective because there was persistent compression by the aorta. Aortic graft was finally elected, but the infant died later with sepsis. From this experience we believe it would be better in another similar case to graft the aorta initially if necessary to insure complete relief of bronchial compression, reserving resection of the collapsing bronchial segment as a secondary procedure should functional obstruction persist.
A Prospective Study of the Distribution of Illness within the Menstrual Cycle

The cyclic physiological variations during the menstrual cycle are thought to be associated with change in emotional state, in susceptibility to illness, and in frequency of illness-related behavior. Variations in frequency of illness with the phases of the menstrual cycle were examined using data from a 3-year prospective study of social and psychological antecedents of viral illness in 94 student nurses. Reported illnesses, accidents, medical consultations, and hospital admissions were randomly distributed throughout the menstrual cycle. Subjects took more medication on the 1st day of menses than on any other day of the cycle; howeverreported menstrual symptoms were infrequent, with only 4% of the population reporting two or more such episodes. It was concluded that there was an increase in discomfort on the data of onset of menses which was self-medicated but not defined as illness. There was no discernible relationship of illness or disability to any phase of the cycle.
Nano-to-Macroscale Transport Modeling Through Approximations

Heat transfer and energy conversion in electronic and thermoelectric devices often involve multiple length scales ranging from nanometer to millimeters. For example, heat is typically generated in a nanometer-scale region at the drain of a MOSFET and is subsequently conducted through the millimeter thick substrate to the surroundings. As another example, cooling in a thermoelectric device occurs at one interface while the heat is rejected at the other end millimeter away. Modeling the energy transport and conversion processes in such multiple length scale devices is very challenging. Boltzmann equation-based approaches for phonons and electrons transport, although appropriate, are time consuming and not practical in near term. In this paper, we will summarize two approximations we have recently introduced to model transport processes, particularly for phonons, from nano to macroscales. One is the diffusion-transmission interface condition that attributes size effects to the interfacial region only. The other are the ballistic-diffusive equations that group the energy carriers into a ballistic and a diffusive component and that are much easier to solve than the Boltzmann equation. Examples on phonon heat conduction will be given to demonstrate the effectiveness of these two approaches. The approximations can also be extended to electron transport.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Listening for Voice in Narratives of Relationship.

In a psychology understood as a relational practice, the process of listening to, interpreting, and speaking about the stories of others is a relational act; such a psychology demands a method that is responsive to different voices and sensitive to the way body, relationships, and culture affect the psyche.
Correlation of simultaneously determined plasma insulin and glucose levels in fasting and mildly or severely stressed raptors.

1. 1. Plasma insulin and glucose levels were simultaneously determined in 60 fasting raptors (seven species) which had experienced mild or severe stress: (1) prolonged confinement in flight cages (Type A), and (2) serious debilities such as fractured bones, soft-tissue damage and/or starvation (Type B) respectively. 2. 2. Two of the species contained Types A and B (43 birds) while the remaining five species (17 birds) were of Type B only. 3. 3. Wide ranges in plasma insulin (0–135 pg/ml or 0–3.0 μU/ml) were observed in both Types A and B. Mean levels were not significantly different between species, although levels in Type B tended to be lower than those in Type A. 4. 4. Wide ranges in plasma glucose (195–485 mg/dl) were also observed in Types A and B but mean levels between species were remarkably similar, and likewise were not significantly different. 5. 5. However, even though mean insulin and glucose levels did not differ significantly between mildly or severely stressed and fasting birds, a low-level but significant (P < 0.001) correlation (r = 0.5772) between insulin and glucose levels existed. 6. 6. This suggests that insulin contributes minimally, but significantly, to regulation of plasma glucose levels during stressful experiences or the fasting state.
An Experimental and Computational Stu dy of a Zero -Net Mass -Flux (ZNMF) Actuator

An exp erimental study on a Zero -Net -Mass -Flux (ZNMF) or a synthetic jet actuator was conducted to evaluate its performance (in particular the peak amplitude of the jet velocity), for an applied voltage in the range (0 volts – 6 volts), and the frequency in the r ange (200Hz – 300Hz). The ZNMF actuator employed in the study was a three ounce electrodynamic actuator. It should be noted that these are the range of voltage and frequency for sustained operations of the actuator. For voltage exceeding 6 volts and at fre quency higher than 300Hz, the actuator coil gets overheated and may burn out. For this study , a synthetic jet casi ng was designed and fabricated which allowed for a slot jet of very high aspect ratio to exit from both sides of the slot opening in the casin g due to actuator action. The jet velocity was measured by a 3 -component hot -wire anemometer. The measurements showed that the peak velocity of the syntheti c jet (47 m/s) was achieved for an applied voltage of 6 volts and a frequency of 200Hz with a slit o pening of 0.015in. A 2 -D co mputational study was conducted by modeling the actuator and the cavity using FLUENT that successfully validated the experimental data. A more detailed 3D CFD study was also conducted for a few cases to determine the difference i n the results from 2D and 3D simulations for the key variables e.g. the peak amplitude of jet velocity. Using the experimental data and the simulation results, a dynamic model of the actuator hardware has been developed that includes the key parameters suc h as the electro magnetic force of the magnets , the parameters of coil such as length, diameter, number of turns, material, resistance, inductance etc. , and mass and stiffness of the diaphragm . These parameters influence the movement of the diaphragm for an applied voltage, which in turn determines the maximum amplitude of the jet velocity. This dynamic model is employed in selectively modifying the various hardware components of the actuator to increase the maximum amplitude of the jet velocity for a given applied voltage, withou t increasing its total weight. The goal is the redesign the actuator hardware for maximum effectiveness.
Cotton Gin Efficiency Monitoring System

This paper describes a microcomputer controlled data acquisition system and data processing facilities for measuring cotton gin efficiency. A summary of the hardware and software system components is presented, along with its operational characteristics. Some data processing results are included along with future plans for enhancing the usefulness of the system.
A molecular dynamics simulation of photo-induced electron transfer in an organic donor—acceptor compound

Abstract The results of a molecular dynamics simulation are presented of the photo-induced excitation and accompanying electron transfer in a rigid organic bichromophoric compound in vacuum. A semi-classical algorithm is used in which the energies of the two lowest electronic states of the molecules are described with a semi-empirical quantum-mechanical method and the dynamics of the nuclei are treated classically. The model shows that the excited state can become significantly occupied on the experimentally observed timescale, although the populations of each state are sensitive to the parameters defining the radiation field and the coupling between the field and the molecule.
Adaptive wideband optical nulling for an antenna system

Nulling is a technique to reduce unwanted interference by selecting specifically against some characteristic of the interference. In the case of an antenna with several subapertures or beams, spatial discrimination against the interference is implemented through appropriate complex weighting of the antenna outputs prior to combining to make the net antenna sensitivity orders of magnitude lower in the direction of the interference. This paper describes how optics has been used to achieve a wide- bandwidth (2 GHz) null centered at 6 GHz for the case of two antenna outputs. The broadband null-depth is approximately 40 dB over the 5 to 7 GHz RF band. Such a deep null over this wide band could not be achieved using microwave technology alone.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.