cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The gradient filter test to assess amblyopia.

A new technique, the gradient filter test, was developed for evaluating changes in the visual acuity of preverbal children undergoing treatment for amblyopia. The gradient filter test consists of a series of calibrated photographic fog filter and prism lenses. The combined prism-filter lenses are placed in front of the normal fixing eye. The greatest density (fogging value) filter that causes a switch in fixation from the amblyopic to the normal eye is noted. In both normal eyes of 20 nonamblyopic patients and the fellow (nonamblyopic) eyes of 20 amblyopic patients, visual acuity decreased as the density of the prism-filter lens increased. The gradient filter test accurately detected an improvement in visual acuity when compared with optotype measurements in eight patients undergoing occlusion therapy. The gradient filter test is a useful clinical tool that can assess changes in visual acuity in preverbal children who are being treated for amblyopia.
Probability of even parity of soft bits

Gallager's lemma, presented originally in the context of decoding low-density parity check (LDPC) codes, computes the probability of even parity for independent, non-identically distributed bits. As the number of bits involved in the parity increases, there is a tendency of the probability of even parity towards 1/2. This tendency is discussed and analysed, resulting in a sort of counter central limit theorem result. In many instances, there are practical limits on the number of bits that can be included in a reliable soft parity computation. Implications affect LDPC decoding, soft descrambling and soft encoding of data.
Education Quality: The Disabilities of Aid.

Focus on textbooks, not class size, poor countries are regularly told as they seek to improve education quality. Yet, at the same time, with strong support from professional educators, the voters of the U.S. state of California approved massive expenditures to reduce the size of classes that in global terms were already quite small. These dramatically different approaches to improving education quality offer insight into the ways in which the aid relationship is itself an obstacle to improving education quality. The nature of the learning process – interactive, locally contingent, negotiated, and continually changing – requires funding agencies concerned with improving education quality to reach beyond the usual list of improved inputs. Yet, that is not easily accomplished. The structure and organization of the aid relationship set priorities and specify practices that disempower locally rooted education reform initiatives. Equally important, improved education quality and persisting and planned dependence on foreign aid cannot comfortably coexist.
Lunar surface mass distribution from dynamical point-mass solution

Combined efforts of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Aerospace Corporation have provided a front side lunar gravity field using the Doppler tracking data from the United States Lunar Orbiters IV and V. Data reduction was accomplished with a model which included all dynamical motion due to gravitational perturbations, as well as all tracking geometries. The field is represented as a grid of 580 surface mass points which are contoured and show correlations with various lunar surface features.
Instructional Computing: In Search of Better Methods for the Production of CAI Lessons:

Today, CAI lessons are being prepared mostly by educators alone or by computer professionals alone. Experience shows that while teachers alone or computer programmers alone can do the job, the resulting CAI lesson will not, on the average, be a very good product. This is reflected in the fact that the market today is full of inferior CAI products. This article considers the investigating of alternate methods and concludes that a team effort of experienced educators and highly skilled computer professionals is essential for the production of “better” CAI lessons. A model illustrating such a team effort for the development and production of high quality CAI material is presented and analyzed.
The effect of glutamate receptor blockers on glutamate release following spinal cord injury. Lack of evidence for an ongoing feedback cascade of damage → glutamate release → damage → glutamate release → etc.

Abstract It is widely hypothesized that excitotoxicity of released glutamate following a CNS insult is propagated by the cyclic cascade: glutamate release → damage → glutamate release → further damage → etc. We tested this hypothesis by determining the effects of attempting to interrupt the loop by administering glutamate receptor antagonists and Na+-channel blockers on glutamate release following spinal cord injury (SCI). The effects of administering the NMDA receptor blockers MK-801 and memantine, the AMPA/kainate receptor blockers NBQX and GYKI 52466, the AMPA receptor desensitization blocker cyclothiazide and the sodium channel blockers riluzole, mexiletine and QX-314 on post-SCI were determined. Agents were administered into the site of injury by direct injection, by microdialysis or systemically. None of these agents had an appreciable effect on glutamate release following SCI. Thus, it is unlikely that the above cascade produces significant secondary glutamate release and ongoing damage following SCI, although such cascades may worsen other CNS insults. We attribute our results to overwhelming effects of much greater release by direct mechanical damage and reversal of transport following SCI.
Pulse extraction and displacement response evaluation for long-period ground motions

Long-period ground motions with directivity and/or path effects are often characterised by the presence of velocity and acceleration pulses in the lowermost frequency range. An objective of this article is to present a discrete-time signal processing method for isolating these pulses. In this method, the velocity and the acceleration pulses are identified by applying a low-pass discrete-time filter Hlp (ω) at a suitable cut-off frequency f c to the Fourier transforms of the original velocity and acceleration ground motion time histories, respectively. Another objective of this article is to present a mathematical expression for evaluating the linear displacement response of a single degree-of-freedom (SDF) system by simultaneous application of two frequency modulators, Hlp (ω) and Hu (ω), to the original ground excitation. By using only the pulse component of the ground motion as the excitation force, it is shown that the displacement response of the SDF system with natural period exceeding a certain valu...
X-Ray Diagnostics for Scuffing: Application to Phase Transformation in Nickel

Through the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other diagnostics, the fundamental physical mechanisms of scuffing are becoming better understood. Peak broadening in the XRD pattern has been analyzed to determine the dislocation structure and crystallite size. Evidence from this technique has led us to conclude that scuffing is an example of adiabatic shear instability, wherein work hardening is exceeded by the thermal softening caused by the work. We are extending this research through scuff testing and XRD of nonferrous materials. For example, members of our team have recently found frictional behavior and surface morphologies consistent with scuffing in single crystals of MgO. Previous work has suggested the use of scuffing as a general method for the formation of metastable phases. Phase identification information available from the XRD data indicated the formation of austenite in scuffed SAE4340 steel, and the present work reports the discovery of a tribologically formed metastable phase in nickel. The formation of this phase was associated with surface roughening and a rapid friction increase of approximately 50%. However, the morphology of the roughened surface indicated abrasion rather than the gross plasticity typical of scuffed surfaces. X-ray diffraction identified the phase as either nickel carbide (Ni3 C) or hexagonal nickel, which are similar in structure, and ruled out the presence of crystalline nickel oxides. Analysis of peak widths revealed that the dislocation density in the areas that experienced a higher friction coefficient was lower than that in low-friction areas. This finding is not consistent with dislocation density changes in scuffed steel.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Anxiety and closed head injury in young people.

The direct, subtle, complex, and even illusory relations between anxiety and closed head injury (CHI) in young people are frequently depreciated by professionals in paediatric rehabilitation settings. Neglecting these relations can slow recovery and complicate rehabilitation. As a brief clinical primer, this paper reviews evidence for 10 possible pathways by which closed head injury (CHI) can directly or indirectly cause, or appear to cause, anxiety in young people: (1) damage to brain structures that regulate emotion; (2) neurological damage that exacerbates pre-injury anxiety; (3) the trauma of sustaining and/or recovering from the CHI; (4) awareness of impaired cognitive functioning; (5) sustaining a CHI does not alter the progression of pre-injury anxiety; (6) emergence of anxiety is coincident but unrelated to the CHI; (7) parental stress caused by caring for an injured child transfers to the child; (8) parental stress caused by a child's disinhibited behaviour transfers to the child; (9) increased d...
THE PRECIPITIN REACTION OF ANTIPNEUMOCOCCUS SERA : I. THE PRECIPITIN INDEX.

The mechanism of the precipitin reaction between antipneumococcus sera and the type-specific soluble carbohydrate is investigated. The sensitivity of the reaction is found to be generally constant when expressed by the product of the concentrations of the two reacting substances. Precipitin index (P.I.) is defined as one-millionth of the reciprocal value of this product. See PDF for Structure Zonal phenomena and their bearing on the absolute concentration and the equivalent weight of the antibody are discussed. The greater tendency towards exhibition of a post-zone in Type III is connected with the lower acid equivalent of the homologous specific carbohydrate. The influence of the addition of normal serum and the influence of slight changes in pH are studied. The addition of normal serum as well as the increase in pH promote the pro-zone, whereas decrease in pH promotes the post-zone. The sensitivity of the reaction is accordingly influenced by the pH in different ways depending on the range of concentration. The precipitin index allows the recognition and elimination of zonal irregularities. Thus it offers a method for the standardization of pneumonia antibody.
Mercerization of cellulose: 1. Determination of the structure of Mercerized cotton

Abstract The structure of Mercerized cellulose II has been determined using the intensity data from Mercerized cotton fibres and rigid body least squares refinement techniques. The crystal structure consists of an array of antiparallel chain molecules essentially identical to that found for regenerated cellulose II. The unit cell is monoclinic with dimensions a = 8.02 A , b = 8.99 A , c = 10.36 A (fibre axis), and γ = 116.6°; the space group is P21 and the cell contains sections of two cellulose chains which pass through the centre and corner of the ab projection. The final crystallographic R value was 0.263, based on intensity data for 30 observed and 11 unobserved non-meridional reflections. The CH2OH groups of the corner chains are oriented near to the gt position while those of the centre chain are near to the tg position. The possibility of alternative side group orientations, most likely on the exterior of the cellulose II crystallites, has been demonstrated for both the Mercerized and regenerated structures. The percentage of these other orientations is small in the case of Fortisan (rayon) but substantial in the case of Mercerized cotton.
The (Non)Importance of a Programming Language in a Software Engineering Course

Our catchy title is intended to be controversial, provoking thought upon the impact (or lack of any) that a programming language has on the curriculum for a software engineering course. Our view on the subject is from both directions, as indicated by the title. As educators, we argue that the language issues are secondary to the fundamental concern of understanding software engineering concepts, specifically object‐oriented concepts. However, we appreciate that expertise in a widely accepted object‐oriented language may be essential towards the more practical aspect of building a critical mass of software engineers versed in object‐oriented techniques. This reflects upon the maturing nature of computer science and engineering as a science, which is evolving its fundamental principles, while at the same time recognizing its impact as an engineering discipline sensitive to practical applications. The evolution of our primary software engineering course, CS250 Introduction to Software Engineering, has been i...
Estimate of noise and systematic error in early thermal infrared data of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

Abstract The present article is a study of the channel-dependent noise and systematic error in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal infrared (TIR) data in bands 20–25 and 27–36 using early MODIS data over lake and ocean sites in clear-sky days acquired with the A-side of scan mirror and electronics before the end of October 2000. In 14 cases of subarea sites with a size of 10 lines by 16 pixels each line, where the brightness temperature in band 31 changes within ±0.1 K, average and standard deviation values of brightness temperatures in 10 channels (consisting a 10-element linear detector array) of 16 MODIS TIR bands show the channel-dependent noise and systematic errors. A method is presented to separate the channel-dependent systematic error from noise due to variations in surface and atmospheric conditions. This case study shows that in the total 160 MODIS TIR channels, three channels are too noisy to use, 10 channels have significant channel-dependent noise, and all other channels met the specification of noise equivalent temperature difference (NEDT). After correcting the channel-dependent systematic errors, the quality of the MODIS TIR data is significantly improved in bands 22–25 and 27–30. More uniform sites in the brightness temperatures of bands 33–36 are needed to accurately estimate the values of channel-dependent systematic errors because the effects of spatial variations in atmospheric conditions are often larger in these four bands.
Using Serious Gaming to Improve the Safety of Central Venous Catheter Placement: A Post-Mortem Analysis

Central venous catheter related complications are a large burden on our healthcare system. Many of these complications can be prevented by the use of proper technique. One methodology to aid in the teaching non-technical aspects of procedures, serious games, has not been utilized in our field. The authors therefore set out to design a serious game aimed at teaching proper central venous catheter placement. The objective of this manuscript is to examine the challenges encountered while designing and executing our serious gaming trial. Ultimately, they found their game to be an effective teaching tool, although the game development phase of our study was long. The authors therefore concluded that serious gaming is an effective tool for teaching proper technique for the placement of central venous catheters.
Fluorescence yields for the rhodium L shell

Individual L-subshell fluorescence yields and the average L-shell fluorescence yield have been measured for rhodium (Z=45). A graphite mosaic crystal spectrometer was employed to resolve the LX-ray spectrum from the decay of 17 d 103Pd. The average fluorescence yields, omega L and omega KL, were measured in singles and coincidence experiments using Si(Li) and Ge(Li) detectors. Satellites from the decay of double-vacancy states in the L shell were detected and included in the analysis which yielded: omega 1/ omega L=0.411+or-0.013, omega 2/ omega L=0.927+or-0.021, omega 3/ Omega L=0.941+or-0.038, omega L=0.038+or-0.04, omega KL=0.036+or-0.06.
The isolation and identification of three alkaloids from Acacia Berlandieri.

Abstract A method is described for the isolation and identification of three β-phenylethylamine alkaloids from Acacia berlandieri (guajillo). The isolated amines were identified by means of paper, thin-layer, and gas-chromatography as tyramine, n -methyltyramine and hordenine.
Blood groups as genetic markers in chimpanzees: Their importance for the national chimpanzee breeding program.

Severe restrictions on the importation of chimpanzees emphasize the importance and urgency of domestic breeding as a sole means to assure an uninterrupted supply of animals for medical research. An insight into the genetic structure of the self-sustained captive population of animals is indispensable to prevent the effects of inbreeding and to preserve the animals' reproductive capacity. This can be achieved by study of sets of genetic markers in the form of heritable molecular or antigenic variations detectable by relatively simple methods. Among chimpanzee blood components so far identified as possible genetic markers, red cell antigens appear to be the most useful and most readily available. The amount of information concerning blood groups of chimpanzees, their serology and genetics, number of polymorphic types, etc, surpasses data on other heritable traits in this species. A concise review of the present status of knowledge of chimpanzee blood groups and, particularly, of serology and genetics of two complex blood group systems, V-A-B-D and R-C-E-F, is given together with a few examples of their application in cases of disputed parentage. Finally, a list of practical steps is suggested dealing with introduction and use of genetic markers as elements of the national chimpanzee breeding program.
Fibroblast cytoskeletal remodeling induced by tissue stretch involves ATP signaling.

Fibroblasts in whole areolar connective tissue respond to static stretching of the tissue by expanding and remodeling their cytoskeleton within minutes both ex vivo and in vivo. This study tested the hypothesis that the mechanism of fibroblast expansion in response to tissue stretch involves extracellular ATP signaling. In response to tissue stretch ex vivo, ATP levels in the bath solution increased significantly, and this increase was sustained for 20 min, returning to baseline at 60 min. No increase in ATP was observed in tissue incubated without stretch or tissue stretched in the presence of the Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632. The increase in fibroblast cross sectional area in response to tissue stretch was blocked by both suramin (a purinergic receptor blocker) and apyrase (an enzyme that selectively degrades extracellular ATP). Furthermore, connexin channel blockers (octanol and carbenoxolone), but not VRAC (fluoxetine) or pannexin (probenecid) channel blockers, inhibited fibroblast expansion. Together, these results support a mechanism in which extracellular ATP signaling via connexin hemichannels mediate the active change in fibroblast shape that occurs in response to a static increase in tissue length.
Staffing Policy as a Strategic Response: A Typology of Career Systems

This article proposes a four-cell typology of career systems, reflecting two critical dimensions along which firms choose a staffing strategy, supply flow and assignment flow. We suggest that this typology reflects, in a human resources context, the different choices firms make in managing their overall strategy. The career systems profiles that follow from the typology both describe and predict the composition of a company's work force.
Wavelet frequency decomposition method

Abstract A wavelet variation of the Frequency decomposition multigrid method of Hackbusch is presented. The perfect reconstruction property of the wavelet system enable us to perform the convergence analysis of the frequencydecomposition method. Some applications of this method are also presented. 1 Introduction The main purpose if this paper is to describe a wavelet variation of the frequency decomposition method of Hackbusch [4] . Ourmethod is applied to an anisotropic elliptic model problem with periodic boundary conditions. We are able to achieve robustness of the resulting two-level method with respect to any intermediate level inthe corresponding recursive multilevel process. This is an improvement over the results given in [4] where onlythe robustness of the two-level method of the starting level is demonstrated. The main tool we use is perfectreconstruction property associated with the wavelet system. In Section 2, we describe the main aspects of the Waveie-Galerkin spaces, the wavelet packets and an frequency
The role of Ki-67 in predicting biological behavior of goblet cell carcinoid tumor in appendix.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to examine the role of Ki-67, a cellular proliferation marker, in the prognosis of goblet cell appendiceal carcinoid tumor. Methods Twelve goblet cell appendiceal carcinoid tumors were stained with MIB-1, a monoclonal antibody of Ki-67, to assess their cell proliferation and correlations with clinical and histologic parameters. Results Among 12 patients studied, the mean MIB-1 index was 24%, with tumors ranging from .5 to 5.0 cm in size. No correlation was observed between tumor size and MIB-1 index. Two patients had metastatic disease on presentation (MIB-1 index 10% and 60%). All patients received surgical intervention according to extent of tumor invasion regardless of their MIB-1 index values. Median follow-up was 54 months, with a 75% follow-up rate and 1 death from metastasis. The overall survival rate was 76%, with a disease-specific survival rate of 87%. Conclusions Ki-67 had no prognostic significance for goblet cell carcinoid tumors and should not be used solely to determine treatment and surgical approach.
Benzenedithiol self-assembled monolayers modified gold electrodes for electrochemical determination of tellurium in the presence of selenium

Abstract Interference from selenium affects the electrochemical determination of tellurium due to their overlapped redox potentials. Benzenedithiols (BDT) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) modified gold electrodes were investigated in this study to determine Te(IV) in the presence of Se(IV). The microenvironment from SAMs of benzenedithiols on the gold surface allows for extraction of Te(IV) selectively over Se(IV). By suppressing the reduction of Se(IV), it provides an approach to determinate Te(IV) in the presence of Se(IV) with potential applications for biological membrane, membrane techniques and geochemistry analysis.
Effect of cobalt in diet of the chick.

Summary1. Chick growth was stimulated by the addition of 10 to 100 mg of cobalt sulfate to each kg of a corn-soybean oil meal diet which was deficient in vit. B12. 2. When similar levels of cobalt sulfate were added to the same diet supplemented with ample vit. B12 they produced no observable effect.
A serotonin sensitive adenylate cyclase in mature rat brain synaptic membranes

Abstract Results from this study have indicated serotonin-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity in adult rat brain. The enzyme is localized in the synaptosomal plasma membrane and apparently has multiple activation sites for serotonin with specific activity maxima occuring at serotonin concentrations of 5 × 10 −10 , 5 × 10 −9 , 1 × 10 −8 , and 5 × 10 −8 moles/liter. The production of cyclic AMP at these sites appears to be unaffected by 1 × 10 −5 M fluphenazine, while 1 × 10 −5 M tryptamine, methysergide, and ergonovine decreased the stimulatory effect of 1 × 10 −8 M 5-HT by 30 percent, 80 percent, and 57 percent respectively.
Nanotechnology in the design of soft tissue scaffolds: innovations in structure and function

Engineered scaffolds function to supplement or replace injured, missing, or compromised tissue or organs. The current direction in this research area is to create scaffolds that mimic the structure and function of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). It is believed that the fabrication of a scaffold that has both structural integrity and allows for normal cellular function and interaction will bring scaffolds closer to clinical relevance. Nanotechnology innovations have aided in the development of techniques for the production of nanofiber scaffolds. The three major processing techniques, self-assembly, phase separation, and electrospinning, produce fibers that rival the size of those found in the native ECM. However, the simplicity, versatility, and scalability of electrospinning make it an attractive processing method that can be used to reproduce aspects of the complexity that characterizes the native ECM. Novel electrospinning strategies include alterations of scaffold composition and architecture, along with the addition and encapsulation of cells, pharmaceuticals and growth factors within the scaffold. This article reviews the major nanofiber fabrication technologies as well as delves into recent significant contributions to the conception of a meaningful and practical electrospun scaffold.
World History Teachers' Use of Digital Primary Sources: The Effect of Training

Through surveys, interviews, observations, and field notes, I examined the beliefs and practices of six high school world history teachers regarding the use of digital primary sources and the potential added value of formal training in technology as a tool for instruction. Access to equipment (namely computer projectors and school computing facilities) was paramount in terms of digital primary source use; teachers with high levels of access to computing equipment were high-frequency users of digital primary sources, while those without access were not. While formal training did not necessarily result in an increased use of digital primary sources, it did affect the manner in which they were used. Teachers with low levels of technology training tended to use digital primary sources as an additive to their instruction instead of as a vehicle from which to engage students in historical thinking.
Internal representations for associative memory

We describe a class of feed forward neural network models for associative content addressable memory (ACAM) which utilize sparse internal representations for stored data. In addition to the input and output layers, our networks incorporate an intermediate processing layer which serves to label each stored memory and to perform error correction and association. We study two classes of internal label representations: the unary representation and various sparse, distributed representations. Finally, we consider storage of sparse data and sparsification of data. These models are found to have advantages in terms of storage capacity, hardware efficiency, and recall reliability when compared to the Hopfield model, and to possess analogies to both biological neural networks and standard digital computer memories.
Optimization of structure and properties of path a prime candidate alloy (PCA) by rapid solidification

Abstract A high density of heterogeneous nucleation sites for helium trapping was provided in a Ti-modified 316 stainless steel by reducing the grain size, increasing the TiC content and controlling the dislocation structure by rapid solidification and subsequent thermomechanical treatments. These structural modifications are expected to have an effect on swelling and high-temperature strength and ductility of Path A alloys under irradiation. Thermomechanical treatments were developed which resulted in higher strength and elongation in stress rupture testing at 923 K compared with a 20% cold worked reference state. While rapid solidification allowed for a controlled TiC precipitate size, density and distribution, coarsening may effectively limit the applications of TiC dispersion strengthened stainless steel at higher irradiation temperatures.
Diagnosis of lacunar infarcts within 6 hours of onset by clinical and CT criteria versus MRI.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The diagnosis of small deep infarcts (SDIs) based on clinical and noncontrast CT findings is often employed to triage stroke patients for emergent endovascular interventions. Few studies have evaluated the accuracy of <6 hours presentation with lacunar clinical syndromes in predicting the presence of a SDI and the absence of large vessel occlusion. METHODS Consecutive patients were identified with symptoms suggestive of acute stroke, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and CT performed within 6 hours of onset, and absence of hemorrhage on imaging. Patients were given a diagnosis of SDI if they met the defined clinical and CT criteria. Diagnoses of large vessel occlusion absent (LVOA) and final diagnoses of SDI versus non-SDI incorporated hyperacute multimodal MRI data. RESULTS Of 64 patients, 15 were diagnosed as SDI at <6 hours based on clinical/CT criteria. Fourteen of 15 patients (93%) had a final diagnosis of LVOA. Ten of 15 (67%) had a final MR-DWI-confirmed diagnosis of SDI. Clinical/CT diagnosis of SDI showed sensitivity of 44%, specificity 97%, positive predictive value (PPV) 93%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 61% in predicting LVOA and sensitivity 83%, specificity 90%, PPV 67%, and NPV 96% compared to the final diagnosis of SDI. Most patients incorrectly diagnosed with SDIs harbored small cortical branch infarcts. CONCLUSIONS Diagnoses of SDI <6 hours from symptom onset based on a classic lacunar syndrome and CT criteria show only modest predictive value in predicting the presence of a small-vessel territory infarct but perform fairly well in identifying patients without large-vessel occlusions amenable to endovascular therapy.
Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors of Older Iranian Immigrants: Health Perceptions and Definitions

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how cultural differences influence the healthcare-seeking behaviors of older Iranian immigrants in the United States. Cultural differences were examined in a variety of areas, including definitions and perceptions of health, illness, and care. Using a phenomenological methodology, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with older Iranian immigrants. The findings of this study showed that participants' definitions of health, illness, and care differ significantly from mainstream Western definitions. An understanding of these cultural differences helps explain why older Iranian immigrants may or may not seek healthcare when they need it in the United States. Recommendations for change include cultural training for medical staff and the use of cultural brokers.
Database usage in a knowledgebase environment for building design

Abstract The Computer Aided Design (CAD) Research Unit of the Design Institute at Cal Poly is engaged in a long term development of an Intelligent Computer Aided Design System (ICADS). The system is intended to become a valuable assistant to the designer throughout the entire design activity. Currently a working prototype, called DEMO2, provides a subset of the necessary assistance. DEMO2 is a distrubutive system that can run with a variety of hardware processors in a Unix environment. It includes an Expert Design Advisor that has six knowledgebase systems working as domain experts, a blackboard coordination expert, a CAD drawing system, a custom graphics interface for user interactions and several databases. The system concurrently monitors an evolving floorplan as it is being drawn by a designer. Currently this review is limited to the viewpoints of experts in the domains of Access, Climate(thermal), Cost, Lighting, Sound(acoustics), and Structure. It functions primarily to help realize a design that is free from conflicts in the six areas listed. This paper describes the development and use of databases in the ICADS working model. Specifically, it shows how the building design prototype information is organized and referenced to derive a design program for a particular project. In addition it discusses how another database of reference information is integrated into the design activity.
Measuring efficiency in the National Basketball Association

Abstract This paper investigates how closely teams in the National Basketball Association play up to their potential. Using the stochastic production frontier model, we provide efficiency measures for each of the 27 NBA teams for the 1992–1993 season.
Diffraction performance calculations in lens design

A review of the methods employed to compute the wavefront shape, the point spread function and the optical transfer function in lens evaluation programs is presented. One of the simplest methods to perform numerical calculations of the diffraction performance of optical systems is to divide the aperture in small squares, as suggested by H. H. Hopkins (1957), and then to consider the wavefront in each of these small squares to be flat and perpendicular to the ray direction in that region. This method however, presents some limitations, since the wavefront has to be flat within a fraction of the wavelength in that small square. This might not be the case if the wavefront is either too aberrated, or the defocusing is too large.
Global climate change mitigation and sustainable forest management—The challenge of monitoring and verification

In this paper, sustainable forest management is discussed within the historical and theoretical framework of the sustainable development debate. The various criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management put forth by different institutions are critically explored. Specific types of climate change mitigation policies/projects in the forest sector are identified and examined in the light of the general criteria for sustainable forest management. Areas of compatibility and contradiction between the climate mitigation objectives and the minimum criteria for sustainable forest management are identified and discussed. Emphasis is put on the problems of monitoring and verifying carbon benefits associated with such projects given their impacts on pre-existing policy objectives on sustainable forest management. The implications of such policy interactions on assignment of carbon credits from forest projects under Joint Implementation/Activities Implemented Jointly initiatives are discussed. The paper concludes that a comprehensive monitoring and verification regime must include an impact assessment on the criteria covered under other agreements such as the Biodiversity and/or Desertification Conventions. The actual carbon credit assigned to a specific project should at least take into account the negative impacts on the criteria for sustainable forest management. The value of the impacts and/or the procedure to evaluate them need to be established by interested parties such as the Councils of the respective Conventions.
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 3 Is Downregulated and Its Expression Is Shifted From Neurons to Astrocytes in the Mouse Lateral Septum During the Postpartum Period

The inhibitory metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGluR3) plays diverse and complex roles in brain function, including synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission. We recently found that mGluR3 is downregulated in the lateral septum (LS) of postpartum females using microarray and qPCR analysis. In this study, we used double fluorescence immunohistochemical approaches to characterize mGluR3 changes in LS of the postpartum brain. The number of mGluR3-immunoractive cells was significantly reduced in the dorsal (LSD) and intermediate (LSI) but not ventral (LSV) parts of the LS in postpartum versus virgin females. mGluR3 immunoreactivity in the LS was found predominantly in neurons (~70%), with a smaller portion (~20%-30%) in astrocytes. Colocalization analysis revealed a reduced mGluR3 expression in neurons but an increased astrocytic localization in postpartum LSI. This change in the pattern of expression suggests that mGluR3 expression is shifted from neurons to astrocytes in postpartum LS, and the decrease in mGluR3 is neuron-specific. Because mGluR3 is inhibitory and negatively regulates glutamate and GABA release, decreases in neuronal expression would increase glutamate and GABA signaling. Given our recent finding that ~90% of LS neurons are GABAergic, the present data suggest that decreases in mGluR3 are a mechanism for elevated GABA in LS in the postpartum state.
Notions of community: popular and subaltern

One of the panels at the symposium on ‘The Subaltern and the Popular’ held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in March 2004, focused on the idea of ‘community’. Other panels dealt with...
A Ten Channel Infrared Spectrograph

Instrumentation is described with which it is possible to determine the spectral distribution of rapidly varying infrared sources as a function of time.A ten channel infrared spectrometer utilizing a multiple arrangement of Golay pneumatic detectors provides information for a ten channel electronic switch which presents this information on a single oscilloscope screen. Silver tube “wave guides” are used to conduct radiation passing through ten separate exit slits to the corresponding detectors. This equipment was developed in connection with a project sponsored by Evans Signal Laboratory, Signal Corps, Department of the Army, Belmar, N. J.
Pd-Catalyzed Electrohydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Formate: High Mass Activity at Low Overpotential and Identification of the Deactivation Pathway

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate (HCO2–) powered by renewable electricity is a possible carbon-negative alternative to synthesizing formate from fossil fuels. This process is energetically inefficient because >1 V of overpotential is required for CO2 reduction to HCO2– on the metals currently used as cathodic catalysts. Pd reduces CO2 to HCO2– with no overpotential, but this activity has previously been limited to low synthesis rates and plagued by an unidentified deactivation pathway. Here we show that Pd nanoparticles dispersed on a carbon support reach high mass activities (50–80 mA HCO2– synthesis per mg Pd) when driven by less than 200 mV of overpotential in aqueous bicarbonate solutions. Electrokinetic measurements are consistent with a mechanism in which the rate-determining step is the addition of electrochemically generated surface adsorbed hydrogen to CO2 (i.e., electrohydrogenation). The electrodes deactivate over the course of several hours because of a minor pathway that forms CO. ...
Stochastic holey optical fibers for gas sensing applications

Monitoring of gaseous species is important in a variety of applications including industrial process gas monitoring, mine safety, and homeland security. Fiber optic sensors have been used in a variety of forms to monitor various types of gaseous species. Optical fiber sensors utilizing both random hole and photonic crystal fibers have been investigated. One limitation to these types of fiber sensors is the fact that the holes run parallel to the optic axis of the fiber, requiring gases to diffuse over long distances. Diffusion of gases over long distances through tube sizes which are on the order of microns is a relatively slow process. This can significantly impact the response time of the sensors which are made from these types of fibers. This paper presents results on the development of optical fibers for gas sensing applications which have holes extending in the radial direction as opposed to the longitudinal direction (as in the case of photonic crystal fibers). The holes are made by a process which utilizes phase separation of the glass matrix at relatively low temperatures. The secondary phase is removed by subsequent leaching processes, leaving a three dimensionally porous structure. The porosity is arranged in a stochastic fashion within the fiber. Results of the fiber sensor development and testing will be presented. The microstructural analysis of the fibers by scanning electron microscopy as well as the optical characterization of the fibers will be presented. Fabrication procedures for the optical fibers and the optical fiber sensors will also be described.
Integration of configuration management into the IT curriculum

The discipline of information technology deals with the selection, creation, application, integration and administration of computing technologies. With the prevailing adoption of information technology, growing sophistication and complexity of today's technology solutions, and increased security threats to the existing systems, it becomes more and more challenging to maintain and support IT operations with the highest availability possible. One of the important and useful practices is to design and implement the appropriate configuration management strategies in the operations, administration and development of IT applications and systems.Configuration management (CM) is a discipline of technical management that ensures the consistency of a product's performance, its quality, functional and physical attributes with its intended requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life. The practice of configuration management applies to every aspect of information technology, ranging from application development, to operating system setup, and to security management.Despite its importance, many practitioners, especially those fresh out of college, consider configuration management as an after-thought. Among all the computing related disciplines defined by ACM Computing Curricula, software engineering is the only one that offers configuration management in its curriculum but with a limited scope.In developing our new IT curriculum based upon the IT Curriculum 2005, we integrated configuration management into our curriculum by developing a course titled "Application Configuration and Management". In the course, students are exposed to various configuration management standards, best practices, techniques, and tools. A series of laboratory exercises were also developed to enhance students' understanding and learning of what is actually involved in the practice of configuration management.
Controlling caloric consumption: protocols for rodents and rhesus monkeys☆

One approach for investigating biological aging is to compare control-fed animals with others restricted in calorie intake by 20% or more. Caloric restriction (CR) is the only intervention shown to extend the maximum lifespan of several invertebrates and vertebrates including spiders, fish, rats and mice. The capacity of CR to retard aging in nonhuman primates is now being explored. The rodent studies show that CR opposes the development of many age-associated pathophysiological changes, including changes to the brain and changes in learning and behavior. One goal of studying CR in rodent is to determine the mechanisms by which it retards aging to design interventions that duplicate those effects. The methods that we use for conducting CR studies on mice and rhesus monkeys are described. We employ procedures designed to achieve a high degree of caloric control for all animals in the study. As used in our studies, this control includes the following features: 1) animals are individually housed, and 2) all individuals in the control group eat the same number of calories (i.e., they are not fed ad lib). Although this method results in strict caloric control for all animals, there seems to be considerable procedural flexibility for the successful conduct of CR studies.
Chicago Haymarket Centennial

As six hundred dignitaries watched the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty one hundred years ago, eight Chicago working-class leaders sat in the Cook Coun ty Jail. They had been convicted of conspiring to throw a bomb that killed a policeman at a May 4, 1886 labor rally in Haymarket Square. Four of them, Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engel, and Adolph Fisher, would be hung on November 11, 1887. Except for Parsons, they were all immigrants. Just as the juxtaposition of the epigrams underscores the inconsistency be tween the image of justice and freedom promised by the Statue of Liberty and the reality as nineteenth-century workers experienced America, the conviction one hundred years later of church workers for providing sanctuary to refugees fleeing Central America stands in stark contrast to the glitz and glitter sur rounding the statue's rededication. The statue's promise has proven chimerical while the words of George Engel have proven prophetic. In 1886 the Haymarket affair was vastly more important than the dedica tion of the Statue of Liberty. Yet today advertisers and conservative ideologues have been able to rivet national attention to the patriotic symbolism surrounding the statue while Haymarket is all but forgotten. This underscores just how seri
Effects of solvent and solute polarizability on the reorganization energy of electron transfer

We report Monte Carlo simulations of the effect of solute and solvent polarizability on the solvent reorganization energy of intramolecular electron transfer. In the first set of simulations, the polarizability of the solvent is varied at constant permanent dipole of the solvent molecules (high-frequency dielectric constants is in the range 1−2.5). The reorganization energy is calculated on the solvent configurations around a nonpolar solute (charge separation transition) and around a dipolar solute (charge recombination transition). In both cases, the variation of the solvent reorganization energy does not exceed 30%, a change much smaller than predicted by dielectric continuum models. In the second set of simulations, the solute polarizability in the charge-separated state was varied while keeping the initial state for charge separation at zero dipole moment and polarizability. The gap between the charge-separation and charge recombination reorganization energies widens substantially with increasing dif...
University Students' Attitudes About Attributing Blame in Domestic Violence

This study examined university students' attitudes about attributing blame in incidents of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Blame Scale (DVBS), which measures the attribution of blame for domestic violence to situational, perpetrator, societal, and victim factors, was used. The DVBS was administered to a voluntary sample of university students. Significant gender differences were found, with male students more likely to attribute blame to the victim for domestic violence than female students. Significant differences were also found between students with and without a prior history of violence in their family of origin. Students with prior experience of violence were more likely than their counterparts to ascribe blame for domestic violence to societal factors.
A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH TO NONSTRUCTURAL FAILURE

In spite of a virtual epidemic of nonstructural failure (leaking roofs, delaminating finishes, etc.), there is no method for architects to assess the reliability of nonstructural elements within the buildings they design. Structural elements and systems within buildings, on the other hand, are designed so that the probability of failure is acknowledged. The analysis of nonstructural building elements and assemblies is more complex, and raises different issues, than that of structural elements and systems. This paper suggests areas for future research into the probabilistic design of nonstructural building elements by examining the limit states and performance requirements for nonstructural failure (risk assessment); the boundaries of sites within which failure might occur (probabilistic analysis); whether a probabilistic approach to nonstructural failure makes sense; and the consequences of peculiarity and redundancy.
Simulations of nuclear spin relaxation in liquid acetonitrile

Molecular dynamics simulations at 298 and 273 K were carried out in order to explore the ability of calculations to predict NMR spin–lattice relaxation rates of the protons of liquid acetonitrile. The six-site model of Nikitin and Lyubartsev (J. Computat. Chem. 28 (2007), pp. 2020–2026) was used with systems containing up to 13,824 molecules. The effects of employing a cut-off for intermolecular interactions were explored. It was found that the model and procedures used predict intramolecular and intermolecular spin–lattice relaxation rates that are within ∼25% of experimental values at both temperatures.