cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forward model nonlinearity versus inverse model nonlinearity.

The issue of concern is the impact of forward model nonlinearity on the nonlinearity of the inverse model. The question posed is, ‘‘Does increased nonlinearity in the head solution (forward model) always result in increased nonlinearity in the inverse solution (estimation of hydraulic conductivity)?’’ It is shown that the two nonlinearities are separate, and it is not universally true that increased forward model nonlinearity increases inverse model nonlinearity.
Social Security reform: the effect of investing in equities

Abstract Several proposals have been developed to reform the Social Security System to ensure that it is fully funded. The investment of a portion of Social Security funds in equities has often been proposed as a means to avoid increasing payroll taxes. This paper develops a general equilibrium model to demonstrate that investing Social Security funds in equities will decrease the return on equities and increase interest rates on bonds, which also leads to an increase in general income taxes. Thus, investing Social Security funds in equities simply shifts a potential increase in payroll taxes to an increase in income taxes.
Inflation and large-scale structure formation after the Cosmic Background Explorer.

The simplest realizations of the new inflationary scenario typically give rise to primordial density fluctuations which deviate logarithmically from the scale-free Harrison-Zeldovich spectrum. We consider a number of such examples and in each case we normalize the amplitude of the fluctuations with the recent Cosmic Background Explorer measurement of the microwave background anisotropy. The predictions for the bulk velocities as well as anisotropies on smaller (1 to 2 deg) angular scales are compared with the Harrison-Zeldovich case. Deviations from the latter range from a few to about 15%. We also estimate the redshift beyond which the quasars would not be expected to be seen. The inflationary quasar cutoff redshifts can vary by as much as 25% from the Harrison-Zeldovich case. We find that the inflationary scenario provides a good starting point for a theory of large-scale structure in the universe provided the dark matter is a combination of cold plus (10--30%) hot components.
A Case-Control Study of Sociodemographic and Geographic Characteristics of 335 Children With Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Background & Aims The epidemiology of pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is poorly characterized. In this study, we aimed to determine demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics of our cohort of EE children. Methods A case-control design was used to compare 335 EE subjects with control subjects from gastroenterology (GI) and allergy clinics as well as 2000 U.S. census data. Results EE subjects were significantly different than the greater Philadelphia population as well as control subjects from our gastroenterology and allergy clinics. EE subjects were 83.6% Caucasian, compared with 70.9% of GI control subjects (odds ratio [OR], 2.17; P P P P Conclusions EE subjects are significantly different than control groups in their demographic characteristics of Caucasian race and male sex. EE subject socioeconomic and geographic characteristics are not different than our typical referral patterns to GI clinic when adjusted for race as a confounding factor.
Dystonia and the Nuclear Envelope

Mutations in torsinA cause dominantly inherited early-onset torsion dystonia in humans. In this issue of Neuron, Goodchild et al. show that torsinA knockout and knockin mice have similar phenotypes, which suggests that the mutant torsinA allele causes disease because it has decreased function. The experiments also highlight the possible role of nuclear envelope dynamics in maintaining normal neuronal function.
Supplementary Results on "Low-Temperature Resistivity of Dilute Magnetic Impurities in the Presence of Internal Fields"

Previous calculations on the effect of random internal fields on the Kondo resistivity are extended to cover a wider range of variation of internal field parameters and exchange constants. An error in the previous calculated results is also corrected.
Fusion–fission hybrids for nuclear waste transmutation: A synergistic step between Gen-IV fission and fusion reactors

Abstract Energy demand and GDP per capita are strongly correlated, while public concern over the role of energy in climate change is growing. Nuclear power plants produce 16% of world electricity demands without greenhouse gases. Generation-IV advanced nuclear energy systems are being designed to be safe and economical. Minimizing the handling and storage of nuclear waste is important. NIF and ITER are bringing sustainable fusion energy closer, but a significant gap in fusion technology development remains. Fusion–fission hybrids could be a synergistic step to a pure fusion economy and act as a technology bridge. We discuss how a pulsed power-driven Z-pinch hybrid system producing only 20 MW of fusion yield can drive a sub-critical transuranic blanket that transmutes 1280 kg of actinide wastes per year and produces 3000 MW. These results are applicable to other inertial and magnetic fusion energy systems. A hybrid system could be introduced somewhat sooner because of the modest fusion yield requirements and can provide both a safe alternative to fast reactors for nuclear waste transmutation and a maturation path for fusion technology. The development and demonstration of advanced materials that withstand high-temperature, high-irradiation environments is a fundamental technology issue that is common to both fusion–fission hybrids and Generation-IV reactors.
Damping of second sound near the superfluid transition of /sup 4/He as a function of pressure

Quantitative experimental results of the second-sound damping D/sub 2/ near the superfluid transition temperature T/sub lambda/(P) are presented at several pressures P as a function of the reduced temperature t = 1-T/T/sub lambda/(P). The data cover the entire pressure range of the transition and are for 2 x 10/sup -5/< or approx. =t< or approx. =0.1. Their experimental uncertainty is in the range of 2--4 %. The experimental technique used in this work is described in detail. It is based on a tone-burst method and includes a number of novel features such as discrimination against higher harmonics by spectral analysis of the pulses, rectification before signal averaging to avoid the detrimental effect of temperature noise, a careful study of finite-amplitude effects, and quantitative corrections for nonparallelism of the cavity ends. The results are compared with the predictions based on renormalization-group theory and thermal-conductivity measurements above T/sub lambda/. The intricate pressure dependence of the data, which changes sign near troughly-equal10/sup -3/, is given rather well by the prediction. However, the details of the temperature dependence of the data at a given pressure disagree with the theory in its present form by deviations somewhat greater than the experimental uncertainty.
Reverse-fitting the gravity model to inter-city airline passenger flows by an algebraic simplification

Abstract Endogenous nodal attractions are estimated using the general unconstrained gravity model for a 25-node US airline passenger database with known exogenous spatial interaction and impedance. A simplified algebraic method (SAM) is developed to derive satisfactory estimates for all nodal attractions and inter-nodal interactions with only a very small subset of the exogenous database. This method can be used for large-scale spatial interaction analyses in which obtaining a complete inter-nodal interaction matrix is impossible or a reduction of computation is necessary.
The Development of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Usual Intake in Cardiology Patients

Abstract Determining an individual's usual dietary intake is essential before one can counsel the patient with respect to dietary modifications. The FFQ is one tool that can be used to garner retrospective estimates of usual intake. Such estimates should include a long enough period of time to capture seasonal and daily variations in a person's diet. The FFQ food list was developed from 40 sets of 14 consecutive one-day food records obtained from 39 outpatients (23 men and 16 women) of the Preventive Cardiology Center at RPSLMC from 1991–1994. (One patient provided 2 sets of food records from different seasons.) An equal number of food records were obtained from all seasons in order to construct the food list. Food composition data for all food items were obtained using the Nutrition Data System from the University of Minnesota, version 2.4, 1992. Food items contributing to 99% of the total patient intake for the selected dietary components (energy, total fat, saturated fat, monunsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, and dietary fiber) were kept for the FFQ food list. The preliminary FFQ included a brief set of instructions, the food list of 94 items, 4 portion size options, 11 frequency options, an area to record brand names of foods consumed and an open-ended question to list food items which were consumed but not listed in the FFQ. Initial testing was conducted with 15 Cardiology inpatients to determine whether the FFQ could be self-administered and if it contained food items that were culturally specific to the inpatient cardiac population at RPSLMC. Based on the responses from the pilot sample of inpatients, the directions on the original FFQ were changed, an example was included to show patients how to correctly identify the appropriate frequency and portion size, and one additional food item was added to the instrument. Further testing and refinement of the instrument is currently in progress.
Compactification of Einstein-Yang-Mills theories on CPn

Abstract We study compactification of Einstein-Yang-Mills theories in 2 n + 4 dimensions on the manifold CP n , with a classical gauge field that is equal to the spin connection. The complete boson fluctuation spectrum is calculated and no tachyons, ghosts or massless scalars are found for the minimal Yang-Mills group SU( n ) × U(1). For larger groups, tachyons or massless scalars may appear.
NUTRIENT‐LIMITED GROWTH OF AUREOUMBRA LAGUNENSIS (PELAGOPHYCEAE), WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ITS CAPABILITY TO OUTGROW OTHER PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES IN PHOSPHATE‐LIMITED ENVIRONMENTS

Growth and chemical compositional characteristics of the brown tide-forming alga, Aureoumbra lagunensis Stockwell, DeYoe, Hargraves et Johnson, were studied through a series of nitrogen-limited and phosphate-limited continuous cultures over a range of growth rates. The specific growth rate of A. lagunensis was hyperbolically related to the cell quota of the limiting nutrient in ammonium-limited cultures. In phosphate-limited cultures, the relationship was best described by a straight line. The N cell quota of A. lagunensis ranges from about 20 fmol at zero growth rate under N-limited conditions to a high of roughly 85 fmol under N-replete conditions. Similarly, the P cell quota of A. lagunensis ranges from about 0.15 fmol at zero growth rate under P-limited conditions to a high of 2 fmol under P-replete conditions. Aureoumbra lagunensis has a very high N:P critical ratio (>100). The high N:P critical ratio, as well as the organism's apparent ability to use forms of phosphorus other than phosphate under severe phosphate deficiency, may partially explain its success in P-limited environments, such as the Laguna Madre. In addition, a uniqe quadratic relationship between the productivity index (PI) and growth rate was discovered. Such a relationship supports an earlier argument that PI may not be a good indicator of nutritional status.
Identification of proteins tightly bound to herpes simplex virus DNA

Abstract Proteins bound tightly but noncovalently to highly purified herpes simplex virus DNA were radioiodinated in vitro by reaction with Bolton-Hunter reagent. Following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, four protein bands were seen in autoradiographs of the dried gel. These four proteins had molecular weights of approximately 71K, 50K, 20K, and 16K, respectively.
Spatial representation for described environments

Abstract Spatial characteristics are represented in mental models of environments learned exclusively through description, and the accuracy with which spatial relations are represented can be comparable to the accuracy of perceptually-derived representations. In addition, many of the effects of spatial features on construction, retrieval, updating, and inference are similar to those for perceptual and imaginal processes. Data relevant to these arguments are reviewed, and implications for the organization of mental models derived from text are discussed.
Synthesis and characterization of water-soluble [Pd(triphosphine)(CH3CN)](BF4)2 complexes for CO2 reduction

The syntheses of the triphosphine ligands RP(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}PR{sub 2}{prime}){sub 2} (R = CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OH and R{prime} = Et, HOPetpE; R = Ph and R{prime} = CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}P(O)(OEt){sub 2}, etpEPO; R = Me{sub 2}N and R {prime} = Et, MNetpE; R = i-Pr{sub 2}N and R{prime} = Et, IPNetpE; R = Ph and R{prime} = NMe{sub 2}, etpMN) are described. The reaction of [Pd(CH{sub 3}CN){sub 4}](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} with these ligands forms [Pd(triphosphine)(CH{sub 3}CN)](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} complexes that are all water soluble with the exception of [Pd(IPNetpE)(CH{sub 3}-CN)](BF{sub 4}){sub 2}. The labile acetonitrile ligands are easily substituted by triethylphosphine to form [Pd(triphosphine)-(PEt{sub 3})](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} complexes. The triethylphosphine complexes undergo quasi-reversible two-electron reductions while the corresponding acetonitrile complexes undergo two, closely spaced, irreversible, one-electron reductions. [Pd-(HOPetpE)(CH{sub 3}CN)](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} and [Pd(etpEPO)(CH{sub 3}CN)](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} are catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO{sub 2} to CO in both dimethylformamide and buffered aqueous solutions. Kinetic studies are reported for [Pd-(HOPetpE)(CH{sub 3}CN)](BF{sub 4}){sub 2} in dimethylformamide.
Estimated dry deposition velocities of sulfur over the eastern United States and surrounding regions

Abstract Surface deposition velocities of sulfur dioxide and sulfate particles over the eastern half of the United States, southern Ontario, and nearby oceanic regions are computed from equations developed in recent field experiments, for use in studies of regional-scale atmospheric sulfur pollution. Surface roughness scale lengths and resistances to pollutant uptake by the surface are estimated from consideration of land-use characteristics and the likely biological status of the vegetation. Midsummer conditions are assumed, but other seasons can be easily considered. Average deposition velocities for grid cells corresponding to half-degree increments of longitude and latitude are presented for a range of atmospheric stabilities.
The Great Lakes, a source of two‐second frontal microseisms

In the fall of 1950, a new tripartite station was set up at Poughkeepsie New York. Results of the station gave a velocity of a half mile per second for these microseismic waves and also indicated a frequent source west of Poughkeepsie. Since the Hudson River is the nearest sizable body of water west of Poughkeepsie, it was thought advisable to explore the possibility of the River being the source. A second tripartite group was set up opposite Poughkeepsie on the west bank of the Hudson. Results from this station eliminate the Hudson as the source and indicate that the Great Lakes are probably the source. All the work has been done with the aid of a grant from the Office of Naval Research.
The Classroom and School Community Inventory: Development, Refinement, and Validation of a Self-Report Measure for Educational Research

Abstract The development and validation of an instrument designated as the Classroom and School Community Inventory (CSCI) are described. Scores on both the classroom form and the school form of the CSCI possess strong content validity, construct validity, internal consistencies, and 2-week test–retest reliability. Using a sample of 341 traditional and online students, confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblique rotation provides empirical support for the conceptual distinctions between the latent dimensions of social community and learning community in both forms and for the existence of classroom and school communities as separate but related constructs. The two factors of the classroom form account for 70.73% of the variance in the data, and the two factors of the school form account for 63.54% of the variance.
Current perspective on the MammoSite™ Radiation Therapy System – A balloon breast brachytherapy applicator

We are pleased to present the first of a periodic section of Brachytherapy entitled ‘‘Perspectives.’’ In this feature we will offer several opinions of recognized experts in the field on noteworthy topics. In this issue we focus on the MammoSite , a balloon breast therapy applicator. Our invited authors discuss advantages and limitations, side effects and complications, expected cosmesis, and tumor control.
Solar resonant diffusion waves as a driver of terrestrial climate change

A theory is described based on resonant thermal diffusion waves in the sun that explains many details of the paleotemperature record for the last 5.3 million years. These include the observed periodicities, the relative strengths of each observed cycle, and the sudden emergence in time for the 100 thousand year cycle. Other prior work suggesting a link between terrestrial paleoclimate and solar luminosity variations has not provided any specific mechanism. The particular mechanism described here has been demonstrated empirically, although not previously invoked in the solar context. The theory, while not without its own unresolved issues, also lacks most of the problems associated with Milankovitch cycle theory.
Genetic parameters for yield traits of Holsteins, including lactose and somatic cell score.

Abstract First lactation milk, fat, protein, and lactose yields and percentage yields were analyzed using a multiple-trait sire model including herd-year-season, sire group, and age of cow as fixed effects. Somatic cell score was fit both as a fixed effect in the model and as an additional dependent variable in two analyses with almost identical results. Variance components were estimated using REML with an expectation-maximization algorithm including sire relationships. Lactose means ranged from 4.84 to 4.97% across three dairy breeds. Data used to estimate variance components were first lactation Holstein records collected from 1986 to 1988 from 5246 daughters of 392 AI sires. Heritability estimates were .30, .29, .27, and .26 for milk, fat, protein, and lactose yields; .45, .47, and .53 for fat, protein, and lactose percentage yields; and .16 for somatic cell score. Genetic correlations of lactose percentage with milk, fat, protein, fat and protein percentages, and somatic cell score were –.30, –.16, –.21, .10, .29, and –.11, respectively, and phenotypic correlations were –.08, –.02, .01, .11, .29, and –.15.
The effect of radial diffusion on penetration of airborne particles through a radial-flow sampler

Abstract The steady-state two-dimensional equation of mass transport characterizing the diffusion of airborne particles from air flowing radially inward between coaxial parallel discs has been solved numerically. Velocity profiles obtained from the numerical solution of the Navier—Stokes equations were used in the convective terms of the mass transfer equation. The results show that a previously reported analytical solution in which radial diffusion was ignored underestimates penetration at low Peclet numbers. Results in terms of the percentage penetration are presented in graphs which can be used to determine effective diffusion coefficients.
Perceptual differences between reading handwritten and typed words.

Perceptual differences between reading handwritten and typed words were investigated in a series of three experiments. In the first two experiments, a Sternberg memory search paradigm was employed, with either typed or handwritten probes. The reaction time to classify handwritten probes was slower than for typed probes, but memory search took place at the same rate for both kinds of probe. In the third experiment, the latencies for naming the written and typed words differed by the same amount of time as the overall difference between the same stimuli in the memory search task. These findings indicate that only perceptual processes are differentially affected by the differences between typed and written words. Furthermore, in these tasks the independence of encoding and memory search makes it unlikely that processes of perceptual indentification use expectations or analysis-by-synthesis based on the information in immediate memory
Cryogenic radiation effects on electric insulators

Abstract The radiation allowable at the superconducting magnets of a fusion reactor may be limited by the radiation tolerance of organic and composite electrical insulators. The allowable dose at the magnets will in turn influence the thickness of shielding necessary and therefore the size of the magnets. The response of organic substances to radiation at 4 K cannot be confidently predicted from irradiations at higher temperatures. Therefore, epoxy-based, polyamide, and polyimide insulators chosen from superconducting magnet practice were irradiated in liquid helium to a total gamma dose of 20 MGy (2 × 109rd). Electrical resistivity was measured during and after irradiation and electrical breakdown was measured after irradiation. Mechanical properties measured at 77 K after irradiation included flexure strength, shear strength (of adheslves between copper), and compressive strength. Electrical properties were generally degraded, but the materials should still be useful as insulators. Mechanical strengths, however, were sufficiently decreased to require re-evaluation of some designs. Aluminized Mylar (superinsulation) was severely embrittled.
The Cold Interstellar Medium in Elliptical Galaxies - Observations of HI and Radio Continuum Emission

About 10% of nearby elliptical galaxies contain HI, with typical values of M(HI) ~ 5×l08 M⊙ and M(HI)/LB ~ 0.03 M⊙/L⊙. The HI content is unrelated to the stellar content, (unlike the situation in spiral galaxies) suggesting that the HI in early-type galaxies has an external origin and is not produced by mass loss. This conclusion is strengthened by the distribution and kinematics of the HI structures, which lie outside the main optical body of the galaxies, have much larger specific angular momentum than do the stars, and are often highly inclined to the kinematic and distribution axes of the optical bodies.
Theory-inspired development of new nonlinear optical materials and their integration into silicon photonic circuits and devices

Abstract Theoretical guidance based on correlated real-time, time-dependent density functional theory (RTTDDFT) quantum mechanical and pseudo-atomistic Monte Carlo molecular dynamical (PAMCMD) statistical mechanical computational methods have led to dramatic (exceeding a Moore’s rate) improvement in molecular and macroscopic optical nonlinearity. New materials permit optical signal processing at terahertz rates using millivolts electrical and milliwatt optical control powers. Theory has also provided insight into the optimization of optical loss, thermal stability, and photochemical stability. The advent of silicon photonics for telecommunication applications has raised the prospect of achieving high density integration of photonic circuitry and even the chipscale integration of photonics and electronics. Such integration promises significant improvement in size, weight, and power (SWAP) together with dramatic improvements in performance, cost, and reliability. We demonstrate the integration of organic nonlinear optical materials into 25–150 × 200 nm slots in silicon photonic ring microresonator and stripline device structures. Slotted waveguides permit nearly lossless transition of light from 450 × 200 nm silicon photonic waveguides into the organic nonlinear optical material filled slots for active control of light. These device structures permit dramatic enhancement of electrical and optical control fields amplifying the already large nonlinearities of organic pi electron materials. Such amplification permits observation of new phenomena such as low optical power optical rectification, difference frequency generation, and all-optical signal processing.
The prerestorative step in the sequential Gradient-Restoration Algorithm for mathematical Programming problems with inequality constraints*

In this paper, the problem of minimizing a function of several variables subject to inequality constraints is considered. The method employed is the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm with complete restoration. In this algorithm, the inequality constraints are transformed into equality constraints by suitable transformations. A modification of the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm, designed to improve the convergence characteristics, is presented. It consists of inserting a prerestorative step prior to any iteration of the algorithm. The aim of this prerestorative step is to reduce the constraint violation. Eight numerical examples are presented. They show the considerable beneficial effects associated with the above prerestorative step: on the average, the number of iterations of the modified algorithm is less than 50% of the number of iterations of the standard algorithm. An analogous remark holds for the computer time.
Gallstone ileus presenting as small bowel obstruction: Spiral CT evaluation

Gallstone ileus is the result of a sequence of events that are initiated in the gallbladder. Inflammation of the gallbladder wall allows erosion of a gallstone through the wall into the small bowel and subsequent bowel obstruction. We present a unique case in which CT scans done over a period of 1 year demonstrate this progression in a patient and alter the clinical management by identifying the correct cause of small bowel obstruction. The clinical presentation, radiologic findings, and management of gallstone ileus are reviewed.
Eruption-triggered mixing of extra-caldera basalt and rhyolite complexes along the East Gallatin–Washburn fault zone, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA

Abstract Though mixing and commingling of magmas is common, mixing between rhyolite and basalt magmas is not commonly preserved in volcanic rocks. The presence of at least four mixed magma complexes at Yellowstone National Park suggests that mingling is not due to random intersections of feeder dikes, geochemical analyses also show that though these magmas appear to be commingled, there is mixing between the two disparate end members. Our model combines previous work on the Grizzly Lake, Gardner River, Crystal Spring, and Appolinaris Spring mixed magma complexes with results from new analyses, recent mixing experiments, and regional structural geology. Coeval extensional tectonism, as seen in the East Gallatin–Washburn fault zone, is also present in other areas of basalt and rhyolite mixing/mingling ( e.g. Iceland). The central portions, or core, of the complexes contain increased concentrations of emulsion rock, occasional basaltic pillows in a rhyolite matrix, net veining, and mixed magma with highly variable geochemistry (SiO 2 ranges from 50 to 78 wt.%). Phenocrysts have been transferred between mafic and felsic portions of the complexes and suggest that these mixed magmas did not have enough time, or energy ( e.g. heat), to thoroughly mix into complete hybrid intermediate magmas. This implies that mixing occurred during eruption. Furthermore, analyses at the micron-scale suggest that zones of chaotic mixing between basalt and high-silica rhyolites may be more complete than previously thought during mixing of high silica rhyolites and basalts with greater than 4 wt.% MgO. The temperature of the rhyolitic magmas was approximately 850 °C with a viscosity between 1 × 10 6 and 3 × 10 6 Pas. The basalt was approximately 1070 °C with a viscosity of 2 × 10 2 to 9 × 10 3 Pas prior to mixing. Mixing of these two extreme end members may have required decompression of the lower basaltic magma chamber during eruption of the overlying rhyolitic magma chamber into through structurally weakened zones of the upper crust. The decompression induced mixing was facilitated by coeval extensional tectonics and structures in the Norris–Mammoth Corridor. Extra-caldera rhyolites are some of the first volcanics following the collapse of the current caldera and also some of the youngest volcanics in the Yellowstone Plateau and require further understanding of volcanism in the Yellowstone Plateau.
Hospitality and the Mental Health of Children and Families

In many ancient cultures, hospitality was a significant moral and religious practice in responding to the needs of strangers. Although largely trivialized in contemporary society, the practice of hospitality continues to create contexts that contribute to individual and communal flourishing and that resist several dehumanizing social trends. A recovery of the practice can help faith communities connect their moral and theological commitments to the needs of children, families, and neighborhoods.
Variability of historical forest structure and fire across ponderosa pine landscapes of the Coconino Plateau and south rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA

We undertook reconstructions of historical ponderosa pine forest structure and fire regimes across an entire landscape to expand understanding of spatial variability in forest structure and dynamics. The study area includes the ponderosa pine forests of the Coconino Plateau, Arizona, USA. Using General Land Office survey data and newly developed methods, we examined surveyor descriptions of overstory and understory composition and structure across 60,998 ha. For 41,214 ha of forests, we reconstructed density, basal area, diameter-class distributions, and fire severity and used GIS to analyse their relationships with topography. Ponderosa pine forests were continuous in only 34 % of the 60,998 ha landscape. In 40 %, they were mixed with pinon–juniper, 24 % was pure pinon–juniper and 2 % were grass or shrubs. In ponderosa pine forests, the focus of this study, mean tree density was 144.2 trees ha−1; 18.8 % of the landscape had low tree density ( 200 trees ha−1). Small trees ( 50 % of all trees on 47 % of the landscape and large trees (>40 cm) composed >50 % of all trees on 21 % of the landscape. Low-severity fire likely structured the forest on 59 % of the landscape while 39 % was structured by mixed-severity fire, likely including small, patchy crown fires. Forest parameters displayed wide variability across environmental gradients. Broader-scale reconstructions revealed a much more spatially complex forest that was structured by wide range of fire severities. Variability in ponderosa pine forests was often under-reported in past studies, but is important in perpetuating biological diversity.
Transport in a thin liquid film on the outer surface of a wedge or cone embedded in a porous medium part I: Mathematical analysis

Abstract This is Part I of a two-part paper on the transport of heat, mass, and momentum in a thin liquid film flowing along the outer surface of a wedge or cone embedded in a porous medium. The problems considered include the heating of the film without evaporation, evaporation from the free surface of the film, absorption of a gas at the free surface, and dissolution of the solid wall to the liquid film. The scaling analysis determined the relative importance of different terms in the general partial differential equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, energy, and species concentration, and simplified those equations by retaining the most significant terms. The simplified equations were solved to determine the variation of film height, mean temperature (or concentration), and Nusselt (or Sherwood) number along the inclined surface for all the above transport processes.
US Managers' Use of ‘Pro Forma’ Adjustments to Meet Strategic Earnings Targets

Abstract: The practice of reporting manager-adjusted ‘pro forma’ earnings numbers in quarterly earnings press releases has attracted considerable attention in recent years in the United States. Prior research suggests that while some managers report these adjusted numbers to better reflect core earnings, others may use these earnings adjustments to meet strategic earnings targets on a pro forma basis when they fall short based on GAAP reporting standards. Assuming the latter motivation could potentially mislead investors, the difficulty lies in distinguishing the ‘good guys’ from the ‘bad guys.’ Using hand-collected pro forma earnings data, we investigate the extent to which different types of earnings adjustments affect the spread between pro forma earnings and GAAP earnings from continuing operations. Moreover, we investigate which types of adjustments managers use to meet strategic earnings targets. In addition to the exclusion of one-time items like restructuring charges, the results indicate that managers often exclude recurring expenses such as depreciation, research and development, and stock-based compensation to meet these strategic targets. The exclusion of recurring items is especially indicative of aggressive pro forma reporting. Finally, we find that firms that report adjusted earnings numbers only sporadically are more likely than firms that adjust earnings figures on a regular basis to use pro forma reporting to achieve strategic earnings targets by excluding recurring items.
Connections between the sensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium.

. The study reports on the presence of connections between the visual receptor outer segments and the apical villi on the retinal pigment epithelium in the human eye. The mechanisms underlying sensory retinal adhesion to the pigment epithelium, recognition and attachment of visual receptor outer segments to the pigment epithelium during phagocytosis, and communication and transport of substances between the two layers of retina have been difficult to define, and molecular connections between the two layers of retina could play an important role in these processes.
Applications of real-time immuno-polymerase chain reaction (rt-IPCR) for the rapid diagnoses of viral antigens and pathologic proteins

One of the major challenges of performing the IPCR has been to establish a robust, sensitive, and specific method which is easily adapted and highly standardized for routine use in a clinical laboratory. Presently, the performance of IPCR typically involves elaborate and multiple, time-consuming steps prone to high variation in reagents and technical application. Further advances in the technology and instrumentation used for the signal detection of IPCR has resulted in the development of real-time IPCR (rt-IPCR). Rt-IPCR is still relatively undeveloped in comparison to the use of both real-time PCR and IPCR as evidenced by the low number (eight citations) of publications in the scientific literature. However, increased use of rt-IPCR has shown that the method displays improved statistical validation of accuracy over IPCR. Inter-assay error is typically 5-10% vs 15-20% for IPCR. The primary advantage of using rt-IPCR in place of IPCR is the immediate interpretation of positive data (quantification of proteins) as the PCR reaction proceeds. This aspect is key to real-time diagnosis and has great importance for specific emergency situations (i.e., biological and environmental contaminations of toxins in biothreat situations), as well as cases where specific tumor/viral antigens and pathologic proteins may be present in body tissues in extremely low concentrations and rapid, early diagnosis is important for immediate palliative treatment. This review summarizes all of the experimental data published to date utilizing the rt-IPCR method for various analytes (vascular endothelial growth factor, mumps Ag, rViscumin, various IgG, gliadin, HIV-1 p24 Ag, Rotavirus VP6, pathologic and recombinant prion, and prostate specific Ag) and describes the molecular scaffold formats, solid formats, instrument detection systems, and probes/primers or fluorescent dyes used in these assays. With further standardization and validation, rt-IPCR has the potential to become the most analytically sensitive method available for the detection of proteins.
Integrative transcriptome-wide analyses reveal critical HER2-regulated mRNAs and lincRNAs in HER2+ breast cancer

Breast cancer is a major health problem affecting millions of women worldwide. Over 200,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the USA, with approximately 40,000 of these cases resulting in death. HER2-positive (HER2+) breast tumors, representing 20–30 % of early-stage breast cancer diagnoses, are characterized by the amplification of the HER2 gene. However, the critical genes and pathways that become affected by HER2 amplification in humans are yet to be specifically identified. Furthermore, it is yet to be determined if HER2 amplification also affects the expression of long intervening non-coding (linc)RNAs, which are involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. We examined changes in gene expression by next generation RNA sequencing in human tumors pre- and post- HER2 inhibition by trastuzumab in vivo, and changes in gene expression in response to HER2 knock down in cell culture models. We integrated our results with gene expression analysis of HER2+ tumors vs matched normal tissue from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The integrative analyses of these datasets led to the identification of a small set of mRNAs, and the associated biological pathways that become deregulated by HER2 amplification. Furthermore, our analyses identified three lincRNAs that become deregulated in response to HER2 amplification both in vitro and in vivo. Our results should provide the foundation for functional studies of these candidate mRNAs and lincRNAs to further our understanding of how HER2 amplification results in tumorigenesis. Also, the identified lincRNAs could potentially open the door for future RNA-based biomarkers and therapeutics in HER2+ breast cancer.
Measurement of data performance parameters for data/VTC networks

The authors present the results of a study to measure selected user-oriented performance parameters between workstation-server pairs on Ethernets. The primary goal was to measure end-to-end performance of data and video teleconferencing (VTC) networked systems. Thin-wire Ethernet (10Base2), MAC layer bridges, simulated satellite links, and fiber optics were used in this laboratory controlled experiment. Test software that resides in the pairs of workstation-server microcomputers was developed. Parameter values were obtained in accordance with specifications defined in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X3.102. This standard defines user-oriented, system-independent data communication performance parameters. Experiment design followed the method in ANSI X3.141, the companion standard for measurement of the performance parameters. Results of the experiment demonstrate the feasibility of applying the standards in practical measurements and provided information on access times, file transfer times, and throughput for a variety of configurations tested. >
MODELING OF CONDITIONAL DISSIPATION RATE FOR FLAMELET MODELS WITH APPLICATION TO LARGE EDDY SIMULATION OF FIRE PLUMES

Subgrid scale (SGS) combustion modeling using flamelet approximations require a model for the conditional dissipation rate. For high Reynolds number flow, statistical independence between the mixture fraction and dissipation is often invoked allowing the conditional dissipation to be expressed in terms of its mean filtered value. This assumption fails for application to pool fires because of the transitionally turbulent nature of this class of flows. In this study, an alternative closure for conditional dissipation rate is proposed based on a transport equation for the mixture fraction filtered probability density function. Application of this model for use in Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of a large, 1 m in diameter, methane-air fire plume results in greatly improved predictions over existing models that invoke the use of statistical independence when comparisons are made to experimental measurements.
LUNG SURFACTANT: A Personal Perspective

This perspective tells the story of the discovery, characterization, and understanding of the surfactant system of the lung; of how investigators from many disciplines studied the system, stimulated by the demonstration of surfactant deficiency in respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn; and of how the resulting knowledge formed a basis for highly successful surfactant substitution treatment for this syndrome. The chapter includes personal reminiscences and reflections of the author and ends with a few thoughts about the present status and future prospects of this field of research.
Validation of the Reintegration to Normal Living Indexin a population of community-dwelling people with mobility limitations

Abstract Stark SL, Edwards DF, Hollingsworth H, Gray DB. Validation of the Reintegration to Normal Living Index in a population of community-dwelling people with mobility limitations. Objective To validate the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI) in a population of community-dwelling adults with mobility limitations. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community. Participants Six hundred four people between the ages of 18 and 80 years who had a mobility limitation, lived in the community, and had been discharged from rehabilitation for at least 1 year. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measure The RNLI. Results The RNLI is a reliable measure of community reintegration. A 2-factor structure emerged from a principal components analysis that indicates there are 2 subscales of the RNLI in a population with mobility impairments. Conclusions The RNLI is a reliable and valid measure for studies of community integration among people living with long-term consequences of a chronic health condition.
A Cognitive Program for Teaching Social Behaviors to Verbal Autistic Adolescents and Adults

It is widely accepted that social skills deficits are among the most pervasive and characteristic of the difficulties confronting individuals with autism (American Psychiatric Association, 1980; Ritvo & Freeman, 1978; Rutter, 1978). From Kanner’s (1943) original description of the autism syndrome onward, investigators have been both puzzled and fascinated by this inherent lack of sociability. More recently, those working with autistic adolescents and adults have been encouraged by the realization that these social deficits show marked improvement as autistic people grow older (Mesibov, 1983; Rutter, 1970). However, social problems still persist and are among the most difficult of the many troublesome aspects of this disorder.
A Fast Time-Recursive Correlator for DSSS Communications

Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) correlators synchronize received signals with locally generated replicas. They can be implemented either in time or frequency domains. Time-domain correlators are more flexible in multimode operations, and they are typically preferred in hardware-based implementations. Frequency-domain approaches are more computationally efficient, which makes them attractive for software-based solutions. As an alternative to frequency-domain methods, this letter derives computationally-fast time-domain algorithm using the pseudorandom and binary structure of widely used DSSS signals. Our approach is multiplication-free and accurate, it is efficient for multimode operations requiring limited number of correlator outputs, and no constraints are imposed on sequence lengths.
Accurate call graph extraction of programs with function pointers using type signatures

Software engineers need to understand programs in order to effectively maintain them. The call graph, which presents the calling relationships between functions, is a useful representation of a program that can aid understanding. For programs that do not use function pointers, the call graph can be extracted simply by parsing the program. However, for programs that use function pointers, call graph extraction is nontrivial. Many widely used C programs utilize function pointers for efficiency and ease of implementation. We present a technique called type signature filtering for improving call graph extraction in the presence of function pointers. Filtering can be accomplished in a single pass after pointer analysis is complete, making it reusable across different analyses. Our results show that for many programs our technique yields a call graph that is nearly identical to the true call graph, even if a naive pointer analysis is used.
Measured orientation and internal stress distributions in melt-spun fibers

In this investigation, experimentally measured radial birefringence profiles are compared to internal stress distributions as predicted by a mathematical model. A direct indicator of the degree of molecular orientation, fiber birefringence, is found to correlate well with the stress distributions as calculated from radial temperature variations. In an initial study of glass fibers, no radial birefringence profiles are found, indicating that any residual stresses present are small. In polystyrene fibers, however, large radial variations in birefringence are observed and are shown to be directly related to the calculated internal stresses.
User performance and haptic design issues for a force-feedback sound editing interface

This paper describes current work on the design and development of haptic interfaces for use with digital sound editing software. Current systems rely on computer keyboards, mice, and sometimes passive knobs for user input and graphics and audio for feedback. The addition of haptic feedback will improve the user experience because of the additional mode of feedback received through touch. This work is focused on using a design methodology, including need finding, user observations, prototyping, and user testing to develop haptic sensations effective for manipulating sound.