cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shepherding Metadata Through the Building Lifecycle

Many different digital representations of a building are produced over the course of its lifecycle. These representations contain the metadata required to support different stages of the building, from initial planning and design, to construction and commissioning, through operations, audits, retrofits and maintenance. However, because of differences in the semantics, structure and syntax of these representations, the metadata they contain is not interoperable. We present a novel method for leveraging these representations to create a unified, authoritative Brick metadata model for a building that can be continually maintained over the course of the building lifecycle. A simple synchronization protocol relays inferred Brick metadata from existing metadata sources such as gbXML, BuildingSync, Project Haystack and Modelica to a central integration server, which merges the metadata into a valid Brick model.
When and Where Does Genocide Occur

This chapter is designed to be a brief history of the concept of genocide. This chapter is designed to introduce students to critical thinking about cases of genocide that might have occurred before the word/crime existed.
A qualitative investigation into the impact of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis on children and their caregivers.

Primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (pHLH) is a rare and life-threatening disorder, which usually occurs during infancy or early childhood and is characterized by abnormal activation of the immune system. However, the burden of pHLH on children and their families has not been previously evaluated. This qualitative study investigated the impact of pHLH and its treatment on the physical, emotional, and social well-being of patients and caregivers in the USA and UK using interviews to provide a comprehensive insight from the perspective of the caregivers and young survivors. Twenty-one caregivers were enrolled (median [range] age, 41.1 [26–58] years) and represented 20 patients, four from the UK and 16 from the USA. At enrollment, 17 of the 20 patients were alive with a median [range] age of 12.75 [5–31] years at a mean [range] of 7.8 [0.6–11.6] years after diagnosis. In addition, four adult survivors (median [range] age, 23.3 [21–30] years) were also enrolled (total participants n = 25). From noticing initial symptoms to receiving a diagnosis, caregivers reported a mean (range) of 25.9 (0–258) months. pHLH and its treatment had a substantial and long-lasting impact on patients and caregivers, affecting their physical, emotional and social well-being, family relationships, friendships, and ability to work and study. Many of the experiences reported were negative, even after curative treatment, and some participants experienced long-lasting physical and emotional issues. The most noticeable impact of pHLH for patients was on their physical well-being, whereas for caregivers it was emotional well-being. Across all participants there was a sense of isolation due to the illness and its treatment, particularly regarding the patient being immunocompromised and the fear of infection. Areas having a major impact and considered in need of improvement included: delays in diagnosis, lack of patient-specific information on pHLH and a lack of support and understanding about the condition. pHLH placed a substantial burden on patients and caregivers, which for some were long-lasting. This was compounded by the lack of awareness and understanding of pHLH by healthcare professionals, and a lack of accessible information for those affected by pHLH.
The K Vision for the Future of Programming Language Design and Analysis

Formal programming language semantics should be a unique opportunity to give birth to a better language, not a cumbersome post-mortem activity. Moreover, language implementations and analysis tools should be automatically generated from the formal semantics in a correct-by-construction manner, at no additional cost. In this paper, we discuss how we are pursuing this vision of programming language design and analysis within the context of the \(\mathbb {K}\) framework (http://kframework.org), where it is easy and fun to design and deploy new programming languages; where language designers can focus on the desired features and not worry about their implementation; and where the correctness of all auto-generated language implementations and tools is guaranteed on a case-by-case basis, and every individual task, be it parsing, execution, verification, or anything else, is endorsed by its own proof object that can be independently checked by third-party proof checkers, making no compromise to safety or correctness.
Lissajous knots and billiard knots

We show that Lissajous knots are equivalent to billiard knots in a cube. We consider also knots in general 3-dimensional billiard tables. We analyse symmetry of knots in billiard tables and show in particular that the Alexander polynomial of a Lissajous knot is a square modulo 2. 0. Introduction. A Lissajous knot K is a knot in R given by the parametric equations x = cos(ηxt+ φx), y = cos(ηyt+ φy), z = cos(ηzt+ φz), for integers ηx, ηy, ηz. A Lissajous link is a collection of disjoint Lissajous knots. The fundamental question was asked in [BHJS94]: which knots are Lissajous? One defines a billiard knot (or racquetball knot) as the trajectory inside a cube of a ball which leaves a wall at rational angles with respect to the natural frame, and travels in a straight line except for reflecting perfectly off the walls; generically it will miss the corners and edges, and will form a knot. We will show that these knots are precisely the same as the Lissajous knots. We will also speculate about more general billiard knots, e.g. taking another polyhedron instead of the ball, considering a non-Euclidean metric, or considering the trajectory of a ball in the configuration space of a flat billiard. We will illustrate these by various examples. For instance, the trefoil knot is not a Lissajous knot 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 57M25, 58F17. This is an extended version of the talk given in August 1995, at the minisemester on Knot Theory at the Banach Center. We would like to acknowledge the support from USAF grant 1-443964-22502. The paper is in final form and no version of it will be published elsewhere.
Development procedure of an air-source heat pump base-case simulation model for a code-compliant residential building

Abstract Computer simulation is widely used for analyzing building energy performance. A building simulation model is often verified by comparing the simulation results of the same building using different simulation programs, and thus developing a same building simulation model for different programs is inevitable for the comparative verification. This study proposed a step-by-step input parameter change procedure to develop a residential building model that complies with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). By implementing the procedure, this study developed the code-compliant residential air-source heat pump base-case model using two whole-building simulation programs: DOE-2.1e and eQUEST. The simulation results from DOE-2.1e and eQUEST at each step in the procedure were compared. To evaluate the accuracy and comparability of the final base-case model developed with the procedure, this study compared the simulation results of the same base-case model using Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) accredited programs. The comparison showed that the differences in the annual total site energy use among the simulation programs were well-matched within 4.7%.
Stochastic Petri Nets

Petri Nets provide a means for modeling and graphically representing the possible behavior of systems in which concurrency, serializability, synchronization and resource sharing are important considerations [PETE], [FILM]. They can be used for the understanding and prediction of the behavior of computer systems, communication protocols, biological, economic and other complex systems.
Geld und Währung

Geld ist ein Gut, das im Sachguter- und Dienstleistungsverkehr regelmasig als Tauschmittel verwendet wird. Geld ist Anweisung auf einen Anteil am Sozialprodukt. Es verkorpert Verfugungsmacht uber Waren und Dienstleistungen.
Prostaglandin E1 activates a chloride current in Jurkat T lymphocytes via cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Patch-clamp studies have identified a cAMP-dependent Cl- conductance in lymphocytes that is defectively regulated in cystic fibrosis. In this study we used 125I efflux and whole-cell patch-clamp st...
Nomadic computing (keynote address)

Nomadic computing is a phenomenon in computing and communications that is spreading rapidly. At this stage of its technology, the key problems and the basic understanding of its underlying principles are only beginning to be identified. Analysis and design tools are needed to assist in its development. In this paper, we discuss the nature of the tools and what one might look for in the way of applying some of them. We then pose some of the essential issues of nomadic computing and communications.
INFLUENCE RELATIONSHIPS: JUSTICE O'CONNOR AND THE SUPREME COURT

Sandra Day O'Connor's recent disagreements with conservatives on the Supreme Court, most notably in the areas of abortion, free speech and religious freedom, have led scholars to reassess her ideological position on the Court. O'Connor's dissents and concurrences have split the Court's conservative majority and led Court watchers to redefine her as a “moderate.” Using O'Connor's influence relationships, this paper argues that she has not moderated her ideology but instead is a restraintist conservative who is unwilling to support conservative judicial activism. The paper concludes that O'Connor remains committed to judicial restraint and is influenced neither by the Court's conservatives nor liberals.
Mass-Spectrograph Analysis of Beryllium

A new source of ions suitable for positive ray analysis was developed in the form of a molecular beam from a hot oven. Ions were produced in the beam by electron impact and focused on the entrance slit of the mass spectrograph by suitable electric fields. The method was applied to the study of beryllium but only ${\mathrm{Be}}^{9}$ was found. The experiment placed an upper limit on the existence of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ of one part in ten thousand.
Progress and prospects for the development of computer-generated actors for military simulation: part 2-reasoning system architectures and human behavior modeling

The development of computer-generated synthetic environments, also called distributed virtual environments (DVEs), relies heavily upon computer-generated actors (CGAs) to provide accurate behaviors at reasonable cost so that the synthetic environments are useful, affordable, complex, and realistic. Unfortunately, the pace of synthetic environment development and the level of desired CGA performance continue to rise at a much faster rate than CGA capability improvements. This insatiable demand for realism in CGAs for synthetic environments arises from the growing understanding of the significant role that modeling and simulation can play in a variety of uses, These uses include training, analysis, procurement decisions, mission rehearsal, doctrine development, force-level and task-level training, information assurance, cyberwarfare, force structure analysis, sustainability analysis, life cycle costs analysis, material management, infrastructure analysis, and many other uses. In these and other uses of military synthetic environments, computer-generated actors play a central role because they have the potential to increase the realism of the environment while also reducing the cost of operating the environment. The progress made in addressing the technical challenges that must be overcome to realize effective and realistic CGAs for military simulation environments and the technical areas that should be the focus of future work are the subject of this series of papers, which surveys the technologies and progress made in the construction and use of CGAs. In this, the second installment of three papers in the series, we present a discussion of CGA software architectures and a discussion of approaches to human behavior modeling.
Shear-layer-edge interaction - Simulation by finite-area vortices

The impingement of a row of finite-area vortices on an edge is presently used to efficiently simulate the shear layer/edge interaction, yielding support for the hypothesis that the pressure waves emitted from an impingement edge are generated by the vortices/edge interaction. A parametric application of this method shows that pressure wave amplitude is a function of the length of the succession of vortices and that frequency of their release; this amplitude decreases with decreasing vortex spacing while succession length remains constant, or when succession length decreases while the number of vortices remains constant.
Soy extract inhibits mammary adenocarcinoma growth in a syngeneic mouse model.

The effects of the soybean isoflavone genistein and a commercially-available isoflavone-containing soy extract on the growth of F3II mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells were investigated. Female Balb/c mice injected (s.c.) with F3II cells and fed diets supplemented with 0.6% soy extract (containing genistein at 750 ppm) exhibited a significant 90% reduction in tumor weight compared to controls, whereas female mice fed diets supplemented with 750 ppm genistein alone exhibited a significant 40% reduction in tumor weight compared to controls. Tumor samples from animals fed the 0.6% soy extract, but not from those animals fed the 750 ppm genistein diet alone, exhibited significantly higher protein levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(waf1/cip1) compared to controls. Neither of the two experimental diets altered tumor estrogen receptor-alpha or progesterone receptor protein levels. In vitro, genistein significantly inhibited F3II cell proliferation (IC(50) approximately 2-3 microM) and caused a G2/M block in cell cycle progression at concentrations as low as 5 microM. This genistein-induced G2/M arrest in vitro was associated with a significant increase in the protein expression of phosphorylated p34(cdc2) and of cyclin B1. These results indicate that genistein is an inhibitor of F3II mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cell growth in vivo and in vitro, in part due to its effect on specific cell cycle regulatory proteins. In addition, genistein fed to mice as part of the soy extract resulted in a greater magnitude of inhibition of mouse mammary adenocarcinoma tumor growth, compared to tumor growth of animals fed an equivalent amount of genistein alone. This suggests that genistein along with other constituent(s) in the soy extract may also contribute to suppression of F3II tumor growth.
Klein-Gordon and Dirac Equations in General Relativity

It is shown, that when account is taken of the gravitational field of a point charge, the Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations for the motion of a charged particle in a Coulomb field do not possess solutions which can be expressed as series of terms proportional to positive integral powers of the gravitational constant.
Targeting mTOR-mediated survival signals in anticancer therapeutic strategies

An important component of tumor progression is the generation of survival signals that overcome default apoptotic programs. In principle, survival signals are ideal targets for anticancer therapeutic strategies because blocking these signals leads to the death of cells that are dependent upon them. A common target of survival signals is mTOR. Survival signals generated by both phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and phospholipase D target mTOR. Suppression of these mTOR-mediated survival signals provides the opportunity to reactivate default apoptotic pathways in cancer cells and allow the cancer cells to die on their own. In this review, the potential for anticancer strategies that target mTOR-mediated survival signals is explored.
Real-time Bronchoscope Tip Localization Enables Three-dimensional CT Image Guidance for Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in Swine

Study objective To determine the feasibility of using real-time bronchoscope position technology coupled with previously acquired three-dimensional CT data to enhance transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). Design Eight swine were given percutaneously created target lesions for TBNA. A miniature position sensor was placed at the tip of a bronchoscope, and real-time position information during bronchoscopy was presented on a monitor simultaneously displaying previously acquired three-dimensional CT data. Interventions TBNA of target lesions and submucosal ink-spot injection of computer-generated targets. Measurements and results TBNA specimens revealed successful aspiration of target material. Distances between ink marks made at computer-generated tracheal targets varied, on average (± SD), 4.2 mm ± 2.6 mm from predetermined computer-distance coordinates. Conclusion Real-time bronchoscope position technology coupled with previously acquired CT images may aid with TBNA of nonvisible extrabronchial lesions.
Splicing Factors SRp20 and 9G8 Promote the Nucleocytoplasmic Export of mRNA

We have uncovered a novel function for two members of the SR protein family in mRNA export. Using UV cross-linking, transient transfection, and Xenopus oocyte microinjection, we find that the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling proteins SRp20 and 9G8 interact specifically with a 22-nt RNA element from the histone H2a gene to promote the export of intronless RNAs in both mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes. Antibodies to SRp20 or 9G8 eliminate RNA binding and significantly inhibit the export of RNAs carrying the element from oocyte nuclei. Our observation that SRp20 and 9G8 can be UV cross-linked to polyadenylated RNA in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of HeLa cells suggests a more general role for these SR proteins in mRNA export.
Solar oxygen and calcium in Mercury's exosphere

Abstract In situ and remote sensing observations have provided a glimpse of the space environment at Mercury and the interaction of its magnetic field with both the planetary surface and its exosphere. In this work we suggest that O 6 + and Ca 11 + supplied by the solar wind are adequate to explain the observations of emissions from neutral O and Ca in the Mercury environment, or exosphere. The actual observational data for O are sparse with only a single detection by instrumentation on Mariner 10 with no altitude profile. For Ca the observations are more thorough and show Ca to be present at thousands of km off the high latitude limbs of Mercury. We discuss the abundance and distribution of O and Ca in Mercury's exosphere with the solar wind as the sole source and loss exclusively by ionization. Results are compatible with the observed abundances. We present a new model of solar wind Ca and O implantation into Mercury's regolith and suggest observations that could be made by Mercury atmospheric and surface camera spectrograph (MASCS) and the energetic particle and plasma spectrometer (EPPS) on MErcury, Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, Ranging spacecraft (MESSENGER) to differentiate between solar wind delivery of O and Ca vs. a true crustal source as may be measured by the neutron spectrometer (NS) and gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) and possibly the X-ray spectrometer (XRS).
Customized minimization techniques for phase equilibrium computations in reservoir simulation

Abstract This paper discusses a minimization algorithm for the solution of the Gibbs free energy minimization problem involving at most two phases. There are three major aspects to this paper. The first is the selection of descent directions and step lengths in order to handle the poorly scaled phase equilibrium problems associated with mixtures near bubble points and critical points. The second is the prevention of convergence to trivial solutions in both the Gibbs free energy minimization problem for two-phase mixtures and the associated phase stability test for single-phase mixtures. The third is the use of effective convergence criteria to obtain either the desired level of accuracy in the solution or the maximum accuracy allowed by the problem and the computer.
Efficient consumer response: literature review

Since efficient consumer response (ECR) was first introduced into the academic literature in 1993, it has been defined more in the sense of a system or a philosophy rather than a particular concept and stresses the complete vertical integration of the marketing channels. The purpose of this paper is to collect, categorise and merge the existing knowledge of ECR. The paper explains the ECR strategies, definitions and initiatives that were found in the academic literature. The main contribution of the paper is the compilation and classification of the ECR academic literature.
Extracting knowledge from examples: Induction of heuristic rules for wheelchair prescription

The feasibility of using an induction algorithm to discover heuristic rules for wheelchair equipment selection is investigated. Syntactical rules for two description languages (one to describe the disabled client and another to describe wheelchair equipment configurations) are presented. These languages allow the rulebase developer to describe training instances (examples) to the computer in an intelligible way. An induction learning algorithm is used to classify these training instances, thereby producing a decision tree. Heuristic rules can then be extracted from the tree and placed in a rulebase for an expert system called LEADER. LEADER is being developed to aid a wheelchair prescriber in the equipment selection process. There are two important objectives of this research: (1) to reduce the time and facilitate the development of an intelligent expert system rulebase by extracting knowledge embedded within existing examples and (2) to provide the expert system with the ability to learn new rules autonomously. The ability to learn makes the rulebase dynamic; the initial rulebase would be augmented with new rules as additional examples are provided to the system while it is in clinical use.
Experimental investigation of geometry and flow effects on acoustic radiation from duct inlets

An experimental study of the effects of geometry, flow, frequency and source structure on the radiation and reflection of sound from duct inlets has been conducted. This work extends a previous study by comparing two inlet shapes typical of static and flight testing and by considering higher order radial modes. Measurements of the internal and radiated acoustic fields are presented in terms of modal reflection coefficients and absolute radiated pressure directivity. Results indicate that geometry effects associated with these practical inlet shapes become less important for a fixed cutoff ratio as the mode order and frequency are increased. Also, static inflow, while reducing the reflected wave amplitude, is shown to have little effect on radiation directivity regardless of inlet geometry.
Plenty of Opportunity as Well as "Room at the Bottom" Some Examples in Optical MEMS

More than a quarter century has passed since attention began to focus on MEMS with its fulfillment of the promise of "Plenty of Room at the Bottom," as had been foreseen a half century ago by famous physicist Richard Feynman. The promised 'room' held plenty of challenges as well as plenty of opportunities. I present some reflections on these early years of MEMS and then discuss results obtained from our research at BSAC on optical MEMS. These results confirm my belief in major opportunities for advancement in the optics area for MEMS. While much earlier research in optical MEMS has exploited the use of micromirrors, we have concentrated efforts on incorporating other optical devices. Components other than activated mirrors must be available to produce micro-optical systems for many applications that have established their value in macro designs. Chief among the needed components are high-quality microlenses that can be accurately formed and placed at specified locations in the fabrication of an optical micro system. The first part of this talk discusses our application of microlenses to wavefront-sensing for use in adaptive optics. I describe a micro lens array in which the passage of light through a specific lens can be identified by a new mechanical-frequency-based selection scheme. A lens array is typically part of a Shack-Hartmann (SH) sensor for measuring wavefront aberration, a necessary input for adaptive-optic systems. We show that a MEMS design for the lens array can markedly improve SH performance by increasing the dynamic range of measurable wavefront aberrations. The second part of my presentation describes a new, highly reliable and yet comparatively simple fabrication method that we have developed to produce robust microactuators for scanners and device positioning. I describe the application of an example of these microscanner to ocular surgery using laser ablation of tissue. Our results with this newly designed MEMS microscanner compare very favorably to those achieved using a conventional commercial laser-ablation system. As a final topic illustrating our optical MEMS research, I present initial results obtained using a new high-speed MEMS-based phase-shifting interferometer. I hope to leave you convinced, as am I, that opportunities for fruitful applications are extremely widespread in optical MEMS.
Unbounded Motherhood Embodying a Good Working Mother Identity

Organizational values demand that working mothers separate the maternal from the professional. Due to the nature of maternity leave in the United States, however, working mothers who are breastfeed...
The slowing metabolism of marriage: figures from 1988 U.S. marital status life tables.

Marital status life tables for the United States, 1988, show a continuing retreat from marriage. For both sexes, the proportion ever marrying declined and the average age at first marriage rose. The 1988 rates imply that 43% of marriages end in divorce. That represents a slight decline from the 1983 figure, and suggests that divorce has peaked at a level below that estimated in earlier analyses.
Population trends of some monophagous and polyphagous fulgoroids in relation to biotic and abiotic factors (Insecta: Homoptera)

The population trends of the planthoppers,Dichoptera hyalinata Fabricius (Dictyopharidae),Eurybrachys tomentosa Fabricius (Eurybrachidae), andRicania fenestrata Fabricius (Ricaniidae) were studied with reference to the abiotic factors like temperature, humidity and rainfall and biotic factors like two nymphal ectoparasites,Dryinus sp. (A)* andDryinus sp. (B)* (Dryinidae: Hymenoptera) and two egg parasites,Proleurocerus fulgoridis Ferriere (Encyrtidae: Hymenoptera) andTetrastichus sp. (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera).
The Balance of Pain: Terrorism Deterrence in Israel

More than any other modern nation, Israel has combatted, prevented, countered, and deterred terrorist attacks. While the conflict that spawns terrorism did not begin with the founding of modern Israel, its establishment by United Nations resolution in 1948 has certainly become the contemporary trigger point for this ancient antipathy. Israel has attempted different tactical and strategic approaches to halt attacks, including deterrence, but, in contrast to what U.S. strategists might initially suppose from their Cold War experience, Israeli deterrence of terrorism does not fall into either the Kahn or Schelling schools of thought. It has more affinity to risk management, and kinship with deterrence of crime in a civil legal system. Like criminal law enforcement, the expectation of Israeli terror deterrence is not unrealistically zero attacks, but practical management to maintain a certain status quo. Israel, however, appears trapped in an endless cycle of pain with its adversaries, a cycle regulated by un...
Assessing the Myocardium After Attempted Reperfusion Should We Bother

In patients with AMI who have undergone attempted reperfusion, two questions need to be answered. The first, and the most obvious, is whether the myocardium has been successfully reperfused. The second, and perhaps equally important, is how much of the myocardium has been salvaged, and how much can still potentially be salvaged? To answer these questions, one must have the tools to accurately assess myocardial perfusion and infarct size. The ultimate indicator of tissue perfusion is capillary flow, whereas that of myocardial infarction is myocyte necrosis. The farther we deviate from a direct assessment of these indicators, the more imprecise we become. The Figure⇓ depicts the findings generally used in the clinical setting to determine whether reperfusion has actually occurred and the extent of myocardial salvage achieved. Figure 1. Figure depicts the findings generally used in the clinical setting to determine whether reperfusion has actually occurred and the extent of myocardial salvage achieved. Although the presence of a wall motion abnormality is valuable for the diagnosis of prior infarction and resting or inducible ischemia,1 it is of limited value in patients with AMI who have recently undergone reperfusion therapy. In these patients, a wall motion abnormality is likely to be present whether or not reperfusion has been successful. Regional function will be normal only if the period of ischemia was very short (minutes), which is uncommon in the clinical setting. The degree of wall thickening also does not reflect the transmural extent of myocardial necrosis because dysfunction may be present in the noninfarcted reperfused tissue.1 For the same reason, the circumferential extent of a wall motion abnormality also does not reflect infarct size. Thus, only when the wall motion abnormality is localized to a small region of the myocardium is a sizable infarction excluded.1 The ECG is a …
Do Visually Salient Stimuli Reduce Children's Risky Decisions?

Children tend to overestimate their physical abilities, and that tendency is related to risk for unintentional injury. This study tested whether or not children estimate their physical ability differently when exposed to stimuli that were highly visually salient due to fluorescent coloring. Sixty-nine 6-year-olds judged physical ability to complete laboratory-based physical tasks. Half judged ability using tasks that were painted black; the other half judged the same tasks, but the stimuli were striped black and fluorescent lime-green. Results suggest the two groups judged similarly, but children took longer to judge perceptually ambiguous tasks when those tasks were visually salient. In other words, visual salience increased decision-making time but not accuracy of judgment. These findings held true after controlling for demographic and temperament characteristics.
Companion animals and home surface contamination in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization of people

hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, we analyzed readmission patterns in the inpatient medicine wards. We described the prevalence of early readmissions, assessed factors associated with readmissions, and explored the impact of HIV/AIDS on readmission. Methods: We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with all-cause early readmission using regression models with a log link and binomial distribution to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). A retrospective review of the medical ward database at Kamuzu Central Hospital was conducted between February and December 2013. Findings: There were 3547 patients with an index admission and 74.4% of these survived and were eligible for readmission: 48.1% female, mean age 40.8, 38.5% HIV-infected. The prevalence of early hospital readmission was 5.5%. Persons who were HIV infected were more likely to experience an early readmission (9.2%) than those who were HIV-uninfected (3.5%) or with an unknown HIV status (3.3%). Factors associated with 30-day readmission were being HIV-positive (RR1⁄42.59; 95% CI: 1.743.83), comorbidity (RR1⁄41.52; 95% CI: 1.11-2.06), and prolonged length of stay (14 days) at the index hospitalization (RR1⁄45.01; 95% CI: 2.38, 10.53). Interpretation: Targeting HIV-infected inpatients with comorbid conditions and longer index admissions may prevent early readmission and improve quality of care. Further investigation is needed to identify quality improvement initiatives. Funding: Kashmira Chawla is supported by the Doris Duke International Clinical Research Fellowship program and this work is supported by the University of North Carolina Center for AIDS research. Abstract #: 02CD005
Burning-rate behavior in aluminized wide-distribution AP composite propellants

Burning-rate behavior of aluminized, wide-distribution ammonium-perchlorate (AP), hydroxyl-terminated-polybutadiene (HTPB) binder composite propellants, both 2D laminates and 3D particulate propellants, is investigated experimentally. Very fine (2-µm) AP (FAP) is used at a high FAP/binder ratio (75/25) with either coarse (>200 µm) AP (CAP) particles (3D particulate propellants) or pressed AP slabs (simulating CAP particles in over-ventilated, 2D laminates). The results indicate that, while aluminum does not significantly alter the AP/binder flame structure, it can either increase the burning rate via radiative feedback or decrease it via inert heat-sink effects, depending on pressure (competing conductive heat feedback). Otherwise, the AP/binder flame structure is similar to that found previously for non-aluminized laminates, with minor differences. The FAP/HTPB-matrix burns with a one-dimensional premixed flame not hot enough to ignite aluminum, but hot enough to self-deflagrate if a modest amount of an external radiant flux (in the case considered, supplied by aluminum ignited downstream by the CAP/matrix flame) is present. The CAP/matrix interaction flame burns in either a split-diffusion or merged, partially premixed mode, depending on pressure and fuel-layer thickness. A correlation between the burningrate pressure exponent and the CAP/matrix flame-regime pressure dependence is found in terms of the Peclet number in accordance with a simple, conserved-scalar (mixture fraction) theory.
Endocrine regulation of ovarian development in the autogenous mosquito, Aedes atropalpus.

Abstract The mosquito Aedes atropalpus is autogenous, i.e., normal ovarian development proceeds in adult females without any exogenous source of protein. Using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for ecdysone, it was found that the titer of antigen-positive material in whole-body extracts of adult females rose from about 150 pg equiv of β-ecdysone per female at eclosion to an average peak value of 323 pg 32 hr later. The titer then dropped to approximately 100 pg over the next 16 hr. A comparison of the RIA titer with follicle size, vitellin deposition into oocytes, and total extractable soluble proteins from ovaries suggested a causal relationship between the hormone titer and normal ovarian development. Preliminary data also suggest that the ovary is a source of ecdysteroid in these adult animals. Decapitation of adult females from 0 to 4 hr after eclosion completely prevented ovarian development. Animals decapitated 30 min after eclosion and then assayed for ecdysteroid content 32 hr later revealed a hormonal titer 75% less than normal intact controls. An analysis of the 32-hr RIA-positive material by high-pressure liquid chromatography confirmed the presence of β-ecdysone but did not detect any α-ecdysone. Ovarian deficiencies incurred by decapitation were partially restored by injection with β-ecdysone or by topical application of juvenile hormone.
Modern Optical Tests of Special Relativity

In this paper, the authors give a detailed report on a specific such clock comparison, which can be viewed as a modern descendant of the classical Michelson-Morley experiment testing the isotropy of the speed of light.
Virginia political economy: a rational reconstruction

Recognition of a distinctive style of political economy denoted as Virginia political economy appeared early in the 1960s. It is common though not universal to identify a school of thought by the academic location of the main figures associated with the creation and propagation of a particular set of ideas. By this approach, Virginia political economy is associated with the three academic venues where James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock did most of their work. This paper takes a methodological approach to identifying Virginia political economy, which gives Virginia political economy an analytical rather than a regional identity. I do this by employing a form of rational reconstruction to articulate what I perceive to be the analytical hard core of Virginia political economy. While Buchanan and Tullock were pivotal characters in the development of Virginia political economy, that hard core is neither reducible to Buchanan and Tullock nor do they convey fully that hard core as is has arisen through scholarly interaction among many people over 50 years.
Physical and Electrical Properties of a Nickel Ferrite as Affected by Compositional Changes

A series of ferrites was prepared in the form Ni1-αCoαFe2O4, where α varied from 0.00 to 0.05. It has been shown experimentally that the width of the curve of magnetic loss versus magnetic field can be minimized by the proper value of α. The large crystal anisotropy of cobalt enables one to choose the composition where the resultant crystal anisotropy constant should equal zero. Techniques are discussed which could increase the resistivity of these ferrites.
Analgesia for Early-Life Pain Prevents Deficits in Adult Anxiety and Stress in Rats

Previous studies in rats have established that inflammatory pain experienced on the day of birth (P0) decreases sensitivity to acute noxious, anxiety- and stress-provoking stimuli. However, to date, the impact of early-life pain on adult responses to chronic stress is not known. Further, the ability of morphine, administered at the time of injury, to mitigate changes in adult behavioral and hormonal responses to acute or chronic stressors has not been examined. P0 male and female Sprague-Dawley rat pups were given an intraplantar injection of 1% carrageenan or handled in an identical manner in the presence or absence of morphine. As adults, rats that experienced early-life pain displayed decreased sensitivity to acute stressors, as indicated by increased time in the inner area of the Open Field, and increased latency to immobility and decreased time immobile in the Forced Swim Test (FST). An accelerated return of corticosterone to baseline was also observed. Morphine administration at the time of injury completely reversed this 'hyporesponsive' phenotype. By contrast, following 7 days of chronic variable stress, injured animals displayed a 'hyperresponsive' phenotype in that they initiated immobility and spent significantly more time immobile in the FST than controls. Responses to chronic stress were also rescued in animals that received morphine at the time of injury. These data suggest that analgesia for early-life pain prevents adult hyposensitivity to acute anxiety- and stress-provoking stimuli and increased vulnerability to chronic stress, and have important clinical implications for the management of pain in infants.
3. A National Study of HPV Vaccination of Adolescent Girls: Rates, Predictors, and Reasons for Non-Vaccination

Despite recommendations in the U.S. for routine HPV vaccination of adolescent girls since 2006, rates of vaccination continue to be low. This study reports vaccination uptake, factors associated with vaccine uptake and reasons for non-vaccination within a national sample of adolescent females during 2010. Using a computer administered survey of a national sample of 501 mothers of daughters 14–17 years old we assessed maternal reports of HPV vaccination as well as socio-demographical factors, maternal HPV exposures and reasons chosen for non-vaccination. Reported HPV vaccination rates were slightly over 50 % (51.1 %), with 38.3 % reporting completion of all 3 doses. Socioeconomic and demographic factors were not associated with vaccination initiation; however, Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to complete vaccination. The most common reasons for non-vaccination were concerns about vaccine safety, danger to daughter, and provider non-recommendation. Relatively poor HPV vaccine initiation and only modest 3-dose completion continues to be a major public health concern that requires continued efforts to address identified predictors and reasons for non-vaccination.
Analysis and optimization of buffer circuits in high current gate drives

Buffer circuits are widely used in high-power inverters' gate drives to get enough driving current for power modules or power transistors in parallel. In this paper, designs of buffer circuits to boost the output current for a gate driver IC are investigated. Different buffer topologies are reviewed and their individual advantages and disadvantages analyzed. Based on the analysis, three topologies, specifically the BJT emitter follower, the two NFETs totem pole, and the CMOS buffer, are chosen for further study. Optimizations are performed on these three buffers by taking the driving capability, switching speed, circuit complexity, and cost into account. After that, a test setup is built, and the driving performance of the buffers is characterized and then compared experimentally with a commercial buffer IC with a rated current of 30 A. All three proposed buffers show better performance and lower cost, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed optimization methods. Double pulse test results indicate that the addition of a buffer stage makes the switching performance less sensitive to the load and can achieve significant performance improvement when large or parallel power switches are to be driven.
Developmental changes in energy expenditure and physical activity in children: evidence for a decline in physical activity in girls before puberty.

Objective. To examine individual changes in energy expenditure and physical activity during prepubertal growth in boys and girls. Methods. Total energy expenditure (TEE), resting energy expenditure, physical activity-related energy expenditure, reported physical activity, and fat and fat-free mass were measured three times over 5 years in 11 boys (5.3 ± 0.9 years at baseline) and 11 girls (5.5 ± 0.9 years at baseline). Results. Four-year increases in fat (∼6 kg) and fat-free mass (∼10 kg) and resting energy expenditure (∼200 kcal/day) were similar in boys and girls. In boys, TEE increased at each measurement year, whereas in girls, there was an initial increase from age 5.5 (1365 ± 330 kcal/day) to age 6.5 (1815 ± 392 kcal/day); however, by age 9.5, TEE was reduced significantly (1608 ± 284 kcal/day) with no change in energy intake. The gender difference in TEE changes over time was explained by a 50% reduction in physical activity (kcal/day and hours/week) in girls between the ages of 6.5 and 9.5. Conclusions. These data suggest a gender dimorphism in the developmental changes in energy expenditure before adolescence, with a conservation of energy use in girls achieved through a marked reduction in physical activity.
Trajectory regulation of a double pendulum using a nonstationary LPV approach

The paper focuses on the control of a double pendulum about an eventually time-invariant trajectory. A vessel containing fluid is rigidly attached to the end of the second link. The mass of the fluid varies in time and, together with its rate of variation, is available for measurement during plant operation. In this note, we develop a nonstationary linear parameter-varying (NSLPV) controller which ensures accurate trajectory tracking despite certain disturbances and uncertainties.
Quantitative descriptors of corneal topography. A clinical study.

• Quantitative descriptors of corneal topography determined by computerized algorithm and designed to augment the information derived from topographic maps were evaluated in a clinical study. The surface regularity index, a measure of central corneal optical quality, was highly correlated with best spectacle-corrected visual acuity ( p = 0.80, P p = 0.62, P
Mechanism of egg recognition in defenses against conspecific brood parasitism: American coots (Fulica americana) know their own eggs

Hosts of avian brood parasites use a variety of defenses based on egg recognition to reduce the costs of parasitism; the most important of which is rejecting the parasitic eggs. Two basic recognition mechanisms are possible: “true recognition”, whereby hosts recognize their own eggs irrespective of their relative frequency in the clutch, and minority recognition (or “recognition by discordancy”), whereby hosts respond to the minority egg type. The mechanism of recognition has been experimentally studied in a handful of species parasitized by interspecific brood parasites, but the mechanism used in defenses against conspecific brood parasitism is unknown. I experimentally determined the mechanism of egg recognition in American coots (Fulica americana), a species with high levels of conspecific brood parasitism, egg recognition, and rejection. I swapped eggs between pairs of nests to alter frequencies of host and “parasite” eggs and then used two criteria for recognition: egg rejection and nonrandom incubation positions in the clutch. Eight of 12 nests (66%) given equal frequencies of host and parasite eggs showed evidence of true recognition. In contrast, only one of eight (12.5%) nests where host eggs were in the minority showed evidence of recognition by discordancy. The nonrandom incubation positions of parasitic eggs indicates that birds sometimes recognize parasitic eggs without rejecting them and provides a means of assessing recognition on a per nest basis in species with large clutches. Adaptive recognition without rejection may also be an important evolutionary stepping stone to the evolution of egg rejection in some taxa.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Jobs and the Future of the US Economy

This special issue of the Review presents selected and revised papers from the October 2010 Conference on Jobs and the Future of the US Economy held at Howard University. It includes several bold “outside the box” proposals for addressing the endemic conditions of unemployment and racism in the U.S. economy. These include augmented and targeted Keynesiani deficit finance, functional finance, a federal jobs guarantee, industrial policy, realignment of the federal budget, and financing jobs programs with a Tobin tax. Additional papers examine the historical and political experience with the struggle against unemployment. The goal of this special issue of the Review is to help broaden and intensify the national debate over today’s jobs crisis.
Uncertainty analysis: an illustration from nuclear waste package development

A method of uncertainty analysis is illustrated by analyzing canister corrosion in a nuclear waste package. In this method uncertainty is represented by a probability distribution in the form of a histogram. This facilitates the separation of the probability calculations from the evaluations of the performance measure. This simplicity results in a great amount of insight, and often less calculation than a Monte Carlo approach. The method is easy to understand and applicable to a wide variety of problems.
Agrobacterium VirE2 gets the VIP1 treatment in plant nuclear import

Abstract Agrobacterium tumefaciens transforms plant cells by targeting a large single-stranded DNA molecule (T-strand) to the plant nucleus. The host cell contribution to nuclear import and transformation is the focus of several current articles. Recently, plant proteins have been identified that promote nuclear import of the T-strand. In particular, VIP1 might couple transformation to the importin-dependent nuclear import pathway and deliver the T-strand to chromatin, thereby promoting integration into the host genome.